Discussion about Always-On Connection to Origin

[Tuscan 20]

One thing most of us SimCity fans seem to agree on is that we love the traditional offline sandbox gameplay from previous SimCity titles. While online play is "nice to have", I for one certainly don't want to see it replace offline play altogether. I don't want to be forced online, or forced to take part in a global markets. I want the option to choose! This community has already had enough disappointments already, without profit hungry fat cats at EA ruining it for us again!

Let yourself be heard and ask questions on this page:

http://www.simcity.c...-SimCity-Social

We already have several offline related queries, the more fans who ask questions, the better!

Merged with the already existing and pinned "always on" topic. -CaptCity

[The Avatar 1,089]

Based upon the questions Kip answered in the live Q&A chat a while ago, I have my doubts about this; however, I posted some questions I feel the community wants answered:

"Ocean (or whoever else feels they should answer this),

This is a question the majority of the community over at Simtropolis is concerned about: Will the saturation of the textures change before the release date? Many people feel that the textures of many of the buildings seen in screenshots are over-saturated and "cartoonish." I understand how you guys want SimCity's graphics to have a Tilt-Shift/Model city feel by exaggerating certain aspects of buildings and removing "boring" aspects; but is it necessary to saturate the textures in the amount that you have in order to accomplish this.

Many people also feel that the textures look like "plastic" and are too clean and imperfect. Will this change before the release?

I understand changing the textures of all the buildings in the game would be tedious work, and if it hasn't been planned already, we cannot expect you to. However, if the textures to not change, will their be an option in the game to turn down the saturation?

Here is another question: I know you guys cannot reveal everything about the game, but can you confirm or deny if there will be more transportation networks (road, avenue, etc.) than that which has been shown in previously-released media? One of the driving forces that keeps SC4 alive is the Network Addon Mod (which I'm sure you are all aware of), which adds a variety of new transportation networks to the game. Will SimCity include more of the networks included in NAM or SC4 RH than that which has been shown in the media?

A related question: How will highways be utilized in SimCity. With the addition of multiplayer and the changes in the region system, how will highways connect cities? Will we be able to create our own highways?"

I sure hope Maxis follows through on this. I recognize they cannot reveal everything about the game, but they can at least answer the important questions we have been asking ever since the game was announced.

[_marsh_ 1,118]

I can see this being as useful as the conference they had at E3.

Q: Y I HAVE TO MULTIPLAYER PEOPLE WILL RUIN MY CITY!!!!111!1!!!!1

A: No forced multiplayer, just online. This answer was never posted anywhere else ever,

MKAY! Conference over! Hope we succeeded in breaking your dreams!

  Edited July 4, 2012 by _marsh_  

[NCGAIO 562]

If after all that has been discussed thoroughly you are still not convinced... then support the EA

[Hanno 16]

Hi all.

When I started the poll on Maxis's forum, I would never have thought it would do this well. Currently the situation is as follows:

How do you prefer to play SimCity?

Permanently Online5%[ 11 ]

Permanently Offline28%[ 66 ]

A mix between the two67%[ 158 ]

Total Votes : 235

The percentage breakdown has been pretty much consistent throughout the lifetime of this poll, which I take to mean that 95% of the simcity fans would prefer to have some kind of stand alone offline mode to be included in the game.

If you haven't done so yet, please register on their forum and vote, and get your friends to vote as well. Let's see if we can reach the goal of having a 1000 votes before the release date. I think a 4 digit number will be hard for them to ignore, especially if the sales are weaker than expected.

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/135/8576040.page#23886277

[zimmie 521]

Got my vote, add one more. Had to go with 'Permanently Offline' as I am not an online gamer in any way, shape or form.

[sissonnes 1]

Gamers have to realize that the whole 'persistant online requirement' or internet authentication is here to stay. Developers are not doubt sick of losing money their hard work thanks to all the piracy that goes on. And they will do whatever is necessary to stem that tide. Anyways, lots of other new games have these requirements and people still find workarounds. I'm sure it will be the same for SC5.

In my opinion, an internet connection shouldn't be that big of a deal. Wi-fi and internet in gerneral is ubiquitous these days. And the people who don't have internet acess probably aren't the type that are gamers anyway am I right? And I'm confident that you will still be able to develop cities on your own, without friends. Maxis will certainly take into account people like myself who don't have any friends to play with!

My only fear is that poor connection will hinder gameplay. My current location sometimes from spotty connection, and when I was playing Diablo 3 the game would lag during these times. Which was infuriating.

[astondb9 7]

I have tragically slow internet (rural areas suck) I hope it doesn't affect my game if it cuts out/isn't fast enough. I always play games if the internet/electricity cuts out... online only doesn't really work for that!

oh well, most games have this now don't see why Simcity would be any different...

[Romaq 18]

EA/ Maxis abandoned the franchise after SimCity: Rush Hour. I don't see why they should be any different.

EA has been shutting down servers for games people have paid for, in one case in as little as 18 months after release. I don't see why this should be any different.

Online games with interaction between people attracts griefers who make it a point to spoil the fun for everyone else in every conceivable way possible. I have no idea why this should be any different.

[Shark7 118]

Gamers have to realize that the whole 'persistant online requirement' or internet authentication is here to stay. Developers are not doubt sick of losing money their hard work thanks to all the piracy that goes on. And they will do whatever is necessary to stem that tide. Anyways, lots of other new games have these requirements and people still find workarounds. I'm sure it will be the same for SC5.

In my opinion, an internet connection shouldn't be that big of a deal. Wi-fi and internet in gerneral is ubiquitous these days. And the people who don't have internet acess probably aren't the type that are gamers anyway am I right? And I'm confident that you will still be able to develop cities on your own, without friends. Maxis will certainly take into account people like myself who don't have any friends to play with!

My only fear is that poor connection will hinder gameplay. My current location sometimes from spotty connection, and when I was playing Diablo 3 the game would lag during these times. Which was infuriating.

Its only here to stay if gamers keep paying them for doing it. Vote with your wallet. If they don't make money, they will change that requirement.

And while I do have a broadband connection, it doesn't mean I want to be on it 24/7. There are days when I don't go on the Internet at all. If I want to go off-line there is still a simple solution...unplug the modem.

[Urban Cartographer 601]

If you want SimCity 2013 with completely optional online features, do not pre-order the game!

Vote with your wallet! The always-online requirement is ruining many good games these days. My city, my way!

[elavery 1,013]

This may have already been covered, but how does the game save its progress? Is it cloud saving?

[kwetzel345 101]

I say no online, it just a decimation of a series that is king of this genera of video games. Maxis, you must do what is right , witch is honor it , show it some real respect by not adding the one thing, online connection required . This game belongs to the player, so listen up maxis, for these words are well echoed my many players, My city, My way!

P.S thanks Urban cartographer, very well explained saying to support simcity

[thenext88 102]

I see lots of folks here who say how much they can't stand DRM, Steam, etc. I'm with you totally... but I hope you're all putting your money where your mouth is and refusing to purchase a game that forces you to use Steam or maintain an online connection. I used to be a serious gamer, and have now stopped gaming totally. No, I'm not growing up... I desperately want to play all the time... but I'm making a stand. Haven't purchased a new game in four years. I used to buy 10-15 games a year, legally, full purchase price, no complaints. But then Steam decided to screw up my life, and I'm not paying a dime to anyone who makes me deal with a third-party company that pollutes my computer. So I just stopped gaming completely (apart from using old games like SC4 that don't have the same requirements). If everyone else who apparently hates DRM restrictions just as much as I do would also make the same stand, the game companies would be forced to change how they approach DRM.

Constant online connection = No purchase

(but I pray they come to their senses on this one, because I am DYING to play this game!!!)

Except if you lose connection with Steam, everything keeps working fine. If you lose connection with Origin on the other hand... And for that reason alone is why I have over 10X the amount of games on Steam than I do on Origin. I'm perfectly content with Steam, as are many others. It's like the lightest form and least noticeable form of DRM possible. And Steam is more or less just an option? Don't like Steam? Then buy the retail version.

Why do you think EA needs to make their new games Origin only? (Like Crysis 2 initially, and now ME3 or BF3, and soon to be SC5, etc) Because they know 95% of us would just get the game on Steam. And instead of making Origin better, they just decide to shove it down our throats.

  Edited July 10, 2012 by thenext88  

[Mootilda 76]

EA wants all of their game on Origin so that they get the entire profit from the game.

They are not actively hostile to the players. They just want as much of our money as they can get.

  Edited July 10, 2012 by Mootilda  

[NCGAIO 562]

:read: - - ATENTION - IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION - - :read:

D.I.G.N.I.T.Y.m

(.Digital Distributors Group Need Immediately Take Your Money.)

Notice: If you can not understand why we digital distributors insist on keeping it online, despite the veritable flood of complaints from fans, please read the interview below ...

Advice: do not have no money in your pocket .... may be that disappears!

EA's Segerstrale: Developers might need to switch focus from retailers to players

by Tom Curtis

Digital goods have become and increasingly prominent part of the game business over the past several years, and during a keynote presentation at the 2012 Game Marketing Summit, EA's EVP of digital Kristian Segerstrale predicted that this transition will fundamentally change the way developers create and manage their games.

Segerstrale, who founded the EA-owned social company Playfish in 2007, has experienced much of the industry's digital growth firsthand, and he believes the business is following a path very much like the music and film industries -- meaning games will strip away their retail dependence in favor of directly giving games to the player online.

"The games industry isn’t alone in this transformation we're seeing -- music and movies have also made the digital switch. Sure, the business models have changed, but the consumer experience is vastly superior," he said.

Unlike these other media, however, Segerstrale said the game industry still has a ways to go, though he said the increasingly popular free to play model is the first step of much larger changes to come.

"With this shift, our relationship with our consumer sometimes becomes more important than our relationship with the [retail] channels."

And with the games business transitioning into the digital space, Segerstrale said the games themselves will need to change as a result. As they rely more and more on the free to play model, developers will need to ensure that players don't just play a game, but stick with it for the long term.

"No longer is the event of picking up a game tied to monetization. We're going to see a decoupling of those things. You need to think of it like a consumer internet business, where acquisition is just the beginning," he said.

"And rather than having one side of the company making games and other getting them to consumers, now the whole company needs to take part in those processes."

He suggested that online game developers create in-game channels to communicate with players and hopefully increase monetization. In EA and Playfish's own Facebook title The Sims Social for instance, Segerstrale pointed to the numerous in-game notifications and UI elements that inform players about new content, and specifically new purchasing opportunities.

"The game is built for us to be able to add content all the time, so consumers know there's something new there," he said. More than anything, players like to learn about a game while they're playing it, so adding clear channels for in-game communication is crucial for boosting player engagement and eventually, monetization.

"The [promotion] outside the game is important, but what really matters is the real-estate in the games themselves," Segerstrale said.

These channels also allow developers to connect all of their existing online games via a network of cross-promotions and other interconnected social services. If all of a company's games link to each other in some way, digital publishers will be able to ensure that all of their titles get the exposure they need.

"It about brands across ecosystems -- not isolated islands, but experiences across ecosystems," Segerstrale said.

source : http://gamasutra.com..._to_players.php

Note to our loyal customers: After reading the interview did not waste time reading the negative comments are just nonsense because they will not change anything in our firm purpose to keep him as a captive customer and have the opportunity to take some more money.

Very important : Do not forget to pre-order our releases. We count on you to increase our sales. If you do not like what received, do not worry, we are always on hand to sell you some updates

We can ... then we do.

more of a statement clarifying DIGNITYm....we always know what is best for you

  Edited July 13, 2012 by NCGAIO  

[Hanno 16]

EA wants all of their game on Origin so that they get the entire profit from the game.

They are not actively hostile to the players. They just want as much of our money as they can get.

EA wants all of their game on Origin so that they get the entire profit from the game.

They are not actively hostile to the players. They just want as much of our money as they can get.

You mean to say the board of EA is a bunch of greedy pigs, and that's why I hate their guts! They only care for short term profits, they couldn't give a damn for the gaming experience of the people who actually BUY their games. Heck, when they're no longer profiting from a game, they remove it from their servers just like that, leaving the people who did buy it out in the cold with nothing but scrapware. How long do they think they can abuse their customers like this before it starts affecting their bottom line? As much as I'm craving this game, I'm not buying it on release day. I'll follow a wait and see policy.

[newyorka 26]

OK TOO HELP EVERYBODY WITH WHATS HAPPENING IS RIGHT NOW...

1. We have to play online and use origin

2. There will be no mods right away but there will be mods later on like SC4 was

3. We need to PROTEST and tell EA, MAXIS, SIMTROPOLIS, AND THE REST OF THE MAKERS OF SC 2013 about what WE want as PLAYERS and BUYERS of the game!

4. Make a list of what you want in the game and send it to the SC 2013 website.

[Vahr 343]

EA and Maxis are the only ones making the game... protesting to us (Simtropolis) isn't going to do anything.

[Essex 322]

You can protest all you want, EA won't give a dimn.

[pyanodon 218]

This may have already been covered, but how does the game save its progress? Is it cloud saving?

yes, it´s cloud saving and better! You can´t reload your save if you destroy your city with disasters just for fun or made a terrible mistake. Is what i´ve reading in other foruns and sites. :/

[thenext88 102]

This may have already been covered, but how does the game save its progress? Is it cloud saving?

yes, it´s cloud saving and better! You can´t reload your save if you destroy your city with disasters just for fun or made a terrible mistake. Is what i´ve reading in other foruns and sites. :/

This would be overboard if true. Are they trying to kill this game before its even released?

[Ocram's Razr 964]

It seems like it [that EA wants to kill the genre once and for all to polarize people into cutesy Nintendo Games or Violent EA games] to me.

[pyanodon 218]

This would be overboard if true. Are they trying to kill this game before its even released?

Imagine that...you´re playing forced with other people and make deals for coal, water, garbage etc... them, you want some more fun and release a meteor over your city blasting your coal mines, energy production..the whole shabam. Of course the cities connected to you will lost their precious resources and you will be full of well..garbage since mostly roads are destroyed. Ok, the big fun is over, lets reload to the point before the disaster. For who is conneceted to you, that means the deals you made and did side-damage to their cities they dont reload their cities, how the system would deal with that? solution? no reloads from previous save points. I believe you´re playing and saving one save...the actual..not have other saves for the same city in the cloud.

[alex macnamara 139]

2. There will be no mods right away but there will be mods later on like SC4 was

Looks like Maxis is sitting on the fence on mods now, have you read the K&K interview ?

[cirugo 1,889]

http://www.videogamer.com/pc/simcity/news/maxis_lucy_bradshaw_on_simcity_facebook_and_why_always-on_drm_will_be_worth_it.html

really hope there's someone out there that's going to be so excited they're going to buy this regardless to replace what would've been a guaranteed purchase from me. I will NOT shackle myself to the internet to play a single player game.

[Moskva 75]

EA wants you to use Origin to control your system and make better market statistics but also to stop piracy. Now, i don't understand who gives them the right to get statistics from me, one of reasons i am not even thinking about buying it. Secondly (replying also to some other people), it's no mystery piracy increased in these years, there's so much speculation about videogames. Really, they now touch 80 euros, for middle class people is really a serious expense when you're gaining something like 1200 euros per month. This is so over-exaggerated, they're meking tons of money anyway. Anyway do not despair, EA made a huge mistake: they had let Maxis finish Simcity 4 on their own, gifting us this great game. SC4 is here to stay, for many years. Like societies badly failed, this one will as well. Well, fail for the hardcore fans... it is will be a commercial success anyway, as EA aims only to one thing: $

[Jim14409 448]

Most games that I have experienced do not get better with new releases. They become very different games in many instances which does two things. It alienates the loyal purchaser and player of that game and it also attracts new players who do not have the former quality game to compare.

To those putting out these games, money is money whomever it comes from and loyalty counts for little if anything.

For me, I'm thinking it might be wise to not put much hope in the new release or get caught up in the hype and spare myself a lot of frustration. I don't intend to buy (if at all) until the game has been out and the reviews are in.

Really, I hope it is the best SC ever, but I doubt it will be so I am prepared for another Societies flop. (I did not like that game!!)

[Moskva 75]

Do not trust gaming reviews, they're easily corrupted, like anything else. Try the demo or get it in some way *i can't tell*.

[Bipin 3,403]

If EA does not come to a resolution where our cities will be able to saved onto our own computers by the time the servers are shut down, I don't see any reason why I should buy(more like rent) this game from EA. I want my works of art to be alive as long a I want them to, someone else cannot and will not have the power to tell me when I should smash my sculpture I built a few years ago upon the floor and throw it away, so to speak.