Those look great! I like how they went with a more stylized artistic approach over an attempt at super-realism like they did in SC4. I think it just fits the tone of the game better. While it certainly wasn't as graphically as impressive, I actually think SC3 looked better than SC4.
This partially explains why the game requires a consistent internet connection. Essentially, the game is a multiplayer game because your city doesn't entirely exist in a vacuum isolated from other cities. These interactions do seem quite cool. On the other hand, a single player isolated city as an option isn't a bad idea overall, imo. The biggest issue is a head start problem. Essentially, cities should be at the same level or it's not as fun. Additionally, there's the problem of what will happen after the game inevitably loses popularity. Aside from that, it still looks like it has potential for being very fun to play.
I'm waiting for a solitaire game that needs an always on connection. They need to hurry and get everything running from the cloud so they won't need that anymore.
When I think about the types of people I've played online games with in the past..I really do not want my city to be next to theirs
Yeah, that's my biggest fear (along with the idea of a dead game). It's an interesting idea, but it should only be an option.
Two articles about the game. SimCity: Digestible Complexity - essentially a puff piece that talks about all the different systems and how the UI makes them manageable. It seems that the heart of the game remains about how it's always been. Multiplayer: Competition and Experimentation This one is probably worth a read if, like me, you're worried about the consequences of other people screwing up your city.