penguin1634

Total, unending war.

Things are dull in the C.C.C.P. In order to keep spirits high, the government floods the senses with propaganda and patriotic colors and flags. Most of all are the famous missile parades, the universal sign of a dictatorship. On game day at a modern soccer arena, flags drape the sides of the stadium. Even on the sides of brick tenements, brainwashing tactics penetrate the minds of the Soviet people. At the factories, patriotism is inspired so the workers produce more to power the mighty Soviet economy. Yes, in Soviet Russia, propaganda is very important because it inspires patriotism. Patriotism provides that extra boost to keep the rusty gears of communism running smoothly. After all, that's what Lenin would have wanted. ___________ --REPLIES-- Mikeaut1: Thanks! I know that the Soviet style has been used before, but I wanted to put some more grit and story into it. Benedict: Thank you! Pan Gierek: Just plain old SPAM! Nice, isn't it? SimHoTToDDy: Thank you so much. That really means alot coming from you, the Soviet CJ King!

The recreated city you are about to see is a fictional one that could possibly be located along the Russian or Ukrainian coast. The time of year is a mild December on a cold, bleak, cloudy day. The year is 1975. We begin this tour of this small city with a humbling shot of the mighty factories located at the delta of the short shipping canal that splits the town in half into two micro-districts, Polovina Zapada and Levyi Bort. The factories located here are textile mills and chemical manufacturing plants. Beyond that are the prefabricated flats which the working comrades and their families inhabit. Nearby, schoolchildren milk the rest of the "snowless" part of the brutal Russian winter dry by enjoying a game of soccer. A good way to warm the blood up on a chilly December afternoon. Other than the flurries of activity in the local park, stores were busy after a new shipment of cigarettes arrived in the morning causing many a worker to hastily purchase them on their way to work. Most employees kept them in their pockets or locked in the trunk of the car to prevent the valuable tobacco from being stolen. Besides that, the Polovina Zapada micro-district is fairly quiet. Across the river, the government center of the city remains quiet as well. Two buildings next to the city hall draw attention for sure, they are two bleak gray concrete flats, both closely in a row. Both the same. Why, some joke that they even have the same keys for the corresponding flats in each building. Yes, much like the uninspired suburbia the 1950s brought America, the 1960s and 1970s brought seemingly indistinguishable blocks of concrete en masse to the sweeping plains of Soviet Russia. It was a sign that the Soviet machine was stagnating, turning from the vehement days of Stalin and Lenin to the drab, declining days of Brezhnev. The gears of Communism were rusting.

Just remember guys that the default mountain texture for SC4 is that same uniform, ugly brown dirt color. I think I've said this before, but i'm not liking the architecture. It just is too childish looking. I'm assuming there will be better looking graphics by the time the game is released, though.

I don't really agree with your assessment of SC4 having more realistic simulation than that in the new SimCity. Hasn't everyone been saying that the simulation of SC4 is all smoke and mirrors - the illusion of realism - whilst the agent system is much more realistic: the results of the simulation are based on the actions of thousands of separate entities - as it is in real life. Yes, the new SimCity is looking to be simpler than SC4 (although I could argue that its complexity is on par with SC4, but I'll leave that for now), but this is not at the expense of realistic simulation. I think you are confusing two rather distinct characteristics. I believe that they are both realistic. SC4 is as realistic as they wanted to make it for a game released 10 years ago. If they made the game based on thousands of little agents they'd have problems selling because most people in 2003 didn't have a powerful enough processor. The new SimCity looks realistic in terms of the GlassBox engine, and I'm sure it actually is more realistic. I wouldn't call SC4 "smoke and mirrors" though.

I just found the requirements online: http://www.simcity.com/en_US/buy/simcity They're at the very bottom. The broadband internet requirement scares me. My internet is fast enough, but why would the requirements be so high (we all know, but, you know...)?

It perplexes me to no end that EA thinks they can attract that "lucrative" demographic that plays Farmville and Cityville to the real nitty-gritty of SimCity. They can't, and they never will. You can play the little Angry Birds style games on your iPod, your cellphone, or your browser for free and you don't need much time or energy or processing power. SimCity is an extremely deep, highly complicated sandbox-style game and it's pretty hardcore. If it ceases to be like this, you have SCS or the SimCity you play on Facebook Two similar games but different. One is a standalone game you buy at the store and you install on your computer and isn't a social game, the other is a cute little game you can play on Facebook. One was a commercial disaster and one isn't. No matter how hard they try to make SimCity inviting to the for-some-reason-lucrative casual gamer, it won't. Casual gamers will always pick Angry Birds, or Minecraft (if you could call that casual gaming), or Bejeweled, or one of the "villes", and they will only play that sort of game. They will always be scared to buy it because of its complexity or the social stigma attached to being a "gamer". When people pick up a game at the store, install it or load it up on their console, they're not looking for a fun little casual game, they're looking for an immersive, deep experience that will put their skills to the test, whether it be a FPS, a MMO, an RTS, or a cut-and-dry strategy game, or what have you. When people will go to buy or download this new SimCity, they won't be thinking "oooh, I played SimCity on Facebook, this looks like a cute little game too!". They will be thinking "This game looks awesome, I am going to buy the sh*t out of this and spend the next decade enjoying the sh*t out of this". That's what I will be thinking when I buy this new game.

Here's my take on the matter. Personally, I don't see why they seem so keen on force-injecting SimCity with the Sims. The two are similar but different. My biggest criticisms are that the graphics look too playful (I have a feeling that screenshots of some bada** realistic looking megacity will draw in way more drooling customers then some the cartoony, cutesy architecture they have now), and that there aren't more options to customize your game (ex. terraforming, larger city sizes), and also I wish you wouldn't have to rely on EA's sketchy servers to store all your cities. First off, the graphics. I really can't complain about them and neither can anyone else. They're 3D. Plus, in all honesty, until our GPUs are all $5000 quantum state, liquid cooled computers, we shouldn't expect the level of realism and detail in 3D as we see in SimCity 4's isometric-y layout. I guess the playful look has to be there somewhat, but I wish they would perhaps try to make it have more slick realism. I hope the soundtrack isn't the same bland, boring "happy" music they had in SCS, and instead has more panache and beat. Small complaints, I know. Second, on the options for the game. I am clinging to hope that they release something later that allows you to terraform and build on larger city tiles. No game like this is ever good on first release. SC4 wasn't that great when it first came out, neither was Civilization 4, nor was Civilization 5, but all were fixed. These games are often too complex and too deep to get just right on release, oftentimes it take a bit for the developers to perfect it (Rush Hour for SC4, Warlords and BtS for Civ4, Gods v. Kings for Civ5). Even though this is EA we are talking about, a company who in recent years is known for ruining gaming for the sake of desperate cash grabs, I still have to have faith that Maxis doesn't have their heads planted up EA's gargantuan behind enough to ignore what the customers really want, and what they really want is what we are all complaining about (SimCity players are NOT Farmville players, Maxis and EA should never get them confused). On the online only play, I pray to God that the "online" portion is, at the very least, just used at game launch to validate the game's authenticity. I hope that solo game data is kept on your computer. They have absolutely no reason not to allow local saves other than so they can control the data and wipe data away so they can force people to upgrade to the next iteration of SimCity, or just do what EA does best: scare away customers. I am staying optimistic because I just can't believe that they could screw this up. If they do, they could permanently lose quite a few customers (including me). Maxis hasn't screwed up yet, SCS was Tilted Mill's fault. I hope, and believe, that EA and Maxis know that pushing out some playful, simplistic, facebook-y nonsense with a pay-per-month multiplayer system and little customizability won't work, hasn't worked, and will never work. Customers of this genre (including me) play this genre for a reason: because we love the freedom and excitement and challenge and depth of starting a city from scratch and watching it grow into a bustling megacity. I'm sure they will give us the last two, if they give us the first two is yet to be seen.

I have a feeling that it will put a pretty hefty load on the processor, considering that the game is much more complex now with agents and what not. Plus, the 3D rendering will require a good GPU. I doubt it will need more than 2-4GB of RAM. I would guess that a 2.2 Ghz core 2 duo could handle it, but a 3 ghz quad core or better would be preferable. 8 gigs or RAM should be more than enough. I'm just going by pure speculation here, by the way. However, I can give a good guess based on how well my computer handled EVE Online when I played it. I put all settings on Ultra and it ran perfectly. I have a 3.2 Ghz Phenom II quad core from AMD, 4 gigs of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 560 card, and so far I haven't run into a game I can't play on ultra. I'm sure you will be fine.

Ha! Awesome! I qualify! This might be a good opportunity go get into BATing.

Looks promising!

I'm baaaaaaack! After an exciting adventure into hard drive crashes and getting shafted by local computer doctors, I'm back and ready to continue with the CJ, now that I have a faster, better laptop. I apologize for going so long without even an update, but I was busy with other things after the HDD malfunction and decided to play some other games instead of Sim City. Anyways, "Season" 2 will be much improved in a variety of ways! -Higher Resolutions. 800x600 can eat my dust. 1366x768 is in and here to stay! -More Tenements. So many tenements... -Better Panoramas. Containing so much eye candy you'll go diabetic from looking at them. -Did I mention more tenements? Yes, I think I did. Now, the real reason you clicked on the link: Next entry should be up by next week. See you all soon!

Ooooh, nice. I'm interested. I'll be back to see more, you can count on it!

Very impressive! Great work with the PEG ground textures, I can never make them look realistic, they just end up looking like a bunch of shadowless circles. Excellent terrain, no doubt. Bugs Bunny: [url="https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/23827-network-widening-mod-windows/"]Network Widening Mod[/url].

Yay! 41st place! I am honored.

[quote name='bane83' timestamp='1305292250'] 'brainwashing tactics' I didn't realize Simtropolis was a site for political debates... Maybe your perfect cities look perfect just because of 'brainwashed' architects that originally created the buildings within. I say maybe... This is not right place to condemn either communism or capitalism, so I hope we will all stick to the game, that's why we are here.p.s. I like your pics. [/quote] Well that is the definition of propaganda. Biased information used to sway the minds of the masses. Glad you liked the pics though

Rust. Rust is everywhere in Soviet Russia. Why, Communism itself is a rusty machine. Rust covers the pistons, pipes, and tanks at the oil refinery. Rust covers the shipping containers and oil drums at the seaport nearby. Rust even covers the nuclear reactors near the highway. That same type of reactor melted down in Pripyat. Why, rust even covers the surfaces of the concrete tenements that line the dirty streets in town. The people are tired of rust. They want to live in a world without it. Mother Russia herself is rusted. Maybe that could be viewed as symbolic, who knows. There isn't as much rust covering the Soviet Department of Energy headquarters. It occupies the top floors of the building. How ironic, as most of the plants it manages are covered in it. Rust. Rust covers the bars on the windows on these concrete monuments to Communism. The people inside are trapped. Trapped. Trapped by rust. Trapped by a rusty machine.

Good start, no doubt, but needs more custom content.

I fear the same thing. However, we as a people are becoming more technology dependent, and although that may be bad or good many countries are preparing students for this by allowing them calculators. I do agree, but if the students show they can understand it why not teach them it? If they can't understand it well they can learn at a slower pace than those that can, thus everyone is taught according to their ability. Again, agreed. It is important for students to be able to use their brains for math. However, IMO students should be able to learn algebra onwards with a calculator because at that point the emphasis is not on the actual operations themselves (multiplying, dividing, etc), but on the techniques on how to solve the math, if that makes any sense. We must prepare are students for the modern, computerized world and the heavy competition to innovate, not for the off chance that the power goes off someday and the modern world collapses because we're all modernized softies.

The Navy. Isn't it simply glorious? If it wasn't for the Kronstadt sailors during the October Revolution, the mighty Soviet Empire would never exist. At this isolated Soviet naval base, all kinds of activity is to be found. At these docks, patrol boats are stationed, waiting to be deployed to keep the Soviet seas clear of imperialist invaders. Soviet submarines wait patiently nearby the patrol boats, resting before another long Baltic swim. Of course, the Soviet Navy needs to stay updated! That's why drydocks are close by, used to repair and build new ships. Here, fuel tanks hold large amounts of oil and gasoline to power the great fleet. (Sorry for the English words, didn't have enough time to 'shop them out.) At these marine foundries and storage facilities, all kinds of parts and materials are stored and produced in order to keep the fleet ready for battle at any time. P.S. Sorry for some of the English words. I didn't have enough time this week to Photoshop (or in my case 'GIMP) them out. ______________ ~~REPLIES~~ DCMetro34: Thank you my good friend! Schulmanator: I try to go for a dirty, gritty look for each entry. Thank you for the compliments! TekindusT: Thanks! Glad you like it so much! If you want them, they're all here on the LEX. hetiomat: Thank you! Benedict: Thank you for the compliments! I'm just trying to go for something new, I guess! simmytu:Thanks! usfighter15: Thank you! I'm sure that they are trained like this, though. After all, all the signs and such on the lots featured are in English. Mithrik: Thanks! I was really excited when I found them all. I had no clue they existed, but they sure are sweet. I'm thinking on doing a whole series on the Soviet Military, so stay tuned.

I think the future lies in nuclear. Yes, nuclear. Now, just wait, I'm not done yet! We use that to wean ourselves off of gas by making things electric and powered by the humble atom. Then, now with a good window of energy security, switch to biogas, geothermal (my favorite power source next to nuclear ), solar, and wind. There you have it. It will be incredibly expensive and will take years, but it is feasible. It's an idea, something to think about, no?

I can't stand all this! Why do people somehow find corporate sponsored music good? And Barbarossa, ignore the wacky points I made up there. I was tired and crabby when I made them and they don't really make a whole lot of sense...

Whew. You're right, two crazies going at it. It'd be fun to watch. On one side you have your drama queen that supports radical ideals, and the other who seems nuts but really makes sense if you actually watch him. Have fun deciding which one above is which.