How much of an impact does multiplayer make on everything else

[Mr Saturn64 742]

I've been fighting with myself over this, and I want to hear some input from you.

 

Answer the poll, please.

[Rufus Honker IV 100]

I'll be able to make a better guess when I actually get in a multiplayer game where people play.  The few I have been in people play once, fill up their town and never return.  The one region I played multiplayer I was getting really frustrated with my traffic, and that's not something anyone outside of your town can help with.

[CaptCity 4,669]

Removed second poll. Not sure of the purpose of it. Anyone with those issues should be reporting them. We really don't need a poll to document it.

 

Regarding this poll... What 'impact' are you asking about? Or 'impact' on what? You say you've been 'fighting' yourself. What issues are you having? Perhaps asking a direct question will provide better answers...

[AlexMBrennan 11]

Regional unlocks and ability to buy water/electricity/sewage affect early game strategy (bypassing the entire tech tree concept) and has very minor endgame effects (e.g. extra income from "volunteering" vehicles).

Collaboration on great works (presumably the point of making the game multiplayer) is farcical at best - there is no voting process, so odds are that one city will unilaterally make the decision and build the great work whilst the neighbours are offline.

The few I have been in people play once, fill up their town and never return.

But what else is there to do? Once you've built your city you are done and all that's left to do is to start another city, and it only takes an evening to do. Unless they add significantly greater depth (any reason to keep playing a city for longer than 4h), I can't see any real multiplayer happening.

[MayorQuimbie 13]

Minor impact, just for the fact that you can have an abundance of neighburing cities from the start.

 

Ive said minor because alot of the facilities are usually available from the start and my gameplay changes slightly...

 

I find myself having to deal with phantom tourists or commuters most of the time...

[5uper_Mania 6]

Purchasing utility capacity helps greatly toward the start of a new city.

 

Imagine building roads and zoning without having to worry about the cost of utilities and services.

[larry459714 0]

Newbie here!!

 

I have been reading so many conflicting stories about multiplayer so I have to ask.

 

Isnt it an option to not play multiplayer?

 

There is no way it would go over well with me being so green to the game. The other players would switch to God mode and destroy me lol.

 

I have some experience with simcity4 rush hour but am waiting on 2013 for bug fixes etc. There are so many negative comments. region sizes, always on (DRM) and this seem to be the most talked about.

 

[Rufus Honker IV 100]

Isnt it an option to not play multiplayer?

 

Kind of.  They game never lets you forget about the multiplayer aspect.  If you run a city on your own you're told you can extend your fire service to neighboring cities (even if there aren't any) the moment you plop the station.  When you hit the edge of your meager city area, there's pretty much nothing to do except work with other people - or go build another city in the region.

 

So yes, you can play on your own (I do), but the game doesn't let you forget.