SC2013 is so Refreshing

[greener07 8]

Yeah, I only have SC4 in my computer and I am only playing SC4 atm, but today I visited some YouTube videos and also the SC2013 section in Simtropolis and I must say SC2013 is soo refreshing even though it has some limitations.

 

The road textures, the bright buildings, beautiful and colorful modern & ultra-modern vehicles, nice green plants, nice grasses, awesome smooth curved roads and finally the high quality and soothing graphics makes SC2013 so beautiful.

 

Whereas SC4 textures and its models and graphics are so bald and boring.

 

Just a bit of rambling

Thank you

[MandelSoft 2,770]

Most people would say the other way around. With the right skills and plugins, SimCity 4 can look really beautiful:

[IRE505 109]

Very Nice MandelSoft!! Yeah, with some of the new HD rendered mods out there SC4 is pretty hard to beat, not to mention that there is WAY more playable capabilities with the NAM, The Mars project and all the countless BATs that make a pretty great game!

[greener07 8]

Most people would say the other way around. With the right skills and plugins, SimCity 4 can look really beautiful:

 

Yes, you are right

[Lot Creator 304]

http://xlnation.net/content/cirka-23

 

No comments.

[Cyclone Boom 17,016]

I certainly agree with MandelSoft -- that image is a perfect example. Probably the main reason is SimCity 4 has had nearly 11 years of custom content, with the quality of BATs and range of MMPs ever improving.

 

Out of the box, the graphics do look a bit old compared to the newer 3D games. Though over time, all the content has more than filled this gap, making it much more visually realistic. SC13 on the other hand is really yet to scratch the surface in this department. But one thing with a fully 3D environment is producing models has extra challenges. An entire building will need to be rendered to display from all angles, which takes considerable skill, practice and time to get right. SC4's fixed perspective makes modelling slightly easier, allowing for more detailed textures and improving in-game rendering speed.

 

Let's remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion (there's been enough debate over which game is better ).

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

My two cents ...  SC4 has held my attention for 11 years.  I've even purchased it twice because my original disks died of heavy use and bad storage.  SimCity (2013) wants people to invest hundreds of dollars, and from all reports could not hold my attention for more than a couple of months.  I don't have the necessary funds to hurl into EAs coffers for a short pleasure.

[zombie615 9]

SC4 gets my vote for the better game. Generally because its cheap, easy to alter, an can run pretty decently on most late computers with no problem. Add in the fact that I just like the way SC4 is layed out compared to SC2013.

 

I remember the first time playing SimCity 4 when it was first released. Too see it where it is today I can say money/time well spent although after its initial release I hadn't played it in years up until now.

[Ltw 401]

The custom content is the main reason for me to keep playing it. When I didn't knew about the custom content I got bored in a few months. After I discovered custom content I started playing again and it is really different. You can just do anything you want. The only limitation for me is the fact that it isn't 3D, which makes it impossible to drag roads under bridges etc. However, this is a limitation I could live with. I don't have that much experience with Simcity 2013 but from what I've heard there are a lot more limitations in that game. For example the city-tile size and the lack of custom content. Since I prefer cities of a bigger size and the use of custom content Simcity 2013 isn't the game for me.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

SC2013 is a broken "not too hard" city building game with a lot of limitations and a layer of 3D eyecandy on top.

 

SC4 is a deep city building and simulation game with almost infinite possibilities and lots of different ways to have fun (building, managing, content). But no 3D.

 

 

It's like comparing a popcorn movie with explosions and robots everywhere but no scenario (and much too short) to a 3h epic movie with hidden messages and lots of plot twists.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Interesting analogy.  I guess the real difference is the difference between the capabilities of the programmers then and the amateurs now.  After a few tests, they should have abandoned that silly glass box engine.

[Prophet42 1,503]

SC2013 may 'look' appealing, but it is far from being a lasting game like SC4.  It will be interesting to see in 10 years if SC2013 has lasted as long as SC4 has.  I personally still enjoy playing SC4 and most likely will continue playing it for awhile.  Currently I am holding off buying SC2013 until the offline mode becomes available.  After the offline mode comes out, I may re-evaluate the game and see if it is worth buying.  As of right now, SC2013 is not worth my time, effort or money.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

I prefer SC4 yet.

[APSMS 1,893]

TBH, I think SC2013 is really fun to watch on Youtube, but I seriously doubt it's continuous playability. SC4 is very static to me by comparison (and I'm the kind of person who can stand things most would consider boring like stargazing, frustrating electrical work, and Thomas the Tank Engine--the latter of which really irritates my sister, even now), but SC2013 fills up so quickly and appears so "easy" that I doubt once I had figured it out I would still be playing.

 

I have yet to fill my first large SC4 city tile, and have had trouble filling in Med tiles before. Mostly it is a question of design direction, and a minor amount of frustration with the 2D transport networks (#1 thing the new game got right) that causes me to slowly develop, which is kind of funny because I tend to build stuff on the fly.

[jaredh 195]

In 10 years, SC2013 won't have anybody talking about it.  It has no staying power, and never will...almost entirely due to:

 

1) City Sizes

2) Poor Simulation

 

Since EA/Maxis has all but said these two things are not allowed to be modded....well that kills its chance at staying power.  this all assumes they actually ever provide and offline mode.  If they don't, it probably won't be possible to even PLAY the game in December 2015, let alone 2023.

 

In 10 years, people will still be playing SC4.  People are STILL playing great games from 20 years ago that have nothing superior to them.  Unless something else comes along that is superior to SC4...it will still have players....just like Baldur's Gate will still have players in 20 years.  And how Zork has player 30 years later.  And how Nethack has players 30 years later.  I could go on.  And on.  

 

Top quality stuff stands the test of time in video games, books, movies...heck that's true of all things.  if it is top quality, people are still going to be paying attention to it unless something of even more quality usurps it..  

 

2013 is far from quality.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

After a few tests, they should have abandoned that silly glass box engine.

 

 

In 10 years, SC2013 won't have anybody talking about it.  It has no staying power, and never will...almost entirely due to:

 

1) City Sizes

2) Poor Simulation

 

The city size comes directly from the bad choice of game engine. It's not even a question of pc power... it's just that the engine can't make a big city work, the circulation will just become a huge traffic jam.

 

Bad choices have been made from the start, too much ambition maybe.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

<snip>

Bad choices have been made from the start, too much ambition maybe.

 

The bad choices started in Human Resources.  When Will Wright left, they just let it happen.  Today's programmers are just not as creative as we were back in the 20th century.  I did my best work in programming before I was 30.

[Turjan 1,048]

Bad choices have been made from the start, too much ambition maybe.

 

Yeah, I hear you. I actually lost my faith in the success of that game when one of the first teaser videos came out. Does anyone remember this city in form of a guitar? It looked cool, but it failed horribly, as far as traffic was concerned. It had that age-old Simcity problem that the number of roads and intersections produced traffic. Bad design.

[MandelSoft 2,770]

I remember the Guitar City... and the NAM Team's response with DragFAR:

SimCity 4 is still a better match than the new game...

[Cool_Z 1,547]

They were just trying to showcase the curved roads... omg they were so proud. And on the other side every city in the game has only one road entry... FAIL !!!!!!!!! 

[mrbisonm 1,622]

New and/or different doesn't mean better, besides, it's all a matter of personal taste and generally speaking, the opinions on this are quite separated.

I bought SC2013 the week it came out, and about a month later I offered it as a gift to my neighbor's son, who is 12 yo. I didn't like the way it played, looked monotome and the colours which were totally irrealistic, plus the buildings look too "toyee". So I came back to SC4, well, actually I never left. One other thing that made me get rid of that "unpleasable game" was the fact with obliging to play online and which did not always worked out fine.

 

Refreshing? Yes, somehow, but it didn't last. When I look out of my kitchen window, it also is refreshing, everytime I do, and this since the last 45 years. ...........SC4 will not be beaten right away, I guess.

 

Fred

 

View from my kitchen window.............(for real)

 

[greener07 8]

New and/or different doesn't mean better, besides, it's all a matter of personal taste and generally speaking, the opinions on this are quite separated.

I bought SC2013 the week it came out, and about a month later I offered it as a gift to my neighbor's son, who is 12 yo. I didn't like the way it played, looked monotome and the colours which were totally irrealistic, plus the buildings look too "toyee". So I came back to SC4, well, actually I never left. One other thing that made me get rid of that "unpleasable game" was the fact with obliging to play online and which did not always worked out fine.

 

Refreshing? Yes, somehow, but it didn't last. When I look out of my kitchen window, it also is refreshing, everytime I do, and this since the last 45 years. ...........SC4 will not be beaten right away, I guess.

 

Fred

 

View from my kitchen window.............(for real)

 

 

I hate winter.. that's because I have to get up when its the most comfortable under the warm thick blanket... the morning.

[Prophet42 1,503]

That is a nice view out your kitchen window, mrbisonm.  I bet it is also beautiful in the summer time.

[Droric 99]

Cyclone Boom, on 04 Feb 2014 - 12:04 PM, said:

I certainly agree with MandelSoft -- that image is a perfect example. Probably the main reason is SimCity 4 has had nearly 11 years of custom content, with the quality of BATs and range of MMPs ever improving.

Out of the box, the graphics do look a bit old compared to the newer 3D games. Though over time, all the content has more than filled this gap, making it much more visually realistic. SC13 on the other hand is really yet to scratch the surface in this department. But one thing with a fully 3D environment is producing models has extra challenges. An entire building will need to be rendered to display from all angles, which takes considerable skill, practice and time to get right. SC4's fixed perspective makes modelling slightly easier, allowing for more detailed textures and improving in-game rendering speed.

Let's remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion (there's been enough debate over which game is better ).

FYI most Simcity 4 buildings would need to modeled the same as 2013. When the models are in 3ds max or BAT the models are fully 3d they are just converted to 2D sprites for the game engine.

Simcity 2013 would require additional work on the shaders though as I imagine everything needs to be converted to work with the engine to get the proper effect. Transparency, refractions, reflections etc.

[mrbisonm 1,622]

That is a nice view out your kitchen window, mrbisonm.  I bet it is also beautiful in the summer time.

 

Here is the summer view. The picture above was taken two months ago, while the one below is from last summer. Taken from another kitchen window. Not a good picture though.....

 

 

 

 

FYI most Simcity 4 buildings would need to modeled the same as 2013. When the models are in 3ds max or BAT the models are fully 3d they are just converted to 2D sprites for the game engine.

Simcity 2013 would require additional work on the shaders though as I imagine everything needs to be converted to work with the engine to get the proper effect. Transparency, refractions, reflections etc.

 Even with Mods and/or a BAT, it would never look as good as SC4 to me. I hate those "Baby toylike" buildings and BATs of this game. Geeeeez, didn't Maxis have a look at other games like this before? Look at the last Tropico or The Settlers game, graphics are wayyyyyy better looking, no?

 

 

Fred

[Markus J 242]

I couldn't even fit downtown Los Angeles in Simcity2013 if I tired...

[greener07 8]

 

That is a nice view out your kitchen window, mrbisonm.  I bet it is also beautiful in the summer time.

 

Here is the summer view. The picture above was taken two months ago, while the one below is from last summer. Taken from another kitchen window. Not a good picture though.....

 

 

 

 

FYI most Simcity 4 buildings would need to modeled the same as 2013. When the models are in 3ds max or BAT the models are fully 3d they are just converted to 2D sprites for the game engine.

Simcity 2013 would require additional work on the shaders though as I imagine everything needs to be converted to work with the engine to get the proper effect. Transparency, refractions, reflections etc.

 Even with Mods and/or a BAT, it would never look as good as SC4 to me. I hate those "Baby toylike" buildings and BATs of this game. Geeeeez, didn't Maxis have a look at other games like this before? Look at the last Tropico or The Settlers game, graphics are wayyyyyy better looking, no?

 

 

Fred

 

 

Beauty... that is what I dream all the time

[mrbisonm 1,622]

 

Beauty... that is what I dream all the time

 

 

 

...fits well with your name.....

[greener07 8]

 

 

Beauty... that is what I dream all the time

 

 

 

...fits well with your name.....

 

 

Yup, I love green and want to make the world green.. I really hate those megatropollis.

[mrbisonm 1,622]

 

 

 

Beauty... that is what I dream all the time

 

 

 

...fits well with your name.....

 

 

Yup, I love green and want to make the world green.. I really hate those megatropollis.

 

 

I really wish you all the luck and help to make this come true, although it seems impossible, I'm with you.

 

Fred