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[Pandemic]

Some more new screens, all from Ocean Quigley's (Creative director & Art director on the new SimCity) blog
Starting to expand the city across the river...

Clicking on a Sim to see what they're up to...

A snapshot of the industrial area, as larger factories start to develop...

Some shots of a high population city. All big, low wealth apartment buildings....

Here's a snapshot of City Hall. I'm particularly pleased with how the clocks show the actual in-game time.

Just messing around, drawing crazy road networks out in the countryside

 

[gblues]

I hope one of the catastrophes is a giant Katamari ball. That would be hilarious.

 

[spindoctor]

What's with the fucking horrible DOF effect? I sure hope there's a way to turn it off.

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

These screen are fantastic!

Do you guys think the new iMacs are capable of running this game?

EDIT: I just read the FAQ

What platforms is SimCity available on?
SimCity will be available for PC and MAC.

 

[web01]

Not a fan at all of the visual style it looks fake and comical.
Feels like i am looking at plastic houses rather than a real city.

 

[exmachina64]

I like the art style. It makes me feel like I'm looking at a hobbyist's city recreation.

 

[Definity]

Love all these screens. Is it March yet?

 

[TheExecutive]

Do we know yet how much land we have to develop? Similar to other sim cities?

 

[Nuklear]

I hope one of the catastrophes is a giant Katamari ball. That would be hilarious.

It would be so awesome if they did!

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

Not a fan at all of the visual style it looks fake and comical.
Feels like i am looking at plastic houses rather than a real city.

Probably seems that way due to the excessive use of tilt-shift. The screens where they don't use that blur effect as much don't look as much like a toybox. Wonder if there'll be a way to disable that via in-game settings or DX injector on release.

 

[Mengy]

Do we know yet how much land we have to develop? Similar to other sim cities?

No, it's much smaller. Somewhere between a medium and a small city in SC4.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

Probably seems that way due to the excessive use of tilt-shift. The screens where they don't use that blur effect as much don't look as much like a toybox. Wonder if there'll be a way to disable that via in-game settings or DX injector on release.

Thats the weird thing for me with the look of the game. The overdone tilt shift makes everything look like a diorama or miniature and not a real city.

 

[Neuromancer]

Wow, it really looks like a little model town. I think its neat.

 

[Ranger X]

No, it's much smaller. Somewhere between a medium and a small city in SC4.

What I really hope is that cities can be as close as they are in SimCity4. I mean, hopefully multiple cities could feel like a nice urban region. I doubt it though

Am also deceived to see this game called SimCity. That game already exists. I hate this stupid reboot mode of naming games with the original name. Its lame and ambiguous.

 

[Mogwai]

Am also deceived to see this game called SimCity. That game already exists. I hate this stupid reboot mode of naming games with the original name. Its lame and ambiguous.

Yeah, EA likes to do this a lot. They did it to the Need For Speed games too. Not as if it's hard to find out the difference, it's just damn annoying that it's different games with the same names.

Except for name, the SimCity 2013 version looks absolutely awesome. I'm really looking forward to try it. I'm a little sceptic about the system requirements. I'm afraid it might take quite a decent rig to run in smoothly on anything above 'Ugly'.

 

[Izayoi]

edit: nvm

 

[NaughtyCalibur]

What's with the fucking horrible DOF effect? I sure hope there's a way to turn it off.

They seem to be going for this effect in order to make things look more like model miniature sets. It's a neat effect, but I'd have to see it in motion before I can make a serious judgement on how well it works, because it certainly doesn't look too hot in some of the screen shots for sure.

 

[CaptainRizla]

Applied for the beta like 6 months ago.
Did any invites ever get sent out?

 

[Mr. Luchador]

Would still like to see what a large (or largest possible) city could potentially look like.

 

[Mengy]

Would still like to see what a large (or largest possible) city could potentially look like.

We've seen it. For example, in this pic are three cities that are the full size. They aren't full of skyscrapers, but the city limits are the max:

Here is another picture showing several max size cities in a region:

It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't forced to have large spaces between the small cities, or if there weren't automatically generated roads connecting the city zones.

Also, they haven't said or showed one single thing about farms in SimCity 2013, I'm beginning to even wonder if they are in the game at all. I love creating huge regions of farm land and small towns in SC4, I'd really miss it if farms aren't in there.

 

[d0g_bear]

We've seen it. For example, in this pic are three cities that are the full size. They aren't full of skyscrapers, but the city limits are the max:

It's Sim-Mini Play Set

There's obviously a lot of interest in a REAL city building sim. Somone needs to make a competitor to this game. I'm only aware of Cities XL 2012, which was mediocre.

 

[Mr. Luchador]

Oh damn. I was hoping that wasn't the case. Interest has waned greatly now, certainly not interested in paying full retail for it.

 

[Mengy]

Oh damn. I was hoping that wasn't the case. Interest has waned greatly now, certainly not interested in paying full retail for it.

I'm really hoping it's not as bad as my intuition says it will be. And I'm really hoping we can actually put the cities right smack next to each other with no gap at all, that would help a great deal. But I'm doubtful. I think Maxis just wanted to make a social-focused version of Sim City where each player builds small specialized cities that automatically connect to other player areas.

I fear that after release, I'll still need SC4 to get my city building fix, because a "Sim Town Facebook focused on DLC delivery" game is not what I wanted from the franchise. I'll be very happy if I'm wrong though, very happy indeed.

 

[les papillons sexuels]

I'm really hoping it's not as bad as my intuition says it will be. And I'm really hoping we can actually put the cities right smack next to each other with no gap at all, that would help a great deal. But I'm doubtful. I think Maxis just wanted to make a social-focused version of Sim City where each player builds small specialized cities that automatically connect to other player areas.

I fear that after release, I'll still need SC4 to get my city building fix, because a "Sim Town Facebook focused on DLC delivery" game is not what I wanted from the franchise. I'll be very happy if I'm wrong though, very happy indeed.

i dont think it'll be as bad as you suspect.

Consider it like this, you build one "zone" as hightly commercial, but with an extremely good network to get people from a neighboring "zone" (the suburbia type zone) into the core and back out.

 

[WedgeX]

i dont think it'll be as bad as you suspect.

Consider it like this, you build one "zone" as hightly commercial, but with an extremely good network to get people from a neighboring "zone" (the suburbia type zone) into the core and back out.

That's not a healthy actual city at all!

 

[exmachina64]

Oh damn. I was hoping that wasn't the case. Interest has waned greatly now, certainly not interested in paying full retail for it.

It's a PC game, most people will never pay full retail for it.

 

[Gamerwillz]

The game does indeed look awesome, but I've heard that it will come with awful DRM though... =(

 

[Neuromancer]

The game does indeed look awesome, but I've heard that it will come with awful DRM though... =(

Yeah it's 'always online' style.

 

[Mr. Luchador]

It's a PC game, most people will never pay full retail for it.

It's an EA title, so chances are most people will end up paying close to the £45/$90 EA currently have it RRP at.

 

[GlassBox]

I fear that a lot of limitations on this game (such as city size) are because of how EA would have wanted to market it to the lowest common denominator in terms of PC tech. Since they don't want to create a game requiring high-end graphics and processing capabilities which would probably be above what the average consumer has in their computers, and no doubt EA marketers want to go after the same average consumer that are fans of the Sims and such.

Not to say that the Maxis engineers haven't created a complex and highly technical engine, but I fear it's likely being limited by such aforementioned considerations.

Of course then you have the other side of this coin in Crytek and CDProjekt who pretty much say "fuck it" to anyone who has a sub-par computer.

 

[sangreal]

The game does indeed look awesome, but I've heard that it will come with awful DRM though... =(

It's no more "DRM" than WoW is. Parts of the game are simulated on the cloud so you have to be online to connect to it.

 

[nickcv]

I fear that a lot of limitations on this game (such as city size) are because of how EA would have wanted to market it to the lowest common denominator in terms of PC tech. Since they don't want to create a game requiring high-end graphics and processing capabilities which would probably be above what the average consumer has in their computers, and no doubt EA marketers want to go after the same average consumer that are fans of the Sims and such.

Not to say that the Maxis engineers haven't created a complex and highly technical engine, but I fear it's likely being limited by such aforementioned considerations.

Of course then you have the other side of this coin in Crytek and CDProjekt who pretty much say "fuck it" to anyone who has a sub-par computer.

imho the cities are of this size because in this way you'll need nearby city.
being your city this small there's no way that you can have a whole functioning city packed with everything.

it's a way to force the social aspect and make it feel useful

 

[Rentahamster]

If the city sizes are the medium size tiles of SimCity4, then that's pretty much how region play works already, unless you only like to play on regions with all huge tiles. I'm hoping the complexity is increased without making things too obscure. Difficulty through depth, not confusion, please. I also hope that the social aspect isn't shoehorned in, in a way that doesn't feel natural.

 

[Ranger X]

I'm really hoping it's not as bad as my intuition says it will be. And I'm really hoping we can actually put the cities right smack next to each other with no gap at all.

My exact possible deal breaker. And that picture up there showing multiple cities got me scared shitless. I'm prepared to install SimCity4 again.

 

[Mengy]

My exact possible deal breaker. And that picture up there showing multiple cities got me scared shitless. I'm prepared to install SimCity4 again.

I never have Sim City 4 uninstalled. I'm actually working on a new region now, been slowly developing it for the past few months.

 

[Mobius 1]

I am now ready to accept that the hype was unfounded. Even if the city simulation is deep and complex, it will feel like an empty victory when the cities have the maximum size of a downtown area.

If the regions allowed for cities to be contiguous without forced empty areas between them, it could be understood. It feels like it was a design decision based on expected social play.

All this wait, and the title is shaping up to be a disappointment.

 

[sp3000]

I fear that a lot of limitations on this game (such as city size) are because of how EA would have wanted to market it to the lowest common denominator in terms of PC tech. Since they don't want to create a game requiring high-end graphics and processing capabilities which would probably be above what the average consumer has in their computers, and no doubt EA marketers want to go after the same average consumer that are fans of the Sims and such.

Not to say that the Maxis engineers haven't created a complex and highly technical engine, but I fear it's likely being limited by such aforementioned considerations.

Of course then you have the other side of this coin in Crytek and CDProjekt who pretty much say "fuck it" to anyone who has a sub-par computer.

The difference is the Crytek and CDProjekt games are played by people for years. There is a reason people are amazed by a 2007 game. There is a reason the sales actually went upward as time went on.

This game will probably be forgotten about a year after it releases.

 

[Pandemic]

Some screens from the Facebook page,

This or That: Which do you want to build in your city more: A Wind Farm Power Plant or a Recycling Center?

 

[Pandemic]

Few more screens,

Roads to the coal deposit

High density industry

 

[Broder Salsa]

Fuck man, everything still looks so tiny. Will no doubt like it anyway but will miss making huge citites.

 

[exmachina64]

It's an EA title, so chances are most people will end up paying close to the £45/$90 EA currently have it RRP at.

Is this a feature unique to the British market?

It's already on sale at GMG for 25% off.

 

[fritolay]

The problem with this game, is people like me will want to support it to show that there is a market for such games. However at the same time with many items in the game you don't really like, it makes you not want to purchase it.

 

[jamesinclair]

The problem with this game, is people like me will want to support it to show that there is a market for such games. However at the same time with many items in the game you don't really like, it makes you not want to purchase it.

I bought Simcity 4 on steam (even though Ive owned the game for a decade) just to show WE WANT, but wont buy this to show DONT WANT THIS.

 

[spindoctor]

Fuck man, everything still looks so tiny. Will no doubt like it anyway but will miss making huge citites.

Yea me too. Do we know if we will be allowed to control the immediate vicinity of the city we make? Like if I want to have 4 interconnected cities, can I claim the spots when I want to? What if someone moves in to a spot where I wanted to build my own expansion?

 

[Mr. Luchador]

Is this a feature unique to the British market?

It's already on sale at GMG for 25% off.

Not on UK GMG. It's still £45 retail though you can do use the 20% code on it (which is something unique to GMG really). I'll be very surprised to see Sim City's price go low, considering it's EA and it's on Origin only.

 

[exmachina64]

Yea me too. Do we know if we will be allowed to control the immediate vicinity of the city we make? Like if I want to have 4 interconnected cities, can I claim the spots when I want to? What if someone moves in to a spot where I wanted to build my own expansion?

Brian Bartram said in the AMA that you can play an entire region by yourself.

Not on UK GMG. It's still £45 retail though you can do use the 20% code on it (which is something unique to GMG really). I'll be very surprised to see Sim City's price go low, considering it's EA and it's on Origin only.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Chili]

What are the chances of a mod to increase the sizes of the city? Or are EA going to be clamping down on mods?

 

[exmachina64]

What are the chances of a mod to increase the sizes of the city? Or are EA going to be clamping down on mods?

I'd imagine mods won't really be possible with the server integration they're doing.

 

[Chili]

I'd imagine mods won't really be possible with the server integration they're doing.

I thought that might be the case

 

[exmachina64]

I thought that might be the case

In the AMA, one of the devs said that part of the simulation is actually being offloaded onto EA's servers.

I'm not knowledgeable about computer science or IT, but is it because of EA trying to force us to play with others?