City Size Too Small? I have a challenge for you:

[kgpurrs 107]

Start a 16 city region, create all 4 great works, have all cities connected to each other in one way or another, and create every single specialization the game has to offer.  Don't do it in Sandbox mode either, earn it.

 

If your multiplayer city size is too small, think outside the box.

 

 

 

 

[Danial-Khan 1]

I definitely think the tile size is small- but there are plenty of areas that you can expand onto, so you are right. 
I just wish they had more variety in size like SC4.

[GenXisT 127]

The thing is.... "you're doing it wrong" comes to mind.

 

When you look at a map of any country or state, anywhere in the world, you don't just see a big grouped city with all the residential, commercial and industry all basically jammed into one place.

 

you see all manner of different aspects that make up a cityscape.

 

here's a top-down view of LA.

 

 

What do you notice here?  All the items i mentioned, plus open space that isn't just randomly place to "separate" the big downtown from another big downtown.  Notice you have more high rise type buildings in the WAY background, but it isn't just arbitrary open space in between.

 

Now if you look at any of the cities in SC5, you'll notice that they're all just clumps of cities.... and there is NOTHING in between... and there's NOTHING you can put there either because what did they forget?  One of the most important portions of designing a beautiful region in SC4!  NO FARMS!!!!!

 

 

or

 

 

or even

 

 

 

Try doing this in SC5.  It doesn't work.

 

It's probably one of the most glaring oversights of the entire game.  Why take this out?

 

You simply cannot make regions like they used to be.

[majortom1981 1]

The thing is.... "you're doing it wrong" comes to mind.

 

When you look at a map of any country or state, anywhere in the world, you don't just see a big grouped city with all the residential, commercial and industry all basically jammed into one place.

 

you see all manner of different aspects that make up a cityscape.

 

here's a top-down view of LA.

 

 

What do you notice here?  All the items i mentioned, plus open space that isn't just randomly place to "separate" the big downtown from another big downtown.  Notice you have more high rise type buildings in the WAY background, but it isn't just arbitrary open space in between.

 

Now if you look at any of the cities in SC5, you'll notice that they're all just clumps of cities.... and there is NOTHING in between... and there's NOTHING you can put there either because what did they forget?  One of the most important portions of designing a beautiful region in SC4!  NO FARMS!!!!!

 

 

or

 

 

or even

 

 

 

Try doing this in SC5.  It doesn't work.

 

It's probably one of the most glaring oversites of the entire game.  Why take this out?

 

You simply cannot make regions like they used to be.

Yeah but how many CITIES actually have those big farms? In most places those farms are in the suburbs outside the city limits. This is not a county or state simulator its a city simulator.

[GenXisT 127]

The thing is.... "you're doing it wrong" comes to mind.

 

When you look at a map of any country or state, anywhere in the world, you don't just see a big grouped city with all the residential, commercial and industry all basically jammed into one place.

 

you see all manner of different aspects that make up a cityscape.

 

here's a top-down view of LA.

 

 

 

What do you notice here?  All the items i mentioned, plus open space that isn't just randomly place to "separate" the big downtown from another big downtown.  Notice you have more high rise type buildings in the WAY background, but it isn't just arbitrary open space in between.

 

Now if you look at any of the cities in SC5, you'll notice that they're all just clumps of cities.... and there is NOTHING in between... and there's NOTHING you can put there either because what did they forget?  One of the most important portions of designing a beautiful region in SC4!  NO FARMS!!!!!

 

 

 

or

 

 

 

or even

 

 

 

 

Try doing this in SC5.  It doesn't work.

 

It's probably one of the most glaring oversites of the entire game.  Why take this out?

 

You simply cannot make regions like they used to be.

Yeah but how many CITIES actually have those big farms? In most places those farms are in the suburbs outside the city limits. This is not a county or state simulator its a city simulator.

 

yeah a city simulator that has a REGION view.  In a region, there are cities... but there are also areas outside the cities that people must travel thru to get to the next  one. 

Have you not seen a map of anywhere on earth before?

 

You go outside the city limits on basically any city in the USA,  or do a road trip from state to state, what do you see?  Farmland.  Or at least tiny town along whatever route you take.

 

You could totally mimic this behavior in SC4.  You can't now, and it's not only just because there's no room...it's because the space in between the "cities" is unplayable.

[MallowTheCloud 41]

You've built a strawman. Nobody is suggesting that the city sizes are too small because there's not enough space to do stuff in. The problem is that this is ostensibly a "neighborhood simulator", not a city simulator. The "region" is the size of a city, and since you can only build on maybe 1/5 of the region's land, even that isn't sufficient to call what you have a "city". So calling it a "city simulator" is a misnomer... it's simply not.

[Vihzel 9]

Start a 16 city region, create all 4 great works, have all cities connected to each other in one way or another, and create every single specialization the game has to offer.  Don't do it in Sandbox mode either, earn it.

 

If your multiplayer city size is too small, think outside the box.

 

They're stuck in their SimCity 4 ways and will not accept anything different. It reminds me so much of the flack that Guild Wars 2 received from Guild Wars players because it didn't play like Guild Wars. Hmm... I think it's because it's not meant to simply be a continuation of a game and actually meant to be different and play differently. Who would have thought of that? 

[pkderek 51]

The thing is about a 16 region city is you CAN'T have all cities connected to each other. AFAIK at least. There is no road connection and the cities are effectively split into 4 groups. I thought that was the biggest let down of all time. I picked a plot and I couldn't even get power from the people that knew how to play because the people I was paired with had one avenue, a couple buildings and were in debt = can't play anymore.

Of course if you have an airport or something but that's beside the point. No emergency vehicles either.

 

I actually find the game GREAT for a rural town/city kind of feel with dirt roads and single homes/couple medium value and couple apartments. And one avenue for the "cbd" (which is just one road of shops). But other than that it looks incredibly... something is just wrong. Especially if you don't get a plot that is just flat land.

[GenXisT 127]

Start a 16 city region, create all 4 great works, have all cities connected to each other in one way or another, and create every single specialization the game has to offer.  Don't do it in Sandbox mode either, earn it.

 

If your multiplayer city size is too small, think outside the box.

 

They're stuck in their SimCity 4 ways and will not accept anything different. It reminds me so much of the flack that Guild Wars 2 received from Guild Wars players because it didn't play like Guild Wars. Hmm... I think it's because it's not meant to simply be a continuation of a game and actually meant to be different and play differently. Who would have thought of that? 

 

LMAO! This is classic.

Stuck in our SC4 ways? How about SC2K - SC4... and they suddenly remove them for some bizarre reason?

 

There was another post in another thread when someone likened this new game to the rehashes of the Spiderman movie franchise.

The response it got was in essence "yes the movies are different, but he still does "Spidey" things.  Like shoots webs and climbs on walls.  He doesn't suddenly have the ability to disappear or do some other special trick."

 

The point is that this is SIM CITY (franchise) not an individual bubble knock-off. If you're going to call it Sim City, then it MUST, by definition,  do Sim City things.  Period.

To discount this point is to have a fundamental misunderstanding of Sim City.

[crashx 18]

The thing is.... "you're doing it wrong" comes to mind.

 

When you look at a map of any country or state, anywhere in the world, you don't just see a big grouped city with all the residential, commercial and industry all basically jammed into one place.

 

you see all manner of different aspects that make up a cityscape.

 

here's a top-down view of LA.

 

 

What do you notice here?  All the items i mentioned, plus open space that isn't just randomly place to "separate" the big downtown from another big downtown.  Notice you have more high rise type buildings in the WAY background, but it isn't just arbitrary open space in between.

 

Now if you look at any of the cities in SC5, you'll notice that they're all just clumps of cities.... and there is NOTHING in between... and there's NOTHING you can put there either because what did they forget?  One of the most important portions of designing a beautiful region in SC4!  NO FARMS!!!!!

 

 

or

 

 

or even

 

 

 

Try doing this in SC5.  It doesn't work.

 

It's probably one of the most glaring oversites of the entire game.  Why take this out?

 

You simply cannot make regions like they used to be.

 

I agree.

 

If they let you build on the tiles in between IMO the city tiles would not be that big of an issue.

[Vihzel 9]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

[bjl707 4]

One thing that I thought about doing was to claim some of the areas between cities and make them into low density commercial and residential areas.  Use dirt roads or low density streets so the buildings don't get too large.  then plant lots of trees around them.  Basically create a small town in a few of the plots between the major cities.  It should give the region more of a realistic look.  You would have a few major cities seperated by some rural communities and wooded areas.

[crashx 18]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

For me, it looks like the the space between the cities is just wild land. Like for some reason people just decided to leave that land alone...

 

I hope in the future they do as bjl707 suggests. Let you claim that land next to your city to just make it look more alive. At the same time it would give people more space to play around with and that is never a bad thing.

[MallowTheCloud 41]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

Not just "closer together", but touching.

 

And yes, it's purely visual. Some of us play SimCity not JUST for the representation of city mechanics or the challenge of building a successful city, but for the visualization of the city as well.

[GenXisT 127]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

Not quite.  Here's the thing... that 3rd "farm" picture I posted above... yeah, it's a farm... but it's also a city.  Cities don't just have massive buildings and/or strip malls.

Some just have a couple houses, a church and all farm land!

If we're SIMulating this, it should be represented.  I should totally be able to build a city with minimal stuff.  People would make massive regions in SC4 and have "squares" that were all farms with a rail or highway going thru, and that's it.... 

 

That part is missing from this game.  It needs to come back, fast!

[mastorofpuppetz 199]

Start a 16 city region, create all 4 great works, have all cities connected to each other in one way or another, and create every single specialization the game has to offer.  Don't do it in Sandbox mode either, earn it.

 

If your multiplayer city size is too small, think outside the box.

HUH? What does this have to do with the small tiles? Your suggestion does nothing to fix the town like size of the maps its ridiculous. The game is way to limiting, nothing you said changes that.

[Californiaz 33]

One thing that I thought about doing was to claim some of the areas between cities and make them into low density commercial and residential areas.  Use dirt roads or low density streets so the buildings don't get too large.  then plant lots of trees around them.  Basically create a small town in a few of the plots between the major cities.  It should give the region more of a realistic look.  You would have a few major cities seperated by some rural communities and wooded areas.

I dont know where you live but if a city has skyscrapers in it it should have suburbs around it. Not "wooded" or rural areas.

[SirChick 184]

Start a 16 city region, create all 4 great works, have all cities connected to each other in one way or another, and create every single specialization the game has to offer.  Don't do it in Sandbox mode either, earn it.

 

If your multiplayer city size is too small, think outside the box.

 

 

False the 16 cities are not all connected it is split into 4 seperate ones so you only interact with 1 great work and 3 other cities. Look at the region map they are not all interconnected. So its not even true that there is any 16 city regions only 4 cities.

[Nique 291]

I just don't understand why there are people trying to defend this piece of ... i mean.. come on. Small city tile a challenge? Well try to rotate a 747 on a tiny saucer: challenging too but is it fun?

[drdru7029 52]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

Urgh... how to make it more clear... Cities like those represented in SC2013 do not exist.  We want to be able to model realistic systems, at least as much as the simulation would allow.  We want city tiles which are adjacent to each other so that we can, if we like, consider each tile a part of a larger municipal entity.  So we can build roads which connect directly to the tile next to us.  So when we look at the region view we see one huge metropolis even if it just consists of several smaller city tiles.  

 

I don't know if that's more clear or not.  

[daneoid 78]

[GenXisT 127]

^^^ perfect post! 

[shorty2 94]

I think those who believe the current iteration represents anything near to a city simulator need to go study GCSE geography, or the equivalent in your country, and learn what a city actually is.. because it isn't just the massive dense skyscrapers in the centre of a major city (the central-business-district). Following images taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/urban_environments/urban_models_medcs_rev1.shtml

 

 

Those are two models/theories of a city layout. Obviously not every city looks like either of those, but it's a rough guide. And of course further out, on the "urban fringe", you start getting into more open countryside with farm land etc. In London, my home city, we have the "green belt" that surrounds greater London, which is a kind of no-build zone, least it's very difficult to get planning permission. And then further out you get into countryside proper with small villages and farming land.

 

The city doesn't have a clear cut border, so even those graphics above are misleading. All cities begin to fray and bleed out into the surrounding countryside. SimCity 4 allowed you to emulate that by having tiles placed adjacent to each other, but in SimCity 2013 it is impossible to do that because you have no access to that land.

[TheRaven476 4]

Challenge Accepted!

/Starts second city. 

Wait, why aren't any of my regional civic specialties showing up. 

 

Why isn't anything I'm trading working.

 

Why are Sims not comuiting

Why does my other city disapear half the time I switch to region view. 

 

/Jumps between cities a few times

Why is nothing working in my region. 

 

Why does that disconnected from EA servers sign keep showing up and disappearing in the top left corner. 

Oh wait, region play is freaking broken. 

The response to complaints are always "Well play the region the game was built to force you to do that". But region play isn't working and we don't know when it will be......

[LongTimePlayer 6]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

I knew I had to register for this site, when I saw your comments. This game is essentially a grown-up SimTown, a game I absolutely hated as a kid, I don't hate SimCity (2013) but I don't like it either and it is highly unrealistic. And yes one of the issues is visual representation of the cities, who in the world has ever heard of a city that is essentially a 1x1 block of hi-rise buildings surrounded by forest and fields...with one highway access point, and a neighbor that does not even share a common border. Not to mention that their is no region customization!! IT is so restricting being stuck in the same 6 or 7 pre made regions with no room for even simply terraforming a.la Sim City 2000. There are so many other issues as well though; the awful traffic mechanics, messed up advisors, restarting of cities, a lack of agriculture, new roads we can hardly use etc etc etc.

 

For a game that is supposed to represent the most realistic experience ever, I'm not seeing it.

[mastorofpuppetz 199]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

I knew I had to register for this site, when I saw your comments. This game is essentially a grown-up SimTown, a game I absolutely hated as a kid, I don't hate SimCity (2013) but I don't like it either and it is highly unrealistic. And yes one of the issues is visual representation of the cities, who in the world has ever heard of a city that is essentially a 1x1 block of hi-rise buildings surrounded by forest and fields...with one highway access point, and a neighbor that does not even share a common border. Not to mention that their is no region customization!! IT is so restricting being stuck in the same 6 or 7 pre made regions with no room for even simply terraforming a.la Sim City 2000. There are so many other issues as well though; the awful traffic mechanics, messed up advisors, restarting of cities, a lack of agriculture, new roads we can hardly use etc etc etc.

 

For a game that is supposed to represent the most realistic experience ever, I'm not seeing it.

Yes and its' sad when SC4 a 10 year old game was more realistic, talk about bad decisions and a major step back.

[killingspree 0]

So if the cities were visually closer together... everything would be a-ok? Is that the issue? Visual representation of the cities? 

 

I knew I had to register for this site, when I saw your comments. This game is essentially a grown-up SimTown, a game I absolutely hated as a kid, I don't hate SimCity (2013) but I don't like it either and it is highly unrealistic. And yes one of the issues is visual representation of the cities, who in the world has ever heard of a city that is essentially a 1x1 block of hi-rise buildings surrounded by forest and fields...with one highway access point, and a neighbor that does not even share a common border. Not to mention that their is no region customization!! IT is so restricting being stuck in the same 6 or 7 pre made regions with no room for even simply terraforming a.la Sim City 2000. There are so many other issues as well though; the awful traffic mechanics, messed up advisors, restarting of cities, a lack of agriculture, new roads we can hardly use etc etc etc.

 

For a game that is supposed to represent the most realistic experience ever, I'm not seeing it.

 

I registered for this site to tell you that you have no idea what you are talking about.