SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment

SimCity Update #4 is penned by EA Maxis SVP Lucy Bradshaw, who is "happy to report that the core problem with getting in and having a great SimCity experience is almost behind us," saying they have "reduced game crashes by 92% from day one." She admits she's not able to offer the "all clear" for the game she'd hoped to, but seems optimistic that they've turned the corner from the game's rocky launch. There's also a new tweet on the SimCity account quickly walking back from this tweet they posted over the weekend which said: "We have no intention of offlining SimCity any time soon but we'll look into that as part of our earning back your trust efforts." It seems there is a disagreement among the operators of their twitter account, because the new update states this isn't actually possible: "The game was designed for MP, we sim the entire region on the server so this is just not possible."
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118 Replies. 6 pages. Viewing page 3.
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78.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 17:55
78.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 17:55
Mar 11, 2013, 17:55
 
Quboid wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 17:53:
InBlack wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 10:16:
EA backing down from promises? Say it aint so.....*yawn*

This is what they said yesterday:
We have no intention of offlining SimCity any time soon but we'll look into that as part of our earning back your trust efforts.

That isn't a promise. In fact, it isn't a damn thing.

One day later it's not much of anything but I don't think anyone is surprised, these are the jokers who directed people to Origin staff for refunds when none were possible.
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77.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 17:53
Quboid
 
77.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 17:53
Mar 11, 2013, 17:53
 Quboid
 
InBlack wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 10:16:
EA backing down from promises? Say it aint so.....*yawn*

This is what they said yesterday:
We have no intention of offlining SimCity any time soon but we'll look into that as part of our earning back your trust efforts.

That isn't a promise. In fact, it isn't a damn thing.
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76.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 16:16
76.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 16:16
Mar 11, 2013, 16:16
 
NegaDeath wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 14:28:
I can see why they wouldn't want to invest in an offline single player, it would probably take a sizable amount of time to move the server functions to the client and then bugtest it.

But you know what? Square botched FFXIV and are rebuilding it, Kerberos released Sword of the Stars 2 well before it was even finished and spent the next year patching it (the success of both measures is course debatable). EA has the resources to fix this, no excuses.

Agreed, and considering this game had zero need to have always on DRM in the first place, they have even less a reason to not make it function offline.
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Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:59
75.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:59
Mar 11, 2013, 15:59
 
Taiwan's news reporting on this:

http://youtu.be/2uFEYIVKOwA
74.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:26
74.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:26
Mar 11, 2013, 15:26
 
What's crazy to me is that as bad as the drm is actually seeing the game is worse. Browsing the /r/Simcity reddit thread has all these pictures of cities and they are all so tragically small. Then the issue of traffic and emergency services, the work you put in only equalling those tiny cities is the biggest issue I see with the game.
73.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:23
73.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:23
Mar 11, 2013, 15:23
 
+1 for Jivaro
72.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:22
72.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:22
Mar 11, 2013, 15:22
 
lol another hate filled EA thread where half of the posts are from Creston. That obsession of yours isn't healthy man. Might want to get help for that.
71.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:16
71.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:16
Mar 11, 2013, 15:16
 
ASeven wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 15:13:
CitiesXL is horribly broken, both in game design and technically. It's a bad city simulator all around.
I find that game frustrating.
Tried to get into it so many times but it just frustrates me, quiet the opposite effect then what I would want when I sit down to play a city builder game.
Steam: SpectralMeat
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70.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:13
70.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:13
Mar 11, 2013, 15:13
 
CitiesXL is horribly broken, both in game design and technically. It's a bad city simulator all around.

City Life is pretty much SimCity Societies under another name.
69.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:10
69.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:10
Mar 11, 2013, 15:10
 
So, you all know what this means now, right? Okay.

I have a Homework assignment for everyone. Go out and find a gamer, and ask them if they own any games by EA. If they say "YES", then you know what to do.
68.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:08
68.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:08
Mar 11, 2013, 15:08
 
Well Deqer most of the time I think you're ranting and raving but this time I can definitely see where you're coming from.

I don't mind the idea of renting my games for example on Steam because there are offsets that benefit me. It's a matter of trade offs and they aren't really giving much in return for what they're asking here. The price isn't cheaper, the game itself isn't as comprehensive as previous ones, the online features are largely tertiary and added to justify the larger EA strategy, I can't save/load, there are real risks of EA shutting the game down and etc.

It's a no brainer, they are giving you less and asking for more in every way. I could -almost- get behind it if they let you at least save your city on your damned hard drive in case the servers take a dirtnap or your internet goes out but nope, they had to go balls out bullshit.
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67.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:06
67.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:06
Mar 11, 2013, 15:06
 
Warskull wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 15:01:
wtf_man wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 14:59:
Uhm, would this be a good alternative?

Cities XL Platinum

And it looks like they got rid of the Secure Rom and 5 Machine Activation from the 2011 version.

I always keep hearing that it just flat out isn't a good game.

How about City Life 2008
It looks closer to Sim City, and it has a metacritic score of 66 by reviews, but an 80 by users.
Get your games from GOG DAMMIT!
Avatar 19499
66.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:03
66.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:03
Mar 11, 2013, 15:03
 
Verno wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 14:52:
Well I can't speak for gamers at large but I didn't buy it and have no plans to even if its $5 on an Origin sale
Fuck, I wouldn't even play it if it was FREE.

It's simple logic. See, the thought of my work being gone 3 years from now when they turn off the servers, is enough for me to not bother with the game in the first place.

Sorry, I just will not support the idea of "leasing a game" or "renting a game" -- I prefer to buy it, and play it forever, regardless of internet connection.

Not only does online-drm prevent piracy, but it also gives the corporation much more control to do things you are not aware of, or things you would not consider. Immoral things.
65.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:02
65.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:02
Mar 11, 2013, 15:02
 
I've been playing Tropico 4 as a SimCity replacement and honestly it's not bad. At least it's "Simoleon" stuff related to needs/etc makes more sense and has gameplay impact. It's nowhere near as deep or complex as the old SimCity games but then again neither is SimCity 2013

Avatar 51617
64.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 15:01
64.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 15:01
Mar 11, 2013, 15:01
 
wtf_man wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 14:59:
Uhm, would this be a good alternative?

Cities XL Platinum

And it looks like they got rid of the Secure Rom and 5 Machine Activation from the 2011 version.

I always keep hearing that it just flat out isn't a good game.
63.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 14:59
63.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 14:59
Mar 11, 2013, 14:59
 
Uhm, would this be a good alternative?

Cities XL Platinum

And it looks like they got rid of the Secure Rom and 5 Machine Activation from the 2011 version.
Get your games from GOG DAMMIT!
Avatar 19499
62.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 14:55
62.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 14:55
Mar 11, 2013, 14:55
 
Creston wrote on Mar 11, 2013, 11:31:

Except, of course, that complaining against DRM has worked time and time again. Without complaints and boycotts, Starforce would still be fucking over a huge amount of computers on a daily basis. Without complaining and boycotts, Ubisoft would still be as retarded as EA. Without complaining and boycotts, every game would come with a three-machine activation limit. Without boycotts and complaining, TAGES would still be in use by a large amount of publishers, rather than solely being forced upon legitimate customers by Deep Silver. (Enjoy it when it ships with Saints Row 4, guys...)

DRM is not a given, it's not some unalienable burden that man has to subject himself to like taxes, and it's sure as fuck not time to stop fucking complaining about it.

People do, however, need to realize that complaining about it on a forum while at the same time buying the DRM in question serves no purpose whatsoever. Hello, everyone who bought Diablo 3! (and SimCity!)

Creston

Lots of games these days advertise "DRM-free" as a selling point: everything on Gog.com and the new Tex Murphy Fedora Project just for starters. DRM is not only not a given it's actually a prime reason some games don't sell as well as they should. Some developers get it--some don't. Heck, not only do I pass on DRM, I won't even buy a game that doesn't "save anywhere, anytime"! I pass on console fare.

But deliberately designing an advertised single-player game to require an EA server just to play the game is not really even "honest" DRM, it's just manipulative and sneaky. If they want to change the SimCity advertising to say "Multiplayer only and only on EA servers," fine. That's at least being honest, and honesty is EA's entire problem here. Had they been honest from the beginning they'd have had far fewer sales and the problems might not even have manifested.

I'm still curious about the OS X ram requirements for the game being 2x what they are for Windows--sure sounds like a D3d-to-OpenGL wrapper to me at the moment...;) Wow--that would be something I haven't seen in years--not since my 3dfx days.
It is well known that I cannot err--and so, if you should happen across an error in anything I have written you can be absolutely sure that *I* did not write it!...;)
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61.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
61.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
 
Aren't these the same people who threatened to ban people for reproducing bugs during their beta test? Did they ever actually do that or was it just FUD?
60.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
60.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
 
Well I can't speak for gamers at large but I didn't buy it and have no plans to even if its $5 on an Origin sale
Avatar 51617
59.
 
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
Jivaro
 
59.
Re: SimCity: Now With 92% Less Crashing; Maxis Walks Back from Offline Comment Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
Mar 11, 2013, 14:52
 Jivaro
 
Just wait until they make the console version that has an offline mode.
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