Electronic Arts Inc. 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065. 1574505. Printed in Singapore.

Icon Glossary
Sim Icons
Immune to Furious, ready to
Sick Content
sickness go Rogue
Cured of sickness Angry, ready to
Injured Happy
or injury play Hooky

Drunk Being entertained Sad Elated

Ecstatic
Special Sim Icons
These indicate if Special Sims are members of a ‘class’ of Sims or associated with other
aspects of your city. The Criminal class includes Pickpockets, Burglars, and more.
Artist Secret Enforcer Tourist Spooky Sim

Security
Criminal City Worker Farmer
Professional

Entertainer Holy Sim Men in Black Manager

Monk Religious Leader Activist

Police Officer Business Sim Researcher

3D Building Icons
Positively affected by a Morning venue is closed
Shut down by Rogue Sims Special Sim due to the hour
Negatively affected by a All Day venue is closed
Building action was used Special Sim due to the hour
Received benefit from Not enough Power Venue is full
another Building’s action
Building action is ready
Completely repaired Not enough Productivity to go
Can cure sickness or
A Sim moved out Not enough Prosperity injury
A formerly homeless Sim Not enough Creativity Has carbon output
has moved in

A child has died here Not enough Spirituality Produces Criminals

A Sim has been born here Not enough Authority Produces Crime-fighters

Produced money for the Not enough Knowledge

treasury
Retail Venue has made Damaged, not functioning
a sale
 Contents
Installing the Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Starting the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hot Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Cities of Your Dreams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Creating a New City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Developing Your City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Keys to Your City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
City Planning and Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hints and Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Limited 7-Day Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

www.simcity.com

1
 Installing the Game
Note: For system requirements, see simcity.ea.com/system.
To install SimCity™ Societies :
1. Close all open programs and background tasks, including virus scanners (see
Performance Tips on p. 25 for more info).
2. Insert the SimCity Societies disc into your DVD-ROM drive. The Autorun menu appears.
Note: If the Autorun menu does not automatically appear, click the Start button from the
Windows Taskbar and select Run…. Type D:\Launch File in the Run dialog box, then click
OK (substitute the correct letter of your DVD-ROM drive if other than ‘D:’).
3. Click the INSTALL button on the Autorun menu, then follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the installation.

Starting the Game

To start SimCity Societies (with disc already in drive):
1. Close all open programs and background tasks, including virus scanners (see
Performance Tips on p. 25 for more info).
2. Click the Start button from the Windows Taskbar and select All Programs (or
Programs) > Electronic Arts > SimCity Societies > SimCity Societies.

2
 Hot Keys
Master your mayoral duties with these quick keyboard and mouse controls.

Rotate current building before placing R

Release the current tool/building from Right mouse button (with right-handed
the cursor without placing mouse setting)
Eyedropper tool Hold q
Close window or bring up Options menu s
Zoom in/out ] / [ or mouse wheel
Follow selected Sim .
Return camera to “home” orientation h
Scroll camera down/up/left/right Arrow keys or S/W/A/D
Orbit camera left/right Q/E
Jump to buildings starting with that Letter keys
letter in Gallery when Sort by Name is on
Increase/Decrease game speed + / - on keypad
Pause game P or p
Quick save ∞
Quick load (last quick save) ª
Show previous ticker messages ˚
Take screenshot d
Toggle UI on/off ≠
Toggle City Info Card I
Display console e
Bulldoze targeted building m
Undo v+Z

3
 The Cities of Your Dreams

The blank canvas of your city stretches before you. Your palette contains a wide range of
buildings, a variety of societal values, a wealth of landscapes, and an unlimited populous of
Sims. The choices you make are entirely up to you and will determine how your city takes
shape—from the way it functions and looks to how it sounds. Your ultimate goal may not
be a megalopolis of towering skyscrapers and a treasury overflowing with Simoleons.
Each structure you place consumes or produces one or more of six societal values.
These buildings often affect your Sims in a manner that corresponds to the particular
societal value produced or consumed. Emphasize Spirituality to nurture a contemplative
enclave of devout serenity; focus on Creativity to develop an imaginative and somewhat
fantastic society of self-expression and fun-loving Sims; concentrate on Productivity to
build a bustling hive of industrious workers, or mix and match your city’s values for a truly
unique creation. Every society you create can be unique with its own set of values and a
completely different lifestyle for its Sims.

4
 Creating a New City
Whether you know exactly what type of city you want to build or you’re going to casually
see what takes shape, this section helps you lay the foundation for your creation.
To get straight into building your first city, click the Play SimCity Societies icon in
the top right corner of the title screen. Before you play, you’ll need to create a profile. The
Welcome screen appears and asks you to do this.

Profiles
Create a profile before you begin playing. You can have many different cities under one
profile and the medals and trophies you earn under that profile are shown here. Once
you’ve created your profile, you’re invited to play through the tutorial.

Mayoral Induction—A Tutorial

SimCity Societies introduces a brand-new way to build your city, so even experienced
mayors should play through the quick tutorial to familiarize themselves with all the
new features. Get up to speed on societal values, Sims’ happiness levels, earning
Simoleons, placing and unlocking buildings, using filters, and more.
Click this icon to play the tutorial.
When you’ve played through the tutorial, you’re ready to create a city on your own! If
you’ve played before, clicking the Play SimCity Societies icon takes you directly to the
Profile screen where you can choose to start a new city, play the tutorial, change players,
or load a previously saved city. To create a city, click the Start A New City icon .

Name Your City

The first step in creating your city is coming up with a name—SimTopia, Susannaville, or
Binkyberg, the choice is up to you. If you want some inspiration or a ready-made name,
click the name generator icon. You can keep clicking until you’re inspired or you see one
that strikes your fancy.

Regions
The region you select is a starting point for the landscape of your city. A tropical region will
be lush and dotted with palm trees. Plant your city in a desert region for a drier environment
decorated with rock formations and stately cacti. You can get an idea of the terrain of each
different region by selecting it and checking out the preview at the lower right of the Create
A New City screen.

5
 Difficulty
You can set your difficulty level to Relaxed, Normal, or Challenging. With the Relaxed
setting, Workplaces produce more money and your Sims’ happiness levels decrease
at a slower rate than they do with the Normal setting. When you choose Challenging,
Workplaces produce less money and Sims’ happiness levels decrease faster than when set
to Normal.

Event Frequency
Determine the frequency with which crises and global events occur. Choose NORMAL for a
typical number of events, LOW for fewer, CLIMATE ONLY to be affected solely by carbon-
related events—or set to HIGH to plague your city with calamites and crises. With any of
these settings, full-scale disasters only occur when you trigger them through the Disaster
menu.

Play Modes
The three different game modes offer a range of experiences—perform a balancing act
in Normal mode, be a big spender in Unlimited Simoleons, or create a picture-perfect
cityscape in Free Play.

Normal
This is the mode in which you not only earn respect for your mayoral skills, but permanently
reveal hidden reward buildings as well. In this mode, you can also earn permanent Medals
and Achievements (with corresponding trophies and reward buildings), which you do not
earn in the other two game modes. Shape your city by emphasizing different societal
values, balance your spending against your Simoleon income, and keep your Sims happy by
providing them with enjoyable Venues and essential services.

Unlimited Simoleons
The sky is the limit in this mode where money is no obstacle. You’ll never run out of
Simoleons, but you still face the challenges of meeting your societal value needs and
unlocking buildings. But with your overflowing treasury that shouldn’t be a problem!

Free Play
Create your city according to your whim! All buildings are revealed and unlocked, though
you won’t have access to any reward buildings (see p. 23) until you’ve earned them in
Normal mode. In Free Play mode, you don’t need to worry about providing power or enough
societal values for each building. This mode is all about being able to create a city exactly
how you want it.

6
 Advanced Options
These options let you adjust the terrain details of your regions even more. You can increase
or decrease the amount of water, vegetation, elevation variation, and more. You can also
import a custom height map.
To import a custom height map:
1. Save your image as a 512x512, indexed-color (256 colors) targa (.tga) file, to
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SimCity™ Societies\Height Maps. (The central
256x256 section of this image will be used for the height of your map. The rest will be
used for the apron border around it.)
2. Start the game, select play, and then from the Create A New City screen, check the
Advanced Options box.
3. Select Use Height Map and click the button labeled Choose Height Map and select the
file you want.
4. You can change the texture and various other advanced settings to tweak the map to
your liking—the preview should give you a sense of how your changes will look.
5. When the preview looks good, click the Play This City icon .

You can click the Generate a Random Map icon as many times as you like until you
see a map you want to use.
Once you’ve created a name, selected a region and play mode, and adjusted your other
options, click the Play This City icon to enter your city.

7
 Developing Your City
One of the most important aspects of building a city is managing your resources. In SimCity
Societies, besides power sources, your city also needs societal values to run.

Societal Values
Why is San Francisco different from Paris, London, and Shanghai? It’s not just the climate
and the language. Different cities have distinctly different feels that are affected by the
values of that society.
Each building in your city produces or consumes one or two of six societal values. One of
the quickest ways to determine the overall nature of a city, is to look at the societal values it
produces and consumes.
For example, an elementary school produces ten units of Knowledge, while a clinic
consumes four. A children’s museum provides four units of Knowledge, but consumes
six units of Creativity.
A balanced city has a mix of all six values, while extreme societies focus heavily on
one or two.
• To filter the buildings and Decorations in the Building Gallery, click one of the values
while you have the desired building type or decoration already selected.

Productivity Cities that promote this value concentrate on manufacturing and

income, exploiting the Sims who actually do the work. Sims in
these societies have no choice but to commit themselves to the
daily grind, often living in miserable conditions while “The Man”—
that’s you—cashes in on their hard work.
Prosperity It may be true that money can’t buy happiness, but Sims in cities
with wealth as their primary value are determined to live out their
potentially less-than-ecstatic days in the lap of luxury.
Creativity The Arts are not only supported in cities which value Creativity,
they’re positively revered. Three-day work weeks and boundless
entertainment keep the citizens of a Creative society almost
constantly overjoyed.
Spirituality Sims who value this seek meaning in their lives. While their
specific spiritual beliefs vary, the commitment to a higher purpose
is shared by all.
Authority Authority-based societies feature the strong and perpetual exercise
of government power. The state, as an entity, imposes its will on
the citizens, and they are forced to go along with it. Sims who find
themselves unhappy living in these conditions can be dealt with
promptly and firmly.
Knowledge A thirst for knowledge and the desire to further the understanding
of other societal values and create new paths of societal growth
characterize this society.

8
 Power
Choose the squeaky clean energy of a wind farm or the inexpensive, down and dirty option
of a coal-burning power plant. Remember, your choice doesn’t just turn the lights on. If you
use polluting sources of power, expect your city to be blanketed by smog, and beware that
rampant pollution may trigger certain types of high carbon-related crises. Check out just
how toxic your proposed power plant is on its info card before you plop it in the middle of
your otherwise pastoral city.

The Feel of Your City

The buildings you choose have a direct impact on the appearance, sound track, lighting,
skies, and overall feel of your city.
Using the Society Filters (see p. 12) when you browse the Building Galleries is a good way
to steer your city towards a certain look and feel. These changes become more and more
apparent as your city develops along a particular path. If your city is a mish-mash of styles,
it often just looks “normal.” But if you emphasize a certain profile, your city will eventually
take on characteristics reflecting that style.
The Society Filter is only a starting point. There are more styles that you will discover as you
experiment with different building combinations.

9
 The Keys to Your City
As you embark on your city-building venture, these fundamentals can help you keep your
city running smoothly.

Game Screen
Special Maps Display—Toggle different views of Day and time of day
your city to see which values are prevalent and
where, how happy your Sims are, track criminal
and police activity, view all Special Sims, and more.

Mini-map of
your city

Rotate your view

Open the city info card

Zoom in/out

Open the Achievements

screen
Access in-game Help
Go to the Options menu
(p. 11)
Open the Build Scrolling message
Treasury menu (p. 13) ticker—The latest
news about your city Societal Values (p. 8)—The upper
Population Open the Disasters number indicates the surplus
Adjust the Click the arrow or deficit of this value in your
menu (p. 22) to view previous
game speed city. The lower number indicates
messages how much of this value is being
produced by your city.

Saving and Loading

SimCity Societies uses an auto-save function to safeguard your creations, but you can also
manually save your games.
Autosaves
To adjust how frequently the game auto-saves, click the Settings icon from the Options
menu and then click the Game button at the top right. Adjust the slider on the bottom left to
set the number of minutes after which the game auto-saves. Move the slider on the right to
set the number of autosaves the game archives. Your oldest autosave is deleted after this
number is reached when the game next auto-saves.
To manually save your city, click the Save This Game icon at the Options menu and then
type in a name for the file and click SAVE. You can also do a Quick Save (from within the
game) by pressing ∞.
To load a previously saved city, click the Load A Saved Game icon from the Options menu
or click the Play SimCity Societies button from the Main menu. Then find the file name
of the city you want to load and double-click it. To Quick Load your last quick-saved city,
press ª.

10
 Options
Start a new city, restart the current city, adjust your settings, and more.
Continue playing the
Restart this city from scratch, current city
using the same map Quit and return to Main menu

Exit to desktop
Load a saved game
Adjust video, audio, and game
Save this game
settings

Optimizing Your Settings

If you experience sluggish performance or other issues, adjusting some of the
gameplay settings may help.
• From the Settings screen select the Video button at the top left of the screen, and
then set the Graphics Quality settings to LOW.
• If you want even better performance, select the Game button at the top right of the
screen and set the camera to MOST RESTRICTED.
Experiment with different settings to find the set-up which works best on your system.
For additional suggestions visit http://easims.custhelp.com/.

11
 Building Galleries
When you click one of the buttons on the build menu, you bring up the corresponding
gallery for that building type. For example, the Workplaces Gallery is shown below.
Society Filters Sort the available Workplaces
alphabetically by name, by the amount of
societal values consumed/produced, by
cost, by worker capacity, or by whether
the building has an associated Building
Action (see p. 16).
Close this gallery.

Click the +/- symbol to view more or

fewer rows.
Scroll down to see additional locked
or hidden buildings. Click here
to scroll through the rest of the
Workplaces or use your mouse wheel.

• Hover your mouse over a building in the gallery to see how placing it would impact
your city (the power indicator and societal values will temporarily change to reflect its
potential impact).
When you have a gallery open, you can click one of the societal values to view only
buildings which consume or produce that value, including locked and hidden buildings. You
can also right-click a societal value to exclude those buildings from the gallery. This also
grays out the societal value symbol, indicating that these buildings can not be seen in the
gallery again until you click the grayed-out value icon.

Society Filters
There are a number of society filters that you can use when choosing buildings to help steer
your society in a specific direction. When you open the Building Gallery, the Society Filters
appear on the left. Select one of the filters to view only buildings associated with that type
of society. You can choose from Normal, Small Town, Industrial, Capitalist, Romantic, Fun
City, Contemplative, Authoritarian, CyberPunk, or Show All. Hover your mouse over the
image of a Society Filter to read more about that society.

Info Cards
Homes, Venues, Workplaces, Decorations, Sims, and even your overall city all have info
cards that you can reference to take a closer look at what’s happening in your city. There
is a wealth of data on these cards which you can reveal by hovering your cursor over the
different icons. To view an info card, select a building or Sim or, for your city info card,
click the icon in control panel. For more details on info cards, see p. 14.
Note: Most of the details on the info cards can also be viewed by hovering your mouse
over structures in the Building Gallery, so you know what you’re getting before you buy.
• To move an opened info card, select the bumpy texture on the right of the card and drag
it to a new location.

12
 Building
Plan your city with country roads or city streets and then decide which buildings to
place—it’s all in your hands. Getting a city started is easy! To populate your city, build
Homes. Employ your Sims and keep your coffers filled by building Workplaces. Finally, keep
the citizens happy enough to continue working by letting them enjoy a range of pursuits at
a variety of entertaining Venues or by supplying them with Venues that enforce compliance
with the city’s policies.
Make sure you maintain a balance between Homes, Workplaces, and Venues. Under the
Homes icon on the build menu, you see how many workers are in your city. For an efficient
city, this number should be close to the number below the Workplaces icon, which indicates
the number of jobs. For recreation, you need to provide Venues for all worker Sims and their
families. Monitor the Mood Status Indicator below the Venue icon; if Sims are getting angry
or unruly, they probably need more Venues, or ones with larger capacities. You can view a
building’s capacity in the Building Gallery and on their info cards. The total population of your
city is displayed below the mini-map on the game screen.
Power—Whether you go with green Workplaces—Send your Decorations—
energy or gray, your city needs Sims to work to keep Customize your city
juice to get up and running. the vaults flush and the with monuments,
Transit—Build streets, city functioning. statues, parks, and
roads, and public Homes—Provide more—they can often
transportation. housing for your provide the societal
populace. value you need.

Landscaping—Add
grass, dirt, asphalt,
trees, and more to
create the desired
look for your city.
Undo—If you make a
mistake, you can eradicate
a misplaced building or an
errant road—but only for a
limited time.
Bulldoze—Raze an
unwanted building or street.
You get half your Simoleons
back on recycled buildings.
Venues—From
dive bars to fishing
holes, supply your
Sims with diverse
opportunities to relax
and rejuvenate.
Eyedropper—Use this tool to duplicate
an existing element in your city
(buildings, roads, or even ambient
objects such as rocks that were in
your city before you started building).
Just click and place.

13
 It’s in the Cards
Get a wealth of information by checking out a building’s info card. You can also view most
of this information in the Building Gallery, before you add it to your city.

Home Info Card

The name of this structure. Click
here and type over the current
text to customize.
This icon tells you if this
building is a Home, Workplace,
Decoration, or Venue.
Hover your cursor over this icon
to see the category to which this
building belongs.
Click the arrows to view any other
instances of this building in your city.
The cost to place this building.
The daily amount of happiness this
Home supplies to or consumes
from the Sims who live here. As
a rule, nicer Homes provide a
happiness bonus, while not-so-cozy
accommodations deplete happiness.

The amount and type of societal
values produced (green) or
consumed (red).
Hover your cursor over the icons in
this section to see details about any
abilities or special attributes.
The number of worker Sims this
building houses and the number who
currently reside in it. A smaller icon
indicates if there are any children
living here. You can also see the
population contribution of a Home in
the Building Gallery.

Venue Info Card

A lot of the information shown on Venue cards is similar to that shown on Home cards, with
an important difference being the hours of operation. The callouts below explain info that is
specific to Venue cards.
The hours this Venue is
open—morning, all day, or, for
incarceration facilities, 24 hours.

The number of Sims this Venue

serves, the number currently using
it, and the number who have used
it today.

Hover your cursor over the text

Building ability (see p. 16) here to see more information
about this action.
The cost required to Click this icon to initiate this
activate this action. building’s special action.

14
Workplace Info Card
Similarly, a lot of the information described on Venue and Home cards is the same on the
Workplace cards, with an important difference being workdays. The callouts below explain
info that is specific to Workplace cards.
The days of the week that workers
are expected to work.

The number of workers here now,

the total number of jobs, and the The amount of Simoleons this
number of workers who have been Workplace contributes to the treasury
here today. weekly (when fully functioning and
staffed with content Sims).

Building Categories
Most buildings belong to one or two categories. A building’s category can affect whether
or not it can be modified by another building’s ability or may make it a specific target for
certain Special Sims. For example, a graveyard decreases the cost of all creepy buildings
by 10% and a scientist seeks out a research building to temporarily improve it.

Accessorize Your Sims

Who says money can’t buy happiness? Your Sims can purchase things at various Venues
which improve their mood. You make this possible by placing shops that sell toys,
televisions, pets, and more. Some Venues that don’t normally sell accessories can do so
for a limited time if they have a special action to offer goods or if they have been on the
receiving end of another building’s action (see Actions on p. 16). Accessories don’t last
forever though, so once the acquired goodie’s lifespan is spun, it’s back to normal … until
the Sim finds the time to get another.
You can see if a Sim has an Accessory by opening their info card. If they have one, it is
shown in the top left corner of the card. Hover your mouse over it to see what it is and how
many days longer they will have it.
To see if a Venue sells Accessories, mouse over the building in the gallery or open its info
card. Icons in the bottom section of its gallery or in-game card indicate the items it offers.
Hover your mouse over an icon to view details about it.

15
 Enhancing Sims’ Homes
Sims can also buy Enhancements for their Homes, if they live in a Home that has space for
them. Place Venues offering deluxe refrigerators, antiques, Persian rugs, and other items
to give your Sims a chance to bring home these mood elevators. Enhancements also have
a limited lifespan and they’re a tempting target for burglars. Check a Venue in the Building
Gallery or its info card to see if it has any Home Enhancements for sale. Look at a Home’s
info card to see if it currently has any Enhancements, and hover your mouse over an
Enhancement for details.

Building Abilities and Actions

Some buildings have special abilities and actions which can affect your city. Some of these
effects are positive, but others can have a negative impact. Check the icons on a building in
the gallery or on its info card to see if it has an ability or action.
Abilities are automatic so you don’t need to do anything to activate them. For instance,
the Botanical Garden has the health benefit of making Sims less susceptible to illness and
injury for a limited time. Placing chess tables near education buildings makes it more likely
that nearby Sims will visit the education buildings.
Actions, on the other hand, must be activated by you and often have requirements, such
as requiring a specific number of visits or a certain cost to activate. You can see any
requirements needed in the gallery or on the info card. You can activate the Fire Alarm on
the Fire Brigade to send firefighters off to battle the blazes of a targeted burning building.
The Public Library can hold a Book Drive which permanently increases the capacity of a
targeted education building.
Click the icon on an info card to initiate a building’s action.

16
 Sims
Your Sims are no longer just colorful creatures who populate your city. In SimCity Societies,
they have a direct impact on how your city runs. When Sims are happy with their lot in
life, they go to work, visit Venues, and generally cause few or no problems. Happy Sims
are productive and orderly Sims. Unhappy Sims are not willing to just get on with things.
They’re prone to acting out, skipping work, and even going Rogue and shutting down
Workplaces. When Workplaces are shut down, this can upset the societal resource balance
and also means fewer Simoleons rolling into the treasury.

If this Sim has an Accessory The selected Sim. Click

(see p. 16), it is displayed the arrows to see the other
here. Hover your cursor over members of this Sim’s family.
it to see how much longer its
effects will last. Close the Sim card.

This Sim’s name and their Center the camera on this Sim
current status or mood and follow them.
(normal Sims only). Click Hover the cursor over this
here to customize their name icon to see what their job is.
(normal Sims only). Click the icon to select it and
This Sim’s current mood. center the camera view on that
Workplace.
The icons here indicate what
your Sim is doing now, is
about to do, or plans to do. Hover the mouse cursor over the
text and icons on the Sim info card
to see even more details.

Happiness Levels and Mood Control

Sim moods include furious, angry, sad, content, happy, elated, and ecstatic. If your Sims
have enough Venues to visit, they are likely to be at least content. But if there aren’t
enough Venues or if other factors prevent your Sim from enjoying some time off, their mood
declines. If it gets too bad, they become furious. When a Sim is furious, they act out in
negative ways, ‘going Rogue’ and shutting down a Workplace.
You can take various actions to neutralize furious Sims, from using the S.W.A.T. action at
your police station to round up Rogues to activating Cheerleaders, or you can intervene
earlier and prevent furious outbursts by providing more Venues to keep Sims happy, or at
least in line.

Behavior Modification
Some Venues have a Conditioning ability. These buildings are very effective at altering
Sims’ moods. The degree to which they alter your Sim’s mood depends on the type
of building. Conditioning changes Sims’ moods towards the center, or to “Content.” A
building with Heavy Conditioning can fully neutralize the mood of even the most furious
or elated Sim, while Light Conditioning only pulls those moods a degree or two closer
to content. Some Accessories and Home Enhancements can also have these effects.
Keep an eye out for Homes, Workplaces, and actions that offer conditioning.

17
 Mood Maintenance
Some buildings spawn Special Sims who can improve the moods of your normal Sims. If a
Sim encounters a street performer, such as a performing monk, they may gain happiness
by stopping to watch the show. However, they might also end up late to work if they linger
for long! Other mood-altering Special Sims include Cheerleaders who target unhappy Sims
and descend upon them to cheer them up. For more on the activities and impact of all types
of Special Sims, see p. 19.

Kid Stuff
Children help boost every family member’s mood when they gain happiness at a Venue.
Children will usually choose to attend school, if one is available. After class (or during the
day if there isn’t a school nearby), they seek out child-safe Venues to further increase their
happiness. Make sure your young Sims have somewhere to go by placing an adequate
number of child-safe Venues. Look for this , which indicates that a building belongs to
the child-safe category (see Building Categories on p. 15).

Obstacles to Happiness
There are many things that can prevent your Sims from maintaining their happiness. Some
buildings spawn Special Sims who may take up space in your city’s Venues, preventing
normal Sims from visiting that Venue. If your Sim spends too much time commuting,
they have less free time during which to enjoy life and improve their mood. When Sims
get sick or injured, they seek out medical care, taking time away from work and play. A
major reason for downward spikes in unhappiness is often caused by pickpockets or other
criminals. Nobody likes getting mugged.

Employment
Your Sims don’t really care about working. It doesn’t make them happy. In fact, going to
work takes time away from doing other things (namely visiting Venues) which can make
them happier. However, you need your Sims to work because even if your society doesn’t
value Productivity or Prosperity, work is what brings money into your town’s coffers so that
you can keep spending on the things your citizens do value. Workplaces also frequently
spawn important Special Sims, such as police, or have valuable actions that become
available after a certain number of visits. Some Workplaces may have a negative impact on
the Sims who work there, which they might make up for by contributing a hefty amount of
Simoleons to the treasury. Review the Building Gallery or info card to weigh the pros and
cons of a proposed Workplace to educate yourself on the consequences.

18
 Special Sims
Some buildings spawn Special Sims with unique abilities that can impact the ordinary Sims
they encounter in your city. This section details the types of Special Sims and the effects
they can have.
Arsonist—Setting illicit fires sparks the fancy of these criminals. After wandering the
streets, they target a building and watch their efforts go up in smoke.
Decorator—These imaginative sorts wander the streets and select a Venue to decorate.
Once beautified, the Venue provides more happiness than usual while the effect lasts.
Burglar—Furtively casing the Home that they target, these criminals pinch enhancements
from well-appointed Homes.
Celebrity—These famous stars turn any Venue they visit into a hot spot, slightly increasing
the happiness benefit and greatly increasing the attractiveness of it, just with their
presence. This effect lasts for a short while even after they’re gone.
Cheerleaders—These spirited squadrons seek out happiness-deficient Sims and cheer
them up. Other nearby Sims also receive a happiness boost from their jolly antics.
Child—These younglings scamper about the city seeking out child-safe Venues. Any
happiness they gain through their visits is applied to their entire family. So it pays to keep
the kiddies happy!
Elder—Senior spiritual Sims choose an appropriate Venue on which to bestow their
wisdom. The building they bless thereafter offers visiting Sims an increase in the happiness
granted.
Faith Healer—By virtue of their extraordinary spirituality, these Special Sims cure the sick
or injured Sims they encounter.
Fighting Monk—On their own, Fighting Monks demonstrate their superior skills in a kind
of performance. Watching the show can increase normal Sims’ happiness levels. If one
Fighting Monk encounters another in your city, they may stop and battle each other, which
Sims may also stop to watch, gaining even more happiness.
Hippie—These laidback, pleasure-seeking Sims wander around visiting Venues, taking up
space which prevents normal Sims from fully using that Venue.
Hooligan—Hooligans wander around and eventually vandalize a Venue. Vandalized
buildings provide less happiness than usual to visiting Sims, but this effect wears off after
a while.
Master—Masters of martial arts, these Special Sims fight any criminals or fighting monks
in the area, prompting the offending outlaw to take off.
Men in Black—These discreet operatives apprehend ‘deviant’ Special Sims (such as
Mimes and Street Performers), arresting their artistic activities and removing them from
your city streets.
Mime—Some Sims are captivated by these silent performers, others just walk on by. Sims
who ignore Mime performances may lose happiness, while those who stop to watch gain a
small amount.

19
 Pickpocket—These nimble-fingered criminals prefer to meander around Venues, but will
steal from Sims wherever they can. Victims of their crimes lose a significant amount of
happiness.
Police Officer—These civil servants patrol the area around the building that spawns
them for a set amount of time. Police Officers apprehend any unsavory types in the area
(Pickpockets, Hooligans etc.), putting a stop to their disruptive actions.
Secret Police Officer—These covert operatives apprehend Sims who have extreme
happiness levels (either low or high) and escort them to the building that spawned the
Secret Police Officer for mood modification. The Sim is released once their mood has been
centered to an acceptable level.
Security Guard—Security Guards protect private Homes and corporations in your city.
Standing sentry, they discourage all sorts of seedy types from venturing into the area,
acting as an excellent crime deterrent.
Sentinel—Work-skipping Sims beware when these sentries appear! Any Sims playing
hooky are rounded up and promptly sent back to work.
Street Performer—Sims who stop to watch Street Performers gain a small amount of
happiness, but are also delayed in reaching their intended destination.
Street Preacher—These spiritual Sims wander the streets, stopping now and then to
expound their beliefs to passersby. Their spirited discourse may have a positive effect, no
effect, or perhaps even a negative effect on Sims who stop to listen.
Temperance Advocate—These teetotalers not only abstain from sipping a toddy or two,
but make it their life’s work to shut down Venues that serve intoxicating libations. When
they do, the building remains closed until the effect wears off—and then it’s happy hour
again.
Tourist—Tourists descend upon your city, visiting one Venue after another, contributing
a small amount to your city’s revenue with every visit. While they do not take up space in
Venues (like Hippies do), they are often accompanied by Pickpockets.
Tycoon—Business-minded mavens, Tycoons choose a Workplace in their neighborhood
and improve its efficiency. This effect means more Simoleons earned per worker, but it
comes at a cost. Sims working in a more efficient building suffer a greater drain on their
happiness. Lucky for them, this uber-efficiency lasts for a limited time only.
Vigilante—Taking the law into their own hands, these criminals monitor their
neighborhoods, battling any criminal Sims and sending them fleeing. Somewhat fiery-
tempered, these Special Sims may attack innocent Sims inadvertently in their overzealous
attempts at justice.
Work Crew—Keeping your city working is the aim of these Special Sims. They scout the
area for damaged buildings and repair them.

20
 City Planning
and Management
In Normal mode, regardless of the type of city you aim to create, you’ll want to think about
how you build your city to make the most of your money and your resources. There are
several factors that interact with each other in your city. The roads you build, the location of
your buildings, the type of power you use—all of these have an impact on your city.

Roads, Streets, and

Public Transportation
Connecting your city with a network of roads and streets helps your Sims get from one
place to another more quickly. Placing roads enables your Sims to travel by horse, carriage,
and some types of vehicles. Streets can handle an increased amount of traffic and make it
more likely that Sims will travel by automobile.
If your city is choked with a lot of pollution due to traffic, or plagued by traffic congestion,
consider bus routes and subway stops.

Strategic Locations
Where you place a building doesn’t only impact how much time it takes your Sims to get to
and from that destination, it can also affect the other structures around it. Some buildings
can lower the cost of other buildings; for instance a Dairy Barn reduces the price of other
agricultural buildings. Other structures can improve the efficiency of all nearby buildings,
such as the Bureaucracy Office which increases the Simoleon output of surrounding
Workplaces. Check the icons in the gallery or on its info card and review a building’s
abilities to see whether it will have any impact on its surroundings. You can also see the
radius of its effects with the special city displays.

Decorations
Merry-go-rounds to mobiles, billboards to Baroque fountains—customize your city with
a variety of Decorations. These trimmings serve a twofold purpose: they embellish your
city and they can further emphasize your city’s chosen societal values. While these items
don’t affect your Sims’ happiness levels directly, they do affect the aesthetic look and feel
of your city and contribute societal values, and some Decorations can even increase the
attractiveness of nearby buildings.

Finances
Check out your city’s finances on the city info card. You can compare your income to your
expenditures. The treasury takes a hit every time you place a building, build roads and
streets, or add to your power source. It also drains the coffers to initiate some building
actions. On the plus side, your Workplaces are the lifeblood of your income and some
Homes and Venues can increase your funds too. Check the info card for a building to see its
fiscal impact.
Some buildings, particularly factories, have building actions that charge up over time and
grant you extra cash when activated.

21
 If you’re spending more than your city is earning, it may be time to curb your buying urge
until the treasury looks a little less feeble. If your finances are really dire, and you can’t
wait for the next workday when income can accumulate, you may need to recycle some
buildings. When you use the bulldozer tool, your building is recycled and you regain half the
cost.
Activate the Seller’s Market action at a Realtor to increase the resale value of a targeted
Home. This action is only valid for a limited time, so make sure you use it when you’re
ready to raze.

Crises, Disasters,
and Other Calamities
Full-scale disasters only strike your city when you trigger them through the Disaster menu.
Shake your city’s foundations with earthquakes, pelt your city with meteorites, or unleash
the fury of nature with a killer storm. Causing these calamities can create a new challenge
for you as you help your Sims recover.
Other external events can also impact your city. Some might be good things, like an
economic boom, while others will be negative, like a fire or a heat wave. Sometimes a
global event will affect your town, like a tsunami in a distant land, an oil spill, or a dreaded
stock market crash. The frequency of these events is determined by the setting you choose
when you first create your city, while the nature of an event is heavily influenced by the
type of city you build.

First Response
Dispatch your firefighters to douse any flames and stop the spread of a fire. If Sims have
been injured, you’ll also want to ensure you have adequate medical Venues to assist in their
recovery. After you’ve taken these essential first steps, it’s time to think about the bigger
picture.

Assessing the Damage

Your firefighters will put out the fire, but that won’t repair the building. When a building is
damaged, it cannot function. Any passive abilities of the building, including production or
consumption of societal values, do not function until the damage is completely repaired.
Additionally, Sims cannot visit or inhabit damaged buildings.
To immediately fix the damage, you’ll need a Work Crew. Work Crews are spawned by
certain buildings, such as the Vocational School, or dispatched from Department of Public
Works or Public Safety buildings. If you don’t send out a Work Crew, the building will slowly
repair itself over time, if it wasn’t completely wrecked. In extreme situations, structures
might be completely destroyed and you may need to consider bulldozing.

22
 Achievements

In addition to unlocking buildings as you play, you can earn Achievements, which give you
special titles, trophies, and reward buildings. Reward buildings often provide extra income
and a boost to their corresponding societal value. You can use them immediately and they
are available in all other cities in your user profile once they’ve been earned.
You can also earn Medals, when you reach milestones (like certain population levels or
produce a lot of one of the values). Medals do not grant you any special bonuses.
Both Medals and Trophies (from Achievements) appear on your player profile (see p. 5). You
can also see what you’ve done and what you need to do to get more at the Player screen.
Using Society Filters (see p. 12) can help you focus your efforts towards specific
Achievements.

Online
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ACCESS ONLINE FEATURES. INTERNET CONNECTION
REQUIRED. EA TERMS & CONDITIONS AND FEATURE UPDATES CAN BE FOUND AT
www.ea.com. YOU MUST BE 13+ TO REGISTER WITH EA ONLINE.
EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON www.ea.com.
Join the SimCity Societies community online. Show off your creations, download other
players’ content, check out the latest news about SimCity Societies, and more!
To visit the SimCity Societies community, just click the launcher button at the Main
menu.

23
 Hints and Tips
Commuting Is Hell
Once a Sim has a job, they keep it forever—unless they get fired. So if your Sim has to take
a job far from home because there is nothing closer when they move in, they spend their
time traveling rather than working and playing. Make sure there are jobs and Venues in the
area before you build new housing, but try to keep the numbers of workers and jobs nearly
balanced.

Simoleons Don’t Grow on Trees

Consider your starting Simoleons as an investment. Make sure you establish a good
revenue stream, using a couple of the better income-producing buildings. But beware of
pitfalls, such as Pickpockets that come with Tourists. Another way to increase your revenue
is by keeping Sims’ happiness levels above content. They get up to a 25% income boost
when they’re ecstatic!

Some Societies are Easier than Others

Many people seem to grasp Capitalist and Romantic Societies easily, as they are the
most familiar. Others feel the more laidback Fun City and Contemplative society are easy,
despite the low incomes, because they are slow-paced. The easiest way to get started
is to continue playing the tutorial city, as you begin with extra Simoleons and you have a
functioning base.

Freedom is Fun, But Can be Tricky

Not everyone wants to follow set patterns of play and some people can’t wait to put the
Clown School next to the Ministry of Thought, but building a mixed free-form city is harder
than you might think! Generally, it helps to have a firm understanding of the game to get the
most out of the Show All filter.

Getting Achievement Reward Buildings

Achievement rewards are permanent ways to make any city easier, and help you build
larger, more complex cities, or extreme cities while using the SHOW ALL filter. Check the
Achievement Reward screen frequently to see which goals you are close to achieving and
reap rewards when you can.

Take Some Advice

The learning dialogs may be your best friend even though they may seem repetitive! They
contain tips on events and actions that happen late in the game. So right-click to close
them, instead of disabling them. Last but not least, if you’re having problems, consider
playing the tutorial again.

Bridging the Gaps

Creating bridges in your city is easy! Just start a road on one side of a body of water and
drag it to land on the other side.

24
It’s Mod-able!
Don’t like the stats of a building? Well, you can change the associated XML file or edit the
game script! SimCity Societies is highly customizable, but the details on how to do this go
beyond the scope of this manual. Check out the website simcity.ea.com/exchange for links
and tips on modifying the game.
Important Note: Altering the game files can cause problems if you don’t do it
correctly, so make sure you get some help if you’re unsure. Test your changes with copies
of files and be willing to re-install if necessary.

Performance Tips
System Requirements
It is essential that your PC meets the Minimum Requirements as detailed on the game’s
packaging. If you are experiencing poor performance, check to make sure your system
hardware supports the requirements.

Background Tasks
In some cases programs that are running on your system can monopolize resources that
the game needs in order to install, load, and run properly. Not all of these programs are
immediately visible. There are a number of programs, called “background tasks,” that are
always running on your system.
Important Note: While shutting down background tasks will optimize your system
for running SimCity Societies, these background tasks’ features will be unavailable once
shut down. Be sure to re-enable background tasks after playing SimCity Societies by
restarting your computer.
If your system is running anti-virus or crash guard programs you will need to close or
disable them to run SimCity Societies. To do this, find the icon for the program on the
Windows Taskbar and then right-click the icon and select “close,” “disable,” or the relevant
option. Please note that these programs will be reactivated the next time you restart your
computer.
Once anti-virus and crash guard programs have been disabled, you should end all
unnecessary general background tasks.
To view and close background tasks (Windows XP):
1. Hold down v and q and then tap s. Select the Windows Task Manager.
2. Click the Processes tab. This tab displays a list of all background tasks running on your
system.
3. Click the User Name column heading. This sorts all the processes together by user
name.
4. Select an item with a user name, but DO NOT select one from the SYSTEM, LOCAL
SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE groups. Also, DO NOT select the explorer.exe or
taskmgr.exe items.

25
 5. Click END PROCESS. You may receive a warning message, if so click YES. The selected
item disappears from the list.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until only explorer.exe and taskmgr.exe remain in the user name
group.

Video and Sound Drivers

An outdated video or sound driver can lead to slow and choppy gameplay, or in some cases
can prevent the game from running at all. To ensure an enjoyable experience with SimCity
Societies, be sure that you have the most recent video and sound drivers installed. These
drivers are typically available for download from your system or hardware manufacturer’s
website. If you are not sure what type of video or sound card you have, or you don’t know
how to update the drivers on your system, please refer to the documentation that came
with your system or peripheral.

Technical Support
If you have trouble with SimCity Societies, EA Technical Support can help. The EA Help file
provides solutions and answers to the most common difficulties and questions about how to
properly use this product.

To access the EA Help file (with SimCity Societies already installed):

Click the Start button from the Windows Taskbar and select All Programs (or Programs) >
Electronic Arts > SimCity Societies > Technical Support.

To access the EA Help file (without SimCity Societies installed):

1. Insert the SimCity Societies disc into your DVD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop. (For Windows XP, you may need to
click the Start button and then click the My Computer icon).
3. Right-click the DVD-ROM drive that has the SimCity Societies disc and then select OPEN.
4. Double-click the Support folder.
5. Double-click the EA Help folder.
6. Double-click the Electronic_Arts_Technical_Support.htm file in this folder.
If you are still experiencing difficulty after utilizing the information in the EA Help file you
can contact EA Technical Support.

26
EA Technical Support on the Internet
If you have Internet access, be sure to check our EA Technical Support website at:
http://support.ea.com
Here you will find a wealth of information on DirectX, game controllers, modems, and
networks, as well as information on regular system maintenance and performance. Our
website contains up-to-date information on the most common difficulties, game-specific
help, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). This is the same information our support
technicians use to troubleshoot your performance issues. We keep the support website
updated on a daily basis, so please check here first for no-wait solutions.

If you are unable to find the information you need on our website, please feel free to contact
EA Technical Support via e-mail, phone, or letter.

If you need to talk to someone immediately, call us at US 1 (650) 628-1001. This will help
us service your call in the quickest possible time. This number is available Monday through
Friday 8 AM – 5 PM PST. No hints or codes are available from Technical Support.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT - Here to help you!

Problem? Question? If you are having problems with your game, we are here to help.
In Singapore, contact: In HongKong, contact:
TEL)+65 6 462 2549 TEL)+852 3166 6006
FAX)+65 6 333 0596 FAX)+852 2110 9801
E-mail/MSN IM:easgsupport@ea.com E-mail:hksupport@ea.com
Service Time: Am 9:30 - Pm 5:30 Service Time: Am 9:30 - Pm 6:00
(Monday-Friday, Excluding Public Holidays) (Monday-Friday, Excluding Public Holidays)

SOUTH AFRICA
Game Smith: (011) 740-0615/6
Electronic Arts South Africa
PO Box 3180
Rivonia
2128

27
 Limited 7-Day Warranty
Electronic Arts Limited Warranty
Electronic Arts warrants to the original purchaser of this product that the recording medium on which the software
program(s) are recorded (the “Recording Medium”) are free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 7
days from the date of purchase. If the Recording Medium is found to be defective within 7 days from the date of purchase,
Electronic Arts agrees to replace the Recording Medium upon receipt of the Recording Medium at the address at the rear
of the document, together with a dated proof of purchase, a statement describing the defects, the faulty media and your
return address. This warranty is limited to the Recording Medium containing the software program that was originally
provided by Electronic Arts. This warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if, in the judgment of Electronic Arts,
the defect has arisen through abuse, mistreatment or neglect.
This limited warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, whether oral or written, express or implied, including any warranty
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and no other representation of any nature shall be binding on or
obligate Electronic Arts. If any such warranties are incapable of exclusion, then such warranties applicable to this product,
including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited to the 7-day period
described above. In no event will Electronic Arts be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting
from possession, use or malfunction of this Electronic Arts product, including damage to property, and to the extent
permitted by law, damages for personal injury, even if Electronic Arts has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Some states do not allow limitation as to how long an implied warranty lasts and/or exclusions or limitation of incidental or
consequential damages so the above limitations and/or exclusion of liability may not apply to you. In such jurisdictions, the
Electronic Arts’ liability shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by law. This warranty gives you specific rights. You
may also have other rights that vary from state to state.

RETURNS WITHIN WARRANTY PERIOD

If the product was damaged through misuse or accident, this 7 day warranty is rendered void.
If you have any queries on warranty replacements or user-damaged discs, please contact your respective countries’
Customer Service contact number (Refer to Technical Support).

Package Cover Illustration: Ant Farm

© 2007 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, the EA logo and SimCity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.
in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. Tilted Mill Game Engine © 2007 Tilted Mill Entertainment, Inc. All
rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Uses Bink Video, Copyright © 1997-2006 by RAD Game Tools, Inc.
Uses Miles Sound System, Copyright © 1991-2006 by RAD Game Tools, Inc.

You Played the Game. Now Play the Music.

EA Soundtracks and Ringtones
Available at www.ea.com/eatrax/

28
 Create a better
environment.
In SimCity. And
the real world.
BP is proud to be associated with
SimCity. We are committed to
furthering climate change education,
which is why we strongly support the
use of low carbon energy sources –
in the virtual world and the real one.

beyond petroleum ®

bp.com/us

© 2007 BP Products North America Inc.

Electronic Arts Inc. 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065. 1574505. Printed in Singapore.