SimEarth: The Living Planet

Release Date: October 16, 1990

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The second simulation game, after the cult SimCity, in the output of Maxis. We take control of the entire planet, and the authors allow us to modify various parameters such as climate, temperature and shape of the land. In such a prepared environment we place various forms of life, observing their evolution and development.

One year after the premiere of SimCity, a title that gave rise to a new genre of simulation games, Maxis company proposed a new, similarly maintained production. This time, however, presented in a global perspective - in SimEarth we will have to influence the development not of a single city anymore, but of the whole Earth.

Like the original, SimEarth does not set any specific goals for players. The authors allow us to modify various parameters and properties of our planet, such as climate, temperature or shape of the land. In such a prepared environment we can then place various forms of life and observe their evolution and development in the course of the game. The game was inspired by the hypothesis of Gai, created by the British scientist James Lovelock and suggesting that the Earth functions as a single giant organism, adapting to change and therefore life on the planet will last no matter what people do. The scientist himself participated in the work on SimEarth, he also wrote an introduction to the instructions attached to the game.

Players are helped by extensive information panels, showing with great accuracy a number of useful information, such as atmospheric gas concentration, drift rate of continents or the rate of reproduction and mutation of various forms of life. We also have at our disposal various tools and devices allowing us to modify a number of parameters of the planet, such as an oxygen generator, which increases the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere, or a monolith, which increases the intelligence of intelligent forms of life thanks to contacts with extraterrestrial civilizations.

In the game we will also have to deal with various natural disasters - from natural disasters such as hurricanes and fires to human-dependent plagues and pollution. Depending on the current conditions on the planet, each of them can affect life on Earth in a different way. Increased volcanic eruptions can increase the concentration of dust in the atmosphere and lower the global temperature. Underwater earthquakes are causing catastrophic tsunamis, and a shortage of nuclear fuel in a civilisation dependent on it can lead to a nuclear war.

What is interesting is the fact that regardless of our actions, the most persistent players will still witness the sad end of our home planet. The authors assumed that the Earth dies 10 billion years after its creation. It is then that the sun turns into a great red giant, destroying all forms of life in the universe.

Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this description.

Last updated on August 14, 2015

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