I hate sim city

[FlameFlash]

/me stares blankly at ADG for a moment before continuing running in circles... gets and throws up...

[DrSpike]

It was, I believe, an attempt at wit, albeit a catastrophically bad one.

Serious gamers will not respond further on this issue.

[Grumbold]

Originally posted by DrSpike


For the last time, I agree, you can't, the statement was about AVERAGES, AVERAGES GODDAMMIT.

Ah, but would an average gamer be a serious or non-serious one?

I play a fairly wide range of games. When I was in my "yoof" and had weeks to obsess over a single title then I would know lots of tactical trivia. I must have played R.T.Smith's Arnhem game at least 100 times and I had worked out the absolute optimum sequence of moves to allow the Allies to win either fastest or with least casualties. RPG games needed maps made and I would painstakingly draw away with graph paper and rotring pens while compiling notes on where every plus one item of randomness was located.

These days I just can't be bothered to do that any more. There are usually other titles out there to play which would be more interesting than contining analysing a single game that I can already beat. I can also comfortably afford to get a couple of new games every month, so there's no need to economise.

I'd say SimCity is very definitely a strategy game first and an open ended game second. The ambition is always to succeed in developing your city. Okay, you have to come up with a personal definition of what success will be. It doesn't have to be absolutely massive population if you don't want it to be. I find that refreshing after games like Rollercoaster Tycoon where you have to repeat the same basic moves ad nauseam just to get "victory" on each level when it could have been more fun to allow the first couple of parks to develop far more fully instead.

I'd like to see a few mission scenarios for SC4 too. That is a good way of testing your own understanding of the SimCity rules. I found a few of the SC2000 ones very easy while others really stretched me. SC would be a poorer game if you *only* got scenarios to work on, but they are a valuable tool to maintaining my interest too.

[Straybow]

On "serious" vs "casual" gamers, I'd agree that SimCity falls into the casual gamer's perview. That doesn't mean that a simulated soap opera game has much in common with simulated city growth management game apart from the word "Sim" in the names.

I didn't like SC3k because it was more about what the people were doing than about the physical city, and it appears SC4 will be farther out on that measure. In that respect, the SC has become more and more "casual," but still more "serious" than The Sims.

I think you hit RCT dead on, Grumbold. I liked building the parks and usually wanted to continue beyond the goals set in the scenario, except for the few tha were just a pain in the butt. It would've been much better to have multiple goals within each scenario.

[Jac de Molay]

I liked Simcity 3k for the improved look, but it took away some of the micro-mgt goodies like specific industry taxation, which added a strategic element. Apparently, 4 remedies this.

The Sims, to me, is just boring/tedious. While the same could be said for Civ or SMAC, the goals/objectives of those can be different each time, which is why theyre so replayable.

Haven't played the other sims .

[Joseph]

Hey don't buy it.
I will buy it day 1.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by moomin in A/C

Some marketeer I talked with the other day said it was a crowding out effect: while game sales to men get spread out over a plethora of titles, the Sims and their countless Barbie incarnations is all the girls have - so even if men still dominate heavily in overall game purchases, the Sims still get a prominent position since their entire demographic share goes for them. Might stand to reason.

Not only are you on average more likely to be a non-serious gamer if you like Sim games, you are also more likely to be a girl.

[Straybow]

Women.

[Sarxis]

They should have The Sims tournaments: whoever can reach a certain amount of cash and career status in the shortest time wins!

[Eli]

They should have a "Sims - Street Battles" game. Family vs Family tournaments.

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Eli
They should have a "Sims - Street Battles" game. Family vs Family tournaments.

Now that sounds like an interesting add-on

[DrSpike]

Now you're talking........teach your guy to use heavy weapons or teach him how to sneak up on the neighbours and cut their throat......it's your choice. This sounds quite interesting. I will release:

Sims: Nuclear winter

Could be worth a few quid.

[Adagio]

You forgot to mention the possibility to set fire to the house, or maybe throwing molotown cocktails at the other families

[FlameFlash]

mmm.... flamable cocktails... mmmm....

/me drools.

[Jac de Molay]

How bout Sims in the 'Hood, complete with street corner crack dealers, pimps and ho's, and drive-by shootings.

Fun for the whole family.

[FlameFlash]

I thought that's what Grand Theft Auto 3 was...

[DrSpike]

How about Sim: Disfiguring disease? Train your guy to cope with the pressures of everyday life.....ease him into a social circle........set up a stable career, all with the constraint that his/her affliction affords.

A sim for the empathymongers.

[FlameFlash]

Of course, in the US, then you'd have the ACLU suing Maxis for all they were worth.