I think you'd got a nice idea, you just have to find a way to make it different from all the "city builder" games already out there that are similar.

As a fan of city builders I need to strongly disagree here :) What city builders? Crappy Cities XL? Pathetic SimCity 4-5? Sorry, I don't see all these city builders. Actually I can't find even ONE I could play. I don't want them to be "different", I don't want the ability to "import sims", I don't want full 3D pixel perfect map where everything has different shape and you can't align anything.

I DO want the standard overused SimCity 2000 or Pharaoh or other clear grid based city builder (where I can see how much space I have left). I would definitely buy a standard oldstyle traditional city builder game (and preferably without any combat unless it's made as skilfully as in Caesar/Pharaoh series). Actually, I hate no one make these anymore :(

Thank you everyone for all your feedback. I now agree that city builder and combat do not go together.

I was already starting to think that when I was writing the design document, it didn't feel right, but I wanted to get other opinions first.

I will rethink the design.

I think you'd got a nice idea, you just have to find a way to make it different from all the "city builder" games already out there that are similar.

As a fan of city builders I need to strongly disagree here What city builders? Crappy Cities XL? Pathetic SimCity 4-5? Sorry, I don't see all these city builders. Actually I can't find even ONE I could play. I don't want them to be "different", I don't want the ability to "import sims", I don't want full 3D pixel perfect map where everything has different shape and you can't align anything.

I DO want the standard overused SimCity 2000 or Pharaoh or other clear grid based city builder (where I can see how much space I have left). I would definitely buy a standard oldstyle traditional city builder game (and preferably without any combat unless it's made as skilfully as in Caesar/Pharaoh series). Actually, I hate no one make these anymore

Like I said, this genre is not my expertise. However my point was to give the player a reason to play your city builder over other city builders. It's like making another metal gear, just like the first metal gear on the PlayStation 1. Why would I play your version of metal gear if it's just like the original, when I can just play the original? There should be your own spin on it that the player doesn't really get often from the other games similar to it.

This is just my opinion though. Best of luck-

-Shade-

Why would I play your version of metal gear if it's just like the original, when I can just play the original?

Because you forgot when you put the CD with it, and when you find it you realize it can't be read because the CD got corrupted/scratched. And once you manage to obtain a working copy you realize it won't work in your modern system and you need to deal with compatibility settings or even worse run it in DOS mode and make a custom bat file which you completely forgot how to do. Then, when you finally managed to run it you sadly noticed the resolution is simply too low to your current taste and that it does not feel the same way, also it runs too fast even on the lowest speed setting since the CPU speeds skyrocketed in the meantime and you can't really scroll the map because it moves you instantly to the edge of the map. And, what's the most insulting, it has no Steam achievements at all :D

It's not that what you wrote is wrong or something, it's just not the core problem. The problem is there are no playable & fun city builder games made since, well, ages and that that comes before any originalty and uniquiness. But of course I would not mind some cool new stuff added to the genre, but that's just an extra. It would not affect my willingness to buy the game.

Fair enough- lol
I guess the rest just comes down to how it all comes together in the hands of the designer-

You make it sound like the main point of the game would be to play it multiplayer with other people, otherwise it seems like it would be very bland. In fact I'm not sure if you even would have a single player.

Why would I want to donate funds to other players if they suffered a natural disaster? What would be an incentive to attack other players? Do you get their resources? If so, then how do stop strong players from just crushing weaker players and taking their resources? Or I guess even before that, where are these new/weak players going to get resources from initially to start growing?

How do you even start the multiplayer? Is it like an RTS where you start over each time you play on a new map?

There is so much missing that it's hard to even ask good questions since I don't know what you even have in mind.