After buying the first Sims 3 expansion called World Adventures, I have to say that I’m extremely disappointed but I’ve figured out what your deal is now. As I was doing the totally inane “push-block and get-prize” activity, I realized that I’d felt all of this before. And where? From your last project of heaping dung – Spore. After making it through exactly one activity, I put down the Sims 3 and I haven’t picked it up again.

On the other hand, I’ve figured out exactly what your deal is. You’ve managed to create a series of instructional games for people wanting to know how to play real big boy games. Spore was all about creating miniture versions of RTS and City/Empire Builder games, but dumbed down to the point that it was boring and with a UI designed for simplicity, not efficiency. In other words, it was not only boring due a major lack of any complexity, but actually trying to use the functionality was an exercise in extreme frustration. With World Adventures, you’ve managed to give people training wheels for the “Lara Croft as Tomb Raider” puzzle-style adventure games.

AND IT SUCKS.

I’ve grown to hate you “Maxis” and at this point I don’t want you to create SimCity 5 because you’ll ruin it, just like you’ve ruined the Sims. You’ve taken all the tongue in cheek fun out of the game! Examples:

1) Woohoo is no longer firework explosions and “Grrs!” but harp music and floating hearts.
2) No hottub. No. Hot. Tub. For fuck’s sake, REALLY?
3) This was the preview for Sims 2:

I can’t in a million billion years imagine you doing something like that again. You’re too boring and stupid and tame. You’ve forced me to put your name into scare quotes!

So fuck you “Maxis” and fuck the products you’re producing. I will not be fueling your demise with my money from this point forward.

Sincerely,
Donolectic

Am I surprised by it? No. It’s a brilliant strategic move politically and Barack Obama is a politician. In fact, he’s an absolutely brilliant politician. He’s going to do the things that will give him more political power at very little expense to himself. This is why he’s willing to give us shoutouts in his acceptance speech which make us homos feel toasty inside but carry little political baggage, but wouldn’t forcefully denounce the Yes on 8′s campaign, even when they used his image in their campaign mailers to remove rights from California citizens – that would be too risky politically with an uncertain benefit to him.

I don’t believe that homos are going to directly benefit from an Obama administration, except where it’s politically convenient or beneficial for us. Will we indirectly benefit? Absolutely – I don’t think he’s going to actively set us back like the Republicans would have. But I also don’t think he’s going to move us forward either, he’s not going to spend political capital on our issues, unless it was a plus for him politically.

Maybe we’ll get some indirect benefit from the Warren invocation crap in the form of being able to get ENDA passed or DADT repealed. I don’t see much hope for a complete DOMA repeal until his second administration, if at all. We’ll also indirectly benefit from a gay friendlier administration and judicial appointments. Maybe in the end we’ll actually have some net pluses out of an Obama administration, because it’s definitely possible if there’s a positive for Obama in there.

In summary, I’m happy for the indirect benefits that a Democratic administration will bring and when it comes to actual policy, I don’t think that we’ll move backwards over the next four or eight years. But forwards? I’m not holding out hope. Reality is that hope/change only exists within the world of politics and the art of the possible.

Wow… I’m so glad that Hillary has the strength not to just wallow in her own angst and self-pity. A lot of the people who post here would do well to follow her example. Your hysterics are very embarrassing and, quite frankly, sad to see.

The primary season was hard fought. It was not stolen. She did an admirable job. She also made some pretty self-inflicted strategic mistakes. The party voted for Obama, just as it did for Kerry before, and Gore before that.

If you want to vote for McCain because you didn’t get your desired outcome in a fair fight, that’s fine, that’s your right. If you feel the need to become a Republican for that reason, I’m sure you’ll feel right at home with the Religious Right who have abandoned McCain because of an irrational idealogical litmus test.

Hillary has stepped up and shown herself a leader, willing to put aside her own personal ambitions for the sake of strong Democratic Party and a stronger America. I commend her and all that are standing with our party, our nominee, and the hope that, along with our nominee, America wins in this election. She understands what’s at stake and I can only hope that you at some point will as well.

Best of luck to all of us.

To quote John Stewart, they’re “hurting America.”  I understand their passion, but the way they’re using it for evil makes me bitter an cynical.  It’s like Nader, redux.

P.S> I don’t see how equating McCain with Clinton, as they are suggesting by voting for the Republican nominee, actually helps their cause.  Not that I should be thinking anything they’re doing makes sense, but damn.  Not the flag to try and rally people around.

P.P.S> Usually I don’t do this sort of thing (I don’t post on Kos or Redstate for instance), but as a former Hillary supporter who switched, maybe I thought I could change a mind or two. To quote my roomie: “I think the conduct of former skeptics now for obama in these kinds of conversations could have a marginal impact.”

Here’s to hoping.  

P.P.P.S> Assholes with conspiracy theories are some of the worst.  I had to remove myself and rejoin the reality based community.

1) Obama’s economics speech at Cooper Union – This speech made all the wonky areas of my brain light up like Christmas. On top of that, I agreed with what he was saying.

2) Hillary’s sniper fire bullshit – This never should’ve happened because she knows better. “Misspoke” my ass. If getting kissed by little kids counts as sniper fire, then she got a frakload of experience as first lady.

3) Obama’s teflon exterior – Rev Wright happened and in the end, it not only didn’t hurt him it seemed to give him another sanctimonious platform and a boost to his polls. Americans love him like they love Reagan for reasons I still don’t understand.

Please note that this is not what I would deem support and I really would hate for it to be taken as an endorsement, but I do think that he’s the best chance for the Dems to win the Presidency at this time and I don’t think he’d fuck it up too badly should he gain the office. I still believe any of the top three candidates would be better than the current occupant.

Also, I believe Reagan will be on the money one day. In addition, politics are ludicrous and asinine and there’s a very great possibility that I am an idiot.

If he doesn’t win, then my fears about him being able to fight and win will have been justified (it’s all on him if he loses) and we get President McCain and my preferred candidate can attempt to win the nomination again when she feels it’s time.

At the very least, all the candidates from the two main political parties are a step up from the current occupant. Not ideal, but a step above.

To quote a commenter on the SLOG, this all feels like it should be a lot more fun and exciting than it’s turned out to be and I’m just ready for it to be over.

And then, when that support becomes inconvenient, he says some platitudes, gets rid of the surrogate, and all is forgiven. He did it with McClurkin, he’s done it with his pastor, wink-wink/nudge-nudge/hope-change, and there he is above all the noisy rabble, just waiting to be anointed.

Hypocritical and straight from the Rovian playbook. Great job Mr. Obama.

-Queen_of_Sleaze via SLOG

You people are fucking crazy. What sort of whack job holds law school money hostage over football?

My mind boggles.

I really wish I was writing this to Maxis, but both you and I know that Maxis is nothing more than a rapidly fading brand, with the real talent working in the Sims division now. Not that they’re doing bad work mind you, just that I notice the Maxis label disappearing. Add to that Will Wright being off in his own studio developing Spore, a title that also appears to be missing the word Maxis. My guess is that in five or ten years or so, after everyone’s completely forgotten about Maxis, you’ll probably start slapping “Maxis” all over various things that have some sort of Sim component to them and you’ll be branded as original and edgy, and it’ll be great PR. With that said, without you Maxis would probably not even exist today the way they were heading, and they would’ve been snapped up and used as a mask the same way that Infogrames did with Atari. In some ways, I think that’s a worse fate.

The reason I wish I was talking to Maxis right now though is because if it were truly Maxis, I wouldn’t be needing to write this. What I’m here to ask about is when we’re going to get a new SimCity game, the flagship Maxis product. Yes yes, I know there’s something out there you’re calling SimCity Societies which has absolutely nothing to do with the series, which is why I’m talking about a getting a REAL SimCity game in my hands again. Do you really think Maxis would let their flagship product go nearly 5 years without a new version?

I love SimCity. Much like my relationship with the Civilization series, I started playing SimCity in High School and was completely and totally hooked. I bought SimCity 2000, 3000, and 4 the day they were released. I grew up with this series, I’ve watched it evolve into something truly incredible… for 2003. Since then you’ve let it stagnate. I’ve kept waiting and waiting and waiting… you release a cutsie version for the DS based on 3000, but I’m still waiting for the real thing.

Finally, there comes an annoucement – new SimCity title! And then I learn it’s Societies and, yes, it felt a bit like a betrayal. As I said, that’s not a SimCity game and it’s not what I want. Because it’s not what I want, I’ll exercise my vote as a consumer – I’m not going to buy it. Besides, why reward your bad behavior?

Look, I know I’m a hardcore fan. But you obviously know there are lots of us out there. We’re the people who’ve continued to modify and expand the last version of the game through sites like SimTropolis and it’s STEX. Hell, at this point, I’d take SimCity 4 with a tuneup and the top addons from the STEX integrated in.

But I shouldn’t have to.

Look EA, it’s time you made another REAL SimCity game. I know that Will Wright has said that the game has become too complicated for the beggining user and that’s understandable because SimCity 4 was complicated. But your team is a master of great UI – why not create a tiered system of controls and automata? Those who are starting out will have the background stuff taken care of for them and less options on the screen, but those who already understand the underlying mechanics can tweak it to their heart’s content. Create a great tutorial system to show off the power of the game. And as we all know, directly from both SimCity and the Sims, if you build into the game a way for people to create their own addons to expand the game even further the community will do it.

Give us a new SimCity game EA. Make it good and people will buy it and you will make money. In your heart of hearts, isn’t that what really matters? What are you waiting for?

Thank you,
A SimCity Fan