I would like to open a discussion about clan/guild potential and see what the public opinion is and also possible discuss some ideas as I am looking to see how this might work in an clan environment. I know the game is probably not designed with clans in mind, but bear with me here.
I currently run a clan http://warriornation.net which caters to online games for multiplay only. I played the closed Beta last weekend for as many hours as possible since there was no multiplay experience in the beta, I couldn't really get any type of measurement of what to expect. Now my clan has been around since 1997 but we've never attempted to bring in a simulation game, however I now find the new Simcity to lean toward somewhat RTS with a pause and speed button now with the multiplayer aspect added.
What I know is you can have 16 cities in a region. There is a Global Market, trading in region is needed due to finite resources and so on.
So I will throw out what I think are some potential concepts but please feel free to add more if you have any ideas.
Bring 2-4 groups (clans) into a region each on a separate team evenly balanced.
Region has a set of defined goals which each side competes to achieve. Whichever team reaches it first wins.
Each of the groups must collaborate with one another to figure out the best configurations to achieve set goals, such who will focus on what, what type of city with each cater to based on locations, skill sets.
Trading and sharing of money obviously occurs within each own group so they can work together, however trade with the other group may or may not occur depending on circumstances. A strategy example might be to build your dirty cities on the edge of the other groups cities to smog them out, devalue land, or casinos to send crime over. Or you might capitalize on the dirty cities the other team sets up and use it to send your Sims over to work, thus increased income.
I'm sure if a strategy is put in place and two groups of players can agree to play it out over the course of a week, month or whatever. With 16 Cities possible in a Region, once could even carve it up into 4 groups (Clans) with 4 players on each team. I wonder what mechanisms might exist in the game in order to set such goals or gauge when there is a winner to those goals.
Oh and just in case a SC developer is reading this, I have a recommendation for your first expansion. War and Diplomacy. Add war planes, tanks, missiles, satellites for offensive and defensive. Keep it somewhat limited so you cant nuke another city but possibly paralyze certain industry by strategic but limited strikes to reduce income or cause citizens to become refugees for example, lol.
Anyone here had any discussions or thoughts about clan/guild/group type playing in this fashion or other who may want to share and discuss. I really would like to make this game work in a clan environment if possible. I think it could be if the rules of engagement were there. Anyone interested?