The SimCity Thread

[Nalano]

Shooop I think you are failing to understand that not everybody is as bothered about this as you. Your view is valid and you can get as worked up as you want but don't expect that you will be able to convince everybody else.

You just have to understand the RPS political spectrum: Gundato and Kadayi are the corporate apologists, and Deano2099, Shooop and myself are the bomb-chucking anarchists.

[gundato]

You just have to understand the RPS political spectrum: Gundato and Kadayi are the corporate apologists, and Deano2099, Shooop and myself are the bomb-chucking anarchists.

RPS counts as a corporation now?

Shouldn't you be throwing a hissy fit and screaming how much you hate this place? :p. CLEARLY the only logical course of action is for you to proclaim your hatred and leave RPS forever to find a less "corporate" locale. We gotta stick with our pre-defined roles, otherwise that will just be chaos. And probably the Slaanesh flavor rather than Khorne.

[Nalano]

RPS counts as a corporation now?

Wow, you suck at reading.

[gundato]

Wow, you suck at reading.

Another winner of a post.

If you read up, shoop is pissed because a writer for RPS didn't bash the game in the exact wording he would like. I am "apologizing" for them. You yourself state that I am a "corporate apologist". Ergo, clearly RPS is a corporation. And this is RPS...

Shazaam!

It's cool though Nally. We all know, deep down, you LOVE all those corporations. And they love you too. In a totally sexual manner.

[Shooop]

This isn't a court of law...

The writer said what the writer wanted to say, simple as that. The writer REALLY likes the game and seems to feel it is worth putting up with the crap for. CLEARLY you do not. So rather than complain and scream that they are evil lawyers and this is the worst thing you have ever read and all that other stupid crap, go make your own blog and write your own article about how you feel, rather than try to pretend an OPINION PIECE is wrong.

Also: Never watch a Total Biscuit video. You'll have a conniption and probably go out and murder somebody.

Your main retort is to say I'm "screaming about evil lawyers"? My old friend strawman, been a while since I've seen you! And hey, is that projection and distortion coming over too? Oh hey, it's plain out-and-out bullshit in the form of, "Oh you just don't like an opinion that doesn't agree with your own!" Wow, the whole gang's here!

It's a bad article. Because it obviously wants to go one single direction but pretends it's being objective. The use of those words just scream, "written by a PR rep". Even if they weren't, that sets the entire tone. What's next, an article about how it's "intellectually stimulating" to read the in-game graphs? I'm not talking at all about the game's quality because that's not why the article's bad.

I call it bad because it's condescending and poorly written. You don't think so, fine. But if your only retorts rely on fallacies than you should probably reconsider your opinion. It's in your best interests after all.

[Shooop]

Another winner of a post.

If you read up, shoop is pissed because a writer for RPS didn't bash the game in the exact wording he would like. I am "apologizing" for them. You yourself state that I am a "corporate apologist". Ergo, clearly RPS is a corporation. And this is RPS...

Shazaam!

It's cool though Nally. We all know, deep down, you LOVE all those corporations. And they love you too. In a totally sexual manner.

No. Don't start this, don't pull a Kadayi. Seriously, just don't.

[gundato]

Your main retort is to say I'm "screaming about evil lawyers"? My old friend strawman, been a while since I've seen you! And hey, is that projection and distortion coming over too? Oh hey, it's plain out-and-out bullshit in the form of, "Oh you just don't like an opinion that doesn't agree with your own!" Wow, the whole gang's here!

It's a bad article. Because it obviously wants to go one single direction but pretends it's being objective. The use of those words just scream, "written by a PR rep". Even if they weren't, that sets the entire tone. What's next, an article about how it's "intellectually stimulating" to read the in-game graphs? I'm not talking at all about the game's quality because that's not why the article's bad.

I call it bad because it's condescending and poorly written. You don't think so, fine. But if your only retorts rely on fallacies than you should probably reconsider your opinion. It's in your best interests after all.

Then please, if you don't want someone to make a strawman, make your own argument clearly. Because all I have seen thus far is you ranting that you hate how it was worded.

WHY is it a bad article? What makes it seem to be "written by a PR rep"?

While I wouldn't call it the greatest preview in the world, I like it. It basically gives me exactly what I want from a preview. Someone saying "Here. I have played the game, this was my experience, I like it a lot. But keep in mind the following caveats".

Honestly, the only thing you have really said is that you hate how the writer worded that. And most of this thread don't seem to really find issue with that. You have also said you don't like that it didn't rant about the DRM and the DLC which, to me, suggests that you don't really WANT a discussion of the gameplay at all.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/foru...l=1#post256948

[Nalano]

Another winner of a post.

If you read up, shoop is pissed because a writer for RPS didn't bash the game in the exact wording he would like. I am "apologizing" for them. You yourself state that I am a "corporate apologist". Ergo, clearly RPS is a corporation. And this is RPS...

Shazaam!

It's cool though Nally. We all know, deep down, you LOVE all those corporations. And they love you too. In a totally sexual manner.

Wow, you suck at reading. I mean, damn.

This is the RPS community, in that this is the venue where we talk about things. The subject matter, most of the time, is not the RPS community but of the gaming world. Oftentimes we talk about gaming corporations, of which RPS is clearly ​not one. You take the side of corporations, such as EA. Often. How fucking hard was that to understand, really? I mean, you're either deliberately misunderstanding things in order to be non-excellent, or you're really not qualified to be making posts.

[Shooop]

It's the language, like I said. It comes across as condescending at best, and very suspect at worst. It comes across as someone wearing a suit, sitting across from a table commanding me to do something. And then they put on a grin and say, "Well that is unless you don't want to. I'm sure that'll turn out just fine for you." I don't think that's how a preview works. I hope that's not how a preview works.

Yes, go ahead and tell us what you enjoyed about a game. Tell us all about the fun you had with it. But don't say, "Hey you really need to buy this because it's for your own good!

...

Or you know, you could choose not to. That's OK too." That's more of a passive-aggressive threat than a recommendation. When the people we ask to give us their own opinion of something start talking like the people making it and trying to make money with it that's not a good sign.

I don't have any issue with anyone liking the game. But when a story about reads like a lawyer wrote some of it I don't consider that a proper preview of any game. Whether it be one I have a more favorable opinion of to begin with or not.

[gundato]

Wow, you suck at reading. I mean, damn.

This is the RPS community, in that this is the venue where we talk about things. The subject matter, most of the time, is not the RPS community but of the gaming world. Oftentimes we talk about gaming corporations, of which RPS is clearly ​not one. You take the side of corporations, such as EA. Often. How fucking hard was that to understand, really? I mean, you're either deliberately misunderstanding things in order to be non-excellent, or you're really not qualified to be making posts.

Apologies. I forget that you have a tendency to barge in a thread, blast ad hominems everywhere, and then run away while ignoring the context. So CLEARLY pointing out the hilarity of the context wouldn't go down too well. I am just so used to actually having discussions with context that I forget you intentionally ignore it to make your ad hominem more "clever".

But yes, you ARE correct. This is "un-excellent". So what say we both act like mature individuals and stop attacking the opponents in an attempt to color their statements and actually have a discussion on the topic at hand? I'll attempt to be the better man (I know, not a hard thing to do. But I am sure I can stoop even lower, so who knows if I'll pull it off :p) and revert back to my policy of ignoring you if you aren't contributing to a thread. Hell, I just got confused this time because it actually looked like it sort of kind of fit the context.

[gundato]

It's the language, like I said. It comes across as condescending at best, and very suspect at worst. It comes across as someone wearing a suit, sitting across from a table commanding me to do something. And then they put on a grin and say, "Well that is unless you don't want to. I'm sure that'll turn out just fine for you." I don't think that's how a preview works. I hope that's not how a preview works.

Yes, go ahead and tell us what you enjoyed about a game. Tell us all about the fun you had with it. But don't say, "Hey you really need to buy this because it's for your own good!

...

Or you know, you could choose not to. That's OK too." That's more of a passive-aggressive threat than a recommendation. When the people we ask to give us their own opinion of something start talking like the people making it and trying to make money with it that's not a good sign.

I don't have any issue with anyone liking the game. But when a story about reads like a lawyer wrote some of it I don't consider that a proper preview of any game. Whether it be one I have a more favorable opinion of to begin with or not.

WHAT about the language? You are just saying "I don't like it"

You don't like them saying "It's in your best interest to play this"? Then NEVER watch a TB video because he has a tendency to actually express his opinion and say "I think this is a good game that you should play"

If people wanted just the facts, they would not read ANYTHING. They would only watch gameplay videos. The moment you are reading a preview, there is an aspect of PR and opinions to it. You can't avoid it. And you shouldn't avoid it. Because the purpose of a preview article is to get the journalist's opinion on it while still presenting the facts. Same with a good review. I read RPS's reviews because on many genres, I have similar tastes. So if Jim likes a game, odds are I will too. I watch most of TB's videos on FPSes because I have VERY similar tastes in shootiness, so if TB says the guns "feel weak", I suspect I'll agree.

[Shooop]

So now you're just copy/pasting your posts?

Any more explaining would be wasted on you because you've already decided you want to believe something. Or you really do lack reading comprehension skills. Either way, you're a hopeless case.

[X_kot]

Folks, I appreciate reading your thoughts on SimCity and its related subjects, but could please just try to be more civil toward one another? This argument looks like it would be better served through PMs. I realize that I don't have any authority here; however, as one who has been following this thread for awhile, I'd rather it stay on track.

[Shooop]

Back on track then.

The attention to detail and amount of control it gives you is great, but the fact they had to shrink the size of the cities to those of towns is more than a little disappointing.

[X_kot]

Thank you, Shooop. Question for you: would branding it differently (e.g., "SimTown"), thereby adjusting audience expections, alleviate that concern? I often think that marketers use brand recognition carelessly, which makes brand loyalists feel betrayed when mechanics change over time.

[Nalano]

Thank you, Shooop. Question for you: would branding it differently (e.g., "SimTown"), thereby adjusting audience expections, alleviate that concern? I often think that marketers use brand recognition carelessly, which makes brand loyalists feel betrayed when mechanics change over time.

There's already a SimTown, and it was a kid's version of SimCity. I highly suspect that's not the impression they want to give. Nevertheless, even that doesn't change the matter of always-online DRM.

[X_kot]

That's interesting - I had never heard of SimTown! It's an example of the tactic, though: the name Sim City 2000 suggested that it was a new rendition of the original PC game, whereas SimTown indicates a smaller scale. SimCity and DMC appear to have run afoul of longtime fans because of a cognitive dissonance between the new version and the players' experiences with the older versions. For all of the poor reviews that SC: Societies received, I don't remember many, if any, that claimed they felt misled into thinking the game was "the next Sim City."

Granted, the developers are keen to present SimCity as an evolution of the form, and I think the Glassbox engine gives that claim some credence. Perhaps this will be the 4E D&D of the Sim City brand, then.

[TechnicalBen]

It's not going to be a Syndicate, but it's not going to be a... hmmm hard to find many good reboots. :P
I've not yet played X-Com properly, but did think DX:HR at least was fair at a sequel. But that was not a reboot. Are there any good reboots?

[Shooop]

Thank you, Shooop. Question for you: would branding it differently (e.g., "SimTown"), thereby adjusting audience expections, alleviate that concern? I often think that marketers use brand recognition carelessly, which makes brand loyalists feel betrayed when mechanics change over time.

It would help, yes. Because it would make it clear the size of the game has been scaled back significantly.

But the always-online requirement is the still the worst part. Why make it a requirement? Why couldn't the ability to influence other people's towns be an optional incentive to play it online? It'd be applauded as an interesting feature.

[Nalano]

For all of the poor reviews that SC: Societies received, I don't remember many, if any, that claimed they felt misled into thinking the game was "the next Sim City."

No. What they called SimCity Societies was the death of the series​.