[PC] SimCity impressions

[CeeKay]

a peace offering:

Something Special for Your Trouble

The good news is that SimCity is a solid hit in all major markets.  The consensus among critics and players is that this is fundamentally a great game.  But this SimCity is made to be played online, and if you can’t get a stable connection, you’re NOT having a good experience. So we’re not going to rest until we’ve fixed the remaining server issues.

And to get us back in your good graces, we’re going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio.  On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game.

I know that’s a little contrived – kind of like buying a present for a friend after you did something crummy.  But we feel bad about what happened.  We’re hoping you won’t stay mad and that we’ll be friends again when SimCity is running at 100 percent.

[Arnir]

a peace offering:

Something Special for Your Trouble

The good news is that SimCity is a solid hit in all major markets.  The consensus among critics and players is that this is fundamentally a great game.  But this SimCity is made to be played online, and if you can’t get a stable connection, you’re NOT having a good experience. So we’re not going to rest until we’ve fixed the remaining server issues.

And to get us back in your good graces, we’re going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio.  On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game.

I know that’s a little contrived – kind of like buying a present for a friend after you did something crummy.  But we feel bad about what happened.  We’re hoping you won’t stay mad and that we’ll be friends again when SimCity is running at 100 percent.

I think I'll wait to see what the potential games are before I kiss and make up.

[wonderpug]

[Arnir]

Now we are talking!  Will I have to be online 100%?

[Reemul]

Kato, will send another invite when I can get in.

Thanks for the invite, trying to join the region but as usual its not loading atm.

[tcweidner]

reemul, I sent you a trash truck,  I have tons of extra space for garbage,  I will also buy extra water from you if you have a lot

sent you 10k to just to help out.  Nice to have a neighbor

[Reemul]

reemul, I sent you a trash truck,  I have tons of extra space for garbage,  I will also buy extra water from you if you have a lot

sent you 10k to just to help out.  Nice to have a neighbor

Ooh, I got to the region and claimed one but it said it never worked and now I cannot get in, but it seems it did work then, just need to get in game again.

And thanks for the stuff  

To add kids woke up at 6am uk time so I thought perfect time to come down and play, now 7.30am and still sod all has really happened

[Arkon]

So my economy is a bit on it's head....my revenue is -$14,000/hr, but thankfully I am selling processors which offsets that, but man I can't figure out, other than shutting down my one income source (recycling and processor building) and education system, how I can balance the budget.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Ok, so I researched the Solar array dealie, so all of you in the region can get the super solar dish.  I'm now researching the Great Work solar system for the whole region.  Geeze.  That's 176,000 Simoleons to research and then I'll have to pay 500k to build it.  The problem?  My tiny ass city doesn't have any more space to extract alloys, oil, minerals, whatever - I'll need you guys to pitch in and do that. 

[tcweidner]

arkon I ran into the same problem,  the solution is to raise taxes. I lost about about 10% of my pop, but now Im rich, money is pouring in from everywhere.  I did 10% on commercial first, then 10% on industry, then 10% of people.  No one seems to mind now

[Lee]

Ok finals over, I have free time for a week. If I buy right this minute, will I be able to log in and play? I really don't want to waste my time, trying to play a game.

[Reemul]

Ok finals over, I have free time for a week. If I buy right this minute, will I be able to log in and play? I really don't want to waste my time, trying to play a game.

Depends if you want to play with GT or other forums. As usual early adopters are on the full servers and getting on can be harder than just playing on anew server which is fine.

[wonderpug]

The game access has gotten a lot smoother in the past 24 hours, but its not perfect yet. If you know you'll want to buy it soon regardless, I say go for it.

[gellar]

I'm still waiting for the 'yeah, you won't have any issues' stage before buying.

[wonderpug]

I'm still waiting for the 'yeah, you won't have any issues' stage before buying.

Definitely not there yet. And I'm a bit scared by what I've been reading recently about the game AI. Apparently the sim car pathfinding may be no more complex than "take shortest distance route," with no regard to street sizes or existing traffic.

[Autistic Angel]

Definitely not there yet. And I'm a bit scared by what I've been reading recently about the game AI. Apparently the sim car pathfinding may be no more complex than "take shortest distance route," with no regard to street sizes or existing traffic.

Yeah, based on videos like this one (LINK), the pathfinding is shamefully broken.  How can a game centered on the value of civil infrastructure ship with an AI that completely disregards congestion?

The new patch notes include a note about optimizing traffic for complex road sections.  Does anyone know if fixes issues like this?

-Autistic Angel

[tcweidner]

the little sims move to fast to really watch, so I would gladly trade them in order to double the size of my map.

[Arnir]

I'm seeing the problem for me.  I've filled up the city and don't know what to do know.  I wasn't good with mining etc.  Don't really know what to do now.

[Arkon]

arkon I ran into the same problem,  the solution is to raise taxes. I lost about about 10% of my pop, but now Im rich, money is pouring in from everywhere.  I did 10% on commercial first, then 10% on industry, then 10% of people.  No one seems to mind now

I think my taxes are at 11%, and I am still loosing money left and right.

[Arkon]

Ok, so I researched the Solar array dealie, so all of you in the region can get the super solar dish.  I'm now researching the Great Work solar system for the whole region.  Geeze.  That's 176,000 Simoleons to research and then I'll have to pay 500k to build it.  The problem?  My tiny ass city doesn't have any more space to extract alloys, oil, minerals, whatever - I'll need you guys to pitch in and do that. 

If I can figure out how to do it, and if I can afford to not sell every ounce of alloys, metals and plastics just to stay afloat, I will send them over.  I have two recycling plants and two processor factories.

[Arkon]

I'm seeing the problem for me.  I've filled up the city and don't know what to do know.  I wasn't good with mining etc.  Don't really know what to do now.

It seems like the key is to then look at specializing in something and maximizing it, whether that is electronics manufacturing, or education, or trade etc...

[Lee]

Bought it, but waiting for it to update. To join GT I need to play on West1 and invite Arkon as a friend, correct?

I am leeabe51...I think.

[Arkon]

Bought it, but waiting for it to update. To join GT I need to play on West1 and invite Arkon as a friend, correct?

I am leeabe51...I think.

Yes, add me as a friend on Origin.

[wonderpug]

arkon I ran into the same problem,  the solution is to raise taxes. I lost about about 10% of my pop, but now Im rich, money is pouring in from everywhere.  I did 10% on commercial first, then 10% on industry, then 10% of people.  No one seems to mind now

I think my taxes are at 11%, and I am still loosing money left and right.

Check if your recycling plants are actually working. There seem to be a lot of bugs with them.

[Arnir]

I was just told that my city was broken.  I was taken to the menu and given the option to abandon or roll back.  Hit roll back and city wouldn't reload.  So I'm trying again.

On a different note, I followed one of my buses.  It just kept going around in a circle on the same street.  U turn after U turn.  Something isn't right.

[Lee]

A little taken aback, I guess I need to get used to change. I just want to plop down a city and grow it into something huge. Instead I get asked to join these cities, all of which were full, so I create me own game, but unless people join and are active, aren't you missing out on a lot because the city size is so tiny and they want you to have to rely on others? I am all for playing online if I play with a group like GT, but otherwise, this seems like a huge turnoff. The game engine looks great, but the forced multiplayer and small size left me kind of disgusted. I hope I am missing or something, but right now I would rather go play SimCity 4.

[Arnir]

Yes, EA is essentially forcing everyone into a multiplayer experience - solo or not.  One of my solo regions just let me go to a second city site.  It seems to be all scripted to some extent.

Still can't get back on to see how my city is.  Or if it still is.

[tcweidner]

arnir you city is still up and fine,  just keep trying to pop back in, rollback are only like losing 10 minutes or so,  I have had 2 of them.

On a side note, I researched space travel, so we can build a GT rocket ship at some point


also if someone doesnt claim another city by me, I may have to grab one, I have a real water problem going on, and noone to trade or import from

T

[Reemul]

Taken from somewhere else but thought it may be useful

[CeeKay]

crap.  I decided to do some re-tooling on my city and after bulldozing/re-zoning/re-building I got the 'processing error you must roll back' disaster and lost all that work.

[PR_GMR]

So I go and try to login now and there's a huge update to download. Ugh.

[PR_GMR]

Oh. The update wasn't that large. I'm in game! Yayy!

[Arnir]

tcwweidner,
Thanks.  When I got in I had probably lost less than a half of an hour of the city.

Sigh.  Server available.  Click.  Server busy so wait 20 minutes.  But the server is available not busy.  Yes, available.  So, click.  Server busy.  Wait 20 minutes.

[wonderpug]

Server downtime I'm content enough to wait out, but I'm having trouble getting motivated to play after the discoveries of the brain-dead pathing AI.

Street layout is kind of one the most fundamental aspects of gameplay, and if I'm punished for doing logical layouts and rewarded for gaming the dumb AI? That's not the game I was looking for. 

[Arnir]

I agree.  What's the point of having buses that simply go in a circle on one block.  Either the personal AI is brain dead, the transit AI is brand dead or the graphics don't really reflect what the vehicles and people are really doing (which is a selling point of this version).  What you see is what you get.

I'm also disappointed in having to have specialized colleges to build certain buildings.  You have to build a university.  Then build that particular school. Then wait for the item to be researched.  You almost need a college only town to do that - so once more you have to rely on county (region) neighbors, etc.  This game is reminding me of all the stuff I hate about MMOs.

[Arnir]

One tool I wish I had was a "future" zoning tool.  For example, I place a streetcar shed.  I don't build it, but I stamp the city so that a perfect little hole waits for it.  Nothing can expand into it, etc.  I know I could sort of do that by being careful, etc.  Funny.

[wonderpug]

Dammit. Devs have admitted that casinos are broken and they're working on a fix.  Recycling plants are broken. Pathfinding is broken. I've been pretty forgiving about the server woes but I'm getting really disappointed that the game itself is turning out to be half baked.

[USMC Kato]

Dammit. Devs have admitted that casinos are broken and they're working on a fix.  Recycling plants are broken. Pathfinding is broken. I've been pretty forgiving about the server woes but I'm getting really disappointed that the game itself is turning out to be half baked.

[CeeKay]

yeah, I'm setting this one to the side for now.  after a few major patches I'll be back, but for now I've got too many working games that I can be playing.

[Reemul]

Yeah I really want to play but I have some good stuff on the go with D3 and Tomb Raider, but the is good stuff coming out in the next few weeks as well. Might have to be shelved for a while.