Challenge 0: Introduction and Preparation

Splime · March 10, 2009, 06:59:48 PM

So, I'm definitely glad to see GRV come back. I was a part of the last one, though I joined in really late, when most activity in the thread had ceased. In fact, I made the second-to-last update of the whole thread. The concept of the GRV got me to start playing SC4 again after a long time away from it, and it's only fitting that the GRV II got me to start playing SC4 after a two month break.

To start, I want to post my favorite picture from that update:

There's just something about the church on a wooded peninsula that I think looks really neat.

Anyway, enough of nostalgia, here's where I've gone with the GRV II region so far:

I'll probably make a few minor adjustments as far as trees go, but that is mostly done. I'm using C.P.'s Meadowshire Terrain Mod (w/ Olympia beaches) and Pegasus's Brigantine Water Mod.

mrbisonm · March 10, 2009, 07:16:50 PM

Yes, I remember you from GRV I, sorry that the thread died so sudden and I hope it won't happen with the GRV II. Most likely not, since it is better organized (thanks to BarbyW) and also on a more active site with more serious players.
Now is your chance to prove yourself from the beginning.
Yap, that church somehow fits just right in that spot, nice picture. Your terrain mod and water is a good choice. Good luck

mrb

Splime · March 14, 2009, 08:16:57 AM

Thanks, I am hoping to have a good long run with this.

Anyway, after planting the trees in my region, I came across something kind of annoying:

The trees on the right of a city border were different than those on the left. The mismatched trees match up with this mismatched texture:

So, after bulldozing the offending trees, I manually planted some oak, elm, and maple trees (I think that's what they're called), and left some gaps to fill in with the god mode tree tool:

And the regionwide results:

You can still see the citytile borders, but they're not nearly as visible.

mrbisonm · March 14, 2009, 09:18:39 AM

I think the problem is that there might be a minimum difference in the terrain height. I have the same problem sometimes.There two solutions to this that I know of.
First I lift the terrain close to the edge and then have the terrain reconsiled. That usually puts it on the same level as the terrain opposite. Sometimes the difference is so small that the game doesn't realize that there's difference and therefor not asking you to reconsile.
The other is simply to go into the other citytile and bulldoze the trees on the same edge and replant in godmode with the same treecontroller. But then you'll have a wide strip of the same dark trees on both sides.
There is another way by passing the file through terraformer, but I have no idea how that functions.
Anyways, you have done a very fine job with replanting your forest.

mrb

jmyers2043 · March 14, 2009, 04:47:10 PM

Hello Splime - we all have that same issue. You managed to hide it better with the tree re-do. I have another region that I was playing prior to GRV and the same thing happened. I normally play on a regions with a lot more hills and don't notice. But my region called Willmington has a large flat area and the same thing happened.

So it is not this region per se.

Best Regards - Jim Myers

mightygoose · March 14, 2009, 05:58:31 PM

that blasted western tree issue, i think it only occurs on medium tiles btw... im sure further investigation has gone on elsewhere, im not too keen on that tree controller anyways but very well hidden...

Splime · March 14, 2009, 07:25:23 PM

mrb: yeah, that reconcile edges tool tends to not be available when you need it... and then there's the times when it's convinced you need to reconcile, but you don't. However, in this case it seems like the terrain is perfectly level.

jmyers: yeah, I had the issue with GRV I also, but with mountains on both north and south sides of the river, the terrain texture mismatch wasn't quite as apparent as here.

mightygoose: it certainly is odd that it only effects medium tiles... I'm wondering if it was a problem with the original Maxis terrain? As far as the tree controller goes, it seems to fit the trees I see around where I live (near SC4 sea level, anyway), so that's why I've stuck with it. Though, I really should play around with other tree controllers some time.

TheTeaCat · March 14, 2009, 08:18:19 PM

Quote from: Splime on March 14, 2009, 07:25:23 PM
mrb: yeah, that reconcile edges tool tends to not be available when you need it... and then there's the times when it's convinced you need to reconcile, but you don't. However, in this case it seems like the terrain is perfectly level.

jmyers: yeah, I had the issue with GRV I also, but with mountains on both north and south sides of the river, the terrain texture mismatch wasn't quite as apparent as here.

mightygoose: it certainly is odd that it only effects medium tiles... I'm wondering if it was a problem with the original Maxis terrain? As far as the tree controller goes, it seems to fit the trees I see around where I live (near SC4 sea level, anyway), so that's why I've stuck with it. Though, I really should play around with other tree controllers some time.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

I am using PEG-MTP_TerrainMod_1 and I too have the same problem. It occurs using just the maxis terrain too but only on the left hand side of the tile.
Maybe something for the Guru's to look into

Pat · March 15, 2009, 04:56:28 PM

Hey Splime thank you, I have never ever noticed this before till now...

Quote from: TheTeaCat on March 14, 2009, 08:18:19 PM

Maybe something for the Guru's to look into

Hey Derry so does that mean you will be looking into it since you are a Guru??

Splime · March 16, 2009, 03:13:52 PM

OK, so I've been spending a bit of time making this crazy map:

The names will likely be explained as the game goes along.

mrbisonm · March 16, 2009, 04:38:19 PM

Hm, good looking map you got there.

mrb

mattb325 · March 18, 2009, 03:22:45 PM

Great looking Geographic map, Splime!

Pat · March 20, 2009, 09:40:59 PM

Splime Ive seen this map and I still like it alot!!!

Ennedi · March 21, 2009, 08:13:14 PM

I have something which can probably help you with your city borders problem

. Look here, read carefully, download mods, create a copy of your region and play with mods. This one which change the yearly ambient moisture value can help you with pplacing trees too. If not, we will adjust tree placement.

Adam

Splime · March 21, 2009, 08:27:29 PM

Quote from: Ennedi on March 21, 2009, 08:13:14 PM
I have something which can probably help you with your city borders problem . Look here, read carefully, download mods, create a copy of your region and play with mods. This one which change the yearly ambient moisture value can help you with pplacing trees too. If not, we will adjust tree placement.

Adam

Excellent, I'll be sure to try this out!

Splime · March 22, 2009, 01:08:19 PM

OK, so after Adam (Ennedi) made his mods to fix the textures in the west, I had to try it out. Here are my testing results:

My first stop was Westridge, where development had taken place, and I tested the zzENN_WeatherT0MV0MY014 file first, to see its effect on trees.

The texture underneath was definitely fixed, but my results were a bit strange - near the edge, the trees were fixed, but the darker trees were appearing elsewhere, and not the elms/oaks/maples. (I did take some pics of Westridge, but the tree issue is better illustrated in Flattsfield, so I didn't upload them.) So, I experimented in Flattsfield (Tile G):

This is what it looked like to begin, mostly elm trees, with some of the darker trees interspersed. Underneath, the textures were fine:

However, there was a substantial difference between the ways the trees got planted. First, the zzENN_WeatherT0MV0MY014 file made the trees switch positions:

The lighter trees took over where the darker ones used to grow, and vice versa. Personally, I prefer the lighter ones, but I do want to switch my tree controller to something a bit more predictable anyway. The zzENN_CPT_No6_MeadowShireTerrainController_ad31_9and10 file, predicatbly, resulted in the same tree distribution as normal:

So, I'm going to stick with my tree planting method for now (and possibly change the tree controller). As for the textures, I'll be using zzENN_CPT_No6_MeadowShireTerrainController_ad31_9and10 for now, as the textures were still annoying me, despite the cover-up with the trees.

Ennedi · March 22, 2009, 01:17:36 PM

OK, you showed it very good. I was very curious of your results. I said that I expect positive results in placing trees, but I can't guarantee it. Trees use another elevation/moisture table (in fact every tree has its own). Now I know better how to modify the tree controller for you. It would be hard to make an universal modification, it will probably mean a completely new tree controller.

I will inform you when I will prepare a tool for trees placement.

Adam

Splime · March 23, 2009, 12:11:08 PM

Adam: Great, that should be useful!

Anyway, I've been looking at my trees, and decided I should probably take a bit more control over which ones I use. So, I used two of my unused city tiles, and planted trees in two methods. The first, is elms, douglas firs, and subalpine firs:

And the second is just the douglas and subalpine firs:

And what they look like in the region view:

I like all three of the trees, but I'm not sure if I prefer combining them, or just having the firs (or maybe even just the elms). So, I'd like your opinion. Which tree combination do you prefer?

soulchaser · March 23, 2009, 12:34:04 PM

Looks great, whatever method you use.

I'd prefer Method 1 because my pluginfolder isn't objected to subpolar klimates.

Ennedi · March 23, 2009, 12:53:18 PM

1. Your forest is on low altitude. Not everybody must know it (the whole plateau can have a high altitude), but
2. Your forest is placed near the river.
So the mixed forest is more apropriate here (IMO

). It looks better too. In addition, this kind of forest gives you more possibility to enrich the landscape by placing another kind of trees here and there (manually), and to use Chrisadams' Pasture Flora or other scrubs and bushes.

Adam