Simcity 4 Released?!! - Page 2

Adagio · January 13, 2003, 18:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Juggler
so Santa finally made it to Denmark, eh?

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
It's pretty easy to make a map look good. Hell, it'd probably be hard to make one look bad simply because the graphics are so good. It's jsut geting them in sync with the neighbouring areas which is tricky, I'm starting to get the hang of it though.

Well, that was what I ment...

Just one question: When there's a briefcase above a house, does that mean they're unemployed? If that's the case, then why is there always people who wants some more residental buildings, but no industries/commercials who wants to build in my city (Well... almost never)

Asher · January 13, 2003, 19:56

What I don't get is why so many people move into areas that don't have any police, fire, or education systems.

John-SJ · January 13, 2003, 20:36

If they didn't move in, what would they have to complain about? I've noticed for years that sims are professional complainers.

John-SJ

Asher · January 13, 2003, 21:54

I've spent a couple hours now on the game and I can't say I'm too impressed.

I found it pretty boring...

vonManstein · January 13, 2003, 22:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Asher
I've spent a couple hours now on the game and I can't say I'm too impressed.

I found it pretty boring...

I hope you saved the receipt so you can return it to the store.

edit: shyte, I can't speel

Joseph · January 13, 2003, 23:17

I have it and watching the intro movie.

Imran Siddiqui · January 14, 2003, 00:51

NEED GAME!

I'll have to get it tomorrow

.

Eli · January 14, 2003, 01:25

Damnit! I want the game!

*must control yourself, plenty of exams next week*
*must control yourself, plenty of exams next week*
*must control yourself, plenty of exams next week*

Game!

Mr. President · January 14, 2003, 02:37

*drool

I doubt it'd run on my computer, though.

General Ludd · January 14, 2003, 08:49

What is your computer? I have a pIII 500, Geforce2MX and 128 SDRAM - Does not run well with all the graphics on, but you can essentially turn the graphics off and it'll run fine.... the game just looks like ****, though.

It turns off all the "extra" graphics so instead of having houses with fences, gardens, and all the other things that make it look like an actual property, you just got an ugly little house right smack in the middle of an empty lot. Parks are just green patches with a lightpost in them. It really destroys the game if you ask me, I don't even know why they made it an option.

Comrade Tribune · January 14, 2003, 11:33

If it´s really good, I am going to buy a new system, to play Sc4 and Medieval TW.

REVIEWS!!!

Adagio · January 14, 2003, 13:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Tribune
If it´s really good, I am going to buy a new system, to play Sc4 and Medieval TW.

It's more diffecult to get started now than it was before (in earlier SC games). You don't just plop down a few buildings, you need to carefully consider what to build, and where to build it...and when...

Playing with disasters is fun (specially the meteor disaster

), since you now can control them...

I like the idea about having to fullfill some goals before being able to build certain buildings (like you need lots of farms to build farmers market, high education to build University, etc)

If you're looking for a challenge (and great graphics

), then this is the game...

And since this is a Maxis game, they proberly will make addons to the game, so the game will be playable for a longer time (If you like this type of games)

I upgraded my system, because I knew my old computer would have trouble running the game, and I haven't regret

Cookie Monster · January 14, 2003, 16:45

Would anyone else please provide some detailed reviews.

I am interested in hearing some detailed reports on gameplay, UI, fun factor, etc.

Thanx,

CapTVK · January 14, 2003, 18:06

And some more pics as well...

Any nice disasters?

ZargonX · January 14, 2003, 19:12

Got hte game today, and have been playing for most of said day. Graphics are great, gameplay is smooth, and most of the new concepts are fairly understandable. Making a city profitable seems a very daunting task, and the multi-city region is something I have to work on.

However, the manual sucks. The old SC3000 manual was a nice hefty 200 pages of in-depth explanation. The Simcity 4 manual is about 20 tiny pages of actual content, none of which is particularly useful. I guess this is EA's way of trying to get us to plunk down another $20 for a strategy guide (which looked quite detailed when I purused it at the store.) Screw you, EA.

vovan · January 14, 2003, 19:41

So has the game been released officially now? I remember with warcraft3, and civ3, gamespot and ign got reviews up on the same day as the games were released. Now, it is about time, and they don't even have the news that the game hit the shelves...

And where is that new web-site Maxis promised to open on the 14th?

Jonny · January 14, 2003, 23:28

I got it today.

I've only played it a little while, but I am very impressed with the graphics so far. It didn't take me long to get used to the new UI.

Now all I have to do is balance the city budget.

Adagio · January 15, 2003, 07:51

Quote:

Originally posted by vovansim
And where is that new web-site Maxis promised to open on the 14th?

It's online now

There's a tips and tricks section, and a few new articles, a new video (Haven't seen it though, since it's easier to just start the game

)

Cookie Monster · January 15, 2003, 17:35

Quote:

Originally posted by ZargonX
However, the manual sucks. The old SC3000 manual was a nice hefty 200 pages of in-depth explanation. The Simcity 4 manual is about 20 tiny pages of actual content, none of which is particularly useful. I guess this is EA's way of trying to get us to plunk down another $20 for a strategy guide (which looked quite detailed when I purused it at the store.) Screw you, EA.

That's very interesting and good to know. I felt the same way for EA's MOHAA's manual. Very skimpy. Screw all the software companies that are looking to squeeze all the money out of us. Evil greedy captalists!

vovan · January 15, 2003, 18:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Haupt. Dietrich
That's very interesting and good to know. I felt the same way for EA's MOHAA's manual. Very skimpy. Screw all the software companies that are looking to squeeze all the money out of us. Evil greedy captalists!

I think that would be the case for most games nowadays. I remember over on the Sierra forums, about three-four months ago, when they released Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, everybody was complaining about the fact that the printed manual was just 20 pages long, and the extensive manual - over 100 pages, I think, was in the PDF format. There was this one Sierra guy, who said that the stores requested that they put their games in small boxes, so it's not their fault that a normal manual doesn't fit in... Don't know if that's true or he just said that to divert attention, but either way that's just wrong.

Kc7mxo · January 15, 2003, 23:09

so, has anyone had any luck attracting high tech industries? I've got my sims education in the 130s, and my city is getting kinda big. Demand for the HT industry has skyrocketeed, and I can't figure out what they want! Stupid manual is like a flip folder, I can't find anything in it.

Any ideas?

EDIT: Never mind. A friend helped me figure it out. Apparently you just use industry zoning in areas which are appealing to High Tech industries.

Adagio · January 16, 2003, 10:51

You mean people actually reads the manual? The last time I read a manual, was the one included with Civ2... I only read it because I was bored...

Cookie Monster · January 16, 2003, 15:13

Quote:

Originally posted by ADG
You mean people actually reads the manual? The last time I read a manual, was the one included with Civ2... I only read it because I was bored...

Oh yeah, there's nothing like a good manual to a good game.

Cookie Monster · January 16, 2003, 15:15

Quote:

Originally posted by vovansim

I think that would be the case for most games nowadays. I remember over on the Sierra forums, about three-four months ago, when they released Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, everybody was complaining about the fact that the printed manual was just 20 pages long, and the extensive manual - over 100 pages, I think, was in the PDF format. There was this one Sierra guy, who said that the stores requested that they put their games in small boxes, so it's not their fault that a normal manual doesn't fit in... Don't know if that's true or he just said that to divert attention, but either way that's just wrong.

Yeah that's part of the reason but the other part is that software companies are trying to maximize their profits as much as possible at the consumers expense. That is wrong as well.

alva · January 16, 2003, 22:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Haupt. Dietrich

Yeah that's part of the reason but the other part is that software companies are trying to maximize their profits as much as possible at the consumers expense. That is wrong as well.

At least short term..., stupid 'cause IMO this is the single weapon against piracy...

vovan · January 16, 2003, 23:01

Quote:

Originally posted by alva
At least short term..., stupid 'cause IMO this is the single weapon against piracy...

Yes, I have to agree: adding goodies to the box with the CD is the only thing that can really be done against the pirated versions. And they are cutting it short themselves...

ZargonX · January 17, 2003, 00:01

Quote:

Originally posted by vovansim

I think that would be the case for most games nowadays. I remember over on the Sierra forums, about three-four months ago, when they released Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, everybody was complaining about the fact that the printed manual was just 20 pages long, and the extensive manual - over 100 pages, I think, was in the PDF format. There was this one Sierra guy, who said that the stores requested that they put their games in small boxes, so it's not their fault that a normal manual doesn't fit in... Don't know if that's true or he just said that to divert attention, but either way that's just wrong.

That sounds like a plausible explanation, except for the fact that Neverwinter Nights, which came in one of those tiny boxes, had a nice thick manual of 200 pages. Sounds like people making excuses, to me.

Grumbold · January 17, 2003, 09:32

The new box size is principally down to the retail trade. Standardised DvD cases are easy to stack and you can fit far more games in a given shelf/storage space. Games companies that want to find a way round the manual difficulties have all found ways to do so. Either by producing boxes the size of double-thickness DvD's or by compressing the manual. Only including 20 pages and blaming it on the retailers is laziness.

Imran Siddiqui · January 17, 2003, 11:57

Quote:

However, the manual sucks. The old SC3000 manual was a nice hefty 200 pages of in-depth explanation. The Simcity 4 manual is about 20 tiny pages of actual content, none of which is particularly useful. I guess this is EA's way of trying to get us to plunk down another $20 for a strategy guide (which looked quite detailed when I purused it at the store.) Screw you, EA.

Blame the small boxes. It is hard to place big manuals in them.

At the same time, they probably just beefed up the tutorial and decided they really didn't need a manual.

Cookie Monster · January 17, 2003, 14:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
[q]
At the same time, they probably just beefed up the tutorial and decided they really didn't need a manual.

That's probably ok with action games, however with strategy games a detailed manual beats out any tutorial in terms of learning all the nuances of a game.