When SimCity first launched in March, it faced a barrage of problems that got in the way of players' experiences with the game. Since then, the developers at EA Maxis have been committed to fixing the various issues, adding new features, and delivering free content to get the game up to scratch with its predecessors in the series.
The game has seen the release of eight major game updates, and today its developers have opted to share their plans for the future, to make SimCity better. Here are some of the major improvements the game has seen since release:
Improvements
Improved game stability – Stability has seen significant improvements, greatly reducing cases where cities stop processing or cannot be found.
Restored disabled features – Cheetah Speed, Achievements, Global Markets, Region Filters and Leaderboards are now available.
Improved traffic – Traffic behavior is smarter. Vehicles can make right turns on red lights and accelerate and decelerate faster, allowing them to leave buildings and cross intersections more efficiently. The number of lines formed by all available vehicles converging in a single spot is reduced, and commute times have been staggered to make for a more realistic flow.
Upgraded servers – All servers have been upgraded to ensure faster speed and performance.
Tuned RCI zoning – The game has been tuned to make Industrial zones a more important part of your city. There is now a profit dependence on freight deliveries that is crucial to keeping your Commercial buildings happy. Additionally, demand bars will respond more accurately to which zones are needed in your city. This means the game is more challenging, industrial cities are more important in region play and the RCI bars provide players with clearer direction.
Fixed terrains – Improvements have been made where the terrain covers sections of the road when the camera is zoomed out.
New additions•
Raise and lower roads – A new tool allows players to raise new roads, turning them into bridges, or lower them to create tunnels and underpasses.•
Multi-entrance maps – Six region maps, including two with multiple entrances that were designed in celebration of the upcoming SimCity Cities of Tomorrow Expansion Pack, have been created. These free maps include Edgewater Bay, Desolation, Granite Lakes, Serenity Key, Rambling Badlands and Verdant Jungle.
New buildings: More than 80 new variations of existing buildings and 20 new hotels add more variety to your cities.
New free content: Reignite the glory of Rome with the new Roman Luck Casino or keep your residents happy and spiritual with four distinct Houses of Worship. Available to play in game now. If you purchased the game before Sept 12, you also received the free Launch Park as a reward for being one of our first players.
Tree tools: Place individual trees along your city roads. This tool is located at the end of the Nature Parks menu.
