Building an interchange in Cities: Skylines can be quite complex, but luckily, players can download various modifications to make the process easier.
Overview
You can experience city building simulation elements in the fictional, open-ended world of this adventurous video game, Cities: Skylines. The objective of this game is to build the ultimate city. This means that you have to take control of zoning, road placements, and public transport. You will also have to manage the pollution and employment levels.
Players can select their gaming mode before they start playing the game. They can either choose between limited or unlimited money modes. The limited money mode is more challenging than the unlimited money mode, as you have to pay closer attention to your budget.
What is an interchange?
In both gaming modes, you have to build an interchange to connect the highway to your city. The interchange works similarly to real-life interchanges. This means that there are different types of interchanges you can build, however, all of them have the same purpose and goal.
The objective of an interchange is to give people the opportunity to enter and exit your city. For this reason, an interchange plays a crucial role in your gameplay, since people would not be able to enter your city without one. Additionally, you will not be able to progress and reach milestones in the game without an interchange.
Interchange in Cities: Skylines
As previously stated, there are several types of interchanges in the game, the only limit is your skills and imagination. Keep in mind that it is not an easy task to build an interchange, as you should consider the metres above ground, the overpass, costs, and efficiency.
Even though the game has a default interchange, most players create their own design, as the default highway has multiple problems. To build a simple yet beneficial interchange, you have to demolish the default interchange.
You will then have 8 roads all going in different directions. It is recommended that you connect 4 of these roads on the ground level, but they should curve slightly away from each other. The opening between the roads makes space for the highway ramps.
The other roads can also be connected, but they will be placed a few metres above the ground. Next, you should connect the ground highway to the upper highway. Players should then connect the roads to the opposite highways using tunnels and the ramp road tool. You will thus have an intersection below ground that allows residents to use opposite highways.
Even though you do not have to use it, the Traffic Manager: President Edition modification can make the flow of the interchange much smoother.
Traffic Manager: President Edition
Just like other games, Cities: Skylines has varying mods that players can use to alter their gameplay. The Traffic Manager: President Edition is a mod that improves lane and parking usage, as it features customisable junctions, roads, and rails.
If you are using this mod, you will be able to assign the direction of the different lanes in your interchange. This means that residents will not get confused by the lanes, and there will be less traffic jams. Players can download this modification from the Steam Workshop.
Timboh’s Marvelous Interchange Emporium
The Timboh’s Marvelous Interchange Emporium modification is perfect for players who find creating and building interchanges too complicated. There are currently over 20 different interchanges to choose from, each of which can easily be downloaded and applied in your gameplay.
All the interchanges are built using the in-game editor, and the sizes of the interchanges are kept as close to the editor border as possible. Furthermore, all the interchanges are mod-free, as they are built without height and slope modifications.
You can choose which interchanges you want to download by going to the Timboh’s Marvelous Interchange Emporium page on Steam Workshop.
How much money does building an interchange cost?
It is worth noting that the cost of building an interchange cannot be determined, as it depends on various unique factors. You have to consider the type of interchange you are building, how many, and what kind of roads you want to place, whether you are using tunnels or bridges, and how you are going to decorate it. It is possible to build an efficient yet aesthetically pleasing interchange for an affordable price if you work carefully.
Final thoughts
Cities: Skylines is a thrilling single-player video game that invites players to enjoy city building simulation features. In this open world, you can engage in urban planning, where you will control the public services, public transport, zoning, and road placements of your city. However, you also have to manage the pollution and employment levels while keeping an eye on the city’s budget.
When you first start playing the game, you will find an open plot of land with a nearby highway. It is your responsibility to build an interchange to give people the opportunity to enter or leave your city. Interchanges can be difficult to build, but luckily, there are mods you can install to make it easier.