# Sim City 5 Announced! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 29, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346 "2012-02-29T14:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/41 "2012-10-18T16:39:13Z")
In Sim City 4 I’d spend hours and hours just terraforming the entire region before I’d even start building my cities. I’d build massive cities on the coasts surrounded by satellite cities that spread out over an island archipelago, cities on top of giant mesas or divided by huge canyons. You could make these incredibly massive metropolitan areas on top of fantastic landscapes and it was _awesome._ Outside of the original EverQuest, I’ve never spent more time playing a video game. And now the more I read about the new one the more disappointed I get. Maybe it will still be fun in its own way but it doesn’t look to be at all what I was hoping for. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/42 "2012-10-18T18:13:19Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The great thing about SimCity 4 was that you could create a massive megopolis “region” of interconnecting “cities” that were really neighborhoods, central business districts, industrial zones and rural farmlands. Why would I want to make my city sub exurb of some other jerks metropolis? One player will be able to play all cities in a region theirself. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/43 "2012-10-19T20:46:38Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > In Sim City 4 I’d spend hours and hours just terraforming the entire region before I’d even start building my cities. I’d build massive cities on the coasts surrounded by satellite cities that spread out over an island archipelago, cities on top of giant mesas or divided by huge canyons. You could make these incredibly massive metropolitan areas on top of fantastic landscapes and it was _awesome._ Outside of the original EverQuest, I’ve never spent more time playing a video game. Exactly. Although I would use greyscale height maps to quickly create the region. My cities were huge. Typically 2-3 large cities made up the central business district. Typically an entire large city of mostly industry. Next was a ring of large cities of mostly light and medium density suburbs and industrial zones. And surrounding that farmlands and small bedroom communities. Plus SC4 had a great modding community for custom buildings and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/44 "2012-10-19T21:31:56Z")
It looks pretty cool, at least visually. I keep hoping they will port the older Sim games (Earth, Life, Ant, etc) for the iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/45 "2012-10-21T02:52:43Z")
Looks like this short video is back from March but I thought it was a cool snapshot into the modeling they’re doing: [SimCity Insider's Look GlassBox Game Engine Introduction (coming March 5, 2013) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0qURl_JJY) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/46 "2012-10-21T15:09:16Z")
Here’s a pretty good gameplay video. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YceL2C4TW4Q/maxresdefault.jpg "Gameplay Strategy Video #1: Starting a City (SimCity coming March 5, 2013)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceL2C4TW4Q) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/47 "2012-10-21T15:35:04Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Here’s a pretty good gameplay video. > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceL2C4TW4Q&feature=relmfu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceL2C4TW4Q&feature=relmfu) That’s actually the same video in post 28. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/48 "2012-10-22T14:29:46Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > That’s actually the same video in post 28. Opps. Missed that. Still, I’m a little concerned there don’t seem to be farms. I’ll also be surprised if there isn’t a “Rush Hour” style expansion pack ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/49 "2012-11-01T01:06:28Z")
Key Features: CONSTRUCTIBLE WORLDS Creative and customizable world that offers unique gameplay benefits, all with a fun tactile interface. SIMS MATTER The Sims in your city speak to you directly and it’s up to you to respond to their needs. Will you listen and be the toast of the town? Or abuse your power for fame and fortune? SPECIALIZE IN WHAT YOU LOVE Mold your city as a casino resort, manufacturing hub, educational enclave, and more, and then watch as a unique look and feel spread throughout your city. MULTIPLAYER Build a region with friends for the first time! Collaborate or compete in regional and global challenges and make decisions that impact the greater SimCity World. GLASSBOX ENGINE SimCity introduces GlassBox, the revolutionary simulation technology that gives you the power to impact individual Sims lives, manage city level simulation, and balance multiple city simulations at once. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/50 "2012-11-04T06:14:37Z")
Will I be able to play as Herman Cain? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/51 "2012-11-04T14:43:04Z")
I’d like just a fixed version of SimCity 3. (Make the landmarks cost something and mean something!) On one hand a SimCity 5 is exciting. On the other hand this is from the company that more recently brought us “Spore.” So who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/52 "2013-02-25T22:27:52Z")
FYI, the game is scheduled for release on March 5, a week from tomorrow. I’ve pre-ordered the deluxe version that includes several city sets, although I don’t know how useful they will be. I played every version of SimCity obsessively. It was just about the only computer game I ever got into. Most shooters bore me. Even The Sims, Spore and the other Sim extensions bored me. So I’m looking forward to this. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/53 "2013-02-26T14:45:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > FYI, the game is scheduled for release on March 5, a week from tomorrow. I’ve pre-ordered the deluxe version that includes several city sets, although I don’t know how useful they will be. > > I played every version of SimCity obsessively. It was just about the only computer game I ever got into. Most shooters bore me. Even The Sims, Spore and the other Sim extensions bored me. So I’m looking forward to this. Spore bored everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/54 "2013-02-26T14:52:48Z")
Also, to help you in planning your cities, [here](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/11/planned-cities-from-space/) is a Wired magazine article on real planned cities around the world. Some of them look very much like SimCity cities, particularly the more rectangular ones like La Plata. (It was hard to make smoothly curving streets in SimCity, so most of my cities involved rectangular or square blocks.) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/55 "2013-03-03T02:23:34Z")
Total Biscuit is streaming the game right now in case you want to watch. It’s frustrating because he keeps trying to make roads that aren’t straight, but they keep snapping to the guides! Everyone in the chat is telling him to turn off guides so the road won’t snap to them, but he’s not looking at the chat! ARGH! TURN OFF GUIDES! https://player.twitch.tv/?channel=gennabain&parent=boards.straightdope.com&autoplay=false ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/56 "2013-03-03T02:24:34Z")
Also PC gamer is running a Sim City Region with some celebrities: > **[Next week: Celebrity SimCity with Notch, Chris Kluwe, Ashly Burch, and more](https://www.pcgamer.com/celebrity-simcity-announcement/)** > > SimCity is out Tuesday, and we'll be spending all week testing its live servers and multiplayer, where up to 16 cities can interact. We could just play amongst ourselves, but we had a better idea: ass You can check that out next week. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/57 "2013-03-03T03:10:03Z")
So did anyone else decide to spring for the digital deluxe edition for eighty bucks? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/58 "2013-03-03T14:05:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So did anyone else decide to spring for the digital deluxe edition for eighty bucks? Yeah. Luckily I had a coupon, so it still came out to $60 for me. But I like the idea of different styles to my cities, and the super hero/super villain thing sounds cool too 🙂 Damn you EA! I’m just waiting for the Sims3-like DLC store were they can drain us of our retirement funds $2.99 at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/59 "2013-03-03T15:32:44Z")
I missed TotalBiscuit’s live stream, but the recorded video is still available on his site. However I am past the point that I’m satisfied with watching others play the game and want to play it myself. Tuesday can’t come fast enough! From what I can gather from various threads, there are a good number of us who have pre-ordered the game or will be getting it soon after release. I’m thinking we should get together to build our own SDMB region. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346/60 "2013-03-03T15:50:32Z")
I’d be up for some SDMB regioneering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sim-city-5-announced/614346.md?page=4)