SimCity 5 Disappointment-All

This is the most hilariously bad "always-online" game launch in recent memory. Diablo 3 was rough, but they took care of things extremely fast. This game... next day and you still can't get on a US server.

Seriously. Let's just move all the regions over to eastern europe.

I'd love to join a GWJ NA West region - I'll be able to login to that server tonight. Wasn't sure if I should edit the spreadsheet myself, so I'm just posting here for now.

Origin ID: voximas

Great game. There's plenty in one of those "small" cities to keep you occupied for quite a while, and the different terrain types will keep you going for a good time, I suspect. Mild bugs, no game-killers for me (some people are reporting crashes). Absolutely unsustainable broken "always on" infrastructure. If you're gonna do that, then f-ing OVERPROVISION for launch, you cheap ^$^%$$%s!

EA has actually succeeded in launching a good game, and NOT LETTING US PLAY IT because someone, somewhere, wants to steal the game. And it ain't me, but I'm the one taking the hit.

Nice - game down until 0100 GMT. Guess my Day One experience jinxed me. Had no issues at all. I havent been able to play more than 30 minutes consistently today.

It says that, but I just got in no problem.

My city specializes in importing arsonists from Petrie's town, though I can't recall ever having picked that focus.

They only moved over there because they burnt down every single commercial building during the great meltdown induced blackout drought. Why my firemen couldn't put out fires w/o water I'll never know. I also enjoy knowing my city is still doing its business while I'm at work.

PS. Please hire my fire helicopter.

Considering that EA was going to make 20x more money with this game since you can't pirate it you'd think they would have sprung for better servers.

Yonder wrote:

Complete observer here, I don't have the game, but is there any chance that your oil and electronic companies would be operating faster and making more money if your workers were more educated? That's probably an effect I would code in.

To continue this brainstorm, I would also have companies get more money selling to other cities in the region then they get on the global market, and purchase their raw materials from neighboring cities for less than the global market would sell them for. Maybe it's intentionally very hard to max out a city's industry before their are other cities supporting it.

Where is everyone learning server status? The EA forums seem, uh, hit or miss.

Yonder wrote:

To continue this brainstorm, I would also have companies get more money selling to other cities in the region then they get on the global market, and purchase their raw materials from neighboring cities for less than the global market would sell them for. Maybe it's intentionally very hard to max out a city's industry before their are other cities supporting it.

But you can't choose "sell to region", only "export to global market". I'd far rather export to region; hell, I'd even sell it cheaper to my region to support the region's economic growth!

Nimcosi wrote:

Where is everyone learning server status? The EA forums seem, uh, hit or miss.

I got in for like 30 mins and then they went belly up.

While we wait, here is a good reddit thread about mass transit, including some comments from a developer. There are some gems from him like:

"Keep buses on avenues and off smaller streets. Place bus stops on both sides of the road (so they're paired) to limit how many U-turns buses have to make."

haha... 30 minute wait time to login. No thanks.

Google doc is here, btw.

Super busy day for me at work, but clearly it doesn't matter as people aren't able to play much. I've sent friend requests to everyone on the doc for NAE2. If I could ever get in the game properly I'll send out invites in-game.

Hockosi, still unable to find you anywhere on Origin.

Mr Crinkle wrote:

My city specializes in importing arsonists from Petrie's town, though I can't recall ever having picked that focus.

You and me both!

I've added myself onto a NA West Server game...

You have got to be kidding me. The second night in a row and I can't even select a damn server? I am starting to get really angry now.

Got a great city going. Managed just a teensy bit under 100,000 people and was rising. Had just built a pro sports stadium, whatever it's called.

Servers go down, the game dumps me at the main menu. Finally get back in.

City's gone. Completely.

Well, here's a Simcity I won't be buying! Thanks for the warnings, guys, and sorry to hear it all at the same time.

garion333 wrote:

Google doc is here, btw.

Super busy day for me at work, but clearly it doesn't matter as people aren't able to play much. I've sent friend requests to everyone on the doc for NAE2. If I could ever get in the game properly I'll send out invites in-game.

Hockosi, still unable to find you anywhere on Origin.

Sent out invites to everyone I could find in-game. Whether or not you ever see that invite is beyond me at this point.

Hey EA, how about you buy a lot more servers, because obviously 4 US servers isn't working very well.

Maybe part of the metagame is bonding with people who also can't log in.

If I could get a refund from GMG I think I would at this point. I haven't even gotten a chance to start the game in the past two nights.

Balthezor, the "servers" are actually server farms, which they should scale up and down with demand. Companies looking to save money don't scale to peak, they just wait it out at whatever relative capacity they deem affordable. I suspect that's what's going on here.

I blame sequestration. The news keeps saying its the small local economies that will feel the most pain, and New Berkeley falls into that category.

Robear wrote:

Balthezor, the "servers" are actually server farms, which they should scale up and down with demand. Companies looking to save money don't scale to peak, they just wait it out at whatever relative capacity they deem affordable. I suspect that's what's going on here.

I'm still taking out my pitchfork!!!

garion333 wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Google doc is here, btw.

Super busy day for me at work, but clearly it doesn't matter as people aren't able to play much. I've sent friend requests to everyone on the doc for NAE2. If I could ever get in the game properly I'll send out invites in-game.

Hockosi, still unable to find you anywhere on Origin.

Sent out invites to everyone I could find in-game. Whether or not you ever see that invite is beyond me at this point.

Thank you for the invite. I got it, but received a loading failed message when I tried to join. It looks like the invite at least still remains, but I haven't closed the program yet. Who knows at this point if it will still exist the next time I get in.

I was able to play about 30 minutes on a small private map before that. However, like the invite, it is hard to tell if that world will even still exist next time I get in.

TheHipGamer wrote:

Well, here's a Simcity I won't be buying! Thanks for the warnings, guys, and sorry to hear it all at the same time.

It will probably fine in a week (or more). Diablo III is perfectly stable by now, right?