Cities: Skylines II News

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Hello Mayors!
[/p][p]We’ve seen many people sharing that after the latest Quays & Piers update (1.3.3f1), they are now unable to load and/or play the game. We have investigated this and wanted to share some things that we hope will help if you’re in this boat.

If, after reading and following the steps below, you’re still stuck, we would greatly appreciate it if you could create a ticket on our Bug Reporting Forum so that we can gather all the necessary information to replicate your situation.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]The storefront didn't appropriately apply the game update[/h2][p]Please Verify your Game Files (Steam), or Verify and Repair (Microsoft Store). Sometimes, when Steam updates, it might not apply the patch or update properly. It’s always good to verify after a larger update like this. Unfortunately, this can be more common for players in areas with less than stellar internet, but it's not a bad habit for most players to get into in general.[/p][p][/p][h2]Broken mods[/h2][p]Launching with code mods disabled may not be helpful in some cases, as certain mods leave files in locations that cause them to still be loaded.[/p][p]
Many mod creators have been given early access and have been able to work on their mods ahead of time; however, they may not be able to update them immediately. Please be patient with the creators of the mods you use. Everyone has a personal life and might be unable to update a game mod immediately at launch. Do not bug creators to update their mod, they will get to it as soon as they are able.[/p][p]
You can always launch the game without code mods via the launcher, or by adding either --disableModding, which removes access to PDX Mods entirely, or --disableCodeModding, which just disables mods but you can still access PDX Mods and change playset.
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Here are three things to test that we have found to help many of the players who have had issues over the last two days:

[/p][h2]1. “Cannot Find Central Directory” Issue[/h2][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]The error message looks something like this.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] In some cases the game shows no error message, instead the sky and ocean can be shown and no UI is displayed.[/p]

1. [p]Open %LocalAppData%Low\\Colossal Order\\Cities Skylines II\\Player.log using Notepad.[/p]
2. [p]Find "Cannot find central directory" or "Error occurred creating", which will include the file path.[/p]
3. [p]Go to the specified folder and delete both the .cok and .cok.cid files with the same name mentioned in the log.[/p]
4. [p]Repeat this for each "Cannot find central directory" or "Error occurred creating" log entry.[/p]
5. [p]Restart the game.[/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]2. “Fix broken local files” Issue:[/h2]

1. [p]Go to C:\\Users\\\[your user name]\\AppData\\LocalLow\\Colossal Order\\Cities Skylines II.[/p]
2. [p]Either rename the Cities Skylines II folder or move it to another place on your computer. If you delete it, be aware that your local saves will also be deleted.[/p]
3. [p]Start the game again. If you had broken files locally, you should be able to get into the game now.[/p]
4. [p]To recover your local save files, go to the initial folder that you either renamed or moved to a different location, and locate the Saves folder. In there, there is a folder with a bunch of numbers. Open that folder, and you will find your local saves. Copy the .cok and .cok.cid file for the save you want to use and paste it into the new Cities Skylines II folder that was created when you started the game in Step 3.[/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]3. “Recover your Steam Cloud, as the broken files might be stored there” Issue.[/h2][p]This is very unlikely, so please try everything above first.
[/p]

1. [p]Go to https://store.steampowered.com/account/remotestorageapp/?appid=949230 while logged into the same account used to play CSII with[/p]
   1. [p]Download all the files that the user wants to preserve to a safe location outside of the game user folder. Like C:\\SteamCloudBackup or just their Downloads folder if they are not too precious saves.[/p]
2. [p]Reset the Steam Cloud; this may, unfortunately, reset some achievement progress tracking. Additionally, Paradox login and friends of Chirper entitlements will be reset if owned. It will be necessary to log in to the Paradox account again to re-unlock them.[/p]
   1. [p]Start the game with the command line toggles --developerMode --qaDeveloperMode (game properties>General>launch options)[/p]
   2. [p]In the main menu, press Tab and navigate to Platforms.[/p]
   3. [p]Expand Remote storages and press Wipe data under the Steamworks entry (this will irreversibly delete all the content on the Steam Cloud, so make sure to have downloaded the things you want to backup).[/p]
   4. [p]Remove the launch options from properties, or at least --qaDeveloperMode as it exposes some dangerous operation that can wipe data unnecessarily.[/p]
3. [p]Restart the game, and confirm the game works locally.[/p]
4. [p](optionally) The downloaded save games from step 1 that are not broken can be recovered.[/p]
   1. [p]Close the game.[/p]
   2. [p]Copy the cok files of the desired saves to the Cities Skylines II user folder (it can be at the root, and the file will remain read-only, or into Saves/, where it will behave like a local save).[/p]
   3. [p]Start the game, load the desired save game, and save to Steam Cloud again.[/p]
   4. [p]Broken files that show an error with reads out of bounds or missing central directory are unfortunately completely broken, and these can not be recovered.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Again, if you’re still stuck after reading and following the steps above, please create a ticket on our Bug Reporting Forum so that we can gather all the necessary information to replicate your situation and assist you.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Hi everyone, and welcome to this dev diary covering the content added in Quays & Piers Patch - 1.3.3f1. While we’re hard at work to ensure the Bridges & Ports expansion is polished and in great shape for you, we hope that this content, originally planned to be released in the free update alongside the expansion, will find a place along your cities’ waterfronts. 
[/p][p]Today, we’ll go through the new quays and piers, how they are different, and how they can be used together. We’ll also take a look at the two new bridges, one rail bridge and one double-decked road and rail bridge. Then we’ll finish with a quick chat about the bug fixes coming in this patch.[/p][p][/p][h2]QUAY TO THE CITY[/h2][p]We’ve seen how you have used the cut-and-fill roads to create makeshift quays in your cities, but we also know how challenging they can be to build. Where roads and pedestrian paths are designed to follow the terrain, creating retaining walls and bridges only when there is a significant elevation change, quays detect the slightest change in elevation and create a retaining wall on the lower side. This makes lining your waterfronts with quays much easier than if you were using regular roads. Additionally, quays can also be extended into the water to create jetties.[/p][p][/p][p]Quays come in three different sizes: The narrow quay only supports pedestrian traffic and can be found in the Landscaping Menu alongside pedestrian paths. The medium and wide quays have both vehicle lanes and sidewalks, and support road upgrades all the way from wide sidewalks and trees to bus lanes and tram tracks. These can be found in the Roads Menu under Small and Medium roads, respectively.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Add trees, grass, or public transport lanes to your quays using the road upgrade tool.[/p][p] [/p][h2]SHORING UP IN STYLE[/h2][p]When placing any of the quays, you will notice a new snapping option: Snap to shoreline. As the name suggests, this option makes quays “stick” to the edge of the water and keeps them at a consistent height above the water surface, which can, of course, be raised based on the selected elevation steps. This option is enabled by default and is ideal if you want to line your natural waterfronts with any of the new quays. Quays can still be placed extending into the water while this option is enabled. [/p][p][/p][p]When “Snap to shoreline” is disabled, quays not only stop snapping to the shoreline, but they also follow the terrain height as soon as they are out of water. If you have a specific vision in mind and want more control over where and at what height the quays are placed, disabling “Snap to shoreline” is the way to go. While quays do have a lower limit for how close to water they can be, so they’re not flooded, we hope that the snapping option, along with all the regular options for networks, allows enough freedom to create the waterfronts you dream of.[/p][p][/p][p]Speaking of freedom, quays may be intended for shorelines, but they do not require water, so you can also build them on slopes to create terraces in the landscape. Just note that they automatically push the terrain down on the retaining wall side, so you’ll need at least a 10-meter height difference in the terraces if you’re using quays for this.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Narrow quays come in two variations and can be used by pedestrians.[/p][p] [/p][h2]FROM PIER TO THERE[/h2][p]Piers in Cities: Skylines II are all about leisure. These elevated networks are pedestrian-only and can be found in the Landscaping Menu under Paths. They come in three different sizes: Narrow, Medium, and Wide, which can be combined to create intricate pier networks. Similar to bridges, they have a minimum height, and they can be built stretching into the water or as a viewing deck overlooking the city.[/p][p][/p][p]When built in your preferred location, size, and shape, piers provide a new option for citizens looking for outdoor leisure. They will visit piers for a walk or simply to relax and enjoy nature. Of course, piers need to be connected to the city, so citizens can reach them. You can connect them using pedestrian paths or attach them directly to a road or quay. The choice is yours.[/p][p][/p][p]Build piers that fit your city and watch as citizens visit the waterfront for some leisure time.
[/p][p]The update also includes two new bridges with new designs and functions. In the Train Transportation Menu, you will find a truss arch bridge that supports two train tracks. This classic style bridge provides a stunning visual regardless of whether your train tracks cross a gorge or waterway - and if it’s built at a high enough elevation, it can easily cross a narrow seaway. [/p][p][/p][p]If you’re looking for something more flexible and elaborate, we have the first double-decked bridge in Cities: Skylines II. It combines a four-lane two-way highway on the upper deck with a double train track, providing a compact and cheaper option when you need both a highway and a rail bridge. And with its extradosed bridge design, it looks incredible in any city.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Connect your railway lines with the new double-track bridge or elevate your city’s network with the first double-decked bridge.[/p][p] [/p][h2]FIXES AHOY![/h2][p]Since cargo transportation is part of the Bridges & Ports gameplay, it was important to us that we also looked at the base game and fixed as many issues related to the flow of goods as we could. Some of these fixes are pretty easy to spot: when deactivating the Cargo Harbor, trucks stop visiting it after completing their already begun trip. Other fixes are less visible as they fix or improve the systems themselves, resulting in a smoother distribution of resources throughout your city.[/p][p][/p][p]Along with the fixes, we also took the opportunity to improve the Selected Info Panel of cargo transportation buildings to better visualize how they import and export various goods. Now, all resources that can be stored are listed in a section that can be collapsed. Resources are color-coded to easily tell you which resources the building is seeking to import and which are taking up so much space that it’s looking to export.
[/p][p]Cargo transportation buildings aim to store a consistent supply of all resources and raw materials, so industry and commercial buildings in the city can refill their internal storage quickly. Any resource that is highlighted in red shows a deficit, not in the city, but in the building’s desired reserve. It will attempt to import this resource to reach a balanced state. If you produce more than the city needs of a raw material or product, it often ends up in the transportation building’s storage, resulting in a surplus, which is highlighted in green. If possible, these resources will be sold to Outside Connections and exported.[/p][p][/p][p]Besides cargo-related fixes and improvements, Quays & Piers Patch also contains a lot of other bug fixes to improve your experience with the game. While we know there are still things that need attention, we continue to work through the reported bugs and want to thank you all for sharing the issues you’ve come across while playing. If you encounter a bug after this patch, the best thing you can do is report it on our support forum so we can look into it. Fixes may not happen immediately, but we truly appreciate the time and effort you put into reporting them. It helps us prioritize and catch the issues that impact your gameplay experience.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s all we have for you today. We hope you enjoy the new content and fixes, all of which can be found in the patch notes. If you feel like showing off your improved waterfronts, we would love to see what you create. [/p][p]
[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Hello Mayors![/h2][p][/p][p]The Patch Notes for version 1.3.3f1 covers a boatload of fixes, including (but not limited to) a lot of Cargo fixes, balancing, and how you interact and view the game. It also includes the new free content that includes three new Piers, two new Quays, and two new Bridges which gives you many new ways to transport and move people, cars, and trains around your city![/p][p]
We have also shared a Developer Diary about the taste of what Bridges & Ports has to offer, which you can read here. [/p][p][/p][h3]Known issues:[/h3]

• [p]While the issue causing commercial buildings to store more resources than their storage capacity has been fixed, commercial buildings that already have more resources stored will not have their storage adjusted. The storage will be reduced as their resources are consumed until they are below their maximum capacity. Once below that threshold, they will respect that limit when purchasing new resources.[/p]
• [p]Office company workers can drop to the minimum amount because too few resources are produced by the companies are consumed.
  [/p]

[h2]New Free Content[/h2]

• [p]3 New Piers[/p]
  • [p]Narrow Wooden Leisure Pier [/p]
  • [p]Medium Wooden Leisure Pier [/p]
  • [p]Wide Wooden Leisure Pier [/p]
• [p]2 New Quays[/p]
  • [p]2 quays with driving lanes.[/p]
  • [p]2 pedestrian quays.[/p]
• [p]2 New Bridges[/p]
  • [p]Double Train Track Truss Arch Bridge \[Train][/p]
  • [p]Four-Lane Double Train Track Double-Decked Extradosed Bridge \[Highways][/p]

[p][/p][h2]Gameplay Fixes & Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed Crash to Desktop when creating sharp curves in Cinematic Camera.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare Crash to Desktop when creating a new save file or overwriting an existing one.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Crash to Desktop caused by placing overlapping roads. This changes how roads and pre-made intersections can be placed.[/p]
• [p]Fixed high number of taxis & visitors arriving at small parks.[/p]
• [p]Fixed citizens not paying for their goods while shopping.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Residential, Office, and Industrial taxes not showing any income after the player restores taxes to 10%, after playing for several hours with taxes set at 0%.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Commercial buildings can store more than what is allowed. Existing buildings adjust their storage amount over time to match the limit.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Commercial buildings that sell Lodging, Recreation, or Entertainment no longer gain the office efficiency bonus from Airport and Office Signature Buildings.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Commercial Infoview incorrectly showing a mixed building as occupied when there is no company.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the unending industrial demand when lowering the industrial tax rate.[/p]
• [p]Many cargo-related fixes:[/p]
  • [p]Fixed deactivated Cargo Harbor still being used.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Cargo Ships overlapping when arriving at a deactivated Cargo Harbor.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the dot in the 'Route' panel to properly reflect the percentage of cargo storage at every stop.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed amount of cargo not being displayed in the Cargo Train Route Selected Info Panel for stations that use building upgrades.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed missing/duplicate resources for cargo transportation vehicles. Each of these can now carry all raw materials, processed goods, and all types of mail. They do not carry immaterial goods or garbage.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed resource types for InternationalAirport01.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed amount of coal transported from the cargo terminals being lower than the amount subtracted from the building’s storage when the resource is sold.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where trucks with trailers sometimes did not subtract the correct amount of resources from the target storage when loading cargo.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed commercial truck not importing from cargo stations.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Outside Connection cargo stops always having the same amount of cargo.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Outside Connection resource storage having a huge negative resource balance in some old saves.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Specialized Industry buildings receiving regular deliveries of nothing from an Outside Connection.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed extractor companies spawning with output resources in their storage. This will only apply to newly placed extractors..[/p]
  • [p]Improved the Storage section of the Selected Info Panel of cargo transportation buildings to display all resources that can be stored, the current amount stored, and colored highlights to indicate surplus/balanced/deficit status for the specific storage building.[/p]
  • [p]Lowered Cargo Harbor warehouse upgrade and Cargo Train Terminal warehouse upgrade's storage size to 7500t to better match the visuals.[/p]
  • [p]Companies avoid buying big amounts that exceed the max amount of vehicle delivery capacity.[/p]
• [p]Fixed industrial Efficiency bonus from Signature Buildings being summed incorrectly.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Signature Industrial Buildings descriptions and Selected Info Panels having the same incorrect Industrial Efficiency bonus value[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug causing citizens to be unable to exit burning buildings (causing them to be more likely to die in the fire and causing long-term performance overhead due to pathfinding spam)[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera transition when switching to/from map view.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Noise Pollution not spreading from networks in Easy mode.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted some Easy Mode gameplay values:[/p]
  • [p]Electricity, water, and garbage consumption.[/p]
  • [p]Unemployment benefits, pension, and family allowance.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted Easy Mode water and sewage import/export costs to match the proportional changes of the electricity import/export costs.[/p]
• [p]Various adjustments and fixes to tutorials[/p]
• [p]Various fixes for achievements.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]UI/controller fixes:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed missing selected object when the player selects an item from any Upgrades panel and switches to another build menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the positive "Free workplaces" and the negative "Availability of Jobs" residential demand factors sometimes appearing at the same time.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug causing visual issues with Info Views when selecting city service category while another panel was active (eg. notifications, chirper, economy, etc.)[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where quickly toggling panels off and on while it was transitioning out could lead to them rendering fully transparent (interactive but not visible).[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where quickly loading a save while in Photo Mode could result the game to get stuck with Photo Mode not properly deactivated, and cause standard tools to stop not working.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Subsidies graph in the Statistics panel always showing 0.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Tile Upkeep not being included in Expenses part of the Statistics panel.[/p]
• [p]Fixed loan interest category incorrectly being visible in the Statistics panel when playing with Unlimited Money.[/p]
• [p]Fixed inconsistency between Economy panel and Statistics panel values for Service Upkeeps and Service Trade.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Production statistics in the Economy panel being carried over to a new game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the "Lack of Labor" and "Lack of High-Skill Labor" notifications appearing when the building has collapsed.[/p]
• [p]Fixed built-in sub-buildings and extensions incorrectly showing up in the Selected Info Panel upgrades section.[/p]
• [p]Fixed citizens appearing without an avatar in Chirper/Citizen Lifepath.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue making it impossible to remove citizens from the "Followed Citizens" list via the Selected Info Panel, if the maximum number of followed citizens is reached.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with storage and cargo Selected Info Panel sections with uneven items did not render correctly.[/p]
• [p]Fixed long names not fitting the storage and cargo Selected Info Panel if the UI was scaled or a non-English language was selected.[/p]
• [p]Multiple text and translation fixes.[/p]
• [p]Multiple controller fixes.[/p]
• [p]Multiple Info View fixes:[/p]
  • [p]Colors/arrows are limited to the gameplay area.[/p]
  • [p]Noise, wind, air pollution, and telecom coverage are also shown on the water surface (in addition to the terrain surface).[/p]
  • [p]Wind and water flow Info Views are mutually exclusive, as both have arrows on water (Affects electricity Info View).[/p]
• [p]Added a warning for saves and maps that are missing a required DLC.[/p]
• [p]Added hotkey to confirmation and game mode selection.[/p]
• [p]Added a green circle highlight when connecting electricity cables, power lines, and pipes at different elevations.[/p]
• [p]Added new tooltip for buildings in air pollution, ground pollution, and garbage management Info Views when the City Policy "Advanced Pollution Management" is enabled to show the policy’s effect.[/p]
• [p]Added Edge Scrolling sensitivity slider to Gameplay settings.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Art/graphics:[/h2]

• [p]Several fixes for Virtual Texturing (affects glitched road decals, some black buildings in the distance).[/p]
• [p]Fixed power lines appearing like thick beige lines over water.[/p]
• [p]Fixed color variations not working if the first building level doesn't have them, but subsequent levels do.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the University Library upgrade of University having the "No pedestrian access" notifications when placed on the uneven terrain. [/p]
• [p]Fixed extractor vehicles sometimes leaving the extraction area.[/p]
• [p]Fixed themed and shared trees hue/saturation and brightness to randomize less so that there are not too differently colored leaves in the same tree.[/p]
• [p]Fixed loading screen thumbnail/preview override which had an inconsistent halo around the edges of the screen - now it will have a consistent black vignette.[/p]
• [p]Fixed new game panels would not have the backdrop blur applied during transition.[/p]
• [p]Mitigate tree visual look changes when view distance changes.[/p]
• [p]Improved spruce and pine trees to be a bit brighter.[/p]
• [p]Improved Poplar, Hickory, Linden, London Plane, Oak, and Birch autumn color to be brighter and more saturated.[/p]
• [p]Improved Agricultural area textures so that it does not create a repeating pattern when there is snow.[/p]
• [p]Improved water VFX on Fountain Plaza to avoid overlap.[/p]
• [p]Improved zone grid visibility on bright snow.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Misc:[/h2]

• [p]Fixed issues with save names that have special characters.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the selected monitor in the display option resetting after restarting the game.[/p]
• [p]Multiple SFX fixes[/p]
• [p]Added optional telemetry consent to settings[/p]
• [p]Updated Coherent to 1.64[/p]
• [p]Update to Unity 2022.3.60f1[/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Modding Fixes & Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]DLC dependencies are now registered for maps and saves uploaded to Paradox Mods.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Paradox Mods Fixes & Improvements:[/h2]

• [p]Update PDX SDK to 1.34.0[/p]
• [p]Update Mods UI to 1.11.1[/p]
• [p]When an asset on Paradox Mods is set to have DLC dependencies, it shows a list of dependencies on that mod page.[/p]

I think there might be a chance, just ever so slightly, that the development of Cities Skylines 2 has been a bit difficult. The game launched back in October of 2023 and has suffered from performance issues, rushed DLC, and a delay to its first expansion Bridges and Ports. This expansion was meant to come soon after the Beach Properties DLC, but that obviously didn't happen, catching a delay to sometime in the second quarter of 2025 specifically to continue improving upon the base game. Except the expansion has been delayed once again.

Read more

Hello Cities: Skylines players,

Since the release of the Detailers patch, we’ve spent the last five months working hard on the Bridges & Ports DLC, and towards our upcoming expected release. After reviewing the content ourselves and sharing it with our early access group, we’ve received consistent feedback: the bridges are super exciting, and the port works well, but there are aspects of the expansion that are not as polished as they could be.

That left us with a difficult choice: delay the release once again to add more depth, or release it as-is, knowing players may feel it falls short. We believe the current content is enjoyable, but we’re not blind to what’s missing, and to bring it to the level you deserve, we need more time.

The free update that was intended to come alongside Bridges & Ports will release on June 11th, with a bit of content that gives a slight sneak peek of what is to come in the expansion. In the meantime, we’re assessing feedback from our early access group and mapping out what we want to improve when the expansion launches - which we are now expecting in Q4 of this year.

That said, this is still a beautiful expansion, and we’re excited about what it will add to your city. We just want to ensure it adds enough to meet your deservedly high expectations.

The full patch notes for the free update will be shared on June 11th, together with the release of the patch. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the free assets included to enhance your waterfronts.

[h3]2 New Bridges[/h3]
Including Combination bridge:

• Four-Lane Highway Double Train Track Double-Decked Extradosed Bridge
  
• Double Train Track Truss Arch Bridge
  

[h3]3 Leisure Piers[/h3]
Piers are shoreline/harbor assets created using the net tools. They are divided into leisure and
industrial piers.

[h3]3 Quays[/h3]
Quays are a way to beautify the cities' shorelines. Quays can be updated with trees and piers can connect to them. Container Crane can be placed over the Cargo Port Quay that is designed to be wider than normal quays to work with the Reach Stackers. Quays work similarly to other roads in that buildings can be snapped to them when the zoning grid is visible.

// the Cities: Skylines Team