sábado, 25 de agosto de 2012

Message to Maxis

I know the good work you are doing, but some points that we consider to be negative in the game has diminished our enthusiasm for the game SimCity (2013).

You may have noticed that some features and absence of others aren't pleasing the huge community of SimCity fans.

I hope you understand that we aren't a small group and we admire all the effort you have done by making this game.

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).
- Limitations to players in fake single player mode.
- 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).
- Absence of subway.
- Automatic road connections.
- Player doesn’t have complete control over the zoning by population density (almost automatic zoning).
- Dead space between all the buildings.
- Size of the maps is 2km by 2km (small maps).
- Not being able to control the regional transport.
- Modding restrictions.

I wish Maxis kindly give a response on these points mentioned in several forums that are displeasing to most fans of this wonderful game.

PROOFS

1) No option 100% offline with single player mode.

2) Always-on connection to Origin (EA servers).
http://community.simtropolis.com/topic/48600-simcity-always-on-connection-to-origin.html

3) Limitations to players in fake single player mode. 

Unfortunately, the new SimCity game (2013) is being built to be 100% online with a focus on multiplayer mode.

The single player mode announced by Maxis is not a real single or solo player mode, and it will be only online. This will have limitations that don’t exist in the multiplayer mode. 


Even if you playing alone in the new SimCity (2013), your game will be influenced by other players indirectly through a worldwide network of players in the EA Servers with leaderboards and other external influences. 


You may even be penalized if you want to play alone in the new game or don’t have access to certain features of the game to force you to move to the multiplayer mode.


Member of the Simtropolis forum, SoftcoreGamer says: 

- MULTI-PLAY THE FOCUS; SINGLE PLAYERS WILL BE PENALIZED: play ground and be blocked from "great works" which only multi-players get to build. Great works are large scale projects such as intl airport, which will earn extra in-game rewards for multi-players being obedient Maxis drones. For example, single-play tourist city will suffer tourist inflow stagnation because sorry, international airport is unavailable to single players.
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/simcity/b/pc/archive/2012/07/06/interview-a-new-multiplayer-focus.aspx?PageIndex=1
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/simcity/b/pc/archive/2012/07/06/interview-a-new-multiplayer-focus.aspx?PageIndex=2

4) The presence of empty spaces not editable (useless empty spaces) with automatic road connections.
 

Mkareha: Will there be terraforming in the sense of a "god mode" like there was in SimCity 4?
Creative Director Ocean Quigley: No, all of the terraforming in this SimCity is going to be at the civil engineering scale, and will be the natural consequences of laying out roads, developing zones, and plopping buildings.

6) Absence of farms

There is no information about the existence of farms in SimCity (2013). Maxis said nothing about it and those who played the pre-alpha version didn’t find this item in the new game.

This may indicate there will not be farms in the new SimCity.
 
7) 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).

8) Road connections placed in a fixed and pre-determined location in the map.

neil5280 wrote:
I was able to play SimCity and speak with Community Manager Michael quite a bit, at PAX.
[...]. The roads issue became frustrating when you play near the freeway that goes between cities. In the pre-alpha software your connection point to the highway is pre-determined, which means if you are planning a city, you can't just put your main arterial anywhere. Additionally, it's quite annoying to be able to build so close to the freeway without being able to make arbitrary connections to it, or run roads under it to develop on the other side. [...]
 
9) Airport City (the city is only one International Airport, occupying the entire map 2x2km).

[...]. For one player, whose city focused on tourism, the new airport would bring in a fresh batch of travelers ready to pour extra cash into his city.
http://www.gamespot.com/simcity-2013/previews/simcity-the-renovations-continue-6380807

10) Absence of Subway 

Latest news about public transport in SimCity (2013) on its official blog has worried fans of the franchise, the lack of news regarding the presence of the subway in the new game.

The possible absence of the subway is absurd, because it is an item that was always present in older editions of the game SimCity.


11) Automatic road connections


12) Player doesn't have complete control over the zoning by population density (almost automatic zoning)

How is the new SimCity different from previous installments?
[…]. In this version, players will have only one zone type for Residential, Commercial, and Industrial. Density will be driven by the types of roads and general traffic around these zones.

Google satellite image below


14) Size of the maps is 2km by 2km (small maps).

When questioned about the size of the tile, Maxis answered:

25) Zakerias: 

Hello Kip, Ocean and Dan,

I have two questions: 1. Could you tell something about the maximum size of a city? Will it be the same scale as a massive city in 3 & 4, or should we expect final cities to be a bit smaller because of the new Glassbox engine? 2. What do you think will be the biggest gameplay improvement over SimCity 4?

Maxis:

[Dan] The size of our new cities are roughly equivalent to the SC4 medium sized city (2 kilometers square).




47 comentários:

  1. I admire your research skills. Some things could be true, although I think the automatic zoning isn't that bad.
    Good work, but I disagree with the title of your blog. If Simcity 2013 is a true deception will be determent when it's released.

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  2. There has been no mention of subways at the official site, despite a transport blog appearing this week. Have you heard anything about this? If so, perhaps a blog entry critcising Maxis' move to not include this feature. It really does feel like they're trying to dumb the whole thing down and make it a 'social' game to me.

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  3. A lot of assumptions based on alpha and pre-alpha software.

    The fixed connections issue....based on a pre-alpha DEMO version that has a max of 15-20min of gameplay.

    2km square is the MEDIUM map in SC4

    Deadspace, again, it's an alpha game. They're not going to fuck around trying to put pretty shit in when all they're readying is a demo.

    An airport filling an entire city, obviously you've never seen a large international airport, the biggest are about the size of small cities, and are cities unto themselves.

    Farms: you acknowledge yourself that there may still be farms in Sim City, again, obviously making points just to rail against them without letting them finish the game out.

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  4. Friendly reminder that this is pre-alpha Sim City, not release Sim City.

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  5. Guess Sim City is going to have its soul strangled right out by the 'no new single player only games' rule is shoving into their games. That doesnt mean the game couldnt have an online mode, but this...this just kills any excitement for the game

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  6. I do agree with your blog, Simcity 4 Rush hour is my favorite game and the information i heard about the Simcity 2013 aren't godd at all : they are going to make the game for casual gamers and without any offline mode. Plus the new zoning system without density limit and with deadspaces between buildings seems to be full of cancer...
    Continue your blog, don 't let Simcity be killed by EA as they killed Crysis...

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  7. Great blog!
    I wish there was the option of bike routes! Most cities need to have currently ...

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  8. About the lack of farms and subways: Why does this surprise anyone when the possibility of a future DLC bringing those things are so damn high?

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    Respostas
    1. A subway system is foundamental and not an option you have to purchase! 70€/$ is not enough?

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  9. Don't worrie, there will come an expansion package that will make the game better. They will notice that the 'hard-core' players will not buy/play the game. The hardcore players of Simcity 4 are the reason this game is still being played. So much has changed since 2003. The game is almost completely re-modded and filled with more content than it was shipped with the game itself.

    This will happen to Simcity 2013 too. Simcity 4 (first version) was a joke too.

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  10. Please keep writing about the game, this blog represent many Simcity fans!

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  11. looking at the last image makes me cry.
    so unrealistic... f. this game.

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  12. I think you never played the original game or even sim city 2000.
    I'm pretty sure this, as civ V was for civilization series, will be a reboot and that allows them to go back to stronger roots and will allow them to build upon the new foundations.
    This is imo a good choice and i know the game is going to be great fun as i've been reading/watching previews for some time.
    I don't even know what farms were in simcity since i played sim city and sim city 2000 only. I'm not a fan of the series(did play 2000 a lot but that was ages ago), but i'm really interested in this game.

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  13. Tem uma cena do jogo que um carro passa por dentro um do outro
    no video GAMEPLAY STRATEGY quando chega em 2:41
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceL2C4TW4Q&feature=plcp

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  14. If you bothered to look you'd find out that everything available to multi player is available to single player, i.e, int airport.
    The deadspace around buildings is just the way that bit has been built by the player, you can zone it so there is none.
    And as for the always online, get the f over it, welcome to the future

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  15. The biggest and saddest downgrade is the ability to zone and edit the space inbetween cities...large towering skyscrapers like bubblues in an empty lansdscape is anything but realistic, and combining tiles and creating huge supercities with interchangeable transportation was the essence of SC4, this is a huge loss for the now "SimVille 2013"...

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  16. This is pathetic, tt's a game...

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    Respostas
    1. It s a game you pay. So it s right to show some concerns.

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  17. But it's not supposed to be a game.

    It's SimCity.

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  18. I'm sorry but you don't have all of your facts straight.
    For instance there are no limitations to the true single player mode. Your example of the international airport is wrong. It can be built in the solo player mode but it will be a little bit harder because you can only play for so long at a time.
    As said above the maps are of a medium (not small) size compared to sim city 4 but if you play 16 cities (max of the region) at once I'm sure you still have enough space to build a megalopolis.

    And it is true that the subway disappears however the options of designing your mass transport system seem better then ever.

    The amount of dead space as you put is is at your own design as is said above. In other trailers more and less compact cities have been shown.

    The lack of zoning density I find quite refreshing actually. It is not that you cannot create major traffic problems and if you really want a single street with high rises the so called plop able buildings provide the answer.

    The not being able to restore a city to a pre disaster state is indeed unfortunate if it is so. However I have not played the game so you might be able to save.

    For your other concerns I mostly fail to see the point. Who cares about the lack of farms, the not perfect region view and the pre-defined connection to the outside world.

    The lack of god tools actually is better I think. I always flattened the land for easy play in previous games this provides an extra challenge and because there is no grid the program can also adapt better to building on mountainous/hilly terrain then it used to.
    It even provides a more realistic play in the real world you don't have god tools either and thus need to make use of the landscape around you.

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  19. dear owner of this website, please "officialy" change all of "Simcity 2013" or simcity 5 to Simtown. maybe this will make them think a little

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  20. I liked Simcity 3000 the most. Even the 'big' maps in SimCity 4 were too small for my liking.

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  21. Hey guys, it's Maxis... have a little hope and credit!..

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  22. Simcity 2013 should have all the Features that Simcity 4 have. not to make it absence just to make it as expansion pack or dlc. that's the cheap way to rip our money

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  23. It’s never too late to improve your information and your contents inspire me.
    mk802review

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  24. Why nobody talks about the newspaper?, I think it was pretty important. Sure I played to 2000.
    Moreover I think that will turn the game into a series of DLCs closer absurdity of "The Sims 3" which control the reality of a city. A real shame, I hope I'm wrong, because I made ​​my reservation. Greetings and do not fail to be critical.

    ¿Por qué nadie habla de el periódico?, Creo que fue muy importante. Claro que he jugado a SimCity 2000.
    Por otra parte creo que va a convertir el juego en una serie de absurdos DLCs más cerca de "Los Sims 3", que controla la realidad de una ciudad. Una verdadera pena, espero que me equivoque, porque he hecho mi Reserva. Saludos y no dejad de ser críticos.

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  25. A good work of research but the dead spaces can be eliminated by building the roads more inteligently and density is progresional and depends from the types of roads ,and how you can say that Simcity is a deception ?? It not even came out !! Things change in life ,staying with the same result for ever is absurd.

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  26. Check this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUl_Cj2_KWU&feature=player_embedded

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  27. WEll, I will leave to buy the game after modders get access to the Modding tools. If Simtropolis do adopt the game i will as well!
    No Subs? No Single player? Only Small Cities? A very, very sad news!
    Ultimately, a true EA game!

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    Respostas
    1. How do you mod an online-only game? All mods are client side, whereas the entire game is server side.

      Afraid to say the days of modding SimCity are dead for now.

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  28. I don't know about all the complaints. Yes, I agree, a farm here and there would be nice, especially to feed your people. But that would be come a business simulation with supply and demand of economics. Still, maybe have it as a difficulty feature in later versions.

    As far as size, I would really like to test out the game before I say anything. I kind'a like the small cozy feel of a town instead of a gigantic, uncontrollable metropolis. And yes, lots of cities have deadspace between them. Maybe that's where farms come from. If they would have made farm graphics instead of green fields, would you have been happier?

    Automatic Zoning densities is ok with me. It would make it more of a challenge to try to get higher densities going. After all, if people want bigger buildings, who are you to tell them not to? Did you ever try to fight city hall on even putting up a fence on your property? I think what people want, people should get... like bigger buildings.

    All in all, yes, they did a great job on not making SimCity: Societies II. I applaud them for that, and the online connection will be an annoyance that I can get used to, but I frankly don't care about that, and neither do the 99% of people who have not complained about the game who will buy it.

    Enjoy!

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    Respostas
    1. Dad and I both want to make farm towns but that is impossible in any Sim City where you have a small city and far away you have a small town or dozens of small towns 10 miles apart with farms in between and a city on one end with a port for transporting goods from the farms.

      We have seen farms that are working well suddenly become Smog-O-Matics or Thingamajigs. (Sim City jokes)

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  29. simcity player 20 years7 de março de 2013 às 10:32

    This game doesn't work!
    I bought it and installed two times.
    The problem is EA's servers.
    Now, the customer service people are refusing refunds for people who paid with credit card.
    Tough EA.
    You released a game that doesn't work.
    Don't buy it until EA comes up with a working game.

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    Respostas
    1. EA don't give a care about you. Give up EA. They say *F* you and only care about money.

      They will be a puppet for the New World Order when the time comes which when EA threatens to go out of business they get bailed out by Big Brother.

      Just watch no more then 5 years from now.

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  30. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MOTHERFUCKING SPACE FOR ME TO BUILD THE SHIT I WANT TO BUILD, THE MAPS ARE TOO SMALL YOU FUCKING RETARDS,
    FIX THIS FUCKING BULLSHIT RIGHT NOW, OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL COME AND BOMB YOUR FUCKING SERVER ROOMS.

    THANK GOD ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL THIS IS CRACKED SO THE COMMUNITY CAN FIX YOUR FUCKUPS,
    I BOUGHT THE ORIGINAL AND NOW AM GONNA EN UP PLAYING THE PIRATE WHEN IT COMES OUT!

    JESUS FUCK I AM GOING TO KILL THE NEXT MOTHERFUCKING EA OR MAXIS EMPLOYEE I SEE,
    FUUUUUUUUCK YOU< GOD DAMMIT FUCK YOU SO HARD!! CUNTS

    MAN FUCK EA, FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MAXIS, BULLFROG AND WESTWOOD STUDIOS...

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  31. Fans hate to say this, I'm sure, but this site was six months ahead of everyone else, especially Maxis and EA. Good call.

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  32. Yeah, I was actually going to buy this game, I loooved Simcity 4. I'm glad I didn't though, I'm going to wait to try it and if fixes come out for this stuff... Maybe I'll support you, EA. Until then, release a working game and quit with the damn online only! I mean, I'm almost always online, but that's ALMOST. I want to play when I'm stuck somewhere without internet.

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  33. soo happy i didnt throw my money away on that trash

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  34. You've predicted every bad things about the game. Thumbs up.

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  35. Edit: I hope I didn't type this all for nothing as I hope somebody in a decent position gets out of their slumber and realizes what is going on that they are not telling you the reader in school or universities both here in America and abroad.

    Please excuse my poor English but I am trying my best to be understandable to put this in modern context.


    First of all me not surprised in the least. Maxis team are puppets controlled by EA which only care about the lowest common denominator in demographics so Maxis are told what to say or not say in press meetings long before any of us shake hands.

    In fact me sure they plan their speeches ahead of time with scripted responses and no reply if no script.

    It will be part of the slow but steady trend to a New World Order/AntiChrist since the Industrial Revolution and we are in the transitional period hence why many games and electronic devices now be required online connection so they spy on you're usage which eventually make law enforcement profiles of you based on what you play and how you chat online. Mind you're P's and Q's.

    It no stop there however.


    Now computers are heading towards direction where you don't even own you're files. They are stored in a remote server in da clouds instead of you're own hard drive which they can disconnect you or throttle you're ISP anytime.


    Windows 8 which we all hate is geared towards tablets and phones rather then desktops and is very buggy on desktop mode.
    Those with said phones and tablets however love it because that's what it's made for.




    The head boss of Win 8 two weeks later vanished without a trace and nobody knows where he is and all this criticism believe it or not comes from computer magazines and reviewers which usually they only give positive reviews only.

    Usually computer magazines have a fanboy snob attitude about their system but if THEY are giving Microsoft Windows flack then that means something is really wrong with it to get the snob people angry and freaked out.


    One reviewer put it bluntly and said it should be called Microsoft Window instead of Windows because you can only do one thing at a time and it's clunky to use on desktop mode.











    This is all part of a trend for when the one world government sets up and requires an RFID chip to buy or sell anything and the AntiChrist will likely be holographic 3D hence an *Image of the beast* that can speak and move and put people to death.

    This all due to the AntiChrist breathing upon to him life but the people in the bible had no concept of computers and holographic imagery.

    Hell people in the late 1980s didn't have much concept of computers and 3D imagery except for nerds.

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  36. Sadly, the game was a total flop, there is really no nice way to say it. All the things that the long-time fans of the series, and the things that people loved in prior versions of the franchise were stripped away. Fact is, the city building sub-genre is, and will always be a niche; one that is large enough to justify the productions of these titles. They are trying to attract the casual gamer, to an inherently non-casual genre.

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  37. The city sizes are too dam* small. I mean, if you build 'high density' roads and follow the recommended placement points, the city is 10 blocks across, if even. The in-game guidance is telling me to "zone more residential" - but I'm completely out of space within an hour of starting to play the game. How realistic is that? Real cities expand their borders!
    I'm going back to playing Cities XL. Incredibly large map sizes.

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  38. What I liked in SC5 is the feedback. Its really useful. But as everybody else, I hate all these limitations, specially the small city size. It should be to us to determine size, not something imposed by the game. Same goes to all other points you mention here.

    I wish we had SC4 with realistic graphics and SC5 feedback system...

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  39. Great article and I hope to encourage EA to fix.

    I wrote 6 pieces of music so far about this SimCity problem and also put up a fundraiser. I am on YouTube Twitter and Reddit as:

    simcitydrmfree

    Perhaps EA will listen to us now that the problem is so bad and they fired their CEO.

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  40. All very sensible observations on how this iteration of SimCity is fundamentally different from previous versions. But I fail to see how you justify them as complaints: are you a share holder, or perhaps the parent of one of the developers? Maybe this game was your idea, and you've seen it stripped from your hands! Attention all gamers: you are not entitled. That's it. My challenge to you: create your own game the way YOU want it to be. Otherwise, play it, like it, or don't like it. The problem is, the gamers who enjoy the experience aren't vaulting out of their seats to complain, so you only hear from the whiners.

    Anyway, all the best!

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    Respostas
    1. @dbarud: Shut up! I am tired of silly apologists like you. Even the creator said the server problems were 'inexcusable'. This game is half finished and totally soiled and ruined the reputation of a classic game series. Stop excusing people's incompetence with stupid platitudes. They knew it was not even fixed and it was not even playable. EA even stopped people from getting refunds for this game. I am glad I dodged a bullet by not purchasing SimCity (2013).

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