SimCity: Gameplay

[Ocram's Razr 963]

The agent system in the new SimCity of 2013 is less detailed than even the original Tropico but it allows for vastly more individuals than any Tropico game ever. Tropico 4 had a cap at 10,000 Tropicans and its islands were rather large. I wonder if the new SimCity will have maps/regions that allow you to play island cities? It would be interesting to recreate real life cities where certain developments are in the middle of the ocean with no trains or highways.

--Ocram

Edit: I am almost certain that agents cannot be disabled because that would make all resources immobile or instantly transport. I read that the roads would be rendered useless without agents.

[Arcadekids 3]

SimCity 4 had a better gameplay experience than this one. I mean, what's the point if you can only manage tiny cities, or having your region look a mess? Plus, you can't mod, which also lowers the chance of enjoyment. Basically, when you get bored, find another game like GTA--you can't mod this one. I wouldn't spend a dime if that's how the game is gonna turn out to be.

[CaptCity 4,752]

Merged another Gameplay topic here and moved some to more appropriate pinned topics to keep things from becoming repetitive and confusing. Thanks

Edit: Some more clean up and movement performed.

  Edited January 3, 2013 by CaptCity  

[ArtemL 14]

SimCity 4 had a better gameplay experience than this one. I mean, what's the point if you can only manage tiny cities, or having your region look a mess? Plus, you can't mod, which also lowers the chance of enjoyment. Basically, when you get bored, find another game like GTA--you can't mod this one. I wouldn't spend a dime if that's how the game is gonna turn out to be.

I love how you are trying to argue about the gameplay experience of a game yet to be released.

[Vampirovibrio 43]

Anyone have any idea how would the new Simcity handle abandonment of zones? Would it be like in Simcity 4 where houses, commercial buildings and industrial buildings look decrepit? I know they have said that unemployed sims will become homeless people. So do they live on the streets/ parks?

[tomfoolery_79 85]

Does it seem to anyone else like they are strong-arming people into a genre during gameplay. "After all, if you don't choose a genre, what role do you play within the region?"

As I recall, all the news and screenshots and such seem centered around city themes. "Are you going to build a casino city?" "Are you going to accept trash from your neighbors?" "Are you going to be the industrial powerhouse for the region?" Etc, etc, etc. Whatever happened to build whatever city you want and watch it grow? I recall many people (myself included) wanting to build hamlets and car-less cities. It looks like there is no room for that in today's SimCity.

[Exe19 22]

Roadless city? It seems that you have to draw road before placing building or zone or anything else.

[simmerboy 19]

Simcity is being emphasized heavily on the idea of connected cities. One city has a lot of trash. Where will it all go if another city can't accept it and the first city doesn't want to use it?

If I recall correctly you can just focus on your population. To me it would be a bit impossible to be able to force someone to build a required building(meaning the big business you choose). If you get my drift.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

imo there's an emphasis on that for marketing, but I think the gameplay will basically be SimCIty.

Just like how with SC4 the main things they advertised were U-Drive-It, missions, and using the region feature to make single-use cities.

[CaptCity 4,752]

"Strong-arming"..? Hardly... But because of the multiplayer-interconnectedness aspect of the game, cities could/may take on specific characteristics or function depending upon the "team" you are building with. That is the basic premise of this version - what one does could/would affect the neighbors.

[MPleines 17]

One of my big worries for this game was that it seems to bring a more goal-oriented, and less sand-boxy, style of play, but really it's too early to tell. It's possible for one player to control multiple cities in one region so that at least might bring more possibilties for creating and supporting towns/cities that do not fit the specializations that are being offered by the game.

[P*Funk 12]

One of my big worries for this game was that it seems to bring a more goal-oriented, and less sand-boxy, style of play, but really it's too early to tell.

Basically thats the thing that alot of very inarticulate and instead much more argumentative people seem to be trying to get at.

This doesn't feel like its going to be a sandbox, because frankly most people I meet in the gaming world treat talk of sandbox games with hostility or apathy. Goal and accomplishment oriented gameplay is the mainstay of the mainstream market these days. Choice is a function of predetermined flows. Its almost like balancing an MMO's class interdependent gameplay. Its obvious this'll still be sandboxy-ish, but not to the same degree as SC4 most likely.

Its not my thing, I prefer to make my own choices and have the game able to handle them in a way that turns really creative thinking into emergent almost unanticipated results. This style for 2013 looks like a more conservative approach, easier on the uninitiated. Its yet to be seen if the "accessibility" will nerf the depth that long time fans have invested in.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

This doesn't feel like its going to be a sandbox, because frankly most people I meet in the gaming world treat talk of sandbox games with hostility or apathy. Goal and accomplishment oriented gameplay is the mainstay of the mainstream market these days. Choice is a function of predetermined flows. Its almost like balancing an MMO's class interdependent gameplay. Its obvious this'll still be sandboxy-ish, but not to the same degree as SC4 most likely.

Its not my thing, I prefer to make my own choices and have the game able to handle them in a way that turns really creative thinking into emergent almost unanticipated results. This style for 2013 looks like a more conservative approach, easier on the uninitiated. Its yet to be seen if the "accessibility" will nerf the depth that long time fans have invested in.

A game doesn't have to be sandbox per se but more like you try a radical new strategy and low and behold it works to an interesting effect. If SC 2013 allows for such flexibility then the simulation will be solid, besides there may be difficulty modes to this game so it caters for both the lame-brained and the SC fanatics... There is still hope yet...

[33percent 0]

I've been searching for there is a Central Bank mod, I know in the Sim City 4 you can take out loans but it wasn't exactly the same as today. I'm looking forward to the new Sim City but I have questions about it's economics, and politics. Today politics has a huge impact on the economy depending on what economic system they believe in like Corp Vs Capital vs Socialism etc..

Anyways.. I would like to see what type of economic system they have in sim city. Is the currency fiat? if so then there is inflation. I would like to experiment having a central bank, that I can take out loans from. Every time I take out loans I use the tax revanue to pay off the interest. Also every loan has consequences like increasing inflation which can have a huge impact on jobs and spending. Benifits taking out loans from the Central Bank, I can keep taxes down while I can still expand the city empire of wealth and power etc.. at the same trying to control the inflation or increase taxes with deflation. Curious is there a mod like this for Sim City 4?

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

From what I understand, Maxis hasn't released any information about finances for the new game. And I do not know of a banking mod for SC4; I'm pretty sure that aspect of the game is unmoddable.

[RyanMorgan95 144]

SimCity relies upon a relatively simple supply and demand economic model. No central banking and fiat currency nonsense, which is essentially a complex debt generator that we humans in all our wisdom have devised. Prices of resources in this SimCity can be artificially inflated if for example all the coal producers decided to severely limit the supply, pushing up the price of coal. I think that's complex enough.

[DmainEvent 195]

I've been searching for there is a Central Bank mod, I know in the Sim City 4 you can take out loans but it wasn't exactly the same as today. I'm looking forward to the new Sim City but I have questions about it's economics, and politics. Today politics has a huge impact on the economy depending on what economic system they believe in like Corp Vs Capital vs Socialism etc..

Anyways.. I would like to see what type of economic system they have in sim city. Is the currency fiat? if so then there is inflation. I would like to experiment having a central bank, that I can take out loans from. Every time I take out loans I use the tax revanue to pay off the interest. Also every loan has consequences like increasing inflation which can have a huge impact on jobs and spending. Benifits taking out loans from the Central Bank, I can keep taxes down while I can still expand the city empire of wealth and power etc.. at the same trying to control the inflation or increase taxes with deflation. Curious is there a mod like this for Sim City 4?

Can we please steer clear of such topics? I play games like this so I don't have to think about politicians and there lackies like Central Bankers. I mean, its just my opinion, but what do I know?

[33percent 0]

SimCity relies upon a relatively simple supply and demand economic model. No central banking and fiat currency nonsense, which is essentially a complex debt generator that we humans in all our wisdom have devised. Prices of resources in this SimCity can be artificially inflated if for example all the coal producers decided to severely limit the supply, pushing up the price of coal. I think that's complex enough.

I know its a complex debt generator, and knowing the Federal Reserve prints,loans money with interest to our govt in return WE pay the interest. I want this to play out in sim city so I can I have a feel how this "Complex Debt Generator" system works in a simulator. Playing Sim City which is fun, but I can see the effects from the start and end of generating debt. Slowly, and watch everything of my city collaspe within. Plus would like to youtube it as a experient.

Can we please steer clear of such topics? I play games like this so I don't have to think about politicians and there lackies like Central Bankers. I mean, its just my opinion, but what do I know?

I understand but either way politics effects you and everyone. Everyone gets sick of the retarded bs. The irony is you're playing somewhat of a politician role while playing sim city

[RyanMorgan95 144]

I understand but either way politics effects you and everyone. Everyone gets sick of the retarded bs. The irony is you're playing somewhat of a politician role while playing sim city

No, you're a dictator-god-micromanager!

[marksman1416 12]

In one post it was said that as you add on to your city hall you get more control over your taxes.

[Guibanez_ 177]

Found this: https://twitter.com/...745422420733952 http://www.reddit.co...simcity_so_far/

Edit: Download here the SimCity manual http://www38.zippysh...19750/file.html

[simmerboy 19]

How was this person able to access the dev beta even though beta hasn't released yet and you only get around an hour to play the beta...? Really confused...

[Guibanez_ 177]

How was this person able to access the dev beta even though beta hasn't released yet and you only get around an hour to play the beta...? Really confused...

This.

Look here: https://twitter.com/...751441595101184

"Some people got early access - testing out the servers."

[simmerboy 19]

Make sense. Well then in that case I'm looking forward more to Simcity.

[Dewm 177]

Good review, Sounds like some things are better then I thought.

But the thing you said about city size was well...more disappointing. I always played on a large city tile in SC4 and the mediums felt small... and if they feel even smaller in SC2013... then its a big issue for me.

I've already made my buying decision (I'm not getting it) but I still enjoy reading about it.. and hoping that things will be different in beta..

we'll see...

[Cottoncandy Cyanide 145]

If the new medium/large city tiles are smaller than the medium/large tiles in simcity 4, then that crushes my hopes of building a vast metropolis.

[16minuteman 57]

im jealos, the game sonds great!

[Bipin 3,402]

I'm afraid the only chance at being saved from it's own inherent flaws that this game has, is being modded by the community. Now that's not to say this situation is unique to Sim City 2013; it's happened with SC4, but it will need a lot of work in terms of gameplay, models and textures a few years down the road when (hopefully) dev tools include the ability to import 3D models.

[iomex 24]

Anyone have any idea how would the new Simcity handle abandonment of zones? Would it be like in Simcity 4 where houses, commercial buildings and industrial buildings look decrepit? I know they have said that unemployed sims will become homeless people. So do they live on the streets/ parks?

Homes and businesses will abandon for a variety of reasons, which you will be told about when you query the lot. When the bulldoze tool is selected, an icon appears over each abandoned property, as well as every homeless person in your city. Homeless people live on the streets and congregate in parks - parks have some sort of capacity (they improve sim happiness), so you don't want them full of tramps.

With regards to city specialization, you are not strong-armed into anything. There is a city specialization menu, which has buildings sorted under different specialities - mining, tourism, etc. You can choose to build any number of these buildings so long as the requirements for the building have been met. I can have a swanky casino in my city alongside an ore mining facility. SC just ALLOWS the option of city specialization - it was very difficult in SC4 to accomplish this (due to things such as commute times). All SC does is append a little icon to your city if you happen to be building a lot of buildings from one particular speciality - to advertise to other players what that city is about.

[pritam 0]

Will I build agricultural farm (Industrial Zone),farmer's market, agricultural fair in new simcity? These 3 structures were already present at simcity's previous version--Simcity 4 Deluxe edition. Please give me replies.......