ISS 210 Society, the Individual, & Video Games (W2)
City Building Module Instructions and Diary Questions Introduction In this module, you will have the opportunity to grow and run your own city. Whether you choose SimCity or Cities Skylines, you will be building roads, schools, and managing waste removal for your residents. Youll also have the power to create zoning regulations in your city and levy taxes. The game acts as an immense simulation, allowing you to test different ideas to make your city a success. If you are choosing between the two games, we recommend Cities: Skylines. Not only is the game easier to get ahold of (its on consoles and on Steam), but its the far better game in my eyes and the eyes of reviewers. The game tends to run better and has a deeper set of features. Skylines also allows you to build larger cities than SimCity does, which can lead to a more fulfilling experience. Of course, its up to you to choose which game you want to play, but if it were up to us we would choose Skylines. Game Choices (choose one) Cities Skyline (6-8 hours) SimCity (2013) (6-8 hours) Readings Read all of the 4 PDFs in the City Building, Everyone Reads content section. These files are named: SimCityReview, RealMayors, HousingEducationCrime, and StreetsChallenge. The order in which you read them does not matter. Nor does it matter if you play the games before doing the reading or vice versa. Reading Diary Questions Answer all three of the following: (1) In The Real Mayors of SimCity, we saw a mayoral race where candidates put their plans to the test in a simulation, albeit a much older one than the city-builder you played for this class. After playing SimCity or Cities: Skylines, would you trust a candidate who performed well in the game to manage a city to the same degree? What factors that we couldnt judge in a game would an actual mayor have to adequately deal with? Please list at least two skills present in the game that you think a real mayor would have to deal with. Also list at least two skills that a mayor needs to have that the game might not require a player to have. (50 points) (2) Keep track and note your transportation infrastructure. How did your roads develop? What public transport systems did you utilize? Write about the challenges you faced with the various in-game transportation mechanics and how you dealt with them (list at least two challenges you faced). Then pinpoint at least one concept from the road reading that materialized in your game (with a page number cited from the reading where the concept appeared). Was your road system as effective and well-built as you hoped? If you replayed the game, how would you have built your roads differently? (45 points) (3) What was the greatest challenge you faced when building your city and how did you overcome it? Where did your city thrive? Please provide an overview of the development of your city from start to end, the roadblocks you encountered, and the lessons you learned. Please identify at least three takeaways you had from your experience with SimCity or Cities: Skylines. Please finish with at least a paragraph of review, providing analysis on whether the game is good or bad and why. (45 points)
