[zomgbbqftw]

kNoRepeatNetworkAlertSeconds : 15, kNetDownForceQuitAfterMinutes : 20, lmao

For those who are interested, extracted/abridged source code of the always-online: http://pastebin.com/8NR1EdkN Simply commenting out line# 22 defeats the force disconnect.

So if the game detects you are offline it starts a 20 minute countdown, if you are not online before then it will force you to quit.

Removing this line allows indefinite offline play.

Best part being that the .package format they're using for Simcity looks to be the exact same as the one used for The Sims 3, encryption and all. Do I need to tell you that the Sims 3 .package format has been completely hacked and it's possible to both open and create .package files to use for modding in that game? Anything that's in a .package file might as well be stored as plain text. They could at least have changed the format if they didn't want people to open up the code on day one... It took several months going from Sims 2 to Sims 3 modding since the .package format did change between them. But, you know, they didn't.

[Arksy]

Wow. This game just keeps on giving.

[Basileus777]

But but it's not just DRM! My Maxis sources told me that!

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Do we have a new Doritos pope in the form of Arthur gies?

[Evlar]

CANNOT BE REMOVED

WOULD REDESIGN THE WHOLE GAME

[benny_a]

But but it's not just DRM! My Maxis sources told me that!

Just to pre-empt the argument: It also means you won't be able to save, due to the architecture that Maxis has chosen.

This part isn't the DRM. The architecture they designed the game around is.

Based on the information from one of the modders it seems like writing a replacement for the save and region stuff is feasible.
Removing the line is a proof of concept only. (Damning enough.)

[Bedlam]

Removing this line allows indefinite offline play.

That is truly a significant amount of re-engineering there. Lucy was right.

An offline-save mod is probably just a matter of "when" at this point.

[Basileus777]

Just to pre-empt the argument: It also means you won't be able to save, due to the architecture that Maxis has chosen. This part isn't the DRM. The architecture they designed the game around is.

The inability to save without syncing to their servers doesn't make it any less of a DRM implementation. And we'll see if modders manage to find a work-around for even that.

[zomgbbqftw]

The inability to save without syncing to their servers doesn't make it any less of a DRM implementation. And we'll see if modders manage to find a work-around for even that.

It's not difficult, just fool the game into thinking a local server is the EA server. Any verification checks can also be spoofed.

[Game Guru]

So if the game detects you are offline it starts a 20 minute countdown, if you are not online before then it will force you to quit. Removing this line allows indefinite offline play.

So wait... let me get this straight... You are telling us that this joke is essentially true:

Today someone will find this code snippit: allowOfflinePlayMode = false;

[web01]

b-b-b but it needs the server connections for calculations!!!

[Dead Man]

Just no words to sum up the ridiculousness of this.

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

I hope all rumors of this stuff for next gen consoles get debunked to hell.

[zomgbbqftw]

So wait... let me get this straight... You are telling us that this joke is essentially true:

Essentially, yes.

[Jackl]

Always thought it was funny how they pretended they needed a cloud of NSA-like super computers to have bad AI cause traffic jams in your city.

[gumby_trucker]

For the last thread I used the word FUBAR to describe what I was feeling.

If this is true they should change the term FUBAR to EA

I'm starting to think SimCity started as some F2P game under EA Play4Free label. But sometime during developement EA changed their mind and converted game to be retail release. Everything suggests that - smaller regions, UI in javascript, using only one CPU core for computing, forced multiplayer.

this seems to make sense, or maybe they were planning it to be a game you could play anywhere, on any device.

[Hoo-doo]

B-b-but what about the complex server-side calcul-

Oh, right.

[Polk]

I'm starting to think SimCity started as some F2P game under EA Play4Free label. But sometime during developement EA changed their mind and converted game to be retail release.
Everything suggests that - smaller regions, UI in javascript, using only one CPU core for computing, forced multiplayer.

[Palette Swap]

The only question that remains is: did they think they could get away with shitting on people like that or do they just not care at all?

[Mazzo]

Dude... EA is just... Evil...

[Hcoregamer00]

I hope all rumors of this stuff for next gen consoles get debunked to hell.

The great irony is that this disaster and all the backlash may force them to go back to the drawing room and reconsider previous plans.

[Won]

Every MMO has such a line somewhere in the code. I'm sure of it.

[benny_a]

Also add to the OP this post please, it's the reason why this was found so quickly.

Best part being that the .package format they're using for Simcity looks to be the exact same as the one used for The Sims 3, encryption and all. Do I need to tell you that the Sims 3 .package format has been completely hacked and it's possible to both open and create .package files to use for modding in that game? Anything that's in a .package file might as well be stored as plain text. They could at least have changed the format if they didn't want people to open up the code on day one... It took several months going from Sims 2 to Sims 3 modding since the .package format did change between them. But, you know, they didn't.

[ebullientprism]

Every MMO has such a line somewhere in the code. I'm sure of it.

Again, its not an MMO.

Why do people keep using this silly corporate defense?

[Visualante2]

They don't obfuscate their code? And you can just edit that without Origin detecting it... I wonder if people will get banned for modifying this sort of stuff.

[Sigismundo]

The great irony is that this disaster and all the backlash may force them to go back to the drawing room and reconsider previous plans.

And that can only be a good thing.

[FourMyle]

Holy shit lol. This is never going to stop.

[Game Guru]

Essentially, yes.

I am... Wow... When the jokes end up being accurate predictions, that... that's just sad! EA really needs to just give up and give the fans what they want at this point. There is no way this can be salvaged besides that.

[LuchaShaq]

Every MMO has such a line somewhere in the code. I'm sure of it.

If Sim City is an MMO so is tetris and duke nukem 3d.

[randomrosso]

I can't say that I'm not surprised

[show me your skeleton]

i love this whole situation so much.

[Sidewinder]

I'll buy this game when it hits the bargain bin for 5$, shouldn't be too far away now right? ;)

[Dead Man]

So which site will have the best timeline/rundown of events for this disaster?

[Basileus777]

I'll buy this game when it hits the bargain bin for 5$, shouldn't be too far away now right? ;)

I dunno, with the way Amazon is acting with this title, they might not bother making sales for the game. I suppose you could hope to find a cheap retail disk somewhere else.

[Stasis]

I can't say that I'm not surprised

So you're surprised?

Every day I'm almost excited to see what new drama has unfolded with this game. It's gonna suck when this is forgotten =/

[Arksy]

So which site will have the best timeline/rundown of events for this disaster?

Lionel Mandrake of GAF.

[Dead Man]

Lionel Mandrake of GAF.

Heh, probably.

[Unknown Soldier]

I'll buy this game when it hits the bargain bin for 5$, shouldn't be too far away now right? ;)

At this point I would rather just play an old copy of SimCity 4 and ignore this game's existence entirely.

[Why would you do that?]

The great irony is that this disaster and all the backlash may force them to go back to the drawing room and reconsider previous plans.

One thing I can say about Sim City is that they tried to make it unique by changing some of the gameplay to something slightly different (and they failed because the game is buggy and their servers sucked, and the "multiplayer" stuff doesn't seem to be too good of an idea anyway) so I hope they don't see the backlash as "well, it looks like the fans want the same game from 2003 with better graphics" because that would suck. I hope they realize the actual problem.

[Hcoregamer00]

At this point I would rather just play an old copy of SimCity 4 and ignore this game's existence entirely.

That's what I am doing, Sim City 4 was the last Sim City.

[King Tubby]

I'll buy this game when it hits the bargain bin for 5$, shouldn't be too far away now right? ;)

By then EA will have taken the servers down.

[xenist]

So which site will have the best timeline/rundown of events for this disaster?

Polygon of course. Baghdad Bob, sorry I meant Goes, is on it.

[Haunted]

COMPLEX SERVER-SIDE CALCULATIONS

[Basileus777]

One thing I can say about Sim City is that they tried to make it unique by changing some of the gameplay to something slightly different (and they failed because the game is buggy and their servers sucked, and the "multiplayer" stuff doesn't seem to be too good of an idea anyway) so I hope they don't see the backlash as "well, it looks like the fans want the same game from 2003 with better graphics" because that would suck. I hope they realize the actual problem.

This game has probably sold very well, and I wouldn't expect EA to rethink its everything online and full of micro-transactions philosophy over this.

[Sidewinder]

At this point I would rather just play an old copy of SimCity 4 and ignore this game's existence entirely.

You know what, haven't played any of these games since Sim City 2000, maybe I should give this one a try.

[Dead Man]

One thing I can say about Sim City is that they tried to make it unique by changing some of the gameplay to something slightly different (and they failed because the game is buggy and their servers sucked, and the "multiplayer" stuff doesn't seem to be too good of an idea anyway) so I hope they don't see the backlash as "well, it looks like the fans want the same game from 2003 with better graphics" because that would suck. I hope they realize the actual problem.

The actual problem is that simulating a city by simulating 5000 individuals, or even 1million individuals is not going to lead to anything but problems on top of problems that no real city would experience.

Polygon of course. Baghdad Bob, sorry I meant Goes, is on it.

HAH! They'll certainly have that insider information.

[Rez]

I can't remember the last time I've seen a game blow up so spectacularly at launch. This is just incredible.

[Septimius]

This game has probably sold very well, and I wouldn't expect EA to rethink its everything online and full of micro-transactions philosophy over this.

I have no doubt in my mind that this fiasco won't really dent EA. It'll hurt Maxis quite some, but not EA. But hopefully, EA knows that it has to not have a repeat of this fiasco. That might be the saving grace from all this.

[McNum]

The real test for Simcity will probably be if it sells DLC and expansions as well as The Sims does. High initial sales are nice, of course, but I'd imagine EA is banking on DLC sales here.

All of this can't be good for those...

[KittenMaster]

Even a simple Game Genie code could enable offline play.