official SimCity (2013)

[spaceelf]

Upcoming traffic fixes

http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/simcity-traffic-update

Hope it hits soon, its too painful to keep a big city going o.o

[scaramonga]

Wonder how long before this Lucy Bradshow leaves Maxis or is fired?

Not be long now buddy ;) She is obviously getting shagged by someone at EA, that will keep her happy for this week, her resolve will be broken (like the game) the next after, either self inflicted, or forced, don't really matter one way or another, she will be out, and good riddance either way I'm afraid.

She will be made a scapegoat, yup, but at least its some kinda progress :)

[scaramonga]

Final bull**** on the server calculations:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/16/simcity-modder-tells-us-offline-regional-play-easily-done/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29

Yup.

[PGHammer]

Final bull**** on the server calculations:

http://www.rockpaper...r%2C+Shotgun%29

Yup.

scaramonga, are you thinking that the ONLY reason there is an online component (and ZERO provision for offline by default) is DRM-driven?

Have you ever remotely even considered the possibility that the game was designed as more of a social-competitive simulation (basically following the road paved by Sim City 4 Deluxe)?

And if you are going to spout some line that the game is *inherently* offline/single-player, that's a load of manure - no game need be inherently single-player/offline. Not one.

While there may indeed be a DRM-driven component to it (which nobody has disputed), it's not everything to it - there's too much missing from the client software to support that theory.

Not every reason for always-online has to do with DRM - even in a non-MMO.

And in case you didn't notice, RPS is as virulently anti-DRM as Reddit, if not more so.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

...

And in case you didn't notice, RPS is as virulently anti-DRM as Reddit, if not more so.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[spaceelf]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

I still maintain that most people don't care. If they can play their game, they're good. Back when Starforce was a thing it irritated me, there were several instances of me not being able to play my games (that I still can't, on the original copy at least.) Tages occasionally the same.

Always online stuff? I can play that fine.

[articuno1au]

So that means it doesn't worry you..

****es me off to no end because I live somewhere were obtaining reliable internet isn't possible.

Our connection desyncs like crazy, often loses routes inside our ISPs network and generally is sub par.

Always online DRM is bull**** for users like me. It literally stops us playing games we've bought. It punishes me for paying instead of pirating (something which i can do exceedingly well when my net is running >.>)

[spaceelf]

****es me off to no end because I live somewhere were obtaining reliable internet isn't possible.

Our connection desyncs like crazy, often loses routes inside our ISPs network and generally is sub par.

Always online DRM is bull**** for users like me. It literally stops us playing games we've bought. It punishes me for paying instead of pirating (something which i can do exceedingly well when my net is running >.>)

You might try cFosSpeed to at least improve your connection, though obviously it won't fix it if its that bad.

[PGHammer]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

ANYTHING is bad when taken to extremes - it tends to cloud the reasoning.

What all the hue-and-cry over always-online-being-DRM (in this case) hasn't taken into account is that there is NO provision for offline saving of your city; that means the lack of local saves was a design decision by Maxis (the developers). Not a single source has said otherwise. That means that a PROPER implementation of a real offline capability will require more work - which isn't exactly trivial. This issue has come up on the SimCity subReddit - and it isn't in dispute there, either. It may be possible - however, Maxis has other things on their plate right now (like fixing bugs). They will get around to it - or not - in good time; let them work on bug-squashing.

Always-online is not all about DRM all the time, even for games that aren't MMOs.

[tiagosilva29]

Always-online is not all about DRM all the time, even for games that aren't MMOs.

Control is the keyword you are looking after.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

I still maintain that most people don't care. If they can play their game, they're good. Back when Starforce was a thing it irritated me, there were several instances of me not being able to play my games (that I still can't, on the original copy at least.) Tages occasionally the same.

Always online stuff? I can play that fine.

at this point we're not so mad about the fact that it's always online

it's more the concept that they made it always online and lied about why they did it. and the launch of the game suffered because of it

[PGHammer]

at this point we're not so mad about the fact that it's always online

it's more the concept that they made it always online and lied about why they did it. and the launch of the game suffered because of it

If anything, the bugs prove their point - where ARE most of the bugs, folks? Aren't the very bugs either on the servers OR the code that talks to the servers? In short, it mostly ISN'T a local-code problem.

While a proper local option would have made the server issues mostly irrelevant, that's basically crying over spilt milk at THIS point.

And they said (Maxis in particular) that it would be always online from the beginning - why is pretty much irrelevant. The social and other background/network features (where most of the bugs have, in fact, been) also came up early (both on the Simcity blog and even in the AMAA on Reddit) - it should not have been news to anyone.

I think the real cruces (plural of crux) are twofold - there are still those that want a purely-offline single-player Simcity (basically a straight successor to Simcity 4) and anger over the server issues (both bug-related and server-availability-related).

So who lied?

[xendrome]

more like a beta that let you play longer than an hour. you can barely get a city off the ground in that time, what bugs did they expect to find with a limited beta like that

PROTIP: It wasn't a beta... it was a demo designed to get you hooked on the game so you would buy it.

[HawkMan]

Can you name one beta in the last 5 years that wasn't. Stress tests are not betas btw.

[spaceelf]

Can you name one beta in the last 5 years that wasn't. Stress tests are not betas btw.

Well, not in the last five, but LOTRO had the most comprehensive beta I've ever seen.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

ANYTHING is bad when taken to extremes - it tends to cloud the reasoning.

What all the hue-and-cry over always-online-being-DRM (in this case) hasn't taken into account is that there is NO provision for offline saving of your city; that means the lack of local saves was a design decision by Maxis (the developers). Not a single source has said otherwise. That means that a PROPER implementation of a real offline capability will require more work - which isn't exactly trivial. This issue has come up on the SimCity subReddit - and it isn't in dispute there, either. It may be possible - however, Maxis has other things on their plate right now (like fixing bugs). They will get around to it - or not - in good time; let them work on bug-squashing.

Always-online is not all about DRM all the time, even for games that aren't MMOs.

The game saves all progress locally and then syncs to the server every few minutes, that's been known pretty much since the start.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Despite the major launch fail, I have found this to be one of the most fun, addicting games I've played in years. Building a city and being able to zoom in to street level and look around is so cool.

Despite the major launch fail, I have found this to be one of the most fun, addicting games I've played in years. Building a city and being able to zoom in to street level and look around is so cool.

[Scazza]

Just ordered my CD Key from Gamesplanet. Annoyed I have to wait up to 8 hours maybe even longer for it to arrive. Do we have a Neowin Region?!

[spaceelf]

Just ordered my CD Key from Gamesplanet. Annoyed I have to wait up to 8 hours maybe even longer for it to arrive. Do we have a Neowin Region?!

Yes, in Europe West 1, but it's a little anemic (HawkMan and me.)

[HawkMan]

Unfortunately I can't play my city on that server untill they fixed the city processing issue. the city break 10 minutes after I start playing every time now. But I'll go in and drop invites for anyone who wants to join on my HawkMan79 account.

also I haven't looked into the traffic patch, but is part of it more intelligently designed road crosses ? as it is right now, even on the 3 lane roads, everyone on all the lanes at a cross will turn right instead of only the right most lane being right turn dedicated and the middle lane lane both and the let lane only straight. because of this, right turners can hold up the traffic much more than needed. at the same rate, traffic going straight can hold up people who are turning right that should be able to drive all the time nearly.

[spaceelf]

also I haven't looked into the traffic patch, but is part of it more intelligently designed road crosses ?

It's supposed to fix up the prioritization so drivers will pick paths by how busy they are. I don't know what else but I have to assume they're doing more than a cosmetic fix, since it's taking some time to implement.

[HawkMan]

At times I wish we could micromanage the roads a bit better, like one way roads in the older games, and maybe decide what way the lanes are allowed to turn at intersections so you could optimize the traffic flow, and at an intersection with two 3 lane roads where you know most all the traffic will go right, you could say two lines are only allowed to turn right and one are allowed straight and right.

Suppose it could come with some future traffic DLC along with other advanced traffic stuff.

[Lewism]

Unfortunately I can't play my city on that server untill they fixed the city processing issue. the city break 10 minutes after I start playing every time now. But I'll go in and drop invites for anyone who wants to join on my HawkMan79 account.

also I haven't looked into the traffic patch, but is part of it more intelligently designed road crosses ? as it is right now, even on the 3 lane roads, everyone on all the lanes at a cross will turn right instead of only the right most lane being right turn dedicated and the middle lane lane both and the let lane only straight. because of this, right turners can hold up the traffic much more than needed. at the same rate, traffic going straight can hold up people who are turning right that should be able to drive all the time nearly.

I sent you a friend invite. Can you invite me in?

Thanks!

[max22]

Can you invite me in as well ? Thanks.

[scaramonga]

Despite the major launch fail, I have found this to be one of the most fun, addicting games I've played in years. Building a city and being able to zoom in to street level and look around is so cool.

Despite the major launch fail, I have found this to be one of the most fun, addicting games I've played in years. Building a city and being able to zoom in to street level and look around is so cool.

Twice you said that ;) lol :laugh: