After reading some previews on the new SimCity, I cancelled my pre-order.

This ArsTechnica article, among others, has compelled me to rethink my SimCity pre-purchase.

My main issue are not the bugs or the always-online DRM, but rather, the trade-off that EA has made between the micro and macro-scales of the game. The game models every single citizen in your city. As a result, the size of your city is severely constricted to perhaps only an upwards of 200,000 people. I really don't like that, and quite frankly, why do I need to know what every single one of my citizens is up to? It's pointless.

I'm putting money towards my ArmA 3 pre-order instead. EA, I think the only game I will be buying from you this year is Battlefield 4, and even then, it's only a big "if". 

Damn it, reading that so makes me want to get it, but I want to have time for SC 2 in March, not Sim City...and personally I think the population "issue" is nonsense, why would I care about having 20 billion people when I only see 1K, maybe? Anno series is doing just fine and provides a much better experience than any Sim City ever did for me and even that series inflates the numbers a little higher than the general impression you get from seeing people around.

Damn it, reading that so makes me want to get it, but I want to have time for SC 2 in March, not Sim City...and personally I think the population "issue" is nonsense, why would I care about having 20 billion people when I only see 1K, maybe? Anno series is doing just fine and provides a much better experience than any Sim City ever did for me and even that series inflates the numbers a little higher than the general impression you get from seeing people around.

DanielDust

Well, it makes your city looks more like small towns than big metropolises. 

from pretty much everything i read about this game BESIDES The space given is good to my ears. Only pay $30 for the game on GMG so ya we will find out tonight or so

they are small areas but instead of expanding out they want you to upgrade

I just read IGNs review in progress and I will definitely get this game. It's all positive except for the small city sizes.

Some excerpts:

so far what we have here is a gorgeous and incredibly detailed city simulation that occasionally trips over its own staggering complexity.IGN

and people were saying this game would be way too easy and not complex enough.

 Given the limited city sizes, I appreciate how the second city I built in the same region, Dan Jose, could mooch off the technology and excess resources of my first (Dan Francisco). For example, when I founded Dan Jose I didn't have to build a power plant at all because Dan Francisco had a nuclear reactor, and I could simply buy whatever wasn't being used. The same goes for unlocks if a City Hall add-on exists in Dan Francisco that allows a hospital to be built, Dan Jose gets all the benefits too (and vice versa).  IGN

This pretty much gets around the whole limited city space. You can just start a new one.

so far SimCity is the kind of game that makes me wish it had a real-world clock displayed on the screen so I know when to stop to eat. IGN

I had this during the beta. I wanted to keep playing the game but after an hour of trying the game ended.

Tomorrow it will be mine ! Seems like we finally have another great Simcity game after the terrible Societies.

Edit: here is the link for anyone that is interested in reading it.

Damn it, reading that so makes me want to get it, but I want to have time for SC 2 in March, not Sim City...and personally I think the population "issue" is nonsense, why would I care about having 20 billion people when I only see 1K, maybe? Anno series is doing just fine and provides a much better experience than any Sim City ever did for me and even that series inflates the numbers a little higher than the general impression you get from seeing people around.

DanielDust

You gotta understand the design choice here. The cities are not smaller as a result of the modeling of every single citizen in your city, though that certainly contributed. The main reason is the main focus on smaller more specialized cities that are all connected in a single region. Instead of one big city with all your industries, your suppose to make several small cities with one or two industries. In return essentially have a trade network of both your cities and your friend's cities. The macro scale is still there, it's just implemented in a different way. I read the article, and I understand where you are coming from, but I also understand that even if every single one of the complaints in the article was fixed, the game would still be basically the same, the design choices made would remain untouched. Brean24

Agreed. It's not worse than previous Simcities. It's just different.

I like fresh ideas in my games. It keeps games the fresh. I don't just want a Sim City 4 with updated graphics.

I just read IGNs review in progress and I will definitely get this game. It's all positive except for the small city sizes.

Some excerpts:

[QUOTE="IGN"] so far what we have here is a gorgeous and incredibly detailed city simulation that occasionally trips over its own staggering complexity.R4gn4r0k

and people were saying this game would be way too easy and not complex enough.

 Given the limited city sizes, I appreciate how the second city I built in the same region, Dan Jose, could mooch off the technology and excess resources of my first (Dan Francisco). For example, when I founded Dan Jose I didn't have to build a power plant at all because Dan Francisco had a nuclear reactor, and I could simply buy whatever wasn't being used. The same goes for unlocks if a City Hall add-on exists in Dan Francisco that allows a hospital to be built, Dan Jose gets all the benefits too (and vice versa).  IGN

This pretty much gets around the whole limited city space. You can just start a new one.

so far SimCity is the kind of game that makes me wish it had a real-world clock displayed on the screen so I know when to stop to eat. IGN

I had this during the beta. I wanted to keep playing the game but after an hour of trying the game ended.

Tomorrow it will be mine ! Seems like we finally have another great Simcity game after the terrible Societies.

Edit: here is the link for anyone that is interested in reading it.

Damn it, reading that so makes me want to get it, but I want to have time for SC 2 in March, not Sim City...and personally I think the population "issue" is nonsense, why would I care about having 20 billion people when I only see 1K, maybe? Anno series is doing just fine and provides a much better experience than any Sim City ever did for me and even that series inflates the numbers a little higher than the general impression you get from seeing people around.

DanielDust

The problem is not the number of people...lol...is the actual size of the map.The lagest city u can build is no lager than a small town...or a large village.

After watching Total Biscuit play it for 4 hours on a live stream I am super excited for the game.

He isad the only real negatives have nothing to do with gameplay or the game you are playing, its more onlien always or future microtransactions. He also said it has ALOT mroe depth then he expected going in.

Not expecting game of the year, but it is looking pretty good to me. But watching TB enjoy his time playing the full game was all I needed.

Best to never pre-order. At least don't pre-order before the early reviews and previews, so you don't have to go to the trouble of cancelling.

from pretty much everything i read about this game BESIDES The space given is good to my ears. Only pay $30 for the game on GMG so ya we will find out tonight or so

 

they are small areas but instead of expanding out they want you to upgrade

k2theswiss

$30!?  How is that possible?

[QUOTE="DanielDust"]

Damn it, reading that so makes me want to get it, but I want to have time for SC 2 in March, not Sim City...and personally I think the population "issue" is nonsense, why would I care about having 20 billion people when I only see 1K, maybe? Anno series is doing just fine and provides a much better experience than any Sim City ever did for me and even that series inflates the numbers a little higher than the general impression you get from seeing people around.

rhazzy

The problem is not the number of people...lol...is the actual size of the map.The lagest city u can build is no lager than a small town...or a large village.

EDIT: Just read...Sim City is huge, these "sectors" that are managed indepentently with the option of making others on your region are small, the overall size is big, too big even.

heres review from polygon

9.5

http://www.polygon.com/game/simcity-2013/2630

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

from pretty much everything i read about this game BESIDES The space given is good to my ears. Only pay $30 for the game on GMG so ya we will find out tonight or so

 

they are small areas but instead of expanding out they want you to upgrade

NaveedLife

$30!?  How is that possible?

i got it in dec they had 20% off on select pre order then i had 25% code through email i could use on anything.  which brought the game to $33 then i had $3 in GMG funds for trading in free games they gave out for free

:)

[QUOTE="NaveedLife"]

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

from pretty much everything i read about this game BESIDES The space given is good to my ears. Only pay $30 for the game on GMG so ya we will find out tonight or so

 

they are small areas but instead of expanding out they want you to upgrade

k2theswiss

$30!?  How is that possible?

i got it in dec they had 20% off on select pre order then i had 25% code through email i could use on anything.  which brought the game to $33 then i had $3 in GMG funds for trading in free games they gave out for free

:)

ah I see.  

DO you (or anyone else) know if the $20 promo credit at Amazon applies to digital downloads (games)?  It is tricky in its wording so its hard to tell.

heres review from polygon

9.5

http://www.polygon.com/game/simcity-2013/2630

k2theswiss

People overreacting to a EA game pre-launch as usual. Nothing new.

I was excited to get the game tomorrow but it turns out I have to wait untill thursday :(

ah I see.   

DO you (or anyone else) know if the $20 promo credit at Amazon applies to digital downloads (games)?  It is tricky in its wording so its hard to tell.

NaveedLife

Don't know, I have no experience with amazon, but can't you see if it applies the credit on the checkout screen?

[QUOTE="NaveedLife"]

ah I see.   

DO you (or anyone else) know if the $20 promo credit at Amazon applies to digital downloads (games)?  It is tricky in its wording so its hard to tell.

R4gn4r0k

Don't know, I have no experience with amazon, but can't you see if it applies the credit on the checkout screen?

It is credit you get for buying the game.  so it is used on another purchase.  I wanted ot know before I buy the game if I can use the 20 on a digital download or not.  I am trying to find a good way to get Simcity and use its credit on Tomb Raider.  The best I can find is GMG I guess.

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

[QUOTE="NaveedLife"]

$30!?  How is that possible?

NaveedLife

i got it in dec they had 20% off on select pre order then i had 25% code through email i could use on anything.  which brought the game to $33 then i had $3 in GMG funds for trading in free games they gave out for free

:)

ah I see.  

DO you (or anyone else) know if the $20 promo credit at Amazon applies to digital downloads (games)?  It is tricky in its wording so its hard to tell.

umm copy and paste the tex? If it said game credit then anything in video games can be used. at i never had issue with useing credit on digital

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

heres review from polygon

9.5

http://www.polygon.com/game/simcity-2013/2630

R4gn4r0k

People overreacting to a EA game pre-launch as usual. Nothing new.

I was excited to get the game tomorrow but it turns out I have to wait untill thursday :(

[QUOTE="NaveedLife"]

ah I see.   

DO you (or anyone else) know if the $20 promo credit at Amazon applies to digital downloads (games)?  It is tricky in its wording so its hard to tell.

R4gn4r0k

Don't know, I have no experience with amazon, but can't you see if it applies the credit on the checkout screen?

the way amazon works with pre orders at least with physical copies is they don't release charge you until late in the day/next day before game release SO getting that code applied to your account won't take effect until game is released

aww where you getting it from?k2theswiss

I'll be getting it from brick and mortar store because it's cheaper than buying it online. On origin it's 59 euro and on GMG with 20% off it's 41 euro. In stores I'll probably find it for 39 euro.

I got the game for free, I p reordered it on amazon and it took two payments off me, Amazon refunded both but only cancelled one order and I recently got an email telling me the game has shipped and will be here in 5 days but every preorder I buy generally comes a day or two early anyway. Beat that deal. JohnF111

I am under the impression that you can do it like this.

Instead of making a full city. 

Can make several (sub-divisions), that all link up to create a major city?

Like say 4-5 subdivisions all linked up to create a big city? (all linked up, sharing money, power, ect.)

Just because you don't start it out all one one grid map doesn't really seem like all that much of a problem for me, (and seems like it would run better quantized like it is)

Or am I way off base here?

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]aww where you getting it from?R4gn4r0k

I'll be getting it from brick and mortar store because it's cheaper than buying it online. On origin it's 59 euro and on GMG with 20% off it's 41 euro. In stores I'll probably find it for 39 euro.

I am under the impression that you can do it like this.

 

Instead of making a full city. 

Can make several (sub-divisions), that all link up to create a major city?

Like say 4-5 subdivisions all linked up to create a big city? (all linked up, sharing money, power, ect.)

 

Just because you don't start it out all one one grid map doesn't really seem like all that much of a problem for me, (and seems like it would run better quantized like it is)

 

Or am I way off base here?

Lach0121

Jeuxvideo.com destroyed it (use Google Translate, it's worth it)

ArsTechnica is disappointed, will post review after trying the final release (http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/03/simcity-impressions-we-waited-ten-years-for-this/)

Enjoy your forced disasters and lack of reloads:lol:

WOW what a rip off from origin... regional pricing release needs to go...k2theswiss

Yeah origin is the biggest rip-off I know. I saw Crysis 3 for 69.99 and Sim City for 79.99 on there and I thought to myself: this can't be real, they must be joking. That or they don't want their service to be used.

It turned out it was for the limited edition of Sim City but even 59.99 is still too much. This ain't a console game, I ain't paying any royalties to console manufacturers so that money is going straight to EA.

Jeuxvideo.com destroyed it (use Google Translate, it's worth it)

Baranga

Ce n'est pas nécessaire.

They list as a negative: No metros... lol :lol:

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]WOW what a rip off from origin... regional pricing release needs to go...R4gn4r0k

Yeah origin is the biggest rip-off I know. I saw Crysis 3 for 69.99 and Sim City for 79.99 on there and I thought to myself: this can't be real, they must be joking. That or they don't want their service to be used.

It turned out it was for the limited edition of Sim City but even 59.99 is still too much. This ain't a console game, I ain't paying any royalties to console manufacturers so that money is going straight to EA.

You gotta understand the design choice here. The cities are not smaller as a result of the modeling of every single citizen in your city, though that certainly contributed. The main reason is the main focus on smaller more specialized cities that are all connected in a single region. Instead of one big city with all your industries, your suppose to make several small cities with one or two industries. In return essentially have a trade network of both your cities and your friend's cities. The macro scale is still there, it's just implemented in a different way. I read the article, and I understand where you are coming from, but I also understand that even if every single one of the complaints in the article was fixed, the game would still be basically the same, the design choices made would remain untouched. Brean24

[QUOTE="Baranga"]

Jeuxvideo.com destroyed it (use Google Translate, it's worth it)

R4gn4r0k

Ce n'est pas nécessaire.

They list as a negative: No metros... lol :lol:

When the cities are so small, having public transport eat precious building tiles is not that fun. Ars goes into more detail.

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]WOW what a rip off from origin... regional pricing release needs to go...R4gn4r0k

Yeah origin is the biggest rip-off I know. I saw Crysis 3 for 69.99 and Sim City for 79.99 on there and I thought to myself: this can't be real, they must be joking. That or they don't want their service to be used.

It turned out it was for the limited edition of Sim City but even 59.99 is still too much. This ain't a console game, I ain't paying any royalties to console manufacturers so that money is going straight to EA.

[QUOTE="Lach0121"]

I am under the impression that you can do it like this.

 

Instead of making a full city. 

Can make several (sub-divisions), that all link up to create a major city?

Like say 4-5 subdivisions all linked up to create a big city? (all linked up, sharing money, power, ect.)

 

Just because you don't start it out all one one grid map doesn't really seem like all that much of a problem for me, (and seems like it would run better quantized like it is)

 

Or am I way off base here?

k2theswiss

Well then, I don't see an issue with the size with it personally. Even if it only did up to 5 of them, that would still be fine with me, and I don't think it will be an issue with my people either.

I kinda like that design.  Means my gf, and I could create a city together, by creating our own subdivisions. (without having to have 2 copies of the game)

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"][QUOTE="chrisrooR"]I'm a bit more scared because of this.... http://kotaku.com/5988286/simcity-won-and-broke-my-heart-in-just-three-days "Totilo's town helped me during those early days, supplying waste management and emergency services as I struggled to balance utilities and facilities with explosive growth. Eventually I returned the favor, letting him tap into my nuclear reactor to power his city. It was a good relationship. We worked well together. When I destroyed everything I had built in order to start over, the effect on Totilo's town was devastating. Without my nuclear reactor he had no power. Businesses closed. People left town. His city plunged into an economic nosedive he couldn't pull out of. He wound up abandoning the city and moving on to a new region."chrisrooR

The forced disasters are going to drive people crazy. I understand the idea of the regional simulation, but when a meteor or a bug ruins an entire region - where's the fun in that? You end up with multiple people heartbroken.

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="k2theswiss"] it might be me but that sounds fun lol haha no. BUT what you expect? one city feeding off other and that one city shuts down the other city will suffer. Baranga

The forced disasters are going to drive people crazy. I understand the idea of the regional simulation, but when a meteor or a bug ruins an entire region - where's the fun in that? You end up with multiple people heartbroken.

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="k2theswiss"] it might be me but that sounds fun lol haha no. BUT what you expect? one city feeding off other and that one city shuts down the other city will suffer. Baranga

The forced disasters are going to drive people crazy. I understand the idea of the regional simulation, but when a meteor or a bug ruins an entire region - where's the fun in that? You end up with multiple people heartbroken.

[QUOTE="Baranga"]

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"] But we're talking about with random people online here. So I don't want to have to rely on some guy who's just playing to grief people... And what happens when you're tied to someones city and they DONT leave it, but just keep messing it up on purpose? And what happens when cloud saves mess up and lose a city I've been building for hours? chrisrooR

The forced disasters are going to drive people crazy. I understand the idea of the regional simulation, but when a meteor or a bug ruins an entire region - where's the fun in that? You end up with multiple people heartbroken.

 You can't turn off disasters in real world + they add some flavor to the game.

k2theswiss

So the fun in this simulation can be ruined for multiple people by bad luck. This is not flavour, this is ruining the game.

IIRC disasters were always an optional feature because they're so game-changing. They are also good for f*cking around. They're good when before going to sleep you decide to destroy your city for the lulz, safe in the knowledge that you can just reload... Oh wait, not anymore.

You can, of course, turn them off in the sandbox mode but that's basically playing in a Potemkin village inside a Potemkin village.

I understand what the developers aim for, I can even respect it, but I don't like it.

Also Tropico did the whole "you can track every citizen!" thing before.

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="Baranga"]

The forced disasters are going to drive people crazy. I understand the idea of the regional simulation, but when a meteor or a bug ruins an entire region - where's the fun in that? You end up with multiple people heartbroken.

k2theswiss

Hey guys, I'm really excited for the game but have one question. I just preordered on Origin to get the bonuses, will the game start to install automatically when it gets unlocked? Or do I have to do it manually? Thanks I've never used Origin before about 10 minutes ago

Hey guys, I'm really excited for the game but have one question. I just preordered on Origin to get the bonuses, will the game start to install automatically when it gets unlocked? Or do I have to do it manually? Thanks I've never used Origin before about 10 minutes ago

LaytonsCat