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