Cities Skylines 2 has robbed its younger generation of their money for realism

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

The new development diary for Cities: Skylines 2 has revealed a ton of new details about how this city builder works.

One of the most interesting elements that stood out from Cities: Skylines 2 new dev diary was it's use of an AI pathfinding system. This new feature is infinitely more complex than Cities: Skylines one that operated solely on proximity.

One of the factors that'll help this new AI figure out where to send people around your bustling city is cost, which, in a sadly relatable way, has had a negative impact on its younger residents. The cost of things like transportation and parking is incredibly influential in where young people go in this city building sim, because in the name of realism, young people have no money here.

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"In Cities: Skylines 2 agents choose a route based on a pathfinding cost," the dev diary said. It also explained how the cost is derived from four different elements: time, behavior, comfort, and money. Using these elements your residents will determine the most optimal path around your city.

Crucially for realism's sake, the age of your residents will impact how they navigate the city. "For teens the most important factor is Money: they seek out cheap options when traveling, be it the means of transportation or parking behavior," the diary says. "Adults value Time, so the quickest route is usually the best for them. And Seniors prefer a high Comfort level. As long as the Comfort cost is small, seniors tend to choose that option."

There's also updates to how citizens use the roads in Cities: Skylines 2. While everyone will now be able to use all lanes while in traffic, meaning senseless traffic jams will now be few and far between.

Different vehicles will also have various levels of 'danger'. For example, while delivery trucks and citizens will have a low level of danger, emergency services will have a high level, being more likely to speed or do U-turns in busy roads.

This new AI is a fantastic feature to Cities Skylines 2, however we're still hoping to see these four things added to the sequel to optimize the realism.

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Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.

Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they've taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.