Sim City V

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by photon

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/0...ears-for-this/

after reading that i'm really regretting not cancelling my pre-order

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

after reading that i'm really regretting not cancelling my pre-order

Can you not still cancel? The game hasn't released yet.

[psicodude]

I am still excited about the game, but am trying to force myself to lower expectations. I still believe the potential is there for a classic, but maybe after 2 or 3 expansions are released, which I am sure Maxis starts working on this week.

My prediction:

Expansion 1: "Rush Hour" type with expanded transportation options.
Expansion 2: The "Big Cities" expansion which increases city size.
Expansion 3: The "God Mode" expansion that let's you terraform and create your own maps.

Plus, a ton of DLC along the way.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

after reading that i'm really regretting not cancelling my pre-order

The city size is something that I think will be addressed in a patch or an expansion pack. Beyond that, you could always work on a couple cities near eachother in a region at the same time to get the bigger city feel.

All that said, I agree the city size limitations are disappointing.


The rest of what they talked about look like pretty minor bugs. The other Sim City games were nowhere near bug free, so I'm not too concerned. Anything game-changing bug-wise I'm positive will get patched.


I'm still psyched to play tomorrow.

[sclitheroe]

I'd be careful reading too too much into a Peter B driven review of just about anything. If you follow him on Twitter or listen to him on the Ars podcasts, I get the impression you'd need to be darn near perfect to get a good review.

I'm certain his criticisms are valid, but he has a very distinct tone/outlook.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

after reading that i'm really regretting not cancelling my pre-order

Just cancel then man. Most pre-orders you can cancel until the game comes out which is 12 hours from now.

[CaptainCrunch]

Anyone else want to employ morons at your nuclear power plant.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

I'd be careful reading too too much into a Peter B driven review of just about anything. If you follow him on Twitter or listen to him on the Ars podcasts, I'm not sure what you'd have to be pretty damn near perfect to get a good review.

I'm certain his criticisms are valid, but he has a very distinct tone/outlook.

I agree. He brings a lot of preconceived notions of what the game "should" be and not what it is.

Although city size is really disappointing, I think the game developers are going for more of a game where you can pick it up and accomplish something in a short period of time. They want you to build a lot of small cities, rather than building one huge metropolis (the limited resources and huge benefits of region play point to this). Whether this ends up holding my interest or not I don't know, but the Ars people are basically trying to force the old model into the new game and not having a lot of success.

However, one complaint and I feel like this is where I'm going to be pretty mad about, is that it's released by EA. That means that every 3 new regions is probably going to be another $5 (I hope they release a region editor for free...). Micro-transactions (and DLC) are seriously the most frustrating thing about most new games. I'm already pissed that it's somewhat pay-to-win (ie. deluxe edition gets better police/fire trucks etc.) and I just feel like I'm going to be nickel and dimed for every new feature.

Regardless, I'm going to play it and give it a real shot. I'm a relatively low-level player, so I feel like I'm going to have an experience much more like TotalBiscuit, where you know he's playing poorly, but just having a ton of fun.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Regorium

I agree. He brings a lot of preconceived notions of what the game "should" be and not what it is.

Although city size is really disappointing, I think the game developers are going for more of a game where you can pick it up and accomplish something in a short period of time. They want you to build a lot of small cities, rather than building one huge metropolis (the limited resources and huge benefits of region play point to this). Whether this ends up holding my interest or not I don't know, but the Ars people are basically trying to force the old model into the new game and not having a lot of success.

However, one complaint and I feel like this is where I'm going to be pretty mad about, is that it's released by EA. That means that every 3 new regions is probably going to be another $5 (I hope they release a region editor for free...). Micro-transactions (and DLC) are seriously the most frustrating thing about most new games. I'm already pissed that it's somewhat pay-to-win (ie. deluxe edition gets better police/fire trucks etc.) and I just feel like I'm going to be nickel and dimed for every new feature.

Regardless, I'm going to play it and give it a real shot. I'm a relatively low-level player, so I feel like I'm going to have an experience much more like TotalBiscuit, where you know he's playing poorly, but just having a ton of fun.

I have to disagree about the DDE. You get a few minor advantages (faster police cars, faster passenger trains, and bigger buses). These are not things that are a big deal but they are nice to have for the extra money.

But yeah, players who want this game to play EXACTLY like the old SimCity games will need to adjust their thinking a bit. It is a different game, awesome but different.

[RedMileDJ]

Vent info for Sim City players is in the other Sim City thread.

[Nehkara]

Polygon (9.5/10)

SimCity is a near-perfect fusion of the classic simulation game with modern social and online play elements. It is in every way the fully realized evolution of the franchise and a much welcome iteration, perfectly engineered to dispense the maximum amount of fun in the most efficient way possible. It is highly addicting, but there are worse things to be addicted to. Just be sure to set an alarm.

GamesBeat (90/100)

It’s a joy to see SimCity return in a better form than it has ever been. It is wonderfully complex, but very easy to play. The title is a massive undertaking and it has come together beautifully overall. Hopefully, EA will be able to improve the connected parts of the game, and the experience will become more fun with more players.
By the time you’ve mastered the game, you’ll get an appreciation of how hard it is to run a sustainable city. You can build it around ore deposits, but one day your mine will go dry and you’ll be left with a lot of pollution. The game is as enchanting as it was when it first debuted so many years ago.

Mashable has a review up, no score but very positive.

Fans of the franchise will be thrilled with the newest SimCity, and it has so much heart and charm that new players are bound to get addicted, too. SimCity offers a great challenge to any player, and that's what makes it enjoyable. Even after you scrap your first attempt, you'll be hooked enough to try building more cities, and that's exactly what makes a great game.

Shacknews Review - Mostly Positive

For all these avoidable limitations, SimCity is still a gorgeous and often captivating strategy game. The ever-present tension between investing and saving is a constant presence as you play, and the numerous city specializations (oil drilling, ore collection, gambling, tourism, etc.) will help each city that you create feel different than the one before, and the design is smooth enough to encourage you to try your hand at multiple cities, both alone and with friends (or strangers) online. This isn't a radically different experience than what's come before, but considering SimCity's refined UI and mechanics, it's easy to consider this the best city-building strategy game to arrive in years.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I have to disagree about the DDE. You get a few minor advantages (faster police cars, faster passenger trains, and bigger buses). These are not things that are a big deal but they are nice to have for the extra money.

Oh it's not a huge deal at all, but I don't like that direction. I feel like it'll lead to things like for $5, you can buy a building pack, which includes super high-end residential/commericial/industrial buildings that generate tons of income for no garbage/sewage/power. Knowing EA, who wants to generate revenue more than making good games, it's not that far fetched.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I have to disagree about the DDE. You get a few minor advantages (faster police cars, faster passenger trains, and bigger buses). These are not things that are a big deal but they are nice to have for the extra money.

I disagree - the money you're paying for a "faster" policy car amounts to a tweaked parameter in a config file.

I don't mind micro-transactions, but I want them for features, not tweaked variables.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Oh it's not a huge deal at all, but I don't like that direction. I feel like it'll lead to things like for $5, you can buy a building pack, which includes super high-end residential/commericial/industrial buildings that generate tons of income for no garbage/sewage/power. Knowing EA, who wants to generate revenue more than making good games, it's not that far fetched.

I agree. I am hoping it is more under Maxis' control. I know some people will think I am nuts but I wouldn't mind The Sims model, although I still think that is not the direction they will go. I know there are some people who HAVE to have all of the expansions even if they will never use them but The Sims expansions are always very specific and if that aspect of the game doesn't interest you, you don't buy it. I still basically play the base game of The Sims 3 when I do install it from time to time.

I will be editing my post above with reviews as I find them.

[Brannigans Law]

I'm really concerned with the review posted earlier from Kevin and Peter ( i think those 2). I see a huge problem with the Sim City becoming "The Sims" with a city pasted on top of it. We gave up huge maps with bustling metrpolises so we cant watch sims ride the bus? Do we really need micro simming of individual sims?

Concerning stuff to say the least. The other postitive reviews really dont wane my concerns because reviewers loved SC4 too and that game blew chunks. It seems that with every new Sim City the game becomes smaller and more "the sims" like and further away from the glory days of SC2k.

Will be spending the day thinking very hard about my pre order.

[PsYcNeT]

Games: Serious Business ITT.

[mykalberta]

I ok with game Expansions, but if they do this Micro DLC crap with PC games, that will pi$$ me off.

Keep that with tablet games that have a 5$ entry, not a 60-80$ entry.

The only thing right now that is frustrating is the city size. People looking for mixed use development I think are dreaming.

If the Cities work properly with each other then I will be "ok" with smaller cities for now. I think to really get enjoyment for most people will be having a whole region to themselves and not playing one with friends or instead playing with 1 friend.

1 other question.

In the region, are all cities connected to each other or are only the few? Example can all cities in a region work toward the same great work? I was looking at Veridian Woods and it doesnt look like a place like Bamburg Basin is connected to Mansse Plains.

It seems very weird to play a Region and not have all the Cities connected to each other - I dont really see the point to that. Its as if there are micro regions within 1 region which makes no sense.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Brannigans Law

I'm really concerned with the review posted earlier from Kevin and Peter ( i think those 2). I see a huge problem with the Sim City becoming "The Sims" with a city pasted on top of it. We gave up huge maps with bustling metrpolises so we cant watch sims ride the bus? Do we really need micro simming of individual sims?

Concerning stuff to say the least. The other postitive reviews really dont wane my concerns because reviewers loved SC4 too and that game blew chunks. It seems that with every new Sim City the game becomes smaller and more "the sims" like and further away from the glory days of SC2k.

Will be spending the day thinking very hard about my pre order.

I disagree.

The integrity of the simulation is always more important than building a big static thing. That is what this game is about.

You talk about "watching Sims ride the bus", but you have to understand what they are doing. They have for the first time in all of the SimCity games, made the simulation "real". Every SimCity game that came before overlaid on the city some animation that represented the background statistical data.

That is why this is a series reboot and not really SimCity V. This game rebuilt the engine from the ground up (basically the same underlying architecture/engine was used for SC 2k, SC 3k, and SC 4).

The game now has individual agents that actually represent everything happening in the simulation such that it actually happens (if you have traffic problems your industry doesn't function, your emergency services can't function well, etc). Sims go to work, go to school, go shopping. Tourists come in to attend events, casinos, enjoy landmarks. I could go on for days but this is already a long post.

I'm sure this change will bother some people but I think it is amazing and awesome.

[BlackArcher101]

If it's a flop, I'm still going to get my value out of it if I play longer than 10 hours (compared to seeing a movie), which I'm sure I'll cover in two days. No way in hell I'm cancelling my pre-order.

If you pre-ordered expecting something similar to the previous sim cities, you might as well just cancel now. The dynamics of this thing are completely different and that's the part which makes it exciting. The style of play is going to need to be adjusted constantly instead of the formula based prior sim cities. Adding in external city/region influences and it just makes it more challenging. I think the key will be to keep playing with other players.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I ok with game Expansions, but if they do this Micro DLC crap with PC games, that will pi$$ me off.

Keep that with tablet games that have a 5$ entry, not a 60-80$ entry.

The only thing right now that is frustrating is the city size. People looking for mixed use development I think are dreaming.

If the Cities work properly with each other then I will be "ok" with smaller cities for now. I think to really get enjoyment for most people will be having a whole region to themselves and not playing one with friends or instead playing with 1 friend.

1 other question.

In the region, are all cities connected to each other or are only the few? Example can all cities in a region work toward the same great work? I was looking at Veridian Woods and it doesnt look like a place like Bamburg Basin is connected to Mansse Plains.

It seems very weird to play a Region and not have all the Cities connected to each other - I dont really see the point to that. Its as if there are micro regions within 1 region which makes no sense.

You can have a maximum of 6 city connections for any given city. You can connect by road, rail, and water. If any two cities touch the same body of water they can be connected by ferries.