The SimCity Thread of Offline Play

[Tornado]

So, they are shit....

Oh? You've played the game, then. And can objectively tell me that making the next SimCity a multiplayer affair is automatically a bad thing, rather than just "BAAAWWW EA STOP RUINING EVERYTHING!"

Because as someone who has played Sim-series games for nearly 15 years now (longer than I've even had the capacity to understand them completely) and someone who holds SimCity 4 Deluxe as one of my favorite games ever made, I'm struggling to see how making the game multiplayer is such an inherently grievous error beyond simply because EA is doing it and EA is a popular punching bag at the moment. In fact, I can think of a few damn good things that can come from designing the game around multiplayer.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Tornado

[Phantomime]

Oh? You've played the game, then. And can objectively tell me that making the next SimCity a multiplayer affair is automatically a bad thing, rather than just "BAAAWWW EA STOP RUINING EVERYTHING!"

Because as someone who has played Sim-series games for nearly 15 years now (longer than I've even had the capacity to understand them completely) and someone who holds SimCity 4 Deluxe as one of my favorite games ever made, I'm struggling to see how making the game multiplayer is grevious error beyond simply because EA is doing it and EA is a popular punching bag at the moment. In fact, I can think of a few damn good things that can come from designing the game around multiplayer.

I believe the main thing pissing people off is that it requires internet to be always on, which is generally detested DRM.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Phantomime

[Stacy]

I love how there's been 2 threads in the last few days expressing how much EA are pissing people off.

They really wanna hold onto their Worst Company title, don't they!

But you see they've got to have....... MONEEEEEEEEEEY! *Shot*

Seriously in recent years EA have done nothing but piss me, ruining franchises, DLC up the arse as soon as a game of their has been released. I could go on, who ever is their CEO should be publicly executed.

Oh? You've played the game, then. And can objectively tell me that making the next SimCity a multiplayer affair is automatically a bad thing, rather than just "BAAAWWW EA STOP RUINING EVERYTHING!"

Because as someone who has played Sim-series games for nearly 15 years now (longer than I've even had the capacity to understand them completely) and someone who holds SimCity 4 Deluxe as one of my favorite games ever made, I'm struggling to see how making the game multiplayer is such an inherently grievous error beyond simply because EA is doing it and EA is a popular punching bag at the moment. In fact, I can think of a few damn good things that can come from designing the game around multiplayer.

Hold on Sea Biscuit , I never said Multiplayer was a bad thing, but bullshit online copy right protection is.

Their you go, Mr. Right.

[Tornado]

I believe the main thing pissing people off is that it requires internet to be always on, which is generally detested DRM.

Which would be fine if:

• That's what the people in this thread were railing against, or indeed what this thread was even about. It isn't.
  
• We actually knew how the game's DRM will work. For example, we already know that this isn't true, since it was one of the first things EA said about the game:
  

I hate this constant Internet shit, what if I lose my connection for a long time or lose it all together?

I can't play my game then can I?

For all we know it will work the same was as playing Steam SP games will when not connected to the internet.

Hold on Sea Biscuit , I never said Multiplayer was a bad thing, but bullshit online copy right protection is.

Their you go, Mr. Right.

> Posts in thread complaining about how a game will be multiplayer-focused in a franchise traditionally single-player only.

> Talks about something already known to be untrue that is just vaguely related to the topic.

> Complains because someone took their post as having to do with the topic, and responded as such.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Tornado

[Stacy]

Which would be fine if:

• That's what the people in this thread were railing against, or indeed what this thread was even about. It isn't.
  
• We actually knew how the game's DRM will work. For example, we already know that this isn't true, since it was one of the first things EA said about the game:
  

For all we know it will work the same was as playing Steam SP games will when not connected to the internet.

You still need a internet connection to play it and you need to be logged in in to EA's wonderful Origin service. Anyway you can still player single player.

At least its not a Origin exclusive unlike C&C Generals 2. A series EA have seriously kicked in the nuts.

[turbojet]

When Tornado posts and one of your posts are quoted in his post, get ready to be shown the folly of your ways.

[Stacy]

When Tornado posts and one of your posts are quoted in his post, get ready to be shown the folly of your ways.

Don't care, don't see why has to be right all the time.

[SuperStingray]

EA's hardly the only company bringing multiplayer-centric design to previously single-player focused franchises. Hell, even Valve already claimed that HL2:E2 and Portal were the last games they will ever make with a purely single-player experience. This isn't EA being a childhood-raping devil, this is just how the industry is expanding now.

Don't care, don't see why has to be right all the time.

You get used to it.

Edited May 12, 2012 by SuperStingray

[Stritix]

I'd be fine with it if it was optional, but seeing as it's not, it's just awful. I don't want to be forced into online multiplayer with a bunch of 10 year old's. I'll just stick with SimCity 4 thanks.

[Stacy]

The last Game Master issue someone wrote in about Gaming becoming pretty much online focused and I kinda agree with the writer that sometimes making single player based multiplayer can either be a great or it can fail badly, of course depends on how well its implemented.

Personally I still single player over online.

C&C4 is perfect example of taking a popular series and ruining by making too online focused. C&C Games already had popular online play why did they need to change the gameplay and make a mediocre campaign that lasted less then 10 hours? I been playing that series for more than 14 years now.

I would like to think EA have learned from the backlash C&C4 got and hopefully Sim City will be a return to form after Sim City Societies.

Edited May 12, 2012 by BW199148

[Sean]

Many if not most multiplayer-only games require an internet connection.

I'm desperately trying to see the problem here and I just don't.

[PeanutButterDimond]

As someone who was wanting to give the series a try with this installment, and as someone who doesn;t care for multiplayer in the slightest, my interest has dropped a bit in this game.

Many if not most multiplayer-only games require an internet connection.

I'm desperately trying to see the problem here and I just don't.

I think the problem some are having is the fact that it is a multiplayer-only game. Which I can understand. I mean, not everyone likes multiplayer games so having the next main installment of a series that always had single player be multiplayer-only might alienate some people. I personally feel like it's a pretty crappy decision, not just from a standpoint of someone who doesn't care for multiplayer in games, but from a sales standpoint, some people might be turned off by having no singleplayer.

I'm not just saying that it's a crappy idea because it's EA, it's just a crappy idea if it was from any company. Well, in my opinion.

EDIT: And @turbojet hey! I have been quoted by Tornado and he didn't show me the error of my ways. Much.

Edited May 12, 2012 by PeanutButterDimond

[Patticus]

I don't enjoy playing games with other people, lest they be good friends of mine, because most online types are not my kinda people. I tend to gravitate towards singleplayer-centric games as a result, and Sim City was always one of the bastions of singleplayerdom to me. EA are changing this. Time will tell if it's for the better, but looking at the way they're trying to treat Battlefield 3; taking away the official servers of their biggest game last year after just a year of service, and trying to make people pay $30 per month for the use of "private" ones... well, its future don't look too good in my eyes. But we'll see won't we? Gonna be pretty shitty not having that new Sim City to fall back on during internet outages though.

I might just stick to SC4 anyway.

[Autosaver]

So it is going the MMO route, what is the big deal?

Are we going to whine about not being able to play World of Warcraft offline too?

[Tornado]

First of all:

Single player is definitely still a big focus. And if you want to play all the cities in a region yourself, that’s absolutely possible. I think there’s some research somewhere showing that, even with strictly multiplayer games, people wind up soloing for the majority of gameplay hours, so you’re not alone!

Edited May 13, 2012 by Tornado

[Patticus]

But how many of them would buy a SimCity game in the first place?

[SuperStingray]

As Tornado said, there's a difference between being a multiplayer game and being designed AROUND multiplayer. It's as different as Team Fortress 2 and Demon's Souls.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

It's like The Sims Social on Facebook, only difference is you don't need an internet connection to play.

I do want my friends and other players to visit my city so online in this game can definitely be fun. Or we can build a new city together. The Sims franchise doesn't HAVE to be single-player only. In fact, it's more boring unless you are that type of person who hates other players to have a look at your house/city and explore it.

The Sims Social is great game, I play it everyday because I like the idea of other players visiting my home, playing around with the things I've bought and fix the things I have broken. The only huge downfalls of the Facebook game though it's full of nasty bugs, always have to be online to play, eats up your computer memory, several quests requires a lot of help with your friends and the some quests are timed. So I hope none of that comes to SimCity.

If none of that comes to SimCity, who says SimCity can't work with online?

Edited May 13, 2012 by Ming Ming Love

[Guest]

You people act it's all completely like 2007, then you haven't mentioned Simcity Societies.....ahh How I can explain this crap..

[Stritix]

But how many of them would buy a SimCity game in the first place?

Most likely, a lot of them would. Me and my friends have been into the SimCity series since we were 7-8 years old.

Edited May 13, 2012 by -L-

[Mono]

You mention EA, all hell breaks loose. I love this forum.

Personally, I never had a problem with EA games.

[SuperStingray]

You mention EA, all hell breaks loose. I love this forum.

Personally, I never had a problem with EA games.

It's mostly Origin that people are taking issue with lately rather than the games. ME3's ending aside.

Edited May 13, 2012 by SuperStingray

[Marcello]

So you can play single-player, but have to be online, if I understood correctly?

If so, does it matter how fast your internet is for how good the game runs?

Edited May 13, 2012 by MarcelloF

[Stacy]

I don't see the average gamer playing Sim City, managing road tax and health insurance spending ages trying to build the perfect city, man Sim City 4 could be tedious.

Edited May 13, 2012 by BW199148

[Stritix]

I don't see the average gamer playing Sim City, managing road tax and health insurance spending ages trying to build the perfect city, man Sim City 4 could be tedious.

There's an 'easy' mode.