SC2013, SC4 Content and Simtropolis

[Fantozzi 4,067]

First: Sorry for my bad english.

Second: Sorry, if I posted this in the wrong place

I startet playing SC4 four or five Years ago - only once, by incident, I saw how the Base Game looks like but I always palyed it with Add-ons like NAM, RHW etc. I never knew it "naked". From my point of view it is this wonderful community here that kept this game interesting. I know it is a Maxis-Game, but if I look on the content of my game I must say, that I play a "maxis-based Simtropolis-Game" or something like that. I hope you know what I want to express.

I think that I will have no emotional problems to change my sc4 to a sc2013 fitting my W7-System perhaps better. But I'm really worried about all this wonderfull contributions you made over the years - the effort you put in here to keep this game alive more than 10 years without Maxis.

There are some developers that have disappeared during those years but I still use their content - and I love it. I'm really worried about the question what will happen to this content.

My question is:

Will all this community effort an the content contributed be obsolete? Will I be able to convert this content or is there a chance to "rebuild" it?

How should we behave - for example - on those spectacular buildings which developers have disappeared? Simply forget them now and look forward?

As you see - the anouncement oft SC2013 made me very nostalgic.

So perhaps my final question should be: Are these silly questions?

  Edited June 17, 2012 by fantozzi  

[alexbill 77]

Well , it's mostly obsolete for now, as Maxis is probably going to release BATs after the release of SC2013. I hope that with the BATs they release some kind of convertor.

[jlt122 46]

Fantozzi, you raise some very good questions and not one of them is silly. As for myself I am not entirely impressed with new simcity. I have been playing Simcity 4 since it came out and the other previous simcities from before and the game has gotten better each time. Simcity 4, in my opinion has been the best and still is. There is no other game like it and there isn't any other game to my knowledge that you could do so much with and add onto. Some will say that has been what has kept this game alive for all these years but there are still some people around making new lots and bats for this old game and since the programs are still out there for people to still add new content to Simcity 4 I wouldn't entirely write it off just yet.

If the developers keep to their word about letting us make our own designs in the new Simcity, then hopefully some of the buildings here can be brought over but when you get right down to it, it's up to you, me and those here who want to keep the custom content and upgrade it into a new simcity if they give us ability to do it.

Right now it's a wait and see type of deal.

  Edited June 17, 2012 by jlt122  

[Ocram's Razr 963]

1. SimCity 4 custom content cannot be transferred into a 3D environment so SimCity 4 content in which the developers have disappeared will eventually be forgotten.

2. If the makers of a piece of custom content for SimCity 4 are still around, they could conceivably practice SimCity 2013 custom content creation by making Cities XL content.

[Vahr 341]

It all depends on if the author still has their original model files (pre-export), and if they're still around.

If they've lost the model files or aren't around anymore, no dice.

[bixel 1,223]

about 95% of my original Max Model files are still here - so I expect I should be able to do something new with them.

[jpjoe 29]

Building appearances are now more simulation-driven.

So get ready for a major change.

[Essex 322]

I have this feeling SC2013 will be more "DLC" driven than community mod driven.... EA will make sure of that.

[Fantozzi 4,067]

about 95% of my original Max Model files are still here - so I expect I should be able to do something new with them.

I'm so glad to read that. Changes nostalgia in optimism.

have this feeling SC2013 will be more "DLC" driven than community mod driven.... EA will make sure of that.

If I was Maxis (if I look on my bank account I'm pretty shure I'm not) I would follow the same strategy as with sims 2. I wouldn't put all features in the base game but sell expansion packs adding functionality (new transport systems i.e.) . Imho this was working best - as there was custom content that needed those expensions packs, the custom content from the community even helped Maxis to sell their things. They chanced this in sims 3 and as I noticed sims3 hadn't the same success. I personally think it's possible that both is working hand in hand. Depends on Maxis not on the community. But things are different now with online role games and the cloud than it was back in 2003. They look at markets. I look at the fun. So the thinking is different.

For me, personally, this discussion is driven completely unnecessarily by software industry. Maybe they are thinking one game is one product. But isn't a game a concept, an idea - and it could be realized in several products? So - why don't satisfy different needs and sell even more with different products? They could learn it from Bill Gates. He's selling different Types of Windows - but at least it's allways windows with slightly different functionality. Or look at shoe manufactors - they produce shoes for home, for outdoor, for business, they produce shoes for all kind of needs. And software industries can't do that? They wan't me to tell I have to stay outdoor if I'm wearing their shoes?

I know, this discussion was not created by us, the users, so why should I participate in it - as it seems completely silly to me. If they aren't able to produce shoes that fit on my feet I won't change my feet. They have to think over if they are able to fullfill needs. So the discussion, "should we do it this way or should whe do it that way" (i. e.: should we open it for thrid party content or not) sets up a completely wrong direction when you easly can have both. Maybe the reason ist that in this circles you can only think "yes or no" but

aren't allowed to think "yes and no". Why the first question is allways "what is better - this or that." Shouldn't the first question be: "Can we have both? Can we do it all?

But I don't mind. It's not my business. I keep looking for shoes that are fitting my feet. It's up to them thinking about it. I shouldn't argue at all. Especially when I compare my bank account to theirs.

  Edited June 19, 2012 by fantozzi  

[Essex 322]

about 95% of my original Max Model files are still here - so I expect I should be able to do something new with them.

I'm so glad to read that. Changes nostalgia in optimism.

have this feeling SC2013 will be more "DLC" driven than community mod driven.... EA will make sure of that.

If I was Maxis (if I look on my bank account I'm pretty shure I'm not) I would follow the same strategy as with sims 2. I wouldn't put all features in the base game but sell expansion packs adding functionality (new transport systems i.e.) . Imho this was working best - as there was custom content that needed those expensions packs, the custom content from the community even helped Maxis to sell their things. They chanced this in sims 3 and as I noticed sims3 hadn't the same success. I personally think it's possible that both is working hand in hand. Depends on Maxis not on the community. But things are different now with online role games and the cloud than it was back in 2003. They look at markets. I look at the fun. So the thinking is different.

For me, personally, this discussion is driven completely unnecessarily by software industry. Maybe they are thinking one game is one product. But isn't a game a concept, an idea - and it could be realized in several products? So - why don't satisfy different needs and sell even more with different products? They could learn it from Bill Gates. He's selling different Types of Windows - but at least it's allways windows with slightly different functionality. Or look at shoe manufactors - they produce shoes for home, for outdoor, for business, they produce shoes for all kind of needs. And software industries can't do that? They wan't me to tell I have to stay outdoor if I'm wearing their shoes?

I know, this discussion was not created by us, the users, so why should I participate in it - as it seems completely silly to me. If they aren't able to produce shoes that fit on my feet I won't change my feet. They have to think over if they are able to fullfill needs. So the discussion, "should we do it this way or should whe do it that way" (i. e.: should we open it for thrid party content or not) sets up a completely wrong direction when you easly can have both. Maybe the reason ist that in this circles you can only think "yes or no" but

aren't allowed to think "yes and no". Why the first question is allways "what is better - this or that." Shouldn't the first question be: "Can we have both? Can we do it all?

But I don't mind. It's not my business. I keep looking for shoes that are fitting my feet. It's up to them thinking about it. I shouldn't argue at all. Especially when I compare my bank account to theirs.

If you keep looking for good shoes, you'll find them. It's harder to find good games these days, but still, like you, I'm looking. Doesn't take away your metaphor makes sense if it wasn't for me believing in a world where Simcity 5 could actually be a worthy successor to Simcity 4.

  Edited June 19, 2012 by Essex