wondergreat

Originally posted by: IntoxiNation Originally posted by: SimBurger Im amazed at the things folks complain about sometimes. 1) If you're on dialup, please join us in the 1990's for goodness sake. Don't say a game sucks and whine about a 45 minute download without mentioning that you're using 1989 internet technology. -quote> Sadly though that's easier said than done. I live between Cincinnati and Dayton. You go a mile from my house and there is no broadband coverage available, well unless you want to pay the utterly high cost of satellite. We aren't alone either. Last report I saw about a year ago said the U.S. still has about 20% without access to high speed internet. True if I didn't have it then I wouldn't buy a game like CXL, or if I did I would make sure I knew someone with a decent connection that I could head over to with a thumbdrive and download updates onto. I actually had to do that last year when my intenet was down for over 2 weeks because of those major wind storms that hit this area. That wasn't fun. quote> Yes, I once lived in Ukraine and most residents cannot afford broadband internet access which charges a monthly fee plus network traffic usage. (I guess this is still very common in many East European countries.) I can still use 56k or 33.6k dial-up to play WOW, but there's no way I can survive in any Raid. So I guess it is still possible to play PO using dial-up connection, maybe less pleasant.

- Resource like water/oil/agric/manu products have different level of quality (~4-tier in my mind). The higher technology (hi-tech token) of the city will allow better quality products to be produced.

Regarding Gamespot's comment about the music, I think the reviewer isn't quite knowledgable at the music field. There's no single track in CXL you can classify as "jazz". And the leitmotif (movable la-based minor: la mi lala re, sol re mimi do ti sol...), really makes the soundtrack easily recognizable. The composer(s) also did a good job at arranging the motif in different moods. The only issue with the music is that I expect the soundtrack to be longer and more (variety), but overall the music of CXL is equally good as SC3k/4 IMHO.

Agree with ddhboy. There's no "team work" in PO, trading is just... trading, chatting is simply... chatting. So where's the team work in PO? Blueprint? Still it requires no conventional "team work" to archieve that goal. I was expecting a truly MMOCBG with a realistic (intercity and rapid) transportation feature, but I demand something more than what PO is offering now, it's far from enough.

Originally posted by: Androv It seems possible to make a 'country' (or 'guild') with several players, each exchanging resources so that you can all build big cities / a nation / etc. You can visit each others cities. That definitely fits 'online', 'multiplayer', even the 'rpg' element if you roleplay with your avatars (not that there's anything you can actually *do* with them yet apart from have a chicken dance party)..... and if there are several such 'countries' or guilds then you've got the massive bit down as well.quote> P2P trading, online chatting, visiting other cities and getting togther through the avatars can be counted "multiplayer online" features. The real problem is, if these features justify a subscription model without a more interactive mechanics which would affect the growing of player's city. Base on the beta experience, we will see if this model works after 2-3 months, maybe sooner.

Originally posted by: lucifon I dont think MC have specifically stated 'its an MMO'. Just because it has a subscription doesn't make it one. Aslong as they hold up on their end of the bargain with listening to feedback, patching stuff up, and most importantly keeping a steady regular flow of content coming then I'm happy to subscribe.quote> www.citiesxl.com/component/option,com_community/Itemid,136/task,planet_offer/ "A Massively Multiplayer game" (bottom-left) where you can build up to 5 different cities on persistent planets, trade and collaborate with thousands of players, visit their cities and manage your cities and friends network directly from the website. quote> Q: MMO stands for what? A: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMO "Massively multiplayer online game" The features which MC advertises for its MM aspect are all considered the "minor" components of a fully featured MMO game.

Originally posted by: 0wn3d Would you prefer to have every city viewable from the planet view, and then when your done loading all those buildings a year later you can play the game? quote> Yes, and it would definitely inspire more interactive gameplay design. But it is technically too consuming to our hardware making it impossible to develop. The goal for a MMO is give the player an impression that other players are virtually around him/her, allowing direct interaction between these participants within a limited range (which is usually limited by the estimated hardware and server capability). You build your city without the appearance that other neighbouring cities are around you, not to mention the direct interaction with these neighbouring cities (except in the planet view that your dot is surrounded by other city slots. But the geographical presentation is arbitrary and completely void to the gameplay) So that doesn't make CXL an MMO.

Nilo, it isn't surprising to learn these hidden truth within their program. Conspiratorially speaking, MC did this for reminding solo players periodically that they should try the PO because the "PO program has already been fully installed and updated in your HD, it would be a waste if you don't join it." No wonder Mathew isn't further explaining the purpose for coerced internet connection.

Originally posted by: Mathew_MC thathaway83 not that i see.... i click on the game icon to launch the game and iimediately the login screen comes up asking me for login and password and if i dont have internet to connect then i have no way of playing the game. there is no offline option on mine.quote> Enter your login and password. If you are not connected to the Internet, the game launcher will give you the option to play solo mode offline.quote> Does that mean the game won't make the solo mode option available unless the player disconnect the internet connection by hand?

Yes, GEM is offline and online. But I doubt that MT GEM would be availble for SP because it's their policy to segragate MT from non-subscriber.

I would say Transport-Tycoon-esque GEM. But that would need to wait until MC finally consider our desire. I hope CXL didn't sell well so MC would consider to give SP Mass Transit to redeem the sale... Sorry for my selfishness.

Many of us participated in the CXL beta (or demo) despite of knowing their history with StarPeace and City Life. So that means we don't really care how lacking MC was in producing/developing games, but if they can produce a worthwhile game, we will definitely welcome it with open arms (wallets). After all we did not pay a single coin after learning CXL isn't the game we wanted, we have not lost anything yet but personally I just feel a bit sad with the truth. So the answer is yes. If MC can make the game I truly appreciated, I will give them countless chance.

Although GEM isn't PO-exlusive, as Mathew re-re-re-explained, it is the expansion to enhance the existing portion of the game. Which means that when there's a Mass Transit GEM released, non PO subsriber will find it meaningless to buy and install it because in SP there's no Mass Transit (including buses) to be enhanced by the GEM.

In my very personal opinion, what PO fails to deliver is a truly real-time cooperation with other online players. Without such aspect, PO never qualifies as an MMO. The "real-time cooperation" in other MMOs usually means PVE against some formiddable enemies or PVP. I see nothing parallel in CXL, apparantly they were unable to design anything close to this aspect. CB fans demand SP mode only, but MC has already successfully offended this community. For MMO fans they will definitely not be pleased by PO due to its non-interactive nature.

1. Do I like the core features of the game (such as the simulation which is unlikely to be changed)? No for bad simulation. 2. Am I OK with paying a monthly fee to access additional features like new transports? No because I detest the such marketing decision. 3. Is the fee reasonable for what I will be getting? No at all. 4. Will I play the game often enough to justify the fee? No, because the game is boring. 5. Am I sufficiently confident that MC will deliver the promised improvements once I pay? No. I predict MC will be unable to deliver what have promised such as Mass Transit because of insufficient PO subscriber. 6. Do I have the money to spare for the Planet Offer? Yes, I have a stable job to afford any fair, interesting entertainment.

Originally posted by: Mathew_MC Asheroo wrote: So what could happen is that Matthew might trick us for a little beta forum fun, or maybe to test the NDA or something. Some of you more panic-stricken ones though might say that the NDA was supposed to stop this hidden information behind the lies of MC, but I think of it as the lies of Matthew that were never supposed to go out of the beta forums. I have a different idea of fun than playing tricks forums You are right on one point though, miscommunication might happen sometimes and things have not been as clear as they should have regarding mass transportation. The glimpses of mass transportation material you can see come from the fact we have long thought we would be able to deliver some additional transport systems at release, but development has proved otherwise and it has become a feature that we'll have to add later and won't be in the solo part of the game. Though it might not be the most pleasant thing to hear as expectations might have been different, I can confirm that this is how things stand on this matter. quote> So no room for doubting, thank you. The subcription fee of CXL is so cheap compare to WOW. WOW is just boring, so the PO is an amazing offer. Just few more buck and you will soon receive the mass-transit, multiple lane update. Let's stop complaining and give it a shot, not a great deal.

To date only the Railroad Tycoon series reach the real-time 3D realm in the transport sim category. So it would be precious if the railway transport in CXL would allow the same freedom of tracks alignment as laying roads. The hardship of development is unfathomable. But still I rather wish MC to raise the retail price rather than force us to subscribe PO for the trains...

This looks extremely awful. All they need to fix is to extend the borders and the ground piece of the lot to reach the road or neigbouring lots. That way MC do not need to change the shape of the main building model and at the same time eliminate the gap between lots and roads. Just my 2 cents.

No for SP or PO. [Edited spam - abcvs]