Player Roles

Who Are You?

In SynCity, you act as the City Architect and Mayor. It is crucial to understand the boundaries of your power. You are not a dictator who controls the mind of every citizen. You are a gardener who creates the environment in which the citizens grow.

Macro-Management vs. Micro-Management

What You Control (The Macro)

• Zoning: You decide where houses, factories, and shops can be built.

• Infrastructure: You build the roads, power lines, and water pipes.

• Services: You provide police, fire safety, and healthcare.

• Fiscal Policy: You set the tax rates and budget allocations.

What You Do Not Control (The Micro)

• Individual Lives: You cannot force a specific agent to take a specific job. You cannot force an agent to marry or move into a specific house.

• Private Business: You cannot tell a shop what to sell or how much profit to make. They will go bankrupt if the economy is bad, regardless of your wishes.

The Philosophy of Indirect Control

Your goal is to manipulate incentives.

• Bad Approach: "I want people to work in this factory." (You cannot enforce this).

• Good Approach: "I will build a bus stop near the factory and lower taxes for industrial workers." (This incentivizes the AI to choose the job).