Cities XL 2011 first impressions

[Grunwaldt]

I have played a bit of Cities XL 2011, and don't see the performance boost focus told us against 2009 version.

No matter how I adjust the graphic settings, the bottleneck seems to be the cpu, as I don't get any different performance even forcing vsync and using 16xQ AA. My GeForce 9800 GTX handles the settings maxed out. Like I said the problem should be the cpu, as the game isn't using multiple cores.

Appart from this, I like some of the improvements, like the ability of saving/loading cities manually. And the subways seem great also, too bad there aren't surface stations for the trains.

[jeje71]

did you buy on steam?

mine says 11 hours to go.

[Grunwaldt]

No, I bought it from the official wesite.

[-=Sgt. Fopper=-]

No, I bought it from the official wesite.

First question:
Which languages are included?

Second question:
You bought it from the official site:
The english site of Focus for CitiesXL 2011?

Thanks in advance! :)

Greets from Germany
Sgt. Fopper

[Grunwaldt]

I'm from Spain, so I speak spanish mainly. But I wanted the game in english as translations aren't usually very good.

To buy it, and as I have the original Cities XL, I simply clicked on the:

EXCLUSIVE
OFFER
FOR CITIES XL PLAYERS

CLICK HERE

you can find on the top right of the official site for Cities XL, which is this one (http://www2.citiesxl.com/).

Beware, on the official forums (http://forum.citiesxl.com/viewforum.php?f=9) there are a lot of complains about issues with their store. I had no problems tho, and I even got the game 2 days before official release.

[sooNAHmee]

Please keep us updated on your opinions if you get a chance to play some more.

Here's a review (http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_analisis.php?pic=PC&idj=cw4c29cf2dde92c&id=cw4cb5d547b9c33)(the only one I could find) if anyone wants to check it out. It's in Spanish; I just used Google Chrome's built in translator to read it.

[-=Sgt. Fopper=-]

@Grunwaldt

As you installed Cities XL 2011, which language(s) could you choose? :)
Only Spain or also other as well?

[Grunwaldt]

The installer at its startup did let me choose language, but as default was english I didn't touch it to see the others. Although I do think, but I'm not sure, that lets you choose language for the installer itself, not the game, I doubt all languages are included in.

[-=Sgt. Fopper=-]

The installer at its startup did let me choose language, but as default was english I didn't touch it to see the others. Although I do think, but I'm not sure, that lets you choose language for the installer itself, not the game, I doubt all languages are included in.

Thanks for the answer. It's not the answer makin' me happy but an answer.^^
Much fun in playing CitiesXL 2011! :)

[Grunwaldt]

Thanks for the answer. It's not the answer makin' me happy but an answer.^^
Much fun in playing CitiesXL 2011! :)
Yeah, sorry for not being more helpful, you better post asking for this on the official forums.

[-=Sgt. Fopper=-]

Yeah, sorry for not being more helpful, you better post asking for this on the official forums.

Done! ;)

[Zeuserich]

I am actually shocked - its the same game as Citiesxl 2009, simply modded and patched. Should've been called CitiesXl 2009 v2.0 and released as a cheap add-on.

Traffic sounds - looped and activated at certain zoom-in point, you can actually hear same annoying wfooooosh sounds over ANY building, any point of the city. Sometimes loop actually gets stuck, so you can hear traffic sounds at main menu and high above the city -_-

Graphics are literally the same as in 2009. UI is also the same (and its still awful). Tutorial - also identical to 2009, they even left those ugly character pictures (welcome to capitalism 2!). Music? I think you know the answer.

They simply unlocked all those features that were locked in CitiesXL 2009 and finished them. Same thing could be done if you installed global mod from http://www.citiesxs.net/forum/index.php/board,19.0.html.

Now i know why they are offering 50% off for those who purchased CitiesXl 2009 - because if you already have 2009 version, buying 2011 would be the same as if you bought 2 copy's of the game.

Don't get me wrong - i liked CitiesXl 2009, but releasing same thing twice? WTF? Really? W...T...F?

Oh and yeah - theres a small lag when you click on buildings in game. Cant remember if it existed in CitiesXl 2009.

[Necr0max]

Oh and yeah - theres a small lag when you click on buildings in game. Cant remember if it existed in CitiesXl 2009.

Yeah that's the thing that is annoying me most at the moment. I didn't find anyone complaining about it on the official forums (unless I didn't look hard enough), so maybe it's the Steam version or something. I'm not too upset so long as they fix this, and continue to support it unlike the last developer.

[Zeuserich]

/facepalm just read official forums - most of the users said the same thing as me - its a repack of 2009 version, even moderator confirmed that developer (Focus) simply finished w/e Monte Cristo left over when they went bankrupt. Fans like the game, new users as well, everyone else (like me) - not so much.

[Yvese]

So it's essentially $40 for a 'patch'?

...

[Ryuubei]

Not really, from what i've seen FI took the base game, fixed it, and then added a load of much wanted features. If you have the 2009 version, then the discount makes it worth while, and if you don't have it, then it still is a worth while game cause it's what the 2009 version should have been

[Zeuserich]

So it's essentially $40 for a 'patch'?

...


If only... you can check official forums - still no trains and most of the bugs from 2009 haven't been fixed, NOTHING new was added (xept metro), they simply fixed some of those things that were already present in 2009 game, but were locked and not implemented.

http://forum.citiesxl.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=623

About 20 bugs already found, most of them from 2009 though.

In all honesty - there isn't a single thing i wanted that was added in this game. I don't need the metro - just fix memory leaks and lags, add multicore support, pipette and more convenient UI.... and don't forget about those cars turning into ugly brown boxes when you zoom out even slightly. There was literally a bazzilion complains, questions and threads about those damn brown boxes... why oh why they couldn't fix them? Its not that i care, but cmon - now people ask same thing in CitiesXl 2011 forum. Theres, of course, an old mod from 2009 that fixes cars - how hard was it to add same thing officially? /sigh

[Ryuubei]

wow apparently they havent fixed the memory leak issue yet. several people are posting that game slows down to a crawl after a few hours on the official forums. I would've thought that would be one of the first things fixed

[cool_recep]

I am really. afraid. I have already wasted 7 bucks on 2009 and I am not going to buy 2011 without the problems solved...

[ScratchyGato]

After playing a few hours, I'm pretty happy with XL 2011. I'm new to Cities XL and have never played the previous versions. I have played SimCity -- all the versions.

Yes. There are some annoyances: slight lag between clicking on pretty much anything and the game responding. Wonky menu--works sometimes and sometimes not. But, overall, I'm having a lot of fun. I'm just glad it's playable and runs ;) [unlike Lionheart, which is unplayable (for me) with no patch in sight.]

I like city building games, but I'm really weary of SimCity. So, this is a nice change of pace. Even with the problems, it's still fun. The item-click-lag is a drag, but not enough to keep me from having a good time. Hopefully, there'll be a patch to address the Steam-only problems.


I have the Steam version and am running it on a hefty rig.

FWIW

[sfade]

wow apparently they havent fixed the memory leak issue yet. several people are posting that game slows down to a crawl after a few hours on the official forums. I would've thought that would be one of the first things fixed

I've had no such issues, the game has been running very well with some play sessions going on for hours. If there's a memory leak (which I did see in 2009) it isn't affecting me in this one.

[bigred78]

So it's essentially $40 for a 'patch'?

...

A patch that still doesn't get things right.

Wish MAXIS/EA would just buy/bury this thing and go about making SIMCITY 5.

[i_2_i]

i guess i'll wait for it to be heavily discounted before picking it up...

[Ric666]

A patch that still doesn't get things right.

Wish MAXIS/EA would just buy/bury this thing and go about making SIMCITY 5.

If you have the original then you get a 50% reduction on the buy new price. Please do your research before slagging off the price.

I'm quite enjoying the game. yes, there are some things that need improved it's only just been released as a new game. I will give the new owners/developers some time to fix these things before I slag it off. There is still alot of stuff improved imo.
+ the biggest thing is focus home(the new developers) are supporting mods/new buildings which is more that monte cristo ever did :)

[jonvan]

I am really. afraid. I have already wasted 7 bucks on 2009 and I am not going to buy 2011 without the problems solved...

It's under new development and management, I'm sure they'll fix a lot of problems.

[kirbeh]

So this is a new way of robbing people? This is the alternative to dangerous bank robberies and exhausting muggings at night? Stealing hard-earned cash out of people's pockets with horrible games? I hope the company goes under. But knowing the money and effort they put into their games, I doubt they're not exactly in debt to the costs they put in.

[Straite]

Wow, and it has evil DRM - and its just the old version patched? Not touching this with a ten foot pole.

[Ultraspank]

Thanks for this thread. I was considering going from 2009 to 2011, hoping a lot of nice new features were added. Something like alternative clean fuels for vehicles and factories to prevent pollution, for example, would've been great. I'll certainly pass on this game and wait for another city sim that does it right :)

[muli]

Hows this game compare to transport tycoon?