Neon Bay

Population

1.6 million

Runs the streets

Velvet Syndicate

Land prices

40% more

Special service

Velvet VIP Lounge

History

The first Golden Ace opened in Neon Bay, back when the Strip was a strip of sand and the boardwalk was a single pier with a bait shop. Augustin Vale bought the land for almost nothing, put up a tower of brass and red glass and dared the Nation to come. It came. Neon Bay has been the largest, loudest and most expensive city in the Nation ever since.

Under the Concord, the nightlife went to the Velvet Syndicate, a loose network of club owners, bartenders and bookmakers that tightened into something much more dangerous under Vivienne Roux. The Syndicate doesn't break legs. It doesn't need to. It owns the door list of every club on the Strip, and in Neon Bay, the door list is the law.

Neon Bay is also where it all fell apart. On the fortieth anniversary of the first Ace, at 2:14 in the morning, the power failed across the Strip for ninety seconds. When the lights came back, the Chairman was gone. His watch was on the roulette wheel. His partner, Lucien Sable, retreated to the penthouse above the Ace and hasn't come down since.

The Clearance barely touched the Strip; the Ace owned it outright. But the blocks around it were leveled, and land here is now the most expensive in the Nation, because whoever owns the blocks around the Ace owns the nights.

Neighborhoods and landmarks

Velvet VIP Lounge

Bottle service, a private booth and a night you won't remember. The Syndicate's flagship is the best way in the Nation to reset after a long grind: a visit refills your energy and cools your heat a little, and you can come back every couple of hours.

The Strip

The Golden Ace at the center, with nightclubs, cocktail lounges and hotels crowding every block around it. Clubs here earn more than anywhere in the Nation.

The Boardwalk

Arcades with quarters up front and bookmaking in the back, palm-lined beaches and a Ferris wheel that has been "closed for repairs" since the night of the blackout.

Glass Row

Dark-glass towers where the money behind the Strip lives: hotels, Sky Towers and the penthouse suites of people who'd rather not be listed.

Downtown

Neon Bay PD Headquarters, Neon Bay City Hall, St. Mercy (busy on weekends), the Savings & Trust and the rest of the services, all lit up like a pinball machine. Off the coast to the south, Paradise Key is a private resort island for the ultra-rich. Invite only.

Who runs it

Vivienne "Velvet" Roux runs the Syndicate from a corner booth at the VIP Lounge. She knows every bartender, every bouncer and every cocktail waitress on the Strip, which means she knows every secret spilled after the third drink.

Then there's Lucien Sable, owner of the Golden Ace, who runs the casinos through floor managers and written notes. Nobody's sure if Sable and Roux are allies, rivals or something worse. Everyone agrees that if anyone knows what happened at 2:14, it's one of them.

Faces of Neon Bay

• Vivienne "Velvet" RouxHead of the Velvet SyndicateDarling, the door list is the only law on the Strip.
• Lucien SableOwner of the Golden AceThe house doesn't speak. The house writes it down.
• Augustin ValeThe Chairman, missingI never bet. I keep the book on people who do.

Life on each side

Criminals

Neon Bay is rich, crowded and full of cash on hand. Muggings pay well here, and the VIP Lounge helps you cool off between jobs. The catch: property costs you more than anyone, and the land premium stacks on top. Build later, rob first.

Police

With so many criminals partying on the Strip, the city is a target-rich environment for officers. A visit to the VIP Lounge also refills your energy, which means more arrests per day.

Civilians

Neon Bay is an endgame city. The land is expensive, but civilians get the biggest property income in the game and Neon Bay has the biggest nightlife bonuses. A civilian-owned casino on the Strip is one of the strongest earners in the Nation.

Specialty buildings and perks

• Opens at level 8, the last city to open.
• The only city where you can build a casino.
• Nightlife: nightclubs +35%, and casinos, cocktail lounges and arcades +30%. Hotels earn extra too.
• Only in Neon Bay: the Arcade, the Cocktail Lounge and the Casino. Hotels, Resorts and Sky Towers can also go up here.
• Premium land: lots cost 40% more than standard.
• Velvet VIP Lounge: party all night, wake up recharged with your heat a little cooler.

Tips for Neon Bay

• You can't start here: Neon Bay opens at level 8. Build your first businesses in the starting cities, add cheap land in Sundale and Ironbridge, then come to Neon Bay with real money.
• Crews with a Face and an Inside man can take a run at the Golden Ace count room, the biggest heist in the Nation. See the heists guide.
• An arcade is the most affordable way into the nightlife bonus.
• A VIP Lounge visit costs $150 plus $15 a level for a full energy refill and half a star off, every two hours. Energy Drinks are cheaper per point; book the booth when you want the heat gone too.
• The Golden Ace in every city gives you one free wheel spin a day, and Neon Bay's is no different. Claim it whenever you're in town.
• Neon Bay sits on the eastern coast. Havenbrook ($51 by bus) and Sundale ($61) are the closest hops.

Getting here

Fares from Neon Bay, nearest first. The bus also costs 15 energy; a flight costs none. A Sports Car halves flights and a Private Jet makes them free. Neon Bay opens at level 8; once you have been, it stays open to you.