Wow this is terrible news. Basically Paradox owns the IP to Cities Skylines and Colossal Order seemingly want out.
I’d say a large reason CS2 has been such a mess is because it was rushed out, the paradox mod system is just not fit for purpose and there remains a ridiculous focus on getting the console version released + move on to DLCs rather than fixing the main game. I’d put most of the blame on Paradox’s shoulders to be honest.
It’ll be interesting to see what CO does next. CS1 was a great game, CS2 could have been a great game. Will they do another city sim or more onto something else? Seems a shame if they move on as they have grown so much expertise in the genre. I’m hoping they’re cutting free to do a game with their own vision, which was how CS1 came to be.
Apropos of nothing more than my idle speculation, I’d guess they will return to the transport tycoon genre if they are able to do so. Before Skylines took the crown from SimCity as the preeminent example of the genre, they made the Cities in Motion games, which were narrowly focused on improving the mass transit of existing cities (as opposed to building the city itself). I know the second CiM game had some interaction between the city and your efforts as transportation czar (in the same way you could indirectly influence a citiy’s development in, say Railroad Tycoon), but the emphasis was always on transit. I imagine the newly independent team will want to keep their focus narrow, unless another publisher swoops in to replace the safety net.
Huge player of Cities in Motion 1/2. I still play both of them to this day.
Cities in Motion 2’s city building elements were basically a prototype for Cities Skylines. The look and feel very similar (of course CiM2 didn’t really have city-building management layer, just public transit).
Cities XS
So they are doing a Kerbal Space Program to Cities Skylines… Did they not see how badly that went?
With Subnautica 2 we will get the trifecta.
Maaaaan. Fuck Krafton.
Do we know who was to blame for that? Last I heard, the publisher and the developers were pointing fingers at each other.
I was close to buying it during a free demo and sale recently. Then I read the reviews. This news just solidified me never buying it.
I loved CS1 and have had CS2 since launch. I just can’t get into CS2 - it’s just not fun.
A large part of that is Paradox Mods in CS2. When CS1 launched from day one you could go onto the steam workshop and download player made models - houses, offices, train stations, roads etc. It grew rapidly and continuously, and it meant every city you made you could customise and change. The game was constantly refreshing and fun, and you could make whatever you wanted.
For CS2, 2 years on and you still can’t add custom assets to the game. Paradox/CO have released themed region based asset packs that they have made and the mods are there, but the player made assets remain largely missing. And I suspect the reason is Paradox Mods and the upcoming console version - the PC version seems to have been held back from being good so Paradox can get it’s console launch. There seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding that the player made content was what made CS1 so great. I suspect CO get that, while Paradox only cares about DLC.
Wait… Who plays these games on console? I feel they need the mouse to have any sort ability to control.
I am so glad I gave up on Paradox.
Hopefully, CO can make some cool economic strategy games without Paradox’s involvement.
This sucks. I really like CS2, but there’s no way this will be a good thing.
yea. RIP
