one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

core loop

shape terrain and zone light or dense residential, commercial, industrial land -> lay power lines, water pipes, roads, and rail -> demand and land value grow zones -> set per-zone tax rates, ordinances, and bonds -> fund schools, hospitals, police, and fire -> rebuild aging plants

design notes

SimCity 2000 keeps the original's grid-map model but adds a second plane: an underground view for water pipes, subways, and road tunnels, so infrastructure is laid on a separate layer from zoning. Finance gains levers (three tax rates, ordinances, bonds), and most of the nine power plant types have limited lifespans, so replacement becomes a recurring capital cost. Yearly newspapers built from city state replace the score screen, and extreme deficit spending ends the game.

relations

19 stored edges
influenced by
uses

Treasury and budget

Yearly budget with department funding; extreme deficit spending ends the game.

core
uses

Power grid

Nine plant types including wind, hydro, solar, fusion, and microwave; most have limited lifespans and must be rebuilt.

core
uses

RCI demand

Demand bars for residential, commercial, and industrial land, raised by connections to neighbor cities.

core
uses

Zoning

Residential, commercial, and industrial zones in light and dense variants, plus seaport and airport zones.

core
uses

Dated technology timeline

Power plant types such as solar, fusion, and microwave and buildings such as arcologies become available in set invention years as the city's calendar advances.

supporting
uses
supporting
uses

Fluid pipe networks

Water from pumps travels through underground pipes to zones.

supporting
uses
supporting
uses

Land value

Query tool shows land value per tile, which shapes development.

supporting
uses

Loans and debt

The player issues bonds to raise capital and pays interest on them.

supporting
uses

Policy toggles

City ordinances enacted for ongoing cost and effect.

supporting
uses

Random disasters

Disasters strike in play, and scenarios based on real cities stage specific ones.

supporting
uses

Service coverage

Schools, libraries, museums, hospitals, police, and fire stations cover surrounding zones.

supporting
uses

Taxation

Separate tax rates for residential, commercial, and industrial zones.

supporting
uses

Terraforming

Land has elevation that the player can raise or lower before and during play.

supporting
uses

Traffic congestion

Query tool reports traffic on roads; highways and transit relieve it.

supporting
uses

Vertical layers

An underground layer holds water pipes, subways, and road tunnels separate from the surface.

supporting

backlinks

computed from other records

sources

1
Wikipedia contributors (2026). SimCity 2000. Wikipedia

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gacatalog
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance