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Chat About SimCity
20 Nov 2003 - 22:00

SimCity Producer's Kevin Hogan, Mike Cox, and Dr. Vu joined us to discuss SimCity. Go to SimCity.com to get the transcripts.

SimCity Producers Kevin Hogan, Mike Cox, and Dr. Vu joined us for a chat to discuss all things SimCity. What follows is the transcript:
mr_helm03 (Nov 19, 2003 5:55:22 PM)
hi, thankyou for taking your time out of your sheduel to chat with us! what are your future plans for Sim City?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 5:55:22 PM)
Of course, there are tons of things in the plans

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 5:55:28 PM)
Please feel free to begin submitting questions, but please also remember to keep to topic.

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 5:56:26 PM)
Remember - there's no need to say hello. Please keep your comments to questions only.

raevenangel13 (Nov 19, 2003 5:56:53 PM)
what is the topic?

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 5:56:53 PM)
Today's topic is all about SimCity.

UKSimmer (Nov 19, 2003 5:57:23 PM)
Will the My Sims feature be updated to work with 'The Sims 2'?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 5:57:23 PM)
This chat is about SimCity. We'll be having a Sims 2 chat in the future but won't be answering questions about that today.

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 5:59:21 PM)
Hello and welcome to today's chat all about Sim City! With us today are Sim City Producer Kevin Hogan, Dr. Vu and Associate Producer Mike Cox

csnowmon (Nov 19, 2003 6:00:08 PM)
what sim city are we chatting about?

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:00:08 PM)
Today's chat will be limited to SimCity 4 and Rush Hour, but questions about earlier versions of the game will be considered.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:00:51 PM)
Will SimCity ever get another console version ever made again (like Gamecube, Xbox, or PS2)?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:00:51 PM)
hey everyone,We currently have no announced plans for a console version of SimCity.

thesiddog (Nov 19, 2003 6:01:09 PM)
Can you explain to me what a 64x64 city is. Is that the smallest?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:01:09 PM)
Yes. A 64x64 city is the smallest in SimCity. The dimensions refer to the grids on the city.

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:01:13 PM)
Hi everyone, good to see you all coming in to chat with us.

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:01:17 PM)
Hello all!

chickmagnet (Nov 19, 2003 6:02:20 PM)
what is so great about sims city 4 and rush hour?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:02:20 PM)
Many things. If you have always wanted to drive around your city now you can. There are also lots of cool new buildings. There are some really cool tools that help you improve your traffic.

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:02:23 PM)
Gobble.

simsfan14 (Nov 19, 2003 6:02:51 PM)
Dr. Vu, what is your favorite vehicle in Rush Hour?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:02:51 PM)
My favorite has got to be the school bus with the kids; another favorite of mine is the UFO. Hopefully, everyone would have a favorite vehicle that they love driving.

PooheadMAX (Nov 19, 2003 6:03:34 PM)
We understand that some of the Maxis programmer's have been working with the Mod-Squad on some transportation bug's and fixes. Can we expect that the pathfinding will be improved on the next Rush Hour update?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:03:34 PM)
The community has been providing a lot of support in resolving some issues in Rush Hour/Deluxe. Their help has been invaluable. In particular, The7Trumpets has been a HUGE help.

shareallicu (Nov 19, 2003 6:03:42 PM)
will simcity ever be a 3D city?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:03:42 PM)
SimCity is 3d. If you have ever played with the lot editor you will see all the models and can arrange them how ever you wish. Some people think it is not 3d because you can not move the camera in an umlimited way. For simcity we have only the fixed views in the 3d environment.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:04:48 PM)
How many lines of code were in the orignal SimCity?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:04:48 PM)
From what I last heard, upwards of 500k. Kudos to our programmers. This is a complex game.

scooby_dooby_doo03 (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:02 PM)
What kind of new downloads will MakisLucky be adding Wink

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:02 PM)
tune in on SimCity day and see - I'm only going to get crazier!!!

sc4dude (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:03 PM)
is a residential only large city withe the population of over 500K good

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:03 PM)
I think that is pretty good. How large is your map? I would imagine that you have a lot of hi-rises in a city like that.

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:09 PM)
Please refrain from re-submitting questions you already asked.

AshBash (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:23 PM)
Who thought of Sim City?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:05:23 PM)
That would be the wonderful Will Wright.

ButrSCth19 (Nov 19, 2003 6:06:46 PM)
Hi! I want to get Simciy 4 very badly, but do I need simcity 1 to have simcity 4???

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:06:46 PM)
Simcity 4 is a stand alone product from Simcity 1. If you get the deluxe version now, it will include the Rush Hour expansion pack. So no, you won't need Simcity 1 to play Simcity 4.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:09 PM)
Why was the original full 3D version of SC3K cancled and instead the 2D version with locked camera was made instead? Why did SC4 have locked camera? The old unreleased SC3K with unlocked cameras and full 3D lookeded so cool. Will SimCity ever get unlocked (free) cameras in a full 3d city? That's why SimCopter is so cool, you can see your cities (from SC classic and SC2K) in full 3D and walk/fly around them.

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:09 PM)
The performance of 3K when it was full 3D was unacceptable. PC's at the time simply couldn't handle viewing an entire cityscape with the level of detail we felt we needed for the buildings, terrain , props, etc. In SimCity 4 we felt similarly. So we decided to go with a full 3D engine, which allowed for better terrain and visual effects, but we modeled the buildings without all the sides, which limited the camera directions. This helped keep performance to acceptable levels while we could still make very detailed buildings.

Aeslabelle (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:20 PM)
What are some key features that set SimCity4 apart from Simcity3k?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:20 PM)
The biggest differnece is the amount of detail in SC4 over 3000. There are tons of little props that the simulator uses to communicate the city conditions in SC4 that were not in 3000. Also, the simulator is much more detailed. In 3000 all effects like schools and fire were for the entire city. In SC4 there are local effects that the simulator tracts. That way you get more details in different parts of the city. There are other huge differences in the look.

MayorRybolton (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:49 PM)
If you had to describe Will Wright based on his genes, how would you do it. IE, I know he has both the crazy gene and the genius gene. Happy

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:07:49 PM)
His denim tends to be pretty well washed from what I can tell.

PooheadMAX (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:25 PM)
Can you give us a list of bug-fixes that will be included with the next Rush Hour "update" ?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:25 PM)
We definitely will publish the full list when we release the update.

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:27 PM)
Sorry, the correct URL for the SimCity retrospective article should be:
http://simcity.ea.com/about/inside_scoop/sc_retrospective.php

xoimaginexo (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:33 PM)
can u play with ur sims u've made in the sims game in sim city

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:33 PM)
Yes you can. IN SimCity 4 we put in an import Sim feature. That way you can move into your city your favorite sims.

AshBash (Nov 19, 2003 6:08:57 PM)
Any more plans for Sim City?

MayorRybolton (Nov 19, 2003 6:09:30 PM)
Did I get MaxisShorty a job? ;-

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:09:30 PM)
MaxisShorty did get a job. He has to listen to my rants and raves now all day long!

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:10:02 PM)
Why was it called SimCity 4 and not SimCity 4000 like the other sequals to SimCity?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:10:02 PM)
We actually spent a lot of time on this topic. In the end it comes down to aesthetics and marketing. Sorry I don't have a better answer than that.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:10:55 PM)
Why was the original full 3D version of SC3K cancled and instead the 2D version with locked camera was made instead?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:10:55 PM)
That was a long time ago but let me see if I can answer. Basically, the look of the full 3d version was just not very satisfying to us. With the technology at the time we didn't feel like the look and feel was going to be as compelling as we would have wanted. SC4 comes close and is a full 3d environment. The camera positions are locked but there is so much detail in the game that locking the view is required if you want game speed to be appropriate.

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:01 PM)
Please ask your question only once! We have a complete queue of all your questions, so there is no need to re-submit questions.

Pepsiman_CR (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:05 PM)
Make Some NFL foodball Rawards!

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:05 PM)
Good idea. I would love to see that too!!

standbyme59 (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:20 PM)
I've played SimCity 3000, what new things do SimCity4 and RushHour bring into the game?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:20 PM)
Oh my, there are so many things that you can find in Simcity 4 that you won't find in Simcity 3000. I would recommend visiting the Simcity 4 website and check out the developers inside scoop at http://simcity.ea.com/about/inside_scoop/index.php. Here you will find quite a bit about Simcity 4. Some of the things right off the top of my head include: God mode terra-forming, U-Drive it, awesome graphics, Lot editor, new Simulations, new disasters, and way more!

standbyme59 (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:41 PM)
How did you all get to working on such a great game?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:11:41 PM)
We all work very hard and love what we do. Skill and some luck all got us to this great job.

megggie (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:10 PM)
are you answering questions about the sims 2 as well?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:10 PM)
This chat is about SimCity. We'll be having a Sims 2 chat in the future but won't be answering questions about that today.

hackinosa (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:10 PM)
Dr. Vu, what can you do with the tank, other than buldoze buildings?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:10 PM)
There are missions that you can do with the tank to earn rewards such as money, mayor rating and desirability. Other than that, its way too much fun driving around blowing things up.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:38 PM)
can u build 5 lane highways?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:39 PM)
Not in Simcity 4, but you can build 6 lane highways.

Jqoc (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:59 PM)
What will the Building Architect tool be like?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:13:59 PM)
The building architect tool will be a 3d modeling tool that will enable you to export your creations and use them in SimCity. The tool is based on gMax from discreet. You can download a free copy from here. http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/

Elenea (Nov 19, 2003 6:14:29 PM)
How much has the game changed since SimCity2000?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:14:29 PM)
Wow, where to start? There are a huge number of differences. The game is still fundamentally about building cities, and you still have RCI, but the visuals are much richer, the simulation is much deeper (e.g. it matters where you put your schools, not just that you have them), and the detail is way beyond what you'd see in 2K.

kristoo (Nov 19, 2003 6:15:47 PM)
Does SimCity 4 have the architectural and terrain-editing tools like SimCity 3000 (Unlimited) had?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:15:47 PM)
We are working on an architectural tool for SC4 now. You will be able to build 3d models, edit the properties of the models in a plugin editor and then put it all together with the lot editor. This tool should be even more powerful than the original BAT. It is built on gMax from discreet. A free copy of gMax can be found here

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:16:02 PM)
gMax can be downloaded from free from here. http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/

Sim1013 (Nov 19, 2003 6:16:37 PM)
Why is it that when you query a residential house it says that it's education is high even though the data view is in the red for that area?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:16:37 PM)
The educational needs of a resident depends on their wealth-level. For example, low wealth residents don't require as high of education as high wealth sims.

Elenea (Nov 19, 2003 6:16:45 PM)
What do you suggest someone should do if they accidentally put their SimCity on Gazelle speed and it always goes to a newspaper before they can change it back to normal speed?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:16:45 PM)
Sounds like you are still playing SC2000. I would suggest playing at a slower speed or upgrading to the latest and greatest SC4

Zip (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:39 PM)
when will this chat end ?

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:39 PM)
today's chat end at 4pm PST

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:40 PM)
what do you do in sim city that is fun?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:41 PM)
You can build the city of your dreams, and then lay waste to it with a well place meteor shower. You can raise mountains, lower valleys, and play god. You can draw networks, while watching your sims go to work or school. You can check out the amazing architecture from around the world, without ever stepping one foot out the door. There is this and more in SimCity 4.

da_fitz (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:54 PM)
When can we expect the BAT?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:17:54 PM)
We are working hard on it now. Keep an eye out for it by the end of next month.

shareallicu (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:23 PM)
I want to thankyou soo much for the Rush Hour addition it Made the game 100 times more fun! thankyou:0)

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:23 PM)
I'm so glad you liked it. We kept you (the fans) in mind the whole time while developing it.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:35 PM)
Will you make a Building Creator like the one in Sim City 3000 Unlimited?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:35 PM)
We are currently working feverishly on a building architect tool of SimCity 4 based on GMAX (a freeware version of 3DStudio Max). We haven't announced a launch date for this yet, however.

hackinosa (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:37 PM)
Can you take vehicles out for leisure, or only for missions?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:18:37 PM)
You can choose to do free drive with all of the u-drive it vehicles. I like doing that to see how well my roads are put together in my city.

buggi (Nov 19, 2003 6:19:18 PM)
Why does MaxisKitty go crazy for the holidays? Happy

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:19:18 PM)
That is Maxis Lucky going crazy.. I am completely sane I assure you =)

sc4dude (Nov 19, 2003 6:20:08 PM)
can you get a large city with only residential zone over 1 million by it's self

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:20:08 PM)
Definitely, but you'll need to have cities in your region that have jobs. So one single city can be nothing but residential, but they have to be able to commute to a neighboring city to work.

LizzyD16 (Nov 19, 2003 6:20:12 PM)
What is BAT?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:20:12 PM)
BAT=Buildings Architect Tool. For SimCity 3k there was a modeling tool that enabled you to build with blocks and textures. For SimCity 4 we are putting together a full blown 3d modeling tool that will let you build stuff for SimCity 4

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:00 PM)
why does Elenea get to have so many questions answered? one per person should be the limit I'd say with so many people asking questions

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:00 PM)
We look at the questions being asked, not the person asking the questions. Think of a great question and it will probably get answered!

Jqoc (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:33 PM)
what are the requirements to getting stage 3 industrial buildings? most of the industry in my cities seem to be stage 1 and 2

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:33 PM)
Stage actually refers to a lot, not a building. Buildings can be used in multiple stages of lots. So the same industry building can be used in stage 1, 2 and 3 lots. Having said that, however, we are addressing the variety of industry buildings as part of the Rush Hour/Deluxe update.

shareallicu (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:57 PM)
I have a 1.8ghz celeron proc with 256mb of ram and plenty of space on my 60gig hard drive but its extremley hard to get a city over 10,000 because of the jumpiness and skipping it does..the music and the game. I have windows XP could i just need more ram?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:21:57 PM)
It's hard to say. This does not sound like a RAM problem. If you have not already done so I would make sure you have the latest video and audio drivers for you machine. Has tech support been able to help?

thesiddog (Nov 19, 2003 6:22:52 PM)
Who does the music for SC4? I really like the stuff that came with Rush Hour!

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:22:52 PM)
Jerry Martin, Andy Brick, The Humble Brothers, Walt Szalva, and Edwin Dolinski and a 70-man orchestra from the Czech Republic. My favorite song is the Wheels of Progress.

gwendigo (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:01 PM)
What do you mean by 'going crazy"?

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:01 PM)
she is giving away something special on the SimCity site every Tues.. she is crazy with the giveaways!

red3wing (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:33 PM)
What kind of updates can the players expect in the coming weeks?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:33 PM)
Only the shadow knows.....

hackinosa (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:48 PM)
In Rush Hour, can you take cars out for leisure, or only for missions? And if you can, which ones?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:48 PM)
Yes you can. MySim cars can be taken out at any time, so if you have a MySim in your city you can choose their car and take it out for a spin. Other cars are available through the Earned Vehicles Catalog. And even if a mission is available for a vehicle, you can always select Free Ride.

standbyme59 (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:52 PM)
Will the BAT for SC4 be easy to use?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:23:52 PM)
http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/ Check out the free downloads at discreet to see how easy, or hard, gMax is to use. The have lots of tutorials that will help you get started. The tool is a 3d modeling tool so I think it will be hard for people who have never used such things. But, their is so much power with this tool that I think people will be making really cool stuff.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:13 PM)
How come Maxis is always adding to its games and continues to support them for long periods after release, yet other developers do not?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:13 PM)
Maxis Developers strive to make quality products that tend to have staying power. Plus we like keeping our fans happy.

ga (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:22 PM)
Similar to sc4dude's question, can you get a large city with commercial only, if you have an all-residential town nearby?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:22 PM)
You sure can. You just need to make sure you have good city connections to a residential area.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:55 PM)
What are the side effects of having a toxic waste site?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:24:55 PM)
Toxic Waste sites reduce your mayor rating (which can lead to riots) and are a tad radioactive. So development won't happen near them.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:25:08 PM)
Was it fun creating the game and/or testing them?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:25:08 PM)
Everyday on the Simcity 4 project has been a dream come true for many of us.

Scrambled1 (Nov 19, 2003 6:26:08 PM)
I thaught the BAT From SC3 was a tad complicated... with the new BAT for SC4 ... will you be making it easier to use?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:26:09 PM)
We decided to give more power to the users with the SC4 BAT. With that said some people may find it to be complicated. That is the trade off for enabling you to build more detailed buildings for SC4

ButrSCth19 (Nov 19, 2003 6:27:23 PM)
In simcity 4 what sports are there(i saw football but is there baseball,etc.)as you can tell i dont have the game:(

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:27:23 PM)
Oh my, you should go out and experience it. We have baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and others. It's a blast watching all the activities occurring in your cities.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:27:54 PM)
I've only played The SIms, am I mising out on a lot of fun?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:27:54 PM)
I think so. If you love tinkering with something you have created I think you will really like simcity. The sims you are managing individuals. In simcity you are managing a whole city of sims and being mayor of a city.

Rogue18 (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:06 PM)
Thank you for having this chat, I don't know many people that can say they have been part of a chat with people who make their favorite game a reality.

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:06 PM)
We love holding them for you guys, they are a lot of fun for us as well

zenbungle (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:27 PM)
Rain and surface water were recently discovered in the SC4 coding. Is this something that will be "unlocked" in a download or will we have to wait for an expantion pack?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:27 PM)
Often times in development we start on features only to have to cut them later because of time contraints. Surface water is one of those. So there's still some infrastucture in place for that in our code, but no where near a full feature that we could simply "activate".

thesiddog (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:54 PM)
I have NEVER used a 3D editor except Poser 4, will BAT be too hard to pick up?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:54 PM)
Try playing with the tutorials in gMax to better understand. You can get a free copy here http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:58 PM)
who came up with simcity?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:28:58 PM)
Will Wright did.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:06 PM)
How long did it take to make Sim City?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:06 PM)
SimCity 4 was in development for roughly 3 years.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:27 PM)
how much of a comminent does the dev staff have to patches and fixing glitches users may find??

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:27 PM)
We treat it seriously and have done our best to work with our fans to find any glitches that may have been found. Since PCs tend to be so different from one user to the next, it is always a great deal of work to find and fix those problems.

Aeslabelle (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:34 PM)
Do you see people walking through the streets a little better in SimCity4?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:30:34 PM)
Yes you do. And in Rush Hour we added a zoom 6 that zooms you in a little further.

LostSoul (Nov 19, 2003 6:31:31 PM)
Is there a way to import the sims into the game or something like that?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:31:31 PM)
Absolutely. There is a feature in SimCity 4 that allows you to import Sims 1.x Sims called MySim.

MayorRybolton (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:03 PM)
What do each of you think draws people to SimCity? Why?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:03 PM)
It is a game that is never done. You can build, destroy build again and keep on tinkering and still come up with new stuff. I think that is the biggest draw. Also, is is something people are familiar with. People live in cities and towns and can identify with those surroundings. THis is a game that lets you play with something familar.

shareallicu (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:38 PM)
Do I have to do the U drive it missions for my city to Grow...My buildings are all small buildings and i have 10k people.

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:38 PM)
Nope. U-Drive-It can help you make money, boost your mayor rating in the short term, and earn you reward buildings. But you can do all those things without playing U-Drive-It. If your city is 10K and won't grow, you likely have problems in that city completely unrelated to U-Drive-It.

Captain_Heath (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:39 PM)
I heard in a different chat session there was the possibilty of fansite hosting from Maxis, any news about that?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:39 PM)
No new news about that. But hopefully we'll be able to talk about that sometime soon.

simgirl (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:51 PM)
DoctorVu How is the technolgy changing since making the first simcity game from now where the technolgy is alittle bit diferent isit harder or easier???

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:33:51 PM)
Every version from Simcity 1 to Simcity 4 has gotten more than more complicated and more different since each time the engine was rebuilt from the ground up. My experience on Simcity 4 has shown me that this is one of the most complicated and ambitious games on the market.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:34:04 PM)
will BAT have tutorials?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:34:04 PM)
There are tutorials for getting started in buildings bat buildings. Also, there are tutorials that will teach the basics of creating 3d models in gMax.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:35:28 PM)
How do you get to the stage where you can get tall buildings, it doesnt seem to work for me?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:35:28 PM)
It is strictly based on population. So you need to grow your city out before you try to grow it up. At roughly 26,000 population, you should start to see the tallest residential buildings assuming you zoned high density, provided water, and have high desirability.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:35:31 PM)
When I use the maximum zoom-in while playing Simcity 4 the buildings look all blurry. Is that a problem with my video card?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:35:32 PM)
Check out your video options. Chances are your texture quality is turned down to medium or low.

Stellanor (Nov 19, 2003 6:36:36 PM)
hi, i'm a new player to the game and i'm so tired of the lack of money. I'm not able to figure out how to run a city. I feel sorry about it because i would really like to create and develope a city. Any tips?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:36:36 PM)
The biggest things is to start of slow. Try not to buy and build too much until you have plenty of sims living in your town. Your revenues is going to come from you tax base and that means the more sims you have living in your town the more taxes you are going to get. So, try starting off slowly and resist the urge to build water plants, schools and other stuff. Wait until you have a lot of people living in town and collect all their tax money. Then you should be able to start building schools and other infrastructure items.

snowandcandy (Nov 19, 2003 6:37:09 PM)
Is this new game really fun?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:37:09 PM)
I think so but ask the people on the BBS to get a better idea.

Dippit (Nov 19, 2003 6:37:13 PM)
how did you get your jobs at Maxis?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:37:13 PM)
Just got Lucky, I guess....

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:01 PM)
How come Individual Tax setting for Industry was taken out. It help control Poluttion a lot

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:01 PM)
In Deluxe and Rush Hour you can adjust the taxes for Dirty, Manufacturing, Agriculture and High tech individually. This is definitely a powerful way to manage pollution (tax dirty industry high).

Rogue18 (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:08 PM)
I saw that you can have custom tunes, but I have no idea how to do it, help?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:08 PM)
There's a folder in Simcity 4 program files called radio station. Drop your mp3 in there and then go into the game music options and custom tunes to select it.

thesiddog (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:23 PM)
It's my dream to work in the gaming industry (Maxis) any advice?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:38:23 PM)
Check http://jobs.ea.com and look for Walnut Creek/Maxis - then apply...

Italianboy (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:06 PM)
I don't have any sim city games, which one do you reccomend?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:06 PM)
I would start with SimCity 4 Deluxe. That is the latest and greatest version.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:16 PM)
What's different from Rush Hour and Sim City 4?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:17 PM)
Rush Hour is the expansion pack to Simcity 4. If you buy Simcity 4 deluxe, Rush Hour is included in the package.

shareallicu (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:32 PM)
Once i place a volcano, will it erupt again on its own? none of mine have so far:(

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:39:32 PM)
They only erupt the first time you place them.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:40:49 PM)
Why no scenarios in SC4?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:40:49 PM)
We've discussed scenarios quite a bit. The feedback from most users seems to be a bit apathetic towards them (though there are definitely some avid fans out there). As a result we had to prioritze the feature lower than some other features and it simply just didn't make the cut. Sorry.

snowandcandy (Nov 19, 2003 6:41:33 PM)
Lucky, do you make the games? And/or design them? How many years of college did u have to have to get your job? Do you like your job?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:41:33 PM)
I don't make games. I make the websites for the games. For all you aspiring game creators out there we will be having a chat in the future about how to get into the game industry.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:06 PM)
When is BAT coming out and if you are not sure just simply say so Happy

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:06 PM)
Keep an eye out for it by the end of next month.

reynaldo20 (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:34 PM)
Will the BBS on the Sim City website eventually evovle into something like the SimTropolis website?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:35 PM)
We are working on improvements to the BBS and will be rolling them out over the next few months. But Simtropolis is a great community and we hope you enjoy your time there, too.

Karybdis (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:35 PM)
Do any of you guys ever partake in modifying the game just for yourselves like we modd squad sometimes do? Or do you just prefer playing the game as is, and watching what the community can do in their free time.

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:35 PM)
Time is always something we always against, so we tend not to be making modds of the game. Watching the modd squad work is great though. The community aspect of it all is something we will always appreciate.

fway (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:38 PM)
Why in rush hour were there no specialized brides like suspension and cable-stayed for monorails and elevated trains?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:38 PM)
We simply ran out of time. We added over 30 bridges to Rush Hour/Deluxe, which exceeded our expectations, but we definitely would've liked to have added more, including the ones you mention.

artgal987 (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:52 PM)
When will there be a Sims 2 chat?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:42:52 PM)
This chat is about SimCity. We'll be having a Sims 2 chat in the future but won't be answering questions about that today.

buggi (Nov 19, 2003 6:43:19 PM)
Get into the game industry? Is cracking and modding a game a negative or positive in that area? :D

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:43:19 PM)
good question to save for that chat Wink

red3wing (Nov 19, 2003 6:44:59 PM)
What will the anticipated patch to Rush Hour deal with?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:44:59 PM)
There are a ton of things we have added to the update. Many of the items have been brought up on this bbs and others and we have tried to address them all. To be honest, there is more than I can really list here. We will be posting the details in the coming weeks

chuckybear (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:04 PM)
What about development of a tool like the original SimCity magnifying glass to show you the current stage of a lot. (perhaps an updated one to show needed requirements for the next stage)

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:04 PM)
The query tells you everything you need to know to get better development (what the building needs). Staged growth is related to the cities population so doesn't really apply to individual buildings.

xoimaginexo (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:20 PM)
when is this chat over

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:20 PM)
4

zzzchristian (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:48 PM)
oh yah what does "SIM" mean (ignore the last qustion)

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:49 PM)
Sim is short hand for "simulation"

simgirl101 (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:50 PM)
Hey, all I have so many questions to ask but you have alot to answer so heres one I can think of, have you got any tips for us beginners on how to create a great big city with lots of happy people Happy

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:45:50 PM)
There are great chats and tutorials that can be found on Simcity.com, Simtropolis, Simcitycentral.net, and SC4ever.com that will help you create great cities. It will be difficult to give all the techniques right now. My only suggestion is to keep at it, and don't get frustrated. Don't give up. Play on easy mode.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:46:06 PM)
Guys Build NFL SuperBowel Land Mark ?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:46:06 PM)
I guess we could, but that would be kinda messy

Rogue18 (Nov 19, 2003 6:46:15 PM)
When is this chat over in Western Australian Time? (I't 7:46am now)

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:46:15 PM)
This chat will last 15 more minutes.

mayorralphaelninja (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:02 PM)
Has anyone at maxis looked at a modd (from the modd squad) and said, "wow" I didn't know it could do that?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:02 PM)
We love to be surprised by what is happening in the modd community and there have certainly been some cool things. I remember how much excitement the appearance of the dat reader created around here. Keep up the great work.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:39 PM)
i dont have simcity 4 :( do u recommend it?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:40 PM)
Yes yes yes yes! It's such a fun and addictive game.

Usagi_Chan (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:49 PM)
Gobble gobble? Is MaxisLucky looking forward to Thanksgiving or not? As a turkey though, she may have some reservations...

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:47:49 PM)
I have a love/hate relationship with Thanksgiving. Yes, there is the download of the week and all..... but MaxisShorty keeps looking at me funny and he has this basting brush in his cube.

xoimaginexo (Nov 19, 2003 6:48:31 PM)
what state do the people who work for ea games work in or were is ea games company located?

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:48:31 PM)
Maxis is located in Walnut Creek California but EA has studios all over the world

kristoo (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:06 PM)
I always problems making and keeping money. I don't like to over-tax my citizens and I'm never sure about which ordinances to pass or veto. Any advice?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:06 PM)
The gambling ordinance can help you make money, but in general ordinances aren't necessary and cost moeny. My advice would be to demolish buildings you don't absolutely need until you have a balanced budget. This could be police stations, fire stations, landmarks, etc. Also, avoid zoning high density early in the game because you probably can't afford it and you won't get tall buildings early int he game anyway. Rush Hour/Deluxe comes with a difficulty setting, and when set on Easy gives you 500,000 simoleons plus a boost to tax revenue.

Usagi_Chan (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:25 PM)
What exactly is a modd (the modd squad)?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:25 PM)
You should go see the Simtropolis web site to learn more about this community. They are a group of fans that have created some cool tools that enable them to modify various aspects of the Simcity 4 game. They have done some amazing things and we are proud to have them as fans. They can be found here. http://www.simtropolis.com/home.cfm

Scrambled1 (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:40 PM)
Where can the Modd Squad be found at? is it at the bbs.. or is there a website for them... or are they maxis folk? (im not familiar with them.. and havent been on the bbs in a while)

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:49:40 PM)
www.simtropolis.com

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:50:14 PM)
I downloaded a region from SimCity.com and it was a much smaller size then the normal ones (like only 9 cities)...how can I make a smaller region?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:50:14 PM)
There are tutorials for this on Simtropolis, Simcitycentral.net and SC4ever.com that will help you step by step in editing region size.

PooheadMAX (Nov 19, 2003 6:51:08 PM)
I find that with the addition of the Rush Hour transportation upgrades (ie: Avenue's, 1-way Streets... etc) it is particularly difficult to get the "High" Commercial traffic in an area without having the roads over-capacity. Is there anything I might beable to do to increase Commercial traffic ?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:51:08 PM)
There was a rather complex issue with the way we were calculating commercial traffic that we have fixed for the next update.

Karybdis (Nov 19, 2003 6:51:08 PM)
We've heard before that some of you Maxoids have been working crazy hours on Rush Hour at least before the release (including the insidious doctor). Are these actual work hours, due to time constraints, because of your love for the game, or because you lost bets to some of your co-workers? Wink

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:51:08 PM)
There is always so much work that goes into making games. We are passionate about making great games here. When you add passion and dedication to a task that requires a great deal of work to begin with you end up with lots of crazy hours. It is a good thing we all love our jobs.

ga (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:04 PM)
I tend to zone commercial and industrial in 6x6 blocks, surrounded on all sides by road. Am I missing out on some buildings by not zoning larger areas (e.g., 6x8)?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:04 PM)
The largest lots for residential, commerical, and industrial are 6x6, so you are not missing out on anything. In fact, I do the same thing when I'm playing.

zzzchristian (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:31 PM)
can we take pictures fomr your website and support it for our website (i don't have 1 sooo just asking)

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:31 PM)
There are some pictures in the fansite kit posted on the site. You can use those if you want.

mr_helm03 (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:36 PM)
this is a tip for all the fans, there is a download that i have found at simcity.com that allows me to get 4 billion dollars a month, if you want to find out where please contact me, alos any maxis person i made a post in the BBS i would like to talk with one of you, and aslo, when i got my first 4 billion i put my city Tax free, my city liked it!

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:52:36 PM)
That cheat lot appears to be a big hit on the lot exchange.

sc4dude (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:01 PM)
is there a difference between b.a.t . and the lot editor for sc4

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:01 PM)
Bat will allow you to create buildings and props (models) and the Lot editor will allow you to arrange then on lots and put them in your city.

red3wing (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:38 PM)
Do the Maxis programmers stay in contact with modders from fan sites, ie Simtropolis, SimCity Central, etc, on future upgrades / updates to the game?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:38 PM)
Absolutely

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:44 PM)
Will there ever be a chat with Will Wright?

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:44 PM)
maybe....

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:49 PM)
In Rush Hour, do you control where the cars are going? I haven't bought it yet; I have to save up my money! Happy

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:53:49 PM)
You can drive the cars around where ever you want. You can also choose to accept driving missions. People seem to really like the u-drive it stuff in RushHour

mayorralphaelninja (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:11 PM)
With the first L.E. release, did your fans influence your decision to release a Lot Editor or was this always in your plans for marketing?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:12 PM)
We always want to release tools that let people customize their game. The lot editor is something we used to build the game and the fans desires for customization made the release of the lot editor an easy choice. I hope you like it.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:18 PM)
On the You Can Throw Money At It mission I have held down the space bar by the highlighted building for a long time but I still cant win the mission am I doing something wrong?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:18 PM)
How far are you from the strikers and the building? Try getting closer and holding down the throw money space bar key for three to five seconds.

red3wing (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:41 PM)
How do players get their input into what to add into a game. Hundreds of "wish" lists were made, yet we have seen features that no one asked for. Why?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:55:41 PM)
We read the wish list threads all the time and they are hugely helpful. But we can't rely on those exclusively. There are often features that people who aren't active on BBS's want. Plus there's stuff that we want (we all play the heck out of SimCity too ).

smaster999 (Nov 19, 2003 6:56:04 PM)
Was there anything that you wanted in the game but didn't get in?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:56:04 PM)
Everybody has a list of things they would love include in the game but there is never enough time to do it all. That is always one of the toughest parts of game development.

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 6:56:42 PM)
Five more minutes left

mayorralphaelninja (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:16 PM)
We know about BAT, L.E., can you not tease us about what else that may be forthcoming in the future?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:16 PM)
OK. No teasing. AS part of bat we will be releaing a plugin manager. This tool will let you assign game properties to the models you make in bat.

Rogue18 (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:28 PM)
Do you guys love playing the sims as well?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:28 PM)
I love playing both games. One of the reason is that these games allow you to do anything you like. You can keep playing and setting your own goals, rather than move too fast or too slow, you have complete control over the pace and any activity you like doing.

Dereks Allsims (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:32 PM)
DId any of you ever work on any other games than Sim City?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:57:32 PM)
Yup, I've worked on the Sims, John Madden Football, NHL Hockey, Bill Walsh College Football, and a few others.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:58:07 PM)
Does Dr. Vu look like the real DoctorVu?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:58:07 PM)
The real DoctorVu does not have a goatee.

jakeweaver (Nov 19, 2003 6:58:16 PM)
What was your favorite part of making Simcity 4?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:58:17 PM)
Chats like this and getting positive feedback from the fans.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:15 PM)
Are there still newspapers that pop up, and things that you can do like raise or lower taxes?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:15 PM)
There's now a news ticker that provides critical info and goofy fun stuff, and taxes for all the different types of development of the city that you can adjust individually.

dkefman (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:20 PM)
Plugin manager ? So this will enable you to mod lots like the ilive Reader ?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:20 PM)
Yes. It is a very similar concept.

Dippit (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:32 PM)
when will sim city 4 deluxe be released in australia and New Zealand? My friend wants to buy it so bad...

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:32 PM)
Simcity 4 deluxe will be release in Australia. Tell your friend to hold tight. I believe it is set for early next year.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:39 PM)
Whats the biggest city you can have?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 6:59:39 PM)
My personal best is about 2 million.

Stash (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:09 PM)
What does Reticulating Splines mean?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:09 PM)
It means that if your best friend buys you socks don't where them.

SIMpleton (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:15 PM)
What is it like trying to sift through the hundreds of questions you get in the chat?

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:15 PM)
fun! Especially on the ones where we have 500 guests... its the catch the questions game... like wack a mole

red3wing (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:34 PM)
When you are not playing SimCity, what else do you guys like to do?

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:34 PM)
Hike, ski, ski, ski, hike....

fway (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:56 PM)
Seaports, beaches, ferries and marinas are really tough to place in you city. Any advice on how to place them?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 7:00:56 PM)
I understand that these can be tough to place. If you have too much trouble, use the god mode terrain editing tools to help flatten the terrain where the water touches. Use Shift - Click on god-mode to reach it if your in City mode.

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 7:01:54 PM)
Thank you guys for coming! We all had a great time but now it is time to get back to work. =) Check both websites soon for the transcripts for todays event

Dippit (Nov 19, 2003 7:01:58 PM)
have you seen screenshots of cities that people have made? If so, what do you think about the creations?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 7:01:58 PM)
Some of the cities are better designed than real cities. I am impressed quite a bit when I look at them.

Guest (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:05 PM)
does jerry martin compose other songs aside from the ones that are for SC4 and The Sims?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:05 PM)
Jerry pretty much works exclusively on Maxis titles.

Aeslabelle (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:20 PM)
How many "My Sims" can you have in SimCity4?

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:20 PM)
Up to 5

Jqoc (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:20 PM)
DoctorVu, are you really evil? :P

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:20 PM)
I'm actually not evil. But I play evil in the game. =-)

MayorRybolton (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:35 PM)
Does DoctorVu normally just blurt out things?

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:35 PM)
Yes, like MUAHAHA!

MaxisLucky (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:45 PM)
Gobble. Gobble.

MaxisKevin (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:49 PM)
Bye everybody. Thanks for such great questions!

coxfrommaxis (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:59 PM)
Thanks everyone for such a fun time. I'm looking forward to more chats in the future and releasing more cool stuff to you all. Bye!

MaxisShorty (Nov 19, 2003 7:02:59 PM)
Goodbye, everyone! Thanks for taking the time to chat with Kevin, Mike and the eeeevilll Dr. Vu!

MaxisKitty (Nov 19, 2003 7:03:16 PM)
bye! *waves*

DoctorVu (Nov 19, 2003 7:03:22 PM)
Thanks for chatting with us guys. We would love to do it again sometime!

0 comments
Read more!
Chat With MaxisProducer (aka. Cooper Buckingham) and Lead Tester Sean Hugunin
13 Nov 2003 - 22:30

Get your questions answered about Makin’ Magic game play and what it’s really like to be a game tester by reading the transcripts.

ChatMaster (Nov 13, 2003 6:00:15 PM)
Hello and welcome to today's chat with MaxisProducer (aka. Cooper Buckingham) and Lead Tester Sean Hugunin here at Maxis. Today we will be talking about Makin’ Magic game play and what it’s really like to be a game tester!

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:00:36 PM)
Hello.

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:00:44 PM)
Hi all!

monkeybear_303 (Nov 13, 2003 6:01:11 PM)
on makin magic will you be able to interact with the giant?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:01:12 PM)
barely . . .

christy (Nov 13, 2003 6:02:57 PM)
hi.i have a question.how do u get a four-leaf clover?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:02:57 PM)
You barter for them with fairy Mara. Go talk to her about bartering.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:07 PM)
How long does a tester spend playing the game per day?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:07 PM)
It really depends on where the project is, in the beginning we usually spend a typically 8 hour work day testing the game... during the "final" period we can spend up to 14 hours a day.

tweetybirdblaze (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:23 PM)
Are there any real secret spells and charms not just recipes?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:23 PM)
The secret recipes are spells . . .

joe_the_coffee_man (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:36 PM)
What exactly do you look for when testing a game?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:36 PM)
Bugz! ;o)

sim2l (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:42 PM)
hi

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:55 PM)
i was wondering if there were any crystals after the purple and black ( the crystals that grow on your lot )

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:03:56 PM)
There are 7 crystals . . .

Zave (Nov 13, 2003 6:04:25 PM)
In the makin' magic, how do our sim children get a hold of magical ingredients?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:04:25 PM)
They get them at home, form objects at home. Like the toadstool chair, and the fairy toybox, and the dragon.

scooby_dooby_doo03 (Nov 13, 2003 6:04:56 PM)
What's the best part about testing a game, espically a game like the sims and it's expansions?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:04:56 PM)
Seeing the game evolve

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:05:54 PM)
is there really any 'secret' spells not in the spellbook?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:05:55 PM)
There are secret recipes, and a few spells specific to other expansion packs, as well as some uses of spells that you might not expect .

jk3cdavies (Nov 13, 2003 6:06:07 PM)
Is it true that tester work really odd hours and don't get to go home till about 3:00 AM

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:06:07 PM)
sometimes... my assistant lead for makin magic is currently working a 11pm to 10am shift on Bustin' Out.

chickadee17 (Nov 13, 2003 6:06:50 PM)
is there a specific number of times you have to do magic to make a crystal appear?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:06:50 PM)
Magic, luckily is magical! Depending on what type of magical environment you create, and how succesfull you are with magic, completely random sets of magical things may grow up on your lot.

kgalgano (Nov 13, 2003 6:07:13 PM)
Q for Sean -- When you test, do you use any user-made content in the game to better emulate the average customer's game and to enable your staff to spot potential problems?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:07:13 PM)
Not really... we are not responsible for user end content. But occasionally we have.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:07:48 PM)
Only the lots that have been encorporated into "Old Town" fall into the zoning laws of SimCity, which then allow outside developers to build on them without actually owning the lot . . .

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:20 PM)
Do the gargoyles do anything special?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:20 PM)
Some obsessive, or fanatical, folks, seem to have a special interest in the gargoyles . . .

jk3cdavies (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:26 PM)
Do you get to play... I mean test the games from when they're first playable?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:26 PM)
Yes... we like to get in as soon as the game is in that playable state. At least to get familiar with things.

rascal (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:32 PM)
can you plant a bean stalk

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:08:32 PM)
nope, they grow of their jown accord.

ddc0185 (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:05 PM)
how do you become a game tester?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:05 PM)
Interview ~:o)

tomato365 (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:29 PM)
hi! I was wondering how many times you have to kiss the toad to get a prince/princess? Because my person literally kissed the toad ALL night and nothing happened ;(

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:29 PM)
You never know. It's a bit like the amount of licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop . . . the world may never know.

jk3cdavies (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:38 PM)
When testing games, do you people ever get to see the sun light?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:09:38 PM)
Hehehe... we have windows. We see sun from time to time.

Aliclare (Nov 13, 2003 6:10:00 PM)
MaxisHuggy I like your name :P very huggable lol.

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:10:00 PM)
Why thank you. ~:o)

mkysimsguy (Nov 13, 2003 6:10:20 PM)
How do cyrstals grow

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:10:21 PM)
Deep inside the planet and under a tremendous amount of heat and pressure, certain minerals condense and form compact "strings" which crystalize and become solid. Wink

SuperObsessedGurl (Nov 13, 2003 6:10:23 PM)
I saw when I was looking on the internet that there was a book about mm...what was it for??

kelbel (Nov 13, 2003 6:11:29 PM)
Where do i get the dimond dust and clown confetti?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:11:29 PM)
From vendors in magic town. Ingredients can be bought from them for magicoins, or traded with them for other ingredients, or the vendors may send you on a mission and give them to you as a reward. talk to todd about the confettie though.

kgalgano (Nov 13, 2003 6:12:23 PM)
Q for Sean-- What is the average turn-around time between when a verified bug report is submitted by the testers and the fix is coded into the final version? The game is re-tested at that point, right?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:12:23 PM)
Again, depends on the state of the project. Early on, Development knows there are lots of bugs. Resources are usually spent getting objects, interactions, etc in the game. Bug fixing usually occurs during Alpha when most of the content is in. Turn around time is pretty decent, at least with Maxis.

soccermeg (Nov 13, 2003 6:12:26 PM)
what is your favorate character in the game?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:12:26 PM)
Good old, Sonney, the tragic Clown. Have you met his long lost brother yet, or better yet, have you seen Sonney meet him . . .

Ringo_dog (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:08 PM)
What are the limits of the crystals? Like how many times can we use it or how long can we keep them?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:08 PM)
Abilities last forever, and crystals will teach any family members that want to learn.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:17 PM)
Do you like being a game tester and is it fun?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:17 PM)
Yes. Yes.... most of the time ;o)

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:33 PM)
What exactley are magicoins

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:33 PM)
Magical Coins.

Crazichi (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:50 PM)
do sims get sick on the roller coasters?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:13:50 PM)
some sims love em, some sims hate em . . .

jfade12345 (Nov 13, 2003 6:14:02 PM)
What will you do about the enchantable scarecrow bug?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:14:02 PM)
I will beg your forgiveness . . .

Bradster (Nov 13, 2003 6:14:47 PM)
Hello Maxis Producer, now that Makin Magic has been made and Sims 2 in on the way it is said that the Sims are not going to be joined by any more add on's as Makin Magic was the last, is this true?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:14:47 PM)
Alas, tis true. It would take an outpouring from the community of a size not yet seen on this planet to convince us that there should be another expansion pack. Wink

lonegun121 (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:39 PM)
I have a question about the rollercoaster. Will you be making a "s" curved track piece for it in the future? Because it's hard to line up the track sometimes.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:39 PM)
There are downloads on the way . . . maybe. Wink

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:41 PM)
how long do u work for?

TreeJumper (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:43 PM)
Has testing games for a living made games more enjoyable than before, or less enjoyable due to the fact that you are playing them all the time?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:43 PM)
I found myself becoming more of a gamer when I got this job… since it's relevant. You talk about games with your co-workers, constantly thinking about games, etc.

BobbiJaye S2S (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:54 PM)
Did you test the first sim game?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:15:54 PM)
No

thesimsfan03 (Nov 13, 2003 6:16:14 PM)
can you do spells on pets?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:16:14 PM)
yes, you can, there is a very special one.

MaxisDano (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:00 PM)
Just to let you know, we're only answering questions about Makin' Magic and Testing. We will have another chat about The Sims 2 soon.

Bjdabomb24 (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:08 PM)
Was it fun testing mm

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:08 PM)
Very much so... my team was great and the production staff is top notch. The game itself is so different from the other EPs. It was quite refreshing.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:18 PM)
My friend bought Makin' Magic and told me that it was a lot of fun, but said the same about Superstar, which I found quite hard. Is there anything 'difficult' about Makin' Magic that would cause me to get as frustrated as with Superstar?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:18 PM)
We've left it so that some of the aspects of the game are challenging, and some are not. We've tried to strike a balance that lets the game be fun, and contiunue to be fun.

SiMan - Sims Extremos (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:35 PM)
did you found many bugs testing the game?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:35 PM)
Yes

jmbarnas (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:53 PM)
I UN-Installed I Cleared THE Registry. And I Totally And Completely Removed All Things Simmy From My Computer. Then I RE-Installed And Now I m Missing Everything From UL And Sometimes When I Click On The House I Want To Play In It Goes Black And Dumps Me Onto My Desktop. And I Paid Special Attention... I Know For A Fact That I Did Install UL. I Never Had Any Problems Before MM. Why Is This Happening Now? Is It MM That Is Causing All These Problems? I mailed tech support but it didn’t help

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:17:53 PM)
Will you post to the BBS, in the MM section, and address the post to me, please. I'll help you out after the chat.

Ringo_dog (Nov 13, 2003 6:18:23 PM)
What is the point of the enchanted fridge? Besides from starving my Sims...

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:18:23 PM)
It's funny, and silly, and giggly, just like the rest of the sims world . . . :D

MagicGnome (Nov 13, 2003 6:18:55 PM)
Whos Idea was it to make The Sims Making Magic,and how long did it take to make it?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:18:55 PM)
Lyndsay, an assistant Lead tester for Superstar came up with the initial game design. It took roughly six months to develope, while we were wrapping up Superstar.

SiMan - Sims Extremos (Nov 13, 2003 6:19:07 PM)
There are spells specific for house party or LL?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:19:07 PM)
Not exactly. But there are some aspects that become available, if that makes anysense. ;P

kelbel (Nov 13, 2003 6:19:54 PM)
why do ya testers work such weird hours

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:19:54 PM)
Tight deadlines. High demand for the product to be put out sooner, rather than later.

Crazichi (Nov 13, 2003 6:20:15 PM)
is huggy your real name?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:20:15 PM)
No... just a nick.

labtop2488 (Nov 13, 2003 6:20:27 PM)
can you you keep the dragon from eating the garden?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:20:27 PM)
Some dragons have minds of their own, some are better behaved, depends on inclination and dragon color. Dragon treats help.

Lespad (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:03 PM)
Is there gonna be any patch to bugs that were supossed to be fixed with MM and that haven't benn fixed? For example the bug with bartender Waylon.

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:03 PM)
We like Waylon with no body.

Simboy (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:21 PM)
is there any way to bring a dead sim back to life

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:21 PM)
Pleading with the grim reaper will have some effect, and then there is a woman in old town rumoured to be able to revive zombies.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:51 PM)
is there any new pets in makin magic?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:51 PM)
There is one, it's what we like to call, a . . . DRAGON!!!! Mwahahahaahhaha

Crazichi (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:57 PM)
what do you have to major in in college to be a game tester?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:21:57 PM)
I received my degree in Fine Art... but the job does not require a college degree.

simoleons117 (Nov 13, 2003 6:22:46 PM)
When I installed Makin' Magic, my sim lost all her interests (except for the ones on the second page of interests). Is there any way to get them back? (I don't have Hot Date.)

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:22:46 PM)
They didn't go far. We aren't sure why this happens, but they are still there. Just go to an away lot, and then come backm and they will be back.

simsfan1 (Nov 13, 2003 6:22:58 PM)
Sean: do any testers play the sims on their free time?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:22:58 PM)
LOLz... actually, Laura Skinner is about the biggest Sim junkie there is. Yes... she did play the sims at home after we finished the work day.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:23:13 PM)
Did you want to be a game tester when you where a child?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:23:14 PM)
Maybe, but I can't remember.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:23:36 PM)
Beanstalks go where they will. Some grow, some don't, some reach for the skies, others start to shrink. There's no prediciting objects that grow magically . . .

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:23:59 PM)
Do you work in the maxis building in Redwood Shores or somewhere else?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:23:59 PM)
We are located in Walnut Creek, in the mighty Maxis building , , ,

jfade12345 (Nov 13, 2003 6:24:17 PM)
Do you ever have outside people who don't work for Maxis come in to play test games just to get reviews for it and other bug reports you may have missed?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:24:17 PM)
We had some people look at the game who don't officially work for Maxis. We call them the Sim masters.

~*Vane*~ (Nov 13, 2003 6:24:47 PM)
Do you plan your answers ahead of time? You guys always have the smartest answers. LOL.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:24:47 PM)
What, you didn't think we were smart!? We're like really really smart, and stuff . . . WOOHOO!

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:25:04 PM)
My dragon keeps saying its hungry. How do i feed it

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:25:05 PM)
dragon treats!

Zave (Nov 13, 2003 6:25:25 PM)
Do you ever see green or red diamonds spinning above your heads after a long day of testing?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:25:25 PM)
I once saw Huggy kick a lawn gnome onthe way out . . .

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:17 PM)
Can you mary a NPC from magi town or do you just buy things from them?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:17 PM)
You want to marry Vicki Vampiress!? I just asked her, and she said "no", sorry.

pepsiman (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:51 PM)
Will you be fixing the new bookcase object you have for download that stores vegies and stuff, cuz a few people been having problems with it,?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:51 PM)
It works fantastic! Except for storing carrots, because carrots are very very complex vegetables.

ideaspy (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:51 PM)
Hi, sean. Do you need programming skills to be a tester ? Do the tests are planned or do you luckily find the bugs with a lot of playing ? Do testers drink more coffee than programmers ?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:26:51 PM)
Not necessarily... we have QA members who have degrees in computer science and have actually worked as programmers, but it's not required. We work off test plans and creative (Free) test as well. All Maxoids live on coffee.

Stash (Nov 13, 2003 6:27:38 PM)
HELLO! What can you do with the Banana of Doom?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:27:38 PM)
HELLO to you too! You can talk to it, and it will not talk back, or you can deliver it to the person that the NPC asked you to deliver it to. Happy

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:09 PM)
ive tried and tried and cant get the spell that turns ur pets into humans. do u know whats wrong?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:09 PM)
Have you added the correct three ingredients to the Wand CHarger, and then clicked charge?

Doren (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:31 PM)
How to you get rid of Molly o' Wisp when she is destroying your home?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:31 PM)
Run and hide, she's mean, and does not like very many people.

Selphie590 (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:55 PM)
what was your favorite thing about testing mm?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:28:55 PM)
Two things.... 1. Working with my team of testers. Such a great group of hardworking and dedicated individuals. 2. Working with production. The team was a fine tuned machine at this point (7th EP) and it was awesome to work with a group in such a flow.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:29:31 PM)
Why did you pick this job?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:29:31 PM)
I loved the Sims and believe in the Maxis product.

Stash (Nov 13, 2003 6:29:38 PM)
what type of education/background do you need to be a gametester?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:29:38 PM)
It takes all types. Huggy has a PHD in macrobiotics . . .

chargersis1 (Nov 13, 2003 6:30:21 PM)
this is a stuip ? but how do u come up with so many great sims games?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:30:21 PM)
what is a stuip? There are lots of brilliant people working on coming up with great games all the time over here at Maxis and EA.

simmy (Nov 13, 2003 6:30:56 PM)
how did u get your job as a game tester? I'd like to be one some day

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:30:56 PM)
After I finished school I got a job at EA. A friend of mine knew someone in the QA department at EA and I emailed him several times until I got an interview.

Reject (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:12 PM)
One of my sims family had a bonehilda but she froze right in front of the dishwasher, is they maybe a game overload or somwthing becasue i had to make my sims move house so they could get rid of the froxen maid.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:12 PM)
Are you sure she's not just pretending to be frozen? SHe does that some times, but alas, sometimes she gets really confused and just has to be deleted with move objects on . . . sorry

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:38 PM)
when is the sims 2 coming out?

MaxisLucky (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:38 PM)
This chat is about Makin' Magic. We'll have a The Sims 2 chat again soon. Please hold your questions about The Sims 2 for another day.

Farley (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:56 PM)
How do you know where to start when testing a game? Just start playing and see what turns up?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:31:56 PM)
Sometimes... again in the beginning, things aren't fully functional so that can often dictate where we start looking.

Jedi Marisa (Nov 13, 2003 6:32:02 PM)
What new things have you added to MM? I am not sure about buying, can you persuade me with some neat stuff in MM?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:32:02 PM)
What do you like. Whatever it is, we got it. lol. Bakin objects, nectar pressing, home harvesting, mighty mighty magical things, great carnival rides and themes.

simfan867 (Nov 13, 2003 6:32:34 PM)
What about some celebrity witchy skins?? Gllinda the good witch, Samantha from bewitched, Sabrina the teenage...etc

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:32:34 PM)
Could you ask them to give us a call? We'd love to do some skins of them, thanks!

kelbel (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:01 PM)
how come my butler wont make meals from the pantry?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:01 PM)
He doesn't like the new tuscan fridge, apparently he has something against tuscany, or so I'm told.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:29 PM)
Does MM remove any objests from the game? Like hot date removed the gold walpaper...

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:29 PM)
No. We never remove any objects, unless they weren't supposed to be lthere to begin with.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:35 PM)
why would maxis intentionally release a game to the general public knowing it has bugs

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:35 PM)
All games have bugs, not just Maxis products. Again, we have to meet deadlines in order to stay in business.

nannie1963 (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:57 PM)
please answer yes or no the spaces in the recipe book and spell book have missing spaces should they all be full

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:33:57 PM)
no. not neccesarily.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:34 PM)
is it possible to dodge the mystry man when he's trying to get you for doing magic infront of regular people?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:34 PM)
He's fast, but you can do it. I've done it. I've seen Bella do it.

Merlin -S2S (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:34 PM)
Did you find any bugs in MM that were hard to rectify, if so, which bug/s were they?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:34 PM)
Yes... some during the 11th hour. Too many to remember. One had to do with rezoning lots.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:55 PM)
do you have the henry patter ,or whatever the harry potter parody skins are called, skins built in with mm cuz it IS magic, you know?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:34:55 PM)
um, huh? Happy

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:35:21 PM)
I have been having problems with going out of the house. When ever I try to go out to the studio, on a date, etc., it dumps me onto the desktop. Please help me as I have already e-mailed the help section and they have not replied.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:35:21 PM)
Please post to the BBS, and we can talk about it there, I'll get it fixed for you, promise.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:35:37 PM)
Once you move into magic town, do you have to pay for everything, such as bills, with magicoins??

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:35:38 PM)
nope.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:00 PM)
I have been having problems with going out of the house. When ever I try to go out to the studio, on a date, etc., it dumps me onto the desktop. Please help me as I have already e-mailed the help section and they have not replied.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:00 PM)
Are you the same guest as above?

tweetybirdblaze (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:46 PM)
Do any of you ever get frustrated with your jobs? Even though you enjoy them very much.

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:46 PM)
Yes, but it's all relative. The hours can be very taxing. What gets you through it all is working with great people. (Cheesy... i know). :o)

frieza88 (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:49 PM)
Why does Drew carry always show up as a ghost at the goth house?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:36:49 PM)
The Goths are very strange family, no one really knows why things happen the way they do on their lot. Way until you see Sims Bustin Out. So much more will be revealed about them . . .

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:37:08 PM)
can you climb the beanstalks?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:37:08 PM)
Maybe Happy

simfan867 (Nov 13, 2003 6:37:19 PM)
Do any of the kissable toads turn into princessess?? I find it a bit sexist that I can only get a prince. I mean really..who needs that many princes.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:37:19 PM)
Who ever heard of a toad turning into a princess!? Why that's just not natural! Happy

lovely (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:01 PM)
hi are they going makin magic for mac computer and can yall pls have the sims 2 and the simsonline for mac to cuz i love the sims

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:01 PM)
Makin Magic will be out for the Mac, soon, I'm sorry that's all I know.

Ringo_dog (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:09 PM)
What was the biggest challenge you faced while testing MM?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:09 PM)
Keeping the team motivated. Making sure all areas of the game were well covered.

starlitenight (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:32 PM)
how many times must you groom a dragon to get dragon scales?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:32 PM)
sometimes, once, sometimes more, sometimes more.

SimSim (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:43 PM)
What controls the color of your dragon?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:43 PM)
their upbringing

Stash (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:52 PM)
I unable to enter the chat last week, because it was "full"...why didn't you get a bigger chat server?

MaxisLucky (Nov 13, 2003 6:38:52 PM)
We're working on it.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:10 PM)
What was the biggest problem working on Makin Magic

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:10 PM)
To be honest, this was the smoothest project I've been on.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:21 PM)
how come my people cant talk to each other? i go to click on one of them and it says no actions available

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:21 PM)
My first guess would be that you have a custom patch installed. Check your gamedata/global folder and make sure the only file in it is global.far

Hu_Moose3 (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:58 PM)
What is your daily life like?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:58 PM)
Wake up, Work on Sims, Eat, Sleep, repeat cycle

Kdawg (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:58 PM)
Uhh, should I post this on the BBS, I can't enchant gnomes.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:39:58 PM)
It has been ansered on the BBS, it seems to be because of a hacked gnome workbench is most cases.

Selphie590 (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:25 PM)
how come when I put my Makin Magic CD in it will not load?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:25 PM)
Do you have autorun turned off? Try going to "my computer" and double clicking the CD icon.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:36 PM)
What has been your favorite EP to test?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:36 PM)
Makin' Magic. Great team. Unleashed was probably the most difficult as we didn't get much time to test.

starlitenight (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:59 PM)
Are there any secrets to the tombstone puzzle?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:40:59 PM)
only the knowledge that it is very hard! it will help you solve it as it gets more and more frustrated with your Sims though. Happy

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:41:44 PM)
Are Sim Ghosts supposed to get jealous? I just had a Sim die in the very recent present and he came out at night while his widow was kissing a new flame the day after her husband died, and I definitely heard the jealous music!

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:41:44 PM)
um, yes, I mean, probably . . . no, oh well , , ,

gamegirl815 (Nov 13, 2003 6:42:21 PM)
is being a game tester hard work?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:42:21 PM)
It can be... it's not as glamorous as one would think. Again, the demand on time can be taxing, there are deadlines to meet and with that comes pressure. Looking at the same game for 3 months straight is a bit rough at times. But at the end of the day, it's very rewarding.

Ryujight (Nov 13, 2003 6:43:29 PM)
Cooper: How does the "Make Cakes" charm that kids make always backfire or do you not know?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:43:29 PM)
Oh, i know. My only explanation is that I should have named it "make toads"

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:43:56 PM)
How big is the team of testers?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:43:57 PM)
For Makin' Magic we had roughly 22 guys. It varies from project to project.

EvilPrincess98 (Nov 13, 2003 6:44:28 PM)
So you can really use the ovens in MM?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:44:28 PM)
Yes to bake things. you add ingredients and the oven does the rest!

Tuxbaby (Nov 13, 2003 6:44:44 PM)
Was anything left out of the expansion that you wished had been put in, but couldn't either due to deadlines or some other constraint?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:44:44 PM)
*sniff*

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:45:11 PM)
how many months or weeks to test mm?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:45:11 PM)
I start the project roughly 4 months before we finished. My team escalated from that point on. I would say we spent 2 months of solid testing on MM.

BobbiJaye S2S (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:00 PM)
Do games change much during the testing period?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:00 PM)
Drastically.

abarbieangel (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:05 PM)
OK im trying this for the 4th time: Hello! What is the normal hours for a tester?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:05 PM)
Depends on what phase of development the game is in, and how worried we all are about the state that it's in. Huggy and I went 4 weeks working 18 hours a day without a day off on Unleahsed . . .

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:23 PM)
How do i get the pixie dust besides Mara? I dont have that option anymore!

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:23 PM)
You need magicoins to get the option to buy from vendors.

KatCat (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:53 PM)
Sorry, arrived late. Are the mailbox and Waylan bugs going to be fixed? (They're the only ones I have come across.)

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:46:53 PM)
I don't see a mailbox bug, but alas, for now, Waylon is here to stay . . . sorry.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:06 PM)
how many spells or charms do you have to do for toadstools to grow on your lot?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:06 PM)
Just sit on a toadstool chair!

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:09 PM)
i don't like magic so much.Do u think i 'll still like MM?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:09 PM)
Very much so... the gameplay is really fun / amusing and if you love the other EPs, you'll love MM.

frieza88 (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:41 PM)
Cassandra went evil, and killed the family dog, can you revive animals?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:47:41 PM)
How did Cassandra kill the family dog . . . I've always suspected that girl of ill doing!

Jedi Marisa (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:20 PM)
Do you guys actually post in the BBS?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:20 PM)
Haven't you seen me posting on the BBS! I posted almost 600 hundred responses last week. *sniff* apparently all to no avail.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:47 PM)
Whose idea was it to put Will Wright at the top of the beanstalk?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:47 PM)
Mighty Producer JG Knight, the bossman! lol

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:59 PM)
Whats the deal with the Goth family? Are they Maxis's favorite family??

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:48:59 PM)
Of course!

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:20 PM)
Who thought of the idea of mm?

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:20 PM)
I REALLY want the goth house back with the family!!! Can you put it up for download or something, with all it's natural kookieness?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:20 PM)
Lyndsay McGaw... a producer.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:20 PM)
I see it on the exchange right now!!!

dawg384 (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:35 PM)
when you accidentally turn someone into a frog can you turn them back!??

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:35 PM)
They'll come back unless something eats them.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:46 PM)
is it possible to fill all thespaces in the recipe book and spell book.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:46 PM)
nope.

Stash (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:47 PM)
What will next weeks chat be about?

MaxisLucky (Nov 13, 2003 6:49:47 PM)
We're not sure yet - checkt the site early next week for details.

Simaholic337 (Nov 13, 2003 6:50:49 PM)
Hi ya! I have two questions.. How come when my lawn gnome is enchanted, he stays enchanted for about two seconds then just dissapears? Also i'm also having problems with hatching of dragons. 4 sim day have passed and my dragon hasn't hatched. Will there be a patch for these problems? thanks a lot!!!! Making magic is an excellent game!

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:50:49 PM)
These aren't a problem in the game. You might have some hacked objects or patches installed, or your installation might have dropped a file due to CD write speed. Try reinstalling Makin Magic after you remove any hacked files, and lemme know on the BBS how it goes.

Merve (Nov 13, 2003 6:51:31 PM)
when u tested mm did maxis people have to tell you everything befroe you played the game or did you get suprised?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:51:31 PM)
No... we receive design docs and I would attend design meetings. Production wants the game to be tested thoroughly so it's in their best interest to keep us abreast of all design issues.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:51:59 PM)
Can i wake the giant will wright, maxisproducer?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:51:59 PM)
I hear Will is very grumpy if he's awaken, he likes to day dream, that's how he comes up with great game ideas!

maike_2003 (Nov 13, 2003 6:52:56 PM)
how long do you work a day?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:52:56 PM)
Varies from time to time. The longest day I've pulled was 22 hours.

maike_2003 (Nov 13, 2003 6:53:44 PM)
what do you do as the producer?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:53:44 PM)
Producers are a very strange breed in the video game world. We do lots of different things. Some producers are in charge of games on the whole, and some are managers, and people that interface with everyone one the team. And some of us just do things that aren't getting done, or are part of design teams, or sound teams, or writing. Lots of stuff!

PerfectPet234 (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:05 PM)
Do different expansions affect MM possibilities?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:05 PM)
Yes.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:31 PM)
what do you feed the dragons?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:31 PM)
Dragon treats, they'll find other stuff to tide them over on their own . . . let's hope it's not you!!!

BobbiJaye S2S (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:42 PM)
Do other team members get mad at you when you have to report bug after bug after bug? Thanks Happy

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:42 PM)
Not mad at a tester... maybe just frustrated that their bugs are not getting fixed. Our job is to help development out by finding the things they need to fix. I think we have a good rapport with development here at Maxis.

MaxisMojo (Nov 13, 2003 6:54:55 PM)
We're at our last 5 minutes.

Peach (Nov 13, 2003 6:55:29 PM)
Why does the lawn gnome always swim in the nector presser?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:55:29 PM)
Wouldn't you if you could!? Those gnomes, i tell ya, they are nuts. And the amount of damage that stagerring nectar swimming gnomes have caused around the office staggering itself!

LearysBrain (Nov 13, 2003 6:56:33 PM)
I'm really disappointed the Butler won't use the Skeleton Maid. I want to use the Skeleton Maid--as she is "creepy cool"--but he'll just call-in reinforcements instead. Any way of getting him to use her?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:56:33 PM)
He is a bit put off by Bonehilda.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:04 PM)
Do any of you play The Sims at home during personal time?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:04 PM)
No... I'm too hooked on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:21 PM)
Is there a limit to how many MagiCoins you can have...like 9,999 or something?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:21 PM)
16,000

robwill80 (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:41 PM)
Hello! Can you answer this please? Are there any more plans for object downloads for The Sims 1?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:41 PM)
Top secret! Sorry :(

simfan867 (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:51 PM)
Do you have to have a special monitor to work on? I know my eyes go buggy after an hour or so. How do you keep from completely losing your eyesight?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:57:51 PM)
Personally, I play by using the force . . .

delinquent201 (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:08 PM)
are there any spells that are specifically for pets like you always keep their bowl full or something

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:08 PM)
there is one quite special spell for your pets.

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:21 PM)
How do kids get toadstools for spells? I've read in BBS that they have to sit on a lot of toadstool chairs, but i did it and it didn't work. Is this true?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:21 PM)
It's true

ddc0185 (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:45 PM)
Did you have only "guys" or women too?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:58:45 PM)
There are quite a lot of woman that work at Maxis, look at the game credits.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:13 PM)
Special versions of builds and programs and all that good stuff. Happy

MaxisMojo (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:17 PM)
We're on our last minute! 2 more questions from our guests!

Starlightbright (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:27 PM)
What is the point of baking cakes?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:27 PM)
To have your cake and eat it too!

QueenKamsiha (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:57 PM)
OBJECTS! I need more objects! Can you please make a cd with just more objects on it?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 6:59:57 PM)
You need more?!?! MM had soooooo many!

LearysBrain (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:02 PM)
In The Sims SuperStar, you had to work at various skills to become a SuperStar. In Makin' Magic, what makes you good at performing magic? Is it just the Cooking and Mechanical skills, or is there something further?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:02 PM)
Lots of skills come into play with makin magic and with performing away from home, logically speaking . . .

MaxisMojo (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:17 PM)
That concludes our chat today with MaxisProducer (aka. Cooper Buckingham) and Lead Tester Sean Hugunin. Thanks for attending! Be sure to check thesims.com later for the transcripts of today's chat.

MaxisMojo (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:24 PM)
Thanks everybody!

jlaustin86 (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:29 PM)
Will there be a patch to fix the unenchantable scarecrow? I tried to fix it myself but all I got out of it was a game that kept crashing.

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:29 PM)
. . . but the rest of the game is still really really awesome though, right!?

MaxisDano (Nov 13, 2003 7:00:52 PM)
Thanks for coming everyone!

Simaholic337 (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:00 PM)
How come with the beauty and the beast charm, the beauty part never works for me. Is there any secret?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:00 PM)
The spell description seems to suggest that you mind need to cast it in private. . .

MaxisLucky (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:00 PM)
Thanks everyone!

Mattlovesthesims (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:02 PM)
has anyone gone ill or fainted, or anything else dramatic from the lake of sleep and from starring at the screen so long?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:02 PM)
Sick, yes... I remember during Unleashed I missed close to a week because due to bouts of lightheadedness

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:13 PM)
Thanks all, happy simming!

Guest (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:28 PM)
What is the square-root of 12742?

maxisproducer (Nov 13, 2003 7:01:28 PM)
Bella GOth?

MaxisHuggy (Nov 13, 2003 7:02:11 PM)
Thank you all so much! Huggy had a great time answering as many questions as I could. Thanks again... hopefully we can do this again real soon.

0 comments
Read more!
Makin' Magic's Zany Television Commercial
13 Nov 2003 - 22:20

It's posted here at TheSims.com, but have you seen it?

I can't get enough TV!






0 comments
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Mortimer Tangos With The Skeletons In His Closet
13 Nov 2003 - 22:10

Get the third of four Makin' Magic desktop decorations.

Tango to the download

The Sims Makin' Magic
0 comments
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The Great Reviews Keep Coming In!
13 Nov 2003 - 22:00

Glowing reviews of Makin' Magic abound in all the best game mags.

Read the reviews

0 comments
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Welcome to The Sims 2! Part 9.01
8 Nov 2003 - 22:00

Hello everyone.

It's that time again! Time to share with you what's happening with The Sims 2 this week. Can't believe we are at #9 already!

Learn more about Memories and Personalities in The Sims 2, thanks to the assets that we are sharing with you this week. You can view an exclusive video clip of our game demo featuring twin teen sisters and their mutual quest for a first kiss (and memory) with the cute boy from next door. The body language of both sisters is truly amazing and really conveys their different personality types:






Customization of objects is also highlighted this week with the assets. View the following images to view all the different variations you have in The Sims 2 with objects like a bed and couches and floors in our new object design mode! This exciting new feature opens up an endless array of opportunity to decorate and customize your home:

The Sims 2 The Sims 2

We are working on the first edition of The Sims 2 Scoop, an all-new newsletter dedicated to providing in-depth info on The Sims 2. The monthly newsletter will include exclusive articles from the dev team, screens, videos, special offers and much more. You can sign up at the following link. We also encourage you to add a link to your websites:
http://preferences.fun.ea.com/ea/mf_TheSims2.asp

It wouldn't be a Maxis letter without a little cross promotion! Check out the new The Sims Bustin' Out web site at http://thesims.ea.com/us/index.html Just click on the console link and enjoy all of the new content, with much more on the way soon including Fan Site kits!

The Sims Makin' Magic continues to fly off the shelves. If you haven't already purchased it, hurry out and get your own copy. Highly acclaimed and well reviewed by both IGN and Gamespot, this is a must-have for all Sims fans. It also contains an exclusive CD on the making of The Sims 2.

That's all for now.

Cheers,

Luc

0 comments
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Chat With Luc Barthelet About Bella Goth and Sims 2
6 Nov 2003 - 22:30

A whopping 500 people were in attendance to hear what Luc had to say about Bella Goth and what the characters of Sims2 are like. For those who missed it, read the transcripts.

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:00:02 PM)
Hi everyone!

MaxisKitty (Nov 6, 2003 6:00:16 PM)
Hello and welcome to today's chat with Luc Barthelet, General Manager (who some of you maybe familiar with from the Sims 2 preview video) here at Maxis. Today we will be talking about Bella!

Sim_Boy (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:14 PM)
Hi everybody! and hi Luc! I got a question....When is Create-A-Sim going to be realased ? ? In the last chat you said in November but in the FAQ section I read you’re going to release the tools in December... so finally, when ?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:14 PM)
We will release create a sim in december

shareallicu (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:43 PM)
have you decided on an official name for CAS yet? is it going to be CAS?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:43 PM)
I hope we call it SimExtruder!

CaramelCutie411 (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:56 PM)
So how are you and Bella? I think alot of us are jealous of her :-\

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:01:56 PM)
We are doing ok

Vera (Nov 6, 2003 6:02:08 PM)
Will Bella be a playable character, or an NPC?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:02:08 PM)
Bella will be a playable character

evyon (Nov 6, 2003 6:02:31 PM)
Will Mortimmer and Casandra still come with Bella?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:02:31 PM)
Yes. also Cassandra is a little older now

total_sims_fan (Nov 6, 2003 6:03:08 PM)
luc, what is your facination with bella goth? and what does mortimar have to say about it?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:03:08 PM)
I think all Sims fan have had an adventure with Bella. Because she visits all the new sim players

midge0214 (Nov 6, 2003 6:03:29 PM)
has cassandra changed? is she not such a goodie two shoes now?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:03:30 PM)
Cassandra is a teenager now.

MaxisKitty (Nov 6, 2003 6:04:00 PM)
*eyes blink at how many questions are flying by* slow down a bit! yikes!

shareallicu (Nov 6, 2003 6:04:16 PM)
I heard that sims 2 has a built in customization tool for Objects? If that is true will it be fairly simple to ues? I didn't have much success with Maya:(

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:04:16 PM)
the built in tool is the in game design tool. it is as easy as making bitmaps.

Lord_Birger (Nov 6, 2003 6:04:48 PM)
What is your favourite NPC then Luc?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:04:48 PM)
I like the French maid!

Mandi (Nov 6, 2003 6:05:09 PM)
Is Bella elderly now?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:05:09 PM)
I know I have gray hair, but Bella is still an adult.

Hayz (Nov 6, 2003 6:05:29 PM)
When we marry an Npc, how will the npc be replaced?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:05:29 PM)
he is not replaced. he continues to have his/her job

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:05:56 PM)
430 players in the room!

Ezrianna (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:13 PM)
Can a mother have twins or triplets?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:13 PM)
twin yes. triplets are extremelly rare

Joshua (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:32 PM)
Can you have an affair with bella

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:32 PM)
Yes you can. but watch for mortimer

krispyben_06 (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:48 PM)
so if you marry the maid she will still continue to clean your house ?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:48 PM)
Funny. I don't know. I need to try

MaxisLucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:06:55 PM)
Please try to only ask questions. The queue is going by too fast for us to read right now and lots of it is people with "me, too" response.

Simygurl12344 (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:05 PM)
do pregnant women get morning sickness?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:05 PM)
Yes

kattofstarfox (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:28 PM)
Why did Bella marry Mortimer?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:28 PM)
he was her brother's best friend

ToniBrax_lil_sis (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:36 PM)
Can we have some screen shots of Bella and her grown-up family

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:36 PM)
coming soon

richard brown (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:59 PM)
Is the Goth Residence the same?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:07:59 PM)
no it is larger and much better. Bella has been prmoted a few times and they got more $$$

sweetheaven12314 (Nov 6, 2003 6:08:52 PM)
what will the rating be for this game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:08:52 PM)
we are aiming for a T rating

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:09:03 PM)
Hi Emily!

PnM (Nov 6, 2003 6:09:33 PM)
Can we buy a wig for Bob Newby?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:09:33 PM)
no but a hat you can

lollipopeclipse (Nov 6, 2003 6:09:49 PM)
Does Bella still wear that sexy, charismatic dress?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:09:49 PM)
yes and the new one has many more polygons...

Holly5256 (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:06 PM)
how will a sims woman know shes pregnant?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:06 PM)
morning sickness

thesiddog (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:20 PM)
--Will the Goths have relatives considering there will be a family tree? Does Bella have a single sister?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:20 PM)
yes we will know more about the Goth

hindumonkey1 (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:45 PM)
is there really goin to be a community lot for the sims?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:10:45 PM)
Yes. you can go there from their house

keys101us (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:18 PM)
Can Bob Newbie work out and get some abs? Or is he always fat?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:18 PM)
he could get fit. he does not seem to want though

J5858 (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:30 PM)
will a pregnant sim's belly grow in size?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:30 PM)
Yes! and yes

Serpent (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:56 PM)
has the goths house changed?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:11:56 PM)
Yes the game can build a much better house for them now. it is still a little crippy though

kara (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:20 PM)
Can my sims visit Bella in Bella's house??

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:21 PM)
yes

kateko (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:28 PM)
If I promise to make a sim named Luc, and I have him marry Bella, can I beta test the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:28 PM)
you can try

)Chiappetta 56( (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:36 PM)
Will there be a grim reaper?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:36 PM)
Yes.

simcatanina (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:55 PM)
Are sims attracted to other 'fit' sims?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:12:55 PM)
based on their personality

AlaskaSim (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:13 PM)
will pregnant women get mad at their husbands and will they have wierd cravings?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:13 PM)
is that how it goes? if so they will.

Darcel (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:17 PM)
Can sim kids move out when their adults?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:18 PM)
yes

_chancass_ (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:47 PM)
is the grim reaper scarier?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:13:47 PM)
No he is a nice guy and he will take you for a ride

lollipopeclipse (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:14 PM)
Will Servo be around??

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:14 PM)
Nope. Servo's batteries fully discharged and he did not make it in Sims 2

MaxisLucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:17 PM)
Please be patient about your questions - there are so many questions coming in right now, we can't keep up with reading them. Thanks -

Rebosama (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:27 PM)
Can Sims now kill each other? Say, if Mortimer gets suspicious, could he slip a poisoned cocktail Luc's way?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:28 PM)
I hope not

LuckieBlackKat (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:52 PM)
will the sim toddlers really be able to fly around on a ceiling fan?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:14:52 PM)
Not in the game yet. thank you for reminding me.

simcrazy (Nov 6, 2003 6:15:29 PM)
can you put your child up for adoption if you do not want them?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:15:30 PM)
Yes. and the social worker is really cute by the way!

mikeblue33 (Nov 6, 2003 6:15:50 PM)
Will there be super human sims, like the fire breather in the video

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:15:50 PM)
Hey I can do that too.

evyon (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:01 PM)
Can you make the women rip off their shirts?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:01 PM)
Me personally?

~*~Ria~*~ (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:19 PM)
can sims lay on their bed rather than just sleep in it?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:19 PM)
Yes. they can relax in bed. and more

C_Wise222 (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:30 PM)
CAn you marry the social worker

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:30 PM)
I am working on it!

User (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:34 PM)
Will babies really puke?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:34 PM)
Yes

Enjoji (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:39 PM)
will you be writing tutorials on how to create new body meshes, or something?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:39 PM)
Yes

Ambro (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:54 PM)
How old is Casandra in the new game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:54 PM)
She is a teen

Skelli (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:59 PM)
Will Cassandra turn into a bratty teen like me? Happy

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:16:59 PM)
Yes

love_buzz (Nov 6, 2003 6:17:15 PM)
what kind of interactions would adults have with babies?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:17:15 PM)
They have to teach them things, like walking

Schweighsr (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:31 PM)
I want to start creating custom content *NOW*! When will tools and/or specifications be released so that we can start making walls, floors, etc.?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:32 PM)
you can start making bitmaps in 1024x1024 or 512x512. I am pretty sure you will be able to import them when the tool is released.

vampiress_kitty (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:47 PM)
Do you enjoy torturing us by making us wait for TS2?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:47 PM)
not sure who is torturing who. It is hard work!

simcrazy (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:58 PM)
how long is it before a pregnant sim will have her baby?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:18:58 PM)
2-3 Sims days

Dixi (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:06 PM)
Is this game totally 3D? Really?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:06 PM)
totally really!

AngelinLeather (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:26 PM)
Will there be cheat codes in TS2 like our beloved rosebud, or will we not be able to be lazy anymore?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:26 PM)
rosebud will work.

Sims2Freak (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:32 PM)
Do they have to potty train there kids

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:19:32 PM)
yes

Dereks Allsims (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:12 PM)
Can we see our kids at school on the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:12 PM)
not in the Sims 2. Do you think we should do an expansion pack about school?

Claire (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:18 PM)
I'm dying here!! Will Bella have more kids?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:18 PM)
no

Professor Cumquatt (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:29 PM)
Has Mortimer ever caught you "playing" with Bella?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:29 PM)
not yet. I am very careful

Crazysims (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:37 PM)
What happens if your kid isn't **POTTY TRAINED**??

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:20:37 PM)
Guess

JZ (Nov 6, 2003 6:21:09 PM)
Whats the deal with the rosebud cheat? Is that your pet name for Bella Luc?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:21:09 PM)
Will came up with that name

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:21:18 PM)
ok stop guessing it is killing us

Frost (Nov 6, 2003 6:21:41 PM)
What happens if your child isnt taught to walk??

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:21:41 PM)
they figure it out as they grow up.

MaxisLucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:08 PM)
Please be patient about your questions - there are so many questions coming in right now, we can't keep up with reading them. Thanks -

XuKano (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:14 PM)
Why can't bella have more kids?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:14 PM)
She could, she decided not to.

siggyb2too (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:30 PM)
More importantly, has your wife ever caught you "playing" with Bella? Happy

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:30 PM)
Nope. I can turn that monitor off really fast.

Lord_Birger (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:52 PM)
Will my sims plants be affected by my sims talking to them?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:52 PM)
Sure. Like in real life.....

starlitenight (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:57 PM)
Will the police and fireman still walk to the house?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:22:57 PM)
Yes

Mike (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:21 PM)
I want to pre make some neighborhood terrains, what size maps can I use to import from SC4? Just terrain or roads and sidewalks too?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:21 PM)
Terrain and roads.

bossygirl4ever (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:45 PM)
Will Bella or Mortimer look different?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:45 PM)
Yes. they look way better.

jumbz11 (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:58 PM)
will sims be able to know that there 2nd cousins or 3rd cousins are related to them? And will they have a specific family feature?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:23:58 PM)
yes relatives matter.

Hannah1670 (Nov 6, 2003 6:24:13 PM)
how long is a life cycle? or at least tell us how long one of the stages is.... please?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:24:13 PM)
Babies are only 2-3 sims days

juju (Nov 6, 2003 6:25:12 PM)
so hypothetically we could have cul-de-sacs in the sims?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:25:13 PM)
Yes

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:25:40 PM)
to go in the Sims 2. start with a 64x64 city in SimCity4

richard brown (Nov 6, 2003 6:25:48 PM)
Please Mr Batherlet, answer my question - When is CAS out?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:25:48 PM)
December

td2004 (Nov 6, 2003 6:26:41 PM)
on the sims 2 site, when you start the chat you see a picture of Bella and Mortimer. Is that really what they will look like in The Sims 2?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:26:41 PM)
Yes

VelvetMoon1617 (Nov 6, 2003 6:26:54 PM)
I like the fact that we can sorta create our own skins. Will there be any skins with tatoos in the Create A Sim mode?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:26:54 PM)
yes

sugarbabealison (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:17 PM)
Please Luc Answer This, Will Sims have cars?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:17 PM)
I don't think so, but there is a chance

DLMsGirl (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:28 PM)
why did you push back the release of CAS?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:28 PM)
it was not finished

sim_lova (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:37 PM)
How Long Does This "CHAT" last?

MaxisLucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:37 PM)
This chat runs from 3 pm to 4 pm PST. The transcripts will be up on the site in the next day or so for you to check out!

Jullie (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:45 PM)
Can u change the neighborhood if you do not have sim city4?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:27:45 PM)
yes but not the terrain or the roads

The Slayer (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:10 PM)
PLEASE! What will we see insted of the gray on our lot? other houses? trees? PLEASE!

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:10 PM)
you see more terrain around the house, and the sky

simaholic (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:21 PM)
Does a sim male grow bald through his transition from adult to senior?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:22 PM)
it can happen

NJRockStar (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:26 PM)
what are some face expressions they can make?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:27 PM)
Happy

tigerred53 (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:36 PM)
how many expansion packs will you plan on making for the sims 2?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:36 PM)
7

Adriana Wolfe (Nov 6, 2003 6:28:56 PM)
What kind of WEATHER will there be? Just rain and sunshine?

Lord_Birger (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:05 PM)
Can Bella walk over to Bob or does she have to call for a cab?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:06 PM)
bob can call bella. or they can meet in a community lot

DanishPastry (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:15 PM)
Will there be a Sims 3

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:15 PM)
only if everyone buys Sims 2

Watup8 (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:27 PM)
Will Cassandra Goth still have glasses on when she get older,or will they remove somehow?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:28 PM)
Glasses are accesories.

juju (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:34 PM)
will a male child automatically grow up to have a beard if his father has one?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:34 PM)
no

JZ (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:50 PM)
Luc, what is your most favourite feature in The Sims 2 or what have you enjoyed working on the most?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:29:50 PM)
The camera

VelvetMoon1617 (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:01 PM)
Exactly how many different skin colors are in the sims 2 now?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:01 PM)
4. but custom content can add many more

jfade (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:23 PM)
Luc, is it true that we will be able to record full fledged video footage of our sims having events happen to them?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:23 PM)
yes

Duchess (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:47 PM)
Will you be able to change the babies gender if they have a boy and they wanted a girl or something?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:31:47 PM)
only in CAS

XuKano (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:03 PM)
When are you going to come upo with the final Sistem Requirements?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:03 PM)
it should be published in a couple of days

simmysky (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:13 PM)
ANSWER LUC, PLEASE.. SO TIRED..will Bella be able to sneeze and cough now in the sims 2????????

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:13 PM)
if she is sick

Professor Cumquatt (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:46 PM)
*holds microphone up to MaxisLuc* So tell me some more about Custom Content.

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:32:46 PM)
Our goal is to enable the users to control all the pixels on the screen

allie (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:05 PM)
Can children be punished? As in little Sammie had a raging teen party and her parents found out, could she be yelled at?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:05 PM)
lectured yes.

Crazysims (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:43 PM)
What is the newest item you LOVE the most??

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:43 PM)
The TV with the AVI files we can custom make

NahanaTawani (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:54 PM)
The new Bella is very pretty, was any Extra attention spent on her? *nudge nudge * *wink wink*

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:54 PM)
yes. wink wink

Holly5256 (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:58 PM)
are u really typing the answers to all these questions luc? Happy

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:33:59 PM)
YES

lucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:08 PM)
Ca you give us pictures of Bob and Betty please?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:08 PM)
coming in december

starlitenight (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:19 PM)
Will Bernie and Marty be in the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:19 PM)
most likely

Jullie (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:23 PM)
SEASONS? yes or no PLEASE

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:23 PM)
no

Schweighsr (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:36 PM)
When creating a building in TS2, is it three floors *plus* an attic, or three floors *including* an attic?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:34:36 PM)
4 floors total I bleieve

Jendow (Nov 6, 2003 6:35:33 PM)
Will great ts1 sites like ‘Persimmon Grove’ and ‘Around the Sims’ be given the tools to make TS2 objects, heads and skins? I would hate to see them go YES or NO please?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:35:33 PM)
YES

shugakitten (Nov 6, 2003 6:35:42 PM)
Prove to me that you are answering real life questions right now and not pre-determined questions that somebody working for you by answering to this post. Thank you

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:35:42 PM)
ping

C_Wise222 (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:05 PM)
In the new screenshots we saw a new very tiny control panel, is this a minamized version of the standerd one?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:06 PM)
that was an old one.

Scaper-X (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:15 PM)
Can pools/hot tubs be inside the house now?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:15 PM)
hot tubs yes.

decomposed_star (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:31 PM)
Can you REALLY pretty much create a likeness of anyone in CAS?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:31 PM)
Yes.

Eight Duckies (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:39 PM)
ANSWEAR ME! why don't you guys put in basements? EVERYONE WANTS EM!

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:39 PM)
I want them too.

Cinnamonchick (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:47 PM)
Does maxis have any suprises waiting for us?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:36:47 PM)
BIG TIME

XuKano (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:22 PM)
Will ytou get electrocuted in the pool?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:22 PM)
that's called drowning. not electrocution

Schweighsr (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:48 PM)
Tell us about swimming pools, please. Can we build round or curved swimming pools? Can Sims interact with each other or play water games in swimming pools?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:48 PM)
no curves. nice water though

allecher (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:57 PM)
Will Sims notice the BURGLAR robbing them? Will the BURGLAR still use the front door, or sneak in a side window?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:37:58 PM)
Yes they will notice.

ReflectedSky (Nov 6, 2003 6:38:30 PM)
will all of the female sims have the same voice, and all of the males have the same voice? or will there be varied pitches to their voices? (like deep voices, medium voices, high voices)

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:38:31 PM)
multi voices. although with simlish it is sometimes tough to tell.

Guest (Nov 6, 2003 6:38:40 PM)
WHAT IS CAS???????????

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:38:41 PM)
Create a Sim

dada121 (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:03 PM)
Luc, will there be a replica of you in the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:03 PM)
Not If I know about it

simaholic (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:09 PM)
cAn you play all the sims in a family or just one?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:09 PM)
all

Glip (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:18 PM)
Do sims age slowly or do they 'pop' into the nextage

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:18 PM)
they have a transition moment.

XuKano (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:27 PM)
What happens if you marry the burglar and he gets caught?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:27 PM)
you feel lonely

magic_teena (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:51 PM)
MaxisLuc, did you record a simmish voice?? Man I would really luv it if u did!!

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:51 PM)
nope. nobody gets my accent

Courtney (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:56 PM)
will there be sibling riverley?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:39:56 PM)
yes

iluvthesims505 (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:02 PM)
Can teens cook? Will they be able to Serve Breakfast instead of just having snacks?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:02 PM)
yes

die_engel (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:12 PM)
For Cassandra, did you actually mix Bella and Mortimer, or did you just make her from scratch?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:12 PM)
Mixed DNA

midge0214 (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:24 PM)
will bella and mortimer actually be able to interact w/Cassandra? They didn't in the sims 1

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:24 PM)
yes

SparkyDreamer (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:45 PM)
MaxisLuc, will sims care if their spouse dies?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:40:45 PM)
yes

Glip (Nov 6, 2003 6:41:31 PM)
When you say mixed DNA is that just mixed features or personality too?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:41:31 PM)
all of it

Dansminx (Nov 6, 2003 6:41:52 PM)
Will Miss Crumplebottom be back?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:41:52 PM)
Bad news on that front. I think we lost her.

decomposed_star (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:01 PM)
Luc, My Darling.. Will there be a spikey haired sim girl?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:01 PM)
Yes

shugakitten (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:32 PM)
If I married the maid, will she get paid for the cooking and cleaning?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:32 PM)
The money cheat is not enough? you have to exploit the NPCs?

KaiKhor (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:51 PM)
Will a Sim be able to marry their sibling?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:42:51 PM)
can't propose to family

Cinnamonchick (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:26 PM)
If sims are rich..do they relize it?and vice versa?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:26 PM)
Yes. they have aspirations like being rich

Professor Cumquatt (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:35 PM)
If you marry an NPC, will they have a personality?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:35 PM)
YES. great question!

MaxisLucky (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:36 PM)
Typing in caps is not cool Please refrain from that, ok? Thanks.

Willardness90 (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:41 PM)
Luc, will sims have to do their laundry?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:41 PM)
no

CaramelCutie411 (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:56 PM)
Is it possible for other sims to actually propose to you?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:43:56 PM)
don't know. I'll check

McKena (Nov 6, 2003 6:44:02 PM)
Can women propose to men?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:44:02 PM)
yes

MaRtiNiKBoI (Nov 6, 2003 6:44:23 PM)
je sais que vous comprenez pas tous le francais mais es ce que Sonia et Sandra seront cancer?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:44:23 PM)
je ne sais pas

rahlink (Nov 6, 2003 6:45:07 PM)
will there be multiple neighborhoods? how many houses are in the neighborhood?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:45:07 PM)
Yes. we will ship with 3. a neighborhood can have at least 50 houses. we will not fill them however. The Sims exchange will allow you to get some from the site

bossygirl4ever (Nov 6, 2003 6:45:20 PM)
Can you still create albums?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:45:20 PM)
Yes. including Videos

taf (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:08 PM)
Will it be on xbox or only for pc

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:08 PM)
We are shipping BustinOut in december on Xbox PS2, GC and GBA

BubbleWrap (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:14 PM)
Parlez-vous francais?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:14 PM)
pui

alexdulot (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:19 PM)
Bonjour Luc! Répondez moi je vous en pris! est-ce que les mamans auront une congé de maternité?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:19 PM)
non

simaholic (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:24 PM)
Will sims have astological signs???

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:46:24 PM)
yes

hellokity (Nov 6, 2003 6:47:12 PM)
is there a moon or sun in sims2? Oh luc are you married? if yes,does your wife play sims?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:47:12 PM)
I have not seen the moon nor the sun. but we have shadows. yes I married. she plays the sims once a year. just to make me happy

JZ (Nov 6, 2003 6:47:21 PM)
Will the HUGE house that is in the pics be included with the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:47:21 PM)
yes

greenwichgirl (Nov 6, 2003 6:48:31 PM)
Does your wife know that a lot of the ladies on the BBS think you are very attractive? If so, is she jealous? Happy

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:48:31 PM)
ok don't get me into trouble here.

oops (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:00 PM)
Luc - If a Sim has pink hair when she's a teen, will she still have it when she's an adult?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:00 PM)
Hair color can change upon aging

windnotes (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:07 PM)
will any of the houses included in the game be furnished?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:08 PM)
yes

simmysky (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:36 PM)
Luc, will you be having personal chats with the sims 2 webmasters???

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:36 PM)
there will be at a future date

Graciesim (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:44 PM)
In a video about The Sims 2 I saw a sim take a picture of her family. Will I be able to see pictures Sims have taken from their point of view?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:44 PM)
YES

katikins (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:51 PM)
Will old ladies have blue hair then?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:49:51 PM)
yes

misty (Nov 6, 2003 6:50:17 PM)
With the telescope can you spy on your neighbors and if so can you see what they are doing?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:50:17 PM)
I have not looked through it myself, but from the sims reaction, it appears they are seeing something

simsareawesome (Nov 6, 2003 6:50:38 PM)
can pregnant sims "play" while they are pregnant?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:50:38 PM)
I think so. pregnancy is not a sickness.

alphagirl (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:03 PM)
How long after Sims2 will the first addon be released?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:03 PM)
don't know yet, we are doing our best to release the first EP as quickly as possible.

Dru (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:12 PM)
Luc pourquoi ne pas venir faire un chat sur notre tout nouveau site sim officiel français un de ces jours? On est peu nombreux à parler anglais et on doit tout traduire pour les autres ! Ce serait sympa Wink

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:12 PM)
pas de probleme

chris (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:17 PM)
Hey luc will ther be a sims burstin' out for pc?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:17 PM)
no

Willardness90 (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:33 PM)
Will new sims still start with $20,000?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:51:33 PM)
propably a little more. inflation you know

bubblegum (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:09 PM)
is there a will wright npc in the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:09 PM)
no. Will Wright is a real person

Cgirl04 (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:15 PM)
Can personalities change with time?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:15 PM)
Yes.

SparkyDreamer (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:29 PM)
Do teens have their own money?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:29 PM)
yes, in their dream.

Lauraliz (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:34 PM)
how much will the game cost? around $50?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:52:34 PM)
$49

Eight Duckies (Nov 6, 2003 6:53:01 PM)
Can sims get money from their parents?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:53:01 PM)
Money is household money

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:53:12 PM)
But each sim has its inventory

000000000 (Nov 6, 2003 6:53:29 PM)
Will any of the people from MAXIS be in the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:53:29 PM)
Don't think so.

oops (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:16 PM)
When a baby is born, do you get to pick how they'll look through every stage of their life?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:16 PM)
no. the DNA decides

AngelinLeather (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:43 PM)
Will there still be little picture bubbles above a Sims head when they speak?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:43 PM)
yes. now in color

TheSimsGuy (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:56 PM)
Can Sims watch TV from their bed (I do that a lot)?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:54:56 PM)
not sure. I'll try

Sims_Lover_03 (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:08 PM)
how advanced is the DNA process?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:09 PM)
I think the DNA is nailed now.

Tisha (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:17 PM)
So don't marry an ugly sim if you don't want ugly kids?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:17 PM)
yeap!

gourmetgurl (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:34 PM)
how was you date with bella

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:34 PM)
kind of short. she played pinball a lot. she is really good at it.

sunbonnet (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:41 PM)
Will some babies be fussier than others?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:55:41 PM)
yes

Love angel danielle (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:00 PM)
Can u make anime faces in the sims..like having really big eyes

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:00 PM)
YES

Serpent (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:12 PM)
If one sim flushes the toilet when another sim is in the shower will he/she get scorched?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:12 PM)
Yes if it is a cheap shower

siggyb2too (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:20 PM)
Is there such a thing as an ugly Sim? :P

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:20 PM)
oh yes

kyrliah (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:34 PM)
Will there be some kind of vanity mirror so that women(and girls) change their hairstyle and makeup?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:34 PM)
probably in an EP.

Maize (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:46 PM)
Are the pink flamingoes in The Sims 2? They are a necessity!

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:46 PM)
yes

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:56:54 PM)
and the gnomes

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:01 PM)
4 minutes to go

MaxisKitty (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:17 PM)
We have four more minutes till teh end.. though we have more then enough questions then we coudl ever possibly hope to answer

thesiddog (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:30 PM)
Will there be llamas in the game?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:30 PM)
nope

starlitenight (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:36 PM)
Will there be more interactions with sim babies in the sims 2?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:57:36 PM)
yes

Professor Cumquatt (Nov 6, 2003 6:58:09 PM)
Hey Luc, will there be more advanced personality controls? (No offense Maxis guys, but the personality thing in the Sims wasn't quite up to my expectations) After all, what's on the inside is what counts.

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:58:09 PM)
not more controls, but better defined and more extreme

kateko (Nov 6, 2003 6:58:39 PM)
Can you control baby's actions?

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 6:58:39 PM)
you can control the toddler

nanshi_nibble (Nov 6, 2003 7:00:23 PM)
Luc, Is it possible for you to leave answers to our questions on the sims2 site. Like an Official FAQ section?? It helps quash all the rumours

MaxisLuc (Nov 6, 2003 7:00:23 PM)
there is an FAQ on the site today at http://thesims2.ea.com/about_faq.php

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Vote, and Be Counted
6 Nov 2003 - 22:20

EGM is teaming up with MTV for a new show and you can vote for The Sims in MTV's Ultimate Video Game Countdown!
Go to EGM.com
...And...
Vote for the Sims in the Spike TV Video Games Awards.
Go to SpikeTV.com

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Makin' Magic Magical Bookshelf Download
6 Nov 2003 - 22:10

Download this shelf to store your magical ingredients.

Download Magical Cabinet (823k)

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Desktop Decorations
6 Nov 2003 - 22:00

Decorate your desktop with the second in the series of Makin' Magic wallpapers!

Mummify your desktop

The Sims Makin' Magic
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