! Suggest Maps to Maxis !

[Greyflame 54]

Hey folks. I have a feeling I might take some flack for this, but Maxis has stated pretty clearly that terraforming will be a developer-side mission (they make the maps). And while I'm not explicitly heartbroken to be losing terraforming from SC4, I imagine there are a handful of us out there who have specific maps dear to our hearts. So I was thinking ... just because Maxis is designing the maps for us, doesn't mean we can't shoot some ideas at them :3

Is there a map you REALLY, REALLLLY want in the game? Post it here! Maybe a lucky few of us will see our layouts make it into the game. Heck, it might be neat if Maxis did contests or something for a chance to get your map in. And while I hate to give even MORE reasons for us to be nickle-and-dimed / DLCed to death, I could picture a limited-supplies sort of special offer order that includes the team working your map in. This way, Maxis gets to make sure the maps are balanced for multiplayer use while still giving players creative imput. Wishful thinking? Probably. But if nothing else, it gives us a chance to share some maps. Or something. Anywho, you get the idea!

SO HERE'S MINE:

(I would have just taken an SC4 screenshot, but since the camera doesn't do straight-down shots, it was hard to represent the exact dimensions without a drawing.)

I've used this basic little delta island longer than I've used a computer (I just designed on paper prior to SimCity, haha). It features a small central mountain with three "blades" extending out in a triangle, providing a natural way to divvy up the city into 3 distinct districts. I usually like to put industry up in the north-east wing, using the west wing for suburban sprawl and/or agriculture, and putting commerce and services on the plateau in the south east.

The island has relatively little land area, making grid arrangements difficult and encouraging creative road placement. It would also have few natural resources of its own, but its placement between ocean or lake on the east and a river to the west make it a prime location for seaports, marinas, and maritime tourism.

  Edited October 8, 2012 by Greyflame  

[mapboy 106]

Very good idea!

I don't see any reason why Maxis can't reach out for map ideas or hold a competition.

I can still see Maxis releasing a region-creator sometime in the future. I actually feel that this would be more useful than city-centric terraforming tools. I often have issues in SC4 when I want to recoline one edge, but not the other and region-wide terraforming is such a chore that I resort to the pre-made regions.

A region-creator would also allow us to place highways and rail where we want, which would be nice. These networks are better designed at the region-level anyway.

[Greyflame 54]

I definitely agree that if they eventually put terraforming controls in our hands that they'd be best implemented at the regional scale instead of the city scale. Reconciling edges ... well ... it just never worked very well. Importing maps worked a bit better, but I always felt like I had to basically hack the game to get a working custom region. So a continuous regional terrain goes a long way regardless of who's doing the terraforming.

[kwetzel345 101]

mapboy, I hope you are right! I myself would also really enjoy a region creator for the same reasons you listed. It would also allow us to put tiles right next to each other and maybe that could make it look like a big city, since large maps seem to be out of the question)=

Although, having both would be a dream made in heaven. One will dream

[BlackVenomSC 0]

Can you link me to where they say they'll be doin' the ditch diggin'? If region/terrain design isn't an option for us, forget the game. 4 gave us terraforming, 5 shouldn't be taking that away, but expanding on it.

But, on topic; they should include basic plains-style maps for beginners and such. Also should include a region creator.

[Urban Cartographer 601]

Please add as well.

Another thing, if there is no large scale terraforming, then no SC5 for me.

  Edited October 8, 2012 by Urban Cartographer  

[kwetzel345 101]

Black Venon SC, I don't like the idea either, but maxis stated a long time ago thst terrforming is under there control. I'm not sure exatcly where they said that so I wouldn't know where to look? But concering the fact this game is multiplayer, you could kinda imagine why they did not leave that up to us)=

Could you imagine what regions would look like, it would be a patchwork of half moutains and discounted streams and oceans. It would be actually quite funny looking, don't you agree.

[RoseCityAlive 9]

Windsor/Detroit! a real life version of the new SC. neighbors crime, pollution can spread to other cities, and one cities success and affect the others. Also people travel from one city (and country) to the other for work, events, fun and to access things like travel (airports and trains) Windsor and Detroit is the new Simcity

[Wiimeiser 444]

Gensokyo Just look up maps on the STEX or something, I can't think of anything right now.

[Screwballl 196]

They should look at our STEX and take the top 20 most downloaded maps to include them in the game