Cities XL 2012 rumours

[soltangris 42]

I'm starting this topic to inform everybody in the Simtropolis community about a persistent, but as of yet unconfirmed officially rumour:

CITIES XL 2012

Here is a link for the thread from the official CXL forums.

In short, various european online game sellers are beginning to list CXL 2012 for pre-order; one of them even has a description (loosely translated from Dutch):

In Cities XL 2012 you build your own gigantic cities in realistic 3D landscapes. Je can build on mountains, on the beach, or in the forest and each map has it's own climate. You must develop the right combination of social services, leisure and job opportunities. Are you the ultimate Cityplanner?

Where Cities XL 2011 already had many different buildings and different features, becomes even more expanded in Cities XL 2012. New buildings, better (Uhum, we didn't have it in 2011) weathereffect and a better realisation of citylife.

Experience the most elaborate citybuilding simulation ever made with Cities XL 2012 for the PC!

So, let the speculation begin!

Personally, it makes sense for me. There are still some major elements missing in the current game (trains, for starters), and the first time a major gameplay mechanics hole (metro) was filled, it was done with CXL 2011. So, it seems Focus have chosen the path of expansions, where they work out the new major content, and sell it to us. This is confirmed by the recent 'green building' competition and some comments at its end, and also the 'What real-world buildings you would like to see next' thread in the official forums. SO we could hope to see many new buildings (as it was with 2011), bug fixes, and there are rumours about weather effects! People even hope for a multi-core support, but I won't comment on this sensitive subject.

Of course, people will point out that they already paid for the game, and they expect to get the missing content for free.... well, I think not in the real world. Although this is a valid point in an ideal way of view, I don't think it has any chance of happening in our capitalist system. As I've stated so many times before, I still prefer to pay some money and get a better game that I like, than not pay anything and not get anything.

[bickybicky 0]

I will pay for it if the Cities XL 2012 released. I just hope all of my cities created in 2011 can play in the new version...

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I highly doubt that it will be released.

[citiesxl_soumit 0]

I highly doubt that it will be released.

yep me too

[m209a1 0]

Of course, people will point out that they already paid for the game, and they expect to get the missing content for free.... well, I think not in the real world. Although this is a valid point in an ideal way of view, I don't think it has any chance of happening in our capitalist system. As I've stated so many times before, I still prefer to pay some money and get a better game that I like, than not pay anything and not get anything.

In our capitalist system I receive addons, regular patches and expansions from Eagle Dynamics, Microsoft, Blizzard for free, once paying for the game. If this is ideal, then FHI lives in parallel world.

I would agree with you, if CXL cost 15-20EUR (some money). But 40EUR - is high enough price for full-featured and full-supported product on the market. CXL'11 has lots of problems that put it in "beta" status. I didn't pay for "beta" but for full-featured product. And there is no missing content. There is content that

a) locked from me

b) unfunctional

Why have I use 3rd-party utilities to access the stuff, I've payed for and which must be accessible by-default?

Another thing - the most required thing on CXL franchise is bugfixing. Additional buildings and other staff can somehow be made by community for FREE. So Focus is wrong focused on non real problems.

In conclusion:

After being cheated on ~80EURs for CXL'09 and '11 by FHI I'm gonna use try-and-buy principles with next version of CXL. I'm not a crediting organization, that shares money for future products, my salary also comes at the end of the period and for work, that I already done.

If FHI lacks money for development, it may take a loan at the bank, then repay, selling quality products at reasonable price for future development. This is how capitalism works.

  Edited June 8, 2011 by m209a1  

[Roger51 381]

Hmmm......I will watch this space!

EDIT: should have read the last post of the thread! The game will come out No official information as for the new features yet.

  Edited June 8, 2011 by Roger51  

[MontyCXL 0]

I think (and I hope) that FHI is actually working in a new game or expansion pack. Why they asked what buildings we like to have in the next game?

And about the weather. I think that even MC worked on that when the game was under development. Remember this videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvASfQFhrYM You can see clouds in the video. Maybe FHI is just putting togheter all the things that MC left out of the game.

[bickybicky 0]

I have got an official reply from FHI...

No update will release for Cities XL 2011

and Cities XL 2012 is coming....

  Edited June 9, 2011 by bickybicky  

[Fresh Prince of Wmbg 44]

I have got an official reply from FHI...

No update will release for Cities XL 2011

and Cities XL 2012 is coming....

Yeah but why?

[soltangris 42]

I have got an official reply from FHI...

No update will release for Cities XL 2011

and Cities XL 2012 is coming....

Yeah but why?

Well, because they choose to work on 2012, which they will sell us, instead of working on 2011 which we have already paid for. I know, it sucks.... but it's capitalism.

In our capitalist system I receive addons, regular patches and expansions from Eagle Dynamics, Microsoft, Blizzard for free, once paying for the game.

Yeah, Blizzard - one of the two biggest names in the industry. Whose last hit, Starcraft 2, already costs more than the average game on the market. Oh, and last I checked you needed to pay monthly to be able to even play World of Warcraft. Oh, and Monte Cristo tried that approach already, and it didn't work.

For my part, I'm content to have CXL 2012 and pay for it, as opposed to not have Sim City 5.

[bickybicky 0]

Well, because they choose to work on 2012, which they will sell us, instead of working on 2011 which we have already paid for. I know, it sucks.... but it's capitalism...

...For my part, I'm content to have CXL 2012 and pay for it, as opposed to not have Sim City 5.

It seems the FHI is planing to charge us Annually...

And I completely agree with you that I will buy all CXL future titles as opposed to not have a REAL SIMCity 5.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Depends on your definition of SimCity 5. There have been 1 full windows SimCity game (with expansion pack) since SimCity 4, several ports, an arcade SimCity game, and a new game for Wii and DS.

I would love most of all to have the ability to zone more sizes (the zoning tool was originally the mass-placement tool, which was like the freeform tool with 4 sizes of zones for the low or medium density lots with 1 tile being 20x20m). If they had a fix for the trains or metro crossings/interchages, that would be great too. I am, however, extremely surprised that they are releasing a new game.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Why not just put out an expansion pack?

[m209a1 0]

Yeah, Blizzard - one of the two biggest names in the industry. Whose last hit, Starcraft 2, already costs more than the average game on the market. Oh, and last I checked you needed to pay monthly to be able to even play World of Warcraft. Oh, and Monte Cristo tried that approach already, and it didn't work.

OMG. I payed 60USD for StarCraft 2 + two lifetime accounts in 2 gaming zones on Battle.Net.

No monthly payments. Ever!

So I simply compare these 60 Bucks with that 40+40 EUROs for discontinued and failed products from MC and FHI.

Blizzard worked hardly about 10 years to make a real state-of-the art (if you've seen that game). They didn't collect 60$ yearly for 2000-2010's alphas, beta's etc.

I hope CXL'12 will finally be kinda "Release Candidate" of new great city builder.

[soltangris 42]

Yeah, Blizzard - one of the two biggest names in the industry. Whose last hit, Starcraft 2, already costs more than the average game on the market. Oh, and last I checked you needed to pay monthly to be able to even play World of Warcraft. Oh, and Monte Cristo tried that approach already, and it didn't work.

OMG. I payed 60USD for StarCraft 2 + two lifetime accounts in 2 gaming zones on Battle.Net.

No monthly payments. Ever!

So I simply compare these 60 Bucks with that 40+40 EUROs for discontinued and failed products from MC and FHI.

Blizzard worked hardly about 10 years to make a real state-of-the art (if you've seen that game). They didn't collect 60$ yearly for 2000-2010's alphas, beta's etc.

I hope CXL'12 will finally be kinda "Release Candidate" of new great city builder.

OK, how should I put it:

You're talking about one of the greatest game developers in the industry, that has who knows what assets and whose profits are off the roof, mainly due to WoW (which, as an MMO you do pay monthly to play).

- Yes, they put hard work in their games. All of which are...... surprise! - in some of the biggest-selling genres there are: role-playing (WoW), RPG-action (Diablo) and Real-time strategy (Starcraft). And , again surprise! - in order to produce the truly mind-blowing Starcraft 2 they spend.... 10 years. During which they had other titles to sustain them and support their developing efforts. But they know fully well, thanks to their fame and the huge markets they work into, that once released, the new title that they spend so long working on and polishing, will indeed bring profits.

On the other hand, you have a genre in which the number of games ever released are counted on the fingers of your hands. A genre which has a very limited, hardcore audience with limited expansion possibilities. Proof? The fact that EA hasn't released Sim City 5. Actually, I've been through this argument so many times that I'm getting tired of repeating the same.

So, my friend, your comparison is highly unjust. Blizzard is a financial mastodont with virtually limitless developing power, while Focus Home (and MC before it) are minuscule companies, probably fighting for their survival. You can't compare the performance and prices of those two, even though your gamer-consumer ego is bruised.

[Cleaner475 150]

While I didn't buy either of the two previous games, if they fix transportation by making it as varied as SC4 then I'm in. I'll give the details a read

Regards,

Richard

[-ICE-{man} 10]

I'm curious what CitiesXL2012 has to offer. I hope it will have some great improvements that will improve the gameplay, difficulty and diversity.

Are there any teasers released yet?

[Ocram's Razr 963]

These are features proposed for Cities Unlimited, these are all good candidates for 2012:

1. Mass placement tool.

2. Lane editor tool

3. Custom Interchange tool.

4. Railroads

5. Building Customization Editor

They would probably add a few buildings as well.

[nukeu123 307]

i bet it will have disasters lol jk i am tho interested what it has to offer

[His Divine Hand 244]

So I simply compare these 60 Bucks with that 40+40 EUROs for discontinued and failed products from MC and FHI.

That's false. If you bought the original Cities XL you got a discount for 2011, making it 40+10-20 euros. If you only bought CXL 2011, it was only 40. It is called expansion packs (well with a discount incentive to new players since they didn't pay for the first game in this case), and as EA demonstrated with the Sims, the likely route any SC5 would have gone as well.

[soltangris 42]

The mods over at CXL Forums have started this topic which will be updated continuously with any new (official) info about CXL 2012.

[Oliver199 0]

If you are missing any information in the thread linked above, feel free to send me (or any of my colleagues) a PM. We will edit as fast as possible.

[StreetxROBLOX 22]

if it is released, i want it to be released on mac, i installed the original one on my PC, but it kept crashing and i just gave up on it. I really want one for mac.

[timoman 50]

Mmmmm. I am going to buy this if it comes out. I hope they make it a little bit more mod-able though, because the game itself isn't very varied. Its almost impossible to make a single-themed city without using the same building over and over. (All of the Skilled Medium-Density buildings are French-styled. Maybe I want an American city.)

I also hope very much that they fix the control a little bit. They're very hard to handle, and I end up messing up and having to demolish over and over...

[Samuel Lavoie 5]

Oh it seems it's already listed on the french Amazon.fr website.

http://www.amazon.fr/Focus-Cities-XL-2012/dp/B0051OS49O/

The release date looks like November 2011.

and yes I do speak french

[Cob92 360]

I'll buy it if they fix the freeways and the railroads and add a building creator tool.

[scruff 0]

this game desperately needs massive improvements

some of the lamp posts look pathetic and look like they belong in car parks...

we should be able to make a city officially english, or america, or french, or spanish... aswell as just choosing the road type. each type of city should have different architecture.

the game constantly crashes and corrupts ur save data, even if u have more then 1 save of the same city. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED, 4 cities of mine have been corrupted because of this games patheticness.

it lags sometimes no matter how good ur computer is, and graphical bugs are very annoying.

Trees ALWAYS dissapear, then re-appear... it needs to stop.

tunnels sometimes have graphical bugs where as u drive into it it looks like a dead end stuffed with land, but then cars just drive through it.

we should be able to get alley ways, and car parks, warehouses and garages etc etc.

even the smallest road needs to be x2 bigger, have u seen to car try and turn a corner on the small road? they dissapear because the roads so stupidly small, why would they make it so small? they cant handle traffic. and iv never seen a street that small... i live in England for god sake.

bridges are ridiculously high, and to make a bridge that looks ordinary and normal u have to manually control the construction of it.

the highways and 3 lane motorways are straight retarded. just adding off ramps to the fast lane is completely difficult and pathetic. u cant just add it to an already built freeway u have to add it while ur constructing it.

we need elevated freeways.

electric pile ons, underground electricity wires and water pipes.

Some of the junctions the game creates are ridiculous.

roads going up hills need to be smoother and less blocky if you know what i mean.

we need to beable to trade with other cities, even when we have negative cashflow, its pathetic that we cant.

there needs to be a sandbox mode. with unlimited money and where things like soccer stadiums can be built straight away instead of having to work for it.

we need to be able to zone building areas with buildings of our choice. as well as being able to individually place buildings.

no trains? wow

no weather? wow.

the scale of the buildings is literally, straight retarded.

cars use the off ramps etc on highways as junctions, and instead of just going to the exit they want, for some completely unrealistic retarded reason, every1 stops on the highway and forms a Que like its a normal traffic light junction, NEEDS TO BE FIXED

we need a create a building tool.

auto save should have the option to be TURNED OFF. i cant believe that options not there.

there NEEDS TO BE an undo button, its so annoying when i make a bridge, i delete it and the land form is still there for the bridge. and its really hard to make the land back to normal.

o, and of course.. the old obvious want... more building models!!!! of every type.

soooo many things need to be fixed before i ever buy another game from this company again. i had cities XL 09, and was stupid enough to get the 2011 version, which is barely different AT ALL.

huge improvement is needed to convince me to waste my money on another cities XL game...

ONLY good things about this game as it is now are curved roads, large maps and 3D

  Edited June 26, 2011 by scruff  

[mor 0]

I'm curious what CitiesXL2012 has to offer. I hope it will have some great improvements that will improve the gameplay, difficulty and diversity.

Are there any teasers released yet?

I think improving mod-ability is the most important part, there is no way in hell they can compete with modders in terms of content or that perfect balance for everyone, instead they should create the tools for the community(paradox games like HOI etc are a good example for that).

personally, I dont want to see diversity, other than the required eye candy for the good reviews I want more work done under the hood, finish the transportation system, add more customization options, fix bugs, improve stability(thou I never had any problems with it), improve performance which will allow better economical models and algorithms, keeping mod computability and obviously better modding tools. because the more tools/options we have the better the game will be see SC4 amazing moding resources.

  Edited June 26, 2011 by mor  

[erbush 8]

Its biggest issue IMO was the lack up multi-core functionality. You have a conceptually great game that runs on a single core? Fix that and it will be a lot more stable.

[LivingInThePast 364]

I think it's possible that FHI picked up a lot of things that Monte Cristo announced. I sure wish I had another chance to view the progress on the Multiple Lane Tool....