SimCity: Gameplay

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I hope so as well. Loading tiles should be eliminated, like they were (almost) in The Sims 3.

[Cob92 360]

It's not mentioned in the spec requirements, but can we assume SimCity will support Windows 8, possibly some integration with Metro? A live tile offering information of the region e.g. population would be cool, and since it's a online game, it would work pretty well.

I think that it shouldn't matter what O/S you are on as long as it has 64-bit decor and can run x86 code. Support in specific Windows versions is a form of lock-in.

That's wishful thinking; the conventional practice in the game industry is to design your game to run on whichever Windows happens to be most popular at the time and just ignore everything else. I see more and more games now that don't support XP in any form, and there are a lot of older games that take some work to run on new Windows versions.

Not necessarily. Writing pure procedure code and avoiding O/S specific lock-ins is a good way to get some longevity in your product.

Which is exactly what EA doesn't want. EA wants a game that will sell like hotcakes and die quickly to make way for the next installment. If they want any longevity out of the game, they want it to be tied to the amount of DLC you buy.

[Moskva 75]

Yep Cobhris. This is the shame of actual gaming industry. DLCs, the most evil things ever designed by humans. Taking away your money to get something that should have been already brought with the original game. It's not like Civilization expansions, which expanded an already mostly completed game. Remember Sims 2? What about the yearly FIFA and PES titles? Such a shame people continues buying these.

  Edited April 24, 2012 by Moskva  

[Mark Waybill 242]

I believe advertising revenue from realistic billboard etc style ads should be sufficient.

[croxis 150]

Yep Cobhris. This is the shame of actual gaming industry. DLCs, the most evil things ever designed by humans. Taking away your money to get something that should have been already brought with the original game. It's not like Civilization expansions, which expanded an already mostly completed game. Remember Sims 2? What about the yearly FIFA and PES titles? Such a shame people continues buying these.

Poppycock. What "should of brought with the original game" is just opinion, nothing more. Lets looks at Civ Expansions. What did Civ II expansions add? Scripting language to make scenarios! Should that of been included in the original game? Well I think so! What did Civ III expansions add? Multiplayer! Should that of been part of the original game instead of a DLC? Well I think so? What did CivIV expansions add? BETTER AI. Should that of been a patch of the original game?

Expansions and DLC are both the same thing -- extensions for games created during or after an existing game's development. They have their own budgets. Your artists and programmers wont have much to do during the last bits of development. They can be sent off to other projects, or work on day 0 dlc.

[Moskva 75]

Yep Cobhris. This is the shame of actual gaming industry. DLCs, the most evil things ever designed by humans. Taking away your money to get something that should have been already brought with the original game. It's not like Civilization expansions, which expanded an already mostly completed game. Remember Sims 2? What about the yearly FIFA and PES titles? Such a shame people continues buying these.

Poppycock. What "should of brought with the original game" is just opinion, nothing more. Lets looks at Civ Expansions. What did Civ II expansions add? Scripting language to make scenarios! Should that of been included in the original game? Well I think so! What did Civ III expansions add? Multiplayer! Should that of been part of the original game instead of a DLC? Well I think so? What did CivIV expansions add? BETTER AI. Should that of been a patch of the original game?

Expansions and DLC are both the same thing -- extensions for games created during or after an existing game's development. They have their own budgets. Your artists and programmers wont have much to do during the last bits of development. They can be sent off to other projects, or work on day 0 dlc.

You don't understand, do you? Expansions, usually, add a lot of stuff. Have you, actually, played Civ4 BtS? I am sure you have not. It added many new civilizations and a lot more, worth of the cost. But now, what did add the MW2 DLCs? 3 maps each DLC, for the cost of 15 euros, which is blasphemy, considering in CoD4 we gained 4 maps for free. Expansions have been there for long, and actually were worth the cost. Now we've these DLCs, a lot of software houses want to make those so they can grab a lot of money from fans. A DLC doesn't add all of the stuff of an actual expension, but seems to cost roughly the same. Also, i am very confident EA is not starving, they're making lots of money, they don't give a damn about their customers, unless they understand EA is treating them like garbage.

Remember Cities XL? It came out without bus stations and a lot of other basic stuff, wonder what, it came later with a damned DLC!

[Ocram's Razr 964]

That is completely true, Croxis. When you have a sizable part of your team idle during the finalizing and bug squashing phase, then you can put them to better use working on extra content, such as DLC.

Edit: Moskva, Buses came as a free patch and Metro came in a standalone expansion pack. Charging outrageous prices for DLC is outrageous but Anno 2070 made a DLC that adds 3 buildings and 3 scenarios for 5 euros, not $20.

  Edited April 24, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[Moskva 75]

That is completely true, Croxis. When you have a sizable part of your team idle during the finalizing and bug squashing phase, then you can put them to better use working on extra content, such as DLC.

Edit: Moskva, Buses came as a free patch and Metro came in a standalone expansion pack. Charging outrageous prices for DLC is outrageous but Anno 2070 made a DLC that adds 3 buildings and 3 scenarios for 5 euros, not $20.

The most then, if not all. DLC is easy, don't have to take car to the superstore to buy the game. Often the content is poor or something that you could have IF the game was moddable. Perhaps Anno is an happy exception.

[N G T 3]

I'm hoping that there going to be no glitches and game crashes!

[Mark Waybill 242]

Well they said it doesn't matter if you lose connection and your cities won't get destroyed, but I assume they will use a periodic save feature, unless every new data change is saved instantly?

[croxis 150]

Yep Cobhris. This is the shame of actual gaming industry. DLCs, the most evil things ever designed by humans. Taking away your money to get something that should have been already brought with the original game. It's not like Civilization expansions, which expanded an already mostly completed game. Remember Sims 2? What about the yearly FIFA and PES titles? Such a shame people continues buying these.

Poppycock. What "should of brought with the original game" is just opinion, nothing more. Lets looks at Civ Expansions. What did Civ II expansions add? Scripting language to make scenarios! Should that of been included in the original game? Well I think so! What did Civ III expansions add? Multiplayer! Should that of been part of the original game instead of a DLC? Well I think so? What did CivIV expansions add? BETTER AI. Should that of been a patch of the original game?

Expansions and DLC are both the same thing -- extensions for games created during or after an existing game's development. They have their own budgets. Your artists and programmers wont have much to do during the last bits of development. They can be sent off to other projects, or work on day 0 dlc.

You don't understand, do you? Expansions, usually, add a lot of stuff. Have you, actually, played Civ4 BtS? I am sure you have not. It added many new civilizations and a lot more, worth of the cost.

I own every civ expansion. The only civ game I don't own is the first one. But you actually bring up an interesting point. For me the extra civs are worthless. I give a poo if the game has 16 civs or 100. To me the value comes from gameplay changes and improvements. Same with the Sims. I could care less about the stuff packs. All I want is more gameplay choices. Same with buildings. I could care less how many building sets come with the game or are in an expansion. I'm interested in gameplay changes and additions.

But now, what did add the MW2 DLCs? 3 maps each DLC, for the cost of 15 euros, which is blasphemy, considering in CoD4 we gained 4 maps for free. Expansions have been there for long, and actually were worth the cost. Now we've these DLCs, a lot of software houses want to make those so they can grab a lot of money from fans. A DLC doesn't add all of the stuff of an actual expension, but seems to cost roughly the same. Also, i am very confident EA is not starving, they're making lots of money, they don't give a damn about their customers, unless they understand EA is treating them like garbage.

Remember Cities XL? It came out without bus stations and a lot of other basic stuff, wonder what, it came later with a damned DLC!

So your issue isn't DLC. Your issue is the price point. Your value for your dollar. See that is something very different than not liking DLCs. The same can be true of an expansion. A company can plop out a $30 expansion disk that has nothing you of value to you.

A budget is a budget. It exists in every kind of job. I deal with it all the time in education.

[Moskva 75]

Yes Croxis, i'd be fine with DLCs if they actually offered enough for what they cost. However i don't like the idea of downloading something bought online, i prefer the disk. I am displeased you didn't find much in Civ4 BtS, it rocked to me. However, displeased for OT.

[croxis 150]

Oh I loved bts. I think it was the best expansion in the entire franchise other than Test of time.

[meowza 230]

Interview with Maxis producer Jason Haber

http://www.rockpaper...city-interview/

Interesting stuff in there, including some talk about DLCs.

  Edited April 28, 2012 by meowza  

[Mark Waybill 242]

"We’re already listening to the community out there, we already look at what people say on the forums, not just our forums either, all forums out there."

Definitely interesting.

Hello Jason. Canals please. Thanks.

[ziroi 14]

Interview with Maxis producer Jason Haber

http://www.rockpaper...city-interview/

Interesting stuff in there, including some talk about DLCs.

The whole interview seemed pretty positive to me and I'd say is worth the 8 minutes. The DLC talk read a little dodgy, but we do get a confirmation that there are no plans to release "gameplay" additions using DLC at this time. If that will change next year? Who knows!

[MINIggy03 227]

It will likely play out similar to Sims 3, with expansions for new gameplay and an online shop for new building sets.

[NCGAIO 562]

More interesting than what people say and what they strive not to respond!

RPS: Because it’s not out until 2013 so you’ve announced it fairly early, how far into the design of it are you? It looked quite finished and polished

Jason Haber: It’s still pre-alpha, so we still have a lot of work to go,...

RPS: Could you play it as though it was complete now, finished art and sound assets aside, or is it only fragments of it?

Jason Haber: We’re pretty close… it’s hard to say.....

source:http://www.rockpaper...city-interview/

Besides the already famously pinched in all the interviews "We are hearing the fans," another thing I noticed was the first comment.

Big Murray says:

Do they actually have a game, or have all the development team been working on trailers so far?

source:http://www.rockpaper...city-interview/

Do not come to that hype, but after the past enthusiasm for the simulation engine (. Reinventing the Wheel.), It was time breeders say more about the game, not the producers!

  Edited April 29, 2012 by NCGAIO  

[jimtsal60 0]

But, what multiplayer will be like?

[JcCali1214 34]

From the interview especially, isn't anyone else worried/disparaged/dissapointed that they are going through with the elite ed.'s French/German/British tileset addons? Don't we think those, especially since they are baseline European, "ready from Day 1"? What hope do we have for Asian, So. American, Carribbean, or Colonial Tilesets? Don't you think we'll to pay for those to?

One of the only things I'm REALLY dissapointed about ... next they'll tell me there is no Mixed-Use Zoning/Buildings ...

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Let me get this straight. These will be the tilesets:

1. American (possibly 3 sub tilesets)

2. French (Origin exclusive)

3. German (Origin exclusive)

4. British (Origin exclusive)

5. Generic [bland/whimsical/international/SF/retro/recycled from previous games] (possibility?)

[DmainEvent 195]

Just saw the latest video. Is it just me, or is it like they keep showing the same 1 and half minute video every two weeks. They still have yet to address any of the questions that users here have. I have actually suggested a solution to one of the larger concerns that I have:

Progressive simulation. In other words, only simulate what you can see. Instead of simulating an entire city of 5,000,000 sims all at the same time, what you would do is depending on what you see, you would simulate. Make the rest of the simulation hold a state until you actually view it. For instance, if you are at a really high level (Ie you can see your entire region or most of it) you would only simulate relationships between regions ie visitors coming, trade between the regions if any, global disasters etc... That would basically be the same when you are at your highest zoom level for the city as well. Also, any time you are at the edge of one city you would simulate the regional aspects of the game. When you up really close, or almost at street level, then you would see all of the real granular simulation stuff.

It would take more time then I am willing to spend to flesh this out to an even greater extent, but you kind of get the idea. Hopefully, someone at maxis is taking note. That would be uber cool.

[MINIggy03 227]

Just saw the latest video. Is it just me, or is it like they keep showing the same 1 and half minute video every two weeks. They still have yet to address any of the questions that users here have.

These videos are just what they showed at GDC, and are officially releasing them. Of course, most of us have already seen all of them, but it's nice to see them in better quality. E3 will have tons of new information.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

1. What other videos were on the GDC stream? I was cut off midway.

2. Each city district tile is 2x2 km, with a 500,000 agent limit with utilities, freight, and commuters all being agents.

3. Your city (and your neighbor's city) are simulated fully when you (and him) are online and playing.

4. If both you and your immediate neighbors are all online and playing the adjacent cities, the region would simulate up to 2.5 million agents in your 5 player city.

5. The developers made the tiles uniform and small to emphasize the "multiplayer" city aspect. Your region is the Metropolitan area and you and your friends are "district mayors" so a city of 5 million would only be simulated when a multiplayer region has 10-16 active players.

[DmainEvent 195]

1. What other videos were on the GDC stream? I was cut off midway.

2. Each city district tile is 2x2 km, with a 500,000 agent limit with utilities, freight, and commuters all being agents.

3. Your city (and your neighbor's city) are simulated fully when you (and him) are online and playing.

4. If both you and your immediate neighbors are all online and playing the adjacent cities, the region would simulate up to 2.5 million agents in your 5 player city.

5. The developers made the tiles uniform and small to emphasize the "multiplayer" city aspect. Your region is the Metropolitan area and you and your friends are "district mayors" so a city of 5 million would only be simulated when a multiplayer region has 10-16 active players.

Its official...

This game sounds terrible. What the hell where they thinking.

[croxis 150]

Sounds great to me!

[Vahr 343]

I wouldn't go off of what Ocram said unless there's a source to back it up.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Well, if you want, I can dig up the interviews that say optional multiplayer up to 16 players, 2x2 km city tiles, and either 200k population limit or 500k agent limit...

[Asheroo 53]

It's not 'optional' if your city is affected by the whole entire global economy and if your cities/regions will be connected to everyone's, as stated in the many interviews, previews and articles from Maxis.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Well, banned players can play offline so I say it is optional. The Planet Offer was "optional" for players of the original Cities XL even if I did not get access to all its features until 2011.