I want to build cool cities full stop. I think what was more the problem is that a LOT of studios realized that a sim city clone works better on mobile hardware, because that's where the target audience is at.
Since then they did realize it and I was playing it with my fiance for hours and hours on end. With the multiplayer with multiple cities.
Graphics and disasters where not so much the problem in 2013 but they more or less screwed the game by liming it so miuch
I can recommend TheoTown, available for all major platforms, even on Android and iOS, completely for free. It has a plug-in system, tons of decorative objects. Controls are good, too. Plus, it has some endgame content that makes it quite fun.
If there's a limited free mode and for a single fixed price you can unlock the full game, that would be the perfect price model for me. The description doesn't make it clear whether that's indeed the case and what that price would be, though.
At least on iOS, this "freemium" model is actively worse than a paid game for end users -- paid apps and subscriptions can be shared among family members, but in-app purchases cannot.
Do you have multiple user accounts on an iOS device these days?
As far as I know, Android apps can't be shared with other accounts, but all our tablets use my account, so they can all use my apps. Unlike with Steam, where they need their own account and their own purchase in order to play simultaneously.
Not multiple accounts on a single device, but you can group into a "family" that can share purchases, and can play simultaneously.
So my partner and I can each play Civilization VI on our own tablets at the same time, but if I were to purchase one of the add-on packs in the game, that could not be shared (as there is no store-level way to distinguish a consumable sale like a free-to-play game's fictional currency).
You can share purchased apps, games, movies, TV shows, and e-books and audiobooks from Google Play with up to 5 family members using Google Play Family Library.
it's optional, you can unlock everything without paying and without much grinding.
the "diamonds" are mainly used to install mods from the mod store, however, you can get the same mods from the official forum and drop them into the mods folder without any issues.
again, you comment without knowledge. this is not a freemium game. it can be played for free with no significant limitations.
I want to build cool cities full stop. I think what was more the problem is that a LOT of studios realized that a sim city clone works better on mobile hardware, because that's where the target audience is at.
Since then they did realize it and I was playing it with my fiance for hours and hours on end. With the multiplayer with multiple cities.
Graphics and disasters where not so much the problem in 2013 but they more or less screwed the game by liming it so miuch