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''SimCity 3000'' ('''''SC3K''''') is a Simulation / City Building Computer Game and the third installment in the '' SimCity '' series of games. It was Published by Electronic Arts (EA) and developed by series creator Maxis , a wholly-owned subsidiary of EA. While some users have managed to run '' SimCity 4 '' on Linux , ''3000'' was the first and only version to be specifically released for the Operating System through an arrangement with Loki Games . GAMEPLAY AND CHANGES FROM ''SIMCITY 2000'' There were many changes between ''SimCity 3000'', and its immediate predecessor, ''SimCity 2000'' (''SC2K''). These changes spanned both the integral city management aspects of the game, as well as its graphical and landscape aspects. These changes gave the game a feel greatly different from that of ''SC2K''. In a pattern which has continued throughout the ''SimCity'' franchise, the number and complexity of city services increased between ''SC2K'' and ''SC3K''. The most notable change was that the concept of Waste Management was introduced in ''SC3K''. In previous versions of SimCity, this aspect had been ignored. However, in ''SC3K'', once a city had a population greater than 1,000, garbage would begin to accumulate and would have to be disposed of at the expense of the city. Another notable change was in the way the game handles Education . In ''SC2K'', a school could be placed in a neighborhood, and the school would serve the number of children in that neighborhood, regardless of how many there were. In ''SC3K'', each school had a set capacity of students, after which additional schools would have to be constructed. The same principle was applied with hospitals. Farm s and Agriculture structures were also introduced, appearing on large light industrial zones in a city with low land value, little pollution and a small citywide population. Although the concept of neighbor cities was introduced in ''SC2K'', it was greatly expanded upon in ''SC3K''. For the first time, the player could interact with his or her neighbor cities, negotiating rudimentary business deals with other mayors, such as the sale of Water , Electricity , or waste management services. These generate a monthly charge which is either added or subtracted from the player's treasury, in accordance with the deal. From time to time, the simulated mayors of neighboring cities will call meetings to renegotiate the terms or price of these deals. Although not strictly a city management aspect, ''SimCity 3000'' simulated the effect of Land Value on construction much more realistically than in ''SimCity 2000''. In the latter, most buildings fell into a wide stratum that did not reflect land value very effectively; every building was more or less suited to neighborhoods of every economic disposition. In ''SC3K'', land value created very distinct Neighborhood s which tended to contain narrow income bands, creating well-defined Slum s, middle class areas, and wealthy areas. However, over time, land value " Inflation " would cause almost every area of a city to become expensive, so that wealthy neighborhoods covered most if not all of the map. There were several changes to the graphical interface in ''SC3K''. Although the game retained the pseudo- Isometric Dimetric Perspective of its predecessor, the actual landscape became more complex and colorful. In ''SimCity'' and ''SC2K'', the playable landscape was brown, not unlike the color of bare dirt. In ''SC3K'', the playable landscape was a more realistic green color, simulating grassland. In ''SC2K'', land could either be flat or sloped, and all slopes were of the same steepness. In ''SC3K'', there were five distinct steepness of slope, creating more varied landscapes. However, in ''SC3K'', there are no Waterfall s, which are common in ''SC2K''. Also, for the first time, there were different types of trees which could appear on the playable map. In ''SC2K'', there were only Pine trees, while in ''SC3K'', Oak trees prevail, but other types of tree exist, depending on the elevation of the terrain. Advisors and petitioners ''SimCity 3000'' and its expansion pack, ''Unlimited'' feature seven advisors, each covering a specific issue, who help players makes proper decisions in the game by providing recommendations and advice. As opposed to previous versions of ''SimCity'', the advisors actually give in-depth advice which is helpful from the player. In ''SimCity 2000'', the advisors' advice usually consisted of the advisor shouting down the player for even considering budget cuts to that advisor's department. The names and departments of the advisors are as follows:
There are also petitioners, many of which are citizens of the players' cities, that request players to modify city policies, such as lowering tax rates, or enacting an s." Landmarks Independent real-world landmarks were also introduced for the first time in ''SC3K'', but are strictly for aesthetic purposes only and are free of construction cost. Landmarks in the game include the CN Tower , Notre Dame , the Bank Of China Tower , the Empire State Building , and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center . COMPARISON WITH ''SIMCITY 2000'' ''SimCity 3000'' is essentially '' SimCity 2000 '' with several small features added and graphics updated to a standard appropriate for when it was published (1999). Some people consider ''SC2K'' to be a better game than ''SimCity 3000'' since the two are essentially the same and because of ''SC3Ks greater System Requirements , and game-play issues. For example, ''SimCity 3000 Unlimited''''' occasionally gives the player the option of hosting a Parade , which gives a boost for commercial demand to the player's city. The animation for the parade lasts a long time, the game pauses during the animation with no option of skipping over the animation. Critics note other similar flaws. ''UNLIMITED'' A re-release, ''SimCity 3000 Unlimited'', was released in 2000. ''Unlimited'' added, among other things, Asian and European building sets, a snapshot feature, an improved version of the Building Architect Tool (a very basic pseudo- 3D design tool based on cubes), and scenarios (along with a creator based on Microsoft Access ). The ''SimCity 3000 Unlimited'' edition was distributed with different titles in some places outside of the USA:
''BAT'' .]] Like ''SimCity 2000'' Despite the huge amount of buildings and artists involved with the ''BAT'', it has not gained the cult-status the ''SCURK'' has. Another possible reason is that the ''BAT'' did not allow people to create and edit cities by placing buildings free-of-charge, unlike the ''SCURK'' EXTERNAL LINKS
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