This
Traffic Volume View offers a number of improvements to the one included
with the game. Rather than the seven shades of blue
in the
original, this version uses the full spectrum of color, including
approximately 48 distinct color shades. The maximum volume
shown for
each travel type has been increased from a flat 1200 for all types in
the originalTraffic Volume View to a value which is 300% of
the capacity of the underlying network for the selected travel
type.
(Since only one commute period is shown at a time, this is one
half of
the standard network capacity, which is calculated for a full day.)
The legend has been increased from five to nine entries, and each
color in the legend is followed by the percentage of the underlying
network capacity that that color represents, as well as the actual
number of Sims represented by that percentage. When a travel type
may
have more than one underlying network (e.g., cars may travel on
streets, roads, or highways), a subtext below the legend indicates
which network is being referenced in the display.
The
colors in the display have been arranged so that they are more
concentrated at lower levels, in order to give finer granularity at
lower volumes. Between volumes of 0% and 10%, colors change about
every 1.5%. Between 10% and 130%, colors change about ever 5%. And
between 130% and 300%, colors change about every 10%. Please note that
while every attempt has been made to attain the greatest accuracy
possible, all numbers are somewhat approximate. The numbers following
each color in the legend refer to the approximate beginning of the
range of that particular color.
You may
notice that starting at 100%, the colors follow those in the Traffic
Congestion View. However, it is important to keep in mind the
difference between theTraffic Congestion View and the Traffic Volume
View. The Congestion View is compiled from an entire day's travel
statistics, while the Volume View refers to only a single commute
period. Therefore, yellow in a single volume view does not necessarily
indicate congestion, and blue or green in a single folume view does not
necessarily indicate lack of congestion. Furthermore, some of the
volume views include non-congestion producing travel types, which are
pedestrians, buses, and ferries. An experienced player may be able to
look at both commute periods of certain volume views and get a good
idea of congestion, but it is necessary to be careful here.
The Traffic Volume View also includes a
new Subway View. The new Subway View acts in most ways like
the normal underground Subway
View, which is entered by selecting the Subway Tool when you want to
build or demolish subways. However, it has included in it the
volume display feature of the Traffic Volume View, which allows
you to see the usage of your subways as you are building (or
demolishing) them. Like the rest of the Traffic Volume View, this
view shows the volume of traffic in each subway line visible in the
main map, as well as in all subway lines in the minimap.
The last feature included in the Traffic
Volume View is a new Subway Building View, which is entered whenever
you select a subway station to build. It differs from the
standard Subway Building View in that no buildings other than subway
stations are displayed; zones are displayed wherever possible; and like
the Subway View, the volume of traffic in each subway line visible in
the
main map, as well as in all subway lines in the minimap. In
addition, zones and transit station locations are shown in the minimap.
Finally,
most transit station types light up in all volume views. This does not
indicate anything about usage; it is simply so you can identify them
easily. Certain types of transit stations do not light up because of
the way they were designed.
A new Zones view is also included with the
Traffic Volume View. The new Zones view is identical to the
Subway Building View, except that subway volume levels are not
displayed. |