h.brett

I see your point, but understand the grid makes for faster placement of items and makes zoning faster. Looks vs. Gameplay. I'd hate to make the decision if I could not have both!

Good points-I could not have summed up my feelings any better! The game was very interesting for the first 3 weeks. Then it seemed I ran out of ideas. Yes, it would good for the region to have different areas of specialty. Perhaps this could be "governor" mode. After using god mode on a region, you could use something similar to a satellite view over the region to zone, for lack of better words, the special areas/cities. (a tool bar showing various areas that must be mapped out before you can play the region. Example: "Place your region's capitol." There could also be a few buildings -that once used become unavailible again unless bulldozed- to increase desirability for a city. (the college, tourist, or government town) Another point... Sim city is about being mayor, not the government in its entirety. However, perhaps a link between mayor mode and the "governor mode" could allow much more diversity for every city. This would allow for a mayor to make appeals to the governor for certain works, and he could present you with special rewards on a state basis, like your city hosting a state college, maybe when your region reaches a certain point of growth. (you could think of the governor as an advisor you must listen to in some instances) You see, your city can influence the entire region, but keep in mind, you have to balance the needs of your city against the overall needs of the region. This means you may run into constraints enforced by the governor, making the game more challenging and making Sim City even more a city building simulator. Keep in mind that as long as this setup is as simple as it is now, the added challenge will not take away from the enjoyment you get now. ***In response to killing your computer, I'm no expert, but I should think that the added scenarios would demand more RAM and perhaps a higher speed processor. I feel though, that this would very minimal, as you would be in governor mode, god mode, and mayor mode separately and at different times. Allowing current plugins and lots from the sim fan websites to be used in the new game will make the best, in my opinion, use of the Sim City fan base and keeping the same style make the creation of the 5 Sim City easier and faster. Good points!