SimCity 5 Goes To Tilted Mill

Jason · Jun 7, 2007

[ Announcement ]

The <a href="http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?p=993685#post993685" target="_blank">next SimCity game</a>, with the working title of <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/47264" target="_blank">SimCity Societies</a>, is to be handled not by <a href="http://www.maxis.com/" target="_blank">Maxis</a>, but by <a href="http://www.tiltedmill.com/" target="_blank">Tilted Mill</a>, the developers responsible for <a href="http://www.caesariv.com/us/index.jsp" target="_blank">Caesar IV</a>, <a href="http://www.tiltedmill.com/cotn/" target="_blank">Children of the Nile</a>, and (to a lesser extent) <a href="http://www.zero-sum.com/" target="_blank">Prelude to Darkness</a>. <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/47309" target="_blank">Shack News</a> has the scoop:<blockquote>For the first time, a major SimCity game will be developed by a company other than the series' creator Maxis.A Games for Windows cover story confirms that Electronic Arts has handed development duties on the upcoming SimCity Societies to Tilted Mill Entertainment. Established in 2002 by veterans of Impression Games--the developer of the Lord of the Realm and Caesar series--Tilted Mill has most recently worked on the continuation of another city management game with Caesar IV. In a report on the new SimCity, 1UP provided a single <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3160086">screenshot</a> of the PC game, showing a low-altitude perspective of a city block. Based on Tilted's experience, as well as the "social" title, the game is expected to focus more on individual citizenry, rather than attempting the large-scale urban simulation of previous titles. </blockquote>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/">Shack News</a>

Fez · Jun 8, 2007

That comes as a surprise. I didn't think they'd hand over SimCity to anyone else.

Psilon · Jun 8, 2007

It's not a real SimCity game. It's more of a SimCity: Brotherhood of Steel.

Jason · Jun 8, 2007

That's not really fair to say. Tilted Mill has a much better reputation than those BOS guys. Have a look at their credits.

edit:
Here's what the TM president had to say:

When the new SC comes out we'll obviously leave it to you to decide whether you love it, hate it... or fall somewhere in between, or whether you even choose to play it at all. I hope you do try it, and I really hope that you do not pass judgment based on the title or some preliminary speculation on some web site.

However, I do not want to mislead anyone: This SC is not a realistic urban simulation, which I understand, to many, represents the heart of what SC is. No one is blind to that. And if you're just completely turned off, even angered by the mere notion of any game called "SimCity" that is not a detailed, realistic urban simulator, I absolutely understand that viewpoint, and absolutely respect it. Passionate fans like you are the lifeblood of the gaming industry, and that is one reason why TMill provides what I think is a great outlet for this type of discussion and even complaint. But please keep in mind the irony in that - we are just a lowly developer after all.

I do want to say, though (with no insult intended to die hard SC fans) that we are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this venerable series, are extremely proud of what we have put together, and make no apologies about what we have managed to create. And while our past experiences (including contributions from many of you) certainly inform all our ongoing efforts, this SC is its own unique creation.

Lastly, for CotN and Caesar fans, rest assured that we have NOT abandoned either the CotN series nor the Caesar series.
Click to expand...

OccupatedVoid · Jun 8, 2007

At least Bethesda didn't get SimCity.

DarkUnderlord · Jun 8, 2007

baby arm said:

That's not really fair to say. Tilted Mill has a much better reputation than those BOS guys. Have a look at their credits.

edit:
Here's what the TM president had to say:

When the new SC comes out we'll obviously leave it to you to decide whether you love it, hate it... or fall somewhere in between, or whether you even choose to play it at all. I hope you do try it, and I really hope that you do not pass judgment based on the title or some preliminary speculation on some web site.

However, I do not want to mislead anyone: This SC is not a realistic urban simulation, which I understand, to many, represents the heart of what SC is. No one is blind to that. And if you're just completely turned off, even angered by the mere notion of any game called "SimCity" that is not a detailed, realistic urban simulator, I absolutely understand that viewpoint, and absolutely respect it. Passionate fans like you are the lifeblood of the gaming industry, and that is one reason why TMill provides what I think is a great outlet for this type of discussion and even complaint. But please keep in mind the irony in that - we are just a lowly developer after all.

I do want to say, though (with no insult intended to die hard SC fans) that we are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this venerable series, are extremely proud of what we have put together, and make no apologies about what we have managed to create. And while our past experiences (including contributions from many of you) certainly inform all our ongoing efforts, this SC is its own unique creation.

Lastly, for CotN and Caesar fans, rest assured that we have NOT abandoned either the CotN series nor the Caesar series.
Click to expand...

Click to expand...

So it sucks then?

Elwro · Jun 8, 2007

Hm, only one of those guys worked on Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, my favourite title from the City Builder series; and I thought the whole series was done by Tilted Mill.

fake edit: no, it was Impressions. Damn sclerosis.

Jason · Jun 8, 2007

More info (and screens) here.

#1 -- For the first time in the franchise's history, an in-house team at Maxis/EA isn't developing the game. At the helm of SimCity Societies is Tilted Mill, the folks behind Caesar IV and the sleeper society-builder Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile. Why isn't Maxis working on it? The answer's simple: Will Wright and his team are busy with Spore. But Rod Humble, the head of EA's Sims division, handpicked the Tilted Mill guys, and its previous city-building successes makes the developer an inspired choice.

#2 -- By SimCity creator Will Wright's own admission, previous SimCity games had become too complex for most. Tilted Mill is focusing on scaling back the complexity and micromanagement of latter entries like SimCity 4 -- no pipes to lay, no power grids, no manual emergency-response funds to disperse, no individual building-funding. The series' hardcore fans shouldn't worry that the game will no longer be recognizable or too easy. "We are not out to fix something that's broken," promises lead designer Chris Beatrice.

#3 -- As the working title implies, Societies adds a new layer of emphasis on the city's citizens. The game introduces six "social energies" (such as Wealth or Obedience) that influence your city's look and feel. Buildings and aesthetics change depending on how these six values develop. Focus on Obedience, for example, and your buildings will start automatically adding security cameras to monitor your citizens' movements, Orwellian-style. Different energy balances unlock different building types, too.

#4 -- The standard SimCity "adviser" system is gone. Societies aims to communicate your city's well-being through goals and the city's overall atmosphere -- and your citizens' behavior. Sims (yes, they're using that term) will skip work if they're in a bad mood or start engaging in criminal activity (such as vandalization). Your actions in the game -- what you choose to build -- will also influence the kinds of goals the game presents. Head down an Obedience path, for example, and the game will start giving you goals to usher your progress in that direction.

#5 -- Goal-oriented sandbox gameplay: Instead of giving you a handful of typical scenarios, this SimCity awards new buildings and bonuses for meeting certain goals during the course of normal gameplay. With only about 15 percent of the buildings unlocked from the get-go, that's a lot of game to wade through.
Click to expand...

KazikluBey · Jun 9, 2007

Elwro said:

Hm, only one of those guys worked on Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, my favourite title from the City Builder series; and I thought the whole series was done by Tilted Mill.

fake edit: no, it was Impressions. Damn sclerosis.
Click to expand...

Wrong again, that was Break Away Games. They also made the Pharaoh expansion, Cleopatra.

kingcomrade · Jun 9, 2007

"We are not out to fix something that's broken," promises lead designer Chris Beatrice.
Click to expand...

What? Is he suggesting nothing is broken, or is this a typo?

Log in or Sign up

SimCity 5 Goes To Tilted Mill

Jason chasing a bee

Fez Erudite

Psilon Erudite

Jason chasing a bee

OccupatedVoid Arbiter

DarkUnderlord Bringing that old Raptor magic.

Elwro Arcane

Jason chasing a bee

KazikluBey Augur

kingcomrade Kingcomrade