Forced updates

[DaveParker 0]

I only play on solo mode and the last several times I've started the game it's wanted to download and install an update. The other day I only had a quick 10 mins timeslot before having to go to work and it wanted to download an update with a 20 minute estimated download time.

Is there a way to switch this off (without unplugging the computer from the network) and any consequences of doing so? I'm guessing the best way is to set something up in windows firewall to stop it communicating or something?

As for this latest patch, well I dunno what it's changed but my normally profitable city is now losing craploads without any explanation whatsoever. I don't know what's suddenly increased in cost or what's reduced my income (still have full employment etc as before) but guess I'm just going to have to start scaling back services and forgetting about buying tokens from omnicorp to balance trade otherwise i'm gonna be bankrupt in no time. :-(

[JakeMD 107]

I don't know why you would want to disable the updates, they are essential for the stability of your game.

[Androv 6]

Will probably disable the 'mods' people have been making.

[dedgren 830]

Microsoft was notorious for disabling and deleting program features through "update" downloads without telling anyone. I have no problem at all thinking that MC has probably mastered that exact same technique.. That, and I'm sure that it wants to make sure you have the 10 latest nag screens urging you to buy the Planet Offer.

If this is the future of the city builder genre, I'm quite happy to remain firmly rooted in the past. As I've said elsewhere, I'll be so happy when the current 15 minutes are over.

David

[AngoraFish 0]

I absolutely agree with the original poster. This game just manages to hit rock bottom and keep on digging.

The other day I tried to start playing and it started force downloading the first content pack - about 150MB. As I understand it, the content packs are only available to PO subscribers, and I'll be subscribing to PO about the same time as hell freezes over.

Prior to this all patches did was try to improve the appalling trade interface that I'm not using because, as above, I'm not a PO subscriber.

My internet account has a download cap and it's appalling that I should be forced to consume some of my capped bandwidth on game content that I can't even access.

Since trying to download the 150MB "patch", which I aborted, I haven't bothered to load the game since.

I don't have any trouble with stability improvements, but it never ceases to amaze me how many ways the game keeps finding to harass, fully paid-up game owners who don't give a rats about their massively over-priced Planet Offer.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

I bought the game yesterday, and after a long and buggy installation (I had to manually install the whole game), it forces me to download 295.6 MB (!) of patch-content. The download only costs me about 40-50 minutes, and it costs me about 1.5 hours before I could finally play the game. Oh boy...

[YannickSHE 0]

geez guys.... those updates are necessary for the mechanics of the game, and the game keeps improving since day 1. It takes about 10 seconds to download, each and every time there is an update. If you don't subscribe to the PO, you shouldn't play this game... they should disable solo mode in my opinion. And if you guys are complaining about download speed, or download costs from your internet provider, that means you need to upgrade your computer and your internet download data monthly plan. And if you don't want to put any money into the PO, or your computer, or your internet provider, then there's a game called SimCity4 which would be perfect for you !

[dedgren 830]

If you don't subscribe to the PO, you shouldn't play this game...quote>

By gosh! I think you are on to something!

...ignoring, for the moment, all the really good reasons not to subscribe to the PO...

David

[DazzaDazza 29]

I certainly agree with the original poster, I was going to play the game for a bit before work, but there was a 150MB patch to download, so I had to lave my computer running the hole day, so the patch could fish,

Maybe a option "do you wont to download the patch now" so I can decide if I have enough time to download it

[hasoon 0]

just set ur firewall to no allow the game to connect to the internet

after few attempts of authenticating ur account online, it will fail and allow u to play off line.

[0wn3d 2]

Originally posted by: mrtnrln

I bought the game yesterday, and after a long and buggy installation (I had to manually install the whole game), it forces me to download 295.6 MB (!) of patch-content. The download only costs me about 40-50 minutes, and it costs me about 1.5 hours before I could finally play the game. Oh boy...quote>

Ever try installing WoW? - You're looking at about 1 hour installation with 2+ hours of patch downloads

[Palpatine001 57]

Own3d is right on that regard, although why play WoW is another debate all together

I pity the poor sods who have dial up or dial up speed broadband and can sympathise there

But the case goes with anything in this world

Buyer beware, especially when it comes to auto updates, Microsoft experiences should of all taught us that.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Originally posted by: YannickMtl

geez guys.... those updates are necessary for the mechanics of the game, and the game keeps improving since day 1. It takes about 10 seconds to download, each and every time there is an update. If you don't subscribe to the PO, you shouldn't play this game... they should disable solo mode in my opinion. And if you guys are complaining about download speed, or download costs from your internet provider, that means you need to upgrade your computer and your internet download data monthly plan. And if you don't want to put any money into the PO, or your computer, or your internet provider, then there's a game called SimCity4 which would be perfect for you ! quote>

  "Dislike"

[kusanagi-sama 1]

If someone is on dialup, why are are they buying games that require an internet connection in the first place, considering said games tend to need an active connection to stay up to date with patches.

[Spinmaster 75]

... they should disable solo mode in my opinion.quote>

I agree wholeheartedly at this point. Then, those of us who would love to spend the money on the game, but don't feel that when we buy a hamburger we should be forced to rent the bun, and pick off the onions we didn't ask for, can give up on CXL and Monte Cristo once and for all.

And the rest of y'all who are happy with this model can go on and... be happy. By the way, I'm sincere when I say that - if you like CXL's model, great - love it, revel in it, sleep with it if you want, and by all means tell everyone why. I'm happy for ya, seriously!!

But STOP telling me I have to love it, too. It's a game, not a religion.

As to forced patching... even if I did love the game, I'm pretty sure I'd hate burning time and bandwidth downloading content packs I have no use for. Even with SC4 I do that sometimes, but at least I only have myself to kick then. And even if it is a content pack I do want eventually, or even a bug patch, well what if I don't want it right now? Maybe I just want to mess around for a few minutes before work, as another poster pointed out, not with any new stuff, and I can tolerate the bugs for a few minutes. Do I really have to make a point to start the game before eating dinner every night, whether I intend to play that night or not???

[moaku 74]

To skip the launcher and the update process, see this: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=370&threadid=110734

To be able to use mods (except for the few ones that are still working on 393), just stop the update process after 383 is installed (under vista/7, windows always asks you before starting an update, just say "no" when its the "cxl_383_to_xxx" update and also say no to the next ones...

@swat-medic: I don't know about the others, but for me, I prefer having an outdated game than an unmoddable game... Even if a few things remains unfixed...

The reason is simple, I have more fun actually modding the game than in playing it... So playing it unmodded is not an option for me... especially when I already done a few usefull mods that I'm using...

[SimFox 801]

Just curious what are the on line numbers. I mean how many people are logged onto planets? Could these numbers even being seen? In Beta MC had removed them in the later patches. I bet to save embarrassment when numbers had dwindled. First there were 4 planets when only 1 and it typically had about 60 and then even less people on-line...

I know they go on and on in their press release about how they do all the can to accommodate huge numbers of players etc... I just wonder is there any independent, or semi-independent way to verify this story?

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: SimFox

Just curious what are the on line numbers. I mean how many people are logged onto planets? Could these numbers even being seen? In Beta MC had removed them in the later patches. I bet to save embarrassment when numbers had dwindled. First there were 4 planets when only 1 and it typically had about 60 and then even less people on-line...

I know they go on and on in their press release about how they do all the can to accommodate huge numbers of players etc... I just wonder is there any independent, or semi-independent way to verify this story?quote>

There are 8 plantes with 52277 cities.

Each player can build max 5 cities.

52277 / 5 = 10455.

So the number of players that have got the PO is between 10455 and 52277.

(so their income is a number between €55725 and €417693 / month. )

It's impossible to see al the players connected in the same time. There could be 100 players at 1:00 AM and 10000 players at 21.00 PM.

If there was a "online players" counter in the beta (I don't remember), probably the command is still somewhere in the files. It shouldn't be very difficult (if it's still there - after a loooong research) to enable again it. I don't have PO, so it's impossible to do tests about it, but I don't think it's important to have a counter like that.

I bet to save embarrassment when numbers had dwindledquote>

Of course that was the beta. Lots of players got bored and abandoned the beta.

But now we're talking about a subscription with monthly fee. So why someone should pay for a game that he doesn't use?

[catty-cb 4,381]

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

If there was a "online players" counter in the beta (I don't remember), probably the command is still somewhere in the files. It shouldn't be very difficult (if it's still there - after a loooong research) to enable again it. I don't have PO, so it's impossible to do tests about it, but I don't think it's important to have a counter like that.

Of course that was the beta. Lots of players got bored and abandoned the beta.

But now we're talking about a subscription with monthly fee. So why someone should pay for a game that he doesn't use?quote>

The online player count was on the beta forum pages, in the same place as the city planet count is now

[Sainty 0]

@GlobexCo, I would bet that most of those cities are from the 7 day free trial mode. They wont get deleted right away, they will stay there for the next 6 months.

There are very few people online, no doubt. Its so bad that chat sometimes goes totally silence. During beta you had to close the english channel and only concentrate on the planetary one if you wanted to keep up with the reading and writing. At least when I was playing.

Im guessing when the game gets more meat on the bones then the users will come back. Untill then: no fighting and whining over the favorite maps

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: Sainty

@GlobexCo, I would bet that most of those cities are from the 7 day free trial mode. They wont get deleted right away, they will stay there for the next 6 months.

There are very few people online, no doubt. Its so bad that chat sometimes goes totally silence. During beta you had to close the english channel and only concentrate on the planetary one if you wanted to keep up with the reading and writing. At least when I was playing.

Im guessing when the game gets more meat on the bones then the users will come back. Untill then: no fighting and whining over the favorite maps quote>

 Did I loose some news? From when the city get deleted after 6 months? In the beta was 40 days (my city got deleted only because I was on holiday!). I remember that in the beta (September) we were only 4 in chat, every day.

(oh yes! I forgot trial cities... I should consider all the cities with more than 22000 inhabitants - I can't do it)

[soltangris 42]

Hm, forced downloads.....

Let's see....

All of them online games have them, Since it's impossible from a programmer's point of view to keep different versions of the same game interacting at the same time....

Even freakin' BattleNet has them - you can't play different versions of StarCraft or Diablo II on BattleNet...

CXL is an online game.....

What's so weird about it having forced downloads??????? If you wanna play forever offline and never download anything just block the game via the firewall , as somebody suggested! If you really wanna keep the game developers from improving your game...

And stop complaining about everything! There are enough valid complaints about this game already!

[SimFox 801]

so basically MC goes out of it's way to deprive potential buyers of both game and PO of any reliable information about the PO. I mean it is only good (as advertised) as long as there is a sizable active community out there.

[Rakeesh 0]

The game is a MMO and everyone, whether they like it or not, should treat it as such. That means updates and patches on a regular basis to fix issues, bugs, errors, and offer more content for subscribers who are the priority.

Seriously speaking, you should be glad. If this were a single player game, and ONLY a single player game, you might get a patch to fix all the bugs 1-3 months AFTER the game was released and had absolutely no contact with any representative from the company other than "Please forward your issue to tech support using this e-mail". I mean, weren't people complaining that Education was broken, and they fixed it in a patch, gave it to you, and now people are complaining that they don't want to take the patch that fixes the issues they've had.

You just can't win. >_

[Ocram's Razr 963]

The 7 day trial PO that comes with the game keeps your cities for 30 days after your trial expires. It is 6 months for PO subscribers.

[Palpatine001 57]

Originally posted by: SimFox

so basically MC goes out of it's way to deprive potential buyers of both game and PO of any reliable information about the PO. I mean it is only good (as advertised) as long as there is a sizable active community out there.quote>

Welcome to standard business practices of corporations - shouldn't that be a surprise to you companies inflate themselves to look good and thus attract more "consumers?"

Anycase updates

Hmmmmmm jury is out

[SimBurger 0]

Im amazed at the things folks complain about sometimes.

1) If you're on dialup, please join us in the 1990's for goodness sake. Don't say a game sucks and whine about a 45 minute download without mentioning that you're using 1989 internet technology.

2)  People whine and moan about the bugs and lack of features, and then they whine and moan that you have to download the bug fixes and enhancements.

Incredible.

If this is the future of the city builder genre... I'll be so happy when the current 15 minutes are over.quote>

You may be too close to the sim world to be retaining your perspective. (Forest for the Trees syndrome). I know there are always those hardcore enthusiasts who always think EVERYTHING sucks except the one, long distant classic of the past. Or those who think anything new, and popular, automatically sucks as well. Just because they want to be different, or seem brooding, or unique. But from someone who isn't a slave to going against the grain all the time, I can confidently say that Cities XL is where you should be putting your enthusiasm for the future.

This game isn't going to last only 15 minutes. Trust me.

-SB-

[IntoxiNation 0]

Originally posted by: SimBurger

Im amazed at the things folks complain about sometimes.

1) If you're on dialup, please join us in the 1990's for goodness sake. Don't say a game sucks and whine about a 45 minute download without mentioning that you're using 1989 internet technology.

-quote>

Sadly though that's easier said than done. I live between Cincinnati and Dayton. You go a mile from my house and there is no broadband coverage available, well unless you want to pay the utterly high cost of satellite. We aren't alone either. Last report I saw about a year ago said the U.S. still has about 20% without access to high speed internet.

True if I didn't have it then I wouldn't buy a game like CXL, or if I did I would make sure I knew someone with a decent connection that I could head over to with a thumbdrive and download updates onto. I actually had to do that last year when my intenet was down for over 2 weeks because of those major wind storms that hit this area. That wasn't fun.

[wondergreat 0]

Originally posted by: IntoxiNation

Originally posted by: SimBurger

Im amazed at the things folks complain about sometimes.

1) If you're on dialup, please join us in the 1990's for goodness sake. Don't say a game sucks and whine about a 45 minute download without mentioning that you're using 1989 internet technology.

-quote>

Sadly though that's easier said than done. I live between Cincinnati and Dayton. You go a mile from my house and there is no broadband coverage available, well unless you want to pay the utterly high cost of satellite. We aren't alone either. Last report I saw about a year ago said the U.S. still has about 20% without access to high speed internet.

True if I didn't have it then I wouldn't buy a game like CXL, or if I did I would make sure I knew someone with a decent connection that I could head over to with a thumbdrive and download updates onto. I actually had to do that last year when my intenet was down for over 2 weeks because of those major wind storms that hit this area. That wasn't fun.

quote>

Yes, I once lived in Ukraine and most residents cannot afford broadband internet access which charges a monthly fee plus network traffic usage. (I guess this is still very common in many East European countries.) I can still use 56k or 33.6k dial-up to play WOW, but there's no way I can survive in any Raid. So I guess it is still possible to play PO using dial-up connection, maybe less pleasant.

[GlobexCo 33]

Cities XL needs updates because it isn't finished, and it can't be finished.

The reason why EA gave us SC4 in a whole package (and not one .dat per month) is because they did a little work with graphics and buildings and they had enogh money and time to finish the game. MC sold us a good 3d engine and some buildings (quite a good thing), but I can't understand why they haven't built a custom creation program yet. Our community can make a lot of work in few days; something bigger than a little content pack per month. I think that giving us a customizable game is much more than giving us some updates.

Think about a SC4 that downloads automatically each day something from the STEX, also things you don't want; aren't they forced updates?