Data Maps - Part 2

Always from the Sim City Blog, the interesting analysis of the data-driven city.

"For example, when the player places a power plant, they will see unpowered roads and transmission lines. Once the power plant is placed, power will start flowing along power conductors to the buildings. If there’s a break in that transmission, the player will immediately see the break. If the power plant isn’t big enough, the player will see the power getting eaten up before it reaches the farther buildings. That information is there in the world to see so the player doesn’t have to look for it – as if they had X-ray goggles that could show electricity flowing. Through the data layers, we’re teaching the player the mechanics of a complex system without them being aware of it. With data layers as a backbone we’re able to take complex simulation-driven information and provide a visual that all players will understand and find accessible."

That is why Sim City is THE tool for the Smart City
http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/Data-Maps-in-SimCity-Part-2