Simtropolis 1000

[croxis 150]

Big open source projects have a initial quiet period while things start to click into place. I've already started working with the panda engine (due to my previous experience with it and I can code faster in python than c++). As soon as one of our members finishes the engine stress tests we will be able to make a decision. This is also a learning process for us, I am having to learn programming concepts that are new to me, and it takes time to understand what I need to do.

But yes, we do need a project head

[dariovillar 0]

My best wishes for your project.

Good luck to you.

Regards, Dario.

[croxis 150]

i put together a very simple terrain prototype than can be run through a web browser. I have details here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=9873.0

[dariovillar 0]

We have uploaded a new beta, beta 0.45.

The beta in this link www.citiesofworld.com/viewtopic.php

We have solved some major errors in the programming and down a little didicultad the game.

We have also begun to include a different interface to give you some color to the game.

We look forward to your comments.

Regards, Dario.

[ScaryMonkey 0]

Originally posted by: Ilikeseattle

Hello, I would like a quick comparison between Simtropolis, Metropolis, Cities of World (Cuidades deL Mundo is Cities of the World), and CityMania. I want to know the following: Programming Language, rendering engine (2D, 3D, Isometric/Bimetric/Trimetric, DirectX, OpenGL, grid, spline, vector, bezier curves), zone/plop/combo, taxes, civics and satisfaction, utilities, how (easily) customizable is it? quote>

Speaking for Metropolis: the basic idea behind the project is that a full-time professional team will be able to make a game much more efficiently, and probably to a higher standard, than a volunteer one; therefore, the best way for the community to get such a game made is to pool its resources and hire one.  As such, our focus isn't on design details, but on raising capital.  That said though, the last point you mentioned is one of our guiding principles: the game should be as customizable as possible, even for non-technical people.

[dariovillar 0]

News screenshots Cities of World.

A residential build.

[dariovillar 0]

Screenshots of the last industrial building created by Moises R. for CoW.

[Neotrezz 7]

Sorry for my late reply, but in the past few months I've seen the CityMania title everywhere on the web. That wasn't really my intention. The first idea with that title was to show you that everything is possible and you shouldn't be limited on what 'people think'. Motivation is the big word. Yes you need money, yes you need time, but the big word is motivation....or willingness.

But, the game grew, 2 great devs joined me. No, there is no 'red line' in sight yet, but that will change. We are touching something, nobody 'wants' or 'dare' to... Somewhere in the main topic i also stated that this development can take years (even 5 years!) before 'something' playable rolls out. But i dont care.. as long as there is something to look out for, as long we know that there is actually somebody, doing something..

It's almost a years since i started that topic on sc4devotion, and showed that with 'little' we can do a lot...

What i can promise, is that; yes we are busy with it, and yes there will come a red line.. things will get more structured as time passes by. The devs are exploring all options, so i want to give everyone a free hand for now.. In the near future i want to structure the whole project a lot more.

Yes, we will get our own project website (but we remain on the sc4devotion forums).

This is what i wanted to say.

I wish the other projects good luck!

[dariovillar 0]

Want to make your own buildings with sketchup?

To carry out the design of a building, you need to get a good design and a good set of textures.

With all this and a little time, they come to get very good buildings and low poly.

If you want to delve into the world of design and send your creations, you must follow these steps.

The measures of a box are 13.6718 meters by 13.6718 meters.

The textures of the buildings should not be larger than 512x512px.

You can do residential, commercial or industrial.

Once completed, send them to dario@citiesofworld.com and will be reviewed.

When you send it, attached it all the textures and the name that you would like it to appear in the credits of the building.

I hope you enjoy it making your own buildings.

Regards, Dario.

[croxis 150]

We got our engine down for CityMania Programming Language: Python/C++ Rendering Engine: Full 3D, freeform. Panda3d Zoning: Yes Taxes: In discussion Civics and Satisfaction: In discussion, probably SC4 esk Utilities: Power and other big utilities to be bought at region level Customizable: Intention to be fully customizable by end user, both with code and graphics Appearance: No art direction at this time. To celebrate, here is the second prototype! https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=10078.0

[dariovillar 0]

The last building built in COW.

[bluespottedhorse 49]

I've recently been playing Simutrans 128 and I thought wow.  Even though this game is prehistoric it's really fun to play.  What cool is I can create a map of any size and the game chugs along just fine.  It's easy to create maps and build, everything is so simple compared to todays games.  I talked at great lengths with a friend who used to work for EA and he agreed that the most fun games are not necessary the newest with the latest graphics.  In fact, graphics are really secondary to game play (within reason of course). 

This is only my opinion but I think if developers were smart they create a city builder game based on some of these parameters:

1. Isometric map (high quality)
2. Not 3d ( how many of us really want to walk through a city)
3. Unlimited customization of map and sizes
4. Curved roads
5. Simple bat tools (similar to Simcity 3000

Today the hype in gaming is creating graphics that look photo realistic.  Unfortunately, the game play is sorely missing the fun and simplicity that the older games such as, SC4, 3000 or even the original simcity had.  Computer hardware is so far advanced compared to what these old game platforms were built for.  So why don't they bring these back to take advantage of todays powerful computers?

Does anyone else feel this way or am I completely out of touch with what people want in a city builder?  Maybe I'll have to create my own city builder game to get what I want.

[iiiset 0]

In a word, yes. In five words, yes yes yes yes yes.

I am grateful to simcity 4 for existing, but what frustrates me is that i can tell it is the graphics that make it perform so badly sometimes.

I am 100% on board with:

-transpo lines that you draw yourself

-isometric map

-unlimited customization

-internal bat

all things you said. and let me add

-dynamic, realistic water

-three modes, toy (everything is ploppable, no money), sim (ultra-realistic), and experimental (guts-open customizability: eg the ability to design skyscrapers with internal subway stops so you can have a road-free downtown)

-and finally, a new zoning system, see below.

houses residential: developers bid for tracts of land (conforming to the curves or your transpo and the terrain) on which they build neighborhoods with squiggly streets of their own devising

apts residential: developers bid for land either adjoining a street to build townhouses, or more square shaped to build an apt complex

tower residential: you zone each plot, on which only storied res buildings are built

serv commercial: depending on size and customership, strip malls to megamalls, industrial supply stores to amusement parks, gas stations to hotels. visited by customers who use transit, shipments of goods from products industrial

office commercial: depending on size and land value, isolated corporate complexes for the local minig company, or skyscrapers. traveled to by commuters

terrain-based industrial: zone huge swaths of land to exploit natural resources like fertile soil, forests, coal, oil, etc. but suffer the pollution

products industrial: zone parks for factories that recieve shipments from terrain ind. and put out shipments of consumer products, anything from packaged food to airplanes.

and blended zones: family farms with res and agro function for small towns, towers whose first floors are service and upper floors are office for big cities popular with tourists

and totally customizable government buildings. e.g. a school. how much to spend on the original facility determines school capacity and surrounding land value, how much to spend per student determines quality of education. police and fire stations whose precincts you draw.

so many possibilities. sadly, i am unequal to the task of making this game, ignoring the eyecandy factors and replacing the freed-up processing with a powerful sim. but i hope someone makes it one day.

[dariovillar 0]

Next week we launched the base of the game, version 1.0

The first breakthrough we have in mind in programming is the introduction of the fires in our cities, so we will be obliged to have already prepared the fire department.

The next step that we have planned is to make the mix of residential and commercial areas, so we have a fourth zone of re-zoning, the R + C, so we'll see the first graph of residential buildings with an area business below.

The third step that we have planned is the introduction of the new bus system and its economic control, so we can put independent and power lines to the ticket price, as well as creating a first ordinance to encourage the use of public transportation.

This and many other things is what we are currently working on the project www.citiesofworld.com but as always, we want to know if is the right way and that the community contribute their ideas and comments.

You can visit the site www.citiesofworld.com give your opinion and express ideas that you see fit to keep upgrading the game.

Also you can design your own models and send them via the web.

As always, thanks for the interest that you show and see you on the web.

Regards, Dario.

[croxis 150]

Congrats on the upcoming release dariovillar

As for us, we just (mostly) finished the core terrain engine:

[dariovillar 0]

Only 21,2pfs?

Too charge for the cpu.

[croxis 150]

Optimization comes later. We need to get some sort of paged terrain implemented as well as optimize the water effect. Other things must come first!

[dariovillar 0]

I agree that the optimization comes later, but I would venture to advise you something, it optimizes each step, when you stand with the programming, the code interacts much and causes many errors and makes the computer is unable to pay.

That's why I tell you what to maximize, because then we have to control areas, shops, vehicles ...

In short, it's just an advice.

Regards, Dario.

[croxis 150]

The fps is one of the first things i noticed. That is why I put the fps counter in after all. I can read.

I know exactly what the issue is, the issue is in the collision traverser ray, which the engine default is to call once per frame. It takes 17-33 ms calculation each frame (hence the low fps). My class which manages that part of the code will need a bit of refactoring.

[dariovillar 0]

Already available the new beta 0.52

We had to correct many errors of textures that originated in the game, so we have released a new beta.

We have also created the possibility of erasing towns that no longer play.

He has completed the installation of the screenshots.

Below is the download link.

Regards, Dario.

http://hotfile.com/dl/27524146/d6eb91d/beta052.rar.html

[blasterman 0]

Please, for the love of the gods, please, host the .rar files on another site. The host is horribly slow and restricting for us users...

[dariovillar 0]

It is a free game and the only possibility of financing is for downloads of the game.

So this post in hotfile.

Regards, Dario.

[croxis 150]

You could also set up bittorrent to distribute the files too. Also a good way to promote legitimate use of torrent technology.

On a different note: CityMania Terrain Prototype 3.1 was released today!

Directions on installing and running can be found here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=10175.0

[dariovillar 0]

Version 1.0 available.

Without major changes in the aspect graph, we list the basis for our game, version 1.0, on which we will be adding new products regularly, both graphically and in game options improvements.

We added some new graphics for the streets and some small tweaks to the code so that everything works correctly.

If you're a CoW and have installed a beta version before installing this first final version, uninstall the previous and intala this new version, not to do so, the game could cause errors in memory.

After a small admission took part in the graphics community, we begin again to revise the graphics that you send and if they have reasonable quality, are added to match the name of the creator.

We hope that the journey that begins today, we do get this game to the goals we have always wanted for our city builder.

Www.citiesofworld.com On our website you can find all the information about the game and I leave here the download link.

http://hotfile.com/dl/29748123/4e5829a/V1-0.rar.html

Regards, Dario.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

If someone wants to make a 3D SimCity-esque game with a lot of micro-managing, maybe they should ask for the original SimCity 3000's code instead of trying to take SimCity 4's code and make it 3D. Also, it would be cheaper to acquire code for a game that was scrapped than code for a successful game.

Here is the reason why the game was canceled after 1 year: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/computer_gaming_news/17031