When Google Maps Meets SimCity

If there was one thing I always to see in SimCity, it was a "Macross structure" the ship sitting in a lake, or "crashed Zentraedi ship structure" to download and drop in the middle of my city.

Bricked

@MellowJade:
I still play SimCity 2000 once in a while. I've played it to death, with and without cheats. XD

Sometimes, I like to build huge cities that expand across the whole map, filling up hillsides with hydroelectric dams and houses, then trigger all the disasters all at once. Mass flooding, riots, fires, monsters, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, plane crashes, smogs... Captain Sim comes to the rescue most of the time, but I once got him stuck flying around my city and can't leave for some reason. XD

Mikolai

@The Red Comet:
Yep, SimCity 2000 had these buildings called Launch Arcologies, where if you build 256 or more of them they would "launch" into space.

Of course, the sequence was very scaled back as all it was just a dialogue box popping up saying that they are going to space then one by one they would bulldoze themselves into oblivion. :P

If I can remember correctly, this only worked on Windows 95 version of the game.

Mikolai

@Artdeux: Yeah the square usage makes it impossible to duplicate real cities accurately, and makes diagonal streets almost useless because you'd waste a ton of space and wouldn't be able to fill in the little triangles. So annoying.

@slayazzz: Hahaha I've never heard of that rumor, but that sounds really cool. I think SimCity 2000 had arcologies, is that what they were for?

That is fantastic! I also love the way it labels all of the buildings so you actually see which one is which as I'm sure they all look very similar at street level.

Was it true that in one of the sim city games, if you managed to get over a certain percentage of the map filled with the enormous buildings (can't remember what they were called) that they blasted into space?

Don't ask why i think that, but i sure that was the rumour...

@PearlElpis: That's actually true. I greatly preferred Microsoft's maps... at least until Google implemented Street View.

@High Speed Indeed: No matter what elaborate plan I developed and built into a sprawling network of roads, power lines and water pipes, my sims were always thirsty, without electricity or stuck somewhere.

Call me back when you've got rotation.

Randy Michael Rodriguez

I highly doubt the air is that clear over Hong Kong.

Vault-Droog

I think that looks f'n fantastic - and easy to read too. Can't imagine how many hours it takes to create an accurate map like this though.

Try Microsoft's Live Maps service (which seems to have been renamed to "Bing Maps" recently for some reason):
http://www.bing.com/maps/

Not *quite* the same, but close. Be sure to click "Bird's Eye" for the Sim City-esce view.

WarlockSoL

@Avenius: This is pretty amazing, if someone can roll this out in a large faction for US States it would def be a great help. Being able to see whats on a block will surely help identify where you are and going, and better plot things by landmarks.

zer0faults

@LamarElk: at least you didn't find a picture of the INSIDE of the house, while you were there, unaware...

*shifty eyes*

You know, this is much easier on the eyes than Google Maps. Also, I'm more comfortable with the perspective here. Google Maps always makes me feel like I'm about to tumble over.

Water pipe network? You gave your sims water? Oh how hysterical!

nico1606

Yeah, these exist for pretty much every Chinese city. I lived in Harbin for a while and the "SimCity version" was actually pretty useful since it's hard to find reliable maps online sometimes

When I first started playing Sim City 2000 I had no idea there were any utilities in the game beyond electricity, as in the first game.

I built many a huge metropolis sparsely populated by thirsty Sims before I noticed the cool new water pipe function.

High Speed Indeed

The site does lots of the major cities in China and I've used the Qingdao one for years. You can click on houses and most have a picture taken of them, my gf was surprised when we found a picture of the outside of her house lol =)

LamarElk

The world doesn't evolve around Google. Maybe you should try Bing Maps. They have SimCity view already....hmmmm.

PearlElpis

It's quite an interesting idea. Somehow incorporate Google Maps with Sim City. Hmmm....

@MellowJade:

I dig out simcity 3000 every so often.. I've got it installed anyway.

Who even plays SimCity anymore? Seriously asking here. I haven't even played that game since I was eight years old.

@DaStinger:

I would love a new 'proper' SimCity as well. SimCity 4 + Rush Hour is still great however.

Oh how I would love a new Simcity game, please maxis it's been like 7 years since Simcity4 came out.

DaStinger

Thought it was 3D at first, its not...

I visited Hong Kong a month ago and I could recognize places I visited! ... and I don't mean those huge skyscrapers - but small places :)

And then, in SimCity view, you can send monsters to attack!!

jedbeetle

@That mop mutant from NES.: Damnit. I wanted to make cities out of circles, not squares.

I'm tired of Simcity's square usage.

@savemeaquaman: I remember reading on Giz another commenter mentioned that Bing had something like that/this.

Alternate

Maybe it's just me but I could have sworn this was originally in Google Maps at one point b/c there was some website that gave directions that had Manhattan in 3D scale just like this. I'm 100% positive it existed. Anyone wanna be a buddy and remember too so I don't so crazy? xD

savemeaquaman

Only thing it needs is the subterranean model because all the best *shops* are below the 1F.

@Artdeux: Complete garbage. Yes I know it is beta, but it is ten steps behind the alpha stage. It needs two years or so. Probably faster to scrap the gameplay completely and come up with something new.

Ahh Simcity.

Great timekiller. I do hope Cities XL challenges the throne for city simulator, because I doubt we will ever get another Simcity.

awesome just awesome

roglrogl

@PearlElpis: I would love to, but: " To view maps in 3D, and tour and save collections to video, install 3D". I generally just don't install software so that web pages can work, unless it's REALLY worth doing so - as such, only plugin I've added is Flash. :P

OMG..
as many people that live there.. the LAST thing I would want to see is the "boring" water pipeline lol

Ur-Lord-Crypy