SimIsle
Encyclopedia
SimIsle: Missions in the Rainforest is a construction and management simulation game published by Maxis
in 1995
. It ranks among many commercially unsuccessful Maxis games produced in the 1990s between the various incarnations of SimCity
. Like these dozen or so others, Maxis referred to the title not as a video game but as a "software toy" because it remained faithful to the open ended philosophy of the company.
The game engine
itself has a passing similarity to that of SimCity 2000
(SC2K). For example, the island maps are projected isometric
ally; however, the terrain graphics are more sophisticated and other graphics are of a slightly different style than SC2K. Another engine similarity is the ability to rotate the map 90° at a time, which allows it to be viewed from four different perspectives. There are also three separate zoom levels, ranging from very far out, allowing the entire map to be visible on screen, to very close in, for viewing very specific details of the island.
Each island map has its own initial situation or quagmire
that the player can deal with however one sees fit. Of particular note is the scenario where the island's natives have begun growing narcotic
s and a foreign drug cartel
begins operations there as a result. The player can choose to ignore the situation, take a cut of profits or send an agent to shut the operation down. If the player makes an agreement with the drug cartel, one receives a portion of funds deposited in their treasury but receive an unfavorable world opinion. Choosing the last option can, however, result in the assassination
of said agent.
The agents are managed through a special building that appears on every map known simply as the Agent HQ (although it can be renamed). Each isle comes with a number of pre-selected agents and others can be hired using the Agent HQ facility. Additionally, agents on the payroll can be fired or trained while they are stationed at the Agent HQ. Each agent usually has two skills (such as Construction, Flora and Forestry, Local Culture, or even Criminal Contacts) that allows him or her to take on certain assignments. In some situations, an assignment requires more than one skill; if a single agent doesn't have all the necessary talents two or more agents can be used to finish the task. It's not possible to train the agents in new skills but they can be trained to increase the effectiveness of the skills they already have.
An agent's skill set also determines where the agent is allowed to move on the map. All agents can move to existing facilities and settlements but others are not allowed to move onto nondeveloped tiles. For example, agents with the construction skill are allowed to move most anywhere on the map so that they can start new building projects. Agents with the "Exploration" skill are allowed to move onto jungle squares and may discover hidden objects in doing so. Trying to move an agent to a location he is not eligible for simply results in an error message to that effect.
In one scenario in particular (and even rarely in others) it is possible to find a hidden agent who is a cartoon super hero named Captain Sprout. There is a side story to the game involving Captain Sprout and his battle with his arch-nemesis. Captain Sprout is unique in that he has 6 skills (where the standard agents only have one, two, or, in the case of one agent, three) and his starting skill level in each is 99 (where all the other agents start at 50 but can be trained higher).
s such as lumber
, coal
, gold
, iron
, and oil
which can be gathered by building an appropriate facility (such as a mine
, logging camp, or oil rig
) on a tile which contains the resource. Once the facility is built, it operates more or less autonomously and will produce the specified resource at a rate determined by various factors including the richness of the deposit in that area.
Two other important resources are food and unskilled labor, both of which are supplied by the native villages that are dotted across each island. Initially, the native villages have low populations and are only capable of producing enough food to support the lone settlement. Agents with the appropriate skills can be sent to the villages to train them which increases their ability to produce food. This, in turn, allows the village population to increase which can then be used to found new villages (to further increase food supply) or act as an unskilled labor pool.
The surplus food produced by well trained villages can be used to support populations in towns and cities (which are built by the player) which can then be used to obtain skilled labor. Additionally, the native population has a happiness level that can be adversely affected by environmental conditions or by drawing too many unskilled laborers. Unhappy villages will sometimes start growing narcotics, as mentioned previously, which can be exploited for profit using an agent with the Criminal Contacts skill.
Most natural resources require unskilled labor to extract them so usually the first thing the player will do in a new simulation is establish an unskilled labor pool. Once that is completed facilities can be produced to extract the raw materials from the environment. Other facilities can then be built to produce lower-end goods that can be sold for profit, used in cities or used as part of the supply line in building higher end goods. The various facilities in this supply chain (except for labor sources, although cities must be connected to factories and warehouses to purchase goods from them) are connected by roads built automatically by the simulation.
An AI
manages what resources are distributed where and one of the challenges of the game is balancing supply with demand
. In most cases, it is also possible to simply buy equipment and goods needed to jumpstart production or build new facilities, but this is not recommended for the long haul since it is expensive and must be performed manually by the player. Idle facilities that are starved because resources are not distributed to them or simply because none are available can become quite costly. Most resource deposits do not provide infinite supplies and so can be exhausted with time, which means most supply chains can not function without player interaction forever nor can a single simulation indefinitely support heavy industry.
Another interesting resource in the game which proves to be reasonably lucrative and enduring is tourist
s. Various facilities can be created that bring tourists to the island such as airport
s and ferries
, and they act in a manner similar to other resource sources like mines (although the "used up" tourists are returned then, unlike mines). The next facility in the tourism supply line is tourist accommodations which can be upgraded both in size and quality and produce income. From there tourists will visit tourist attractions that can both be built and also discovered in the jungles by using an Agent with the exploration skill. Attractions not built by the player will often have to be opened to the public explicitly by the player and then upgraded before they become effective in drawing tourists and producing income.
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
in 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
. It ranks among many commercially unsuccessful Maxis games produced in the 1990s between the various incarnations of 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,...
. Like these dozen or so others, Maxis referred to the title not as a video game but as a "software toy" because it remained faithful to the open ended philosophy of the company.
General
Before a new game can begin, the game requires that the player choose one of several dozen fictional tropical islands of various shapes and sizes to simulate. Each island is unique in that it has varying amounts of open plains, forests, mountains, natural resources, and native peoples. The amount of pre-developed land also varies but most of the islands are largely nondeveloped when a new simulation begins. Although each scenario has certain objectives and win/lose conditions, the scenario objectives are always optional (each map can be started with the scenario objectives turned off) and the simulation can continue in free form even after successfully completing the initial task.The 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...
itself has a passing similarity to that of SimCity 2000
SimCity 2000
SimCity 2000 is a simulation/city building video game and the second installment in the SimCity series. SimCity 2000 was first released by Maxis in 1994 for computers running Apple Macintosh Operating System...
(SC2K). For example, the island maps are projected isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
ally; however, the terrain graphics are more sophisticated and other graphics are of a slightly different style than SC2K. Another engine similarity is the ability to rotate the map 90° at a time, which allows it to be viewed from four different perspectives. There are also three separate zoom levels, ranging from very far out, allowing the entire map to be visible on screen, to very close in, for viewing very specific details of the island.
Each island map has its own initial situation or quagmire
Quagmire
Quagmire may refer to:* Water infused earth or a bog. Solid ground may turn to quagmire following substantial rainfall.* By extension, a situation that is difficult to get out of.* A tactical defense made when defending a territory close to a river...
that the player can deal with however one sees fit. Of particular note is the scenario where the island's natives have begun growing narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
s and a foreign drug cartel
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
begins operations there as a result. The player can choose to ignore the situation, take a cut of profits or send an agent to shut the operation down. If the player makes an agreement with the drug cartel, one receives a portion of funds deposited in their treasury but receive an unfavorable world opinion. Choosing the last option can, however, result in the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of said agent.
Use of agents
In similar Maxis titles, player actions, such as placing buildings, are completed instantaneously and totally anonymously. This makes SimIsle somewhat unique in the Sim world because it is played through the use of intermediary agents who are both hired and paid by the player. Collectively, the agents, who have varying skills and profiles, will carry out all of the players actions in the simulation and will take varying amounts of time to complete each project.The agents are managed through a special building that appears on every map known simply as the Agent HQ (although it can be renamed). Each isle comes with a number of pre-selected agents and others can be hired using the Agent HQ facility. Additionally, agents on the payroll can be fired or trained while they are stationed at the Agent HQ. Each agent usually has two skills (such as Construction, Flora and Forestry, Local Culture, or even Criminal Contacts) that allows him or her to take on certain assignments. In some situations, an assignment requires more than one skill; if a single agent doesn't have all the necessary talents two or more agents can be used to finish the task. It's not possible to train the agents in new skills but they can be trained to increase the effectiveness of the skills they already have.
An agent's skill set also determines where the agent is allowed to move on the map. All agents can move to existing facilities and settlements but others are not allowed to move onto nondeveloped tiles. For example, agents with the construction skill are allowed to move most anywhere on the map so that they can start new building projects. Agents with the "Exploration" skill are allowed to move onto jungle squares and may discover hidden objects in doing so. Trying to move an agent to a location he is not eligible for simply results in an error message to that effect.
In one scenario in particular (and even rarely in others) it is possible to find a hidden agent who is a cartoon super hero named Captain Sprout. There is a side story to the game involving Captain Sprout and his battle with his arch-nemesis. Captain Sprout is unique in that he has 6 skills (where the standard agents only have one, two, or, in the case of one agent, three) and his starting skill level in each is 99 (where all the other agents start at 50 but can be trained higher).
Facilities, natural resources and supply chains
Most Sim titles require some form of resource management which is usually currency of one type or another. SimIsle has its own currency, known as the "EMU", but this is only one of the many resources available on an isle. Each island has varying deposits of natural resourceNatural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s such as lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
which can be gathered by building an appropriate facility (such as a mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, logging camp, or oil rig
Drilling rig
A drilling rig is a machine which creates holes or shafts in the ground. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill water wells, oil wells, or natural gas extraction wells, or they can be small enough to be moved manually by one person...
) on a tile which contains the resource. Once the facility is built, it operates more or less autonomously and will produce the specified resource at a rate determined by various factors including the richness of the deposit in that area.
Two other important resources are food and unskilled labor, both of which are supplied by the native villages that are dotted across each island. Initially, the native villages have low populations and are only capable of producing enough food to support the lone settlement. Agents with the appropriate skills can be sent to the villages to train them which increases their ability to produce food. This, in turn, allows the village population to increase which can then be used to found new villages (to further increase food supply) or act as an unskilled labor pool.
The surplus food produced by well trained villages can be used to support populations in towns and cities (which are built by the player) which can then be used to obtain skilled labor. Additionally, the native population has a happiness level that can be adversely affected by environmental conditions or by drawing too many unskilled laborers. Unhappy villages will sometimes start growing narcotics, as mentioned previously, which can be exploited for profit using an agent with the Criminal Contacts skill.
Most natural resources require unskilled labor to extract them so usually the first thing the player will do in a new simulation is establish an unskilled labor pool. Once that is completed facilities can be produced to extract the raw materials from the environment. Other facilities can then be built to produce lower-end goods that can be sold for profit, used in cities or used as part of the supply line in building higher end goods. The various facilities in this supply chain (except for labor sources, although cities must be connected to factories and warehouses to purchase goods from them) are connected by roads built automatically by the simulation.
An AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
manages what resources are distributed where and one of the challenges of the game is balancing supply with demand
Supply and demand
Supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a market. It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers will equal the quantity supplied by producers , resulting in an...
. In most cases, it is also possible to simply buy equipment and goods needed to jumpstart production or build new facilities, but this is not recommended for the long haul since it is expensive and must be performed manually by the player. Idle facilities that are starved because resources are not distributed to them or simply because none are available can become quite costly. Most resource deposits do not provide infinite supplies and so can be exhausted with time, which means most supply chains can not function without player interaction forever nor can a single simulation indefinitely support heavy industry.
Another interesting resource in the game which proves to be reasonably lucrative and enduring is tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
s. Various facilities can be created that bring tourists to the island such as airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s and ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, and they act in a manner similar to other resource sources like mines (although the "used up" tourists are returned then, unlike mines). The next facility in the tourism supply line is tourist accommodations which can be upgraded both in size and quality and produce income. From there tourists will visit tourist attractions that can both be built and also discovered in the jungles by using an Agent with the exploration skill. Attractions not built by the player will often have to be opened to the public explicitly by the player and then upgraded before they become effective in drawing tourists and producing income.