snick25

I agree completely, that would be nice. I also think that they should have a single-player mode where you can build in the "no-man's" land that separates each city. At least that way, you can have some illusion of a single metro area. If you think about it, if they only made those two changes the game wouldn't actually be half-bad. Then, get rid of the mandatory online component, continue to work on the graphics, and improve the simulation (in other words, get rid of the 200,000 agent limit and re-work it so that sims actually stay in one lifestyle instead of having a different job and home every day), and the game would be worth all that money they're asking for it (IMO). Of course, that won't happen, but one can dream...

Of the cities themselves, yeah, but as long as they have pre-set highways, railroads, waterways, and whatnot you won't be in control of the region.

Just a quick reply to Selphy: They have confirmed that single players will "only be able to go so far" (I'm paraphrasing but that's pretty much what they said). They have all but confirmed no terraforming options, since they have said roads, highways, and waterways will be pre-determined based on what region you choose. I can't see how they can work a terrain editor in with those man-made features already established. Of course it isn't set in stone so maybe they will work it out, but I seriously doubt it. Really, I could live with the online part, the multiplayer part, and maybe even the size issue if only they gave us more freedom of how WE (the players) want to connect our cities. Of course, I know why the small city size and unchangeable city connectors are in place, to fix the complex issue of different people expanding their cities and eventually running into each other... as always, it's ALL about the multiplayer. That's literally what Maxis said in one interview. If you really want, I think I could even find the source... Edit: Ah, here it is: http://www.gameinformer.com/games/simcity/b/pc/archive/2012/07/06/interview-a-new-multiplayer-focus.aspx So... really that's what the whole game is gong to revolve around. Basically SimCity Social, with better graphics and a few twists. Small cities, unchangeable regional connectors, all for the sake of that "multiplayer experience". Won't be much of an experience of anything at the rate it's going.

Many would say that $60 isn't cheap however you try to slant it.

As it stands right now, not much...

What "concept" are you trying to prove?

An informed decision? Let's first review the facts: You did all the work, all I did was add in a few notes. Although, you might want to add another point: - 4 sq. km city size Although the game is still in development, this has been the only size confirmed available for our cities. Let me tell you, some farms out in rural Nebraska are bigger than that. I still have no idea how in hell they expect us to fit an entire city in that space. These points above pretty much sums everything up about what's turning me (and probably plenty of others) away. Since the above facts have already been confirmed, I feel I can make an informed decision NOT to rush out and buy this game the first chance I get, which, I feel, most here wouldn't do either considering the above.

You're missing something. How, in many of the trailers and screens, they showcase all the DISASTERS and MONSTERS and MAYHEM that one can (probably) choose to wreak on their citizens (OR their so-called friends' citizens )? I'd say that would appeal to the more casual, adrenaline-driven gamers that are everywhere out there. One almost wonders whether this will be a city-builder or a city-demolisher. Whether you like my wording or not (don't appreciate your subtle snide-ness btw), the normal gamer DOES typically have a very low level of attention, patience and creativity when it comes to gaming. And whether you like it or not, EA will try to appeal to at least some of the more open-minded of that group. I know some folks here like to think that the ST community calls all of the shots, but that's not the case. This game will most likely be yet another victim of the new gaming industry standard of profit over quality. One more thing - remember that game that nobody likes around here? SimCity Societies certainly wasn't received favorably by this community, and it didn't get nearly as many positive reviews as SC4 did, but it was still considered a success (sales-wise). Why? Because they simplified the game to the point where some casual, low-attention-span gamers (actually the game was marketed towards children as well and was most likely a success in that department) looked at the box/saw it online and thought it was worth buying. Doesn't matter what they thought of it in the end, it's the sales that count. I'm guessing SC2013 will be no different - they will market it to try and appeal to the broader audience, and in order to do that they will try to dumb it down at least a little, which will end up making it over-simplified. Even if it doesn't sell as much as SC4 (which may or may not happen; we'll see), as long as it makes them money, they don't care what we think. Yeah, this is a "niche" market, it always has been. Thus, if they can get some broader appeal (and thus more sales), they would gladly sell out the niche fanbase; heck, they already have. In fact, in the initial few weeks Maxis wouldn't shut up about how this was going to re-invent the fanchise, the citybuilding genre, and bring it more mass-appeal, and that is indeed what they're trying to do, for better or worse. I do think that SC5 will be a dud (if it continues at the current rate) for this community. With no new and flashy upgraded-SC4 game to play, die-hard fans will have to choose between having to stomach trying something new or simply going back to a patched-up, decade old game. Personally, with all the new mods coming out for CXL, all the new simulation features AND lag workarounds, I think some of the more open-minded of the SC4 community might actually want to give it chance.

Public Transport plays a key role, as well as upgrading your roads (e.g. replacing a small avenue with a large avenue). If you want more help, I would recommend going to http://xlnation.net/.

That's because the "normal" gamer out there has an attention span of a three-year old. Thus, they have not the patience nor the creativity to build anything larger than what you see in that picture. That's why Maxis is doing this. As much as some fanboys can't accept, Maxis is still driving to make a profit, and, believe it or not, the folks here on ST are in the sheer minority when it comes to the potential consumer base this game will have.

I'm glad I never pre-ordered it in the first place (shouldn't that be an option in the poll?). It's not a good idea to pre-order anything; the potential benefits and "perks" you receive in limited editions aren't worth the risk of getting a dud product for all of that hard-earned money. Those who pre-ordered and now regret it should cancel, period, and next time wait until you can make an informed decision before doing it again.

The game sometimes does that; try letting the game run at full speed for a few turns, I find that those lots usually develop if you just give them time.

I agree the simulation in CXL could use some improvement. However, when you say that CXL has no terraforming or region mode, and then go on to say that it can't be better than SC2013 for those reasons, you imply that the new game WILL have those features, when various interviews have all but confirmed that it won't. Those two features, coupled with the rich simulation, are really what made the SimCity franchise appealing to me and so many other citybuilding fans out there. However, without them, how can one really say that the new game will be any better than Cities XL? The only real difference will be the online component, which is already turning away potential fans, and the simulation, which, while it initially sounded pretty darn realistic, now sounds limited at best. Other than that you have different graphic styles, but, of course, the game is still in development so it's probably best not to try and compare them yet. I do doubt, however, that it will be able to end up looking more realistic than CXL (other than those wacky peds, of course). And for those comparing SC4 to CXL... with all of the new stuff coming out for CXL in the last week alone, I don't think SC4 holds much over CXL any more, save for the simulation (and CXL IS being improved in that aspect). In general, I do think people who value realistic simulation more over the actual building process (laying down of buildings, streets, etc.) and graphics will appreciate the SC franchise over CXL. Likewise, those who want more control and the ability to add more detail to their cities will probably appreciate CXL more. Like someone else said, it mostly comes down to preference. I will say that I was an avid SC player for almost a decade before I found CXL - I played every single game in the franchise and loved them all. However, CXL still comes out on top for me. In my case, I really enjoyed and admired the simulation of each SimCity game, but once I found Cities XL, I found the game to be more realistic graphically, and the way the game is set up allows for much more realistic urban planning and, well, city-building. Others might disagree, but that's just my preference, and everyone has their own.

Check out this project: http://xlnation.net/content/lower-east-side-tenement-challenge Of course, it's only one project (albeit a BIG and ambitious one), but I'm sure there will be plenty more to come. Definitely. When I recently heard (hasn't been confirmed, but I have a feeling it will be) that we won't even be able to have seamless "region-cities," only 2 x 2 km mini-cities connected to others over large stretches of literal no-man's land, the nail hit the coffin for me and I'm sure many other potential customers.

[Edited: Let's stick to the topic, not the posters.] -CaptCity As for the future of the CXL franchise, as far as FHI is concerned, it is uncertain. There are no indicators, however, that the game is dead. Even if FHI doesn't come out with a new game in the next few years, I'm certain the fan community will continue to keep this game alive and well, and even increase its popularity. SC4 lasted for a good number of years based almost exclusively on fan support. I'm certain the CXL fan community will do the same. And SC2013? So far, I'm not terribly impressed. When it was first announced, I was, along with the entire city-building community, leaping with joy. Now, not so much. I dislike the "online-only" component; it is nobody's right to assume everyone has reliable and affordable internet access. The fact that they aren't even going to have a single-player mode, to me, speaks volumes on the direction that has been taken for this game. I also find it ironic how some (not all) of you who now can't stand CXL due to the same online-only concept that was taken initially for that game are now watering at the mouth for basically the same concept in SimCity, with the exception of NO single-player mode whatsoever. If it didn't work for Monte Cristo, it won't work for EA/Maxis, unless drastic changes are being made. Those changes are yet to be seen. Will I try SC2013? Once it's affordable, perhaps. Will it replace CXL? If it continues in the direction its going, no, not for me and not for thousands of city-building fans out there.

Great work, you've managed to show the worst picture of a road ever taken in CXL, and pass it off as if that's typical. FYI - Most roads in CXL look nothing like that.

Cities XL will always compete with SimCity, no matter how good the new game is. Why? It has an excited and dedicated fanbase (which mostly resides on xlnation.net, if you haven't already figured that out). New mods are coming out every day that really improve game play and some users are even trying to change aspects of the simulation (such as more realistic traffic, day length, etc.) It is possible to really modify this game beyond recognition, and even the game by itself was great for me. I used to be a SimCityholic but Cities XL and all the great mods have really inspired me. You can create amazing cities that aren't possible in any other game (like NYC). The only real thing CXL has going against it is the memory leak, which hopefully FHI will fix (and they will, if they find this game worth continuing, which I'm sure they do). Virtually every other problem the game had has since been fixed by mods. Take the limited transport features for example. The NEXL adds a variety of new networks to the game as well as other features (sort of like SC4's NAM). So, if the new SC is good, I will purchase it, but it will never replace CXL.

Video of some of this presentation can be found here: http://www.joystiq.c...houses-and-all/ This first part looks a LOT like Cities XL (the traffic, roads and map)... of course, it is still in the early stages of development. The second part is neat, and the simulation seems pretty realistic. However, the graphics are horrible, but, again, I'm not expecting anything special at this point in development. EDIT: More videos, showing more of the presentation: http://www.hardwarec...-not-final-1of4 http://www.hardwarec...-not-final-2of4 http://www.hardwarec...-not-final-3of4 http://www.hardwarec...-not-final-4of4

That's all nice and everything, but why don't you take a gander at this? Yeah... I think I prefer my version.