Future of SimCity Official Discussion Thread

[lrfox 2]

Alright... I just skimmed through this and figured i'd add a few more general and what i think would be realistic ideas for an expansion or SC5.

First, I think a new level of housing should be adopted. I like the High, Medium, and Low density settings, but i think one should be made that's suburban. this would be slightly denser than low denisity, but not as dense as medium. i think it would act as a better segway between the two as i have a hard time transitioning between the two in my games.

Along the lines of that topic was something i read in another thread about subdevelopment. I think it should be included in the game as a private sector. like a really large suburban zone (or low density assuming my first suggestion is not used) would have the capability of having 15-20 homes on a private transit enabled road that would grow in depending on demand, just like a house or apartment would grow in in the game now.

To compliment this, there should be a suburban commercial zone. The low density one should be fore ma and pop stores that would be the center of a small village, town, or even the center of a certain neighborhood in town. you know, main street USA style. a suburban zone could contain the large chain retailers, your home depot, best buy, strip malls, gas stations, etc. my plugins folder is jam packed with stuff like this from the STX, i think it would add to the game if the two were separated.

Finally, I think that there should be some buildings that were combined commercial and residential. i'm not talking multi-purpose skyscrapers. in the center of small towns, the 2nd and 3rd floors of commercial downtown buildings are usually apartments, and in larger cities, the stores that line the busy avenues outside of the central business district usually have tenants on the floors above street level. for example, Boston's Newbury Street, New York's Greenwich Village, Soho, Miami Beach, these areas all have large avenues with stores on street level and tenants in the same building. why can't that be in place in a new SC game.

I would also like to say i agree on the walking distance thing. one or two city blocks is a terrible maximum walking distance this needs to be changed. another option would be taxi services as part of a commercial economy. they could be more inclined to develop in larger cities with traffic problems. why not? and for high wealth commerce, limo services, this could change the way traffic flows in the game.

sorry for the novel and if i stole any ideas, i appologize, i read through the thread to cover everything but if i missed something, sorry.

[BIF 0]

I'm here on my once-every-6-months journey for news and water.

I'm not convinced that there will be a SC5, but if there is, I'd like to see the following changes:

 

1)  Multi-level water and surface water.

2)  A water table, where we can sink water wells.

3)  A less-tedious way of managing water.  I hate laying pipes, even if they're only every 11 tiles or so.  That's still too tedious.  I'd rather clean my toilet.  Make the job less tedious by giving us an auto-pipe button or tool.

 

 

3)  Natural resources at different places in our regions.  Like oil, coal, diamonds, iron ore, plutonium, fresh water.

4)  Let us manage those resources.  In God mode/Region we can select unlimited or constrained.  For example, under constrained, we would need to have our cities adopt mass-transit and alternative fuel sources, or we could run out of oil.

 

 

If I get those items above, I'd be happy, and I promise I'll shut up about Earth-orbiting cities and underground/undersea cities.....

[godsend 1]

I would like to see custom made building styles like from Simgoober allowed.

I would also like less resource requirements needed to run the game. Sometime game is sluggish. A person should not need top line everything to play a game.

I like to see My Sim menus for the buildings where you click and instead of scrolling down you can have like 6 buildings showing across the screen at once then allow you to scroll.

This would make it easy to find things.

I would also like to have a undo button when transforming land.

[FreewayofFlight 41]

Heres a list of what I want in SC5...

 

1. Dual-Left/right turn lanes

2. The return of Floods and Hurricanes from SC2K

3. A more diverse selection of highways and roads, etc. (Like divided highways for rural areas, maybe 8 laned, VVVV^^^^, with an HOV land in the cities, etc.)

4. For TRUCKS and BUSSES to STAY OUT OF RESIDENTAL AREAS! That is real annoying!

 

That's all for now, I might add more

[Creathir 3]

Registrant:
ELECTRONIC ARTS
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94065
US

Domain Name: SIMCITYWORLD.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
ELECTRONIC ARTS hostmaster2@ea.com
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94065
US
+1.6506281500 fax: +1.6506281331

Record expires on 06-Mar-2007.
Record created on 06-Mar-2000.
Database last updated on 13-Dec-2005 13:19:33 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS.CLUBSIM.NET 159.153.194.14
SWDNS.EA.COM 159.153.197.89
SEDNS.EA.COM 159.153.229.89

Registry Status: REGISTRAR-LOCK

quote>

This is the registration info for the simcityworld.com website that were in the new pics from this thread:
https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=71577

Maxis EA owns that site...
 - Creahtir

[GDDan 4]

i found this picture on a website when i searched SimCity.

 

Could this be the early stages of SC5 or some other city simulator?

 

It looks like the city of Shanghai

[Badfish301 60]

Date: 12/13/2005 9:25:25 PM Author: GDDan

i found this picture on a website.

Could this be the early stages of SC5 or some other city simulator?

It looks like the city of Shanghai

Obscenity deleted. that picture is obviously a model of shanghai. You can even see florescent lights reflecting in the river.

If you are going to call someone retarted, consider spelling it right so you achieve a greater impact. Otherwise, you may just look stupid.

-SIMp

[nadavs 2]

A sad thing happened today. The Sim City website celebrated its not-up-to-date anniversary. They have 2 more important dates coming to do something about it, or I think the game is totally dead.
nadavs

[+Guest]

I think a key difference is going to be development over time.

Think of one key difference between The Sims 1 and The Sims 2. In the original you could build up your sims job, wealth, house etc, but the sim didn't change. In The Sims 2 your sims did change - from toddlers to children through to elders.

Spore is doing something similar, as you grow from amoeba through to hunter gathers to interstellar civ.

So I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar in SimCity 5, with cities starting out at 1700 or 1800 (with appropriate industries, transport systems etc) and then developing through to modern (or future?) times.

[jonoboo 6]

them images off skyscraper place are fake:

http://www.cityofarabia.ae/dubailand.htm

they from here ^

 

[Harlequin_666 17]

I'm amazed at you guys/gals!!!

The #1 thing you and Simtropolis should want?

 

An SDK(Software Developers Kit).

 

Then you wouldn't have to hack and slash to see what number do, how to do animations, etc etc...

 

[Yoda 0]

I have not read through everything posted here so excuse me if this has been posted.

 

I would like to see a fuel system in the next game with plopable garages and fuel lines. You should adjust fuel prices and tax on fuel.

[Harlequin_666 17]

Doesn't mean that they'll use simcityworld.com. It was created in 2000, so it's been sitting there for 5 years.

Lots of big companies buy up other domains just so people can't grab them to put up one of those cheezy redirect/pay/link sites.

[dtrcity 0]

ok can someone make tasks to do in the game . e.g certain population or host major sports events? then i won't get bored of it.

[winonanick 0]

improved region play, great start but can be improved

no more landmarks - rarely use them, waste of memory IMO

 

more zone options - university, hospital, airport, seaport, park

 

improve the terrain editor, SC4's I find to be difficult to work with.

 

Less absolute power for the mayor, make the sims much more demanding, we want more schools, no new taxes. 

 

Maybe even a city council to deal with

 

Okay the last two are a bit of fantasy, and probably unworkable.

 

but yes improved region play, more zonable buildings, improved terrain editor, are good places to improve, and please don't dumb it down as reports have been claiming...

[allan_kuan1992 6]

Here is evidence of a new SimCity in development... This was copied from the SimCityTalk Forums ( http://www.simcitytalk.com/ ), and so credit for the information goes to them...

 

Will Wright confirms SimCity sequel  29/09/2005

Posted By: Erik

Sims creator Will Wright has confirmed that a new SimCity title is in development, telling the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, We're about to come out with a new direction for it. No word on what it might be, but it's clear from Wright's comments that he wants to create a different sort of sequel this time.

SimCity kind of worked itself into a corner, he said during E3. It had gotten a little complicated for people who had never played SimCity. We want to take it back to its roots where somebody who had never heard of SimCity can pick it up and enjoy playing it without thinking it was really, really hard, he added.

It's not the first we've heard of a new SimCity. Luc Barthelet, general manager of Sims/SimCity developer Maxis, has previously mentioned on French television that work began on SimCity 5 as early as January 2004, although at the time Maxis PR attempted to shush it up by claiming, any speculation as to SimCity 5 is premature.

 

Another piece of evidence can be found here: http://lucb.com/blog/?cat=1&paged=1 and http://lucb.com/blog/?cat=1&paged=2

Allan

 

[6459978. 106]

I've been cautious of commenting on the SC5 claims because I generally don't think that they are warranted, but the one posted above is at worst a good attempt at a forgery. The name LucB seems to refer to Luc Barthelet, the general manager of Maxis (whether or not he would have an active role in coding SC5 is beyond me.) The pictures are intriguing, but are from a variety of non SimCity sources. The only in game pic could easily have been fabricated in MS Paint. But who really knows. If anyone is any good at internet sleuthing it might be enlightening to trace that blog to its source...

[allan_kuan1992 6]

MY WISH LIST FOR SIMCITY 5:

-Improve the Auto-Reconcile feature so that buildings and roads that are far from the reconciliation site are not affected by the earth movement.

-Break up the grid squares into 1 meter by 1 meter sections.

-Add the ability to have water exist and be saved above the water table.

-Add a larger variety of trees that can be selected and placed in God Mode.

-Add the ability to make depressions up to 4 metres.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Fix the glitch that causes the 2x2 of garbage to be the hardest to destroy.

-Fix the problems with the zones that cause No Access zots to appear even though the zone has proper access.

-Add multi-purpose zoning to reflect today's muti-use buildings.

-Add the ability to

[poops2u 2]

This is an idea of mine for building specific networks and utilities, such as subways, bus lines, and water pipes.

I was thinking that maybe in the next Simcity they could incorporate a tool that would allow you to print out a road map of your city, and then draw, in say, black, a specific network type, including stations. Then, you could scan that image back, and the game would read what you drew and build that transit network for you.

This would would work similar to those scantron sheets, the ones where you use a pencil to black in the circle of your answer, which is then read by a specific scanner. However, for this technique, the game would read the scanned drawing and intepret it as a network or utility, while the scanner would merely scan (so yeah, you'd need a scanner for this to work).

For example, I would first print out a road map of my city or region. I would check a box saying the map was for subways, and then draw (black lines would be track, while circles would be stations. Then, I would scan it back, load it into the game, and wait while it processed the information and built that network. This may prove much more realistic and much easier than laying every track, pipe etc., and would also allow for realistic routes.

-P2P

[Superchan 23]

thats a good idea, but it would be nice to have digital form, where you can download maps, and scan maps without printing and edit them, that would save some time, and save money.

[toxicpiano 125]

well some guy posted this:

http://lucb.com/blog/index.php?s=Simcity+5

and the thread was closed.

if its legitimate, the 'test' as he states looks like the city sizes, like the oned we have now. however its quite suprising that maxis would let an employee post openly what they are working on. however it may be without there knowledge, so we cant be sure if its real at this stage, we can only watch.

the blog itself is quite interesting, and appears to end at the article ARRGGHHH server crash, he posts a picture of a prototype that he made before the apparent crash, it looks kinda like what the pathing tool makes roads look like. have a look for yourself. most interesting is when he posts two pics, one of tapei 101 and another of a different modern building, his comment is:

These two make me wonder how we could integrate the building architect tool in the game itself. I want to make those buildings while I play.

another comment this time on google maps

Google maps are pretty cool. They raise the bar on what we can do. At the same time they invite for new features

also the writer mentions a 3D program, i checked their site and apparently they have sold their software to EA on occasion.

Legit? well wait and see.

 

[JasonW 0]

Please, if anyone from Maxis is reading this, consider bringing out the next SimCity on consoles like the 360 as well as PC.   After all of the headaches I had with SC4 running on my PC, I'd much prefer a console version over a PC. I think the time is right for these type of strategy games to make a dent in the console market.  

[lakeyboy 12]

I seriously hope this is real. I love those two pictures posted of the Tram Superstop. Very realistic like Melbournes. I also hope it is the real Luc B from Maxis posting them.

[jackel.22 3]

i support most of the idead posted about a 'better' simcity 5

however i dont liek the idea of resources. they would turn the game into empire earth or age of empires. that would kill it.

 

all they need to do is work on the content (maybe release 4 discs like the sims2?)

 

graphic wise, im not to bothered with what they do. ok 3d looks cool but how many computers would be able to run it on cheata speed without lag??? i quite like the graphics as they are now. 3d would only be an added bonus for me. i wouldnt buy the game for it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I find myself welded thoroughly to SC4. I would like to see a comprehensive bug-fix pack of some kind. There are many acknowleged reported bugs that, while they are minor annoyances, are (still) annoyances.

Perhaps a few trusted sites (e.g. Simtropolis) could be granted source licences to fix these problems.

For SC5, I would like to see a more community-based development. That is, don't release SC5 per se, but an SC5 developers kit to trusted sites and users under a non-disclosure agreement with a central site that is supervised by EA/Maxis. When the development is at a good point, package it and release it as SC5. The development team could then be goaled either with an EP or SC6.

For those of you who think this won't work, look at Wikipedia, Open Office, or GIMP.

[121759 2]

I realize that everyone thinks that the blog is attributed to Luc Barthelet (LucB) but a better source would be Lucy Bradshaw - one of the primary designers. Okay, that will be my contribution to this speculative mystery.

[+Guest]

Why are people saying there wont be a Sim City 5? Maxis did ysa something about after promoting the Sims, they'd get into another City game. I've also heard talk of this new technology taking over from the original and being applied for SC5. So y are people saying their wont be a new game?HAs MAxis said anyhing to fuel thins assumption?

[phillyb86 0]

i would love to see better zoning, eg. be able to decide what wealth a block of houses is going to be, whether you want dirty industry on one side of a city and high tech on the other side. as other people have said i wouldl ike to see the power system re done as it is to unrealistic.

actually have cars that don't dissappear, and vehicles that clog up the sides of roads when parking etc etc

 

and as other people have mentioned i would like the sc3k zoning of airports and seaports re introduced and also using this for health/safety/eductation.

 

weather effects would be great aswell as random natural disasters like flooding and random tornadoes, hurricanes, random volcanoes that could errupt at any time etc etc

 

region play should also be improved so regions can connect with each other and each region should be based around its resources like coal, iron, wood etc etc

 

i would love maxis to bring out a sc5 or sim nation whatever it may be called with alot of these ideas mention in this thread

[Fader 0]

SimCity 4, from the box (including RH), was IMO, on the borderlines of being slapped together. Don't get me worng, the game as-is is playable, but when you have a game that can allow you to create such realistic-looking cities, you kinda want it to be a realistic-acting city. Many of the features in the game just aren't pulled off in an intelligent, realistic way... subway stations that are only one tile big, train stations (the default one) that have no platform and are only two tiles wide, civic buildings that serve a finite radius.

By giving us extended custom content creation tools, we've basically finished the game for them. When working on SC5, Maxis (or EA Games) don't need to think about new things they should be adding, they should be stripping down the features they already have and applying more real-world logic to them, as well as taking a good hard look at what we've done with the game.

A new approach to civic buildings.

If you have a large, rural map, but want them to have healthcare, education etc, that meant that each village would require its own little set of civic buildings, because a civic building only serviced a finite area, expandable to a finite radius. My idea is this: taking a school as the example, there is no finite radius, but there is a steady decline in the effectiveness of this school further from it. But also, this should be linked to surrounding population. With a lower population, the degredation of the effectiveness is lower, so its catchment area is much larger.

Mixing business with pleasure... and other combinations.

One of the big advancements I would like to see in the next SimCity is the intermixing of residential, commercial and industrial, among other things. Small shops often have flats above them. Or offices. A manufacturing plant may have its own retail outlet, or a high-tech industry might have offices. A train station often has at least one or two shops. These would of course be extras, that happen automatically, and under certain circumstances (for instance, you wouldn't expect to be able to populate a city using just commercial zoning).

We want complex (most of the time)!

It's the one thing developers hate doing, and the trend (an EA Games) certainly seems to be against this bold move... anti-mainstreaming. We don't want micro-management, we want nano-management. But we also want a game intelligent enough that we can leave it that stuff to do once in a while, without leaving us with a deserted, bankrupt city after a year. Give us a thousand and one different options, sub-menus, graphs, ordinances and so on... but also make sure that we aren't bound by them...

Oh, and all the other stuff everyone else said would be great! (especially curved roads)

[ABCD12345 1]

I want in SC5 is:

Random disasters that occures randomly tho the game like in teh old SC's; heck....sc4's disaster's are CRAP!!

Warning Sirens are cool why did they took it off? its a fun and usefull little tool...

Holidays should occure ingame...liek when is jan 1 you'll see sims lighting firecrackers on the street or something like that

More City Laws!!!!!

New Godmode tools...like stream digger,seasonal trees,

New Weather system like rain,dust storm,heavy fog attacks,acid rains in some polluted parts,snow storms and more

Remove the stupid zone system like in SC4....SC3's zoning is better.

Airports and seaports should be like in SC3;Sc4 seaports and airports are CRAP!!!!!!

Free Camera movement...instead of N,S,W,E and we should pitch teh camera to see FPS view inside your city.

Better UDI system....like in the GTA series

better powerplants...heck...the entire metro manila is powered by 3 power stations and few sub stations...FYI Manila have over 21 million + people

i'll might add more