Greetings, everyone! With the release of Beach Properties, we’re excited to kick off a short series of development diaries to delve into our creative process and offer you a glimpse of the fresh assets. In this opening chapter, we’ll explore the essence of an asset pack and our journey in crafting Beach Properties, all while balancing game development, mod support, and troubleshooting.
Asset packs introduce a novel form of official content, paving the way for more diverse architectural options in the game, thus enabling your urban creations to truly shine. Our inaugural pack, Beach Properties, brings a breath of fresh air to serene low-density residential sectors. And although not obligatory, positioning these buildings close to the shore could provide the perfect enhancement your coastal edge has been missing.
The Beach Properties pack unveils 60 novel structures across two distinct low-density residential areas tailored for North America and Europe. Each area showcases the usual 5 levels, enriched with a variety of props and decorations, introducing 24 extra variations per theme. Furthermore, the pack features six spectacular Signature Buildings alongside a plethora of props, aiming not just for aesthetic pleasure but also for practicality, especially with the upcoming in-game editor.
Who wouldn’t cherish a view by the water?
With the announcement of the Ultimate Edition for Cities: Skylines II, we’ve prepared various DLCs, including asset packs and expansions. Each serves its purpose in enriching your urban planning experience. Expansions introduce comprehensive themes and gameplay mechanics, enhancing the overall game. On the other hand, asset packs offer specific, detailed content aligning with your preferred aesthetic and gameplay style, enabling our talented art team to focus on producing exquisite architectures and our programmers to ensure ongoing performance enhancements and resolutions.
Even before the announcement of Cities: Skylines II, the concept for this particular pack was chosen. However, the actual asset creation began in earnest nearing the game’s release last October. Observing the initial DLC titles, it’s evident our focus has been on coastal and maritime urban development. With limited opportunities to innovate on waterfronts in the previous installment, Cities: Skylines II seemed the perfect opportunity to broaden our horizons in this aspect.
Having settled on the theme, our artists sought inspiration and embarked on crafting the pack. Each theme’s new low-density residential area gave us a starting point for the quantity of buildings needed. The process commenced with “white boxing,” a method of sketching out the fundamental shapes of structures in 3D drafts, establishing their scale and ensuring compatibility with the game’s existing assets.
Work-in-progress models for the European Waterfront Housing
Moving forward, we refined the designs with details emblematic of the architectural inspirations. We’ll delve deeper into the inspirations behind Beach Properties and the creation of its assets in the next development diary tomorrow. Until then, we hope you have enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the making of an asset pack.
