SimCity - Offline: Hopefully Not Out of Development

Alright, gonna have to pick this up one more time, since SimCity finally allows offline play.

I have been disappointed that (with the supposed reliance on online play/cloudish behavior and implied choice to focus on dlc instead of allowing modding ability) there haven't been more regular updates to the game content and engine tuning.  Maybe (hopefully) it's because they have been hard at work with this reengineering effort and now they can focus back on innovation.

My reticence to getting truly excited is due to some pretty significant lingering issues with the economy and AI in online multi-player mode when that was what the game was supposed to be designed for...Then the expansion pack, while somewhat focused on "fixing" the small map sizes by building up, didn't really alleviate issues with long-term play and expansion.

I really hope offline mode isn't the last crumb being thrown to the crowd before killing off a disappointing release for good.

My Xmas break I will be Starbound

It's freaking cold outside and I am finally getting a few moments to break into the Starbound beta from indie company Chucklefish, (yay for pre-orders, yay for Steam).

Not far yet, but playing on my Macbook currently so I can be mobile.  (And my PC is currently in pieces)

Beating a dead horse I know, but this $15 was already much better spent than the money wasted on EA's Sim City debacle.  There is a special circle of hell reserved for you, EA.

I did get stuck in the terrain but easily teleported out to release myself.  I felt so smart, then immediately realized the more obvious solution...apparently I need to work my way back into gaming mode.**   I blame it on post-Packer squeeker win giddiness, (made even sweeter by a Bryant early exit and a dumbfounded Romo).

So the verdict for Starbound so far:

• +1 playable beta 
• +1 robust communication from/to developers
• +2 Mac release for initial beta
• +5 not Origin
• +5 cost
• +5 fun!

Can't wait until I have more time during Christmas break.

PC Gamer article: http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/12/14/starbound-so-far-spelunking-eyeball-trees-and-moons-of-doom/

**For the uninitiated, Starbound is at it's heart a terraforming game.  Yes I am pathetic.

More on SimCity Update 6.0

Some really good fixes here in this planned patch.

http://www.incgamers.com/2013/07/simcity-update-6-notes-detail-more-rci-tuning-and-fixes

Can't wait till the game is out of beta! trollolololol

So Maxis decides to break every city you've built so far - Update 6.0

SimCity update 6.0 coming soon

There's nothing like a force-fed complete overhaul to strategy midstream in an always-online game.

http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/making-i...dustry-matter-rci-improvements 

Don't get me wrong, they are fixing a real problem, Industry has been essentially irrelevant except as a quick job supply early in a city's life cycle.  But due to the *fudged population* and the increasing disproportion of workers to residential population as a city grows this becomes less and less desirable.  

Unfortunately as with every fix you'll have to rework your whole city (maybe even region) just to be functional with the new parameters. Given these small-ass map sizes, I sense a lot of abandoned regions on the way as it's just easier to start over.  I would have found this more palatable 1 month after launch, this is getting less and less fun the longer the issues go on.

• Buses/service vehicles driving in circles in the completely opposite direction of where they are needed.
• Still watching trains of service vehicles following each other as well
• Multi-city play still isn't consistent.  I have a feeder city cranking out more than 150 excess MW of power and yet my other city can't buy more than 30, and even that keeps saying it has "stopped sending" periodically.  
• My service vehicles like fire and garbage still disappear and never come back until I bulldoze and re-plop.
• 4 fire stations and 2 neighbors sending 4 trucks still cannot serve a 10k population city, really?
• I still get completely random issue messages.  
• Houses being abandoned because there is no work with many unfilled jobs in all categories.
• Houses abanoned for lack of shops/parks while adjacent to both.
• Industry closing for lack of freight demand even though demand is double production.
• I don't think rain is really replenishing the water table correctly yet.  

I can't help but point out to you EA and Maxis, had you had a REAL beta I would have been please as punch to work through these (and worse) with you in that venue.  Not very happy that you decided to do it on my dime.

Oh well... it is still pretty

SimCity tips you may not know

Things that make sense:

• RCI 2:1:1 still best balance without taking into account regional trade/specialization.
• When choosing a location the resources are listed so you may want to modify your strategy based on the available resources.  For example: Lots of coal, little wind - industry heavy/coal power city might be an easier route.  Or link up with a heavy wind power city.
• Place water facilities near a river, this area will not dry up.  I'm still seeing issues with rain not really replenishing wells.
• Minimize intersections to reduce traffic.
• Wind is cheapest and cleanest energy, but takes up room.
• Industry is fine with coals/oil power, but residential areas are not.  If you have these resources it generally makes more sense to sell.
• Watch the wind indicator with placing industry/other polluters like sewage/garbage.  Don't have residential downwind.
• Trees can help as an pollution buffer but distance is really best.
• Check service capacity regularly, try to update as needed before receiving a critical issue notification. (power, water, sewage)
• There is no reason not to share services (police, fire, ambulance), you can make a little money and you get no penalty.  And if your region does better so do you.
• Proximity matters, and everything (power, water, sewage) all use the roads for pathing.
• If your coal level in your power plant falls below 50%, your power generation drops to half.

Specializations:

• In general
• Can connect service roads, take advantage of service roads they allow a lot of flexibility
• Keep trade depots close to the resources they service.  If trading keep close to highway/port/rail. 
• Closed loops are best for anything that requires traffic/deliveries.  Try to keep your specialization separate from general town stuff.
• Tourism
• High population, and transit best first
• Other cities in region populated
• Place cultural point
• Expo center/events the goal
• Water ports and airports still don't seem to have enough benefit for cost
• The signs bring in tourists
• Gambling 
• Need sufficient population
• Mass transit helps, but not as crucial as tourism
• Need extensive police force
• Make sure casinos cater to your city's wealth class
• The signs bring in tourists
• Mining needs space and pollutes
• Delivery trucks are key, trade depot location
• HQ, smelting factory as soon as possible metals mean more money
• Need coal for alloys, not really as profitable unless there is a sufficient coal deposit locally
• Oil
• Leads to plastics and fuels
• HQ to get refining division
• Trade HQ
• More storage/trucks
• Freight via water and rail
• Trade ports you need to unlock the storage types
• Really need the water expansions for high level trade, rail alone is much less effective

Silly quirks you just have to know:

• Best order for implementing services early on (order of criticality)
• power
• water
• sewage
• clinic
• fire
• trash
• police
• Don't worry about citizens complaining about needs that you verify are already met, if nothing is critical they just whine anyway.
• Town hall additions, keep in mind these are shared for the Region.  So you don't want to double up and waste a slot,  but make sure your buddy will keep it open or you'll lose access to the features when it closes.
• Best 1st choice overall - financial
• Allows setting detailed tax rates
• Best balance is 12:11:10 (yes the poor should have the highest taxes...)
• Can take out higher loans (100k)
• Next usually Utilities, it allows more efficient buildings for saving space
• If you already have a big enough transit issue, or specifically need traffic to/from the region, plop Transportation next.
• Safety is a big money sink so not needed unless you have a specific need for upgraded services generally more small buildings are more efficient. (possible exceptions: haz-mat - tech/police - gambling)
• Tourism, only if needed for specialization
• The basic school system is dumb you don't have to worry about the school "type"
• When you get a high school you can get rid of the grade school, apparently kids are then born smarter and can go right to freshman year.
• Higher education
• Add mass transit before adding college, school buses don't run there.
• Extremely expensive to maintain for little direct profit benefit, but you need expansions based on your specialization, great works or clean energy goals.  So you need to keep in sync and plan well. 
• At least it unlocks things for the region.
• The more cities you share resources with, the smaller the share is that each city can have.  So one big city and one small city will still have equal chance to buy.  So it's best not to share with a second city that doesn't really need it.

I knew I hated this game... SimCity 99%ers

The rich start losing happiness after 10% taxes 

The poor will tolerate 12% before they start getting ticked. 

F* the simulated 1%!

Poop on Sim City

Yeah yeah I'm a masochist, but I keep thinking at some point EA & Maxis will actually deliver a working game even if it's months after I bought it.

But not yet.

Backed up pipes you say? Ok I'll bite.

• Hmm says I have excess capacity, it's in the green not even yellow...
• Hmmmm no waste being collected from another city...
• Hmmmmmmmm the roads don't look like there's enough volume that it's a rate of flow issue...

So what's the deal?

I try the forums and any guide I can find.  The consensus answer is just plop another outflow pipe, don't worry about why.

Seriously?

I realize that is a fairly obvious solution, and yes I assume this will get Mr. Poop to go away.  But that's not my point, it's the principal of the thing!  If there are no indicators to suggest that there is a real problem with the city, (except for the incessant nattering of Hard Hat Harry) this isn't much of a simulation or even a city management game.

After my third meteor strike in 2 years in one town and then two alien invasions within about six months in another, even the random events don't seem all that random.

The game in it's current form is a collection of events you react to with a specific canned response.  Oh fun.

I've loved you Sim City for too long to give up without a fight.  Remember what we once were, we can have that again if only you try!