Comment by standardUser
12 days ago
The original SimCity franchise did an amazing job of combining both simulation and game, but later iterations (past SimCity 4) ditched any pretense of being a simulation and went full on-game. That shift quickly tanked a previously sterling franchise, which I think shows the significance of the simulation angle.
Cities Skylines eventually filled in that gap and if you look at the dedicated community around those games you'll see a heavy emphasis on simulation and very little focus on making it a more fun game. Interest is somewhat split between modeling aesthetics and modeling transit. I think the greatest interest is in modeling societies and economies, but few games seem to make that work except on small scales. There's an old game called City Life that did an commendable job modelling social classes. The early Tropico games had a very engaging economic system. I can't think of any modern games that have impressed me like those, but I would love suggestions.
> Cities Skylines eventually filled in that gap and if you look at the dedicated community around those games you'll see a heavy emphasis on simulation and very little focus on making it a more fun game.
Nowhere near. If Cities Skylines was a truly accurate simulation:
1. It would be nigh-impossible to bulldoze private property. Every road, once built, would become essentially permanent.
2. Every city would be perpetually cash-strapped, with tax income insufficient to cover the maintenance costs on the infrastructure.
3. If you either raise taxes or reduce spending you would get thrown out of office at the next election.
Thankfully, the creators realised that making it fun was more important than making it accurate.
Those objections are differences to the cities we live in, but not impossible.
China builds cities without regard for 1 and 3, and partially 2.
Also, you don't have to consider changing the city part of the simulation. It may just be switching from one test model to another.
I would also like to know any economic type simulator recommendations.
My list would probably include: Capitalism and Capitalism 2. I also put a lot of time into Civ1, the original X-Com and Theme Hospital. Not really simulators, but they all had interesting economic models.