SimCity 5 Disappointment-All

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The game is out!

GWJ Region Google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...

Find Origin player names for goodjers here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...

East Region 1 catch all

Reviews:

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The Escapist is reporting some rumors over a possible SimCity 5 announcement next week.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news...

The interview is translated from German to Spanish to English, so there will be a little bit of specificity lost. Nevertheless, Bradshaw mentioned that the new Glassbox engine will have built-in multiplayer, roads that won't have to follow straight lines, and upgrade-able buildings. She nixxed the idea of importing your house from The Sims into your city, however.

Announcement:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...

Ars Technica article on the actual announcement:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2...

Insider's Look trailer:

Pre-order site:
http://store.origin.com/store/ea/en_...

I had a lot of fun with SimCity 4, though traffic was an impossible problem in the vanilla game (had to be fixed with the Rush Hour expansion). It did suffer from the late-game problem I had with SimCity 3000 though: I have a lot of trouble making a large city stay profitable without decay. I put about 30 total minutes into SimCity Societies before deciding it was absolutely not what I wanted, so I hope they don't move that direction.

Built-in multiplayer? Ugh. Whatever, as long as it doesn't interfere with my playing singleplayer, like they tried to do with Cities XL.

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[size=16]UPDATE:[/size] Word has come down that because of its "internet-dependent experience", SimCity 5 will require a constant internet connection.

[size=16]UPDATE 2:[/size] EA has clarified that an internet connection is only required each time you launch the game.

[size=16]UPDATE 3:[/size] Your save files are all "in the cloud herp derp" and you can't reload an older save.

I've been hoping for a true SimCity 5 for years now. Here's hoping it turns out solid!

I was waiting for someone to post this.

Cities XL has been a nice holdover, but it feels soulless in many ways, so I hope this turns out well.

Unlike Mr. Stone, however, I look forward to the mp aspects. I hope they're not required at all times and for everyone, but the ability to trade with people sounds awesome. Cities XL charged a fee though and that was stupid.

garion333 wrote:

Cities XL has been a nice holdover, but it feels soulless in many ways, so I hope this turns out well.

I was about to say...I wish this news had appeared a couple weeks ago, before I bought Cities XL 2012 during that Steam daily deal because I assumed it was the closest I would ever get to a new SimCity.

This is great news, but how do rumors "swirl"?

Budo wrote:

This is great news, but how do rumors "swirl"?

Put em in the toilet and flush.

Just when I thought I was out...

Farscry wrote:

I've been hoping for a true SimCity 5 for years now. Here's hoping it turns out solid!

Same here! I'm still bummed they pulled the support plug on 4 not long after Rush Hour. All I'm hoping for is a simplification of the mechanics back to 3000/2000 levels, multi-threaded processor support, and bring back scenarios/random disasters. 4 had a beautiful aesthetic and if the leaked screens are anything to go by, this will be about the same. It was an utter shame the engine wasn't tuned/optimized well.

Also, Jerry Martin needs to be on the music team. Really hoping they bring him back since he hasn't worked on a Maxis product since The Sims 2 era.

garion333 wrote:

Unlike Mr. Stone, however, I look forward to the mp aspects. I hope they're not required at all times and for everyone, but the ability to trade with people sounds awesome. Cities XL charged a fee though and that was stupid.

"SimCity 5: Now WITH MULTIPLAYER. BUILD A CITY AND KILL YOUR FRIENDS IN IT."

In all seriousness, would be interested to see what they do with the multiplayer. After Spore, I've been hoping they'd at least integrate the "content pollination" system into The Sims and SimCity. It'd be really cool if they extended the region play idea from 4 with a Spore like system where you have 4 neighbors that are randomly pulled from the cloud instead of requiring you to make them yourself.

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Budo wrote:

This is great news, but how do rumors "swirl"?

Put em in the toilet and flush. ;)

In the southern hemisphere rumors swirl counterclockwise.

shoptroll wrote:

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Meh, regions I did not like. I just want the room to build 1 big megacity.

Budo wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:
Budo wrote:

This is great news, but how do rumors "swirl"?

Put em in the toilet and flush. ;)

In the southern hemisphere rumors swirl counterclockwise.

So in Rand McNally all the rumours run backwards?

Quintin_Stone wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Meh, regions I did not like. I just want the room to build 1 big megacity.

Go back to playing your rollercoaster games.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Meh, regions I did not like. I just want the room to build 1 big megacity.

I feel the same way, which is why I want the option to turn them off in the next game.

shoptroll wrote:

In all seriousness, would be interested to see what they do with the multiplayer. After Spore, I've been hoping they'd at least integrate the "content pollination" system into The Sims and SimCity. It'd be really cool if they extended the region play idea from 4 with a Spore like system where you have 4 neighbors that are randomly pulled from the cloud instead of requiring you to make them yourself.

This. I really like the content pollination in Spore.

Pirate Bob wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

In all seriousness, would be interested to see what they do with the multiplayer. After Spore, I've been hoping they'd at least integrate the "content pollination" system into The Sims and SimCity. It'd be really cool if they extended the region play idea from 4 with a Spore like system where you have 4 neighbors that are randomly pulled from the cloud instead of requiring you to make them yourself.

This. I really like the content pollination in Spore.

This would be awesome.

And I, too, would prefer not to see the "region" system return from SC4. I made do with it just fine, but I would prefer one big megamass of land; have a city with suburbs and such all in one map rather than multiple interconnected ones.

Pirate Bob wrote:

This. I really like the content pollination in Spore.

Did they do anything with it in The Sims 3? It seems like a lost opportunity if they didn't since in the GDC 2005 presentation Will Wright was bemoaning how hard it was for people to find content for The Sims games on the various Exchanges.

garion333 wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Meh, regions I did not like. I just want the room to build 1 big megacity.

Go back to playing your rollercoaster games. ;)

Heh, I haven't even played it since I put up that big thread.

Waiting for RCT4!

Waiting for RCT4!

Me too!

I would like a game with an Urban Renewal Kit module like SC2K so I can make huge cities without worrying about pesky things like the needs of the population.

I also hope for the return of Crazy Infrastructure Budget Guy.

No, I haven't played an SC since 2K.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
garion333 wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

That said, I would also like the option to turn region play off for a more "classic" feel to the game. That was one of the aspects from 4 that I thought made the game really fiddly and it felt awkward being able to build a residential city hooked to a mega-industry one and reap all the benefits without the consequences.

Meh, regions I did not like. I just want the room to build 1 big megacity.

Go back to playing your rollercoaster games. ;)

Heh, I haven't even played it since I put up that big thread.

Waiting for RCT4!

After the announcement of Sim City 5 I'm going to glare at Atari.

I'd really be appreciative with a RCT4 or a "Locomotion 2."

Apparently it officially exists!

Fortunately, they're not calling it SimCity: Urban Planner. Just SimCity like they did with Syndicate. Unlike Syndicate, they didn't opt to make it an FPS.

There's more detail on the origin pre-order site:

The defining city simulation is back! Create the city you desire and make the choices that shape your city and power the Sims within it. Every decision, big or small, has real consequences. Invest in heavy industry and your economy will soar—but at the expense of your Sims’ health as pollution spreads. Implement green technology and improve your Sims’ lives while risking higher taxes and unemployment. Team up with your friends to solve global challenges: launch a space shuttle, reduce carbon emissions, or build magnificent wonders. Compete on global and regional leader boards to be the richest, the dirtiest, the happiest or the best place to visit!

More Details
Multi Player 1-16
Online Only
Genre: Simulation
Release Date: 2013
Developers: Maxis Emeryville
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Key Features:

Constructible Worlds
Creative and customizable world that offers unique gameplay benefits, all with a fun tactile interface.
Sims Matter
The Sims in your city speak to you directly and it’s up to you to respond to their needs. Will you listen and be the toast of the town? Or abuse your power for fame and fortune?
Specialize in What You Love
Mold your city as a casino resort, manufacturing hub, educational enclave, and more, and then watch as a unique look and feel spread throughout your city.
Multiplay
Build a region with friends for the first time! Collaborate or compete in regional and global challenges and make decisions that impact the greater SimCity World.
GlassBox Engine
SimCity introduces GlassBox, the revolutionary simulation technology that gives you the power to impact individual Sims lives, manage city level simulation, and balance multiple city simulations at once.

Without much more detail I'm a little concerned about some of the buildings you can drop in. I didn't play Socities, but I'm really hoping this just turns out to be classic reward items you get. Or something similar. Also, it's disturbing how we don't even have a release date or actual gameplay footage and they already have a Digital Deluxe edition and pre-order/project $10 bonuses listed O_o

EDIT: Based on the above video, it does sound like there might some element of attracting certain types of Sims to your city like in Societies.

Attracting different sorts of people to your cities is pretty much par for the course in city building games nowadays, so I'm not surprised.

The above video kind of turned me off from the game. I'm getting too much of a Societies/playful vibe. I like flavor, in fact I want that, but I also like realistic looking buildings. I'm looking forward to actual screenshots and gameplay footage.

garion333 wrote:

I'm getting too much of a Societies/playful vibe.

"Most playful SimCity" I think was one of the soundbytes from Lucy Bradshaw during the press event (which was apparently hosted by IGN). Maxis games have always been a bit on the whimsical side which is good when you're dealing with a bit more of a drab topic. I didn't see anything that was terribly out of place although I seem to think the screens I've seen of Societies went a bit too far.

I'm looking forward to actual screenshots and gameplay footage.

Same. Not getting my hopes too far up until there's some concrete details on this game.

I was really excited to see the rumors start flying and then the actual announcement. One of my first PC memories is trading a 4800 bps modem for the original SimCity on a local BBS.

I'm going to go with cautious optimism on this. There are lots of places they could lose control of the ship, but on the other hand they could really score big if they work the new "mutiplayer regions" right. As QS mentioned, I still want a single player option as well.

The real dagger to the heart?

[size=10]INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE AND REGISTRATION WITH ENCLOSED SINGLE-USE SERIAL CODE(S) REQUIRED TO PLAY,[/size]

Edit: Oh Noes!

garion333 wrote:

The above video kind of turned me off from the game. I'm getting too much of a Societies/playful vibe. I like flavor, in fact I want that, but I also like realistic looking buildings. I'm looking forward to actual screenshots and gameplay footage.

This!

Online Only

Do WHAT now? Can I understand this as in there not being a single-player mode? If that's the case, I'll pass.

AUs_TBirD wrote:
Online Only

Do WHAT now? Can I understand this as in there not being a single-player mode? If that's the case, I'll pass.

I'm hoping they really meant this:

Multi Player 1-16 - Online Only

It's SimCity, it's been built specifically for the PC, and it's back with Maxis.

I'm pretty much sold, sight unseen.

Is it me, or 59.99$ or 79.99$ for the deluxe game.. one year before release, is somewhat a big step to get that game?

I would have seen another City building game (Yeah yeah, it's from Maxis) within the 40$ range, like 39.99$ and 59.99 for the deluxe.

It's EA. It's $60.

Limited Edition is $60. So does that mean there's a Regular Edition?

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