Phases
Sun, 12/19/2010 - 14:31
1. [Pre-Alpha or early Alpha] Zoning, basic transportation, utilities, basic GUI (should not neet to be more advanced than the current version of Synekism, unless they don't have utilities).
2. [Alpha] Taxes, expenses, documentation for user-created content, civic services/satisfaction, more advanced utilities and transport for utilities (might be as simple as allowing roads to carry utilities--because most roads have power lines above or below them and water and sewage mains beneath them in addition to garbage trucks running on top of them)
3. [Beta] Tweaks, variety (more buildings, more transport, etc), animation, AI, polish, regions, resources/demand, disasters/crime, ways to view an manipulate data, increase user friendliness, tools for custom content, inter-city play (regions, neighbor deals, trading)
4+ [Release Candidate] Stability, expansions, multiplayer (LAN, private servers, maybe a testing server for special members)
In order to have a working game as quickly as possible, we need to have the basics done first. There is no need to have freeways when there are no buildings. There is no need for schools or hospitals if there is no one for them to service or employ. So the absolute minimum is a place for residents to sleep, a place for residents to work, and a way for residents to get from their houses to their jobs. After that, utilities are second most important (at least electricity).
Mon, 12/20/2010 - 14:32
#1
That squares pretty well with my thinking, too. The first thing to get done is the engine, and the base simulation (lots, network, basic economy). I wouldn't even say utilities are a must-have for the very first version. After that you can start fleshing out more network types, different simulation variables (services, pollution, etc.) Graphically, you don't need much at all, that's something that can improve gradually over time. So yeah, pretty much like Synekism :) Speaking of which, I've been meaning to post something about them...
Thu, 12/30/2010 - 13:05
#2
I guess utilities could be in Phase 2 if there are not enough Phase 1 donations.
Thu, 12/30/2010 - 16:53
#3
It could go either way; I think the hardest part of Phase 1 will be getting the game engine working smoothly, in a way that supports the easy addition of new simulation layers. Once that's done I don't think *basic* utilities would be so hard to build; you would already have the functions in place for connectivity by network (if you want to do it the CXL way and have roads serve as utility conduits rather than having a separate utility infrastructure).