SimCity is back, gaming is dead, RIP gaming.

[Sky]

That's not SimGolf.

[sickrubik]

Yeah, I think I got my wires crossed during the convo. Nothing to see here.

[Sky]

Dammit! Some day SimGolf will be back!

[MuffinMan]

SimCity Glassbox engine demo via Machinima

Hmm definitely quells some of my fear of them dumbing things down. Adding in resources certainly changes things, depending on how deep and integrated the system is.

[tgr]

I just wish they had a less retarded publisher.

[MrHat]

Always on internet required for SimCity (Origin must always be on).

They say its because "The always-on connection becomes necessary with the game's emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence."

Always on for SimCity? 

[tgr]

Yeah, about that whole "less retarded publisher" thing...

[Malakili]

Why the hell do I need a global or regional economic aspect to my Sim City?  On the plus side, I wrote this off right away, so I can't really feign outrage, I just don't care.

[Sky]

I'm sure the addition of multiplayer will really be a great addition and in no way will kids grief by plopping down horrid little messes just to fuck with people.

An f13 map would be interesting for the two weeks anyone will care about this game.

The rationale sounds a lot like "We wish we were working at Zynga."

[schild]

Is this still Origin only?

[tgr]

Looks that way, what with the "must be online on origin" deal.

So while I've basically discounted this game when it was announced, I'm still interested in seeing just how retarded they are with the DRM bullshit. I can only hope they'll pull a new AC2.

[Mrbloodworth]

Article I just read said no as far as where you can buy it, no idea if you must have origin, most likely yes.

[tgr]

When the game was announced, the develpers reassured everyone that the singleplayer portion of the game was going to be important and central to the game. Now, however, it looks as if even that will be unplayable unless you're always connected.

[koro]

Is this still Origin only?

You can buy it outside of Origin but you must play it on Origin. Like Steamworks but with a shittier service.

So yeah, it's still Origin-only.

[schild]

That wasn't for me.

That was to remind you all to STOP GIVING A FUCK.

Goddamn. When will the vast lot of you fuckers learn not to buy EA shit.

[Velorath]

That wasn't for me.

That was to remind you all to STOP GIVING A FUCK.

Goddamn. When will the vast lot of you fuckers learn not to buy EA shit.

When they stop publishing games I like?  I can't say that I've had any issues with Origin.

[tmp]

The depressing part is this one may be quite good. sneak peek at rps has it, apparently they're changing the entire simulation approach to be driven bottoms-up, from individual agents level.

[Kageru]

I'm not sure I see the difference. The game was pretty much always guided by agents taking simulated car trips and making decisions, just at a fairly abstracted level since you need to model millions of them. Using some of them to drive graphic indicators or decorations is a logical progression (especially from people who own the SIMS franchise) as is trying to make it a social game. Though the more you focus on the minutia and graphics the more you risk losing the evolution of the city which was the point of sim-city.

But like Schild says it's EA and Origin so I don't really care.

[Sheepherder]

When simulating traffic, SimCity 2000 doesn't really simulate every Sim in your city going to work and back and to the store and back and to school and back and to the pub and back and everywhere else they go. With thousands or millions of citizens this would take forever to simulate. The way the traffic model works is a process called "trip generation" and works on a building-by-building basis. It also works on the assumption that most trips will be from one type of zone to another.

For each building in each zone, the simulator generates trips to both of the other types of zones. If the starting building is a house in a residential zone, the simulation will search out a path to a commercial zone and back, and to an industrial zone and back. It tries to avoid heavy traffic areas, and if it bumps into mass transit, there is a 50/50 chance it will take it.

There is a time limit for each trip, and if the time runs out before reaching a zone, then the trip is a failure. The time limit is stable, but the allowable distance to the destination depends on the mode of transport. Since highways, rails and subways travel faster than cars on regular roads, the simulation can go up to three times as far while looking for a destination zone.

If a failed trip involves mass transit, then the next time that same building is checked, it won't even try that same type of mass transit.

It's like they think we never read the manual for this shit, or something.

[rk47]

Can't recall the last time I read manuals, bro.
Even Civ V is pick up and play.

[Mrbloodworth]

SimCity | Disaster Trailer

 

[MrHat]

There's a few other gameplay videos floating around that make me want this.

[brellium]

That wasn't for me.

That was to remind you all to STOP GIVING A FUCK.

Goddamn. When will the vast lot of you fuckers learn not to buy EA shit.

EA still makes games? I haven't seen any on Steam recently.   

[Mrbloodworth]

Oh god. That's right. We will have to let EA touch our machines sacred places to play this. That's a bummer.

[MuffinMan]

There's a few other gameplay videos floating around that make me want this.

One of the gameplay videos I watched the other day mentioned that you no longer have to lay down water pipes, water automatically follows roads. That and the water table system seems pretty neat.

[Malakili]

Oh god. That's right. We will have to let EA touch our machines sacred places to play this. That's a bummer.

Yeah, it is Origin required and Always Online. 

[Yoru]

There's a few other gameplay videos floating around that make me want this.

One of the gameplay videos I watched the other day mentioned that you no longer have to lay down water pipes, water automatically follows roads. That and the water table system seems pretty neat.

Yeah, I do like how they're reducing micromanage-y shit like pipes and extraneous power lines, and instead giving us more interesting things like upgradeable power plants and multiple ways to address problems (e.g. sewage - treat or dump?).

In SC2K, I just laid down cross-street pipes to get water flowing; in SC4, I just made a grid of "watered area" whenever I expanded my city. It was fiddly and annoying; not exactly an interesting choice.

[Rendakor]

Arise!

So there's a closed beta going on this weekend and I've got a spare key if anyone wants it. Still installing my own version so no impressions yet, plus I'm not sure if there's an NDA. PM me if you're interested in the key.

Edit: Key is gone. Won't have time to play it until after work tonight; seems the NDA prevents us from posting pics or videos but not talking about it, so I'll be sure to post some impressions after I check it out.

[MrHat]

Arise!

So there's a closed beta going on this weekend and I've got a spare key if anyone wants it. Still installing my own version so no impressions yet, plus I'm not sure if there's an NDA. PM me if you're interested in the key.

More interested in impressions.  Game comes out in March so that's not too long to wait.

[Malakili]

http://tweakers.net/video/7099/eerste-speelsessie-met-simcity.html

Video gameplay + Commentary. The commentary is in Dutch, but an English interview begins at 4:45.  The interviewer grills him pretty good.

[Sky]

When I used to get high I thought I could understand Dutch.

[luckton]

Reports are that the beta weekend was a washout.  Apparently having to login to a server just to play offline crushed the hamsters running the wheel.  Oh EA 

[tgr]

EA, ruining good games through DRM since 2008?

[rk47]

[tgr]

You mentioned the P word.