SimCity

SimCity is a successful computer game series of the company Maxis, which is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA ) since 1997. It belongs to the genre of business simulations. The creative brain behind the gameplay is Maxis co-founder Will Wright.

Game play

Content of the game is the simulation of a city and its development taking into account various factors such as crime, the environment, congestion and education. In an initially undeveloped landscape can be built by the player infrastructure such as electricity and water supply, roads and railways. He can also identify residential, industrial and commercial areas for development. Special buildings such as harbors, parks, schools, police and fire stations affect different parameters in their environment ( a police station leads to lower crime, which increases the attractiveness and land value of land in the area ), which is shown on the construction sites and their development impact.

The particular follow-up version of SimCity generally had about increasingly sophisticated criteria under which circumstances to develop land. Since SimCity 3000 is also distinguished by level of prosperity. Is the infrastructure and the attractiveness and land value of a property too low, caused buildings with low standards, such as trailer parks, small huts and prefabricated housing in residential areas, takeaways, shops, used car dealers and supermarkets in commercial areas, polluting heavy industry in the industrial sector. If the conditions are good, however, develop smart buildings and areas mean prosperity - in the living area identified by multi-family houses or ornate brick high-rise buildings, recognizable recognizable by retail stores and in the industrial area by not polluting manufacturing industry, and sometimes not at all stressful high-tech industry in the industrial sector. In optimal conditions arise residential area and luxury homes and increasingly high-tech industry and boutiques. Skyscrapers are possible only with " very high " land prices, the price of land for each field are calculated individually and the building value depends on the average price of all land units.

Factors for positive or negative development of the prosperity of a city are also a variety of predefined regulations, adopt or withdrawal without notice. Furthermore, play pollution, traffic, safety, health and education, and the occurrence of natural areas such as lakes, hills or parks a role in the demand of wealthier Sims and businesses.

There is no prescribed, to be achieved aim of the game, although the player's effort is directed be to increase the number of inhabitants, which is then motivated by rewards, such as a mayor villa, town hall or monument. However, it is up to the player whether he aspires to create a rural area or a functioning metropolis. SimCity theoretically offers almost infinite possibilities of city planning and in Sim City 4 even regional planning.

History

SimCity was first released in 1989 for Amiga, C64, Atari ST, PC and Mac, later ported to game consoles such as the SNES. This was followed by an extended version as well as the successor SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000 and SimCity 4 with an add-on.

With the continuous development of the game was also accompanied by the evaluation conducted by Loki Software ported SimCity 3000 Unlimited / Germany to Linux in the latest version. SimCity 4 including expansion are certified for operation under Linux using the DirectX emulator Cedega. Since 2008, SimCity for the iPhone and for the iPod touch and iPad, SimCity Deluxe was released in 2010, which was ported to Android in 2011.

Versions

The following games have been published in the SimCity series ( year of publication in parentheses):

  • SimCity (1989 ) SimCity Ancient Cities (1991 )
  • SimCity Future Cities (1991 )
  • SimCity 2000 (1993) SimCity 2000 (1992)
  • SimCity 2000 Special Edition (1995 )
  • SimCity 2000 Network Edition (1996 )
  • SimCity 3000 (1999) SimCity 3000 Germany (2000)
  • SimCity 3000 Unlimited ( 2000)
  • SimCity (December 2008 for iPhone and iPod, based on SimCity 3000)
  • SimCity 4 (2003) SimCity 4: Rush Hour Expansion Pack (2003)
  • SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition (2005)
  • SimCity DS ( 20 June 2007)
  • SimCity Societies (November 15, 2007) SimCity Societies Destinations expansion (June 2008)
  • SimCity Societies Deluxe Edition (June 2008)
  • SimCity Creator (September 2008 for DS and 19 September 2008 for Wii)
  • SimCity Deluxe iPad (December 2010) Android (November 2011)
  • SimCity PC (7 March 2013) SimCity: German Städteset (2013 )
  • SimCity: English Städteset (2013 )
  • SimCity: French Städteset (2013 )
  • Simcity: Airship Set ( 2013)
  • SimCity: Amusement Park Set ( 2013)
  • SimCity: Media Markt building (2013 )
  • SimCity: Cities of the Future (2013 )
  • SimCity: Package Progressive (2013 )

Differences between the versions

SimCity

This first version is different from the next at the point that is played only in the top view. The game allows you to create and open previously saved cities. There are scenarios where the player must complete a mission, to win. The disasters are already present in this version, but it can also be disabled via a menu item. It is interesting that leave the areas (residential, commercial and industrial ) always identify only the 3 × 3 sections. This is available in later versions no longer, because the size is determined there with pressed, drag the mouse.

The graphics are still kept very simple in this version. However, for example, are already cars on busy roads and ships at sea or on rivers, when a harbor was built to see. Several scenarios also allowed solutions in six preset cities: Detroit ( economic crisis ), Boston (GAU ), San Francisco ( earthquake ), Bern ( gridlock ), Rio de Janeiro ( flood ), Tokyo (Monster attack due to pollution) and on some platforms still Hamburg ( bombing ). All scenarios were successfully resolved, there were two other scenarios as a bonus: Las Vegas, which is attacked by aliens, and Freeland, in which water is not available.

The name of the city varies with the number of inhabitants. Thus one starts with a village and comes to a town, city, capital, metropolis into a mega - metropolis. This was the unofficial target in free play and was rewarded in the SNES version of Super Mario statue. For a mega - metropolis had to be built almost any free space on the card. In addition, the SNES version also differed in many details from the original version: So there were more rewards when reaching various game objectives, such as the receipt of a police headquarters after the construction of a certain number of police stations and the bonus building "Casino", when a certain number were built by commercial areas.

As an extension of 1991, there were two of Maxis " expansion packs ," Sim City and Ancient Cities SimCity Future Cities. With these extensions, it was possible to miss his city either a medieval touch or a very futuristic look and solve problems, which has given it at the appropriate times and could give. The graphics were, however, very similar to a comic strip.

In 1993 also a graphic and multimedia enhanced version published with the title " SimCity Enhanced".

SimCity 2000

Unlike SimCity there is a isometric view, instead of a plan view. The first time, underground water pipes can be installed, and the site is no longer just flat. The graphics have been significantly improved by SVGA. Due to the possibility of choosing the initial year, various technical options will be added in the course of the game. Depending on the difficulty are unforeseen events such as earthquakes, floods or large fire to deal with. With increasing population have some special building as a town hall, a statue or arcologies be possible from time to time. In addition, a player has the option to manually trigger disasters. For example, a tornado be unleashed on the city or can be set by demonstrators fires in the city.

From SimCity 2000 was first offered a network version, which made it possible to build either against or with other players a city. Purpose, the individual areas on the board first had to be bought by the player before they could be built. Unfortunately occurred in SC2000N frequent technical errors, such as creating contracts with other players. Thus, the terms " money" and " power " over their actual function for example, were reversed.

SimCity 2000 was released for DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 9x, OS / 2, MacOS, RISC OS and Amiga. Ported it was also on the PDA (Windows Mobile 2000 or later) and game consoles such as the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, the SNES, the Game Boy Advance and the N64.

On 29 November 2012, the Museum of Modern Art announced the acquisition of 14 computer games, including SimCity 2000 for a new design permanent exhibition in the Philip Johnson Galleries from March 2013 known. In the notice, the title has been referred to as outstanding representatives in the field of interaction design. Criteria were, therefore, in addition to the visual quality and the aesthetic experience of all aspects that contribute to the design of the interaction, such as the elegance of the code or the design of the player behavior.

SimCity 3000

A news ticker at the bottom provides continuous information on the state of the city, and - if reported no significant information - rows of more or less witty word messages. Did not recognize the player hidden clues to impending disasters, these devastating proportions could accept. Included in the game were also some scenarios where the player got a ready-made city and had entrusted to reach predetermined objectives (eg lowering the crime, reducing the environmental impact or solving traffic problems ).

In an additional version of SimCity 3000, it is possible to construct themselves building and then use by replacing existing buildings in the cityscape. However, differences between themselves were at any time started and other buildings visible.

SimCity 3000 players could with in-game registration code, register online, and on the SimCity website in the " Exchange " area files upload and download. Statistics on, for example, the top rated copies were created and so inspired the players. Even entire cities could be exchanged on this platform.

One year after SimCity 3000 was released the extended version of SimCity Germany. In this there were also many famous German buildings that now you could insert into his own city. There were also German ( European ), American and Japanese (Asian ) Building Sets. Thus the cities were given a region typical appearance. They chose the type at the beginning of each game, but this was also at any time be replaced.

SimCity 3000 runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS 9 and under the name " SimCity " on iPhone / iPod touch.

SimCity 4

In SimCity 4, each new city is started in "Year 0". The release of new buildings depends not like its predecessor, the age of the city, but on various other factors such as population, number of high- tech jobs or the player's rating. For example, a fusion power plant an energy requirement of 30,000 and 4,000 workers in high- tech enterprises.

The most significant innovation over previous versions is next to the switch from the 2D graphics on a partly used 3D graphics, the so-called " regional concept ": the built city is no longer on its own, apart from not previously visible neighboring cities, but is now part a region of self-constructed cities, which interact with each other. Thus, it is possible to build cities for specific needs and outsource the negative influence of heavy industry and air pollutant power plants in other areas.

The import of individual Sims going about their daily lives, from the game The Sims, SimCity is now possible in this version. You can create additional Sims. Except for gender, zodiac signs and head but no other character settings are possible.

SimCity 4 is available for Windows and Mac OS X.

In addition, the extension " Rush Hour", which introduced new means of transport such as monorail and elevated railway in the game appeared. With the add-on has made it possible also to direct individual vehicles themselves. In this way, partly had to be performed various missions.

In addition, in 2005 the extension " Deluxe " was published, which nothing but the expansion Rush Hour and the most important at the time, however, further patches.

SimCity Creator

  • For the first time built over different periods of time from prehistory to the future.
  • In the Middle Ages, one can choose between two times (European Renaissance or " Open Asia " era )
  • In modern times, the player can choose between three times (American boom, European Industrial Age or Asian Entwicklungsära ).
  • The game has four game modes: " challenge ", " free play ", " Random Encounter" and "Gallery"
  • SimCity Creator has been released for game consoles Nintendo DS and Wii.

SimCity Societies

On 15 November 2007 appeared SimCity Societies. Developer was not this time, the company Maxis, but Tilted Mill The 3D game engine used also already found in Caesar IV use. The game was completed in just one year.

Playfully, this game is fundamentally different from the other parts. The most important change is the introduction of social energies - knowledge, creativity, faith, authority, prosperity and productivity. Each building produces or consumes a certain amount of energy. In contrast to the other parts of each building is constructed by the single player. By selecting the building of the players of the city is its appearance, so that the cityscape can be dominated in different ways. Options include cities of topics Cyberpunk, Orwellian surveillance state, " fun living", industrial or capitalist, but also normal cities are possible.

The game is aimed primarily at casual gamers. This met with criticism from experienced players who complain about the low level of difficulty and the small depth of play. Economic aspects are at play in the background, as not to further develop the building and also have little interaction with each other.

In June 2008, a first expansion pack to the theme Travel Worlds has appeared, however, that it is only on the website of EA. In addition, a deluxe edition appeared, with the base game and the expansion pack " travel worlds."

Unlike its predecessors, many economic functions have been removed, so the supply of the city by electricity, water, schools, police, etc. were reduced to an interaction of electricity production and consumption, for example. That is, there is no more water power plants, unless they produce social energies. There is of course the possibility to build schools, they have little effect on the supply of the Sims, but rather provide the social energy "knowledge". Police stations consume "authority", which is provided in the simplest version of an authoritarian city through the building "bank" and so on. Since less revenue at the weekend achieved, the moment of truth always come on Sunday at midnight. The game is rather with a kind of abstract puzzle as compared with a business simulation, such as the SimCity series was originally conceived.

SimCity Societies is also available for mobile.

SimCity (2013 )

In March 2012, the new SimCity was shown at the Game Developers Conference. The game is developed by Maxis on the basis of the new Glassbox Engine and was released on March 7, 2013 as a Windows and Mac version. In the U.S., the game was released on 5 March 2013. Because developers Maxis referred to the game as a reboot of the series, it is officially only SimCity. It is the first part of the series, which requires an account with EA's Origin distribution platform and a permanent Internet connection to play. The game has a single player and multiplayer mode. Between August 2012 and January 2013, it was possible to register for the closed beta phase. SimCity won the gamescom Award in 2012.

The game requires a permanent Internet connection and is not playable offline - not even in single player mode. The publisher EA justified this restriction with calculations that could only be fast enough on servers. This turned out to be untrue by the game's release out, so playing is already possible by changing two lines of code without an internet connection. As part of the commencement of delivery of the game, there has been some significant problems with the reliability of game servers, so many buyers the game for days could not play, which has affected a large number of negative customer review. Amazon has temporarily taken the game from the market. Then the update 10 was announced in January 2014 by which the game can also be played offline.

SimCity Social

In June 2012, Electronic Arts announced the release of SimCity Social, where there is a version for the social network Facebook. This is intended to allow players, for example, have them collected friends in their city or close to cities partnerships with them. Already in April 2013 Electronic Arts announced to set the game to 14 June 2013.

SimCity as free software

For the One Laptop per Child project, the rights holder Electronic Arts on 12 November 2007 approved the publication of the original SimCity under the GPL. Meanwhile, the code of SimCity under the name Micropolis is freely available. Micropolis is developed by Don Hopkins. The game is based on the X11 version of SimCity for Unix. The old user interface was replaced by Python code, the old C- core was restructured and re-implemented in C . The game runs on any Linux system and as a port to OpenBSD.

Amateur extensions

By building tool BAT of the manufacturer and some freeware programs are many amateur extensions, so-called mods created. These enhancements include the following:

  • Building and cheat building (buildings, which cause a modification of game values ​​in favor of the player )
  • Flora and Fauna, alternate configuration of terrain and water
  • Elevated roads, railway crosses and additional highway exits
  • Bridges and tunnel entrances
  • Pedestrian zones
  • Tram system
  • Rolling stock
  • Maps
  • Changes in the simulation calculation (eg pathfinding of Sims )
  • Channel systems
  • High-speed rail ( "HSR " and " GHSR " )
  • Single-track railway lines ( "STR" )
  • Trolleybuses

Soundtrack

The 3000 occurring in Sim City music - mainly in jazz -oriented orchestral and electro - compositions - were composed by Jerry Martin and Marc Russo and published on the website of Sim City as a soundtrack.

Free SimCity alternatives

Lincity -NG successor of LinCity (English)

Open City, in 3D graphics, still in the early beta stage (English)

VirtuCity, isometric (English)

730775
de