new "real" Sim City in 2013

[Netuno]

True fans of SimCity are being abandoned and despised by Maxis.

They think we're dumb and naive, come see the new SimCity (2013), see how it is beautiful and wonderful, come in online slavery and its DLCs, you will like. (Gamescom, PAX, beta version, etc.)

SimCity (2013) doesn't deserve to have this name. It is a game with several limitations that didn't exist in SimCity 4.

This game has several negative points that Maxis despises and doesn't want to fix them, in other words, as one of the Maxis developer nicknamed Maxis_MD said: End of Story ("we will change nothing in the new SimCity").

Here are the negative points of the new SimCity (2013) more mentioned in forums of SimCity fans are:

- No option 100% offline with single player mode.
- Always-on connection to Origin (EA servers).
- The presence of empty spaces not editable (useless empty spaces) with automatic road connections.
- Absence of terraforming.
- Absence of farms.
- Not being able to save your maps on the hard drive (you will not be able to reload the city to a stage prior to disasters).
- Road connections placed in a fixed and pre-determined location in the map.
- Airport City (the city is only one International Airport, occupying the entire map 2x2km).
- Automatic road connections.
- Player doesn't have complete control over the zoning by population density (almost automatic zoning).
- Size of the maps is 2km by 2km (small maps).
- Not being able to control the regional transport.
- Modding restrictions.

[cammo2003]

It's a real shame, too, because they seem to have nailed the simulation aspect with Glassbox (which I think is ingenious). There was so much potential in a game using that engine. That and the roads within the cities and the range of transport options available (which seems to be about right). But no control over the region?

Lost sale.

[Netuno]

Maxis doesn't want to hear SimCity fans, simply ignores them and it says: try the new SimCity (2013), see how it is fun and wonderful.

They create several limitations within the game; they want us to feel all this fun. This is absurd.

Whoever buys this game will be accepting all this, so I will not buy it and I advise others to do the same.

Just missing money in their pockets, they will respect us.

[jigsaw]

for the record im still on the fence with all the news i hear about the new game. will i buy it? yes, will it be a true replacement of SC4? not sure. am i concerned? a little. i was one of the first people to catch on about a sequel, and like a lot of us i have been waiting with baited breath for more concise answers.

but in defence of maxis, if you look across all the community boards the game is being ripped apart and the developers have been tied up and shot.

it's not complete yet, it's going to be different, and yes it appears it has strayed away from what we want. all in all i think the community is reacting like a bunch of republicans at an obama convention (a lot of freaking out, without the complete picture, and just hating it immediately living on small amounts of information we have been given).


im not a fan of the concept of always being online, and forced multiplayer, but most ppl these days stay online almost non-stop etc, so i dont really get why it's seen as apocalyptic negative change.

i think in general we all need to chill out, wait and see, THEN tear it apart to analyse.

the way modern game companies release products has changed, and the companies make their products has changed.

going back to SC4, the first version was simple, then a fantastic expansion was released to give us the base of what we all love today. i think this is what the company is planning to do again. they will release SC13, in a similar fashion to what SC4 Vanilla was, and 12 months later, the real expansion will be released.. as a form of RH like proportions.

do i trust maxis? i dont know. but it's to early to execute them for a crime they have not yet committed.

we have had 9 yrs to manipulate SC4 in new directions, and it's going be difficult to start again on a new direction. i hope they have some positive surprises to show us in the near future. it will be hard for a lot people in the communities to start from scratch, and to re-learn and remake. millions of hours have been invested in SC4, and i respect that.

im not too impressed by their apparent lack of 'listening to the real fans' that a lot of people are saying. i think they are, but we will be last people they speak to, because we will ask the hardest question, the deepest questions, and the most complex questions. if they reveal anything deep, complex, and huge to us it will spread like wildfire, and could be more harmful than good. i understand their thinking i believe... im sure when the time is right, we will have the most in-depth Q&A they will ever give an audience, it's just not ready to do so yet.

it's a no-brainer to them if they dont let us Mod/Bat etc, it will fail.

btw, i bet more of you buy the game than you realise. i bet at least half of you that say no now, will say yes later... just remember the forums will remember 

and i have a gut feeling some of the heavyweights of the communities are already working on the game. silence is deafening.......

[WC_EEND]

I think the the fact that EA cannot be trusted plays a huge part in the game bashing. I mean, knowing EA, they will give you access to the modding tools ... as €25 DLC on top of the game's base price. EA doesn't do free, simple as that.
As for the always online thing, well Ubisoft tried it as an anti-piracy measure and they got hammered hard for it (rightfully so), not to mention it only increased piracy as it proved to be more of a hassle for legitimate buyers, while those who pirated could play without issues. All of that aside, my main gripe with always-online type games is this: what happens if your connection fails? If there's no possibility for offline saves, that's a huge problem. Or what if EA's server breaks down? Then SC2013 is basically a €60 paperweight.

The thing that bugs me most though is that the glassbox engine has huge potential, and they're limiting the game's potential by excluding terraforming (paid DLC?), only letting you use medium tiles, etc.

All of that aside, I did sign up for the beta. I'm curious to try it out for myself, but it's not worth €60 for me, which is why I cancelled my preorder.

Xander

[Netuno]

One thing is already certain; the new SimCity (2013) will not have 100% offline mode. A Maxis developer said the game was built to be online, it will not change.

Unfortunately, EA requires that all their games are online and this requirement will not change for the new version of SimCity.

Other negative aspects of the game may change, but the game will continue to have only the online mode.

[z]

I think the the fact that EA cannot be trusted plays a huge part in the game bashing. I mean, knowing EA, they will give you access to the modding tools ... as €25 DLC on top of the game's base price. EA doesn't do free, simple as that.

That's not always true.  In SC4, the Lot Editor and the BAT were added after the fact, and they've always been free.

[WC_EEND]

I think the the fact that EA cannot be trusted plays a huge part in the game bashing. I mean, knowing EA, they will give you access to the modding tools ... as €25 DLC on top of the game's base price. EA doesn't do free, simple as that.

That's not always true.  In SC4, the Lot Editor and the BAT were added after the fact, and they've always been free.

True, but back then DLC was nowhere near as big as it is now, mainly because the consoles back then (PS2 and first Xbox) didn't have anywhere to save any DLC.
Back then expansion packs came on discs and added a lot more value than just for instance new clothes for your character which sells for €5.
So EA didn't milk the consumer yet back then (notable exception being The Sims) anywhere near as much as they do now.

Xander

[Rady]

For me, SimCIty2013 is dead already .. however, SC4 still keeps me entangled .. after a year of absence (dure to RL reasons), I'm at the moment re-installing my plugin folder and looking forward to play this game. SO from my point of view - no need for a "new" SimCity as long as this wonderful modding community stays alive.

[art128]

I think the the fact that EA cannot be trusted plays a huge part in the game bashing. I mean, knowing EA, they will give you access to the modding tools ... as €25 DLC on top of the game's base price. EA doesn't do free, simple as that.

That's not always true.  In SC4, the Lot Editor and the BAT were added after the fact, and they've always been free.

because back then Maxis had words to say. Now it's almost they doesn't exist. It's EA that has all the right today. And as far as i remember EA always made non-free additional content.

[NCGAIO]

This is always a doubt about the dark bowels on start modding of the Simcity

Who reads the text Karybdis (below) has the impression that EA had another thought in that era and helped  as can  (in my opinion correctly)   to keep the game interesting and updated.

Logico that now with digital distribution, their interests on the monetization of products distributed, not leave space for that to happen again.

Posted 02 September 2008 - 04:23 PM
As one of the people that originally started on this, I can answer specifically.

EA gave us complete permission to do any modifications that we want. In fact they cheered us on in person, and gave us as much info as they could without breaking NDA's or giving up company secrets. Several modders have been under Non disclosure agreement with EA specifically for the purpose of furthering file modifications, and a bunch of us (myself included) beta tested the BAT when it was being made.

Yes, it is perfectly legal in every way. But sorry, you're not going to get any document saying so. These are our personal emails and chat logs with them.

We have talked to them about modding the EXE by the way, but they said they couldn't give us the source code currently due to legal reasons. Modding the exe would be done via dll plugins which can be made, and would be legal if done.

The only thing they remotely have a problem with is the naming of SimMars expansion (which EA employees call "That other Mars simulator" in order to maintain legality)

If you need more proof, EA paid thousands of dollars to fly us modders to San Fransisco in order to learn more about the game code... I doubt they would do that if they considered it illegal.

source:Legal Status of Sim City 4 mods

[mike3775]

Other negative aspects of the game may change, but the game will continue to have only the online mode.

And that right there is the main reason I will never buy this game.  Like someone else stated, if I lose the internet, I can't play the game.  Where is the fun in that?

I like that I can install SC4 on my laptop and take it with me when I go to school and have 3 hours to kill between classes every Tuesday and Thursday, but I won't be able to do that at all with this game

[Connor]

The reception to the new Simcity seems to be negative, and I have to agree. When the game was first announced I was optimistic but certainly had a lot of concerns too. As more and more details have emerged I have been more and more disappointed by this game.

For me, SimCIty2013 is dead already .. however, SC4 still keeps me entangled .. after a year of absence (dure to RL reasons), I'm at the moment re-installing my plugin folder and looking forward to play this game. SO from my point of view - no need for a "new" SimCity as long as this wonderful modding community stays alive.

I have to agree with Rady here. I've recently fired up SC4 again after a 6 month absence, and the first thing that hit me was just how good SC4 really is. If the SC4 communtiy stays alive, there is no need for a new game - the SC4 community has added so much to the original game that the vanilla SC4 is barely recognizable anymore.

[dyoungyn]

All,

I was really dis-appointed that SC4 does not work well with my new Quad4/Video card, so I purchased Cities Xl12 to get my self use to the new format that SC13 is emulating.    Needless to say, I am not happy with the options that come with Cities Xl12 so I put away my new PC and going back to the old PC to play SC4.  I was holding out for SC13 with hopes that SC13 will be 10x better that Cities XL12 but based on the comments above, I am not sure. 

I absolutely love the feature of SC4 with the multi-map connections that allow one to expand their cities to the hearts content.  Also, I am NOT A FAN of on-line as this opens the door for virus and other nasty things that get snuck in un-benounced to one's self. 

It really dis-appointed me that I had to pack away my new PC as I could not play SC4 on it and was holding out for SC13.  I am still keeping my fingers crossed that Maxis is reading these comments and taking notes of options to include/delete.

dyoungyn

[Netuno]

SimCannot 2013:

- You cannot play in offline mode
- You cannot create their own road connections between cities (automatic road connections).
- You cannot put a road connection wherever you want.
- You cannot save your maps on the hard drive.
- You cannot have complete control over the zoning by population density (almost automatic zoning).
- You cannot control the regional transport.
- You cannot modify the empty space next to their cities.

[j-dub]

^ Somehow, the above reminds me of that one cable TV commercial, in fact, those facts ^ are almost tempting enough to make a bold animated text video about SC4. I however am still curious about trying the game though, but still, it's just not the same, and I'm afraid it will never be. I mean what was EA thinking! The whole Origin thing, is why I didn't buy Mass Effect 3 on the PC. They need to accept the fact STEAM beat them to the market, Origin is just something else that takes up space, and nothing drives me to dl-ing that! Here EA had the potential for greatness, but their not looking to the best interest of their consumers, and it's a shame, because Maxis made it look a lot better.

[Shark7]

In all honesty, I'd buy the new SimCity if it weren't for that forced Origin connection stuff...that is the only thing preventing me from buying the game.  And so long as that is the case, I will not buy the game, lost sale for EA/Maxis.

[catty]

Hi Guys

If you haven't come across this interview by now, then I would really recommend taking the time to read it

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/simcity/b/pc/archive/2012/07/06/interview-a-new-multiplayer-focus.aspx?PageIndex=2

[z]

From that interview:

The other city is really focused on harvesting coal and resource gain. That city's going to look different, play different – they're actually playing this resource-management game where they're building coal mines, and they're either going to sell that coal on the global market, trade it with other players, or turn it into manufactured goods. They'll be able to smelt it into metals or use it in their coal plants.

Coal?  Coal?

Welcome to the 20th century.

And I just started reading...

[mike3775]

From that interview:

The other city is really focused on harvesting coal and resource gain. That city's going to look different, play different – they're actually playing this resource-management game where they're building coal mines, and they're either going to sell that coal on the global market, trade it with other players, or turn it into manufactured goods. They'll be able to smelt it into metals or use it in their coal plants.

Coal?  Coal?

Welcome to the 20th century.

And I just started reading...

They just officially put the final nail in the coffin for me to ever purchase this game.  I hope Maxis and EA have a flop on their hands with this game now