*NEW* Sim Tourist (Networked) Expansion Pack

[Cougar2004 127]

*NEW* Sim Tourist (Networked) Expansion Pack

    SimCity meets the Sims + Internet = New Life

---

Are you ready to be a real Tourist Sim in the actual SimCity game?? I mean.... are you ready to be an actual visiting Sim, to ANYONEs Region or City. You could go buy stuff in the downtown commercial sector, ride the bus, drive a car, play at the park with other Sims, and visit friends at work in the industrial sector or at home in the residential sector?  (You could even break a law and run from their cops!)  Then... after looking around for a day or two... move on to someone else's town. Being a Tourist.... that DOES sound cool.... Sim-style!

Read next post for More.....  (thanks to Cheese89 for moving necessary content into this thread.)

[Cougar2004 127]

To complete the thought.... I am suggesting a NETWORKED Sim. Yes, you pick any Sim from one of your games or SimCity cities, and it could walk into anyone's game that is currently open and playing anywhere in the world, through the Internet!!

This opens up a whole new world to people. For example, while I sometimes go on vacation in summer with my family to a resort, or to see Grandma, or to see a monument in another state.... with this SimCity/TheSims Network Tourist idea, you can have an unlimited and expansive number of places to see, but not just still pictures, and not just video, but a virtual world where things are happening all the time.

I'm playing my Downtown Commercial City called 'BellevueCity' and I get a popup on my screen saying Miss Jennifer from Portland State University is visiting my city RIGHT NOW! If I click on the bubble it will take me to her. I can see her go into some of my stores, buy things with money she had earned in her game previously. She can enjoy one of my parks. She can WITNESS a crime in action (since I am little low on my police protection in BellevueCity currently.)

But thats not all! Miss Jennifer (a real life girl playing her own SC4 or Sims game in Portland Oregon, just controlling her Sim named Miss Jennifer who has entered my city through the Internet) doesn't have to just WATCH, but she can INTERACT at will! She can buy, as long as she has the Simoleons! She can stay and take a job for a bit to earn more cash in my city. She can travel, even to a border city of mine (As long as im still playing, with that region open) or she can even get in the middle of the Crime, talk to the cops, or even solve the crime or capture the criminal before the cops arrive. She can cause a car crash. She can join a riot! (she could TRY to start a riot) She could go to school, disrupt the class, get detention. Or she could even have a conversation and talk, or simply go out on a date with the Major of BellevueCity (ME!) (virtually of course within the confines of our networked game).  (Just stay clear of dangerous construction,.... cause we have a lot of it going on in our city!)

The ideas are limitless! You could be a terrorists in another person's city (if they have their permissions set low). But beware, you would also be subject to their local law enforcement, and you could possibly LOSE your Sim to the local city Jail! Then you must wait to breakout or end your session. Of course while you are in Jail, you could fight with other convicts, plan crimes for when you get out, or even get out with a lawyer (assuming the city has a county courthouse available in game play).

Can you imagine it? Every one of the hundreds of thousands of SC4 players, each with dozens of built or in progress cities...... You can see them all, first hand, interact, attempt to help, attempt to hurt, and LIVE it!

(I bet someone else could come up with more suggestions on this now... situations and experiences... but I just want to add my final capping thought to this Sim Tourist Network Expansion Pack Idea - Record it! The full scene of when you arrive to a town, til you leave... Your Sim Tourist experience...is automatically recorded like a video, a movie, and available to share, or for others to watch online!  Kids move from watching Saturday morning TV cartoons to watching your 'Tourist Sim' LIVE on the Internet (or recorded).  Advertisers and companies wanting to get in on the action, pay YOU to have you plop their McDonalds or Toys R US building into your game, for the masses to see as they watch your Sim Tourist Live or Recorded Video.  Imagine a virtual empire, limitless.  - "Yea! I'm a Tourist!")    (This topic inspired by this link: "Yea! Im a tourist.")

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

The last time I was a tourist was in April when I visited New York City.

Anyway, tourism in SimCity would be a nice, little feature... but I would assume EA would tie it to The Sims in some way.  A first-person tourist cam would be pretty cool for a 3D SimCity.

[redfox85 659]

Hm, I always thought it would be cool to view a Sim City through Second Life, only then could you get truly imaginable results....

[Cougar2004 127]

[[Poll has been Added.]]

EDIT:  What would YOU do with this?? 

EDIT2:  Tells us what city you would visit, and where you would go inside it, what you would want to see, and what you would do while there.

[DOXXP29 5]

Awesome idea, Cougar! Is this something that has a realistic possibility of being created? The concept is just too cool! I'd love to see something like this implimented.

[mrbisonm 1,622]

.....dreaming is always beautiful and like the other 1000 ideas an suggestion like this here and everywhere else, it will just do so, stay a dream....

Sorry to bring you folks back to ground.

[Cougar2004 127]

Actually.... it is very possible.  I'm an Engineering/Business student and I work at a software company.  My believe this is entirely realistic to do.  There are a few difficult issues involved sure, but if it can be marketed and make money, a company like EA/Maxis could rise over those hurdles. 

* Gaming over a network or the Internet, called Network Gaming is already a reality.  Think Yahoo Games.  Consider HALO.

* The first person base code is already created.... Think The Sims 1 and 2. 

* Recording technology already exists, software and even hardware based.  Consider this... Screen Shot, now just take multiples.... and play live or play back quickly.  Thats how TV and Movies were created.

* Video Sharing... Think YouTube or MySpace.

* The rest is just programing intelligent code to react from specified inputs.

So even though no one is doing it yet.... Someone with the capital (finances) + someone with the vision + someone(s) with the talent/skills (software developers) + someone with marketing savvy  ==  A Virtual Limitless Empire of Sim Tourism!!

[MayorTim 16]

Sorry.... No.

What your talking about doing would take thousands of man hours, millions of dollars, and, if you plan on selling it, completely illegal.

Sorry Charley.

[Cougar2004 127]

My Take on it:

Thousands of Hours:  Agreed.

Millions of Dollars:  No.

Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars:  Yes.

Me Selling it:  Of course not.

EA Selling it:  Yep.

EA Making Millions of Dollars off it:  Very Possible. (Gaming is a multi-billion dollar market.)

Everyone Playing and Enjoying it:  Yes!  (Among Gamers of course, at least 150,000 from Simtropolis probably would.  And i bet there is someone else out there too!)

Everyone Agreeing with my Opinion:  No,  but Thanks for reading anyway.

[NetPCDoc 1]

Great Idea! - maybe?

The first technical hoop that comes to my mind is - hosting all those games - How many SimCity players have an internet-server connection (as opposed to internet browser/surfer connection)?

If you want to invite others into a SimCity on your computer - your internet service provider will want to charge you a (higher) server rate;

-or-

You could pay to host a game of SimCity on someone else's Gaming Server;

-or-

Maybe you could find a Game Server where the players (a.k.a. tourists) "pay to play" and the game host gets in free?

Not really wanting to kill this party - I guess if you REALLY could sell advertisements - that the commercials would (either directly or indirectly) pay the "Hosting fee"

-NetPCDoc

No detail is too small to be micromanaged.

[Rymac91 15]

the concept makes sence but has a few issues.

1. The game would have to swich from loading a city and all the stuff in a certain area to loading stuff in the buildings...

2. It would mean that ethier the graphics would have to decrease in quality or out PC would have to be top of the line in power.

3. This would require people to have a broadband connection(most are swiching anyway)

4. You would have to have a limit of people visiting your city or the city being on a server with alot of bandwidth.

5.They would be charging us monthly for online play.

And the loading times and loading amounts would be alot considering how many people would be using the game at the same time and how much is in a city...but it would be cool to go to.

[mrbisonm 1,622]

Like I said, it is IMPOSSIBLE.

Think about it seriously. Talking about it and wanting it is easy, everyone can do this. Doing it is a complete different thing.

EA will NOT spent any time nor money in this SC4 or 5 expansion pack. And for us it is impossible to realize since it will be illegal to put it onto the market and NO ONE here will spent thousands of hours to do this for free, right?, whether or not your a computer or game specialist. Te idea is good, the possibility to make it exist, but no one will do it....not one!

So let's stay on the ground folks, we're not going anywhere here. Like I said : Dreaming is always beautiful.

mrb

[Kevin 101]

I think Cougar meant that  this feature would be an awesome eventuality for which the technology already exists. Too many people are interpreting this as a proposal for an Sc4 modification.

[dtrcity 0]

It would be great but i doubt it would happen

[dogscarletnyc 0]

I wonder if you can Ride on NAM stuff like GLR.

[Sepsap 0]

The only way i can see that this could work is to change it to something more like "The Elder Scrolls" where you can walk about & interact with others - but with the one change being that us users can also control areas of land (from small plots to large citys) and build as we see fit.

Would it be good - YES

Will it happen - probly not

Dave

[Mulefisk 15]

The only way this could happen is if EA does it.... For Sim City 5.

It's a great idea, one that i've thought of myself, but as an amateur project it's just not feasible.

[Facelessman 5]

mrbisonm is right, this is 100% impossible with SC4. And if they did something like that with SC5, well, I guess I would have to unplug my internet cord when I play Sim City.

[Linda 0]

EA has hardly shown an interest into putting time/money/energy into maintaining or expanding Sim City. And assuming that the technical hurdles of this project are overcomable-- it would still be a very, very expensive gamble for EA Games. Based on EA Games behavior in the past and present, I really, really don't expect them to take a big gamble on Sim City.

They are doing something similar with Spore-- and I don't think they are going to want to put that kind of energy into both games at once. If it becomes a killer money-maker for Spore, and they think there will be equal demand in Sim City, then they *might* consider some sort of networked aspect... but it's highly unlikely.

[Cougar2004 127]

Originally posted by: NetPCDoc Great Idea! - maybe?

The first technical hoop that comes to my mind is - hosting all those games - How many SimCity players have an internet-server connection (as opposed to internet browser/surfer connection)?quote>

Currently, the standalone SimCity works just fine on a person's single CPU.  I do have a thought of having multiple monitors or multiple different sessions active at once, but that wasn't in the original idea for exactly what you inferred ... not enough power.   But with Dual Core, and Quad - Core CPUs coming soon, this could change, as all things do in technology.

In summary, I'd be playing on my computer, and you would be playing on your computer.  Data bits would be shared in real-time over the Internet (or network) to fill in the gaps or to respond to necessary in-play decisions.  No hosting.  No servers necessary ever.  (I mean they could be used, but who would pay for them?  I see no future in this idea with servers unless the idea got big enough without them that advertisers sponsored them, and i personally don't trust that scenario one bit.)

Consider not just one person logging into your City (by the way, this means details of your city are teleported to his computer for display on his screen, while just minimal data bits are transfered from the visiting Sim, because not much is necessary, just enough for the interaction - and don't forget buffering, the data can be saved and reused when needed, doesn't have to be dumped over and over again, its not like a full dumped city every second).... anyway, so consider a second person 'logs in' to your city (not server - shared networked data - consider filesharing programs, same idea / same technology!!!) ok... this is going to take a little more power on your CPU to show it all.  But it will just be minimal on the visitors side, because all they are doing is uncompressing data bits and displaying them using their own CPU and game install.  Well, obviously a little more on their side also, but the point is... you are both using your own CPUs with your own game installs, just letting the program's random variables be replaced by data from a live person!  Yes, a little more CPU/RAM needed for each additional visiting Sim.  So, for obvious reasons, there will be a setting required.  Setting:  Limit visiting Sims to ## total.  If I'm running an old computer with minimal specs, I'm going to limit to One visiting Sim or even Zero.  I could even turn off the network feature entirely (but then i couldn't go out either).  Creating 'settings' cost next to nothing to develop.  Its the visuals and intelligence is what will take the effort.

I see your server / hosting idea and it may have some possibility, but the original 'Sim Tourist' idea doesn't need it. 

If you want to invite others into a SimCity on your computer - your internet service provider will want to charge you a (higher) server rate;quote>

No big Internet requirement.

As discussed above, only data points are shared.  There will be an original minor download of the props, buildings, and models for that city, but after that, its all cached.   Consider this:  If you can have 50 Cities saved on your computer, and randomly play any one of them at any time without problem.... and if you want a 51st city, you would just download it from the STEX.... well, then its no big deal to get someone else's city showing on your computer this way.  Remember, only the text data need be shared. 

A couple meg to begin, and then a its just about 10kbps to hold the connection and transfer the databits for changes.  Consider IRC technology, multiple people connect and interact, play games, show pictures, and it hardly even registers on anyone's ISP as a draw.  Dialup users do it too.  However, I agree with you that broadband would be necessary, so there isnt slowing in the game, or gaps. 

-or-

You could pay to host a game of SimCity on someone else's Gaming Server;

-or-

Maybe you could find a Game Server where the players (a.k.a. tourists) "pay to play" and the game host gets in free?quote>

I admire your ability to reason through with innovative ideas.  And the server idea, sure this could work.

But I personally wouldn't pay for that, and I dont think many would.  Sim Tourist as in the context of the opening of this Thread just doesn't require servers.  And I think its better that way over all.

Not really wanting to kill this party - I guess if you REALLY could sell advertisements - that the commercials would (either directly or indirectly) pay the "Hosting fee"

-NetPCDocquote>

Agreed.  And imagine what you could do with that money if there was no hosting necessary?  I could think of a few cool things to do with it!   

To clarify the original Sim Tourist thought about Advertising.... not so much commercials in the traditional sense of the word.   But have you heard of 'Product Placement'?  The WB among other channels had been toying with it for about a year now.  It can be as simple as placing a MAC computer as the one that Lex Luthor is using in Smallville.  Or it can be as simple a certain cereal brand on the table at the Camdens on 7th Heaven. 

So advertising in 'Sim Tourist' wouldn't have to be nearly as obtrusive to get the job done, using that marketing approach.  If you so much as plop a KFC or Walmart into your city, royalties could fly!  Because the videos online or live feeds even, would be public and viewers would be watching to see what Mr. Cougar does in Mayor NetPCDoc's city... and I stop off at KFC because the game requires that I use some of my simoleons to obtain sustainence every 5-8 hours of game play or so.  (I'm sure cheats would beat this eventually, knowing Simtropolis users creativity.)  And so you see KFC as i drive up to it, or take a bus to it, as i go in, as i order my chicken, and pay, and watch my health rating rise.  Keep in mind,  the brand of my rental car? the brand of the navigation device featured in the car to help me find the KFC in a strange new city where i am a tourist?  Heck, even the billboards or tires on the car could display their brands.  Easy.  So that kind of expands and clarifies the advertising aspect of the original idea.

Hope that helps.  Again, im impressed with your comments on the idea.  

[Facelessman 5]

Originally posted by: Cougar2004

As discussed above, only data points are shared.  There will be an original minor download of the props, buildings, and models for that city, but after that, its all cached.  quote>

Minor download?  For any city, many simtropolis people have many, many custom-made buildings and mods and such.   For some people, it would require several hundred megabytes of downloads.  I used to be on an internet connection where I could download 300Mb in 5 minutes, but that's 5 minute's I'd rather NOT be seeing a loading screen.  And right now, it would take me a couple of hours to download that.

I'm all for fun new stuff, but let's be realistic: it just wouldn't work with Sim City.  That's what Spore is for.  (I can't wait for that game)

[Cougar2004 127]

Originally posted by: Rymac91 the concept makes sence but has a few issues.quote>

Every new idea has issues.  I'm happy that you take this idea serious enough to share your thoughts here.

1. The game would have to swich from loading a city and all the stuff in a certain area to loading stuff in the buildings...

2. It would mean that ethier the graphics would have to decrease in quality or out PC would have to be top of the line in power.quote>

Agreed to a point.  The game could simply include the components of The Sims to make this happen.  The code already exists, so using it would be more reasonable than starting over.  The great thing for CPU power and developers a like, is that this game wouldnt require both city and building interior views at the same time.

And there is always the possibility of not going in buldings, but rather try to cut this idea down to just the current views we already enjoy in SimCity 4 Deluxe.  It would certainly make the networking multi-player part more feasible in the near-term, but its not the overall-end-plan for the more global idea presented at the top of this thread.

3. This would require people to have a broadband connection(most are swiching anyway)quote>

Agreed.  Most are switching anyway, but I think a lot people may over-estimate the actual bandwidth requirement to accomplish a game like this.  Due to caching, and pre-emptive download flow while other screens are in use, everything will work out just nicely.  The mistake is when a person thinks that they are viewing something on another person's computer.  No, they are viewing it on their own, with their own CPU generating it.  It just happens to have the same rudimentary bits of data, perhaps a few ascii characters transmitted via a simple low overhead text based protocol.   Tell your dog to bark, and it does.  Tell your computer to show MSN messenger, and it does.  So tell it to show an image of building 1,4,7, and 12 within these borders, and so be it.  (all of which are previously downloaded and cached for use.)

4. You would have to have a limit of people visiting your city or the city being on a server with alot of bandwidth.

5.They would be charging us monthly for online play.

And the loading times and loading amounts would be alot considering how many people would be using the game at the same time and how much is in a city...but it would be cool to go to.quote>

I love how globally you are thinking on this point.  Yes, a very large, popular city would probably be hosted on some server somewhere to accommodate 100 users at once!~ This is a grand idea, but it was never part of the original game plan at the beginning of this post. 

Yes, a limit setting so I will let 1 user on at a time.  Or 2 or 5, or none.  This setting is of course necessary, for not just resource reasons, but to continue to allow the game player to choose how he will play his own game.  There may even be privacy issues, where you only allow your 'friends' from Simtropolis, etc.  But I disagree fully on the amount of bandwidth implied with this idea, as stated above. 

But you are right on, when it comes to resources, if you are thinking of large expansive public cities with hundreds of Sim Tourists visiting and actively participating at the same time.  (I'd like to think that 1 visitor at a time is plenty, and in 5 years, maybe it can be higher, as technology grows.)

Thanks for participating in this thread with your honest opinions and views.  I admire how big you imagine the possible scope of this project.  I hope to read more from you in the future.

[dogscarletnyc 0]

Will it work with NAM stuff?

[Cougar2004 127]

100% Compatible with the NAM.  Its safe to imply that at this point.

[roy_mustang 0]

gotta say, love the idea for SC5, but im 99% certain that EA would somehow tie it in with "The Sims".

but because i dont want to seem like im shooting you down (which im not), i'll tell you that i'd love to be able to visit other people's cities (oh man, visiting Green Depra...)

[MayorTim 16]

100% compatible with the NAM? You haven't even done anything yet! This is the last time I'm replying to this thread, and its just to say this: Its not going to happen. Dreaming is great, but don't invest too much time into this, your going to be disappointed.

[hsksimon 0]

first, it is an excellent idea. But what comes next is hacker + VIRUS! how can you prevent this? a Sims who visit your city contain a virus. If it is built by EA, then I believe EA can handle this, but from a amateur, sorry

[Cougar2004 127]

What amateur?   I haven't heard anyone say they are doing it.   But some of us have suggested that EA could.  From your post, im happy to see your enthusiasm, and agreement with us on that.  Thank you.

[Cougar2004 127]

Originally posted by: Cheese89 I think Cougar meant that  this feature would be an awesome eventuality for which the technology already exists. Too many people are interpreting this as a proposal for an Sc4 modification.quote>

Oh, I just noticed this post.  And Yes, this is exactly right.  Its about a fun and cool idea that IS completely feasible, but not created yet.  (I'm not writing it, hah! Don't expect anyone but EA would.  I mean seriously, this is their game.)  But that doesn't depress the idea and discussion one bit.

I have a couple more scenarios (of this idea) that I'd like to share if anyone is interested. Nothing too radical, but put your self in the players position as you read, and I bet you will love it!   

I invite anyone with ideas, thoughts, or possible scenarios like the ones I shared at the top of this thread.... to add yours here!   Does anyone else have vision, or can catch the Sim Tourist idea?  After reading this thread, and then playing SC4, I can practically see it all happening.  

(I must mention that I also like ideas presented here: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=367&threadid=89591&enterthread=y )