the Monkeys Uncle
06-09-2007, 09:51 PM
I posted this here a while ago at Simphoni (link to thread (http://www.simphoni.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=14526)), but I'll repost it again here.
Water is a very big part of any city, big or small. Coastlines, rivers, waterfalls, streams, sewers, water mains, rainfalls, storms, flooding, snow - all these things are very relevant to any city. That is why, in the next SimCity, I think water needs to be one of the things that gets a big, shiny new redesign.
Realistic Flowing Water: In SimCity 4, there was no such thing as rivers or streams. All water was basically collected into one big ocean, and didn't do anything except take up space. It's time for water to start playing a bigger part in the landscape by actually interacting with it. Water should naturally accumulate by rainfall, and the formation of rivers and lakes, above sea level, should reflect that. Also, we should be able to place other water sources, such as springs, while terraforming. Water should follow the laws of gravity, finding it's own way down to the ocean. Along the way, it should interact with the landscape itself by falling over cliffs, eroding gullies, etc, and it should do this continually.
The Weather and Water: There should be weather in SC5, ranging all the way from blizzards, to hurricanes, to desert droughts. Hurricanes should be able to flood downtown streets and erode beaches, summer rains should be able to slowly change the landscapes around rivers. A northern city should be brought to a standstill by a winter snow or ice storm, and when that snow melts in the spring, it should bring with it flooding.
Water and Our Cities: All of this will not just be eyecandy. River valleys could be dammed to provide electricity or flood control. Concrete river/seawalls would cut down on erosion in built-up areas. And be wary of building a new subdivision under unsupported slopes - a landslide could be imminent. Water as a whole should play a bigger part than ever before in our simcities, just as it does in real life.
I'd love to see this kind of weather detail going into the next SimCity. It would really enrich the gameplay I think. Of course, you should be able to turn off the damaging effects of storms and such if you don't want them.
Water is a very big part of any city, big or small. Coastlines, rivers, waterfalls, streams, sewers, water mains, rainfalls, storms, flooding, snow - all these things are very relevant to any city. That is why, in the next SimCity, I think water needs to be one of the things that gets a big, shiny new redesign.
Realistic Flowing Water: In SimCity 4, there was no such thing as rivers or streams. All water was basically collected into one big ocean, and didn't do anything except take up space. It's time for water to start playing a bigger part in the landscape by actually interacting with it. Water should naturally accumulate by rainfall, and the formation of rivers and lakes, above sea level, should reflect that. Also, we should be able to place other water sources, such as springs, while terraforming. Water should follow the laws of gravity, finding it's own way down to the ocean. Along the way, it should interact with the landscape itself by falling over cliffs, eroding gullies, etc, and it should do this continually.
The Weather and Water: There should be weather in SC5, ranging all the way from blizzards, to hurricanes, to desert droughts. Hurricanes should be able to flood downtown streets and erode beaches, summer rains should be able to slowly change the landscapes around rivers. A northern city should be brought to a standstill by a winter snow or ice storm, and when that snow melts in the spring, it should bring with it flooding.
Water and Our Cities: All of this will not just be eyecandy. River valleys could be dammed to provide electricity or flood control. Concrete river/seawalls would cut down on erosion in built-up areas. And be wary of building a new subdivision under unsupported slopes - a landslide could be imminent. Water as a whole should play a bigger part than ever before in our simcities, just as it does in real life.
I'd love to see this kind of weather detail going into the next SimCity. It would really enrich the gameplay I think. Of course, you should be able to turn off the damaging effects of storms and such if you don't want them.