Hidden buildings:
(http://i.imgur.com/1btg3.jpg)
Shown buildings:
(http://i.imgur.com/XtQQJ.jpg)
Detail of N/S Freeway interchange with main E/W artery:
(http://i.imgur.com/vryft.png)
Detail of N/S Freeway street interchange:
(http://i.imgur.com/7clgU.png)
Detail of E/W Artery in front of city hall:
(http://i.imgur.com/APBq2.png)
I've got an extension request here: http://forum.simutrans.com/index.php?topic=10699.0
Now that I can turn city growth off and safely build roads that won't be taken over by the city, I need a tool to help rebuild the patches that I have to destroy while working with my city... We need tools to build a random building (res/com/ind), then a +1 and -1 that applies to a single tile. :)
One final one with buildings near the edge of the city - E/W artery split by a tile (took over two city streets):
(http://i.imgur.com/mmZL4.png)
Beautiful! From the moment I started playing again a few months ago I realized the potential that Simutrans had as a city simulator with very little changes. It has everything already: buildings, roads, transportation networks... it just needs a few little tools to make it easier to run a city manually instead of automated and it opens a huge door.
I look at projects like Carl's simulation of the British rail network and see what huge potential this game has as not just a simulation but as a model maker's dream come true. To be able to make a scale model of a city complete with its transit network is an amazing thing... and this game is already capable of doing it without any changes! A few extra tools will just make it easier to accomplish and a bit less tedious.
I would add to your list the ability to mouse drag a selected area to be res, com or ind. It would start at a level 0 zoning area with no buildings... which would then start to grow either automatically if city growth is "on" or you would do it manually with the +1/-1 level tool.
Being able to model a whole city/country complete with its transit network .... amazing stuff.
That would actually be VERY sweet - to be able to tell a city "only grow buildings, no roads"... And zoning? Oh, that would be SWEET. :D
Only grow buildings is a piece of cake. No cityrules should do this. JUst expect no city to develop in first place of course.
I can't speak for others, but it seems very reasonable to expect to have to start cities and build roads for them if one uses any sort of system like this. hehe
I'm with you there... if you turn off city growth, you have to do everything yourself, placing roads, buildings, all of it. That's part of the fun in my view, building highways, avenues, etc.