SimCity V (2013) - screens/artwork and information

[PaulC2K]

The issue i have with the so called "Always Online" game, is that once the server goes down no-one can play. Take diablo 3 as experience "error 37" another is planetside2 "G ERROR". Pirates would less likely copy/ crack a game if it had less DRM/DLC's and more availability, of course you always get some however the impact it would have on gaming companies would be a lot less.

Companies Like EA are just a money making machine, to entice younger generation to buy these games, Sims is a prime example i wonder how many kids get their parents to use the credit card for a £9.99 table set??? parents have no idea and just buy it for them.

However pure gamer like us have more experience with them and know that we are being ripped off big style.

I myself have pre-ordered this game, however looking at the city grid size i know exactly where they are going with this ££££. you want a bigger grid size pay the price
for example.
4x4 £5.99
8x8 £9.99
10x10 £20.00

Which i think is a con.

If you dont understand the problem, then why make such outlandish claims about what Maxis will do, simply so you can vent on them?

Your system probably isnt even powerful enough to do 4x4, i dont even know what you own, but it probably wont because its 4 times bigger than currently, and Maxis have said it simply isnt possible to do 4x4, let alone something as daft as 10x10!
Maxis havent said they wont do large city plots, but it simply isnt possible because the vast majority of peoples computers cant handle it, so why sell a game which upon launch, says to the majority of customers, we've spent our time and effort making something that the majority of you simply cannot use... but a small handful with £2k+ (today) hardware might get away with it. Thats an idiotic way to run a business.


Too many people seem to be mistaking what THEY want with what is POSSIBLE and then spitting their dummy out and coming out with conspiracy theories to mask their ignorance on the subject. If something isnt possible given current technology and their game engine, then you cant simply wish it possible. Theres just far too much going on visually, constantly evolving, and while it might not look as stunning as say Crysis3, Crysis3 doesnt have to deal with hundreds of thousands of constantly moving agents, in an ever changing landscape, it just makes a handful of pre-set optimised levels and thats it. So forgive me if im not disappointed that for my purchase, all of the regions/cities will be playable, rather than just half of them for like a year or more.
At least this way we've got 10 playable regions now, and when hardware makes it plausible to play bigger plots, we can buy them for a few quid, or not if the case may be, but to be annoyed that the in-game content isnt so big its unplayable is a new one to me, simply because in a year it might be playable after we've thrown £300 at new hardware. Meanwhile half the people who've bought the game have gone back to COD8 or another casual gamer game.


As for parents buying Sims junk for their kids, that i'd have no sympathy for the parents. Any parent agreeing to buy something just because the kid is nagging them, is doing so at their choice, they're not forced into anything. Maybe they should spend more time being a more focussed parent if it turns out their not happy with purchases they've authorised. I think its all a joke, and any DLC will have to be solid value for money, but ive no issue with people with more money than sense buying stuff if they want it.

 

[ozzaman]

Too many people seem to be mistaking what THEY want with what is POSSIBLE

I think you are grossly overestimating what the current engine can do. That or you are the official EA spokesperson lurking in this thread.

 

[wilber]

If you dont understand the problem, then why make such outlandish claims about what Maxis will do, simply so you can vent on them?

Your system probably isnt even powerful enough to do 4x4, i dont even know what you own, but it probably wont because its 4 times bigger than currently, and Maxis have said it simply isnt possible to do 4x4, let alone something as daft as 10x10!
Maxis havent said they wont do large city plots, but it simply isnt possible because the vast majority of peoples computers cant handle it, so why sell a game which upon launch, says to the majority of customers, we've spent our time and effort making something that the majority of you simply cannot use... but a small handful with £2k+ (today) hardware might get away with it. Thats an idiotic way to run a business.


Too many people seem to be mistaking what THEY want with what is POSSIBLE and then spitting their dummy out and coming out with conspiracy theories to mask their ignorance on the subject. If something isnt possible given current technology and their game engine, then you cant simply wish it possible. Theres just far too much going on visually, constantly evolving, and while it might not look as stunning as say Crysis3, Crysis3 doesnt have to deal with hundreds of thousands of constantly moving agents, in an ever changing landscape, it just makes a handful of pre-set optimised levels and thats it. So forgive me if im not disappointed that for my purchase, all of the regions/cities will be playable, rather than just half of them for like a year or more.
At least this way we've got 10 playable regions now, and when hardware makes it plausible to play bigger plots, we can buy them for a few quid, or not if the case may be, but to be annoyed that the in-game content isnt so big its unplayable is a new one to me, simply because in a year it might be playable after we've thrown £300 at new hardware. Meanwhile half the people who've bought the game have gone back to COD8 or another casual gamer game.


As for parents buying Sims junk for their kids, that i'd have no sympathy for the parents. Any parent agreeing to buy something just because the kid is nagging them, is doing so at their choice, they're not forced into anything. Maybe they should spend more time being a more focussed parent if it turns out their not happy with purchases they've authorised. I think its all a joke, and any DLC will have to be solid value for money, but ive no issue with people with more money than sense buying stuff if they want it.

You missed the BIG point, having to be always online to play a single player game...

 

[Xordium]

Too many people seem to be mistaking what THEY want with what is POSSIBLE and then spitting their dummy out and coming out with conspiracy theories to mask their ignorance on the subject.

You're the one spitting your dummy out ( do you get paid to do that?). Maybe what they want is a CITY SIMULATOR not something that models sims in a small region (something the Sims does already ...).

I could start making a FPS where I model the gun with 2 billion polys and god knows what effects and then point the finger at everything and say enemies and environments are not possible due to technology. But it would rather overlook the point that it was not those things that are impossible but a poor initial design choice. The very name of the game says it SimCity - by definition not one of those regions would be classed as a city.

Not adding always online restrictions is also technically possible you just don't put that kind of stuff in. I don't know who makes the decisions at EA but after the Drs left Bioware and the SWTOR messup and now this and of course ME3. Well I can only conclude they are attempting corporate suicide, they are complete retards, or they have guess that most gamers are retards and they'll make a massive profit on pitch alone.

Sim Hamlet would have been more honest.

so why sell a game which upon launch, says to the majority of customers, we've spent our time and effort making something that the majority of you simply cannot use... but a small handful with £2k+ (today) hardware might get away with it. Thats an idiotic way to run a business.

and then in the next paragraph you mention Crysis - so that idiotic way to run a business - how did that go for Crytek? Oh, quite well actually ...

 

[dave1983]

If you dont understand the problem, then why make such outlandish claims about what Maxis will do, simply so you can vent on them?

Your system probably isnt even powerful enough to do 4x4, i dont even know what you own, but it probably wont because its 4 times bigger than currently, and Maxis have said it simply isnt possible to do 4x4, let alone something as daft as 10x10!
Maxis havent said they wont do large city plots, but it simply isnt possible because the vast majority of peoples computers cant handle it, so why sell a game which upon launch, says to the majority of customers, we've spent our time and effort making something that the majority of you simply cannot use... but a small handful with £2k+ (today) hardware might get away with it. Thats an idiotic way to run a business.


Too many people seem to be mistaking what THEY want with what is POSSIBLE and then spitting their dummy out and coming out with conspiracy theories to mask their ignorance on the subject. If something isnt possible given current technology and their game engine, then you cant simply wish it possible. Theres just far too much going on visually, constantly evolving, and while it might not look as stunning as say Crysis3, Crysis3 doesnt have to deal with hundreds of thousands of constantly moving agents, in an ever changing landscape, it just makes a handful of pre-set optimised levels and thats it. So forgive me if im not disappointed that for my purchase, all of the regions/cities will be playable, rather than just half of them for like a year or more.
At least this way we've got 10 playable regions now, and when hardware makes it plausible to play bigger plots, we can buy them for a few quid, or not if the case may be, but to be annoyed that the in-game content isnt so big its unplayable is a new one to me, simply because in a year it might be playable after we've thrown £300 at new hardware. Meanwhile half the people who've bought the game have gone back to COD8 or another casual gamer game.


As for parents buying Sims junk for their kids, that i'd have no sympathy for the parents. Any parent agreeing to buy something just because the kid is nagging them, is doing so at their choice, they're not forced into anything. Maybe they should spend more time being a more focussed parent if it turns out their not happy with purchases they've authorised. I think its all a joke, and any DLC will have to be solid value for money, but ive no issue with people with more money than sense buying stuff if they want it.

Outlandish claims, not at all see all the user reviews for a start. Even though maxis claim it would be overpowered for our PC's i find that BS. Think about it if you own over 3 plots of land that are by 2x2 squared do you see any performance hits? The game isn't graphically demanding like crysis they just made the maps smaller for lower spec machines so it's not given the oportunity for higher end pc's to have a choice. Go and Google System Requirements if you want proof.


http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=3562&game=SimCity

Radeon HD4980 not exactly new generation hardware is it.

 

[arknor]

wont be the graphics card doing any calculations but I still don't buy there reasons

 

[Xire]

Tesco still seem to have the limited edition listed, showing as in stock.

So they do, ordered...althought ETA is 12 march, my own fault though as I was unsure about the game, still am tbh.

 

[dave1983]

wont be the graphics card doing any calculations but I still don't buy there reasons

its to support the younger age group, that's why the system specs are 3 years outdated.

A duo core is also recommended, that's 5 -6 generations years old. People who can handle the higher grid size will have to either wait for DLC "probable" or wait for a patch. it is not a high demanding game like maxis make out they are hiding behind curtains and they know they are.

 

[PaulC2K]

I think you are grossly overestimating what the current engine can do. That or you are the official EA spokesperson lurking in this thread.

Overestimating what it can do? I wasnt the one claiming they'll be selling us 4x4, 8x8 and 10x10 plots for upto £20. So how am overestimating their engine exactly?

You missed the BIG point, having to be always online to play a single player game...

I didnt miss the big point, i didnt address it, i addressed the misconception that people who dont bother looking into the problem decide to spread.
But its interesting that despite the fact that of what i spoke about, you opted to dismiss it and bring up something i didnt question, deny, dismiss or owt like that.

 

[dave1983]

Overestimating what it can do? I wasnt the one claiming they'll be selling us 4x4, 8x8 and 10x10 plots for upto £20. So how am overestimating their engine exactly?



I didnt miss the big point, i didnt address it, i addressed the misconception that people who dont bother looking into the problem decide to spread.
But its interesting that despite the fact that of what i spoke about, you opted to dismiss it and bring up something i didnt question, deny, dismiss or owt like that.

It was me who said about the grid size so "deal with it"

Like i said go and have a look at the recommended spec and come back to me.

 

[niroe]

Bought key from GMG, used VPN to get the game running - all was well until the dreaded crash to desktop

BTW anybody else got a region up and running, would much prefer to play near someone friendly!

 

[dave1983]

Bought key from GMG, used VPN to get the game running - all was well until the dreaded crash to desktop

BTW anybody else got a region up and running, would much prefer to play near someone friendly!

how the heck did you get the GMG running????

i got to the origin page - game not availble till the 8th didn't think you can VPN if you had the key from GMG as they are region locked.

 

[Digital]

Well after yesterday's bug about adding the key to Origin and the game not showing up, today it seems to has rectified. Even allowed a Preload... of around 200MB ?!?!

 

[niroe]

how the heck did you get the GMG running????

i got to the origin page - game not availble till the 8th didn't think you can VPN if you had the key from GMG as they are region locked.

Used hideman vpn to login to Origin, entered key, started the launcher download, disconnected hideman, downloaded rest of launcher with normal connection.

Once launcher was installed, restarted hideman and let the launcher start the main download, then again disconnected hideman.

Game installed fine, used hideman one last time for the first run of the game - its worked fine since then - except the stupid one CTD!

 

[dave1983]

aHH damn didn't do that, don't supposed it will work if the key is already entered?

 

[PaulC2K]

You're the one spitting your dummy out ( do you get paid to do that?). Maybe what they want is a CITY SIMULATOR not something that models sims in a small region (something the Sims does already ...).

I could start making a FPS where I model the gun with 2 billion polys and god knows what effects and then point the finger at everything and say enemies and environments are not possible due to technology. But it would rather overlook the point that it was not those things that are impossible but a poor initial design choice. The very name of the game says it SimCity - by definition not one of those regions would be classed as a city.

Not adding always online restrictions is also technically possible you just don't put that kind of stuff in. I don't know who makes the decisions at EA but after the Drs left Bioware and the SWTOR messup and now this and of course ME3. Well I can only conclude they are attempting corporate suicide, they are complete retards, or they have guess that most gamers are retards and they'll make a massive profit on pitch alone.

Sim Hamlet would have been more honest.

You say all that, and yet you dont bother addressing the part that you chose to quote from me. People want something that hardware & software currently cannot provide, unless you want it all being dumbed down and faked to satisfy these demands.
So well done on highlighting something you cant even discredit, and then going on a random rant about something else.

Outlandish claims, not at all see all the user reviews for a start. Even though maxis claim it would be overpowered for our PC's i find that BS. Think about it if you own over 3 plots of land that are by 2x2 squared do you see any performance hits? The game isn't graphically demanding like crysis they just made the maps smaller for lower spec machines so it's not given the oportunity for higher end pc's to have a choice. Go and Google System Requirements if you want proof.


http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=3562&game=SimCity

Radeon HD4980 not exactly new generation hardware is it.

The other cities arent alive though, they're frozen in time. Even if someone else is online and actively playing those cities, the servers only do an auto-save every 3min (or when someone leaves) iirc, so basically the other cities are only updating in a visual capacity every 3min or so. They're not active, your not having to render everything thats going on in them constantly.

I think we'll see 3x3 plots by September, a region DLC type thing, where the region(s) included have city plots which are larger. I dont see how they could retroactively put 3x3 plots into existing content simply because they'd all need redoing to add the extra half km either side. Maybe 4x4 a year on, but i think they'd need to make some optimisation improvements to see significant benefits which would allow people to have the sort of size city plots we'd all like to see.

Old GPUs being able to play the game doesnt mean too much, unless you think it'd be reasonable to have 4x4 maps which people can only play in 1280x720 with lowest settings (thats a rhetorical question)? So it'd be stupid to sell a game which had content that the majority of people, with very capable hardware, couldnt play on a sensible setting. Just because an ancient GPU can play the game, doesnt mean people with high end systems are going to accept playing the game at the same visual level as them, so they can have 4x4 maps. They dont want a compromise, they want everything, and unfortunately it happens to appear that its unreasonable to expect that. Thats what bugs me the most, people make claims like its Maxis (well, EA really, people want to hate on EA) holding back, but theres plenty of evidence that shows high end hardware on semi-decent settings pushing only 40-50fps on a fairly built up city, 4x4 is 4x bigger than 2x2 (4sq/km vs 16sq/km) so imagine what would happen with considerably more taking place on screen. More buildings, more people, cars, everything. You'd use up all that space because you have it available to you, and it'd grind to a stutter.

3x3 *might* be feasible for a few people, but i very much doubt 4x4 is yet, but 8x8 and 10x10 just isnt going to happen. I also think suggesting that they'd charge £10-20 for it to be unlocked is rather offensive too, its saying something intentionally stupid just to be hateful towards them. I dont deny they'll make people pay for it, and it WONT be great value for money, but it certainly wont be £20, not without it being more like an Add-on pack, rather than microtransaction.

 

[PaulC2K]

It was me who said about the grid size so "deal with it"

Like i said go and have a look at the recommended spec and come back to me.

Now thats hardly mature is it
All i was saying is he claimed im overestimating what the engine is capable of, like *I* believe its able to do huge plots, and while i dont doubt that it could do far bigger than we'll have, i dont believe current hardware allows it.

I believe the engine could do far far bigger, but i doubt that
A) we have the hardware, or will for a good few years, to do anything more than 4x4 in a year or so.
B) the engine needs optimising in order to help bring what we'd *like* to see, become reality. With engine improvements the same simulation may well be able to be far less resource intensive, meaning that can be fed back into the game as bigger plots.
With both done, they'll get there eventually, but it also depends on whether any optimisations are preferred to be part of 'sim city 2' rather than game updates. If they can sell you another game for £45 in 18mo time, do we think they'd give it to us in patches for free?? im not so sure, it depends on them though.

 

[Xordium]

You say all that, and yet you dont bother addressing the part that you chose to quote from me. People want something that hardware & software currently cannot provide, unless you want it all being dumbed down and faked to satisfy these demands.
So well done on highlighting something you cant even discredit, and then going on a random rant about something else.

I did address it not my fault if you are unable to read. Let me rephrase it for you:

They made fundamental design choices. They modeled aspects to the extent that the lost sight of the overall goal ... CITIES?

So it wasn't a) a rant b) about something else ...

Are you one of those paid EA forum posters or do you provide your services for free?

Nothing to say about your obvious mistake in saying catering for high end specs is a mistake too I notice.

 

[Swarfega]

aHH damn didn't do that, don't supposed it will work if the key is already entered?

In the same boat. Added the key and it just said released on the 8th. Should have waited I guess.

 

[PaulC2K]

how the heck did you get the GMG running????

i got to the origin page - game not availble till the 8th didn't think you can VPN if you had the key from GMG as they are region locked.

If you have a key, you can VPN unlock it. If you dont, then thats because Origin hasnt billed you, and it looks like thats their solution to stopping people from VPN'ing and unlocking the game before its regional release date.

Technically, its against origins terms of service, but then as their TOS arent enforceable in the UK, its a bit of a tricky matter. Just because they cant enforce it, doesnt mean they wont do it. So if they block your account for breaking their rules, you'll have to fight it through legal channels. I doubt many will, despite threats.
Saying that, didnt stop me unlocking BF3 early, or tons of people whove been streaming since the 4th thanks to Asian releases being before US release due to timezones.