How do you feel about the SCS announcement?

[JSNK000 1]

What I'd love to see is Maxis release a bare bones template that would have basic maps,terrain,a terrain editor and a few other core components that would be based on SC4 but advanced/tweaked to todays computing capabilities.

Leave all menus blank. Let the community fill in those menus with power plants and buildings and roads and stadiums all the rest.

I wouldn't even care if it had the same graphics and views. Really,there isn't much wrong with Sc4 as far as how it looks. Sure,a 'point of view' mode or the ability to 'walk' around your city in 3d would be cool but it's not a must have.

I think the biggest need for a revamp is the roads and transit system. I'd like to be able to set up a bus hub and map out routes,etc. We need 6 lane hi-ways and 4 lane w/o the middle island. We need multi lane surface highways and more complex interchanges and all of that. That would be an area Maxis would have to help lay the groundwork,so to speak.

We could continue to use the lot editor and gmax/bat.

I'd love to wipe the slate clean....tweak everything to 2007 standards.....add in what was missing the first time and then just let 'us' take the ball and run with it.

If these companies are so arrogant to not give us what we want and what our loyalty has earned then F 'em.

What EA is making is NOT SimCity and the guy from TM even admitted as much. Now,if they come out and say it's a spinoff and that a true SC5 is in the works...ok...but I doubt that's the case.

The Sims already exist. CityLife already exists. We don't need somebody to come in and merge those two concepts. Doing so leaves a major void in the type of game WE all want and that is a true city builder.

I have my own life to manage w/o needing to play the Sims...games are supposed to be an escape and to let you do and be what you aren't in real life. I'll never be  a mayor with the power to decide where buildings go.

SimCity is w/o a doubt my all time favorite game ever by a long shot. other than Madden I don't even play games anymore.

I've been waiting and waiting for SC5 and now this?

Based on descriptions and that screen shot I have to think SC-S is 60% CityLife and 40% The Sims and if that is so EA will get exactly 0% of my money.

[maarten9 0]

the graphics were beautiful 5 years ago but it's sooooo ugly :S

I hope that they will start all over again. This makes me sick!

[ravenlord 0]

"But please keep in mind the irony in that - we are just a lowly developer after all. ".
 This right here has me the most concerned as i take it that they already have the excuse in place for a sub-standard replica of SC.
  I look on the brightside we still have our own SC5 thanks to all modders and such so we can keep playing our version regardless of a new release.

[bewilder2 2]

I think, like many, the resounding answer to their question of whether the game will flourish will be a resounding "no." EA probably looked to find a new Sims-esque game that merged the Sims fans and SimCity fans into one game, and I don't think that they even chose the right developer to do that. EA really dug, and wasn't content for another traditional SC, and went for the blockbuster. And it did so swinging blind. Even from a financial standpoint I think they will lose. SimCity 5 would have at least brought in a predictable stream of revenue. SCS? You'll find it in those discount packaged EA/Maxis games.

[KnowitallSim 1]

Originally posted by: Raxter

Originally posted by: Cheese89 I thing that really bothers me is that this is considered Simcity 5. As far as I'm concerned, this game does not represent the next logical step in the SimCity series, and thus should not be considered the sequel to Sc4. I'm actually even fine with them using the prefix "SimCity", so long as it isn't considered the next main game in the series.

Think of it this way... Bungie made Halo 1, 2, and 3, which were First Person Shooters. Ensemble Studios is making Halo Wars, which is an RTS. Both carry the Halo name, and indeed both are about the same conflict in the same universe, but it is made very clear that Halo Wars is not the next game in the main Halo series.

This is how Societies should have been approached.quote>

Societies for the SimCity series should be the Windwaker of the Zelda Series.quote>

So, Societies should be a great game?

That's what The Wind Waker was.

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: bewilder2 Another thought: shall we petition EA to make another traditional SimCity game instead of this Societies crap?quote>

That's a working title.. we don't know what the theme of the game is. Chances are, it's going to run the same SimCity we've always seen. Why don't we wait and see what Tilted Mill can pull out of their hat before we judge them on a few quick comments and an old screenshot.

[Mayor Abe 3]

I think the graphics are not as cartoonish as some say. to use several analogies. it looks like a cross between Sim town and SimsVille, a cancelled maxis game (if you have SC3K Unlimited,ther's a preview video). I'm somewhat disapointed, but the end result will likely be worth buying. Also,  Sim City is a critically accamed series. I don't think EA is stupid enough to let it die like this. After the Sims, SC is on the list of the bestselling PC games of all time. Also, the comunity is strong. enough will buy SC5 for a comunity to make it worth playing, if it turns out to be as bad as some are predicting.

[gml_josea 2]

I was shocked, I was expecting something nice looking, way more detailed and realistic than Simcity 4, and I find that screenshot.

Then I saw the name and my reaction was instantaneous: A City Life clone. I don't want a city life clone.

I'll just wait and see, but I can bet all my money that this game will be pretty similar to City Life.

[simwithoutacause 0]

I only hope TM is willing to consider the needs and wants of the SC fan base.

A note to the DEVs: A 'realistic urban simulation' is exactly what I want to see. I'm sure a great majority of fans want to see a great deal of detail and customization. I was actually hoping SC5 would add to SC4 and, like real city management, you would have the ability to assign speed limits, extra lanes and decide how many fire, EMS, and police vehicles/personnel would be in your city. Just small tweaks to make the game more dynamic.

[JanHammer 1]

My opinion: It looks like a CityLife/Sims mixture and a little rollercoaster tycoon.

My Estimate: It will fail completely and eventually be taken back by Maxis once Spore is completed and they stop their moneytree series (The Sims). Perhaps this is why it is not named Simcity 5.

It still makes me quite angry and sad though, at Maxis, EA, and Tilted Mill for making excuses why this game in all likelyness will be mediocre. They will get none of my money, but EA usually doesn't anyway.

[Artman94 2]

What I really wish (but I know there is absolutley no chance of happening) is for TM to create 2 versions of the game: one for starters and the other for the SC4 veterens. One can probably have that simple-cartoony appearence and the other more like a realistic one with more buttons and all that... Of course thats my thinking... and really...has anyone ever thought that SC5 will have nightlighting? let's hope TM doesn't forget that...but there's something better they can do there, make it look more nighty than a blueish glow my reaction to this: a scale from 1 to 10 (bad =1 |good =10) is 4 you never know when these companies will do something unexpected...

[Guiigg 0]

Erm.. I'm VERY dissapointed

SC4 graphics is better than these...

[Explodingsims 3]

A solitary tear rolls down my face as the Simcity series is laid to rest...

[cybersite1987 0]

Ohhh, noo.

There were two directions SC5 could've been taken, and it seems that EA took the wrong one, in my opinion. With the first screens and descriptions at 1Up, I can say that, by taking away the "tedious micromanagement" like pipe laying and the likes (and the prospect of the whole thing being like SC2000's Urban Renewal Kit), as well as dumbing down the realism, I can honestly say I am truly disappointed. I still hold out hope, though, being the optimistic person that I am, that this "new direction" might not be as radical as it seems initally. But the pessimist in me says that, even though I am as hardcore a SimCity fan as you'll ever meet, I won't be buying this game.

[cybersite1987 0]

Oh, and it looks that, if this game takes off (I tend to doubt that it will) it could mean the end of custom content and maybe even Simtropolis. Praise be to Dirk and the gods of Modds that SC4 will live on and on.

Did EA completely ignore sites like this when coming up with the idea for (SCS)ocieties? Certainly the majority of the posts here pan the game (at first glance at least) and the rest have just held out judgement for later.

Oh, and I'm sure you've all read the tidbits at http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3160151&sec=PREVIEWS

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I think it is clear that this is not SimCity as we have known it for four generations of the game.  I don't think I'll be leaving SC4 anytime soon if this is where they think it should go.  Maybe this is a symptom of the current trend to social consciousness, but i fail to see what it has got for people who want to simulate the growth of a city/region.

[nousername 0]

I'm surprised with the fact that people aren't vandalizing EA in California, like you'd think that it would be headline news :"Group TP's EA..."

[inexisting2005 0]

I almost got dizzy when I read the preview at 1up. No more zonning? No more pipe laying? If I wanted that I'd play City Life. This is definitely the mortal blow to the SC series. The only good part to all this is that we still have SC4. I sure hope Maxis is feeling the same way we do - maybe they'll make a new attempt at the series, one that would do justice to the whole SC community.

[utora 0]

interesting discussion... like many forumers i tend to feel a little bit disappointed when it comes to the new direction that SC seems to take. It looks like nothing I would have expected of the next version of this most beloved game. However, I think it is a bit too early to make a fair judgement. For now I'd like to say that my greates fear is that SC4 and especially the amazing high-quality custom content created for it (and available on this site) will slowly disappear. I mean, what about all these great fantastic BATs, Mods and expansions created by this community??

When I speak for myself, I think SC has already reached its highest level; I can do whatever I want with the game, I can create the cities I'd like to create; hell, I can even create complete universes and build fantastic stories behind them. 

With SC5, everything will start from scratch again. We will have to wait for months, maybe even years to reach the amount of custom content that REALLY takes the game to a higher level. And I'm not sure whether I'm willing to partake in that process again..

The game is almost perfect to me the way it is right now (just to mention the terrains that one can create, the different styles one can give a city, the stories one can build behind them...)

I'm skeptical, and i really HOPE that this site, and particularly the City Journals-section and the STEX will continue to exist in their current form for a very, very long time!!

[ACEfanatic 7]

First thought: Where the hell is my SC5?

After a few moments of rationale: It's an alpha--has to be. So I'll keep my mind open.

Still, the fundamental changes they're talking about are disconcerting. No more zoning? No water/power network? Tell me, how is it taking us back to the roots of SimCity when you cut out the heart of the game? The SimCity series is based on micromanagement of a city. The INFRASTRUCTURE of that city. Not the individual buildings, not the Sims themselves.

TM, I know you're trying. But it looks like you're going to kill the series.

-ACE

[ccecill 52]

Regions will make or break the game (to me) I love making burbs, and I'd love to have some views like this. Not exactly what I'm talking about, but it shows.

[feliwi 4]

i don't like the new screenshots, because thy really look unrealistic, it's like city life, another city building simulation. it looks really unrealistic. SC4 without plugins is like the new one, but with all these wonderful plugins SC4 got this realism, which games like city life or city won't have

[feliwi 4]

I have something else to say, what i forgot before. the best would be, we could have a SC4 addon pack (like rush hour) with some new views and tools. Then views like the one in the last before me would be possible

[Carrodoni 0]

Ok, my thoughts.

SC4 has reached the limit of urban simulation. Yes, I think it has. It's a huge game as it is, so building variety is only for those with mega-computers, diagonal construction is a utopia (But I'm no developer, so...), the road and transportation options only lack in A. Highway Interchange variety, B. Mass transit hubs and connection and in my special opinion C. No road option between street and road.

Truly, there isn't anything else one could want simulation wise..

Therefore, If I want realism, I play SC4, and who knows, if the SCS turns out well, SCS it is for fun.

However, the lack of micromanagement sure has me worried. And one last thought: How can one plan a city w/o zoning option?

Originally posted by: JSNK000 What I'd love to see is Maxis release a bare bones template that would have basic maps,terrain,a terrain editor and a few other core components that would be based on SC4 but advanced/tweaked to todays computing capabilities.quote>

This is a great idea. Very little developing needed by the company itself, and heck, the game would be going the way the 'net is going (Open source etc.)

[drevilshenchman 4]

I don't know if this has been said earlier, but I was thinking about it. Since Maxis isn't making Simcity anymore, that means there are going to be no more llamas! or corny/ stupid jokes!!!

[Ntq€310 1]

Originally posted by: drevilshenchman I don't know if this has been said earlier, but I was thinking about it. Since Maxis isn't making Simcity anymore, that means there are going to be no more llamas! or corny/ stupid jokes!!!quote>

 

there will not be llamas, or stupid jokes, because that would be too complex, and to hard(lol

[Braxton 0]

My first reaction to this when I saw the announcement at Gamespot was "OMG ***** ARE THEY DOING!?"

In that article it was stated by Chris Beatrice from Tilted Mill that:

Beatrice also revealed that SimCity Societies will differ from previous SimCity titles--though he wouldn't say exactly how. "This SC is not a realistic urban simulation," he bluntly said. An EA rep would only say that the title will move the series "in a new and exciting direction" that would "take the franchise back to its roots, and create an accessible, flexible game that will continue to appeal to avid SimCity fans, as well as attract new players to the franchise."quote>

Not a realistic urban simulator? How is that taking the game to its roots?

Then I saw the 1UP preview, which mentions that zoning, pipe laying, and the power grid have all been removed and that we now plop our buildings. How is THAT taking the game 'back to its roots'? I lay all my pipes and power lines and I do 90% zoning. Plopping certain things is different than plopping ALL THE TIME.

Not to mention they've been on the defensive with damage control because of what they said.

Now, we come to the Sims. I have no desire to play The Sims games at all and seeing that they're being incorporated in this game saddens me greatly. Wealth? Obedience? Forging my own society? Sorry, but I think SPORE will cover this stuff.

As someone else in this thread has said, it appears the grid is back. The grid is OLD, it's time for an update to get rid of it. Of course, this game is not Sim City so it's probably fine that it's in there.

Lastly, the graphics. OK, I see they're trying 3D. However, I have to say that they look like crap. I certainly hope there are more transportation options than just that kind of road. They could be early screenshots too, but with 6 months or so to go before release, I'd think the graphics would be set in stone pretty much. They may get more detailed but I doubt it. What we're seeing is a good indication of what we're getting I think. If they don't want us to think that, then they should have grabbed screenshots of the current build of the game before releasing the screenshots they did and then coming out with some 'newer' ones. Yes, graphics is a big thing for a game. But gameplay is more important.

This is not Sim City to me. What has been said and we have seen doesn't sway me. I don't understand how people can say Sim City 4 was too complex. There are many games that are far more complex than SC4 out there and a lot of people play them without problem. Once you learned how to play the game, and LEARNED is the key word, the game is quite fun. Every game we get we have to learn how to play it. WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING NEW THINGS. I will say that learning to play SC4 was difficult and that is probably why so many people think it's 'too complex'. However, you stick with it and keep learning how to play it to the point where you have a good grasp on it. Unless you're a quiter.

Over the last couple of years fans have talked about a new Sim City and what it would be like and what we would like in it. As others have said, we've been completely ignored on this. I understand companies don't have to listen to us but we BUY THEIR PRODUCT and so they should be listening to us. There is no point in not listening to your customers because once you start doing things the way you want, you get an angry response like in this instance and you will lose customers because of it.

Good luck to Tilted Mill. I have a feeling they'll grab The Sims fans and probably some Sim City fans but from what we know, this is not a game I want to play. Who knows, maybe I'll come around as more information is released, but I don't know. And that's the thing, they need to start getting more information out there. They need to tell me why I want this game, especially since so many things have been removed from it. Tell me why I should be excited for this game instead of defending yourself.

[villagemayor 0]

My thoughts.

When SC3000 went from 3D to isometric, we were all disappointed but the idsometric looked so much better. So now they have come up with a 3D version. With the computing power these days, I too am a little disappointed with the quality. The streets look so angular. If they can't do 3D properly, then stick to isometric. 3D is good only if its done right. Look at the Myst series. Even Myst 1 had better 3D graphics than Societies.

We have suggested many things here at Simtropolis, and I can say with some certainty that graphics is not one of them. Either its more buildings, improved transportation options, etc. Just the initial screenshots, it seems that not one was implemented. Granted, its only screenshots. But don't forget, they have come this far into the development stage, and I don't know if they are going to start from scratch all over again.

Why is Maxis (or the original core team) not developing this game? They say that the team are all SC4 enthusiasts, but Societies is such a radical shift from SC4. Maxis created the original 4 sets, and not this novice company that probably knows little about the game.

I hope these screenshots are just the initial development, and not the 'final' product. If the final product looks like that, I might not buy it. I am afraid of another "Civilization" saga, where you have Sid Miers releasing one version of Civilization and another gaming company produces a competing one.

[syed1994 0]

Power and water services will not play a part in the game. The player won't even be able to build zones, a key element in past SimCity games. In addition, there will be six "social energies" which will allow the player to learn about the characteristics of the citizens.quote>

No, I don't like it to be SimsVille, I want to zone and manage not do some kiddy LEGO blocks. I think EA want opinions to people if they changed the developer from Maxis to TM.

I personally think that SimCity 5 would have some improvements and might appeal to kids because kids think that it is hard to play SimCity because of all the managing required.

[Deathtoall 28]

i feel let down by EA. I hoped they would actually continue the current trend andmaybe have some community consultation. I hope they don't cause the end of the simcity franchise