When will CXL "open up"?

[LivingInThePast 364]

 I don't play CXL but from what I've seen it looks extremely controlled. For example, a recent content update pack will add a high school. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any other high school I've ever seen. I don't want to say "ugly", but let's put it this way: it's not a high school. Ideally, I could replace it with a sprawling high school like any high school within 200 miles of my home: a one-or-two story building, huge student parking lots, a distinct entrance with an American flag, and a football stadium. But I wouldn't be able to. 

Add that to CXL's "no mods" policy and CXL is very straight-forward.

When will (if ever) MC "open up" CXL like SC4 is  now?

[Garek Maxwell 1]

I don't think they'll ever truly open it up. I don't have quotes, but from the sounds of their past postings here it didn't sound like they were going in that direction.

However, it may open a good degree when/if (probably more when) they release tools for it.

Interestingly, they may try to control what gets in and what doesn't, but I bet with those tools released someone will try to hack the game so users can (if they stay offline) use whatever kind of custom content they want.

No promises there obviously. You need a combination of user interest and skills in hacking a game, as well as MC compliance or hands-off "don't care" approach like EA had with The Sims series. Technically users were hacking the game with adding some content, but EA didn't really seem to care.

[Asheroo 53]

Well, with that high school thing, it's one of the many styles of school around the whole world. Even I think the high school in SC4 was ugly, why? Because, looks nothing like a normal high school here in Australia. Just remember, the whole world has many different countries with many different styles of buildings.

As for mods, it will take time for MC to release tools for custom content, just like how it too Maxis quite a bit of time until they released tools. I'd say around mid next year they will release the tools, or early if lucky, and late if unlucky.

@ Garek - They do want to help organise it, but all they will do is provide support to those who aren't sure if their custom content is going to work. Simply, you submit it to MC, they test it, then they wil give you support for it and help it. It's not compulsory, nor requird, it's just an optional thing for those who want official support. Also, they are seperating single player mods from PO mods so we can have SP only mods so we can cheat in it. MC are encouraging people to make custom content, whether with official support, or in the PO or SP only. So, it's rather me, or you haven't read anything at all.

[Cob92 360]

Give it some time. The game's only been out for 2 months. SC4's custom content community was nonexistent in the spring of 2003, 2 months after vanilla SC4 had been released. Monte Cristo already has said that they are working on a way to separate single player modding from multiplayer modding so that players can modify the game without cheating in the Planet Offer. Hopefully, we can expect modding to pick up some time in mid-2010, if the time it took for CC to come to SC4 is any indication.

[Garek Maxwell 1]

Originally posted by: AsherooSo, it's rather me, or you haven't read anything at all.

quote>

I admit I haven't kept a close eye on all they post, but from what I read they made it sound like it's required that mods get approved to even work. Then with patches making mods not working anymore (or the PO no longer working, I forgot which), then things get rather confusing.

Admittedly, I don't trust much of what MC says anymore. I will first assume that what they say is is just PR and has no real substance behind it until they can prove otherwise with real actions and steps taken to show they are trustworthy. Their past actions haven't exactly helped them with building trust amongst many.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Originally posted by: Asheroo

Well, with that high school thing, it's one of the many styles of school around the whole world. Even I think the high school in SC4 was ugly, why? Because, looks nothing like a normal high school here in Australia. Just remember, the whole world has many different countries with many different styles of buildings.

As for mods, it will take time for MC to release tools for custom content, just like how it too Maxis quite a bit of time until they released tools. I'd say around mid next year they will release the tools, or early if lucky, and late if unlucky.

@ Garek - They do want to help organise it, but all they will do is provide support to those who aren't sure if their custom content is going to work. Simply, you submit it to MC, they test it, then they wil give you support for it and help it. It's not compulsory, nor requird, it's just an optional thing for those who want official support. Also, they are seperating single player mods from PO mods so we can have SP only mods so we can cheat in it. MC are encouraging people to make custom content, whether with official support, or in the PO or SP only. So, it's rather me, or you haven't read anything at all.

quote>

The high school in SC4 was rather ugly, and, like the police cars, were trapped in a yesterworld of 1950s architecture. But it was at least recognizable as a high school. Then again, my high school's exterior bears a mysterious resemblance to at least one prison I know.

[USA_Pride 49]

The high school in SC4 was VERY ugly.

I would love to see city builders (SC4, CXL, etc...) have two types of high schools:

1) Urban (densely populated) - Small footprint, 3-4 story building, medium range coverage

2) Rural (sparsely populated) - Huge footprint, 1-2 story building, extra long range coverage

I grew up in a densely populated suburb of Detroit called Clawson, Michigan. Clawson High School covered the city of Clawson which is around 2.5 square miles big. Then out in the boonies like Oakland Township, Clarkston, etc... you have these huge high schools that cover entire townships that are about 30 square miles big that actually have more students in them than Clawson High School.

[DazzaDazza 29]

Most schools are ugly because they are built on a budget, at lest SC4 school looked like school and looked the right size, Most CXL schools don't really look like schools, they are to small

[Cob92 360]

SC4 highschool wasn't ugly, just too urban. What these games always lack are suburban style schools, that are 1-2 stories sprawling out all over the place with Wal-Mart sized parking lots.

[DaveParker 0]

I don't really care that much about the appearance of the CXL high school, though it does look too much like a downtown building rather than a typical high school out in the suburbs, but what frustrates me somewhat is my city of over 400,000 residents can't really afford the maintenance fee for a single high school. It isn't a problem as nobody's asking for a high school or complaining about education either, but it's not very realistic. I'd expect at least 5 high schools just in a town of 200,000 people really. For now I'm just treating the middle school as a high school, but even that's expensive.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

There should be 3 range types of services and 2 sizes per type.

Rural/Suburban (1-2stories, sprawling)

Medium Density (small city, large suburb, outer city) (2-4 stories, average footprint)

Downtown (4-10 stories with small footprint or part of a mixed use building)

That would make the following service buildings

Small Rural Library

Neighborhood Library

Small Local Library

Large Local Library

Small Central Library

Large Central Library

-With special buildings such as

   *Large Office with a Local Library

   *Large Office with a Central Library

Rural/Small Suburban Elementary School

Neighborhood/Suburban Preschool and elementary School

Small Public Elementary School

Small Private Elementary School

Elementary and Middle School

Large Elementary and Middle School

Small Public High School

Small Private Preperatory School (high school)

Large Public High School

Large Private Preparatory School

Community College

Public University

Private University

City University (small skyscraper)

Major University

-With special buildings such as

  *Condos with a Elementary School

  *Condos with a High School

  *Large Office with High School

Rural Family Clinic

Suburban Family Clinic

Neighborhood Clinic

Neighborhood Medical Center

Hospital

Large/University Hospital

-With special buildings such as

  *Major Trauma Centre

   *Teaching Hospital

   *Large Office with Small Hospital

   *Medium Office with Doctor's Office

   *Condos with a Clinic

Sheriff's Office

Surban Police Station

Neighborhood Police Station

Large Neighborhood Police Station

Central Police Station

Deluxe Police Station

Police Headquarters

Jail

Prison

Penitentiary

Fire Station

Large Fire Station

Fire Patrol Landing Strip

-With special buildings such as

   *Medium Office with Small Police Station

   *Large Office with Police Station

   *Condos with security office (provides security satisfaction within a 20m radius)

   *Swat/Riot Police

   *Police Barracks

   *Large Office with Police Headquarters

   *Beaurocracy Office

   *Interpol

   *Large Office with Fire Station

   *Police Training Quarters

   *Firefighter Training Quarters