In SimCity 3000, there are five distinct steepness of slope, creating more varied landscapes. In SimCity 2000, land could either be flat or sloped, and all slopes were of the same steepness. In SimCity and SimCity 2000, the playable landscape is mostly brown, while in SimCity 3000, the playable landscape is a more realistic green color, along with other colors that progressively change by height, from beige (beach sand) to green to brown (bare ground) to white (snow). Although the game retains the pseudo-isometric dimetric perspective of its predecessor, the actual landscape became more complex and colorful. There are several changes to the graphical interface in SimCity 3000. Business deal structures, however, tend to have negative effects on the city, such as reduced land value. Land value is also determined by the city center effect where buildings that are at the city center have higher land values and those buildings on the borders have lower land values.īusiness deals were another new concept to SimCity 3000 by allowing certain structures, such as a maximum security prison, to be built within the city, the player can receive a substantial amount of funds from them. In SimCity 3000, land value creates very distinct neighborhoods which tend to contain narrow income bands, creating well-defined slums, middle class areas, and wealthy areas. Canceling a neighbor deal would incur a penalty, unless the deal was cancelled when the other city wished to renegotiate.Īlthough not strictly a city management aspect, SimCity 3000 simulates the effect of land value on construction much more realistically than in SimCity 2000. These generate a monthly charge which is either added to or deducted from the player's treasury, in accordance with the deal. New for players is interaction with neighbouring cities, negotiating rudimentary business deals with other mayors, such as the sale or purchase of water, electricity or waste management services. All power plants have a life span, and additionally, the water facilities now have a life span as well.Īlthough the concept of neighbor cities was introduced in SimCity 2000, it was greatly expanded upon in SimCity 3000. In addition to their limited life span, power plants and other utility buildings were also made vulnerable to decreasing maximum output due to age. A new zoning density was also added, totaling three densities, compared to SimCity 2000 's two. Farms and agricultural structures are also introduced, appearing on large light industrial zones in a city with low land value and little pollution. In SimCity 3000, garbage begins to accumulate when the city grows to a medium size, and must be disposed of at the expense of the city. The most notable change is the addition of the concept of waste management.

These changes create a greatly different experience from that of SimCity 2000. More and newer city services are featured. These changes span both the integral city management aspects of the game, as well as its graphical and landscape aspects. There are many changes between SimCity 3000 and its immediate predecessor SimCity 2000. Note that Little Cities is only available for the Quest line of virtual reality headsets.A mature city in SimCity 3000, featuring a population higher than 1 million. It's a breath of fresh air in a genre that loves to throw challenging scenarios and resource balancing acts at you. This makes the world feel far more alive and capitalizes on the strengths of virtual reality really well, and the delightful soundtrack accentuates the cosy, calming direction the game takes. You can wave at them and watch them as they go about their daily lives, whether they're indulging in some exciting skiing or hot air ballooning, or simply taking a breather to eat their lunch. With the Little Citizens update, this immersion is increased tenfold, as you'll actually get to interact with the people who live in your city. It has all the usual trappings of a city builder - laying roads, deciding which buildings go where, etcetera, but brings it to a whole new level of immersion.

Little Cities takes that compelling gameplay and takes you right into the city you build thanks to the wonders of virtual reality, allowing you to see close-up the inner workings of your metropolis. One of the most satisfying things about city builders is that they allow you to create sprawling settlements that you'd love to live in.

Simcity 3000