**Arcadia: Paradise Lost**
A large city designed to blend moderate difficulty with good performance and an interesting layout.
Lore:
Arcadia was founded by the influential Jefferson and Kennedy families with the goal of creating a place where anyone could find their fortune, even as the world collapsed around them. The city's early history was prosperous and it catered to tourism and luxury. But soon, the state of the world put increasing pressure on the city and the descendants of the founders began to compete with one another as the city's tourism income slowly dried up. It was not long before the Jefferson and Kennedy families, once fast friends, had become bitter enemies. Their competition brought crime, gambling, and ruin to the city. As tourism declined, the feuding Founder Families demolished the east-side amusement parks and recreational areas, replacing them with heavy industry. Increasingly underhanded business tactics gave way to paid assassinations, theft, and sabotage in what eventually became known as the Founder's War. In only a matter of years, the city's prosperity had plummeted and the people lived in despair and fear. Arcadia, once a paradise, had become a prison. Eventually, Starch Kola moved in to "liberate" the citizenry, buying up the entire city to incorporate into its vast empire. There is little left of the Jefferson and Kennedy families now. The current generation of these families have mostly forgotten their old rivalry, or so they claim. The scars of their old wars can be seen in every corner and on every street. The great parks of Arcadia, once a bastion of natural beauty and the pride of the city in a world rapidly losing its environmental diversity, now stand barren and poorly maintained.
Layout:
NOTE: The map of this city is rotated 90 degrees so that east is up! (this was unintentional)
Arcadia is not an easy city, nor is it designed to be.
The size is 6x9 and it has a population of 690 (initially).
The majority of the population is situated in the central band of high rises between the Arcadia Gold Hotel on the west side and the Industrial District on the east side. Most of the action occurs around the central band (6x2 tiles, north to south). City hall is on the eastern side of this band. An additional apartment tower was constructed in the industrial district to support the city's growing need for workers during the Founder's War, so action tends to occur around there as well, requiring the occasional 2-3 tile walk. The Hotel is situated on the west side, surrounded by parks, and requires a commute of 2-3 tiles from the central band, or 4 from city hall. The layout is not designed for super-fast trips, but also should limit the need to make exceptionally long trips too often. Again, the city is not designed to be easy! The large amount of parks allows you to play in a big city without a big performance hit.
This is my first city for SoD. Hope you enjoy it!