SimCity: Multiplayer Discussion

[haverston 5]

Sounds like an awesome feature for SC5. I will look to connect with other SC fanatics to build up my city's core and to create joint alliances with users in the online realm to transport goods and services from my region to their region and vice versa.

I think this feature will also teach us about economics and politics,supply and demand,import and export. Overall this feature will bring the SC fanbase together and create a more diplomatic union amongst us.

I have always envisioned creating a downtown with office buildings and a user from another sim city region moving in and proposing to me to build a tower in my downtown or an embassy to create business/foreign relations between us or even a sister city agreement. We just have to make sure that when we create these business relations we create an abundance of hotels and motels for our cyber traveling business partners so they can get a feel and look of our city without having to sleep on a park bench LOL. This should be fun.

[pyanodon 218]

(...)

I think this feature will also teach us about economics and politics,supply and demand,import and export. Overall this feature will bring the SC fanbase together and create a more diplomatic union amongst us.

(...)

That´s so beautifull that i will cry candies. XD Prepare your tears when "joe troll" sit near your region and grind your city just "for fun".

[Herdervriend 46]

I hope this online version will proceed. Don't wanna see the same thing happening like with Cities XL.

Though, I am scared a bit. I have no friends at all. So being online is quite useless for me.

[RoseCityAlive 9]

I'm feeling confident in MP. I look at Simtrop as a large community that is passionate about simcity and about creating realistic virtual cities and I think that it would be great to play with the community.

[Bipin 3,402]

Idealistically this would be the best community to play with, but nothing is truly ideal in this world. There will be griefers and trolls, as with all online games, which aside from no being able to save your cities when the servers shut down, is my other greatest fear.

[CuriousKiddo 2]

Do you guys think if we choose to do multiplayer mode, there would be some type of way you could communicate. I mean in ways such as chat so you can tell neighboring cities problems coming from their city? Like a main chat all the cities on the map will be able to communicate from? It'll be pretty awsome if this happens! Maybe if someone is trolling theirs a way to kick them out of the map with their city too, or block their text from your view ?

  Edited July 16, 2012 by CuriousKiddo  

[Selphy 69]

So I've went through this entire topic, read every article and watched all the videos among others in other topics, threads and posts.

Obviously a lot of people have issues with the multiplayer aspect of the game, I truly get that. One thing I don't understand is that people seem to be conveniently forgetting things when complaining about the system.

Yes, you always need to be connect to the internet and to Origins to play. Moose, earlier in this thread, it seemed like you had no problem with Origins and it's EULA and I quote:

Only people with something to hide really care whether someone else scans their machine.

Yes, that sucks. I agree. My internet connection is great, but it isn't the best and even I lose my connection from time to time or it is simply down. So I understand that it sucks but it isn't enough to stop me from buying the game. If my internet is down at one point I'm sure I'll be able to do something else. I can't imagine my internet connection will be down enough for it to be detrimental but if yours is, I understand.

You can play alone. Play your own region, make it private, play your own cities. While you are connected to the global trade network, I assume you don't have to participate. From what they've been saying in interviews, your cities interact with each other and what is produced in one city can be sold or traded to another city in one region.

With that in mind, people have been stating that your one city will plateau and you're forced to play with other people to get the most of the game. Again, you can play each city in a region by yourself and connect them all. By doing so, you can grow each city even more and work towards regional goals.

Correct me if I'm wrong but even in SC4, your city will plateau if you're only playing one city. I remember in SC3 I could build a single city and have it function perfectly fine by itself. But I couldn't for the love of me do it in SC4. It seems that in SC5, it will be the same.

Lastly, people are complaining about the leaderboards. I don't care about the leaderboards and I don't imagine they'll be shoved in our faces. Just because it exists doesn't mean you need to use or even look at it. It's just an extra option for the more competitive player to see how they rank and I fail to see how adding an extra option is bad especially when we aren't forced to us it. Same thing with the missions. As far as I can tell, all they do is unlock achievements so if you don't care for them, just don't do them.

Don't get me wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinion and most of your points are valid but I feel like a lot of things are being overlooked. If there's something I'm wrong about, lemme know. Right now, for all the plus and minuses of the game, I'm extremely excited for this game.

[CuriousKiddo 2]

Do you guys think if we choose to do multiplayer mode, there would be some type of way you could communicate. I mean in ways such as chat so you can tell neighboring cities problems coming from their city? Like a main chat all the cities on the map will be able to communicate from? It'll be pretty awsome if this happens! Maybe if someone is trolling theirs a way to kick them out of the map with their city too, or block their text from your view ?

I just looked at another post, at the debug picture there's a little chat icon I think that quote might be true

[nukeu123 307]

i wish to through in my commet, i did not read every post so plz bare with me... also my info may be wrong

i love the thought of multipayer simcity

in tandom you and a friend working together to create a megaopolis! and in dire situations the two of you could take out any godzilla monster spawn!

but lets us not forget our past.

this is not Maxis first atempt to create that dream.

simcity 1: they used the same code that simcity 1 used however could not be completed dew to lack of funds and technology. it never past concept

simcty 2000 Network edition: simcity 2000 with network this could of worked but during coding windows 95 came out and thus hindered plans, compatible with only windows 95 and 98 and verry limmited methods of connectivity

The sims online: 5 years of great service, then ea shut down the naborhoods, the game is currently dead.

Cities xl 2009: not related at all with maxis but we all know the story,

Simcity 5 : i prey it dose not have the same fate...

[William Gates 84]

To me, SimCity isn't really a game that intuitively begs for multiplayer, the way StarCraft or Halo might. SimCity multiplayer doesn't really sound very exciting if its entirety comes down to simple relationships like "pollution in your city might affect the city of another player next to you (!!)"

And so, I think the way they will make multiplayer appealing to people is by including significant and desirable advantages that can only be obtained by people who choose to play multiplayer. If you choose to play solo, you won't have access to such advantages.

  Edited July 18, 2012 by William Gates  

[AdoxxBE 289]

Well, I'm going to wait and see what they will show us with the new multiplayer. A multiplayer game shouldn't affect the primary game in my opinion.

For example, Anno 2070, if you want all the achievements you need to play online..

I'm looking forward to play with other people that also enjoy making cities, but I would only play online if they also add some sort of sandbox gametype in the online version.

  Edited July 18, 2012 by Adooxx  

[cirugo 1,889]

To me, SimCity isn't really a game that intuitively begs for multiplayer, the way StarCraft or Halo might. SimCity multiplayer doesn't really sound very exciting if its entirety comes down to simple relationships like "pollution in your city might affect the city of another player next to you (!!)"

And so, I think the way they will make multiplayer appealing to people is by including significant and desirable advantages that can only be obtained by people who choose to play multiplayer. If you choose to play solo, you won't have access to such advantages.

which just ticks off the people who have played this game for years and don't understand why they are sacrificing features for the sake of multiplayer...which was low on the list of what anyone wanted to see in a new game.

[Selphy 69]

And so, I think the way they will make multiplayer appealing to people is by including significant and desirable advantages that can only be obtained by people who choose to play multiplayer. If you choose to play solo, you won't have access to such advantages.

I don't know why people keep insisting on this when they haven't even said in the slightest that multiplayer regions will get some sort of benefit. All multiplayer is at this point is just a way for multiple people to play in one region. If you so choose, you can play one region all by yourself.

The only benefit that a multiplayer region is going to get is that they'll probably accomplish regional goals faster than the solo player. A solo player playing 16 city tiles versus a group of 4 players playing 4 city tiles each will most likely develop slower because he/she has to do everything him/herself but that isn't to say that the solo player can't do everything the multiplayers can. He/she will just do it slower.

Until they shed more light on how multiplayer will function I think it would be best to assume that it won't add much other than playing together in a single region. I say this because people seem to be getting bent out of shape even when no information is being given. Why cause yourself all this stress when you can wait and find out instead of assuming everything sucks.

[qatrick 0]

If it will to work on the same principle as neighbour cities in Simcity 4, it already would be very pleased. However, anyway I count for something more. How about Simtropolis Online World for all of the Forumers?

[alex macnamara 139]

I don't know why people keep insisting on this when they haven't even said in the slightest that multiplayer regions will get some sort of benefit. All multiplayer is at this point is just a way for multiple people to play in one region. If you so choose, you can play one region all by yourself.

The only benefit that a multiplayer region is going to get is that they'll probably accomplish regional goals faster than the solo player. A solo player playing 16 city tiles versus a group of 4 players playing 4 city tiles each will most likely develop slower because he/she has to do everything him/herself but that isn't to say that the solo player can't do everything the multiplayers can. He/she will just do it slower.

Until they shed more light on how multiplayer will function I think it would be best to assume that it won't add much other than playing together in a single region. I say this because people seem to be getting bent out of shape even when no information is being given. Why cause yourself all this stress when you can wait and find out instead of assuming everything sucks.

the single player should have its own game mode , not be bound by the multi-player mechanics...this is why everyone one on ST is angry right now. For a 59$ game this is OWED to us. This is clearly a case of cutting corners and developer lazyness.

[CuriousKiddo 2]

the single player should have its own game mode , not be bound by the multi-player mechanics...this is why everyone one on ST is angry right now. For a 59$ game this is OWED to us. This is clearly a case of cutting corners and developer lazyness.

I don't think Maxis is "lazy," as they are making a game so a wide population can enjoy, rather than a few people. They've already stated that they will keep the online requirement. If you don't like it don't buy it. They are trying to make a sequel to the series how they (or EA) sees fit. If you aren't happy with that, write a letter to Maxis and/or don't buy the game.

---

[Merged]

Plus not everything is final the game is still in production.

  Edited July 20, 2012 by Blue Lightning  
Removed interpersonal-ness and merged posts

[cirugo 1,889]

I don't think Maxis is "lazy," as they are making a game so a wide population can enjoy, rather than a few people. They've already stated that they will keep the online requirement. If you don't like it don't buy it. They are trying to make a sequel to the series how they (or EA) sees fit. If you aren't happy with that, write a letter to Maxis and/or don't buy the game.

Oh, I did better than that...I just cancelled my subscription to SWTOR and informed them I will never buy another EA title because of this.

  Edited July 20, 2012 by Blue Lightning  
Reduced quote stack

[Vahr 341]

Please discuss the topic, not each other. Also, please read

Portions of posts have been reworded and/or removed to comply.

Please also use the EDIT button instead of double posting.

[CuriousKiddo 2]

Yeah sorry...

[nashville nelson 51]

Sounds like an awesome feature for SC5. I will look to connect with other SC fanatics to build up my city's core and to create joint alliances with users in the online realm to transport goods and services from my region to their region and vice versa.

I think this feature will also teach us about economics and politics,supply and demand,import and export. Overall this feature will bring the SC fanbase together and create a more diplomatic union amongst us.

[...]

This really sounds nice and you can take it even further with the economics. When a sim wants to build a home or an industry/commercial building he has to take a loan from a bank and pay it back over time. So when you make bad decisions as a mayor and the sim has no job he can´t pay back his debt. When there are to many broke sims the bank will fail and ... you know how it ends. You can take it even so far that you have region ordinances and neighboring regions can join you. With more regions joining, the ordinance will be cheaper for all.

But this wouldn´t be a Sim City game anymore it will be more like a Sim World game. I think when Maxis would have called the game SimWorld this forum would be much quieter because nobody knows what to expect from such a game.

SC5 = SC4 + Glassbox (what most want)

SimCity = Glassbox + MMO + SC4 (what we get=SimWorld?)

[RoseCityAlive 9]

Im not a fan of the forced MP but with that being said I am interested in it. I would like to play alone, but I am also very interested in playing with my friends and even more interested in playing in a public region.

[Ephemeron 17]

I come here from the year 2009 to say that over-emphasis on multi-player is exactly why CIties XL failed.

Now I'm going back to my eternal rest from city building games. See you in another three years.

[Mark Waybill 242]

Imho multiplayer, in Maxis' skilled hands, could have worked well. I have been all for multiplayer since first playing 2000 and thinking 'Hey, wouldn't it be cool to have friends cities linked to yours in some way, perhaps even economically' but the way XL did it was a failure imo, and the way they are doing it in this game now appears just as limited.

Multiplayer and Glassbox work great together because of the potential of such a simulation engine to handle complex transactions of data in a simple organised fashion. I was, until the recent confirmation of the cells connected by string regional city layout, very optimistic regarding multiplayer. I felt resources would be a great addition to the game, as IRL cities deal with issues like 'Should we allow Company A to mine Area C?', and if we have the ability to make mountains and lakes (which we don't, apparently, now) why not the jurisdiction over resources to allow mining permits?

So, in a nutshell I was hopeful regarding MP in general until this. The fact that they make pre existing maps, and the fact that we can't even expand our municipal boundaries to incorporate more development space, just leaves me plain negative and pessimistic regarding the game in general.

If an independent project ever does get beyond the usual barriers, then I would highly recommend multiplayer, if only to show these developers it can be done properly!

[Rokugatsu 126]

I wanna see the faces when EA pull down the servers plug. "omg, i paid $$$$ plus 30 DLCs and then i cant play anymore, just 2 years!" that´s my main complain about that forced multiplayer system. :/

Before they close the servers, they will just release some patch so you don't have to be online to play the game. Its pretty obvious...

When it comes to MP, Im mostly solo player, but in some games MP would be great, and SC is one of them. Of course I want to have an option to play alone, but playing with other people sounds great IMO.

  Edited July 29, 2012 by Rokugatsu  

[~Dee~ 215]

Nothing is obvious when it comes to EA.

I don't mind the multiplayer if we had a proper single player as well, playing a region in private (but having to be online) is not the same thing.

And what upsets me to no end is, if the servers are down I can't play at all, because the saved games are not on my computer but floating around on the cloud.

It's totally ridiculous.

[Mootilda 76]

Why would they make it easy to continue to play SimCity (Reboot), when they will want us to buy SimCity (Reboot) 2?

[FreedomFox 13]

It appears Maxis_MD has quite a few more posts now. But, unsurprisingly, no new information.

Anyway, here's the entirety of his posts: http://forum.ea.com/...er/7801225.page

On several posts he repeats, "It plays just like SimCity" and "Trust me -- the game we're releasing is most certainly SimCity!" and "the same gameplay you've come to expect!" Sounds a bit like a used car salesman to me :|

In my opinion, the game has already shot itself in the foot with multiplayer, a noble concept on paper, but in practice, is catastrophic (in my opinion) as it hinders so many aspects of gameplay that only Maxis has perfected. Which means no terraforming -- a nail in the coffin. No sprawling metropolises because of gaps between cities and limited connectivity between cities -- another nail in the coffin. The only thing that can save this game is to have a versatile and fully operable BAT and mod community after it is released to (hopefully) fix the aforementioned problems. If multiplayer prevents the game from releasing any form of external tools such as the BAT, that will be the absolute final nail in the coffin. Besides, multiplayer in itself means you will have to rely completely on the health and behavior of the server. If the server shuts down, it's over. They may even choose to close the servers because of poor sales figures.

SimCity 4 remained THE city building simulator even after it grew several years old and lacked advanced graphics like later simulators had because of the massive amounts of mods and customizations to plow the competition with evolving concepts and gameplay because of the modding community. The new SimCity NEEDS to have it, not just to stay versatile to endure the years to come, but because it is so inhibited. In fact, I don't see why Maxis would not consider putting it in -- it's just to vital. It would be financial suicide if they don't allow the game to be modded.

I think I've already made my decision based on the information I have read so far. But I will still wait until the game is released, see a few ratings, a few comments from those who have bought it, a few YouTube videos before I will make my complete and final decision on buying it or saving my money.

[Darth Hudig 10]

My problem with multiplayer is that other cities can influence yours. Pollution, etc. I'm sure a lot of you will spend weeks building up the perfect city, only to see it get messed up by some careless neighbor. Ouch.

[Tuscan 20]

I wish people would stop saying it has a single player option. It doesn't! It's an MMO, and the "solo" option just means you can play online in a region where nobody else is playing. Single Player has been ditched. The reason? Profit.

[Rokugatsu 126]

If you play in the region where nobody is playing, then this is single player, whatever you like it or not.