Maxis' GM explains why offline play wasn’t implemented in SimCity
3/16/13 9:25am
In light of recent developments (and by recent developments, I mean the discovery of the game being playable offline), Maxis GM Lucy Bradshaw decided to shed some more light on why the development team decided to make SimCity online only.
Bradshaw reiterated the decision to go in this direction was not an effort on EA’s part to control players, rather it was a design choice the developers thought was the best fit for their creative vision.
She then provided the following list of ways the online servers have benefited the game:
- We keep the simulation state of the region up to date for all players. Even when playing solo, this keeps the interactions between cities up to date in a shared view of the world.
- Players who want to reach the peak of each specialization can count on surrounding cities to provide services or resources, even workers. As other players build, your city can draw on their resources.
- Our Great Works rely on contributions from multiple cities in a region. Connected services keep each player’s contributions updated and the progression on Great Works moving ahead.
- All of our social world features - world challenges, world events, world leaderboards and world achievements - use our servers to update the status of all cities.
- Our servers handle gifts between players.
- We’ve created a dynamic supply and demand model for trading by keeping a Global Market updated with changing demands on key resources.
- We update each city’s visual representation as well. If you visit another player’s city, you’ll see the most up to date visual status.
- We even check to make sure that all the cities saved are legit, so that the region play, leaderboards, challenges and achievements rewards and status have integrity.
While the rampant speculation (and outrage) caused by the offline hack was obviously the reason why Bradshaw decided to provide these “straight answers”, she didn’t address it directly. However, she did admit it was entirely possible for the developers to build an offline mode into the game.
“So, could we have built a subset offline mode? Yes. But we rejected that idea because it didn’t fit with our vision. We did not focus on the “single city in isolation” that we have delivered in past SimCities. We recognize that there are fans – people who love the original SimCity – who want that. But we’re also hearing from thousands of people who are playing across regions, trading, communicating and loving the Always-Connected functionality. The SimCity we delivered captures the magic of its heritage but catches up with ever-improving technology.”
I know a lot of people think Bradshaw is lying but I don’t necessarily see it that way. Do I think she’s spin doctoring around a lot of the negativity? Yes I do, because it’s obvious. I also feel EA’s previous DRM policies have played a role in Maxis’ design choice (even if Maxis won’t admit to it).
However, I do think Bradshaw’s belief in SimCity’s multiplayer model is genuine and I also admit this structure has some good and innovative ideas. But ignoring the long-time fans who wanted the option to play the game solo without being constantly connected was the wrong way to go, especially now that we know the game can run just fine without being online.
Given the sheer number of dissatisfied fans (who appear to be even angry after being given these “straight answers”), it seems the only way EA and Maxis can (100%) make things right is to give in and eventually patch offline play into the game.
» Source: http://www.ea.com/news/simcity-update-straight-answers-from-lucy
» Tagged In: #EA, #Maxis, #PC, #Ryan Conway, #SimCIty
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g1 DISCUSSIONS
Sol-Raith
The only reason players want offline play is so they can actually PLAY the game, so many cut offs during gameplay, you lose small progression points, and don't get me started on trying to get back online...
As a side note online only play wouldn't bother me in the slightest if they had working servers.
caboose_-1
Boy this is sounding a lot like the whole, "vocal minority" thing we heard around Mass Effect 3's endings. This time instead of changing the endings, people want a gameplay mode to be changed.
Before anyone jumps down my throat about it, I thought the ME3 extended endings are what the originals SHOULD have been and I think that Maxis should have included a single-player mode. Just kind of funny to see the similarities between 2 big name games under EA that have triggered a huge backlash from fans due to stupidity in game design and response.
anima22
shouldve named it simcity online.
vequintana
It amazes me how many people read the reports about the always online features back when that news first broke and yet still proceeded to pre-order and buy it only to, SURPRISE SURPRISE, bitch about the always online features and the lack of offline mode as if they never knew about it. I have a hard time believing a hard core SimCity fan would be oblivious to it. If you thought the servers were gonna go live without a hitch, you are a certified moron. What's so hard to accept about the idea that Maxis just flat out wanted it this way? Why is it so criminal that they didn't put an offline mode? All the sarcastic comments saying to just play a previous SimCity game are so true it's not even funny. We knew they really didn't want an offline mode. If it really bothered you that much then save your money and stick with a previous version. Some people are making it sound like EA held you upside down by the ankles while Maxis collected all the money that fell out of your pockets and then handed you a copy of the game.
I'm not trying to defend EA or Maxis. I've played the game for 50+ hours and I have run into plenty of bugs and flaws that keep this from being a great game without the online/offline bullshit attached to it.
I guess there are 2 reasons why I'm not as bothered by this whole fiasco. 1. I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO BEFORE I AGREED TO GIVE AMAZON.COM MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A COPY OF THE GAME. I knew there was no offline and I wasn't naive enough to assume the servers would play nice on day 1. I didn't spend 60 dollars expecting the same game they had released 4 times previously. I, unlike many other fans, bought it expecting and wanting something familiar but new. I, unlike many other fans, got exactly what I was expecting. Including the flaws.
2. The game launched on a Tuesday, but because of a late work schedule, an hour long commute from home to work and the fact that all packages are delivered to my apartment's front office that was closed by the time I got home, I didn't have the game in my possession until the Friday before Spring Break. That day I drove home for the weekend which was a nice 7 hour drive. So realistically it wasn't until the Saturday after launch that I really got to sit down and play. By that point the servers were patched up enough that I never once experienced any down time, wait queues or game crashing bugs that hindered progress. I tell you folks. The difference between starting on Saturday after reading about the horrors of Tuesday and Wednesday, and starting on Tuesday before anyone knew there was an issue makes a HUGE difference in the way you view things. Even the things I have experience that were "broken" weren't huge deal breakers because they were all minor things. Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones but I haven't experience anything that leads me to believe this is the worst game ever made like some would have you believe.
My questions posted early in this post are mostly rhetorical and I get why people are upset. Still though, some of the reactions I've seen make my wonder how many people blindly bought this game expecting a slightly updated SimCity 4. All this madness wasn't hard to see coming and once you've accepted it and get over it, then you can make a fair judgement as to whether or not you like the game or not. I think right now most people who hate the game just have a grudge against EA. Some people don't like that offline wasn't part of the game. I don't like that some people's dislike for the game stems from that and that alone. To me that kind of reaction is just as flimsy as some of the answers EA and Maxis have offered. I haven't seen many people give a good justification for this dislike of the game. The one's I have seem though, I respect the hell out of.
Xaxal Eternitum
This just makes it worse for both EA and Maxis, as it would seem that both of them wanted this crap.
On another note, the game isn't even that good compared to some of the previous Sim Cities (As per Pro Jared's Full Review), so why even bother with this shit? Need a Sim City fix? Play Sim City 4, or 2000 or 3000.
TheTurbanMan1389
Wait, SimCity 4 let you work a region and create multiple cities that work with each other...in single player...so why would SimCity need to be online only?
pandaraph
no, I still think he is lying right through his teeth, here is a nice bowl of truth, god fuck EA http://www.gatheryourparty.com/articles/2013/03/14/modders-enable-offlin...
pandaraph
no, I still think he is lying right through his teeth, here is a nice bowl of truth, god fuck EA http://www.gatheryourparty.com/articles/2013/03/14/modders-enable-offlin...
Iyzeekiil
my facepalm is so bad my skull exploded from my ass
CrazyDuck
That is an impressive feat. I would like to hire you for all my future facepalming events. I will pay you in hugs & cuddles if that's fine