Post by: Kairon on September 21, 2008, 08:57:05 AM
In SimCity 2000 I went crazy with Wind Turbines and Hydroelectric dams. My city (the great urban metropolis known as "Caizmany") was a paragon of renewable resources, clean energy, and powerplants that didn't threaten to have radioactive meltdowns.
I guess I've always had a tiny element of environmental awareness when it came to the SimCity games (lots of green space! parks everywhere!), so I was happy to spot giant environmentally conscious wind turbines in SimCity Creator for the Wii last Friday at EA. But my attention was also piqued with an aspect of SimCity Creator DS that, while not overt, showed an awareness of the modern day concerns about global warming.
SimCity Creator DS is about building a city through different eras of civilization, from the stone age to modern day. But the developers have dubbed the modern day time period as the "Global Warming Age." Each distinct time period has its challenges, and I wonder whether the challenge in this age was about dealing with pollution and energy sources, some sort of reflection of our times?
Developer Mitch Ueno, presenting the DS game, also told us about a "future" time period that players would be able to play in if they'd "beaten" the "Global Warming Age" era. We were told that it would be a long and challenging process, but that determined players could overcome the challenges we face today and emerge in a sort of "Post-Global Warming" future, with brand new architecture and technology.
It's great that EA is optimistic in envisioning a future where mankind has overcome our greenhouse issues. SimCity Creator DS is obviously meant purely for entertainment, but I also think it's wonderful that the game's "hard mode" is fixing today's problems, and that a pollution free future is the ultimate alternate ending.
Post by: KDR_11k on September 22, 2008, 03:09:46 AM
Post by: King of Twitch on September 22, 2008, 03:19:32 AM
Post by: RABicle on September 22, 2008, 05:29:04 AM
Post by: DAaaMan64 on September 22, 2008, 10:27:56 AM
Post by: UltimatePartyBear on September 22, 2008, 12:32:03 PM
Post by: Kairon on September 22, 2008, 10:46:45 PM
I don't understand what's different. Sim City has always included managing pollution.
You're right, but it's still worthwhile to step back and appreciate that SimCity doesn't do it an overt manner, but just slides it in there. Maybe that's just a result of the type of game it is though: simulations and interconnected systems are great for showing how things can interact and affect each other. They're much more subtle (insidious?) than obvious attempts to 0impart lessons to gamers.
Post by: walkingdead on September 23, 2008, 04:02:22 PM
THey should've been more open ended about it. There should be an environmentalism phase and post apocalyptic phase, which shows the horrible society we'll have if nothing is done to combat global warming.
or like many other people believe you could have the global warming stage... then the global cooling stage... cause man made global warming is not very factual right now.
Post by: KDR_11k on September 24, 2008, 02:16:45 PM
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 24, 2008, 03:01:07 PM
Post by: RABicle on September 25, 2008, 01:29:23 AM
Thank you first time poster. I guess all those trees we're cutting down and all that carbon we're releasing into the atmosphere is making no difference.THey should've been more open ended about it. There should be an environmentalism phase and post apocalyptic phase, which shows the horrible society we'll have if nothing is done to combat global warming.
or like many other people believe you could have the global warming stage... then the global cooling stage... cause man made global warming is not very factual right now.
I don't understand what's different. Sim City has always included managing pollution.Because back then, all pollution affected was land value and life expectancy.
Post by: UltimatePartyBear on September 25, 2008, 11:29:37 AM
I don't understand what's different. Sim City has always included managing pollution.Because back then, all pollution affected was land value and life expectancy.
So what they've added is basically a technology level that's locked until you get local pollution under some value, which somehow fixes a worldwide climate problem. As if the series wasn't already too optimistic about renewable energy. :)
Post by: Caliban on September 25, 2008, 11:31:19 AM
Thank you first time poster. I guess all those trees we're cutting down and all that carbon we're releasing into the atmosphere is making no difference.
I wouldn't be so worried about deforestation other than the fact that it is causing the disappearance of biodiversity that affect macro and micro ecosystems, and not to mention that the Taiga (Boreal Forest) that contains 1/3 of all the trees on Earth, so I wouldn't be too worried about Oxygen production.
What is making a significant difference in the global greenhouse effects is Methane that is brought by the insane amount of both cattle, and their farting. Methane as a greenhouse gas is far more effective than water, or Carbon Dioxide, and its levels are alarmingly rising without giving our planet enough time to absorve it.
Post by: Jonnyboy117 on September 25, 2008, 12:55:21 PM
Thank you first time poster.
This is a personal attack and is ad hominem to boot. You are warned.
Quote from: insanolord
Apparently we're allowed to talk about politics in the blog section.
No. Politics and environmentalism are two separate things. You may discuss the latter in this thread to the extent that it relates to this game or gaming in general. This is a gaming forum, so keep the discussion game-related no matter what other issues become involved.
Post by: RABicle on September 27, 2008, 09:27:31 AM
And guess what cleared Amazon turns into? That's right, soy farms to feed cattle.Thank you first time poster. I guess all those trees we're cutting down and all that carbon we're releasing into the atmosphere is making no difference.
I wouldn't be so worried about deforestation other than the fact that it is causing the disappearance of biodiversity that affect macro and micro ecosystems, and not to mention that the Taiga (Boreal Forest) that contains 1/3 of all the trees on Earth, so I wouldn't be too worried about Oxygen production.
What is making a significant difference in the global greenhouse effects is Methane that is brought by the insane amount of both cattle, and their farting. Methane as a greenhouse gas is far more effective than water, or Carbon Dioxide, and its levels are alarmingly rising without giving our planet enough time to absorve it.
Post by: Caliban on September 27, 2008, 11:04:36 AM
Post by: ShyGuy on September 27, 2008, 03:50:54 PM
Post by: IceCold on September 27, 2008, 11:29:03 PM
Quote
What is making a significant difference in the global greenhouse effects is Methane that is brought by the insane amount of both cattle, and their farting. Methane as a greenhouse gas is far more effective than water, or Carbon Dioxide, and its levels are alarmingly rising without giving our planet enough time to absorve it.
So what you're saying is that we should all eat more steak?
Post by: Skeeter8887 on September 27, 2008, 11:55:19 PM
Post by: Caliban on September 28, 2008, 12:52:25 AM
So what you're saying is that we should all eat more steak?
We can, but it is essential that there should be methods to be devised to reduce the amount of Methane brought onto our atmosphere. Oh, and if we eat more steak wouldn't that increase the number of cattle in the sense that cattle owners would come to the conclusion that if there is a demand for it than they should increase the production of such food.
Post by: ShyGuy on September 28, 2008, 02:44:16 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on September 28, 2008, 03:04:43 AM
Post by: NWR_Lindy on September 28, 2008, 12:52:47 PM
Maybe they already have:
http://www.garmentguard.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=8
Post by: KDR_11k on September 28, 2008, 02:57:54 PM
Post by: Caliban on September 28, 2008, 07:36:11 PM
In Argentina they also tried this (http://gizmodo.com/5025345/fart-tanks-fight-methane-give-al-gore-weird-ideas). It's just a tad ridiculous though.
Even the Japanese have something (http://gizmodo.com/349723/scientists-discover-how-to-neutralize-cow-farts-your-farts-next-god-willing).
Post by: NWR_Lindy on September 28, 2008, 07:37:44 PM
Post by: Caliban on September 28, 2008, 07:43:21 PM
Post by: Jonnyboy117 on September 29, 2008, 12:17:00 AM
Post by: Caliban on September 29, 2008, 12:23:57 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on September 29, 2008, 03:04:49 AM
Hi, remember when I suggested that posts should relate to gaming? Let's try that again.
Cows relate to gaming. Cows relate to everything.
Post by: Kairon on September 29, 2008, 08:37:39 PM
Hi, remember when I suggested that posts should relate to gaming? Let's try that again.
Cows relate to gaming. Cows relate to everything.
Llamas are in Sim City Creator for Wii... does that count?
