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[Lyn Farel]

http://rumorsontheinternets.org/2010/10/14/magnasanti-the-largest-and-most-terrifying-simcity/

Food for thought

[Esna Pitoojee]

I read this, but one bit in particular stuck out at me: "All neccessary resources are generated by neighboring cities".

In my opinion, that's the first point where the line between comparing simulations and comparing realities falls down. Nowhere in our lifetime will an urban area where all resources are produced outside of the city in a ready-to-use form exist - the demands and inefficiencies of reality will always insist that this be true.

The second is that people do not choose to leave what is obviously such a hellish environment.

But then, it is a simulation - and much like that endless Civilization game that resulted in a nuclear-scarred, 1984-esque hellhole, they're more useful to depict the lengths we won't go to because we so fundamentally rebel against them.

[Lyn Farel]

I didn't find the parallel with the real world to be the most interesting, actually, but more the limits of the game, the achievement in itself, and that kind of things.

I'm rather in awe with the time and work involved to get there. I mean, 5+ years.

[Aedre Lafisques]

Yeah, I think the take away here is the idea we (people, human beings) want to win these games, and we might be wanting to 'win' Urbanism - and everything else we do - if we can, more than "SimCity game mechanics as metaphor for real life", not to mention, maybe, that we shouldn't try too hard to apply rules and game logic to living - Particularly from his perspective as an architect or urban planner. Interesting commentary, and relevant framework for it, I think!