SimCity and OCD

[Sim Trekker 41]

I should have posted about this unusual problem I have several years ago. I have mild OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder), and these primarily becomes an issue when I play SimCity and similar games. I can start a city, but once I end the first session, I go nuts! I always find a flaw and concentrate on it so much, I abandon the city I am working on! I used to simply delete them, now they just sit on the hard drive, never to be touched again. I have been battling this problem ever since I discovered Simtropolis and all the wonderful plugins availible for SC4. I'll take a look at the incredible cities and regions made by members of the community and say to myself, "Gee, I'd love to make something like that!" However, it feels like I'm trying to compare my work to others, and I always view my work as inferior! To be truthful, I really don't know what to do, as I have tried all different kinds of OCD coping strategies, and none of them have worked for more than a few days. I no longer see the problem as just an OCD issue, but also as a game related issue.

Sorry for the long post, but I would greatly appreciate advice and guidance from the community, peferably someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. I love SimCity and would hate to have to stop playing.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I only have Asperger Syndrome although Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is common among those on the spectrum. I personally try to go for coastal cities with canals. I then try to set up the most efficient transportation system with short commutes between residential and office buildings and connect every city with trains.

[Muck308 55]

I would say keep your plugins to a minimum. Settle on a theme and go with it. If a plugin doesn't fit the theme, then don't download it. And have fun!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

A good point.  And give up trying to make a nice looking city.  Nice looking cities are unnatural, and don't get that way unless coerced.

Set a different goal -- profit.  Make each city profitable.  This means starting small and building slowly and carefully with great attention to detail.  This ought to fit into your autistic tendency of want to work on the slightest detail until it is right.

[Meg 368]

More than a few people here have Asperger's and OCD.  I'm not sure what their particular coping strategies are as it relates to SC4 but my advice is this:  don't compare your cities to other people's.   Your first few cities are going to look quite different.   You have a style all your own.  You just haven't found it yet.

Start a region.  Try to make each city look different from the rest.  See which ones work and which ones do not.   They all will have flaws of some sort.  See how many different kinds of flaws you can discover.  Go back and forth between the cities.  (it's a good strategy anyway and it will help keep you from being locked into a particular one.)

In other words, broaden your scope and let yourself play.

[Duke87 1,070]

Simply put, if you keep failing to satisfy yourself, that means your expectations are unrealistic and you have to lower them.

I've never had trouble with this, since I am a pessimist and I always have low expectations to begin with.

With regards to SC4, I had a different problem. My obsession was that I had to provide full police, fire, etc. coverage and I had to fully fund every department, all while keeping taxes low. As you're probably aware, this is a sure-fire way to operate in the red. So, I was simply never able to play the game without cheating.

Another key difference between us is that my OCD would never ever permit me to delete anything, no matter how awful it was. Yeah, I'm a hoarder.

Out of curiosity, what are some examples of flaws that start bothering you?

[Nerd_Guy 4]

I'm obsessive compulsive as well, and back when I still played I would stay focused on finding the perfect building for each empty space in every city, and even spend hours upon hours in the Lot Editor making my own things. The trick is finding your own niche, and not compaing your cities to other people's cities. I found that modelling them after towns I knew well makes it easier to add realism, which was my main problem. Just try to find what style you are good at, then go all out!

[Sim Trekker 41]

Thank you for the replies! I usually go with minimal plugins anyway, because it's such a hassle to download them all!

I will certainly try these strategies!

Duke87: Usually, its something with the layout of the city that gets to me, especially if it sticks out on the region view. That often triggers my OCD.

Edit: I started a new region shortly after posting this. Using your suggestions, I have so far managed to play the game successfully and not drive myself crazy.

Thank you very much for everyone's kind, helpful advice.