How do you feel about the SCS announcement?

[Firebird 40]

Thanks for the forum Dirk!


This screenshot is oh so very dissapointing. Seems to be they tried to smash the hit games The Sims, and SimCity together hopeing that gamers from both franchises would love and adore the game. 

Looking at this shot, i would say it is very un-sucsessful. 
Hopefully other screenshots will look better.

[Nerd_Guy 4]

This isn't SC5! Simtropolis is SC5!! This screenshot, it shows a game that has norhing to do with simcity. EA has ignored everything the loyal simcity fans at this site have done and requested. We're really the only ones that play this game, so stop trying to appeal to the rest of the people! This is a speacialist game!

[Alkaola 18]

The worst thing of all is like Nerd Guy says is that EA ignored our requests ..... 

the most important was  realism  

this screenshot shows some blue and pink cars ..... 

No people walking around the blocks ( realistic eh..? ) 

Much of the same buildings, no variety ( the thing we wanted so much for the next simcity)

and the worst thing: a very cartoonish look 

who is making this game ?  Those guys who made this obviously don't know what Simcity is all about   

but well ... i hope this SS is fake ..i really do

[JanYpe 17]

Originally posted by: Nerd_Guy This isn't SC5! Simtropolis is SC5!! This screenshot, it shows a game that has norhing to do with simcity. EA has ignored everything the loyal simcity fans at this site have done and requested. We're really the only ones that play this game, so stop trying to appeal to the rest of the people! This is a speacialist game!quote>

Stop deluding yourself. This is a stupid and naive fanboy argument. Why doesn't everyone try to stay realistic for a while, instead of jumping on the EA bandwagon.

[Poetic 0]

Originally posted by: Alkaola The worst thing of all is like Nerd Guy says is that EA ignored our requests ..... 

No people walking around the blocks ( realistic eh..? ) 

quote>

One of the first SC4 beta screenshots (it's floating around here somewhere... just saw it for the first time an hour ago) doesn't have any sidewalks. It's just grass where sidewalks should be. We have to realize this is a beta shot... blue/pink cars, no people, cartoonishness, etc... all mean little to nothing as this is just a beta shot to give us an overall idea of what the game is to be - not what the final product will look like.

[simzebu 20]

I agree completely, Alkaola. EA has disenfranchised the loyal community in exchange for a new one. I can see the reasoning behind wanting to bring in new players, but they just guaranteed themselves the loss of plenty of us. Unless some serious improvement is made with Societies, I won't be buying it. At the very least, I'll be waiting until ST comes out with at least as much custom stuff as it has for SC4.

Also, as I look at the progression of graphics between the games, I think Societies is just as cartoony as SC3k.

[Ryan B 35]

I am extremely disappointed that this is not being developed by Maxis.  I can understand their efforts with Spore and The Sims, but it seems to me there's the possibility that EA siphoned off the unit that made it the least money (SimCity) and gave it to another developer.

That, along with the quote that states the new SimCity is going to stray from what the game's been all about, says to me:

EA is saying "Screw you, we want to make money." to the worldwide legion of SimCity fans.  I will wait to see what the features of the game are, but at this moment I strongly doubt I will waste my hard-earned money on this piece of garbage.

[Poetic 0]

Originally posted by: Poetic

One of the first SC4 beta screenshots (it's floating around here somewhere... just saw it for the first time an hour ago) doesn't have any sidewalks. It's just grass where sidewalks should be.quote>

Ok, after some searching I've found the shot:

There isn't only no sidewalks, but there's no people either! Just like in the SCS shot. There's also not really any fences, swing sets, or cars (besides firetrucks) for that matter. This is important to remember - beta's can be very different from the actual release.

[bselig 0]

The weird thing is that Sim City is a MUCH more mainstream franchise then the Caesar-like games are. If the game is actually similar to Tilted Mill's past efforts, it will appeal to a demonstrably smaller market

[abvex 0]

A costly mistake from EA's part.

Game is art, let the original artist re-built their masterpiece, don't get a new kid from the block.

This looks infinity lamer than Roller coaster Tycoon 3!

[pickled_pig 7]

I'm honestly disappointed.

But then, SC4 has become due to its amazing modding, BATting and CJing community better than any "vanilla" version of SC5 (be it Maxis-made or not) could ever be.  And there's still tons more area to explore in modding, metaphorically speaking. 

Hearing that EA has farmed out SC to a third-party developer is sickening.  Good thing there's so much innovation going on with the NAM and the RHW - it's only going to open the door to infinite possibilities with the (now) old game.

Honestly, I think that the only way we're going to get a great SimCity is if the community develops it from scratch.  Even if maxis did develop SC5 Simcity Societies would they add all of our "specialist" (quoting nerd_guy) wants and features or would they follow Will Wright's claim of "going back to the roots of SimCity?"

-aaron

[jcabassa 20]

Like most, the first time I saw that screenshot I was very disappointed. I hoped, and still do, that that is just a joke, some very sick joke, but I know that it's not. Hopefully with further devolpment, it will improve, but how much can it? How disappointing.

[sim1234 62]

The screenshot is disappointing but I'll wait for a while until I see some more screenshots before I make a proper judgement on the game.

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

My first reaction? I thought it's just one screenshot and it doesn't really bother me just yet. I need to see a lot more in order to freak out and cry foul. 3D is alright, but the 2.5D view would've been fine with me. It may be cartoony because of the amusement park, but the buildings in the background look fine to me. Minor details like cars and people are probably being worked on right now.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but there's a whole novel yet to explore. Once the details are revealed, then I'll decide whether it's a disappointment or not.

[whoopscareless 0]

my knee-jerk reaction is annoyance, as it appears tilted mill can't be bothered to make mac versions of their most recent games, so the chance of this getting one is slim.

however, it quickly occurs to me that if there ever is a sc5/societies for mac, it'll take long enough to come out so as all you pc users can tell us if it's worth buying.

[AK 47 0]

I think it will be exactly the same as City Life when you look at the building. 1000000x the same buildings....

[LivingInThePast 364]

lol. Big Brother from the original Mac commercial is awesome.

It was my worst fear. Remember that announcement, and I think I was the second (N.O. Body beat me to it) to realize it may be a SimCity knockoff made by an EA crony.

Don't you hate it when you're right?

[whoopscareless 0]

sc4 was the first computer game i bought since super mario land for the gameboy. i have not yet discovered brand loyalty!

[jackel.22 3]

right, wow i would really like to slap some sens into the ea executicve that gave the go ahead to it, bet they havnt played sim city in their lives,

seriously though, it looks like micky the mouse adventures. what has that got to do with city building?

i want a realistic city building game not some crappy unlock this then this and powerup your powerstation with magic tokens.

the worst thing is, the new generation gamers will see this and think all simcity is like it, the game will have a bad name for the entirety of its life if this abomination is allowed to go on sale.

the whole team behind that game need the sack, im sorry if your reading this you really suck and i know of a few bridges you could utilise...

[Imprezza05 1]

as it has been said it is NOT a realistic city simulator game so how dare they use the name simcity and how the hell can it be worth buying in this community when nearly everyone wants a realistic city building simulator not an expencive knockoff like city life.

Edited - Beebs

[granto93 4]

SC5 looks AWFUL...there i said it. even though i dont know if that pic is official, it is very hard to be optimistic about that garbage

hopefully that is not real....crosses fingers

[tommiej 0]

i'm disappointed.. i've played sc4 a lot, more than any other game.. i had sc3000 and sc2000 played it all.. but if simcity societies will be like the 'beta' pic shows us.. i think i won't buy it.. the old screen shot of sc4 already shows the magnificence of sc4.. it already shows that the game is still in development.. the 'beta' pic shows that it's further..

i really, really hope that it's going to be a hell lot better, because else the will lose one simcity fan...

everything i had hoped for sc5, isn't in the 'beta' pic... only 3D..

damn... this isn't nice to see.. hope if they release simcity societies that the will give the source code of sc4 open.. so that there can be very, very big changes to sc4... it surely will give modders a whole lot more opportunities

[CapitolAnarchy 5]

This is so terrible. I'm sticking to Sim City 4. It seems they compromised quality, fun, and realism for 3D graphics. And horrible 3D graphics at that. I could've been content with a 2D game with improved features like customizable road networks, better building quality, improved terrain tolerance, expanded camera angles and additional mayor features before I could tolerate this.

But, noo they have to make Sim City 4 look like a hybrid of The Sims, City Life, and Looney Tunes. Way to screw over a devoted fanbase and end the life of a 25-year franchise, EA Games!

And even if this is a preliminary shot, they shouldn't have released one at all, if they couldn't do better than this. This looks worse than an off-brand game you'd find in a Sega Saturn bargain-bin at EB Games.

[Hanson784 165]

My first reaction to the announcement was immediate excitement… then I clicked through to 1up.com and saw that screenshot. I was a bit disappointed to be honest. It currently looks very similar to City Life.

The statement Chris Beatrice posted on the Tilted Mill forums implied SimCity Societies will likely turn out like City Life combined with the Sims 2 and with a little bit of the Tycoon series thrown in.

Though, before I judge a game based on only one screenshot I’m going to reserve judgment for when Tilted Mill releases other pictures and hopefully an game movie. So far I’m skeptical.

If screenshots down the road reveal this will not live up to the SimCity name than I’ll be very disappointed.

Also, I want to say the SimCity community is passionately devoted to this game and emotions today are running high. Some people are so angry they're making threats. The new title is not called SimCity Revolution. Please keep your statements civil and respectful toward Tilted Mill because they will be more open to your suggestions and comments. The developers want to work with us not against us.

Finally, if Tilted Mill cannot take suggestions because they are too far in the development process or for other reasons than what’s stopping us from making SimCity 5. That may sound ridiculous and absurd but who knows what the players want better than the players themselves. If we want something done right we have to do it ourselves. We have many smart and devoted people with a lot of creative energy in our community: modders, programmer’s and talented 3D modelers are among us. Could the community of SimCity really develop their own version of SimCity 5 if we wanted to? Of course, why not?

I’ve been thinking of turning the New York City Journals into a free downloadable expansion pack called SimCity New York.

Anyway, just wanted to toss that idea out there of how to turn a possible negative into a positive. The optimal situation though would to work with Tilted Mill developers and not against them.

[Pixelrage 34]

it kind of reminds me of that Disney MMORPG, "toontown", come to think of it

[Pixelrage 34]

I remember seeing better graphics in the mid 1990s. No level of great gameplay can save something like that.

[Boggy1 45]

My first reaction? I was dissapointed and a little angry.

As I posted on the Tilted Mill forum;

I certainly do not speak for the entire ST community. But, what I have seen so far is rather discouraging. Well, actually, it's abysmal. There seems to be almost total hatred for this game, or at least total utter amazement that EA would do such a thing.

The three main points are;

1. EA Games would hand over the next instalment of the, if I may be so bold, fantastic and world-renowned Sim City series, not to Maxis which has always been the leader in Sim- games, but to another company. I think a great many of us at ST feel this as a huge betrayal and an insult on the part of EA.

I am not blaming Tilted Mill, as I am sure that are a very good games company. I do, however, and I believe many will agree with me, that you are just not fit to create a game of the calibre that the Sim City community expects.

2. The decision to make this game not a City Simulator, I believe is a huge blow to the fans. The whole essence of the Sim City franchise is that it is indeed a simulation programme, of a city.

Fans take great pride in the fact that they can build a real working city under the harshest of conditions.

I know of many University and College courses that teach specifically about Urban Planning actually use the Sim City franchise to help their students. Take, for example, this. Sim City is a tool that is used by thousands each year in their studies.

The game was originally designed to be a city simulator. Making it not rips out the very heart and soul of the game, and the franchise itself.

3. I fully realise that the screenshots you have posted are only preliminary. I fully realise that they will most certainly evolve and grow over time.

But, the screens you have posted are not at all what the fans expected. At the moment it looks like a kids game, and resembles the game City Life, with the repetition of buildings, sub-par graphics, and unrealistic perspective and effects.

Please, take a look at any Sim City 4 screenshot - without any modifications - and look me straight in the face and tell me that the screens you have posted are next-gen and more advanced.

I really do have reservations for this game, and deep ones at that. But, a Tilted Mill DEV is actually in the chat room right now, talking things over with us. And I must say, him doing that has certainly boosted my respect for the company. If they can talk to the fans, then that is a good step forward.

(also, he stated the screenshot was a very very early release one)

[Poetic 0]

I notice in the second screen shot that it says weather... that's interesting at least. But it looks so different from the first screen shot. I'm thinking either those are two different modes (one's a 3d walk around mode & other is building) or it's a different game.

[Hanson784 165]

jcabassa, Isn't that 6undergrounds quick mock up of what the game should look like? I can't find the post at the moment from the Tilted Mill forums but I remember him showing how it could be improved.

[CWLGAMER01 39]

OH MY GOD!!  Yes that is the mock up -- LOL -- This is so freakin FUNNY!!  I am about to piss my pants -- for the 20th time today!