SimCity doesn’t need to be always online, says Maxis developer

[dirrtymartini]

A SimCity dev says it would be "quite easy" to create a single-player version of the game that doesn't require "EA's draconian always-on DRM"

From ExtremeTech:

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/150598-drm-deceit-simcity-doesnt-need-to-be-always-online-says-maxis-developer

[Satoru]

The amount of sheet ignorance and stupidity in that article is astounding. Whether you agree with the online only model, don't let that cloud your judgement.

First only very few people would be aware of the overall architecture. Unnamed sources are that unnamed . The only way to make it offline would be to move the entire server infrastructure locally. There may be technical problems such as requiring SQL Server to run the server locally. There may also be contractual problems such as using third-party data to run the simulation that cannot be distributed to users.

The article then goes into stupidity mode. It says that SimCity works when your Internet goes down therefore it should work off-line. This is ridiculous. Do we say that Netflix should work off-line because when my Internet blips it still works? The data is still being served from EA. That means any off-line mode would effectively not work because the simulation data is not being passed to the client. Any more than diabolo three "cracks "work because they do not drop loot or have any monster AI. SimCity is a simulation game. If the simulation data isn't there then it's not a SimCity game.

[dirrtymartini]

Rock, Paper, Shotgun weighs in on poor AI and some unusual bugs:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/13/simcitys-sims-dont-seem-that-smart-after-all/

Alongside the peculiarities of the server matters with SimCity, many are reporting that the game itself doesn’t perform as had previously been claimed. This is especially the case when it comes to the AI and pathfinding.

SimCity’s Glassbox Engine had been purported to be of such complexity that every single Sim in your city was a unique “agent” AI, such that you could follow a Sim about their daily life. However, players are finding that this doesn’t appear to be the case at all.

[Satoru]

That still has no relevance as to whether the game can be made offline or not. or whether that process is 'easy' or even possible at all.

AI and pathfinding are always complicated problems and every game has issues with them. Simulating cities is the 'easy' part.

[dirrtymartini]

Satoru の投稿を引用：

That still has no relevance as to whether the game can be made offline or not. or whether that process is 'easy' or even possible at all.

AI and pathfinding are always complicated problems and every game has issues with them. Simulating cities is the 'easy' part.

Don't shoot the messenger. I still haven't bought the game yet! :)

[Satoru]

I guess what I especially dislike about the original article is it confuses the online component as some kind of DRM layer that can be easily ripped off. That's simply not the case and it is very obvious from the game that it's not.

It then links to his own article about "Why I Pirate". This is utterly disgusting and abhorrent.

You pirate because you are a thief.

That's it

You don't like the DRM. DO NOT BUY IT. You want the content and not pay for it. That is why you pirate. Not for anything else. ANything else is an excuse, wrapped in their own warped view of reality. For me that makes literally everything in that article moot.

Argue the DRM and online only strategy. Fine. That's totally and absolutely legitimate. But don't then pretend that gives you or anyone else an excuse to pirate the game. To me that makes the entire article worthless.

Note this isn't directed at your gsharp, just the author of the article. They obviously have an agenda. And that agenda is DRM makes it ok to pirate the game. And that's not cool in my book. There is a fundamental difference between acknowledging piracy exists and maybe changing your business strategy to accomodate and fight that. Versus saying that piracy is 'ok' because of said business strategy. No person who creates work in any way thinks piracy is good. And to imply that its 'ok' ANY time is nto what anyone should be saying or doing.

[Tito Shivan]

Satoru の投稿を引用：

You don't like the DRM. DO NOT BUY IT.

If only more people followed that simple rule, we probably wouldn't have to face schemes like this one.
But, people NEED TO PLAY THE GAME SO BAD that they will eat whatever DRM-filled Side dish with a salad of bad business habits.

Personally i'll skip this last title. As much as i like the saga (i've played all of them) i dislike what they've made with this last title. And discovered long ago that nothing happens if i skip buying some game.

[Spawn of Totoro]

http://kotaku.com/5990498/rumor-a-new-video-shows-simcitys-debug-mode-which-allegedly-has-almost-unlimited-offline-play

Turns out that activating the developer console will let you play off-line. You can't save the game, though.

[Satoru]

Spawn of Totoro の投稿を引用：

http://kotaku.com/5990498/rumor-a-new-video-shows-simcitys-debug-mode-which-allegedly-has-almost-unlimited-offline-play

Turns out that activating the developer console will let you play off-line. You can't save the game, though.

The fact that you can extend the disconnect timeout doesn't mean you can run the game offline. It would be dependent on what data is sent and received via the connection. SimCity is already not latency dependent which was already fairly obvious. But if people want offline mode it may depend on that data. If things like import exports or population influx is not simulated client side that's a big problem for a sim game.

If the sim data isn't there the game will run but it will be or the core part of the game effectively broken.

[LoTekRabbit]

Satoru の投稿を引用：

Spawn of Totoro の投稿を引用：

http://kotaku.com/5990498/rumor-a-new-video-shows-simcitys-debug-mode-which-allegedly-has-almost-unlimited-offline-play

Turns out that activating the developer console will let you play off-line. You can't save the game, though.

The fact that you can extend the disconnect timeout doesn't mean you can run the game offline. It would be dependent on what data is sent and received via the connection. SimCity is already not latency dependent which was already fairly obvious. But if people want offline mode it may depend on that data. If things like import exports or population influx is not simulated client side that's a big problem for a sim game.

If the sim data isn't there the game will run but it will be or the core part of the game effectively broken.

"SimCity modded so it can be played offline INDEFINITELY"

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-14-simcity-modded-so-it-can-be-played-offline-indefinitely

[dirrtymartini]

TenClub 89 の投稿を引用：

Satoru の投稿を引用：

The fact that you can extend the disconnect timeout doesn't mean you can run the game offline. It would be dependent on what data is sent and received via the connection. SimCity is already not latency dependent which was already fairly obvious. But if people want offline mode it may depend on that data. If things like import exports or population influx is not simulated client side that's a big problem for a sim game.

If the sim data isn't there the game will run but it will be or the core part of the game effectively broken.

"SimCity modded so it can be played offline INDEFINITELY"

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-14-simcity-modded-so-it-can-be-played-offline-indefinitely

Someone pass the popcorn, please. This movie is getting good.

[Satoru]

Again just because you disable the server check doesn't mean that the game is actually playable. Anymore than offline Diablo3 is 'playable' with no loot and no monster AI. It dependson how much of the simulation is dependent on external data

[Dark Lord Satan Visit Your Bum]

We'll see a fully playable offline version within a few months, either grudgingly put out by Maxis or by some enterprising cracker.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Satoru の投稿を引用：

Again just because you disable the server check doesn't mean that the game is actually playable. Anymore than offline Diablo3 is 'playable' with no loot and no monster AI. It dependson how much of the simulation is dependent on external data

From what the article said, it is fully playable like this with only saves and the social parts disabled. All the building works, all the AI works (atelase as well as it did while connected), everything looks like it works just fine.

While I won't jump to the conclusion that it is 100% playble off-line, it does look like it may be possible from the curent evidence.

[dirrtymartini]

Satoru の投稿を引用：

Again just because you disable the server check doesn't mean that the game is actually playable. Anymore than offline Diablo3 is 'playable' with no loot and no monster AI. It dependson how much of the simulation is dependent on external data

While you might be right...now...the modders are still two steps further along than EA said anybody could be. Who knows what they might find in the next two weeks? Might be fiun to watch. My popcorn is ready. :)

[Spawn of Totoro]

dirrtygsharp の投稿を引用：

While you might be right...now...the modders are still two steps further along than EA said anybody could be. Who knows what they might find in the next two weeks? Might be fiun to watch. My popcorn is ready. :)

Don't forget to dump raisinets in there. Makes the popcorn better (so they say, haven't tried it yet).