Perhaps an alien attack would have brought on a few more chuckles. Maybe, it's the minute detail of the simulation, maybe it's the organic way in which we can curve roads and build a city that actually looks like a real world equivalent, or maybe it was the weight that was put on me as the mayor trying to clean up the mess the meteor strike left. But this new Sim City has a serious tone, even with the sillyness of its Sims inhabitants. It's not with a sadistic grin on our faces that we've sent natural disasters the way of our towns. Sim City has always been a franchise that has been decidedly tongue in cheek.
Typically, you have to build a city that satisfies all basic needs of its citizens, but now you can specialise even more, and find success in doing so. Is there need for an oil baron? Perhaps someone to lend a helping hand with law and order? Maybe there is no proper holiday destination? There are many roles to fill, and how that will play out is one of the most intriguing things we'll find out when Sim City hits beta. Shaping your city is now also a matter of finding a profitable and suitable role inside of your region. Diversity is something that naturally comes out of Sim City.