Now I've only recently joined the community, but I do have some relatively strong opinions about this sequel. Before I start, I personally think it's great that the developers are listening to the fanbase, and getting involved with the community. This is a very friendly approach compared to some developers, so you have my respect David, especially after the more vocal complaints. Originally posted by: DavidBeebe a) no zones! (why?!)quote> I can understand where all the arguments against the zone structure, but to me the way Zones work tend to make the cities created look more natural. While there are some cities that do look like someone has just put several similar buildings together on a grid (Milton Keynes, anyone?), but the majority do not. Zones add this natural look by the random buildings appearing. While this can be very annoying at times, such as if you're trying to develop areas specifically, simply plopping can also prove difficult because it has a more rigid mechanic, making buildings slightly harder to place. I personally would not favour one over the other, but the balance in SC4 could be redressed. b) This feels like a City Life clonequote>As you and many others have said, it is way too early to start throwing this sort of statement around. The mechanics of the game cannot be judged simply from a couple of obviously work in progress screenshots. c) The game will be not complicated enoughquote>I think the toning down of the difficulty might help the game slightly. I don't know about anyone else, but when I first got into SC4, just after it came out, I found it horrendously difficult (even with the tutorials). The learning curve had been set so high that it almost made me pack it all in and try something else. Only by patiently using trial and error did I start to improve, and then the game became fun for me. While toning it down too much will be a bad thing, I think if the game eases you into itself slightly better, then it will appeal to a wider audience than the previous versions. d) Modability is kingquote>Whilst I understand that the games you already produce do allow for tinkering, what made the previous games popular with modders was the toolset provided. Compared to many other mod making tools, SC3000 and SC4 have tools that are slightly easier to use (have a look at UnrealEd for the opposite end of the spectrum) yet can achieve amazing results. I think it is this that concerns people the most. Without these user-friendly tools, communities such as Simtropolis and SC4Devotion would not exist and the game would definitely not be half as much fun. The custom content also gives the game near infinite replay value, which is why SimCity 4 still has such a huge fanbase years after it's release, just like any other game. If the game requires a great amount of skill from the off to mod, it will deter people from trying and have an adverse effect on the fans. As I said earlier, I greatly respect you and your entire team for getting involved with the community, and I wish you luck with the mammoth task ahead of you. --Joe
