Mark Waybill

I agree with the concept of being able to expand municipalities to integrate surrounding tiles. I think it should be possible for a set of rules to be agreed upon by all joining players, created by the group's founding Mayor. That way the founding Mayor or a selection of other Mayors (Regional Council?) can take any actions necessary against trolling and war. For instance say John Smith decides to join Group A's Region. He begins by playing peacefully and according to the Regional Rules but after a while starts doing things of an antagonistic nature which are hardly within the limits of acceptable business or government practices and moreover are not within the rights agreed upon by the founding Mayor/team of Mayor's rules. This player could be investigated by the FM or a group of 'Regional Moderators' who could delete that players city or mimicking real world politics create some trade restriction or large fine like the UN might. For those players who wish to send missiles into other players cities, they could join teams whose rules allowed for such interactions.

I'd rather Moose's idea of a tribunal to an 'anarchy'. Or, how about this for an idea- each group of players can decide their own rules and punish and reward as they please. If you don't like our laws, go join a different group playing etc. That way the more serious players who aren't looking to create a government level COD game can create and maintain their cities without troll attacks. However if it is agreed upon prior to developing a region, a group could allow certain levels of competitiveness of a non business like nature.

If I had to choose i'd pick options. I'd love to see trams in my cities, and bike paths and so forth, especially if they all had the same curving ability, realistic gradients (which do to an extent apply to roads as well as railways just less necessary, especially for less important roads) diagonal bridges, overpasses etc. However naturally ideally we'd have both, so we could have single or double track tramways/railways, ferries with multiple berth types, various airport modules etc

I am all for city tile merging. I think if we could treat a region like MS Excel that would be good, and so if a city were to outgrow it's tile it could incorporate the surrounding tiles to save switching back and forth just to edit an outskirting suburb.

I'd like it if somehow railways/tramways etc could be built a single track at a time, and the tool was smart, so for instance if you selected 'railyard' and clicked the end piece of a section of line you could build a yard there rather than drawing each track individually. Also multiple platform stations IRL take on such a variety of shapes and types that some kind of smart mechanism would surely be needed. If for instance one could upgrade a single track line to double track, and affect the stations, crossings etc likewise. I think like in Simutrans rolling stock/buses etc should be independent of networks. As much as a particular default train type might be best suited to a particular line, if I feel like having steam trains in a modern city I will, so there.

"A skyscraper in New York might look all right alongside something out of Canary Wharf" Last year I walked along the Thames from the city to Greenwich and I would agree. I think that if one wishes to build a city with a timeline then as long as the styles progress forwards in time it will look alright from a purely fourth dimensional viewpoint, but from an aesthetic viewpoint the type of city is also a factor. If I am creating a seaside fishing village that turns into a city like Brighton then naturally the architecture will reflect that, and so even though Canary Wharf is 'English' it will not fit in well with the architecture of Brighton and Hove. Likewise the 'English Village' style isn't quite so uniform throughout as an American player might think, as regional building types/materials change throughout the nation. Even here in Australia which is fairly uniform throughout as regards modern buildings, each city has a character of its own, and one sees different 'tilesets' to an extent in Sydney than one does in Melbourne, although there are similarities. However as this is Simcity and not 'paint a perfect representation of a particular exact location for us in an encyclopaedia article' I should think that a basic 'regional' or 'national' style is the logical way to go, certainly at the start. I'm sure, however, that players will eventualy be able to tweak settings so that if we wish to we can make our own 'Berlin' tileset from the German one and a 'New Orleans' tileset from the American one and so forth, and also mix and match if we feel like doing so. Also there's nothing wrong with inventing architecture or tilesets/timelines just for the game. In some Maxis created universe who knows how styles would change over the years in Maxis invented countries.

Personally I'd like it if it was like an in game lot editor with building parts as well. So like the lot editor but with the ability to add floors and additional building extensions. From what I've seen it is uncertain what they will actually have.

Yes, I wouldn't mind a bit of Maxis Humour (possibly toggleable realism settings if I wished to make a serious version of a real city but in most cases fine) and naturally it would be very dull if everyone did exactly the same thing. But also if I create a university town I don't expect everyone to act like a farmer, and vice versa with a rural town. If tilesets/timelines involve all aspects of the simulation from the building architecture to peoples way of dress it will take a lot longer than with good old SCURK to make a tileset. I should imagine entire teams would be needed

I'm sure the possibility to make a mix and match city will be included somehow, though personally I'd find such a city unless it was timeline based somewhat aesthetically unpleasing and imbalanced

Naturally my examples were based upon broad observations of behaviour. But It'd still be nice to see demographics do what you'd expect of them most of the time. I don't see the necessity of 85 year olds skateboarding through a no skateboarding zone or a 10 year old becoming head Professor at the University, even if in theory it might be within the realm of possibility.

A City Council Works team would indeed be realistic, and I'd be surprised if they didn't have some employment simulation with construction of civic engineering projects.

The contractual idea sounds like it's sailing towards getting SimJobs to earn Simoleons. (People becoming recognised SimContractors working on SimProjects in SimWorld) In Multiplayer Mode though I suppose the tool could be worked on as a team like a design document. The contractual idea sounds like it's sailing towards getting SimJobs to earn Simoleons. (People becoming recognised SimContractors working on SimProjects in SimWorld) In Multiplayer Mode though I suppose the tool could be worked on as a team like a design document.

Firstly I agree with Nonny on 'National Tilesets' to a degree, or at least to the extent that I agree IRL, although to keep things simple and because this is Simcity, not 'Google Earth but Alive', a 'national' or 'regionally' themed tileset is logical rather than a million town tilesets, which can be modded on later. I believe the default tileset (or spectrum of tilesets) should, if timeline is set to 2000 AD or there is only one age, be the usual American style one, and the usual additions. However if there is a spectrum not only in a timeline but a 'cultural' spectrum of tilesets as well which have their own timelines, for instance Australia as an example, you could have colonial, federation, modern and postmodern styles. Also a 'tileset' would also apply to trees and animals and cars and people as well, as they have hinted with the Digital Deluxe edition tilesets. So for instance in an Australian tileset, don't expect everything to look like Adelaide or everything to look like Canberra, but it should at any rate feel like a real Australian town or city. Same with a British tileset, although the timeline would go back further to (well in theory to the Roman conquest and the beginnings of modern cities) say the civil war era or what have you. I think therefore that tilesets are good but all should have timelines too (like alternate realities). And of course with the modular system we could mix and match I am sure if we felt thatway inclined, and with modding one could do anything.

I think Sims should firstly use the parks in the first place, in a way that means they are actually doing something. Naturally various types of facilities should be built in various neighbourhoods. Usage would be an issue more for facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, or so forth, than for say botanic gardens or park greens. With the module system I believe and hope parks will be buildable in a lego fashion, so, for instance, instead of making thousands of mods or petitioning Maxis to build a ten mile long wishlist, you can customise parks like you would a Sim. If you want a bench there, place it there. If you want a set of swings over yonder by that apple grove, do as ye please and so forth.

I really wanted to learn C or another low level language but I guess because with Game Maker it was much quicker to do things... Also my 'hello world' program appeared for an instant and then dissapeared for some reason... even though I'm sure I looped it somehow

I agree with what Nonny says, if it is server based the improvements in the game shouldn't be too much of a worry. Also "My point is that times change and we must move forward. How many people still use an old nokia phone over a smart phone? Most people these days have to have the latest handset so why is PC gaming so diffrent. " Well Bryn I still use a Nokia but I don't use my mobile much so...

I don't know how exactly they'd allow for realistic boundaries as a real boundary can be pretty much any shape, and include enclaves and peninsulas and so forth. But as city government isn't realistic and probably shouldn't be too much more so anyway, it probably doesn't matter. A square is logical in that it doesn't make it difficult to build within, a circle would make sense if your city was to expand in a perfect pattern, and a honeycomb region could work but tbh I have no issues with a square. If they were to for some reason have realistic 'borough' boundaries within a region, the region could remain square (and be delimited if necessary geographically or within itself by a 'regional boundary', outside of which the region tiles would just be blank, and within the region borough boundaries could be drawn as you fancy, but the concept would only make sense if gameplay were multiplayer.

As this is the Wishlist thread I might as well mention while we're talking about railroads and highways etc Firstly my thoughts on good railways. Freight trucks are obviously going to be included and will utilise road infrastructure like normal cars buses etc, whether or not the option to make freight only lanes/roads is included. Freight railways would exist where no passenger stations were built, but freight depots are. Now if parking is simulated realistically, goods transportation should logically be too. This would mean that just because an industrial facility is right next to train tracks wouldn't mean it can just chuck all its products on to passing freight carriages. IRL there are minor branch lines which connect the main railway to such facilities, and also mining railways and so forth. To be realistic there would have to be a proper connection to such facilities. I think however that considering railyards, single/double etc track lines, the variety of station types (single platform, curved platforms, 'Central' style terminal stations will large concourses and restaurant/parking etc facilities, timetables, etc Railways if given enough realism would become a game in and of themselves, so I will limit my essential wishlist to realistic curves and gradients, although I'd appreciate the other possibilities as well Now as to parking, IRL we of course have parking zones along some sections of streets, as well as actual carpark lots and facilities, including underground carparks at apartment or commercial blocks and driveways. If cars could park along any street once there were too many cars for that street a solution would have to be found. IRL parking is a major and very real issue in many cities. It sounds like commuting and travel in general is going to be much more realistic and logical in this game, so I'd like it if a Sim could for instance have a car, realise that fuel is too expensive to travel 50 km to work in the city, and park and ride using the railway or take a bus. And speaking of buses I wonder how taxis will be dealt with if at all? Taxis would frequire parking space and of course operate very differently to buses, as they are opportunistic and not based upon a set timetable and route. It would be interesting to see how they would be implemented.

"the Golden Gate Bridge, which in real life links San Francisco and Oakland" Um no. It doesn't. But aside from that it would sound as though the lego style modular building system and 'attention to detail' should be improvements. I believe in single player mode we wouldn't be connected with the global market simulation, and single player could be like a model railway's fiddle yard, in that we can build a city and then connect it to the simworld.

I still believe landmarks should arise naturally, although the possibility to build or designate 'tourist traps' would still be ok however IMO self sufficiency should also arise by itself, so for instance if we had a timeline at a certain point solar power would become as feasible as it is today, and certain sims would take advatange of it, especially with an incentive ordinance. However it could also be part of the building process for certain buildings like museums. In your idea would 'make landmark' be just a one off payment or would it have a continual maintenance cost? I would assume a landmark would run as a business and could make a profit or loss depending on various factors. My idea was to change building use, so for instance a former factory could be made into an art gallery or office space, a former church or shop into a house etc. Thus a information centre could be made out of an old office block, and uses could be transferable and changeable. There was an idea to sell the local Council building as office space. The Unanderra Community Centre used to be a council chambers. With it's innovative use and colorful mural it is a good example like the Powerhouse Museum of a building being reused in a new way. IRL Landmarks happen similarly, although rather than change their use completely, tourism becomes a secondary usage, like for instance with the Empire State Building which is after all, primarily an office tower.

I think some algorithm or calculation could be made so that a landmark could arise naturally. In a timeline based city a historic district could be saved from redevelopment realistically like say The Rocks in Sydney, or individual historic buildings could be kept. Take the old Court House at Wollongong Harbour- there is a new court house now but this old one dating from the 1850s still stands. Why? because it served multiple uses and is now used for various purposes but certainly not as a Court House. I think if we could change the purpose of a building, that would be useful. Take Ghostbusters. An old fire station becomes a business. This sort of thing can and does and imo should happen. The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney was an old power station and tram shed. Whereas some buildings were always going to be landmarks like Sydney Tower or the Opera House, and I'm sure when they were being built their potential as such was known. If a timeline feature allowed for a long period of building then examples of this changed building usage could be the Tower of London (prison, mint, among other things) Buckingham Palace (still a royal residence but also a tourist attraction) and also the retainment of structures serving their original purpose, like Tower Bridge or the Houses of Parliament. Depending on how 'smart' the new sims will be, landmarks could arise culturally and socially. A pedestrian precinct (mall, plaza etc) could either become a boring bland public space or a lively bustling cultural zone with markets and cafes and so forth. A run of the mill pub could become under new ownership a trendy live music venue. The possibilities are endless. If Sims can be resourceful like real world developers and entrepreneurs they could of their own accord designate landmarks and evolve areas over time. Places like Darling Harbour or Newcastle or the River Yarra in Melbourne are examples of revitalisation of a former industrial area, retaining some of the features. Then again this 'smart building use' adaptation brings up the whole issue of multi-zoning and all that.

I agree with Craig's sentiment regarding non employment based travel. On weekends Sims should go to the beach or the mall or what have you. Entertainment facilities like skateparks aren't just aura increasing decorations. And the unemployed should be making trouble or lollygagging or searching for jobs. Retired people should be going to flower gardens or doing hobbies like fishing etc. Tourists should be visiting attractions, restaurants, etc. University students should be going to pubs and Kids should be playing running about in fields and camping by streams. The Sims in 4 were workaholic communists in this respect. What I'd like to see would be for instance tourists driving into a city or getting a train or plane, staying at a hotel and spending dough at cafes, museums, beachside attractions, theme parks etc. I'd like to stroll down a street and watch some out of towners asking people for directions. Stuff like that would be great. But the Sims in 4 were brain dead robots...

"but I'd like to see viaducts and elevated transport be more or less level instead of dipping and peaking at every bump in the ground." ^This. A trillion times this. The same would go for rail. IRL railways can only have so much of a gradient to function properly, and are smooth and gradual in nature. Even if SC isn't to be absolutely realistic it is aesthetically unpleasing and just plain silly and an eyesore to have railways go up and down like an outback dirt track

I wonder if at some point every plant and animal will be an 'agent' and will need water, nutrients etc to the point that we'll have a real SimEarth on our hands

In reality a borough/council area/region is not usually delimited by a perfect rectangular border.