You cannot easily understand the data the game use. You can easily play Simcity 2013 and Simcity 4. I'm thinking now of a sc4 with cry engine would be greeeeat. it's supposed to be an agent based engine but it does almost anything but a good management of the agents. The funniest part of all this thread is that glassbox engine is being used to do a work that's actually not being accomplished.
they know how to use the screwdrivers but don't know exactly where to use it. Who cares if it is statistical or simulation in the end? Thats the problem when you give decision power to a technician/programmer. The thing is, real people want games that they can play and understand. The switch to the Glassbox engine has been in the works for over a decade.
Simcity 4 was then slated to use the 3D simulation engine, but due to on going issues was redeveloped for the statistical engine as well. Simcity 3000 was originally going to use the first 3D simulation engine but due to issues with creating the engine and the power it consumed forced Maxis to redevelop the game on the statistical engine. Many of the issues have been patched in Glassbox. The Glassbox Engine has issues as do most new engines, but they get patched in time. Without NAM, CAM and other significant add-ons the modding community created, Simcity 4 Deluxe would have been left mostly unplayable. Simcity 3000 had issues with the engine and Simcity 4 was left almost unable due to the nature of the stastiical engine and sheer city size. The statistical engine used in the first 4 Simcities hit its limit with 2000. Im pretty sure the engine is junk so they'd have to start all over.Ī more advanced statistical model of SC4 would simulate much more realistically than SC2013 with less processing power needed.