RCI... does it even work?

[jpinard]

Thanks for doing some testing on RCI demand. I'll pass along these ideas to CO and we'll see what can be done. Keep in mind, Simcity 4 had a difficult RCI system, and I know a lot of people hated it or just modded it out. Instead of trying to turn "city painter" into a type of insult, let's just discuss ways that everyone's play style can be achieved =) Thanks everyone!

That is a really poor excuse for making a shallower game. You can always cheat or mod simplicity into a game. You can't do the opposite. It's like trying to build a skyscraper on a toothpick. It also sounds like you're using confirmation bias since you mentioned "easier RCI" in two difference posts. I can also say out of my hundreds of friends none of them ever wanted to mod RCI out of Simcity 4 nor make the game "dumber".

 

[Gordon Dry]

My conclusion is that CO, like many other companies in the videogaming sector, is of the philosophy that "more functionality = more difficulty", which is an insult to the player's intelligence. The result is that we have a game that, not matter what you do, your city will always grow.

This reminds me of a "rumor" / "myth" that back in the 90s and 2000s german game development studios had the reputation of producing "too difficult games" that have not a good sales market and fan community in the United States etc., because they're are too detailed, too much away from a simple arcade style diverting experience.

It seems this is still at the back of the game devs minds today, not brave enough to "risk" to produce diverting, detailed games for emancipated gamers.

Stock market is king.