Simcity 3000 vs 2000... what's different,exactly?

[Edmond Dantes]

Just got Simcity 3000 Unlimited at Goodwill. And I don't even see what's that different between it and 2000, except for minor changes to how power lines work.

Also, does Simcity 3000 Unlimited (or even normal 3000--I got both, yes) have DRM? Cuz I noticed it installed something called MS Access 97 and I wanna make sure my computer isn't gonna eat me or anything.

[Tanooki]

Try making a bridge or a tunnel and not get a growing urge to punch the screen.

In 2000 you just went to the edge of water and it prompted you to build it, that's it. In 3000 bridges and tunnels are handled the same way. It will want to make sure all terrain is entirely even. It will also want to destroy many squares around the area of where the bridge/tunnel hits the edge on both sides and it will consistently and obtusely bitch it won't build until it is right, even if it looks like it. Eventually you'll find having to wipe out good space all around the bridge in particular just to get it to break ground losing good stuff in the process that doesn't even need removing. 3000 took the ease of building structures out of it like 2000 had and made it very picky and exacting to a grating degree. I bought 3000 back when it was pretty new and tried hard to like it due to the cash I sunk into it, but it just pissed me off badly. Also you'll find that the city heads of different stuff, education, garbage, etc are a pushy and whiny lot, especially the garbage gets pretty out of control that in SC4 they backed those off a bit from being so annoying and time consuming.

It's not a bad game, but it will probably grate on you eventually. I have all the old SC main games but that currently (1, 2K and 4.)

MS Access is a database program from Microsoft that's part of office, and I have no idea why it would shove that on there but there shouldn't be any DRM.

[Daria]

Cuz I noticed it installed something called MS Access 97

...It installed database software?

[Edmond Dantes]

I think I ran across something that said one of its modeling programs or whatever is modeled on MS Access or some crap like that. I just recall it mentioning it during the install and I'm like "Wait, what is that?" And then seeing that yeah, its still there--according to CCleaner and other registry programs, its now on my Add/Remove Programs list, so I can uninstall it if I want.

[RP2A03]

SimCity 3000 doesn't have that sexy voice that says "reticulating splines"; and for that reason it shall be forever inferior to SimCity 2000.

[Tanooki]

Just doesn't do it for ya unless you have the mystery lady reticulate your spline eh?

[Slate]

The water pipe system's a bit different in SC3K; just put a main pipe nearby where the water is to go and you don't need to connect it to other underground pipes like is necessary in SC2K.

- Austin