Release Info:
- Developer: Playfish
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platform: PC, Mac
- Format: Facebook App
- ESRB Rating:
- Release Date: July 5, 2012
Description:
Inspired by the classic city-building simulation series originally conceived by designer Will Wright, SimCity Social from developer Playfish has you creating your own personalized city with the help of friends and family members. You'll begin building your city on a predefined lot, with a female advisor showing you the basics from the moment you begin your role as mayor.
The first order of business will be to create roads, which are required to link houses, businesses and other destinations together. Building roads is a simple matter of clicking and dragging your mouse over your grid-based city, and roads have the added benefit of being free to create. You can then build houses, which will be populated by other SimCity Social players on your friends list.
City of Angels (or Devils)
As with many other Facebook games, SimCity Social encourages you to invite friends so you can get more energy, which allows you to perform actions in your city, such as building structures. Building options in SimCity Social are divided into eight categories: roads, homes, farms, businesses, factories, attractions, decorations, facilities and landmarks.
You can also build specific "friend" or "foe" objects in other cities. Borrowing the concept from The Sims Social, SimCity Social lets you gradually increase your level of friendship or rivalry with another player by doing "good" things or "bad" things after you visit a specific building. Strengthening (or weakening) these relationships will unlock special collectibles and gifts.
The Economy
Building any structure apart from roads will cost you Simoleons, the currency used across games in The Sims series. In SimCity Social, Simoleons are earned from the businesses you add to your city. The amount of money and payout frequency varies depending on the establishment, and each time you collect funds, you'll use a portion of your available energy.
Since each business offers different schedules for paying out Simoleons (such as once per day or once per hour), players can tailor their city around their schedule, allowing them to maximize the amount of money earned based on their expected play time. The types of businesses you'll be able to create include gas stations, bakeries, comic book stores, car dealerships, supermarkets, luxury hotels, robot factories and more. Over time you can upgrade your structures, and more choices will gradually become unlocked as you progress.
Other resources used in the game include materials and diamonds. Materials are used to create certain structures in addition to Simoleons. Players can also trade or exchange Simoleons to acquire more materials if needed. Diamonds are a form of currency acquired by using Facebook Credits, and some building options require diamonds if you want to add them to your city. Diamonds can also be used to purchase a random amount of Simoleons or materials in the form of money bags and material crates, respectively, or to speed up the waiting time it takes to get things done.
City Planning
Your city will thrive if you follow some basic SimCity principles. Building houses close to water can increase your population, while businesses can increase production if placed near water. Landmarks and other beautification elements near homes will increase their levels and populations. High pollution can drive people away. Fires and crime need to be addressed by building police and fire departments. You can also modify your city's layout by demolishing existing structures or roads as well as expand your city by purchasing land and receiving land permits from your neighbors.