official SimCity (2013)

[PGHammer]

Yes, but currently you're micromanaging the streets to trick the game into working properly.

Compared to what? SimCity 4 Deluxe with mods? (The base SC4 Deluxe also had broken traffic pathing - in fact, it was broken worse than that of THIS game.)

[+virtorio MVC]

Compared to what? SimCity 4 Deluxe with mods? (The base SC4 Deluxe also had broken traffic pathing - in fact, it was broken worse than that of THIS game.)

I don't remember mentioning anything about SimCity 4.

[Gasoau]

Kinda boring after making a few cities.

[PGHammer]

I don't remember mentioning anything about SimCity 4.

You mentioned the traffic pathing being broken - I simply asked what you were comparing it to. I'm NOT denying that said pathing is broke; however, there are examples of WORSE traffic pathing, even in previous versions of the franchise, so I named SimCity 4 as an example (one that took modders to fix).

[+virtorio MVC]

You mentioned the traffic pathing being broken - I simply asked what you were comparing it to. I'm NOT denying that said pathing is broke; however, there are examples of WORSE traffic pathing, even in previous versions of the franchise, so I named SimCity 4 as an example (one that took modders to fix).

I wasn't comparing it to anything. The fact there may be other city building games that have traffic modelling features, and whether they function better or not, is 100% irrelevant.

[Titoist]

The latest patch (1.8) is a bloody mess. I am getting buildings in the middle of streets, buildings on top of buildings and buildings on a mountain in a plain thats on top of another building within the mountain. :s

I also have my 8 firetrucks circling a single block and not going to fires around the city.

[johnporter29]

Just got Sim City over the weekend. Looking forward to getting into it, anyone got any tips or pointers to share? Or any links to sites that may be of help?

[Teebor]

Just got Sim City over the weekend. Looking forward to getting into it, anyone got any tips or pointers to share? Or any links to sites that may be of help?

Try not to put a junction near the road in to your "city plot" - this might not be such an issue now though thinking about it

Vehicles only U turn at junction/intersections apparently

Check out other cities in your region to see if they are actually active before you start building. You don't want to end up in a dead region ;)

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

The 'Zero Punctuation' review of SimCity is out: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/7053-SimCity

[shadowgmo]

I would like:

-Subways: take advantage of underground

-Elevated highways.

-Create routes for your buses, would be better to micro manage that since buses right now go all over the place just because...

-One way streets would help the traffic I think.

[Dane]

So I started a new city I have three oil wells going. Trying to make some money.

What can I use it for to make more money? I have a university in one city that when I get enough for the city with all the oil wells I'm going to gift money to the city with the university for a nuclear power plant.

Also recycling center how does this work?! Even in sandbox I can't get it to do anything

[Tuishimi]

The 'Zero Punctuation' review of SimCity is out: http://www.escapistm...on/7053-SimCity

I really did "laugh out loud" ... :)

[majortom1981]

So I started a new city I have three oil wells going. Trying to make some money.

What can I use it for to make more money? I have a university in one city that when I get enough for the city with all the oil wells I'm going to gift money to the city with the university for a nuclear power plant.

Also recycling center how does this work?! Even in sandbox I can't get it to do anything

The best way to make money is the electronics route. you start off buy building processors and then selling them. when you sell enough then tvs and computers open up. Oil is only usefull for supplying oil power plants. The plastics you eventually open up are cheaper to import to use in electronics.

Recycling is hard. you have to have an educated city otherwise buildings wont produce any recyclables. so you have to at least have 1 school. Also the trucks go out at about 6am and come back at around 6pm . If your city has traffic then the trucks will get stuck.

[PGHammer]

The best way to make money is the electronics route. you start off buy building processors and then selling them. when you sell enough then tvs and computers open up. Oil is only usefull for supplying oil power plants. The plastics you eventually open up are cheaper to import to use in electronics.

Recycling is hard. you have to have an educated city otherwise buildings wont produce any recyclables. so you have to at least have 1 school. Also the trucks go out at about 6am and come back at around 6pm . If your city has traffic then the trucks will get stuck.

The best way to make money is the electronics route. you start off buy building processors and then selling them. when you sell enough then tvs and computers open up. Oil is only usefull for supplying oil power plants. The plastics you eventually open up are cheaper to import to use in electronics.

Recycling is hard. you have to have an educated city otherwise buildings wont produce any recyclables. so you have to at least have 1 school. Also the trucks go out at about 6am and come back at around 6pm . If your city has traffic then the trucks will get stuck.

The *educated city* is hard to start off outside of a Sandbox unless you start small and grow naturally. Single elementary school, then when you get to a city hall, add a second elementary school and a high school, then at the next CH upgrade, add a community college (or even wait a cycle and jump right to the University). Region doing a Great Work? Add both the Dormitory and either the School of Science or Engineering to the University. (At LEAST one "educated city" is a must for a Great Work - two or more are better.)

Power - The "educated city" is a "green city"; therefore, wind is the best choice by far for power. (Wind is, also, the lowest cost for ANY starting city in the game - I've avoided coal for power, even in my Sandboxes.)

Sandboxes - Here I tend to have multiple power sources per city - usually wind/solar or wind/nuclear. (The excessage is reserved for eventual Great Works.) Resources (coal and minerals) get mined; however, none are used for power. (It will be used in either Great Works or consumable/recyclable production - Sandboxes don't connect to the Global Market.)

[scaramonga]

The 'Zero Punctuation' review of SimCity is out: http://www.escapistm...on/7053-SimCity

Hilarious as ever lol, but very true, which is kinda disturbing, as this 'so called' game is one big farce, and looking like joining EA at the top of the table, as the worst thing known to mankind.

[majortom1981]

The *educated city* is hard to start off outside of a Sandbox unless you start small and grow naturally. Single elementary school, then when you get to a city hall, add a second elementary school and a high school, then at the next CH upgrade, add a community college (or even wait a cycle and jump right to the University). Region doing a Great Work? Add both the Dormitory and either the School of Science or Engineering to the University. (At LEAST one "educated city" is a must for a Great Work - two or more are better.)

Power - The "educated city" is a "green city"; therefore, wind is the best choice by far for power. (Wind is, also, the lowest cost for ANY starting city in the game - I've avoided coal for power, even in my Sandboxes.)

Sandboxes - Here I tend to have multiple power sources per city - usually wind/solar or wind/nuclear. (The excessage is reserved for eventual Great Works.) Resources (coal and minerals) get mined; however, none are used for power. (It will be used in either Great Works or consumable/recyclable production - Sandboxes don't connect to the Global Market.)

I only needed 1 elementary school all upgraded with a ton of bus stops to get them to start recycling

[ILikeTobacco]

Hilarious as ever lol, but very true, which is kinda disturbing, as this 'so called' game is one big farce, and looking like joining EA at the top of the table as worst ever thing alive.

He was way off on the reasons for multi-player though. Someone who isn't very good at the game, which at this point is the majority of players from my experience, never manage to build a city successful enough to do research, unlock all of the city hall addons, or get all production going enough to get a project done. Granted, some of these issues are caused by build in limitations like city size but the online part is required simply because of that. I still enjoy this game much more than SC4. The only thing gets annoying sometimes which I send a couple mill to friend and he doesn't get them for another 10 minutes because of slow server response though.

I only needed 1 elementary school all upgraded with a ton of bus stops to get them to start recycling

It doesn't take much but more helps. The issue with a ton of bus stops is that it adds traffic to the entire map that everyone has to work through coming back to a central point. Multiple schools helps prevent this a bit buy spreading out the density.

[RageOfFury]

The 'Zero Punctuation' review of SimCity is out: http://www.escapistm...on/7053-SimCity

LOL :laugh:

[scaramonga]

And listen, lol, EA even have the audacity, the nerve, to offer the same games they pledged FREE, due to the original ****-up, @ 75% off this week!! lol, only EA.....really? WTF lol!

Makes you feel like you got a real bargain there lol :D

Seriously, please learn from this.

[majortom1981]

He was way off on the reasons for multi-player though. Someone who isn't very good at the game, which at this point is the majority of players from my experience, never manage to build a city successful enough to do research, unlock all of the city hall addons, or get all production going enough to get a project done. Granted, some of these issues are caused by build in limitations like city size but the online part is required simply because of that. I still enjoy this game much more than SC4. The only thing gets annoying sometimes which I send a couple mill to friend and he doesn't get them for another 10 minutes because of slow server response though.

It doesn't take much but more helps. The issue with a ton of bus stops is that it adds traffic to the entire map that everyone has to work through coming back to a central point. Multiple schools helps prevent this a bit buy spreading out the density.

The problem with this is universities also create a TON of traffic. IF your just trying to make a city for providing money then the buses produce less traffic then the universities do. remember the students have to drive to a university unless you provide internal buses.

[HawkMan]

And listen, lol, EA even have the audacity, the nerve, to offer the same games they pledged FREE, due to the original ****-up, @ 75% off this week!! lol, only EA.....really? WTF lol!

Makes you feel like you got a real bargain there lol :D

Seriously, please learn from this.

OMG EA is selling heavily rebated games. they so evil!!!!

wonder what you think of Valve.

[spaceelf]

And listen, lol, EA even have the audacity, the nerve, to offer the same games they pledged FREE, due to the original ****-up, @ 75% off this week!! lol, only EA.....really? WTF lol!

Erm...not sure why you mentioned 'pledged' when they were free, and it covered most of their catalog not just those titles.

So yeah sales are totally inane and we should mock everyone who has them.

[PGHammer]

He was way off on the reasons for multi-player though. Someone who isn't very good at the game, which at this point is the majority of players from my experience, never manage to build a city successful enough to do research, unlock all of the city hall addons, or get all production going enough to get a project done. Granted, some of these issues are caused by build in limitations like city size but the online part is required simply because of that. I still enjoy this game much more than SC4. The only thing gets annoying sometimes which I send a couple mill to friend and he doesn't get them for another 10 minutes because of slow server response though.

It doesn't take much but more helps. The issue with a ton of bus stops is that it adds traffic to the entire map that everyone has to work through coming back to a central point. Multiple schools helps prevent this a bit buy spreading out the density.

That is why prefer to start with just one, then, as the city expands, expand the number of elementary schools (or plop on additional classrooms, if I've left enough space - which is exactly what real school districts do as the needs grow). I also think *regionally* in terms of elementary schools (either northern/southern or eastern/western); if a city gets large enough, I do the same with high schools. Each city in a region will have its own University (with Dormitory and a School of either Science OR Engineering (if a regional Great Work is either planned OR in progress - a LOT of Great Works require one or the other) AND a Business School if there will be manufacturing of any sort being done. By thinking area/region (the neighborhood-school concept) you can keep traffic counts down. A city with rail lines passing through gets passenger rail stations (if the city does manufacturing, a freight depot gets plopped as well; you CAN have both on the same rail line) - commuter buses are nice, too (not instead of, but in addition to passenger rail - one option, if you also have a regional excess of power, is trolley service instead of commuter bus).

[PGHammer]

The problem with this is universities also create a TON of traffic. IF your just trying to make a city for providing money then the buses produce less traffic then the universities do. remember the students have to drive to a university unless you provide internal buses.

That is why you also plop a Dormitory (an option for the University, but NOT one for the Community College) - if you are adding one or more Schools (Business, Science, or Engineering), definitely plop the Dorm.

I usually have the University near City Hall (and Central High School) to ease commuting woes. (I leave space between the Residential and Commercial Districts for Town/City Hall, and the University - the first high school is just south of here at the edge of the primary residential area. Additional residence districts are east and west - like the wings of a phoenix.)

[spaceelf]

http://www.shacknews...egy?id=29918885

"It started with the team at Maxis that had a creative vision for a multiplayer, connected, collaborative SimCity experience where your city and my city and others' were [working together]," Gibeau told Games Industry International. "The lead designers and the producers and the programmers felt like they wanted to tell us a multiplayer, cooperative city story around SimCity."

Gibeau insisted, "At no point in time did anybody say 'you must make this online.'" He added, "You don't build an MMO because you're thinking of DRM--you're building a massively multiplayer experience, that's what you're building."

The EA veteran railed against DRM pretty hard, saying "DRM is a failed dead-end strategy; it's not a viable strategy for the gaming business. So what we tried to do creatively is build an online service in the SimCity universe and that's what we sought to achieve. For the folks who have conspiracy theories about evil suits at EA forcing DRM down the throats of Maxis, that's not the case at all."