How do you feel about the SCS announcement?

[Monki 0]

Why fix something that isnt broken?

Isnt Sim City the Game upon which Will Wright and Maxis owe their success, isnt this the game that started it all?

With each installment only getting better and more diverse than the previous, and with more dedicated fans than ever, its hard to understand why Maxis would feed this game to the dogs (at least it seams that way). I mean until we see the official game and reviews we cant be certain, but its seems that this new 'so called' Sim City is not even of the same genre, in fact it seems that its nothing more than a cop-out, with an 'I cant be bothered' approach.

Ive only just looked at some of the sceen shots and some of the them look nice albeit a little cartoonish, but I was a little alarmed to notice no variation what-so-ever in the streets, where are the highways?? There are alot of close-up pictures of the city, where are all the distant aerial views? Sure getting in close to see what your city looks like from a sims point of view is a nice novelty but it wont enhance game-play. I dont like the idea of abolishing the ability to zone which is I feel a core component of Sim City.

It would seem that this game could severley ruin the loyalty that many fans have felt towards Will Wright and Maxis for their dedication to this great franchise. However its too early to tell, I hope im wrong.

[cybersite1987 0]

I never found SC4 to be too complex. Yes, I made a mountain out of a molehill when I first began the game, putting in every service there was. But then I realized that you have to manage your money above all else; therefore, I couldn't build a utopia right away. In other words, the game was difficult if you thought you were going to build a perfect city your first time...instead, you had to settle for some crime, imperfect education, gaps in health coverage, fires, etc., just like real cities have to make the same compromises. My cousins had never played a SimCity game before 4, and they really got into it, despite its "complexity" and lack of mass appeal.

True, there were many things about the game that could've been rethought, perhaps in further expansion packs. But I think the godds of modds have ironed out those problems for the most part. SimCity 4, thanks in large part to modding, is an incredible game. Unfortunately, no amount of modding could possibly ever turn SCS into the SC5 that I was expecting: a realistic urban simulator, one perhaps featuring a novice mode and an expert mode. Modding SCS to get SC5 would be like putting a band-aid on a broken leg and hoping it sets itself.

[EgoBruiser 0]

I never found SC4 to be too complex. Yes, I made a mountain out of a molehill when I first began the game, putting in every service there was. But then I realized that you have to manage your money above all else; therefore, I couldn't build a utopia right away. In other words, the game was difficult if you thought you were going to build a perfect city your first time...instead, you had to settle for some crime, imperfect education, gaps in health coverage, fires, etc., just like real cities have to make the same compromises.quote>

Any complexity issues probably could've been resolved with a change to the difficulty settings.  The only way to make things easier/harder in SC4 was the amount of cash you started your city with.  If there had been some sort of difficulty setting for revenue-generation as well, that may have helped a lot of players just starting out.

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: Monki Why fix something that isnt broken?

Isnt Sim City the Game upon which Will Wright and Maxis owe their success, isnt this the game that started it all?

With each installment only getting better and more diverse than the previous, and with more dedicated fans than ever, its hard to understand why Maxis would feed this game to the dogs (at least it seams that way). I mean until we see the official game and reviews we cant be certain, but its seems that this new 'so called' Sim City is not even of the same genre, in fact it seems that its nothing more than a cop-out, with an 'I cant be bothered' approach.

Ive only just looked at some of the sceen shots and some of the them look nice albeit a little cartoonish, but I was a little alarmed to notice no variation what-so-ever in the streets, where are the highways?? There are alot of close-up pictures of the city, where are all the distant aerial views? Sure getting in close to see what your city looks like from a sims point of view is a nice novelty but it wont enhance game-play. I dont like the idea of abolishing the ability to zone which is I feel a core component of Sim City.

It would seem that this game could severley ruin the loyalty that many fans have felt towards Will Wright and Maxis for their dedication to this great franchise. However its too early to tell, I hope im wrong.quote>

EA has given the development of the game to Tilted Mill Entertainment. Maxis isn't working on it at all. Likely, EA is calling the shots on direction and style though.

[Monki 0]

Originally posted by: beebs

EA has given the development of the game to Tilted Mill EntertainmentTilted Mill Entertainment. Maxis isn't working on it at all. Likely, EA is calling the shots on direction and style though.quote>

 

Yes I realise this but its still a Maxis game and the fact that they have passed the baton on to Tilted Mill does not absolve them of responsibility for the outcome of the game, at least in my opinion.

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: Monki

Originally posted by: beebs

EA has given the development of the game to Tilted Mill EntertainmentTilted Mill Entertainment. Maxis isn't working on it at all. Likely, EA is calling the shots on direction and style though.quote>

 

Yes I realise this but its still a Maxis game and the fact that they have passed the baton on to Tilted Mill does not absolve them of responsibility for the outcome of the game, at least in my opinion.quote>

EA gave it to them, not Maxis. What was Maxis is now absorbed into EA Games, and is a studio of the companies.. Maxis takes their orders from the EA corporate guys now.

[moganite 4]

The part where they say we have to make it simpler for people to understand makes me think that they are after the easy money. They must also think that we are all idiots.

There are a couple of things that have my interest but they are replacing one  of micromanagement with annother. Instead of zoning and watching buildings grow and placing utilites/infrastructure as needed. you need to place each individual structure. That would get rather tedious.  Zoning and letting growth occur frees you up to focus on other things. I dont want to worry about placing buildings perfectly within a grid. Also I dont like the look of the grid being the dominant street structure.

How hard can it be to understand what goes into building a city?

Just think about what is needed; zoning/buildings, Power, water, garbage disposal, sewers, education, culture,entertainment, transit, transport. It isnt hard just logical.

I am interested by the social energy idea but  it seems that the building part is more along the lines of a RTS. It is ok for small areas but hopless when it comes to dealing with cities of potentially millions of people.

The graphics looks ok  but could be alot better and with time if they decide to release a SDK to enable modding/custom content it will be alot better but still only a shadow of SC4s depth.

At a time when all other genres/franchises are adding more complexity and depth to their franchise why is it being taken out of the simcity franchise?

Why have unlocking content I want to be able to access most of it right of the bat or be able to build it when the conditions are right not have to  be conditioned pavlovan style like a dog.

honestly i feel like the entire communtiy is being given the mushroom treatment kept in the dark and fed bulldust.

I hope to be pleasently supprised but i really doubt it.

[BrianSandra 0]

I have been waiting linke many others who post on these boards for the next instalment of the Sim City series, and I guess like many here, I am surprised and disappointed. 

Actually, I think in many ways the original version of SimCity4 absolutely blew...and was rescued by the Rush hour expansion pack which put public transport in for the first time. Without the further resources from some of the geniuses on this site the game would have lost all allure a long time ago. As it is, as frustrating as the limitations get I still regulalry play.

And then I see the pictures and screenshiots and readabout SimCIty Societies and I'm stumped. First of all...have these guys ever LOOKED at a city in their lives? Sim City 4 was limited to straight streets or 45 degree angle streets...and I was figuring that the grid form would now make way for the new game. But from the sceeenshots it looks like there is only two ways a street can go! THIS IS MOVING BACKWARDS!

And where the hell is public transport?!? They began by asking what makes Paris different from say, Las Vegas....well a fully functioning public transport system IS PART OF THAT! And have a gawk at Paris on Google Earth...check out in how many directions the streets run! Looky! Roundabouts!

As for losing the Zoning, fair enough...but what I was hoping for was much more of a devleopmental style of game...cities that grow begin to require more and different kinds of infrastructure, including such things as say a post system, cinemas, branches for major utilities in town (like Telecom?!). Instead what they seem to be pushing is another version of City Life...a game which bored me after two hours for many of the same reasons SimSocieties looks like a MOVE BACKWARDS!  Aaaarrrrggggg!

[jip2 0]

They should call it The Sims Societies or SimTown 3D But not SimCity. I don't know if graphics are better or worse but the buildings look like there were from a cartoon. I see no transportation networks and there is only one type of road in the screens. Then the conclusion. From what I have seen SimCity 4 was far more better than this new one.

EDIT: Just watched the 19 min video. They talked about kommunists and secret police! Now it sounds like a non violent version of C&C or Call of duty!

[hdorriker 190]

agreed.

I really, really, really hate the look of this game. Too kiddie looking in all the worst ways.

I play SC4 because it is complex.

There is something intensely satisfying about making a complex system work and that's what made the SC series awesome, it's why I bought the games.

SCS is not SimCity, it is something that could be done with a flash application. The complexity that makes SC4 appealing is gone.

This is pandering and what makes me angry is it is unnecessary.

SC4 was like a 2000-piece, paintable blank model kit, full of versatility.

However,

SCS looks like a collection of happy-meal toys which happen to interlock. Complete with soft-rounded-off corners and colored plastic so it's safe for children who are teething.

[whitecottonpanties 0]

Why can't they leave ONE game for people who want to use their brains as well?

The Sims etc ... spend time playing a game in which u watch people go to the toilet and get ready for work?? That's called life, so get one! I can't understand how anyone could play rubbish like that. But I suppose, if people will watch Big Brother, they'll play the Sims.

The only game for people wholike a challenge, Sim City ... and it looks as if they've bowed down to the "dumb it down, please" crowd ... GRRRR.

Maxis, can't you make ONE game for us??? Please???

Leave sim city alone ... make a proper sequel, and not this mindless cartoon which it appears to be.

[wozzar 154]

I only just heard about this and i like everyone else is disappointed. This game is destine to be a flop. I would have thought EA would have learnt something from Monte Cristo when City Life was a flop. But obviously EA hasn't learnt from the City Life flop and mistakes. And the ironic thing is Monte Cristo has been listening and will develop the next one similar to Sim city 4.

EA reckons that they have done research what research was this mickey mouse. They obviously haven't been to this forum or other forums. Because if they had they would know the reaction they would get.

I also believe that Simtropolis should approach other developers to make the game. The makers of COH massive might be a worthy contact because this is what they think of EA in there game 3A5UX5

EA haven't listen to there customers for years and they wont until it hits there pocket.

This game will be cancel before it even comes out.

[TylerD 16]

This new Simcity looks crappy. Too much cartoony and not realistic, with out of space trafic lights etc.

The graphics of Simcity 4 were oke. They only had to change some functions like change the housing blocks, building everything in one region etc.

But this new game looks totally different. Such a pity. I could have been great, but Tilted Mill and EA are strangling themselves.

~This really belongs in the Knee-Jerk Reactions thread.~

[Sven900 0]

I am extremely disappointed by this so-called "back to its roots" game. "Back to the stoneage" is more like it.

I don't care for 3D graphics, mainly because most people (myself included) don't have the computer power o run 3D right. SC4 is bad enough on PC resources, 3D would kill my PC (It takes close to 20min to load SC4 as is due to all the installed mods and user content).

I was hoping we would get another 4 view direction (N,S,E,W + NE,SE,SW,NW), and maybe a way to "tilt" to a top-down view, which would be handy for changing things in between all the tall buildings.

Bringing back realistic surface water, so that it flows along the contours of the land, not just at a set hight would have been nice too.

Other than that I was really hoping for a wider variety in roads, streets, highways, intersection types and more public transit options (Subway, Streetcars, Elevated, Buses+route planning, Metro, Train, High-speed train, Monorail, etc...).

What we are getting is something that is none of these things. 3D graphics - whoop-de-#%^%ing-do! What happened to realism? What happened to buildings growing and developing? variety? depth?

Here is another product that seems to be relying on the name... I will not be buying it.

[frdrcklim 139]

Oh bad bad bad!!! I thought the transportation would be more comprehensive. It's just plain roads. Saw other pics of this and the roads have tight corners when they turn. It looks horrible.

[TylerD 16]

That they are creating this game is oke. But this has nothing to do with Simcity.

The main thing we wanted to see is more depth, especially "indentity".

Now every city looks alike. They have to give the gamer the opportunity to create a city that is much more different then it is with the other gamers.

This means more transport options/more variaty in roads etc. I also read that you can plan routes. This is also a good addition.

Graphicly the game already looks oke. Of course everybody hoped for a game that could bring city building to a next level, but even if they had only changed the graphics a bit, the simcity fanbase would be happy. Reading the forums on simtropolis would have given them a great opening for creating Simcity 5 instead of this new game. A missed chance. Now i'm wondering when the next will be coming, if it is coming. Honoustly i rather wait another two years, and the game is being created bij Maxis and gives us all we are hoping for instead than this game.

[nicoliani 3]

There was Live Free Or Die Hard, there was Rocky Balboa, there is soon John Rambo and there is soon Sim City Societies.

Classic series wasted in the junk by money greedy incompatible retards.

[iamihop11 19]

I had such high hopes for SC5. Ah, what an opportunity they had. With a huge fan-base already there, they could have brought in more camera control, inch up the graphics, and make the game run more smoothly (recent breakthrus would have given them a lot of flexibility.) Quite frankly, 3D graphics are WAY overrated, at this point. It just makes everything look like a cartoon again, which is fine for some games, but not SimCity.

That said, graphics were only the tip of the iceberg as far as important game improvements. If they were so determined to change stuff up, they could have eliminated the grid system altogether. The freedom that would give (maybe drawing roads almost freehand, with flexible curves like roads really have--I live in rolling hills, where straight roads virtually don't exist), would be "orgasmic" (as my old art teacher would say) when combined with even more diversity in buildings, development, and props.

The idea of having to plop every building, and not get the feeling of achievement when that skyscraper finally rears up, or the downtown finally towers over the surrounding hills, makes me feel sick. That's the reason I played the game; the challenge.

Speaking of challene, it seems to me that gaming is being overrun with dim, eye-candy-craving "*****s" who require studios to dumb games down. I read that Societies was partially a response to complaints that SC4 was too involved and difficult. Another example is Morrowind to Oblivion. Oblivion recovered only with amazing new graphics, physics, and strong gameplay, but they made everything too easy by showing you where to go for quests, and giving you that silly radar.

Intelligent, challenging, involved gaming seems to be dying, and it looks like Societies has brought the funeral closer at hand.

[iamihop11 19]

That's a bad word? Hmm.  A kid in my English class last year wrote a whole paper about it and nobody minded that.  Okay, I won't use it in the future; I meant "woefully pitiful beginning gamer."

[itsbernie81 1]

I have seen the 1UP video of the chat with the producers of SCS and I have seen all the screenshots that have been released on various websites before I comment - in an attempt to be as best informed as possible.

I have been a SC fan since the very first version in a big floppy disk - as with probably most people here.  I loved SC4 once Rush Hour was installed.  I love this community.

Let me start by saying this.  Why I loved the SC series so much was the organic nature of it.  You interact with your city.  You can't just dictate where everything goes.  Your citizens react to your decisions.  You zone residential next to a heavy industrial areas, and you get slums (if anyone wishes to move in at all).  Traffic becomes too congested in an area?  Your sims can't commute to work on time, and they move.  The city is prosperous, you reap the rewards as you watch once dilapidated neighbourhoods gentrify.  The city lives and breathes because of your decisions.

For me, there is always a little giddy thrill when I see the first skyscraper under construction, the first mansion popping up in a neighbourhood.

I always love the transportation options available to me under SC4, especially with the modifications made possible by SC4 innovativeness.  I love planning highway routes, a transit system, creating realistic suburban street layouts, and then seeing the sims populate the zones.

It's apparent that SCS does not embrace ANY of these concepts at all.  Zoning and transportation aren't features included in the game.  To me, these are the fundamental elements of SC that I enjoy so much.  The game is an exercise of strategic plopping.  Some plopping is okay here and there (for example, where you want a part of your city to look just like that) but without any interaction with your sims as to how a neighbourhood should look, you take too much control for my liking.  It seems under SCS you don't only choose where sims live, but what type of "energies" are exhibited by the sims who live at that point.  That's coming too close to God mode for my liking.

There appear to be only roads at the moment - I hope that will change.

SCS presents some interesting concepts.  I don't think it is very original.  Those "societal energies" that have been touted as being so revolutionary seem uncannily like City Life's "social classes".  SCS just takes that concept even further in unappetizing ways - I mean, how many SC fans have ever really wanted to build a city with zombies and chocolate houses?  The possibilities are endless, says the press release, but these aren't the possibilities we want to see, are there?  I want to get back to creating realistic suburbs, towering downtowns, quaint seaside suburbs, that sort of thing.

It is apparent that SCS won't be offering anything like that.  I accept that.  SCS is not SC5 and it is called SCS for that reason.  I will watch SCS and Cities Unlimited with keen interest - playing with societal energies could be interesting too.  However, as with the majority of people here, what I am really waiting for is SC5.  I hope I don't have to wait too many more years.

Peace

Bernie

[fretz- 1]

Im keeping an open mind.

I'll buy a copy no matter what previews/reviews and pre-release net chatter says.

If I am dissapointed with it when it arrives, it wont put me off buying any future releases.

If someone wants to make a city management game, whether its maxis, firaxis or some other 'axis, I'll give it a go. Even though the game could be making a change of direction, and even though it wont turn out to be the fine-tuned perfect progression of SC4 Id love to see, it might just be a good game in its own right. I wont know the answer to that until ive played it with my own mouse - thats when I'll make my decision on it.

If it turns out bad, I'll go back to SC4 while waiting for another release, which will continue to  happen as long as video games continue to exist. I expect I'll see quite a few more SC games before I pass away and Im looking forward to trying every one of them whether they are true to the orginal series, of on a slight tangent or a major deviation from the SC concept.

[EAGCE 2]

Man I just dusted off SC4 today, then went online and found out about this.  All I can say is UGH.

Bye bye SC.  It was fun while it lasted.

[Evil_Someone 1]

i haver nmo opinion untili play the demo.

but movies about it look decent.

[SHADOW-XIII 3]

OMG, they've destroyed another great game. First Fallout now SimCity ;( How they could, no RCI, construction not so important. It build-your-community instead of build-your-city ;( And as the video presentation shown on main page with the lady saying about SimCity can build only metropolis and big cities .... bullsh*t ! she should visit SimTropolis. whyyyyy ;((((((( I just hope the true SC5 will be released as SC:Sc does not have "5" in it ... I am not going to buy this game ever, suck it EA.

[michaelsjewel 0]

since my post was locked in the thread i started...here it is again...have no clue why it was locked! - my guess is based on the person that replied....

From the looks of it, including myself..... I don't like the idea of the SIMCITY SOCIETIES...because basically it's a CITY LIFE rip off and that game bored me to tears..... I fell in love with SIMCITY, not societies.....

I started playing simcity back in 3000 unlimitied.....but never went back to it once came... simcity 4.

The original simcity 4 probably wouldn't keep me going as much, if it weren't for the expansion pack - RUSH HOUR. However, even that was a bit blah because what was included in that expansion pack should've been in the game already....hence why EA is a cash cow - trying to milk expansion packs out of us like they do for the SIMS.

But even that gets boring.....or it leaves u to want more....

But it is the Simtropolis community, with all the mods and all the lots we can download that make this game, SHINE! To this day, I still love the game and plan to play with it whenever I'm in the mood.

Will i buy Simcity Societies? Probably, but don't expect me to like it. Does that mean I have to forget about Simcity 4 and all the razzle dazzle we've created to go with it @ this site? HECK NO! In fact, If societies doesn't keep me, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE SIMCITY 4 TO FALL BACK ON. In fact, since it'll be so much different, i probably will still play it anyhow.

Am I being too harsh on the new game? possibly, but that's what happens when you **** with a game to the point it no longer is anything similar, besides having the franchise name on it..... milking those that are familiar with the name, and mainly targetting the sims audience.

It's a shame, but heh...... there's always simcity 4 with the expansion pack....and all the goodies here @ simtropolis.... hopefully simtropolis keeps on going and the good stuff keep on rolling out, instead of dying with the franchise!

there's my 2 cents.

[JanYpe 17]

since my post was locked in the thread i started...here it is again...have no clue why it was locked! - my guess is based on the person that replied.... quote>

Then go back to your locked thread and read Voar Tok's post from before he closed the thread. It's all spelled out for you there.

[Crissa 1]

My knee-jerk reaction is that I'll see it when they make it, So many EA games never get out the door that I don't even care about previews.

Originally posted by: CapitolAnarchy

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.quote>

Umm, you can't have 2d with additional camera angles. That's the problem with 2d... Building quality?

And the varied transportation networks are just different ways of getting people from point A to B - A more realistic method would be to give the sims a speed based upon mod of travel and then the networks are merely frosting that these mods interact with. Remember the original game only had streets and zones... And transportation based on year. All these faced zones are a letdown. Anyhow, I was hoping SC4 would have growable utilities instead of plopable, and Societies may have that.

...Lastly, original SC is now available to compile on Linux, and looks pretty snazzy right now... Saw it played on an OLPC at GDC and that was really encouraging.

-Crissa

[michaelsjewel 0]

Originally posted by: JanYpe

since my post was locked in the thread i started...here it is again...have no clue why it was locked! - my guess is based on the person that replied.... quote>

Then go back to your locked thread and read Voar Tok's post from before he closed the thread. It's all spelled out for you there. quote>

 

from what it says, he doesn't wanna see a person question another person's loyalty or that crap.... however.... i didn't do any of that - it was the person that replied.... why not just remove the replied message?  

i know how to read - and it doesnt' clearly state why other than that - it isn't fair to me period!

[JanYpe 17]

Alright, if you haven't visited in a while I can see why the closing would confuse you. To be blunt: Your thread didn't really add anything new. All that shock and anger has been expressed before. That horse has been beat to death so many times that there's nothing but bloody pulp left. This thread was made to house initial reactions like yours, because if we had a new topic for everyone's two cents we'd be up to our eyeballs in cents.

[read.andrew 0]

I won't buy this game. I enjoyed SC4 because it was complex. I'll wait for SC6 or the next maxis city builder.