Poll: Why the Un-necessary Hate on the New SimCity?

[Blunderboy]

Except that this Sim City is multiplayer focused. It has be designed from the ground up with that in mind. Assume it was a new IP for a moment.

So WHAT if it's multiplayer "focused"? How the fuck does that make it MANDATORY for the game to be ALWAYS online? Give me ONE real reason why the game HAS to ALWAYS be online instead of going online WHEN I want multiplayer.

It's even asynchronous multiplayer at that! You can't even justify that once you start playing multiplayer you deny the other players a region or something, when the devs very clearly stated that it is not the case.

So. I have to ALWAYS be online... why exactly?

Dude, first off calm down.
I get where you're coming from but the fact is, the developers have decided to go this route. Getting all bent out of shape and yelling at me is not going to change that fact.
Sure they could probably not have always online but I'd still always be online. I know everyone's different. But none the less, shouting at people who have accepted the decision isn't going to do anything useful.

 

[Vegosiux]

Dude, first off calm down.
I get where you're coming from but the fact is, the developers have decided to go this route. Getting all bent out of shape and yelling at me is not going to change that fact.

Well, you know, "getting all bent out of shape" and all, could as well counter that "Oh so if the developers decided that way, we should all just lie back and think of England, like good little customer ******s we are, huh?" Of course that would be rather silly of me to do, and it's put us at an insurmountable impasse - just illustrating how things like that don't really get any salient points across.

Still, criticism isn't something that needs to be kept quiet. Nor do I see the need to try and convince people who took issue that they are somehow "wrong" or that "they really shouldn't get upset about it". But I agree people really should be directing the criticism at the people they're having a problem with, not at the people who do not have a problem with the same thing.

Sure they could probably not have always online but I'd still always be online. I know everyone's different. But none the less, shouting at people who have accepted the decision isn't going to do anything useful.

No, I agree, shouting at people isn't going to really going to change anything. I'm just saying that "the devs decided that way, so there" isn't really a good way to get a point across.

Nobody is supposed to just "bend over and take it the way it is".

Last time when I mentioned that not opposing stuff like this will likely have more stuff like it happening, and was accused of going down the slippery slope fallacy (not by you, obviously), but I see it more as an "slippery even ground" reasoning. Always online DRM is happening, and if we don't oppose it, chances are, it will keep happening. Chances are, also, it might keep happening on a larger scale, but it's still the same thing, not going down a slope.

Finally, if it was a game I was excited for and if an always online requirement was what most customers wanted, as opposed to me, I'll grudgingly accept that and take my money elsewhere.

So, while I get not everyone has a problem with it, either by indifference or by actively liking it, I still don't have to like it nor am I obliged to keep my mouth shut about not liking it. I will of course try to be civil when expressing my discontent.

 

[Blunderboy]

SNIP

Fine man, whatever.
The fact is, I should be able to express my excitement for a game that I'm looking forward to, without basically being made to feel like some kind of class traitor or a twat. It's my money and if I want to spend it on a game like Sim City, I have just as much right to do that as you do to not do that.
And you know what? It's not people buying Sim City going out of their way to be dicks about it.

 

[Vegosiux]

And you know what? It's not people buying Sim City going out of their way to be dicks about it.

Eh, people will go out of their way to be dicks regardless, it's a bit of a species thing I suppose. And I agree that you're "not going out of your way to be a dick" if you just buy and play the game, mind.

Thanks for keeping it civil, I shall now be out of the discussion as I've said my piece.

 

[Blunderboy]

And you know what? It's not people buying Sim City going out of their way to be dicks about it.

Eh, people will go out of their way to be dicks regardless, it's a bit of a species thing I suppose. And I agree that you're "not going out of your way to be a dick" if you just buy and play the game, mind.

Thanks for keeping it civil, I shall now be out of the discussion as I've said my piece.

Thank you for your own civility.

 

[Blunderboy]

I do wonder if people would care as much if it were a new IP rather than Sim City.

 

[uchytjes]

Does it deserve ALL the hate? Not in the least.

Does it deserve some hate? Definitely.

You see, they should put more effort into ensuring games can be played AFTER the servers go. Whether it is by allowing people to host their own servers or otherwise making it off-line compatible is up to them.

But then again, they need to make money and EA is a sequel machine so they probably expect us to buy the next installment in the franchise rather than sticking with the one we have now.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

There's plenty of reasonably justified hate about the new SimCity. Maybe someone does not care for EA, for perfectly salient reasons. Maybe someone dislikes Origin in the same way they might dislike Steam. Maybe someone has a trashy internet connection, and always-online is a showstopper for them. Maybe someone REALLY wants to make a sprawling super metropolis, and the tiny Glassbox cities just don't float their boat.

There are reasons to like the new SimCity too. It looks good, it's very slick and fun to play, and the multi-player options are kind of intriguing. Originally, I wanted it. Then I got Anno, and decided that was more than enough building for me, so I wouldn't bother with SimCity. Then I played it during beta, and wanted it again.

Ideally, it would have an offline mode, or larger cities, and make everyone happy, and we wouldn't have to have these conversations. But it doesn't, and realistically we'd probably be having these conversations anyway because it's EA, because it didn't have features X, Y or Z, or because certain buildings were too blue.

From my perspective, it's a fun game with a questionable/contentious business model that will somewhat limit the audience. So...not for everyone, perhaps.

I do wonder if people would care as much if it were a new IP rather than Sim City.

Of course they wouldn't. The fact it's the sequel to a historic IP means you get people saying ludicrous things like "SimCity is not an online game!". Well, this one is, so derp.

 

[Zenn3k]

I do wonder if people would care as much if it were a new IP rather than Sim City.

No, they wouldn't, but it would be because nobody heard about it or cared about it at all, rather than hating on it because they are taking a loved franchise and shitting all over it.

 

[Blunderboy]

I do wonder if people would care as much if it were a new IP rather than Sim City.

No, they wouldn't, but it would be because nobody heard about it or cared about it at all, rather than hating on it because they are taking a loved franchise and shitting all over it.

You say shitting all over. I say taking it in a new direction.

I do just love that all these people crow on about the need to make bold new decisions and stop making the same games over and over, that then just about turn and whine about it when someone does.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I do just love that all these people crow on about the need to make bold new decisions and stop making the same games over and over, that then just about turn and whine about it when someone does.

In fairness, those are probably not the same people. The 'innovation at all costs' crowd and the 'things were better in 1995' crowd don't usually attend the same parties.

 

[Blunderboy]

I do just love that all these people crow on about the need to make bold new decisions and stop making the same games over and over, that then just about turn and whine about it when someone does.

In fairness, those are probably not the same people. The 'innovation at all costs' crowd and the 'things were better in 1995' crowd don't usually attend the same parties.

True. They just both tend to yell at me.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

True. They just both tend to yell at me.

Yelling is very cathartic. You haven't truly expressed an opinion unless you've expressed it at the figurative top of your lungs. Energetic use of exclamation points, asterisks, all caps, bolding and hyperbole is recommended.

 

[Blunderboy]

True. They just both tend to yell at me.

Yelling is very cathartic. You haven't truly expressed an opinion unless you've expressed it at the figurative top of your lungs. Energetic use of exclamation points, asterisks, all caps, bolding and hyperbole is recommended.

Noted. I'm British though and therefore repressed. The closest I will get to doing any of that is shown in my avatar.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Noted. I'm British though and therefore repressed. The closest I will get to doing any of that is shown in my avatar.

I see. In that case try throwing a hot cup of tea in your debating partner's face, and then pelting them with liberally buttered scones.

 

[Blunderboy]

Noted. I'm British though and therefore repressed. The closest I will get to doing any of that is shown in my avatar.

I see. In that case try throwing a hot cup of tea in your debating partner's face, and then pelting them with liberally buttered scones.

Waste good tea on those peasants? Never sir. Not even once.

We're veering off topic.

 

[afroebob]

Always online should only be allowed when two conditions are met:

1. It is a requirement for the game's central mechanics (MMOs, TF2, etc)

2. When the company pulls the plug they release tools to host servers

3. The shutdown does not happen for X number of years (not sure how many would be best, lets just say 6-7 years for a ballpark range)

That's my big complaint with the game and unless they promise to follow those 3 rules I won't even touch the game, which they probably wont but whatever. Then again I've never played SimCity so the other criticisms could be just as valid.