The Barry Sanders Project has existed for almost five years now, and in that time we have released 24 Michigan themed BATs to the STEX! We have more in the works! The Google Map below shows the location of all the major BSP releases, who created them, and a link to their STEX download.
Welcome to the BSP Blog Extravaganza! This is part one of the event, which features an interview with its members and an overview of the Barry Sanders Project’s history. This will be followed by part two by nofunk in a few days. But it wouldn’t be an extravaganza without STEX uploads. Keep your eye on the STEX over the next week for a bunch of BSP uploads.
Today I had a chance to sit down with Bixel and Paulvmontfort, the "Founding Fathers" of the HKABT (Hong Kong/Asian BAT Team). The HKABT is a team that makes custom BAT (Building Architect Tool) Buildings for SimCity 4. HKABT has released hundreds of BATs across multiple websites. You can see their downloads on the STEX, and on the Sc4d LEX.
What makes a game a classic? Is it graphics? Is it brand name? Is it
replay value? Or, is it much deeper than that? Why has SimCity4 lasted
for over 6 years and why does it continue to reign supreme as the
world's foremost City Building Simulator?
Six Years is not an insignificant amout of time in the world of
software; it is downright ancient. The longevity of SC4 is seen not
only in the community support on the web but also on the retail store
shelves. SC4 and its expansion pack, Rush Hour, are still being sold
in many venues all over the world, it was even included in the latest
boxed set for the more recent Sim City Societies possibly as a way to
increase the value of the much loathed sequel. You would be hard
pressed to walk into a video game store and find a new copy of a 6 year
old game. SC4 is one of the few titles that has stood the test of time
in spite of more recent 'next gen' simulators that have tried (and
failed) to topple the city building monopoly that is SC4. Sim City 4
has out dated graphics, a limited grid design structure and is no
longer maintained by the manufacturer (last official patch was April
2003), so, why has it remained so popular over the last 6 years?
Hello, I'm your new creature. Same as your old creature.
Every city-building game ends up being linear, formulaic and predictable to play.
Monte Cristo calls it "gardening", and it's a perfect description.
Once you've figured out the precise conditions required to make your city grow in a predictable way, you often have little reason to try anything else. Some games might take you longer than others to discover this, but once it's been "solved", you pretty much have to find something else to maintain your interest with the game or it gets shelved.
So I got thinking, wouldn't it be great if you could never truly solve a city simulator? That every time you built a new city, it's a unique experience? That you'll always be a mayor and never a gardener?
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