SimCity’s GlassBox Engine Has Detailed Water and Pollution Mechanics

EA Maxis has put together a new video detailing SimCity and its powerful simulation engine, GlassBox.

The developer explains how they're using the engine to simulate the water system, water delivery, and the effects of pollution throughout the city.

Unlike previous SimCity titles, the new one actually has a ground water table from which water is drawn. This is represented within the game itself, where green areas on the terrain are more wet, while the brown areas are more dry.

The video explains how water towers pull water out of the ground and feed water to all the buildings in your city. Ground pollution released by industrial zones also affect the water table, which in turn causes the water siphoned from the water tower to become undrinkable.

It's all incredibly detailed and you should watch the video.