Children Of The Nile to SCS - What Happened Tilted Mill?

[Symanteco]

It is absolutely amazing that the same GENIUS development company that brought us the most intelligent ever city builder game, Children of the Nile, has brought us the most "dumbed-down" city builder in the history of the genre.

I must conclude that it was not your team that came of with this Fisher-Price version of a city builder, but the moronic executive minds at EA. There is NO WAY that a company that has mastered city building to the level of Children of the Nile would EVER take such a giant, giant, giant step backwards unless you were merely a contractor for EA.

SimCity was a franchise that the core customers desired to be even more enhanced with even greater reality - not given the LOBOTOMY that EA requested.

I played Children of the Nile last night, after not playing for quite some time - and WOW! What an intelligently well done city builder. It is #1 out of them all, better than Settlers, 1701, Caesar - you name it - it is a masterpiece!

Why can't we have a contemporary city builder with THAT level of gameplay and intelligence?

I'm going back to play Children of the Nile until SOMEBODY comes out with a contemporary city builder that has TRUE function, where every industry, every farm, every office building, every consumer shop and store serves a function in the city - and not just SimCity 4 "eye-candy" - just like it is done in every historical city builder, and in particular - Children of the Nile.

I like the import/export - the family history tracker, the individual household needs, industry needs etc. THIS is what a contemporary city builder should be.

[Keith]

The difference is that Children of the Nile is a completely independent development effort on their part that they spent some 4+ years working on.

SCS and Caesar IV were developed in a much shorter time period because companies like EA and Sierra aren't going to foot the bill for four years of development on one game. Not only that, but I'm sure EA and Sierra respectively had something specific in mind for those games when they hired TM to develope them. TM does have to please the client that hires them.

[Symanteco]

I agree. That is what I stated in my first email.

Shrewd move on EA's part to get TM to develop SCS, because if TM would have applied the gameplay, AI and formula used to create Children of the Nile for a contemporary city builder - it would have put SimCity not only out of business - but to shame!

[vic_4]

I hope however that times are ripe for something new in stream of children of the Nile ;)

[Symanteco]

No one has taken the crown from Children of the Nile since it was released, though many have tried - it still is the most awesome city builder to date. If they just gave it a graphics overhaul I'd be happy, much less any other improvements to this CB masterpiece.

I just paid $50 for Settlers, another on CivCity Rome, Caesar 4 and sorry - COTN kicks all their royal derrierres - HARD!

[Tinkerbell]

I guess I should not chime in here with the two projects TM is working on next, eh?

Galaxy Goddess Shooters from Hell

and

Spore II

<ducking>

[thegrad]

I guess I should not chime in here with the two projects TM is working on next, eh?

Galaxy Goddess Shooters from Hell

and

Spore II

<ducking>

Please say it isn't so. :eek: Ok user - scenario makers back to work.:D :D

[Symanteco]

Actually, Caesar IV is another city builder masterpiece. I really wish TM could have had free reign on SCS to create a contemporary city builder with the same level of detail, intelligence (building and citizen evolution) and management as there other city builder titles.

I hope they never again compromise their high development standards (and sterling reputation) for being the premiere city builder development team - for love or money.

I was totally "shocked" to find that TM was the developer of this "Fisher-Price" city builder. SCS is kinda' like selling their soul (and genius) to the devil for the cash.

HOWEVER: I still have faith in TM to somehow redeem their excellent name. Kinda like EA sabotaged TM to put out this kindergarten city builder - which is totally out of character for their former fine works.

[Azeem]

I agree. "Children of the Nile," though very incomplete (I'll probably have tomatoes thrown at me for saying that :p ), is a real underappreciated gem and something in a class of its own and in my opinion, it beats SC4 ten times over. I don't have SCS yet, but the more I read about it, the less interesting it appears. Had the system of "CotN" been effectively applied, we would have seen an amazingly detailed game that really models the complexities of economics and society.

[Symanteco]

SCS is a drop dead gorgeous game, graphically, of course - it's TM, but the gameplay is so bizarre, new agey and abstract that it defies not only description, but all logic and common sense.

The magic of buildings evolving is totally gone and it's all just a good looking plop and drop scene maker with nothing interesting going on IN the city, but a city simulator? It's just plain - uninteresting, to say the least.

It is certainly not something that you'd expect from a premiere city builder developer like TM.

[Tinkerbell]

Please say it isn't so. :eek: Ok user - scenario makers back to work.:D :D

It's not so. ;)

It was a joke based on the forum section.

I don't believe that TM should stick themselves in a rut & only make Classic CBers.

[Symanteco]

It doesn't matter what TM creates, just make it a worthy product as all of its past efforts were.

[King Faticus]

as long as the next one is an independent game I will probably like it

I guess I should not chime in here with the two projects TM is working on next, eh?

Galaxy Goddess Shooters from Hell

and

Spore II

<ducking>
Careful mark because I WILL strangle you if any of this is true >_>
making a sequel to that awful series was low enough for many of us D:

[Symanteco]

Children of the Nile and Caesar IV for Sierra - now THOSE are the Tilted Mill type of sim I expect to see (and play).

Now I'm addicted all over to Caesar IV - somebody help me! Talk about attention to DETAIL - whoa!