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City Life (computer game)
Encyclopedia
City Life is a real-time strategy
game that lets the player create a modern city. It is the first modern city-building game
to allow the player to work in full 3D
environment. The game is by French developer Monte Cristo
. It is published in France by Focus, in the UK and Germany by Deep Silver and in North America by CDV. It was released in May 2006.
City Life allows players to zoom in and see every little bit of detail. The placement method allows buildings to be placed at an angle, as also seen in Sierra Games' Caesar IV
.
More recently, the game has been criticized for lack of many detailed elements, such as weather, disasters, and more "in depth" user control.
and construction and management games, that was originally started by Utopia
from developer Don Daglow
and Will Wright's SimCity
series by allowing the player to customize their urban city's roads, buildings, finances, ordinances and much more. City Life utilizes a three dimensional
game engine
in displaying cities, and also includes the requirement to satisfy six different socioeconomic groups within the city, an essential part of gameplay. The six groups include the Elite
s, Suits
, Radical Chics
, Fringe, Blue collars
and Have-Nots.
In game, the six classes are depicted in a circle. Clockwise from the top are Elites, Suits, Blue Collars, Have-Nots, Fringes, and Radical Chics. Each class can tolerate the two adjacent to it, but is hostile towards the three across the circle. Further, the income generated by businesses focusing on each class is indicated by its height on the circle, Have-Nots generating the least and Elites generating the most. Lastly, the left side of the circle favors education while the right side favors safety (e.g. police and fire department coverage). The higher classes are of course more demanding. When a city is founded, only Fringes, Have-Nots, and Blue Collars will settle there. The Suits must be attracted by having good conditions for the Blue Collars, the Radical Chics are attracted by good conditions for the Fringes, and the Elites are attracted by good conditions for both the Suits and the Radical Chics. Due to the literal class warfare, if classes that dislike each other live near closely, they will start riots and make complaints. Much of the gameplay focuses on arranging your city so that this will not occur.
Every business will employ a specific mix of classes; the earlier, less profitable buildings may employ only one class, e.g. six fringe, but later buildings require a mix of several classes to reach their full potential. Thus, a successful city must manage a population of each of the classes.
As their name implies, the Elites are the most powerful and wealthiest segment of the population. However, they are also the most demanding of the six, requiring quality services in sectors like education, safety, leisure, and environment. Elites are usually attracted to a city by "evolving" from either the Radical Chic or Suit groups. Most of their employment will derive from jobs in the private industry (i.e. private clinics and private colleges,) as well as jobs in large financial institutions. They are, by far, the most lucrative socialculture of the six.
The Radical Chics are ranked among the higher income groups and are as lucrative as the Suits. They are very close to the artistic and creative world and have liberal views and dispositions. Employment for Radical Chics derive from jobs in designing (i.e. clothing and interior spaces,) researching, and cosmetic surgery. Radical Chics get attracted to a city by "evolving" from Fringes. This group favors services in education and retail.
The Suits are a wealthy community whom conduct business transactions within industries. Suits are attracted to a city by "evolving" from Blue Collars. They demand quality services in safety and healthcare among others. Their employment will derive from jobs in financial advising, auditing, accounting, and stock trading.
The Fringes are artist
s whom have low incomes(slightly lower than that of Blue Collars) and are usually fans of cultural activities. They also lean towards liberal views of the world. Fringes are naturally attracted to any city with available housing, though under certain circumstances, they will "evolve" from Have-Nots. They demand good retail services and adequate educational services. Employment for the Fringes derives primarily from clothing workshops, wood companies, and paranormal activites (i.e. wraith hunters and extraterrestial landing sites.)
The Blue Collars work in the industries of the city and have revenues close to that of the Fringes (they are slighlty more lucrative.) They represent the typical suburban family with traditional values. Blue Collars will usually be attracted to a city with available housing, but under certain circumstances will "evolve" from Have-Nots. They demand good services for healthcare and decent services for safety. Employment for Blue Collars is usually found in industries, private investigating, fishing companies, and oil derricks/platforms.
The Have-Not community is at the crossroads between the artistic and the industrial worlds. They are the lowest on the scale of power and wealth. Have-Nots do not demand any services at all. In fact, they are content with having nothing more than a house and a job. Unlike Fringes and Blue Collars, Have-Nots are not too easily attracted to a city. In order for them to appear, the player will usually have to create a district focusing primarily on Have-Not jobs and leisure activities. It is also possible to attract Have Nots by having Fringes and Blue Collars "devolve" into Have-Nots. This is achieved when Fringes and Blue Collars remain unemployed for a certain amount of time.
However, profits from business are not guaranteed at a fixed rate. For example, building a vegan restaurant in a city with a low population of Radical Chics will result in less than maximum income. Similarly, a casino won't turn maximum profit until there are Elites. In this way, the game forces the player to partially develop the richer communities in order to make their larger businesses viable.
Energy and waste in City Life are also considered a kind of income. Energy or waste management that the city provides for itself is cheaper than buying those services externally. Any surplus energy can be sold for profit, as can excess waste management. For example, a power station generates 5100 points of energy. If the city uses only 3100 energy, then the remaining 2000 energy will be sold and is counted as monthly profit. Incidentally this makes the power station one of the best initial industries for a city since it provides work for Blue Collar and profits are much larger than other industrial businesses.
which occurs if the video card
does not support the pixel shaders required by City Life. Users who lack the support for the required pixel shaders can use a program called 3D-Analyze to run City Life. This problem can only be rectified by installing newer hardware that supports current pixel shaders. The game also has compatibility issues with Windows Media Center XP
, and old video card drivers. Some users have also experience compatibility issues with Windows Vista
, though most Vista problems can be rectified by starting the game in Administrator Mode.
, dubbed City Life: World Edition, was released on December 30, 2006 online and on January 15, 2007 in stores. World Edition features landmarks around the world, including the Eiffel Tower
and the Sears Tower
.
Additional content includes:
etc... New scenarios, 10 new maps, and an updated version of the editor allow you to import satellite maps, as well as import from applications such as World Machine, or GeoControl." The official release date for the expansion pack was November 10, 2007. On November 16, 2007, the release date was pushed back to November 23, 2007. The game was finally released effective on 15 February 2008.
Also, Monte Cristo has confirmed in 2008, that they would make a City Life game for Nintendo DS.http://www.citiesxl.com/index.php?/content/view/23/46/lang,en/
average score of 75. PC Gamer magazine in the UK said it was "no great shakes, but an awful lot better than SimCity
Societies". IT Reviews said that "life in this particular city is rather humdrum, we're afraid, and owners of previous versions of the game will find new content rather thin on the pavement". 1UP.com concluded that "the solid city-building engine still has legs - just nowhere to walk".
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game that lets the player create a modern city. It is the first modern city-building game
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
to allow the player to work in full 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
environment. The game is by French developer Monte Cristo
Monte Cristo (company)
Monte Cristo was a French computer game developer and publisher, based in Paris. It was established in 1995 by former Credit Suisse First Boston vice-president Jean-Marc de Fety and former Mars & Co strategy senior consultant Jean-Cristophe Marquis. The company was led by Jean-Christophe Marquis...
. It is published in France by Focus, in the UK and Germany by Deep Silver and in North America by CDV. It was released in May 2006.
City Life allows players to zoom in and see every little bit of detail. The placement method allows buildings to be placed at an angle, as also seen in Sierra Games' Caesar IV
Caesar IV
Caesar IV is a city-building game set in ancient Rome, developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment. The game was released on September 26, 2006 in North America. The game features a three-dimensional game engine and individual modeling of game character behaviors.Like its original release Caesar in...
.
More recently, the game has been criticized for lack of many detailed elements, such as weather, disasters, and more "in depth" user control.
Summary
City Life continues the very long tradition of city-buildingCity-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
and construction and management games, that was originally started by Utopia
Utopia (video game)
Utopia is a video game, released on Intellivision in 1981 and often regarded as among the first sim games and god games. It is also regarded as setting the scene for the real-time strategy genre. It was designed and programmed by Don Daglow....
from developer Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
and Will Wright's SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
series by allowing the player to customize their urban city's roads, buildings, finances, ordinances and much more. City Life utilizes a three dimensional
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
in displaying cities, and also includes the requirement to satisfy six different socioeconomic groups within the city, an essential part of gameplay. The six groups include the Elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
s, Suits
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
, Radical Chics
Radical chic
Radical chic is a term coined by journalist Tom Wolfe in his 1970 essay "Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's," to describe the adoption and promotion of radical political causes by celebrities, socialites, and high society...
, Fringe, Blue collars
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
and Have-Nots.
Classes
Every business will employ a specific mix of classes; the earlier, less profitable buildings may employ only one class, e.g. six fringe, but later buildings require a mix of several classes to reach their full potential. Thus, a successful city must manage a population of each of the classes.
The Radical Chics are ranked among the higher income groups and are as lucrative as the Suits. They are very close to the artistic and creative world and have liberal views and dispositions. Employment for Radical Chics derive from jobs in designing (i.e. clothing and interior spaces,) researching, and cosmetic surgery. Radical Chics get attracted to a city by "evolving" from Fringes. This group favors services in education and retail.
The Suits are a wealthy community whom conduct business transactions within industries. Suits are attracted to a city by "evolving" from Blue Collars. They demand quality services in safety and healthcare among others. Their employment will derive from jobs in financial advising, auditing, accounting, and stock trading.
The Fringes are artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s whom have low incomes(slightly lower than that of Blue Collars) and are usually fans of cultural activities. They also lean towards liberal views of the world. Fringes are naturally attracted to any city with available housing, though under certain circumstances, they will "evolve" from Have-Nots. They demand good retail services and adequate educational services. Employment for the Fringes derives primarily from clothing workshops, wood companies, and paranormal activites (i.e. wraith hunters and extraterrestial landing sites.)
The Blue Collars work in the industries of the city and have revenues close to that of the Fringes (they are slighlty more lucrative.) They represent the typical suburban family with traditional values. Blue Collars will usually be attracted to a city with available housing, but under certain circumstances will "evolve" from Have-Nots. They demand good services for healthcare and decent services for safety. Employment for Blue Collars is usually found in industries, private investigating, fishing companies, and oil derricks/platforms.
The Have-Not community is at the crossroads between the artistic and the industrial worlds. They are the lowest on the scale of power and wealth. Have-Nots do not demand any services at all. In fact, they are content with having nothing more than a house and a job. Unlike Fringes and Blue Collars, Have-Nots are not too easily attracted to a city. In order for them to appear, the player will usually have to create a district focusing primarily on Have-Not jobs and leisure activities. It is also possible to attract Have Nots by having Fringes and Blue Collars "devolve" into Have-Nots. This is achieved when Fringes and Blue Collars remain unemployed for a certain amount of time.
Economy
City Life has a simple economy. Each building has infrastructure costs which are paid by the city to the business, including fixed costs and costs which are related to the number of employees a building requires. Roads, bridges, parks and monuments also count as buildings in this way. Buildings also have indirect costs with regards the energy they consume and waste they produce. Buildings which represent businesses also generate income which is taxed and is paid back to the city. Therefore, the monthly budget for the city (i.e. for the player) is calculated by taking the taxed income and subtracting the infrastructure costs for each building. For example, the basic industrial building has 50$ of fixed infrastructure costs and generates up to 100$ in revenue tax per worker. When staffed with 3 workers the net profit for the city is thus 250$ per month.However, profits from business are not guaranteed at a fixed rate. For example, building a vegan restaurant in a city with a low population of Radical Chics will result in less than maximum income. Similarly, a casino won't turn maximum profit until there are Elites. In this way, the game forces the player to partially develop the richer communities in order to make their larger businesses viable.
Energy and waste in City Life are also considered a kind of income. Energy or waste management that the city provides for itself is cheaper than buying those services externally. Any surplus energy can be sold for profit, as can excess waste management. For example, a power station generates 5100 points of energy. If the city uses only 3100 energy, then the remaining 2000 energy will be sold and is counted as monthly profit. Incidentally this makes the power station one of the best initial industries for a city since it provides work for Blue Collar and profits are much larger than other industrial businesses.
Technical Issues
Technical support for the product is offered by the various publishers for their territory. For North America, support can be received via http://www.cdvus.com http://www.cdvus.com, which also contains a number of documented work-around, patches and program updates.Startup problems
Many users have problems getting the game to actually play. Sometimes before the game loads to 100%, the game crashes to the desktopDesktop environment
In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...
which occurs if the video card
Video card
A video card, Graphics Card, or Graphics adapter is an expansion card which generates output images to a display. Most video cards offer various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors...
does not support the pixel shaders required by City Life. Users who lack the support for the required pixel shaders can use a program called 3D-Analyze to run City Life. This problem can only be rectified by installing newer hardware that supports current pixel shaders. The game also has compatibility issues with Windows Media Center XP
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
, and old video card drivers. Some users have also experience compatibility issues with Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
, though most Vista problems can be rectified by starting the game in Administrator Mode.
World Edition
A City Life expansion packExpansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
, dubbed City Life: World Edition, was released on December 30, 2006 online and on January 15, 2007 in stores. World Edition features landmarks around the world, including the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
and the Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
.
Additional content includes:
- Building Creation Tool
- 100 new buildings, bringing the total number of buildings to 300.
City Life Deluxe
On December 30, 2006, registered game users received an email advertisement for City Life Deluxe. It is available for purchase and download from the City Life website, though the site does not detail updates to World Edition within the expansion, if any.2008
On August 30, 2007, Monte Cristo and Focus announced an upcoming second expansion pack for City Life entitled City Life 2008, saying the expansion would include "60 more buildings, bringing the total to 360, including famous structures such as St Pauls Cathedral, Royal OperaRoyal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
etc... New scenarios, 10 new maps, and an updated version of the editor allow you to import satellite maps, as well as import from applications such as World Machine, or GeoControl." The official release date for the expansion pack was November 10, 2007. On November 16, 2007, the release date was pushed back to November 23, 2007. The game was finally released effective on 15 February 2008.
Also, Monte Cristo has confirmed in 2008, that they would make a City Life game for Nintendo DS.http://www.citiesxl.com/index.php?/content/view/23/46/lang,en/
Reception
City Life 2008 received average reviews, with a MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
average score of 75. PC Gamer magazine in the UK said it was "no great shakes, but an awful lot better than SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
Societies". IT Reviews said that "life in this particular city is rather humdrum, we're afraid, and owners of previous versions of the game will find new content rather thin on the pavement". 1UP.com concluded that "the solid city-building engine still has legs - just nowhere to walk".