Simcity 4 isnt that great...

[patpatty45 17]

I recently started to play simcity 4 after beta 2 and the game honestly isnt that great. My cities feel very dead unlike the ones in the beta where i could actually zoom into street level and see actual citizens doing everyday things. This is what makes the game so great. Simcity (2013) is able to stimulate a living and breathing city. It may be on smaller maps but if you think about it the game is a true city simulator. A city simulator should simulate a city like Simcity (2013) and not like Simcity 4 which is boring and static.

[Towel 76]

I recently started to play simcity 4 after beta 2 and the game honestly isnt that great. My cities feel very dead unlike the ones in the beta where i could actually zoom into street level and see actual citizens doing everyday things. This is what makes the game so great. Simcity (2013) is able to stimulate a living and breathing city. It may be on smaller maps but if you think about it the game is a true city simulator. A city simulator should simulate a city like Simcity (2013) and not like Simcity 4 which is boring and static.

 

I had a similar experience. I still had SimCity 4 installed on my machine and just had not played it in a long time. Going back to it, I find it really hard to enjoy.

 

SimCity 4 is a map ... Whereas I feel the new SimCity is a real city.

[patpatty45 17]

ya to me Simcity 4 feals dead. We may not be able to have huge maps but I feel as if its a great trade of for the ability to build a living city that behaves and runs like an actual city!

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

I really agree, after playing the beta and now playing SC4 there really is no comparison; SC4 is so static and dull compared to the new Simcity. The new Simcity is breathe of fresh air and I can't wait to get my hands on the full version come the 8th of March!

[dysonraf 37]

Totally agree. Just can't wait for game so I can play it instead of just reading about it and been beaten down by the boo boys

[flyer2359 92]

I agree.  After the first beta I went back to SC4 for a little bit and I found myself somewhat bored in comparison.

[Haljackey 17,398]

I can't really see a comparison here... If you're thinking SC4 has the same features SC13 has you're going to be disappointed.

-On the contrary, if you're thinking SC13 has the same features SC4 has you're going to be disappointed.

 

They're two different games. SC13 is a reboot, not a successor to SC4. Also remember 10 years have passed...

[Spatzimaus 77]

I did the same thing.  SimCity 4 was fun, but it had some fundamental weak points that kept me from really enjoying it now that I've seen something more advanced.  We've talked to death about the abuses of tile transitions in SC4 (putting all your really filthy industry, dumps, power plants, etc. on an adjacent map to your big city), but the real problem was one of... let's call it "isolation".

 

In SC4, areas hit an equilibrium at high density.  As long as you had the right density of schools, police, fire stations, etc., each area of your city would be "done" and you'd move on to the next.  At that point, the completed area only served to add income to your overall city, and required no input on your part.  This was the fundamental weakness of the circular coverage model used by the various services; no matter what you did outside the circle, the part inside never changed.  Whereas, in SC2013, it's much more complicated; you might be better off with two half-developed clinics instead of one super-clinic simply because of the reduced ambulance travel time, and areas will constantly develop through various wealth/density stages.  So it looks like in this new game, you'll never hit that point where a region can be safely ignored as being "done", which means more stuff for the player to micromanage.

[craigio86 12]

We mustn't forget that Simcity 4 is now over 10 years old, so comparisons to the new Simcity are a little unfair.

 

That said, I was never a fan of it.  In pre-release screenshots, it looked fantastic and I bought it on release day with very high hopes.  After a decade, I've still never managed to use the game the create my vision.  The gameplay was over-complicated and lacked entertainment value.  Although the game, and the Rush Hour expansion, brought many, many things that weren't present in Simcity 3000, I never managed to develop the enthusiasm and love for the game that I did with the predecessor.

[Titanicbuff 1,262]

I've seen the new SC in videos- doesn't look that great- also the state I live in has a huge blind spot in the internet-  and will NOT be fooled into thinking the new one is better. In fact SC4 is Sim city perfected and I am tuely able to do what I want with my cities. So if a person isn't able to get it the way they invisioned there city, they aren't trying hard enough.

[craigio86 12]

So if a person isn't able to get it the way they invisioned there city, they aren't trying hard enough.

 

That's exactly what I didn't like - the fact that it required so much effort. And it wasn't what I'd call challenging and rewarding effort.  I always felt I was just slogging away, fiddling with minute micro-management.  With Simcity 3000, I could build what I wanted to and still enjoy the experience because the gameplay was fun - granted, it probably wouldn't still be as engaging 14 years down the line. 

[patpatty45 17]

I just feel that now because ten years have passed the new SImcity will obviously be more superior and more developed. Simcity has  much better graphics and a FAR superior engine thus making it a better game. The people who complain about the game only look at the outside and not the inside. They do not see that the engine will always be a more fundamental part to game play then the space between cities. The people who complain about simicty are the people who spend hours building a city but do not enjoy the actual city and only like looking at it. I want a city that is alive and enjoyable. No body wants to micro manage for hours and look into such small details. The people who complain claim to be speaking for the entire simtropolis community while this topic has just said that not everyone feels that way. I feel that the new Simcity will be a great success and the people who say are boycotting it will just miss out on a great game and not be missed because all they do is complain. Its funny how the complainers seem to be such a small part of the hard core city building community yet they speak a if everyone hates the game! The game looks great and will be so much fun to play!

[Bazkur 34]

When I read the subject line, the first thought that came to mind was "off with his head!".  But after reading it I certainly see where you are coming from.  I too enjoy SimCity2013 but I try to look at it as a completely different game as not to detract from the allure of SC4.  Actually after playing the Beta the first round I immediately went back to playing SC4 for the first time in probably a year.  I still love the game and I figure I'll probably be playing both on a regular basis.

[patpatty45 17]

Totally agreed! I think people should just realize that Simcity is a great game and that they should really stop complaining. Everyone sees them as annoying and honestly your not going to change anything and your voice really has no power so...

[nhgriffith 179]

Also I live off of disability

What does this have to do with anything?

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

I can't really see a comparison here... If you're thinking SC4 has the same features SC13 has you're going to be disappointed.

-On the contrary, if you're thinking SC13 has the same features SC4 has you're going to be disappointed.

 

They're two different games. SC13 is a reboot, not a successor to SC4. Also remember 10 years have passed...

Call it whatever you want but SC 2013 is the evolution of the SC series, once we have contiguous city tiles, terraforming and larger city tiles, SC4 will become a relic just like that of SC2000 and 3000.

[cirugo 1,889]

debatable but SimCity (2013) is worse.

[chimeran 208]

I just feel that now because ten years have passed the new SImcity will obviously be more superior and more developed. Simcity has  much better graphics and a FAR superior engine thus making it a better game. The people who complain about the game only look at the outside and not the inside. They do not see that the engine will always be a more fundamental part to game play then the space between cities. The people who complain about simicty are the people who spend hours building a city but do not enjoy the actual city and only like looking at it. I want a city that is alive and enjoyable. No body wants to micro manage for hours and look into such small details. The people who complain claim to be speaking for the entire simtropolis community while this topic has just said that not everyone feels that way. I feel that the new Simcity will be a great success and the people who say are boycotting it will just miss out on a great game and not be missed because all they do is complain. Its funny how the complainers seem to be such a small part of the hard core city building community yet they speak a if everyone hates the game! The game looks great and will be so much fun to play!

 

 

speak for yourself, i love the challenge of micro managing. not all games have to be fast paced to grab someone's attention and SC4 makes a great diversion and those that complain that SC4 is static try building on a regional level by envisioning the whole map and how it will look unlike the reboot which determines what the map will be. watching your sims run around is a nice touch but it's only eye candy.  john carter was disney's attempt to enter the eye candy department and it didn't work out so well for them.  some people love SC4 and some will love SC2K13 but just remember when the eye candy wears off unless there's a good plot your fascination will end and you will return to the classic that EA tried to replace

[Kythlyn 80]

Wow... this is a surprisingly civil conversation considering the subject line!

 

I also agree with what has been said, for the most part. I do still find SimCity 4 to be fun though and I think that it really is "that great." ...but I still can't wait for the new one!

[jeremyp1223 8]

Im willing to give sc2013 a try, but i feel from the beta that its a game that can be beaten. So what do you do when you finish all the scenerios, wait to pay 30 dollars for more. I seen alot of these posts lately and noone is gonna change their minds about anything till they have there hands on the full game. I like to be creative and with sc4 the options are almost unlimited to what i can do, but all the screenshots im seeing from sc2013 look the same.

[The_City_Builder 299]

After playing for nearly 6 years the game is starting to get boring. I still remember the day I got Sim City 4; how much I played it. I was only what, 7? I was proud that I managed to get 100 people.

 

I have modded my Sim City 4 game like crazy, and my mods folder is nearly 6 gigabytes in size. But I really, really think it's time for this new SimCity, because from what I've played in the beta, the game is amazing. 

 

But you're right. Vanilla Sim City 4 is boring. It tried to be realistic but ultimately failed; it had dull colors and a grim setting, The music is what kept me wanting to play it I think.

[Cefien 361]

What makes SC4 still live for ten years is none other than custom contents. The existence of the STEX is what make SC4 great. Without it, it's just another simulator game. I'm a huge fan of SC4 but i have to admit it. Most people around here doubt about SimCity 2013. Well, i'm just gonna say, give the game some time to show off. It's still even beta, but people are so.....judgmental. However, i do dissapointed about the game being online. That's just add another limitation to the game. I'm sure, people with no internet connection would've agree with me.

[Spatzimaus 77]

Im willing to give sc2013 a try, but i feel from the beta that its a game that can be beaten.

 

Let's say you're playing a demo of SimCity 4 that only lets you play for one hour, and includes no mods or expansion.  You come away from it feeling like it's just not a challenging game, because you never ran out of money.  And what's the point of building parks or landmark buildings, when you never hit any kind of caps on demand?  Sure, they might look pretty, but they don't DO anything.  And really, no subways, highways, or mass transit?

 

Now fast forward to SC2013, and look at it in a similar way.  If all you've played is the one-hour weekend beta events, then you shouldn't even come close to believing you can "beat" the game, because you were playing a very artificial version of the game.  Just as in SC4, the challenge begins once the initial "grace period" runs out; the only difference is in what that period is defined by.  In SC4, that grace period was defined by your starting cash and the base demand caps, while in SC2013 it's more about education levels and the various other types of infrastructure.  Sure, you made nice profits in those beta events, but you weren't even trying to develop the sort of infrastructure necessary for the more advanced industries (like universities), and low-density housing doesn't require nearly as much medical, fire, or police coverage.  Once you hit the point where you have to manage all of those things to progress, then it'll be a challenge.

[_marsh_ 1,118]

What is an opinion? 

[Huston 5,800]

The day I give is SC2013 a chance is when they get rid of the tedious online only gameplay despite paying $100 for the game you'd expect able to play anywhere and add MMPs which is such a basic element to add to the game. To me without MMPs, the game seems extremely limiting on the city's image and just seems plain boring. Some people may not care, but it kinda destroy's CJers creativity when it comes time for people who not only play SC conventionally but wanna play it with the ability to create a art on a blank canvas, something that SC4 fulfills and SC2013 gravely lacks, which kinda makes every city look the same and less intriuging without MMPs to diversify the look.

Just my take on SC2013, the gameplay though still looks nice in comparison to SC4 but that alone doesn't do enough to even make me bother buying SC2013 unless the pick up on some issues (online only problem probably wouldnt be taken of though so I'll give up on that hope...)

[baertooth 330]

It'll be interesting to see if this thread gets closed or not.

 

Anyways, this isn't about SC4.  This is about making a less than optimal product based on what has already been achieved from the previous titles and learning the lessons SCS and Cities XL should have taught Maxis.

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

They are both very different in their own rights. It's very hard to compare two games, developed over the space of ten years. The main reason for a series 'reboot' is due to dramatic advances in technology. Therefore, it's obviously going to be vastly different and totally incomparable to SimCity 4.

 

However, longevity is what will determine the future success of SimCity. The big question is, will it be sustainable over the next ten years?

[nataniels3 61]

Why can't we just say that they both are great? While SimCIty4 isn't as "alive" as SC2013, it has its perks. In it, you can build a city that visually rivals Chicago or Tokyo, a city could have large commercial/ industrial areas and still have lots of empty space; and when in region view, the cities would blend into a megalopolis. Meanwhile, in SC2013, decisions have more immediate consequences. Not bad traffic slows garbage pickup, ambulances,police and coal delivery. It could really affect a city''s economy. And the global  market is cool too. It will be nice to see how millions of individual players will deal with supply and demand. For example, some idiot puts all their city into say, fuel and the price plummets due to other people making lots of fuel. How they will react would be priceless and I can't wait for the city journals to come out.

[zulhirosue 4]

both game born in different era and idea.. u cannot compare it.. 

[lhrob 213]

I think it's amazing how everyone was singing the praises of Simcity 4 up until the time Simcity 2013 was announced, and now suddenly SC4 is a boring.