SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

Welcome to WEST END.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Update 80 - 22nd February 2009 - A video to celebrate IPON International Day of Peace.           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg224173#msg224173

Update 79 - 15th February 2009 - 12 new pictures from Carnaby                                     
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg222271#msg222271


Update 78 - 11th January 2009 - 18 new pictures from Sisson International Airport           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg213980#msg213980

Double Zero Club 1,000 - To commemorate Jmouse making the 1,000th post here in West End
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg213780#msg213780

Update 77 - 3rd January 2009 -  17 new pictures from Carnaby and introducing Sisson International Airport
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg212388#msg212388

Update 76 - 27th December 2008 - A video showing the story of Hay, a small rural farming community
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg210741#msg210741

Update 75 - 20th December 2008 - 12 new pictures from Berners, a small rural quad                           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg209175#msg209175

Update 74 - 13th December 2008 - 16 new pictures from Berners, a small rural quad                     
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg207769#msg207769

Update 73 - 7th December 2008 - 10 new pictures from the Piccadilly Peninsular                                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg206289#msg206289

Update 72 - 29th November 2008 - Piccadilly Botanical Gardens.  Pictures from the Lot Editor and the finished gardens.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg203588#msg203588

Update 71 - 24th November 2008 - West End's best video yet of The Peninsular.                                 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg202090#msg202090

Update 70 - 19th November 2008 - 10 new pictures from Piccadilly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg200746#msg200746

Update 69 - 17th November 2008 - A large mosaic from the Edwards Bay District of Piccadilly.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg200113#msg200113

Double Zero Club Award for Poster number 900
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/SC4D08/images/post/xx.gif

West End's Film Theme Tunes and MD Quiz - 15th November 2008
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg199234#msg199234

Update 67:  9th November 2008 - 6 new pictures including a mosaic of Piccadilly's Central District.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/SC4D08/images/post/xx.gif

Update 66:  Bonfire Night - The history of Bonfire Night and how it's celebrated in West End
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg196454#msg196454

Update 65:  3rd November 2008 - 13 new pictures from Piccadilly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg195828#msg195828

Update 64:  1st November 2008 - 15 new pictures from Piccadilly           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg195084#msg195084

Update 63:  16th October 2008 - 20 new pictures from Piccadilly                       
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg190044#msg190044

Double Zero Club 800:  12th October 2008
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg188694#msg188694

Update 62:  21st September 2008 - 13 new pictures of the Continental Cup in Piccadilly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg182406#msg182406

Update 61:  13th September 2008 - 13 new pictures of Piccadilly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/SC4D08/images/post/xx.gif

Update 60:  7th September 2008 - 4 new sports pictures from Piccadilly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg178472#msg178472

Update 59:  1st September 2008 - The First Anniversary Video
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/SC4D08/images/post/xx.gif

Update 58:  30th August 2008 - 15 new pictures from the small town of Dean                     
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg176259#msg176259

Update 57:  21st August 2008 - A video of the Simlympic Torch Relay through West End                 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg174325#msg174325

Double Zero Club Honour for 700th post to Diggis
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg174039#msg174039

Update 56:  15th August 2008 - 13 new pictures of the waterside of Charing Cross
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg173011#msg173011

Update 55:  1st August 2008 - 15 new pictures of the farms and rural areas of Charing Cross                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg170022#msg170022

Update 54:  28th July 2008 - A three picture update of the North Senna Towers and a farming teaser       
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg169139#msg169139

Update 53:  12th July 2008 - 10 new pictures showing the redevelopment of Thistle Point and North Senna Towers
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg165754#msg165754

Update 52:  6th July 2008 - 9 new pictures including 4 mosaics showing the suburbs of West End
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg164364#msg164364

Update 51:  29th June 2008 - The final of Devo 08, plus 21 new pictures from Charing Cross.         
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg162659#msg162659

Update 50:  26th June 2008 - Semi Final action from Devo 08, plus 10 new pictures from Charing Cross.           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg161789#msg161789

Update 49:  22nd June 2008 - Quarter Final Action from Devo 08, plus 13 new pictures from Chating Cross.     
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg160642#msg160642

Update 48:  18th June 2008 - The last of the Group matches from Devo 08 plus 11 teasers from Charing Cross.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg159358#msg159358

Update 47: 14th June 2008 - More from Devo 08, The latest double zero club inductee plus teasers from Charing Cross.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg157766#msg157766

Update 46: 12th June 2008 - Latest match reports from Devo 08
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg157209#msg157209

Update 45: 10th June 2008 - Match reports from Devo 08 plus the top six pics from Kingly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg156665#msg156665

Update 44:  8th June 2008 - First matches from Devo 08 plus top pictures 12 to 7 from Kingly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg156077#msg156077

Update 43:  7th June 2008.  A video and maps of the Kingly Tram System               
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg155567#msg155567

Update 42: 5th June 2008.  The draw for DEVO 08 plus pictures of the four stadia being used in West End.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg155192#msg155192

Update 41:  4th June 2008.  18 new pictures of the Red Line of the Kingly Tram System.  Plus update on Devo 08.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg154797#msg154797

Update 40:  30th May 2008.  22 new pictures of the Green Line of the Kingly Tram System.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/default_jrj/images/post/xx.gif

Special Announcement on 28th May 2008 for Devo 08.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg152031#msg152031

Update 39:  25th May 2008.  15 new pictures of the Kingly Tram System - Orange Line, plus football stadium.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg150832#msg150832

Update 38:  24th May 2008.   22 new pictures of the Kingly Tram System - Brown Line                 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg150126#msg150126

Double Zero Update:  19th May 2008, to celebrate Jmouse for posting the 500th comment in West End
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg148848#msg148848

Update 37: 18th May 2008, Transit map of Kingly Tram System plus a micro-vid                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg148591#msg148591

Update 36:  16th May 2008, 9 new pictures from Kingly                         
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg148031#msg148031

Update 35B:  11th May 2008, A video of the canal boat tour of Kingly                           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg146616#msg146616

Update 35:  10th May 2008, 25 new pictures from the canals of Kingly and Amsterdam                 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg146290#msg146290

Teaser :  8th May 2008, 3 new pictures
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg145769#msg145769

Update 34:  4th May 2008, A video of Kingly and Amsterdam
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg144673#msg144673

Update 33:  1st May 2008, 3 new pictures - overviews
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg143893#msg143893

Update 32:  27th April 2008, 15 new pictures from Kingly
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg142424#msg142424

Update 31:  19th April 2008, 20 new pictures from Kingly and Amsterdam, showing more tourist sights.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg139947#msg139947

Update 30:  30th March 2008, 10 new pictures from Kingly, showing some of the tourist sights                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg134547#msg134547

Update 29:  24th March 2008, 7 new pictures of the Double Zero Club and Kingly.                           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg132766#msg132766

Update 28:  22nd March 2008, 14 new pictures from Kingly, showing some of the problems the city is having
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/Themes/default_jrj/images/post/xx.gif

Update 27:  16th March 2008, 18 new pictures from Kingly and Amsterdam               
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg129937#msg129937

Update 26:  9th March 2008, 5 new pictures of Project Kingly Amsterdam                           
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg128015#msg128015

Update 25:  29th February 2008, 6 new pictures from Shaftesbury, a small town of 21,900 sims
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg124842#msg124842

Update 24:  23rd February 2008, 17 new pictures from Wardour, including data views and residentials.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg122397#msg122397

Update 23:  17th February 2008, 16 new pictures from Wardour, focus on transport and commercials.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg120238#msg120238

Update 22:  16th February 2008, 4 new pictures of the revised tower blocks in Wardour
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg120017#msg120017

Update 21:  9th February 2008, 17 new pictures from Wardour, featuring the Industrial Areas and the Football pitches.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg117420#msg117420

Update 20:  3rd February 2008, 12 new pictures from the village of Norvaney.                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg115809#msg115809

Update 19:  26th January 2008, 13 new pictures from the re-built town of Wardour.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg112708#msg112708

Update 18:  20th January 2008, 4 new pictures from Oxford - plus news of a massive region loss!
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg110245#msg110245

Update 17:  13th January 2008,  15 new pictures from Oxford, the capital of West End.                                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg107870#msg107870

Update 16:  2nd January 2008,  13 new pictures from Great Portland.                                 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg104380#msg104380

Update 15:  28th December 2007, 15 new pictures of custom lots, road junctions and Great Portland.                   
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg102473#msg102473

Update 14:  21st December 2007, 17 new pictures from Cavendish.  Farming & Ploppable Water                         
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg100789#msg100789

Update 13:  14th December 2007, 12 new pictures of Cavendish and Region View.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg98796#msg98796

Update 12: 5th December, 4 new pictures of Oxford
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg96303#msg96303

Update 11c The Final of the tournament here plus top 5 pics from Regent
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg95004#msg95004

Update 11b Day 2 of the football tournament - plus 6 more pictures from Regent Island
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg91782#msg91782

Update 11a Day 1 of the football tournament - plus 5 new pictures from Regent Island
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg91532#msg91532

Update 10 - added 16th November 2007 - Pictures of all the teams in the football tournament.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg91292#msg91292

Enter a tean in the West End International Trophy - Update 9, 6th November 2007
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg88449#msg88449

Update 8b Transit Map of Regent - added 4th November 2007
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg87817#msg87817

Update 8 - 3rd November 2007.  11 new pictures of the Little Amsterdam district of Regent.                       
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg87346#msg87346

Update 7 - 28th October 2007.  11 new pictures of Regent.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg85425#msg85425

Update 6 - 14th October 2007.  7 new pictures of Regent plus 4 pictures from Broadwick.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg80746#msg80746

Update 5 - 30th September 2007.  12 new pictures of Great Portland plus your chance to decide what happens next!
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg76540#msg76540

Update 4 - 22nd September 2007.  19 new pictures of Great Portland.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg73715#msg73715

Update 3 - 15th September 2007. 16 new pictures of Little Portland.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg71468#msg71468

Update 2 - 9th September 2007.  13 new pictures of Little Portland. 
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg69199#msg69199

Update 1 - 4th September 2007. 16 new pictures of Wardour. http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2238.msg67616#msg67616


Follow the growth of this region, from blank canvas to (hopefully) mighty metropolis.

This is my first Mayor Diary.  I've been playing SC4 for a while now and have enjoyed looking at many of the diaries on this site.  You could say they inspired me to go ahead and start my own.  I will weclome all comments and suggestions as to how I can improve my city building techniques - so feel free to post your comments.  Positive, supportive, constructive, or just your own view on why something here is "not quite right".

My region is based on the 'Dornelles' map obtained from the STEX.  There's something about this map I like - maybe it's the mix of rivers, coastline, wide open plains together with some hills around the edges. 

This large region is on the Eastern coast of Sim Nation England and has only recently been made habitable following the eradication of the deadly Simfly which had colonised the region making it too dangerous for people to live in.  The large cities on the west coast of Sim Nation are full to bursting gained independence from the UK.  Many citizens are keen to move to this newly formed region (I bet you've wondered where all those Sims come from).  My region is called "West End".  This is because all of the transport routes from the cities in the west, end here.  West End.

Each of the towns and cities in the West End region are named after streets, roads and squares in the West End of London - so many of the names will be familiar to those of you who either live in London or have visited London.

The plan for this region is to develop two main cities on the east coast - Oxford to the north of the major river and Piccadilly to the south of the river.  It's likely that the two mayors of these cities will battle it out in an attempt to make their city the biggest and best in the region.  The diary will follow the struggle between these two major centres to see which becomes the capital of the region and also feature the development of the other towns and cities in the region.  A main line railway has been installed from the west, across the region to the two main cities.  As a result, other towns / suburbs will spring up along this main route with commuters travelling to the major centres.  I am sure that most of these will be low to medium density places although one or two are bound to try and develop into major centres in their own right.

Western edge of region:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg396.imageshack.us%2Fimg396%2F1629%2Frailnetwestwi7.jpg&hash=6d4e9fafa79c110eaf86793aa2ca06aec7f25326)


Central river part of region:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg396.imageshack.us%2Fimg396%2F2617%2Frailnetmidok7.jpg&hash=f204bc82758191413875f34afa4187bddbf80429)

Eastern edge of region:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg396.imageshack.us%2Fimg396%2F4042%2Frailneteastcx1.jpg&hash=478314b979dfd1b3d843245e1a6c5e44a8dacf8e)

Here are some region views to give you a feel for the geography.  You'll see the railway is already in place.  Highways will be next - again, a major west to east road will be the major artery with some branches to take traffic both north and south.  I'm not sure how to zoom in or out on region view - if any of you know how I'd love to hear.

Once these major transport pieces are in place I will focus in on the various towns and cities.

I will try to use custom content only as much as I can.  High wealth residential is a bit of a gap in my plugin folder at the moment, so the Maxis buildings will help out in this aspect.  I have plenty of SimGoobers buildings, so I'm sure you'll recognise them.  Gascooker's buildings are my favourites at the moment (probably because the are just so realistically British) so they will also feature heavily.  NAM is installed, so I'll use its features where possible.  I'm a bit weak on things like sunken highways and have only just started using canals.  Maybe some other features will appear as I get more adventurous and maybe pick up some suggestions from anyone who follows this diary.

I tend to develop in a set, standard approach - so I will be really pleased to hear any of your comments and suggestions as I am always open to new ideas and improving the way my cities develop and look.

Well, that's all for this initial post.  I hope to post an update very soon.  As a taster for what's to come, here is a screen shot of the first town to develop in the region - Wardour.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg375.imageshack.us%2Fimg375%2F4231%2Fwardourteasergd7.jpg&hash=32b2d7f4f03cce0c39998cdead3cba01066cd558)

I love the park! Looking forward to more.

Wonderful start there and great looking pictures! Fantastic work! :thumbsup:

Nice start and great pics ;) Can't wait to see more pictures of Wardour :thumbsup:

Nice shots, but IMO you should demolsih that bus stop and build the real park enter (now enters to the park are  through car parks, and it's not comfortable solution.

Hey, those are nice parks you've got going there? Also, where can I find those tennis courts (with the fences) in the lower right corner?

-Kelvin

paroch Welcome to the wonderful world of MD'ing here at devotions and so far what im seeing is looking very good i love your soccer field and park it has a nice feel to it... - pat

Hey, thanks for the comments.  It's a bit scary posting up your first MD - you're just not sure if anyone is going to look and comment.  My first update is alomst ready to go - just need a good city wide shot of Wardour and then I'll post it - should be a couple of days.

In the meantime:-

nedalezz - thanks for being the first to post on West End.

bat - thanks for the encouragement.

Pavle - glad you like them - more of wardour coming very soon.

szymcar - I've taken your advice and got rid of the bus stop.  It wasn't meant to be an entrance but I can see what you mean.  I often have the entry to the park via the parking lot.  Maybe I'll try a different approach in future.  Also, I like your new MD Reden.  And thanks for the link to the Paris Firestation - I now have it.

Sober - glad you like the park.  I've left comments on your MD Eaton before, so you're always welcome here  ;).  As for the tennis courts with fences, they are PEG's Tennis Park.  You can find it either on STEX or on PEG's own site (SimPeg).  It may be available here on SC4D as well.

patfirefghtr - Thanks for the welcome and glad you like the football park.

Anyway, ahead of the full update here is the park with adjusted entance:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg115.imageshack.us%2Fimg115%2F1406%2Ffootballfieldvr8.jpg&hash=bc55ef46d10fafbaabe36e75f4498b62df09ba6c)

And you may also notice that many of the terraced houses above the park have upgraded to Gascooker's Watford Drive series.  (I forgot to make the terraces historical to keep the low wealth appearance!).

Hello, paroch! Fine start you have here! The parks and the houses look great, and I love your region. I can't wait to follow along to see how you develop it!

Excellent start you have here &apls. Nice pics too and yes i know how frustrating it is when you forget to make buildings historical $%Grinno$%

I'll keep an eye out for this :thumbsup:

:satisfied:
TTC

Nice reworking of the football park   Paroch :thumbsup:

That's a nice little teaser to start things off with.  :)

A good start and looking forward to the next update.

Cheers

Dave

Great new looking picture! :thumbsup: Looking forward to that update!

I always enjoy watching a region develop from the ground up, and it looks like you have some interesting ground to cover. I'm fascinated by how other players set their priorities. For folks like you, it's obviously the rail system, others start with highways and some begin with a few streets and a tiny village. But that's the beauty of SC4, isn't it - to each his own!
Good luck with West End. It will be a pleasure to watch it grow.

Until next time...
Joan

Awesome start, love the map, it looks very interesting. 

Robin   ()stsfd()

Welcome to the first update of West End.

First of all, thanks for your comments so far - it's nice to know someone is looking!  Specific replies:

thundercrack83 - thanks for your comments and glad you like what you see so far (p.s. Thanks for doing a good job moderating this board)

TeaCat - hey, welcome to West End.  I've seen you comment on many MD's so I'm glad you've popped over.  I hope I can keep posting stuff to make you come back.

patfirefghtr - I'm pleased you like the re-worked park.

Tooheys - thanks for the comments.  I must confess to not catching up on your MD recently.  I'll pop over soon.

bat - thanks for dropping by.

jmouse - thanks Joan.  I travel to work by train every day, so I hope I make West End's rail system better than the one I use!  I try to build rail stations like they'd appear in real life, i.e. Spread out more than subway stations or El-Rail stations.  Not sure it always plays to the strength of SC4 gameplay, but hey, I like it.  It's true that the options are endless to starting a city or region.

rooker1 - glad you like the region map and thanks for the visit.

OK.......


The first town that has developed in the region is Wardour.  It's a bit up river from the coast and two main cities.  We'll be looking at two different families that have settled in Wardour to show us around.

As the first town in the region, it has a mix of Industrial, Agricultural and Commercial areas.  I felt I didn't have too much choice here as I wanted the region up and running and growing pretty quickly, so couldn't rely on other cities for jobs.  The farming area is to the north of the motorway that runs through Wardour.  Directly to the south of the motorway are two industrial areas, with the main residential areas being to the south of the industry zones.  Commercial lots have built up along the main roads in the area.

Here is a shot of early zoning.  I always think this is an interesting time, the first zones are put down and you wait to see what buildings will spring up first.  Any way, as things progress the first main residential area is the low wealth terraced houses (mix of gas cooker's UK homes, Goober's Sardina and Scuttlebut Rows and Tiny Terraces which I think are by RP/zero7).  These homes house the workers from the factories in the industrial zone near the motorway.  Wardour is a bit of a football town, so Merry Park has two football pitches (but no stadium yet).

1.01-Early zoning
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg208.imageshack.us%2Fimg208%2F3850%2Fwardourearlyzoninghp9.png&hash=210403181579ede2bec2c67f5344aae96a76bb24)

1.02-Terraced housing
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg181.imageshack.us%2Fimg181%2F5797%2Fwardourterraceslt5.jpg&hash=f1b1229b2a11445a48841db003526c4d728c11b7)

1.03-Merry Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg115.imageshack.us%2Fimg115%2F1406%2Ffootballfieldvr8.jpg&hash=bc55ef46d10fafbaabe36e75f4498b62df09ba6c)


Our first family we'll check up on are the Harrisons.  They have moved to Wardour for a more peaceful and slow pace of life.  They live in a small house in one of the farming villages to the north of the motorway.  They all regularly attend the church in the village and the young Harrisons attend the little school house.

1.04 Harrison's house (it's the small one in the centre of the picture just above the junction)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg212.imageshack.us%2Fimg212%2F9652%2Fwardourfarmvillagehousemn1.jpg&hash=c4dc24a7339f8d95fa2b700395dad763920f86f4)

1.05 Farming Village
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg406.imageshack.us%2Fimg406%2F4865%2Fwardourfarmvillageschoomi8.jpg&hash=02806b2bf1aaa583fb3401ac6fe9ed6bc922bd84)

1.06 And here is the farm where they work (I love the windmill)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg106.imageshack.us%2Fimg106%2F7775%2Fwardourfarmcloseuphk8.jpg&hash=c283d134e7e5c2c4ce00c92058305be0e3248bb4)

They dream of owning their own farm one day, and with so much land in Wardour that has yet to be developed maybe their dream will come true.  I hope we'll catch up with the Harrisons later in the diary.

The farming area of Wardour is at the southern end of a large fertile plain, which is home to the most sucessful farming land in West End.  The farms to the north of the motorway take up quite a bit of land and are important to the city as a whole.  Here are some shots of the farming area of Wardour.

1.07 Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg530.imageshack.us%2Fimg530%2F1466%2Fwardourfarming1ll4.jpg&hash=2f8da280939e64bb43ebd81035cd017b16611cb8)

1.08 Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg172.imageshack.us%2Fimg172%2F5717%2Fwardourfarming2uh8.jpg&hash=f638159b919d2f3aebb508393c4ce17b3224cfa1)

1.09
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg209.imageshack.us%2Fimg209%2F913%2Fwardourfarming3kb2.jpg&hash=3bbbafc54fe0d62675ad9bc8c8d2cf3683ba00b6)

Since these shots were taken I have installed some canals and streams to the north of the farms.  Maybe one for a future update.


Our next family to look at are the Fords.  They have a bit more cash than the Harrisons (and a bigger mortgage!).  They live in one of the detached properties in a new development in Wardour.  The developer has kept many of the original trees that surrounded the site to add a semi rural feel to the place.  Mr Ford works over at Progress Place on one of the main roads leading out of the residential areas.  His big weakness in life is fast food and luckily for him there is a whole row of fast food joints opposite his office (I didn't expect a whole row like that to develop but I like them).

1.10 Ford's House
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg45.imageshack.us%2Fimg45%2F2554%2Fwardourfordshousedh3.jpg&hash=8c3aec3767f66a178d945920eb52d7234f4a46d0)

1.11 Eastern Commercial district where Mr Ford works.  These commercial buildings are by JMyers (I think).  They are 1x3 lots.  I really like these buildings - but - they grow far too regularly in my cities.  Any suggestions of other 1x3 CO$$ lots would be welcomed!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F5678%2Fwardourfordcommercialau4.jpg&hash=2c92695f1b57a1d56b2129df67c3576555601890)

1.12 Fast food joints opposite
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg411.imageshack.us%2Fimg411%2F1069%2Fwardourfastfoodit8.jpg&hash=a1ce2f5d34da82417b079dbe21cee358980445dc)


Mrs Harrison works at the local clinic and is always nagging him about his poor diet.

1.13 Clinic in small commercial area (note spanish language - West End is a multi-lingual region)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg75.imageshack.us%2Fimg75%2F5999%2Fwardourhospitalic5.jpg&hash=30ff1a9f26ed58254f405d3d99ba44e16b2e93a4)


Many of Wardour's residents work in the larger cities on the coast to the east, so they travel to work by train from Wardour station.

1.14 Wardour East station
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg75.imageshack.us%2Fimg75%2F4223%2Fwardourstationmt6.jpg&hash=e6c84bfdef38618750e36d141cd503128a60d20f)


And to finish off, here are a couple of zoom-out shots.

1.15 Main "drag"
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg240.imageshack.us%2Fimg240%2F2230%2Fwardourzoom1wx6.jpg&hash=ce138a526a5b60267b2a6fa30c25bebd82296d3a)

1.16 City-wide shot
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg240.imageshack.us%2Fimg240%2F9060%2Fwardourzoom2za5.jpg&hash=c4cb89f2935926e8b07734976d674dc4fb662d27)


City population is currently 38,000.

I hope you've enjoyed Wardour.  We will visit it some other time but the next update will feature another part of West End.  I need to decide whether to show you Little Portland (farms, town on a lake with a village along a canal and stream) or jump straight into Oxford (main city).  Please feel free to comment on what you've seen - good, bad or indifferent - and also let me know what you want to see next if you have a preference.  I'll aim to post next update on Sunday 9th September.

Bye for now!

paroch loved the update it was very good... keep up the hard work - pat

Oh yes, love the farms spread over a gently-rolling countryside and connected by curvy streets. The neighborhoods are nice as well, but I must ask if the row housing in pics 2 & 3 is representative of RL building styles in the UK. Other than spending a few hours in the Frankfort, Ger., airport last summer, I've never set foot in Europe. Never set foot on a train either, but it is fascinating to collect tidbits of info from players around the world.
And in case Mr. Ford has not already informed you, I believe there's a Burger King restaurant available somewhere. Looking forward to seeing more development. :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

Ah – the small mid rise office buildings are indeed mine. Intended to provide some competition to the Maxis Cox Tower.  I've seen these buildings grow by ones and twos and I've also had them grow in my game the same as you've pictured. Can't honestly say that I know why the game decides to grow one building over another. What I usually do with weeds is to download more weeds (variety) but I do not recall if there are any other buildings out there for download that fall within the parameters. 

Two things  that I do are – (1) leave alone knowing they will upgrade eventually if you continue to develop your city or (2) I'll make one or two historical if I like the locations they've grown and perhaps plop some parking lots in between to break things up a bit.

Nice MD so far and a good region. I appreciate the feedback . Good Luck.

Very nice update.  The farms look very nice.  The trees in between each lot and the windy roads make it look very good.  Great work so far.

Robin   :thumbsup:

Wonderful pictures of "WEST END"! Great work on it! Fantastic looking overview of that city! :thumbsup:

Those farms are stunning! I had a try with farms on rolling hills but them props and me didn't get along, plus it's not practical when you're near a river - runoff and such - you don't want 15-eyed fish for dinner, now do ya?

First of all, let me just say I really do appreciate your visit to this MD and for those of you who leave comments THANK YOU.  If no-one left comments then I think I'd lose heart.

Replies:

pat - I know you visit loads of MDs, so thanks for keeping West End on your list and I'm glad you loved the update.  I've just found your MD now as well.

Joan - cheers for the big comment!  I like the farms too.  I can see some things I want to improve but that's for future development.  Row Housing in pics 2 & 3: First up, in England we call them 'terraced houses' - Row Housing isn't really a term we use - and yes they exist.  Being squashed in like in Wardour tends to be in the more industrial towns and cities, typically in the Midlands and the North of England, e.g. Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool etc. but terraced housing was common in both the late 1800's right up to the 1960's across the whole of England, in the more R$ areas of towns.  I grew up on a 'council estate' in Essex, England in just such a terraced house.  Maybe not so sqaushed in as the pics from Wardour.  Our cul-de-sac had three separate terraces of four houses each built around a small grass square.  I'll try and recreate it and post it on here soon.

It's hard for me to believe you've never set foot on a train.  I live 40 miles east of London and work in the West End of London.  If there was no train network, London would not be able to function!!  We had a tube (subway) strike recently and it caused chaos. And as for the burger king, it's already there on the right hand side of the picture - flame grilled, yum!

jmyers - Hey, I am really pleased you've dropped by.  I have a lot more of your BATs in my plug ins (in fact you have your own folder!!)  I'm pretty sure that most of those fast food joints are yours too.  JB Hoard investment crops up all over my commercial areas as does SCGE Credit Union.  So a BIG thank you for your hard work in making all that custom content.

rooker1 - thanks for the visit and comment. Those farms seem to be popular!

bat - thanks for the support.

sober - 15 eyed fish???  Don't say it too loud, the sushi bar in picture 1.12 would like to have those on the menu !!

I'm working on an update which I hope to post tomorrow (Sunday) but I keep getting dumped to desktop whenever I zoom in or out whilst playing / photographing a city.  It's difficult to pinpoint the problem but it makes doing anything VERY time consuming (especially when you keep forgetting to save!).

Anyway, as a teaser here are two shots of LITTLE PORTLAND.  This is a medium sized tile that is based around a large lake.  Farmlands to the north, industrial to the west, main town to the south and a village plus some industrial to the east of the lake.  First pic is a close up of the lake (haha) and the second is the village church.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg181.imageshack.us%2Fimg181%2F3388%2Flakecloseupkn6.jpg&hash=a0a12a0f174d8ae104d19fad39f9ee1f7a30c70e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg507.imageshack.us%2Fimg507%2F7826%2Fteaser1fv3.jpg&hash=d75ace4600a88b446729450c9a009e235232f170) 

Great two new pictures! :thumbsup:

OK, I see the Burger King now that I know it's there! The name is pretty obscure in the photo.
Thanks for explaining the housing in UK. Since my daughter married an African three years ago, I have become much more conscious of the difference in customs and cultures between the U.S. and other countries. Guess it's a bit late in life for me to wake up and discover there's a whole world out there, but I'm enjoying the experience just the same.
Love the teaser and look forward to more.

Until next time...
Joan

UPDATE 2 - 9 SEPTEMBER 2007

Bat - thanks for the comment. :)

Joan - I'm enjoying your visits to West End   :thumbsup:  I agree with you in that it's always interesting to learn about other people / places / cultures.  I've never been to Houston (only visited Florida in the US).  I am visiting Las Vegas in October but I guess you could say that Florida and Vegas aren't really representative of the US as a whole!
And I can see why you didn't realise it was a burger king.  At the moment I am using MS Paint to convert the city pictures to JPEGS.  I seem to then lose some quality when I upload them to Image Shack.  Maybe I need to do something different.


Nobody expressed a preference on which town/city to visit next, so here we are in LITTLE PORTLAND.  The town is so called because it is the neighbour of the larger Great Portland - original eh?  In real life London, Great Portland Street (plus surrounding streets, including Little Portland Street) used to be the heart of the "rag trade" in the West End of London.  Now, high rents have pushed many such businesses out to the edges of the city.

Little Portland is built up around a large lake.  It has some a small Commercial district in the downtown area and two Industrial areas, one to the west of the lake and one to the right of the lake.  Farmland occupies most of the land to the north of the lake.  See the two shots below for an overview of the town:

1.01  Little Portland (west)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg294.imageshack.us%2Fimg294%2F4103%2Fcityshot1qy3.jpg&hash=dc0d67862a78a2b938818279ad198889d9014aa7)

1.02  Little Portland (east)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg528.imageshack.us%2Fimg528%2F7066%2Fcityshot2zj8.jpg&hash=52b9664a184a2a8a89f34efb9bd37d64f777de51)

I had loads of problems getting these two shots.  I'm not sure why but when I zoom out on a region my PC just stops running SC4 and throws you back to the desktop  :'(.  As a result I'm having to go very slowly before zooming out and remembering to save after each change!  Maybe my plugin folder has got too big or I have some conflict in there, I don't know but it's difficult to know what's causing it.  If you've experienced something similar please let me know how you got round the problem.

OK back to Little Portland.....

I'm going to focus on the areas to the east of the lake today.  In picture 1.02 you'll notice a motorway.  Just to the right of this is a village.  The village has built up along the banks of a small canal / stream.  This is my very first use of canals and streams, so please forgive some of the mistakes (although feel free to point them out in case I've not seen them all).

The village is generally R$$ and R$$$ but of course there's always room for some R$ developments.

This is the top end of the village built around a small pond.  I didn't level the ground properly before laying the pond, hence the odd appearance :thumbsdown:.  But I have learned and future ponds won't have this.  I will improve this one but with the game problems I've been having I didn't really have time to correct this now.
The small church (SG I believe) sits between the stream and the pond.  This is the second church in the village and whilst not as picturesque as the main village church it still attracts a fair sized congregation. 

1.03 Village northern end. 
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg530.imageshack.us%2Fimg530%2F4529%2Fvillagenorth3qk9.jpg&hash=21a607ecb11bb5da52b8ce21e223db9e3495330d)

And now we move down to the middle of the village.  This is where the highest house prices are in the village.  Some of the most desirable places in all of Little Portland are here, backing onto the narrow canal.  I really like the mix of houses in this shot, I think they go together well.
1.04
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg294.imageshack.us%2Fimg294%2F9669%2Fvillagemiddle4vo3.jpg&hash=7adb6f1241ed5c3ff9bbef225c717843f4595dd0)


And now we move down to the southern end of the village which is actually where the main centre is.  Here is the main church (Gascooker's excellent St Bartholomew's).  The small shopping area is popular with both residents and tourists alike with a mix of old fashioned grocery stores as well as a few antique shops.  The food court next to the church is very popular for cream teas during the summer months.

1.05 Village centre
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg172.imageshack.us%2Fimg172%2F8537%2Fvillagecentre5zq2.jpg&hash=63f4138dd0fa1394ac4972cca141520234e96252)

1.06 Village centre (reverse angle).  Spot the error in the laying of the canal!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg476.imageshack.us%2Fimg476%2F9616%2Fvillagecentre6tt2.jpg&hash=70e0b0577a9eabcca090d235a71215298698de13)


Just to give you an idea of the overall geography, here is a zoom out shot.  The village is to the right of the motorway.  To the left of the motorway is the farming area and in the bottom left corner is the edge of Lake Portland.  I enjoy creating the farming areas and picked up the idea of putting trees between the farms from other MDs.  I got nice comments about the farms in update 1, so couldn't resist including some here!

1.07 Village with farming area
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F3676%2Fvillageandfarms7ha6.jpg&hash=5ec38a2912526ab2021e2c5baa7c81c04a5e3a1a)


One thing I haven't shown you yet is any Industrial zones.  Here is Little Portland's Arcadia Industrial Park (AIP).  It is directly to the south of the village on the opposite side of the canal.  The AIP is mainly high-tech although the mayor of Little Portland is very old fashioned and insisted on building a small canal dock.  No-one can be sure how many high capacity fluxometres are shipped out by canal barge but the barges add a certain charm to the town:

1.08 Arcadia Industrial Park with dock
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg525.imageshack.us%2Fimg525%2F7421%2Findustrialport8oa2.jpg&hash=17dc20a87ea0197e73277e75b276f218106dd897)
Again you'll notice that I didn't level the ground before laying the canal which has resulted in a few dodgy bits.  But hey, that's how we learn eh....

1.09 Southern part of the AIP.  I like the way the Underhill Casket Company has sneaked in with the high-tech stuff.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg127.imageshack.us%2Fimg127%2F151%2Findustrialeast9qi9.jpg&hash=cd8beb483fbaec443e9c2956aa588d7d0e94c22e)


1.10 AIP straddles the motorway.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg178.imageshack.us%2Fimg178%2F269%2Findustrialeast10dj1.jpg&hash=7fddcb5581f2418d5cddd529f922976c23e06c82)

I find Industrial areas the hardest to get close to RL, so I'd appreciate your comments on what you think of these and how they can be improved.  My plugin folder probably could do with some more Industrial stuff as well.


In the very south east of Little Portland is the Paragon Retail Park.  This is proving to be a popular place for the residents of Little Portland.  Its location on the banks of the Regent Canal has made it a popular place to come just to stroll and relax and enjoy a bite to eat whilst shopping.

1.11 Paragon Retail Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg520.imageshack.us%2Fimg520%2F2496%2Fretailpark11ve6.jpg&hash=8174aeb3eb2d8f1c86d3f14ea9f04f57322530b2)
1.12 Paragon Retail Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg178.imageshack.us%2Fimg178%2F5853%2Fretailpark12cm5.jpg&hash=82cd6fbb029eccd6943870adb5966aa778202bd0)

That's out tour of the eastern side of Little Portland, I hope you enjoyed it.

As a teaser for the next update which will feature the main town plus some of the farming area here is a shot of the downtown area:
1.13 Little Portland town centre:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg172.imageshack.us%2Fimg172%2F8269%2Fstation13mg2.jpg&hash=2699938541152f9241fb8a3b60988deda2ae72f3)

And I thought I'd share another of my 'mistakes' with you.  Here is a block that was low wealth houses with an alleyway at the back.  I forgot to make the low wealth house historical, so here they have upgraded but of course the alleyway is still there.  Just doesn't look right!

1.14 Remember to "make historical".
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg522.imageshack.us%2Fimg522%2F1681%2Ferroralleyways14ho9.jpg&hash=bbc10a1ebf5bfb822c447d789f8a811dc0a61ab6)

I hope you've enjoyed this - until next time.

paroch / Paul  $%Grinno$%

Fantastic new pictures of your city! Great work! :thumbsup:

Little Portland is a nice town with all the elements blending well together. I've not yet taken the time to learn how to use canals, but they are outside of my visual experience so I'm afraid they'd look phony no matter how I placed them. I kind of like the alleyway, though as it reminds me of the house I grew up in. Looking forward to more.  :thumbsup:
And you are right about Vegas and Florida, but usually there is no single city, state province or whatever which is representative of an entire country. That's the beauty of diversity!

Until next time...
Joan

Great work here.  I like the seasonal trees, but does that slow the gane down?  The canals look very nice as well.  I like the industrial area except for the high tech.  I have a little, tiny problem with blue buildings, I hate them, but hey that's just me.  The rest is great, I'll be back for more.

Robin   :thumbsup:

Hmmm, this update didn't seem to be so popular.  Must try harder......

bat - thanks for your continued support.

Joan - I'm glad you like Little Portland - the village part took me quite some time!  And as for canals, well this was my first attempt, so I'd say go for it - if you don't try you'll never know!   And I like the alleyways too, just a shame the housing improved!  Do you have an MD of your own going?  It'd be good to pay you a visit.

Robin - thanks for the visit.  I've not noticed that the seasonal trees slow the game down at all, certainly not in terms of game play.  And as for the industrials - I think this is my weakest part of my game. 

Update 3 is planned for sometime over the weekend and will be the other half of Little Portland.

Until then   $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Don't fret too much over comments, paroch. Like updates, they seem to come in waves -- the tide goes out, then here comes a tsunami!  :D
Just focus on doing the best you can and the more experienced players will help you along. Besides, I think you're doing OK now, and I can't imagine anything that will improve your skills more and faster than committing to an MD.
At least that's what I keep telling myself as I work to prepare one I hope to post in the next few weeks. So keep up the good work, and look for me to jump in the deep end with you pretty soon!  :P

Until next time...
Joan

Huge update, paroch! Little Portland looks great! Keep up the good work!

Welcome to update 3.

Joan - thanks for your comment and ongoing support.  You're right, I'll keep concentrating on this and if it's good enough then the comments will follow!  And make sure you let me know once your diary is up and running.

thundercrack83 - thanks for the visit and comment.  I only get chance to do one update a week  :-\, so it tends to be a big one!



Last time we looked at the eastern side of Little Portland.  This time I'm going to show you the western part of the town.

Little Portland has now reached a population of 25,000.  It's very much a small town with a wide variety of people living there.  A large number of people commute to the larger town of Wardour (next door to the west) or to the region's main city Oxford.  A good rail service takes workers into these towns very quickly.  The motorway is also a fast option but is not used as much as the rail.

Much of the land area of Little Portland is given over to farming, and in the north west of Little Portland is a very small farming village.  Many farm workers live here to be close to work.  The village has a small church, school and clinic.  It has a couple of shops including Deviant Desires - not the sort of shop you'd expect in a small village, but hey there's not much else to do in the village:

3.01 Farming Village
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg267.imageshack.us%2Fimg267%2F333%2Fimg0000rx9.jpg&hash=b16c7edb5c8faa47c8507b9fa4abc03c07ba13a3)

And here are some of the farms that the village serves - note the small exclusive housing development on the peninsular.  These houses are considered the best in all of Little Portland.

3.02 Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg106.imageshack.us%2Fimg106%2F9140%2Fimg0001dr3.jpg&hash=5b8a60a350caa4d87cbff45eab2c9f0e5226eb6b)

The town has a few industrial areas but can hardly be considered an industrial powerhouse.  This industrial park has a few meat packing plants as well as some automotive spare part manufacturers.

3.03 Industrial Area
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg122.imageshack.us%2Fimg122%2F4559%2Fimg0002wr8.jpg&hash=aff1bd7821e5c6824f874455826b62d8c3172624)

The town is surrounded by many trees and the mayor was keen to keep the town as green as possible.  There are two main parks in town - Freeston Park is a more formal park with a playground for the kids.  Klean Park has a football pitch and some open space.

3.04 Freeston Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg515.imageshack.us%2Fimg515%2F7619%2Fimg0003ab2.jpg&hash=55a97cd9edea6aeddf6e06f7c395ee10043763b6)

3.05 Klean Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg205.imageshack.us%2Fimg205%2F4886%2Fimg0004up3.jpg&hash=f48fdbcb7b8b121681db0228fc59dddafa2caf28)
Note: the apartment block "Sunset Terrace Apartments" (top right corner of park) was causing me a problem - The base texture disappeared which meant its base was just black.  At long last I worked out Lot Editor and changed the base texture so that it would appear properly.  I know it's simple but it was my first foray into Lot Editor!

The mayor also built a sports complex which is home to the towns football team Portland Rangers.  It is only a small stadium, holding 4,000 fans.  You'll see the complex also has tennis, baseball and skateboarding.  The food court is a popular place to hang out.

3.06 Sports Complex
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The biggest feature of Little Portland is of course Lake Portland.  This is my first attempt at creating a waterfront feature.  It's a popular place to walk and be seen and the residential zone nearby is highly sought after.  In hindsight I think I should have made this a commercial zone.

3.07 Waterfront
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To the south of the town is the Regents Canal.  Water is always a nice feature to live by, so perhaps not surprisingly you can find some nice family homes near the canal.  The water taxi is very popular.

3.08 Regents Canal
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But not everything is going smoothly in the town.  Over at the Goober Gen Clinic there's a protest going on.
Apparently the mayor doesn't pay the doctors enough money so they are on strike.  So often I am concentrating so much on building new stuff I don't see the messages warning me about poor funding levels.  Am I the only one who forgets this?  Wouldn't "auto-fund" be a nice option to have!

3.09 Protest
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And the W2W Polish building in this picture is very good but it only works well in a W2W environment.  Must remember to weed it out from there!

Here is an overview of the town centre.  It has just got its first high rise commercial tower - the Shark Building.  A very nice building indeed.  I just hope the developer knows what they are doing.  That's a big building for a town of 25,000.

3.10 Town Centre overview
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Now here's a developer who understands the small town property market.  West End's biggest developer is Myers Corp and here they bought a large plot and built a selection of small towers.  Just right for medium sized companies and serviced offices.  This development is called Myers Concourse.

3.11 Myers Concourse
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And our last shot of Little Portland is the eastern edge of the centre.  Here is where the fun takes place.  Century Cinema (I love the custom query sound), Dennys Diner, Flower Market and Courtyard Hotel. 

3.12 Town Centre east
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For those who like some traffic data:

Apart from a few side roads traffic is flowing freely around town.  The buses are reasonably well used around town as well.

3.13 Traffic data
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3.14 Bus data
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Now I also noticed an eagle flying around in the sky above the town.  I'd never noticed him before.  Is this standard Maxis in-game or it id linked to a certain mod???? Any ideas?

3.15 Eddie the Eagle
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And to finish off, here is a region overview at the moment.  Region population is up to 239,000.  Main population centres are Oxford, Wardour, Little Portland and Great Portland.  My first attempt at sticking pics together, so hopefully looks OK.

3.16 West End Region
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Thanks for stopping by West End.  I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Awesome update! Looks like you're already getting ahead by naming regions and playing a little disconnected.

If you grabbed the underwater fauna plops, it'd be cool to see some green plants near lakes/rivers by the farms on slopes -> 'cause this usually happens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication) (if you want to add a bit of realism :))

Another great update, paroch! The region and the traffic shots are my favorite. I'll be looking forward to seeing more, my friend!

The farms look nice, and I always like to see a few factories mixed in with the growable industries.
The sports complex looks good and that's a great-looking overview of the city.
Also, I appreciate your including the traffic data. Traffic control is not one of my strong points, so I'm always interested in how other players handle the challenge.

Until next time...
Joan

Wow, paroch, great stuff! I love the few final shots, with the autumn scenery and the small town flavour...It really gives a sense of a quiet suburban environment. The trees around the lake also work very well.

Fantastic update 3, paroch! Great pictures also great picture of the region! :thumbsup:

Good lord, this looks totally amazing! A compliment for your eye for detail...this city has a very 'real' feel to it...as it should. I love London...and I love this, keep up the good work please and I'll be sure to check on your progress!

Another super update.  Nice regional map, thta's going to take some time to fill.

Robin   :thumbsup:

REPLIES:

Thanks to all who have visited the most recent West End update and BIG thanks to those of you who have left comments.  I used a program called clip2pic to take the pictures for update 3 which resulted in much clearer pictures with no loss of quality - I think this made a difference.  I must thank The Tea Cat for pointing me in the right direction.

OK, specific replies:

Sober - thanks for dropping by and your comment.   I downloaded some underwater rocks but couldn't find any underwater greenery - if you have some good stuff please let me know what it's called so I can track it down  :thumbsup:

thundercrack - glad you like the region and traffic shots.  I'll try to drop these in on a regular basis from now on.

Joan - welcome back, I appreciate your visits.  That industrial area is 100% growable - I tend not to plop too many buildings in my cities unless I'm after a particular look.  The surprise of seeing what develops is half the fun in my opinion.  The sports complex is simple but I hope effective.  As for traffic control - I'm not sure how much I controlled of this, but I have deliberately left the bottlenecks at a few junctions as this is more true to reality in my opinion.  For me the bus data was more valuable, I like to know whether the sims are using them or not.

nedalezz - welcome back.  You were the first to comment on West End, so you're always welcome!  It's funny most of the pictures were taken whilst the trees were on "autumn".  And a quiet suburban town is what I was aiming for.  I live in a quiet suburban town myself, so the majority of my towns / cities go this way!

bat - thanks for your comments again.  Glad you liked the region shot.

capo - welcome to SC4D in general and West End in particular.  Thanks for the positive comment.  I work in London, so I'm sure certain elements of London will crop up from time to time ;)

Robin - thanks for that.  Yes, the region is HUGE, the shot I included is only part of it!  If I manage to fill the whole region up I will be old(er) and grey(er)  $%Grinno$%

Here's a taste of the next update (which is still in progress) GREAT PORTLAND.  Located directly to the south of Little Portland this city currently has a population of 35,000 and will be quite an important transport hub in the region.

3.17 Great Portland city overview
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The region population is now 250,000 and the first airport is under construction in Great Portland.  Plans are for a single runway with one terminal but space for a second terminal if required.  Here is a shot of early construction:

3.18 Construction of runway and taxiways
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3.19 Airport location in relation to city
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You'll notice the airport site is just below the motorway for easy access.
Construction on the runway, taxiway and terminal buildings is now complete.  Just got to work out how the transport links will fit in best.  Forward planning is not my strong point!

3.20 Construction complete
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This is my first attempt at an airport that is not a Maxis plop and drop, so your comments on how to improve it are welcomed.  I've used a mix of RMIP2, ACE and Joergs bits.  RMIP looks great but it took me ages to work out the bits to use!  I'll include closer shots of the airport in the next update.

I'll aim to give you update 4 over this weekend (RL permitting!)  $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Looking good, my friend! I like your airport, and I know what you mean about the RMIP pieces--there's so many of them, it's hard to figure out where they all go! Anyway, I'll be looking forward to this weekend to see you next update! Until then...

very promising by the looks of it.

Nice update, paroch. You're taking your time, working through the details and otherwise doing exactly what needs to be done. And I think your first try at building an airport is working out just fine.

Until next time...
Joan

Fantastic little airport! Great work! :thumbsup:

Nice couple of updates. Anyone who can get farms to look good on a slope has my attention :thumbsup:.

Airports take a bit of practice, and some research to get it right. But you've started out small, so the layouts fine although the runway needs to be longer. While the largest Maxis airport probably covers the same area, the scale is different. I know it's going to take up some space, but I would recommend that you increase the length of the runway by at least 50%, preferrably double it. Take a look at the large jet at the gateway and think about how much runway it wiill need to get off the ground. Better still, imagine your on the plane /wrrd%&

Anyway, only a suggestion. You are doing nice work here, Great Portland is looking good and will be back for more.

Cheers

Dave

You started a very nice MD. I am looking forward to your next updates to find out how the airport will develope :thumbsup:

Hi all. Thanks for the ongoing support and comments.  Before the update here are some replies:

thundercrack - thanks for your visit again.  Yes RMIP is great but confusing for me.  I guess it's experience and having a good memory.  I'll have more detail on my next airport I'm sure.

Madeira - welcome to West End.  I hope I can deliver on the promise!

Joan - good to see you again.  You're right about taking my time - I sometimes wonder if SC4 takes up too much of my time ;)

bat - thanks.  And yes, little was my plan.

Dave - thanks for the constructive comment.  You'll see I have extended the runway.  Maybe not quite by 50% but I've also taken out the 747.  As for the research...I'm a bit too lazy for that.  I'll probably just copy one of your airports!!!!

sebes - welcome and thanks.  I love the real Amsterdam and also your Amsterdam MD.  I must re-visit it soon.


UPDATE 4


Welcome to the latest instalment from West End.  Today we're visiting Great Portland.  This is a town/city of 50,000 and it has a few firsts for the region - the first airport and first GLR.  I showed you some "under construction" pictures before of the airport, well now things have developed.

Following Toohey's advice I have extended the runway.  I have also taken away the 747.  This is after all more of a regional airport, so it can handle jets but not the largest aircraft.

4.01 Overview of Great Portland Regional Airport
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You'll notice that some commercial development has started on the north side of the airport.  There are two hotels, The Sheraton and Airport Conference Hotel.  There is a large area to the south of the airport that is undeveloped.  The city council are still deciding whether to zone for a mixed commercial and industrial park (industrial demand is very high) or whether to leave undeveloped to allow room for terminal 2 should it be needed.  The regional government have plans for an international airport further east near the coastal cities, so this may mean terminal 2 will never be needed.

A GLR runs around the airport as well, so again, if T2 is built then this will be easily incorporated into the GLR system.

OK, now let's have a closer look at the airport:

4.02 Terminal 1 - west
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Some walk on gates for small business jets and regional prop jets.

4.03 Terminal 1 - east and Main Entrance
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Some jet way gates plus the bus-to-gate pick up point.  Bottom left of the picture is one of the multi story car parks that serves the airport.  You can also see the main entrance to the airport next to the GLR station.

4.04 Terminal Transport Hub
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Good transport links right next to the door - GLR and bus already in use.  The subway station has been built but no subway system is running yet.  This will be needed as the GLR is already proving popular.  Construction is underway on the airport branch of McDonalds.

I'm going to show you the GLR route into the city centre.  You can see the main GLR station above, now let's follow the line east into town.

4.05 Commercial development
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The next GLR stop is on Aviation Drive, the main avenue out of the airport.  Here commercial development is already springing up (in fact it upgraded after I took the pics).  The space between the GLR and the taxiway is earmarked for a cargo facility.

4.06 Runway End
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Here the GLR has a junction.  East over the avenue and into the city centre, or south to linkup with proposed Terminal 2 site plus western town suburbs.
GLR station is on a small plaza.  Residential development already underway - but it must be noisy living there!

4.07 Small Plaza
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The next GLR stop is seeing a small commercial plaza develop.  Again, it has developed further since the pics. 

4.08 Industrial Zone
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Here the GLR crosses the road and enters the industrial area.  This is quite a dense industrial area and is relatively close to the city centre.  A debate is underway as to whether this should be redeveloped.  A larger industrial area is being planned to the east of the motorway which would enable a seaport to be built.

4.09 Almost there!
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The GLR winds through the last of the factories and into the wooded residential area.  The Hong Kong Garden Estates are the most common high rises in West End.  I really like these buildings and they fit the character of West End - but they do crop up a hell of a lot - maybe time to weed some out - what do you think?

4.10 Great Portland Central
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And here the GLR comes to an end - connecting with the mainline railway station "Great Portland Central".  This station is heavily used (13,500) and is already over capacity, so the city council are deciding how to improve this important transport hub.  Many travellers from other cities change from train to GLR here to get to the airport.  It is likely that a direct subway line will link the airport to here.

Now for some other shots of Great Portland.  I think I've said before I don't do much plopping, instead I enjoy seeing what will grow.  This little neighbourhood is my favourite in Great Portland:

4.11 Amstel Grove
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Named after my favourite Dutch beer.  I think this little corner of Great Portland is very tranquil and has a relaxed feeling.

4.12 Commercial Waterfront
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The main commercial district of Great Portland - mainly offices.  Strongest influences here are Jmyers, SimGoober and RP/Zero7.  The south bank of the river is planning a commercial district to rival this but will likely to have more retail than offices.

4.13 Entertainment
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This certainly wasn't planned!  A Best Western Hotel, Century Cinema plus Hooters, Plaza Azteca and Pizza Uno.  Any visitors to Great Portland usually end up spending at least one evening on this "mini strip".

4.14 Keep it green
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This corner of Great Portland is a wildlife reserve.  Many species of waterfowl live here, so it has been declared a protected zone.  The few houses that are here are very popular.

4.15 Bay Living
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Living near water has always looked nice - and these folks thinks so too.  Thanks to Sober's comment I tracked down some underwater props - I think they look OK, but with a bit more playing I'm sure I can improve on this.

4.16 Peninsular
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This peninsular is home to a lot of sims in a little space.  Not the smartest part of town but the views are awesome!  Small water taxi station is an alternative way on and off the peninsular.

4.17 Dominci Park
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The largest park in all of West End (so far!).  Residents and visitors alike come to Dominci Park to relax and stroll along the numerous paths.  The city council bill it "the jewel in our crown" - that's politicians for you!

4.18 Freight Terminal
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Here is the industrial freight terminal.  I've experienced problems with whichever freight station/terminal I use.  The track doesn't appear to run through it (even though it does) and usage is always zero.  Please suggest a good freight station / terminal to me - I'd love to be able to do something better than this.

4.19 South Bank
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The south bank of Great Portland is only just getting going.  I think this will be the site of my next update.  I have not built many of the rewards yet (I know I have loads waiting), so the south bank could be home to lots of interesting places.

Please feel free to comment on where I can improve - I do take your suggestions seriously.

Thanks and until next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Fantastic new pictures there, paroch! Wonderful new pictures of the airport! Also great areas next to the GLR-Way! Also the others are looking wonderful! :thumbsup:

i like it  :)

Very interesting and well-done update, paroch. Your transport systems appear to be very efficient, and it would be nice to see some traffic-usage data for the different elements. Also, what's the population now?

Until next time...
Joan

Bat - thanks for the comment - The airport and GLR took me some time so I'm happy you like them!

Madeira - I like your comment :)

Joan - Thanks for that - and your wish is my command.  Traffic info below.  I'll let you decide whether they are efficient or not!!

4.20 Congestion data:
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As you can see the major routes are green but a few bottlenecks on some downtown roads and some of the streets.  I'll have to have a closer look at these - but I do think that some congestion is good as it adds to the realism.

4.21 Road data:
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4.22 GLR data:
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Most of the route is being well used.  I have the Dockalnds Light Railway mod installed and am seeing plenty of blue and red trams zipping around the airport and city.

4.23 Bus data:
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Buses tend to be the workhorses of my local tranportation but here in Great Portland they are not being used much in the city - BUT plenty of people are taking buses for longer journeys out of town eastwards.

4.24 Train data:
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The trains were so busy I had to upgrade the line to a double track through most of the city.  Plenty of use on most of the line.

4.25 Ferry data:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg407.imageshack.us%2Fimg407%2F9266%2Fferryel6.jpg&hash=7a9dda8ae15f882135c1ba58ff587607429c535a)
Not much happening here - YET!

4.26 Zoning Data:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F7893%2Fzonedatalj7.jpg&hash=0634560123ca8863a84c1867f5662d5ccd07ca97)
Thought this may be of interest.  You can see the Industrial is concentrated with the Resi areas interspersed with commercial districts.  Some commercial zones up by the airport have high levels of customers.

Great Portland population is now 65,000 and the regional population is 260,000.  I'm going to develop the south bank of Great Portland next and then move to another city.  I'll come back to Great Portland later when I have decided whether to build Terminal 2 or a new industrial area to the south of the airport.

Hope you find this of interest.  Hope to give you update 5 over the weekend......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Impressive data, paroch. Thanks for including it. Great Portland is about the size of the city I live near now, and the transport system has similarities. I call it a tic-tac-toe layout with two five-lane thoroughfares north to south, and two more east to west (that's two lanes each direction and a left-turn lane down the middle - don't know if they have that kind of setup in other parts of the world or not.).
Anyway, it looks like you have traffic under control which is no easy task in SC4! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

Hi all and welcome to update 5 of the West End MD.

Fisrt of all, a big thank you to Joan for your unflinching support of this MD.  I'm glad you liked the traffic data.  And as for keeping the traffic under control I'm not sure how much of that is luck rather than judgement!

Anyways, update 5 is a look at some other parts of Great Portland that I like and hope you do too.....

5.01 South Bank School
Development has moved across to the south side of the River Dinnium.  The main residential area surrounds the South Bank school which has good sports facilities.  I like the way the European W2W buildings have developed.  It only took a little bulldozing to achieve this, so I am pleased with the outcome.  In the bottom left of the picture is the pitch where the neighbourhood team play every Sunday.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg223.imageshack.us%2Fimg223%2F5260%2Fimg0043tp7.jpg&hash=4ab0a70f10183563dea32eba84a4ac8df1f471ea)


5.02 South Bank Commercial Plaza
Directly on the river is the new Solar Power Plant.  People who live south of the river are "keen to be green" so insisted on solar power.  The Portland tennis centre is also on the river side and is home to the annual Portland Open which attracts players from across all of West End.  I like the way one of Goober's adult stores is sandwiched between the tennis stadium and the JJB sports store.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg230.imageshack.us%2Fimg230%2F4019%2Fimg0042bz1.jpg&hash=bd65632c8d21a077836611acf03bc0674745ff69)


5.03 FC Portland
Here is the NRG Stadium, home to FC Portland, the most successful team in Great Portland.  The stadium has a capacity of 45,000.  West End isn't developed enough yet to have a fully fledged league, but once it does I am sure that FC Portland will be one of the main teams.  At the bottom of the picture you'll see the new subway station.  This line has been built to link the south side of the city with the airport.
The food courts are popular all week round, whether a nice spot for lunch or a dinner in a buzzy atmosphere followed by a walk along the riverside.  Of course on match day it gets really busy with fans wanting beer, hot dogs and burgers.  The stadium is known for its beef and onion pies.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg230.imageshack.us%2Fimg230%2F720%2Fimg0031an3.jpg&hash=4769d8fca81ed3e94057d7a450ab24ef02039202)


5.04 The Port
Many say that this is where Portland got its name - the port.  This is my first attempt at anything other than a maxis plop and drop port.  The main container port and ro-ro ferry port is in place.  There are a couple of rail freight yards that service the port but I need to build up the industry and warehousing around the port.  I'm lacking small filler lots, so any suggestions are welcome.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg230.imageshack.us%2Fimg230%2F2103%2Fimg0033os8.jpg&hash=2bb8178522f8df57fd6c6bee5018b844c5a4590f)


5.05 Convention Centre
OK, we're back north of the river now.  I know this is a standard Maxis building but I really like it.  The convention centre has been built up near the airport and is currently hosting "Reptile Locator 07", the world's largest exhibition dedicated to people looking for lost reptiles.  My son's two corn snakes escaped yesterday and we've only found one so far, so one is loose in the house somewhere! &cry2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg222.imageshack.us%2Fimg222%2F9502%2Fimg0041ds8.jpg&hash=ebf56e5825bf43c514507d100a82b8dbd03899a4)

5.06 Runway's End
Here is the development that has built up at the end of the runway of the nearby airport.  I like the way it's all so uniform.  A little bit of bulldozing, making historic and luck has given this result.  Have you noticed how when you come in to land at an airport you see so many swimming pools in gardens.  It's odd because when you're on ground level you don't see them.  Anyway, can you see the plane in the picture - and they're looking down at those two swimming pools thinking "I never knew those pools were there"!  Take a bow RP (zero7), Gascooker and MattB for your brilliant BATs.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg228.imageshack.us%2Fimg228%2F9935%2Fimg0040xm3.jpg&hash=6190842c1018a906bd8c9a8ce2ebf2cf63becdd9)


5.07 Business Park
Here is a small business park that has only recently been developed.  The park was designed with small businesses in mind.  They were asking for small buildings that could be used either for office space or small storage and distribution centres.  The six square glass and brick office buildings are VERY realistic - buildings just like these can be seen on most business parks in England that have been built in the last 10 years or so.  The  blue, white and yellow buildings are supposed to be tyre shops/garages but I think that they work well as small business distribution centres.  All in all I am pleased with this small development (quick, make it historic before it upgrades!)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg232.imageshack.us%2Fimg232%2F1629%2Fimg0035nk5.jpg&hash=f75dd85bad4590f4fdf0abb09b9e48b8463c3b1e)


5.08 Missouri Park
This park has been developed between the large industrial zone, the sea wall and the rail bridge.  Across the rail bridge is the Port of Great Portland.  The park isn't used that much as it is quite a drive from the nearest residential area, but for those that make the journey it is a nice quiet corner of the city.  The park is named after the missing snake and it is rumoured that this park is home to all the escaped reptiles in Great Portland! ;)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg228.imageshack.us%2Fimg228%2F651%2Fimg0034hz8.jpg&hash=840e35f88b6b769bfcc5eac70253f2204cdc22b9)


5.09 Riverside Living
One of the new riverside developments.  This is towards the western edge of Great Portland and will be the last high rise zone to get planning permission on the riverside.  The city council have decided that no new builds taller than 4 stories will be allowed within 100 metres of the river from now on.  I really like the red building called "Moscow Red", only recently released on STEX.  I must of course thank Jeronij for his great sea walls.  I use them a lot, I guess I should look for some alternatives just to add some variety.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg233.imageshack.us%2Fimg233%2F5203%2Fimg0038qj4.jpg&hash=ba3ff2bea41933b9af5db38ff1e5c2a62502527e)

5.10 Peninsular Redeveloped
In update  4 I showed you the peninsular (pic 4.16).  Since then a sea wall has been built (which resulted in many of the buildings being lost).  As a result the whole peninsular was redeveloped.  I am pleased with the end result.  The new subway line has a station on the peninsular which means that it is very easy for the residents to access the South Bank and the airport.  This has helped make it a popular place to live in Great Portland.
You can also see the small business park in this shot.  You'll see you have to go through the business park to get the Portland Bill Lighthouse.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg233.imageshack.us%2Fimg233%2F235%2Fimg0036oa6.jpg&hash=8d30a2cd2d7427542d41cd28336b56a245b00c4a)


5.11 Peninsular zoom in
This shot of the peninsular is zoomed in and spun through 180 degrees.  You can see the subway station and the gardens.  I've just spotted two undeveloped squares!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg221.imageshack.us%2Fimg221%2F4438%2Fimg0037us0.jpg&hash=3c52742b01d600c99a4382042617dde9bc7110c9)


5.12 Region Shot
Here is an up to date picture of the region.  Your opinions are welcomed on the following questions:
a) what town/city should be developed next.
b) when it comes to airport development, would you go for expanding Great Portland, or building a larger airport?  I am thinking of either Carnaby (directly south from Great Portland) or East castle (which is in the top north east of the region).
c) expand the port at Great Portland, or build a larger one on the Piccadilly / Carnaby coast?
d) Cavendish is likely to be a large farming community - do you agree with this plan?
I will listen to your opinions and if there is a clear majority I will develop as you suggest.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg228.imageshack.us%2Fimg228%2F7861%2Fimg0045mn9.jpg&hash=20ecb102808a97d2a32f9c69786fd16f68d5a915)


I hope you've enjoyed this update.  The city now has a population of 97,000 and the region is up to 307,000.  I'm away for about 10 days from Tuesday so the replies, next update and next development decision will not be until after I'm back. 

Until next time...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Very nice update, paroch. Great Portland is moving in a positive direction and you're showing it off in the best possible light. The photo with the plane in it is especially good -- I never get lucky enough to catch a scene like that!  ::)
In response to your questions, how about taking a whack at one of the islands -- Regent perhaps?
Can't give an opinion on the airport since never achieved a higher plane than a plop-and-drop. (And please excuse the silly pun!)
As for the seaport, ask yourself why you need one. The game designers gave us a lot of informational tools which I'm trying to get into the habit of using. If you're looking for efficiency, check out the usage stats. If you're going for looks, just trust your obviously good eye for detail.
And Cavendish looks like an ideal spot for a farming community. :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

Looks good, but I suggest moving your airport out of Greater Portland, it's too close to development. Maybe build another airport just south of it?

Hi Paroch, great couple of updates.

You certainly have some good looking lots in your collection, and you put them all together quite well.  :thumbsup:

The convention centre and stadiums look great  :)

You certainly are having some trouble with some of your lots, the freight stations I use myself. I'll have a look and see if I can work out what is missing (although I didn't help much with the ferry terminals $%Grinno$% ) . Ive also got some nice looking warehouses that are great for fillers and will get you a link in the next day or so.

I hope you don't mind me making a suggestion or two along the way. Feel free to ignore me anytime  ;)

I know it always good to try and work with the natural topography of the region, but sometimes as in RL you just need to flatten things out or terraform them to a workable arrangement. Take your picture of the port for instance, IMHO it would look better if the rail line thru the port was flat. Changes in rail elevation, if they can't be avoided, should be gradual, now this isn't really possible in SC4 without the use of a decent slope mod. Something to consider, but be warned, a slope mod will impact on the way you plan a city (something to experiment with first).

Anyway, I've raved on for too long. I hope I have given you something to think about, if not, just tell me to shutup ;D

Cheers

Dave

PS: Here are the warehouse links: 1 (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=12860) and 2 (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=12859). You might also want to look for the "BLS small industrials by Barbw". They are great for filling one or two tiles in industrial areas.

A great new update, paroch! Wonderful work on that region! :thumbsup:

Well, I'm back from my break, and back on SC4D.  Struggling with the time difference (just jumped forward 8 hours) hence why I'm here at 3 a.m  %wrd

It is always interesting to visit somewhere different and see some real cities / towns / landscapes and think how you can incorporate them into SC4.  We flew to Las Vegas via Calgary in Canada and coming into land at Calgary I was struck by just how flat the land is there. It stretches for miles and is all perfectly flat.  And the farms were all perfect square patchwork fields.  The small roads seemed to form a perfect grid as well.  So now, when I make square farms I won't feel so guilty. 

From up in the sky I also appreciated just how much land schools take up with their various buildings and sports fields.  I will have to try to allow more space for them in future.

Vegas of course is a weird city, like no other place.  From a city concept angle I can see how the city is growing rapidly but is really struggling with traffic.  They have installed a monorail system that is quick, modern and clean BUT the stations are too far back from the main road (the strip), so consequently it is not used as much as it could/should be.  I guess it's not as easy in real life to flatten a few buildings just to improve the transportation network.  I guess if the city planners had realised just how HUGE Vegas was going to become they would have allowed room for a decent elevated rail/monorail where it really needs to be. 

The city is laid out in a series of grids and the low density residential (in SC terms anyway) stretches out for miles.  I guess this version of suburbia is what I try to achieve but it is so hard to resist zoning some medium  and high density zones  ;)

The airport at Vegas is so close to the main hotel district.  The only other place I know of with an airport so close to the city is Pisa in Italy but that is a much smaller place.  So I guess that means I don't feel soooo bad about the location of the airport in my region.

Anyways, thanks for the comments whilst I was away - here are some replies:

Joan - thanks for your support with West End and thanks for the reputation point - much appreciated  :).  I appreciate your comments and will act accordingly (Regent has already started some small development but I will now concentrate more on this).  And Cavendish will be a tranquil farming community (I hope).  Btw, I see you've started your own MD, I'll be over soon.

Shadow Assassin - thanks for that.  I kind of realised that myself but sometimes you need someone else to tell you!  I think I'll leave the airport as it is (for now) and develop the region's large international airport in Carnaby.  Once this is built I can then decide whether to leave the current airport as a specialist cargo or business airport or redevelop it into something else.

Tooheys/Dave - Good to see you here again and thanks for the help with the ferry terminals and warehouse suggestions.  And please feel free to make any suggestions or comments - I'm certainly not a "perfect player" in any respect.  As I said to Shadow Assassin above, sometimes you kind of know something is not quite right and someone else saying so certainly helps - I know that rail line needs to be level and your comment just re-affirms that.  I'll have to read up on slop mods before deciding whether to take the plunge.
Thanks for those links as well.

bat - cheers for the comment.

Well I hope to give you another update soon and looking at my stats, hopefully it'll be in Ones to Watch pretty soon.

Take care...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Welcome back, paroch. Hope you had a pleasant trip.
Just remember, though, that you can't judge an entire country by one city or state. (And you're right, Vegas is a bit weird!) Anyway, The State of Texas alone has many faces including flat lands, semi-desert, the canyon-studded Hill Country, coastal areas and a huge swath of piney woods in the east we call The Big Thicket.
So, just go for the look you want and be willing to relax the rules of reality a bit here and there if need be. Please yourself and you'll please your audience. ;)
And I'll be looking forward to your visit.

Until next time...
Joan

It's been too long since I dropped by, I missed out on 2 updates! I still really like your eye for detail, many of the pics look so natural and realistic. Amstel Grove looks like a very nice place to live, but please...drink Grolsch :D

Im very much in love with the stadium of FC Portland picture with the foodcourts but my favourite is strange enough that picture of terminal 1 (east and main entrance). That's a great way of using that NAM piece I so often forget about!

Welcome to the Ones to Watch thread, my friend! You're moving on up! Congratulations!

yes, Welcome to the Ones to Watch! Looking forward to a new update...

I too missed a couple of updates. The airport came out nice, and also the city of Portland has some great areas: I do like the way how the high rise residentals are planned along the water front, and the FC Portland Stadium is realy good!

And thanks for posting that region shot and the traffic data. Very interesting. I'd like to see that more often in MD's  &apls

Someone's moved up!  &apls

Welcome to Ones to Watch, where boys are made into men... I think...

Congratulations on your promotion! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

Hey, promotion to "Ones to Watch".  I'm really pleased that West End has made it here.  :P

I'm hoping to post update 6 in a few hours - just having a few problems with getting the right pictures!  In the meantime, some replies and a few pics of something specific.

Joan:  Thanks, had a great trip to Vegas.  Also got to see the Grand Canyon - wow!!!  Driving through Arizona we passed many small towns that really were how I imagined "Smalltownsville" Arizona to look like!  But don't worry, I'm not naive enough to think that the rest of the USA is like Vegas.  Never been to Texas, so hoping that your MD will give me some impressions of your home state.  Thanks also for your advice re building styles.

Capo:  Good to see you here again.  Thanks for your nice comments and I will make sure I have a Grolsch sometime soon!  Indeed, I have heard that FC Portland have just struck a sponsorship deal and will have Grolsch on their shirts next season!  As for the pedestrian bridge, yeah, I like that bridge, I use them every now and then.

Thundercrack:  Thanks for that and for doing a great job modding this board.

Bat: Cheers.  Hopefully the update will be real soon.

Sebes:  Welcome back.  Glad you liked Great Portland and the traffic data.  The city I am working on at the moment has one of the strangest traffic usage charts I've ever seen, so I'll include it in the update.

Sober:  Good to see you again.  I must pop over to Eaton soon and have a "manly" drink with you!

Joan (again):  Why thank you, I have a feeling Wildcat Junction will be here too, real soon.

I'm currently working on Regent within the West End region and hope to post pics later this evening.  (I followed your suggestion Joan).  In the meantime, here are some pics of a recreation of the road I grew up on.  Way back on update 1 Joan asked about the terraced houses and whether they really appeared like that in RL.  Well, here's the answer.  This development is in the region of Broadwick and is based on a road in South Ockendon, Essex, England.

5.13 Overview of the road:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F4237%2Fimg0001em3.jpg&hash=bb1500a26ecbbdef422ac6f61368c18fde58ac26)
In RL it is not one long terrace.  They are generally in terraces of 4, 6 or 8 houses with a small gap in between.  However, the gaps were too big in SC4, so this looked more realistic.
I haven't developed around this yet, although in RL it is open land on the other side of the main road.  There are flats on the other side of the railway.



5.14 North end of the road:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F3861%2Fimg0002bd0.jpg&hash=596075efee440343566cd9b8517f21b73f9cce8f)
The two terraces in the bottom left have the small gap between them that makes them VERY close to RL.  On the left hand side was the part of the road we called "the sausage" because of its shape and yes, there is room to park in the middle.
I lived in the second of the two "banjos" (look at the shape).  Whilst they didn't actually have a circle they were that kind of shape.  A small green should be between the road and the houses but then you get the "no road connection" zot.  The green areas between the houses are actually taken up with gardens.


5.15 Mid part of the road:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg91.imageshack.us%2Fimg91%2F9408%2Fimg0003jm0.jpg&hash=51535be823f0a88699e6f7ffe2b4697cceb66801)
As you can see, I had a long walk to school!  This was a junior (elementary) school and is no longer there.  They knocked it down to build more houses.  But this is how I still remember it.  The schools was not quite that big but in terms of layout and design it is very similar.


5.16 South part of the road:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F1627%2Fimg0004sm7.jpg&hash=7bb20a7b7d0de2c5bcebc6bf802d1722a2b734d2)
Again, the terrace at the top of the picture is more realistic, just couldn't get enough of them to grow.  Just spotted where I should have put the bus stops on the main road and the bridge road - must go back and do that.


I hope you found that of some interest whilst I work on the next proper update.

Til then.......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Update 6 - 14th October 2007

Hi all, welcome back to West End.  I'm conscious that I have not developed a constant "theme" as such with my MD.  Sometimes it's just my comments and opinions, other times its a more factual approach and occasionally I have tried to wind in a small story line.  Now that the MD has moved up a level I feel I should be more consistent, so I'm going to try to write each new update from the view point of one of the officials within either the Regional Government, City Council or another "official" body.  As always, feedback is appreciated - if you like it great, if not tell me so I can adjust accordingly. :thumbsup:

Today I will introduce you to Bill Bailey, Leader of Regent City Council:

Welcome to Regent, folks.  I'm proud to be in charge of this city.  I say city, but we're only 20,000 residents at the moment - but I have a vision to grow this place into something special.  I know that Regent may not have the land mass to be the largest city in West End but we have something that the other cities don't have - and that is beautiful beaches.  My plan is to grow this city as the resort and playground of both West End region and Sim Nation as a whole.  Sure it's ambitious, but hey, so am I!

I want to give you a quick tour of Regent now and hope that you'll be interested enough to come back next time when things have developed a little further.  Maybe after this little "teaser" you'll even be willing to sign up for one of the new apartments on the Princes Cove development.

6.01  Regent Beach:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg148.imageshack.us%2Fimg148%2F990%2Fimg0000yy8.jpg&hash=84d57c22b7f438ce041140f513a4cc51aaebc0c2)
That beach is the finest in all of West End.  It has soft fine sand and the water is perfect for swimming and snorkelling.  On the left hand side of the beach is the exclusive Rose Grange development.  The houses are surrounded by parkland, beaches and trees.  They don't come cheap but they are the nicest places in the whole city.  In the top right of the picture is the Princes Cove development (constructed by Bailey & Co  ;)).  These apartment blocks are selling out fast, so hurry up if you want your chance to have a piece of the action.


6.02  The Regent Strip:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg91.imageshack.us%2Fimg91%2F9163%2Fimg0002nd9.jpg&hash=0576c1300dba79fc79e85c28267d389c68951c43)
And this is why things are happening here in Regent.  We recently did a "fact finding mission" to Las Vegas.  I know some of the voters said that such a small city as ours should not spend money to send me and my friends, er I mean fellow councillors, to Vegas.  But it gave us some great ideas.  We recently passed the gambling ordinance and now we will reap the rewards as we expect thousands of visitors each year.  We hired some big name architects to recreate some classics, The Mirage and the Stratosphere.  I tell you, from the top of that tower you can see for miles and miles.  There are plenty of restaurants there as well - I'll show you more next time.
You can see the Princes Cove development is between the Strip and the beach.  I tell you, buy now before the prices get too high!


6.03  The Heddon Golf & Country Club:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg151.imageshack.us%2Fimg151%2F2483%2Fimg0009ys5.jpg&hash=f7a34cce61e9dbcfff1bacaeee1c21661619785a)
I told you this city is the playground of West End.  Well look at this fabulous establishment.  Old Burt Heddon has been whacking golf balls around for as long as I can remember but when he hit lucky on that slot machine on that fact finding tour in Vegas he went and sunk all his money (plus a fair slice from the WestBank) into his golf course.  It's set in beautiful wooded countryside and talk is that he will be running a tournament sometime soon open to all of Sim Nation.


6.04  Regent Boardwalk Theme Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg151.imageshack.us%2Fimg151%2F2660%2Fimg0005wz8.jpg&hash=5ff77319b54cdcebc310266b5a019dc2e446d051)
Well, we had the beaches, the casinos, the restaurants and the golf course, so we discussed the matter on the council and decided we needed something BIG for the family visitors.  The Boardwalk is our answer.  We sold the seafront land to the Dooswords Corporation for 2million Simoleons.  That gave us some cash to invest in city infrstucture and gave those hot shots at Dooswords a prime spot to develop the theme park.  I have to admit that attendances have not been as high as expected but as the city grows that place will be rocking.


6.05  Anthony Haines High School
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg99.imageshack.us%2Fimg99%2F5387%2Fimg0007ao5.jpg&hash=7430a724ac3353ca3240e0d6f16c5fd5ade42cd0)
And this is where most of the money from the Dooswords deal went.  We get some cash from the Regional Goverment for schools, but they'd have our kids learning in leaking portakabins on the budget they give us.  We want our young sims to grow up with their own great business ideas, and with this facility we're giving them every chance.  The school has a great football team (The Wildcats) and we have high hopes that they will win the West End Schools Trophy this year.


6.06  Rose Grange
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Here's a corner of Rose Grange.  That church is where Reverend Spires does his thing every Sunday.  He's pretty unorthodox in his approach to religion - the amount of times I've heard him prey for red to come in on Roulette is beyond me!  Rose Grange has been pretty much developed but I'm hoping that the kind people of this city will let me build my, er, I mean the city's Mayoral Mansion in there pretty soon.


6.07  Traffic Volumes
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Traffic is not a problem in Regent (yet).  That top purple line is ferry usage.  We currently have two ferry terminals in the city and many of our residents use them to travel to jobs in Oxford and Great Portland.  It's a much greener, if slower way of travelling.  We recently upgraded the rail network and that usage has increased and taken some people off the ferries.  I'll tell you more about our transport system next time.


Well, that's all for today from me.  Be sure to come back soon as development here in Regent has only just begun.  We're still looking for more leisure activities to cram into this place, so if you have any ideas, get your people to call my people and maybe we can cut a deal.


Til next time....... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

That is what I call an A-1 update, paroch! :thumbsup:
The photos and explanation of the "old neighborhood" were very interesting.
Putting the theme park and casino near the beach was a good idea, and the country club looks great. The home of the Wildcats (Hooter is honored) and neighborhood look just fine, but it looks like you plugged that traffic-usage graph into the nearest 220 outlet! :P OK, so I'm jealous -- mine doesn't look nearly that good!
But you've corrupted my mind forever with the "banjos!" How can I ever look at a roundabout again without thinking of paroch's banjos? ::)

Until next time...
Joan

Fantastic looking two new updates there! Great work! :thumbsup:

Super update, I really find your Traffic volume interesting.  I can surely tell you that I have never seen a ferry used that much before, great job.

Robin   :thumbsup:

Interesting chart! I guess you have put the trans-river rail connections at the right spot if you get soo many people from the ferry on the trains!

Hi Paroch, a nice couple of updates. Like the re-creation of where you grew up.

West End is looking fine, the development around the beaches and the school and surrounds is well done  :thumbsup:

I don't want to harp on it, but you do need to consider the flow of the land when plopping lots. You're theme park is a good example. The boardwalk really needs to be all at the same level, as it is those poor sims are encountered with a 10 ft drop between sections (ouch  $%Grinno$%).

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the updates. Wouldn't mind a game on that golf course either.

Cheers

Dave

Wow, I love the resort town feel of this update! The golf course, the boardwalk, the casinos--everything looks great! I like the way you set up the high school complex, too. Can't wait to see more, my friend!

Hi all.  Thanks for your replies and comments.  And for those just viewing without posting, thanks for dropping by as well.  Hopefully you'll see something soon that will make you feel like commenting.

Specific replies:

Joan:  I feel that you're West End's most loyal follower!  Glad you liked the update and the re-creation of my old neighbourhood.  And yeah, we really did live in a banjo!  As for the Wildcats, there's no league as such (yet??) but Bill Bailey tells me that they are playing really well.

Bat:  Thanks for dropping by and your comment.  Your huge park is still in my mind, I must try and create something similar!

Robin:  Yeah, the ferry usage surprised me too.  It has dropped off as the city has grown, so I'm glad I got the picture when I did.  I'll carry on supplying traffic info from time to time in the MD.

Sebes:  I must admit that I'm not sure if people are using both the train and ferry - must investigate.

Dave:  Welcome back.  I thought the re-creation would be a cool thing to do.  Clearly of massive interest to me, so I like the fact that others enjoyed it too.  Glad you liked the update and I take your point 100% about the boardwalks.  My issue is that I'm playing a pre-formed map, so I have to deal with terrain that is not flat.  I am trying to get into the habit of levelling land before starting certain projects, e.g. Canals.  I have rebuilt parts of the theme park, removed the boardwalk and put in sea walls.  It looks better (teaser below).

Thundercrack:  Hey, I'm pleased you like what you see.  Positive feedback like that helps keep me going - thank you.  And I will be showing more of my resort town.


Development has been slow (a mix of RL pressure and a couple of big game crashes).  I'll post an update either later this evening or in the next couple of days.  The pics are ready, just need to provide some words.

As a teaser here are a couple of pics:

6.08 Theme Park re-worked
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6.09 Regent - city overview
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Bill Bailey will be back for the next update to provide the narrative. $%Grinno$%

Great job.  I love the theme park has everything.  SOmething for the kids and smoething for the adults.  See you at the blackjack tables!

Hey, paroch, the tourist destination is really taking shape and looking good! :thumbsup:
I used to enjoy visiting a carnival in Galveston, Texas, when I was a kid, and your theme park reminds me of those happy days. There were no casinos there, but there were still a lot of things for parents to spend money on!
Anyway, the beaches, the seawall, the amusement park -- all of them bring  back pleasant memories.
Thank you! :)

Until next time...
Joan

Great looking theme park and overview of that city! :thumbsup:

Update 7 - 28th October 2007

Tkirch - glad you like the theme park.  And yes, I'll see you at the tables!

Joan - hey, it's a pleasure that this brings back good memories for you.

Bat - thanks for your words, always good to see you here.



Welcome back to Regent, the resort city of West End.  My name is Bill Bailey.  I'm the leader of Regent City Council.  The council have recently decided that as well as the leader of the council, I should also be the mayor in recognition of the work I've done in developing Regent. 

Things have moved on in Regent since you were here last.  City population has just gone over 43,000.  And we still have plenty of space to grow into.

7.01  Regent City Overview
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This map should give you an idea of how the city is developing.  I've labelled the main districts, so you'll know what I refer to.  Our city surveyors office has just started using something called GIMP to produce these maps, so forgive the red fuzzy writing - we'll be experimenting with different colours.


I wanted to tell you a bit about each area within Regent:

Regent is built on the strength of The Strip.  If it wasn't for The Strip Regent wouldn't be the city it is.  This area provides plenty of jobs for residents of both Regent and the nearby areas of Oxford and Great Portland.  We'll focus on it in a minute.

The Central Business District has some medium sized buildings but there is scope for more development there, particularly to the south and east.

Regent City has the highest density of our residential zones.  Our city has plenty of R$$ residents and the Regent City district has more than other districts.

Rose Grange is a low density, medium/high wealth district, probably the most desirable part of the city.

Little Amsterdam is also a popular area.  West End has a very diverse population, with sims from all over the world.  Little Amsterdam is home to many North Europeans who like the canalside and lakeside homes.  It has a nice mix of low and medium density homes, together with some nice parkland.  Tibbs Town (just south of Little Amsterdam) is a medium density zone with easy access to the river and planned riverside park.

Viddiams is the worst part of town - but even this is far from being a bad place to live.  It just doesn't really have much character.

Haines Park is popular because it is so close to The Strip.  And North Regent has some nice European style buildings.

A large development on the Regent South Bank is planned.  It is likely that homes on the South Bank will be higher density and may not be so expensive.  We'll have to see how the development pans out but I am getting complaints that there is not enough affordable housing in Regent.


7.02  Residents Graph
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Here you can see that the majority of our residents are R$$ (top line).  I'd like the R$$$ to grow some more - maybe some more parkland and better educational facilities will help.

OK, I really want to show you what's been happening on The Strip since last time.

7.03  East Strip and North Beach
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At the eastern end of the Strip is the new North Beach.  Not as big as the Prince Regent Beach, but just as nice.  We've allowed some Residential development, but I have to admit only one of the blocks is what I was hoping for.  I'll be keeping my eye on this and will encourage a higher quality of development.
The theme park (Dooswords) had an issue with the old boardwalk.  Some tourists fell and injured themselves, so they hired a firm of consultants from Australia (Toohey Inc Pty) and they developed a new sea wall - nice and smooth.  Now visitors to the park can stroll along and enjoy the views of the ferries sailing past.

Also at the east end of the Strip is the go-kart track and Hollywood Park.  It's a small park with a recreation of the Hollywood sign, plus a replica of Big Ben and the White House.  It's cheesy, but popular!


7.04  The Rio
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The newest hotel on the Strip is the Rio.  It's a hotel / casino / theatre complex.  Everyone says that the cocktails in the Rio are the best on the Strip.

7.05  The Mirage
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This is the largest hotel by far on the Strip.  The rooms are also the highest quality.  My old buddy Jimmy McDouglas (you'll meet him in the future) rents the Kings Suite and it costs 2,500 simoleons per night.

Also in this picture is the Century Multiplex, the Guggenheim museum and the Whitehouse.  The restaurant zone is to the south of the Mirage.  We allowed some commercial office development to the north of the strip and a whole row of cheap small offices sprung up.  I'm encouraging some developers to do something a bit more imaginative!


7.06  Sheraton and Best Western
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Some of the big hotel brands wanted a slice of the action.  The Sheraton is a fabulous hotel (one of Sim Goobers best in my opinion).  There is a great casino on the ground floor, it's not the biggest but is has a great feel about the place.  It has a very large poker room and holds regular tournaments that attract players from all across West End.

7.07 Restaurant Zone A
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Captain Jack's Seafood Restaurant serves the best sea bass that you'll ever taste.  Being so close to the sea means that Captain Jack always has the freshest fish.  The gutted crab is also popular.
Chillis and Waffle House are also nearby.

7.08 Restauanr Zone B
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More restaurants including Plaza Azteca.  There is also a great mini golf course.  This is where my grand kids love to go more than anywhere on the strip.  Why, my grandson Tiger holds the course record!

7.09 Haines Park
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Haines Park was developed at the western edge of the strip.  When Regent was first developed this was the site of the power plant and the city dump.  Of dourse, as the strip grew we needed to relocate these.  So, Haines Park was built, as we wanted to have a green buffer between the strip and the main housing districts.  Also there is always scope to build more hotels here if required.  Unfortunately we couldn't get rid of all of the land fill.  So, we still have a small dump there, but it is getting smaller and hopefully we'll be able to close it down for good soon.

7.10 Princes Cove
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Here is the development that my Building Company has created..  The six blocks have a high standard of fit-out.  Marble bathrooms, concierge in each building plus great views of the sea (can you see how close to the beach they are).  We still have some available - what a great place to live.  Do I sound desperate?  Well, the next loan repayment on the development is due and the bank are making loud noises, so please, just buy one of the apartments!

7.11 Strip Overview
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Here it is in all it's glory.  Getting this developed has been my life's work.

I'll be back soon to show you some other parts of Regent.

'Til then...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Paroch, that's a really nice update you have there. I can see why The Strip is getting to be a tourist destination.
Also, I appreciate the labeled overview. We know our own region by heart, but it can be difficult for the audience to remember all the details and locations. I always save those photos and put them up on the other monitor while I'm looking at a new update.
I like the way you've combined different zoom levels, too, in this update.
Regent City is really shaping up as a city with many different and interesting areas, and that's just as it should be! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

That's a very good new update! Wonderful work! :thumbsup:

Another fine update here!

I like the overall picture with the sections of the city labeled, it gives me a sense of direction! The Strip looks fantastic, and I'm eager to see the whole city when it's fully developed. Keep up the good work, my friend!

Great update, Paroch! The Strip looks a fantastic place, Im sure a night out on The Strip would be extremely fun. I like how you've separated your city into little mini-areas, each with its own story. Which brings me to my favorite part of the update; the little tidbits about your city. I feel it really brings it to life when done properly, and you certainly have done that.

You have a good mix of lots there Paroch and you have brought them together nicely.

Thanks for the overview, it's good to see how things all fit together.

Great work with the park and the landfill is a good little touch.  :thumbsup:

Cheers

Dave

Update 7a - 31st October 2007

This update is not a particularly big one, hence update 7a and not number 8!

Thanks for your views and comments and in particular:

Joan (jmouse) - thanks for that.  Glad you liked the labelled map.  And yes you're absolutely right, I feel like I know my region really well, so I thought the overview would give you all a better feel for the area.

Bat - wow,page 5.  Didn't think I'd get this far, so thanks fo the welcome!

thundercrack - thanks for the ongoing support and glad you like the labelled map - I'll try and do those more often.  It takes me a while to get used to new pieces of software!

Nedalezz - welcome back, I think you were the first to comment on West End, so you're always welcome!  Thanks for your compliments, that's nice to hear.  And yes a night on the strip would certainly be fun.  Maybe I'll organise an excursion!!

Dave (tooheys) - cheers for that Dave.  And the landfill was an accident!


OK, mini update - over to the mayor, Bill Bailey


Hi all.  Last time I showed you the strip.  Well today I'm gonna give you a quick tour of the Heddon Country Club.  Burt Heddon has spent plenty of time and money on the golf course he has built.  I would prefer him to show you around, but he's involved in a big game of poker down at the Mirage at the moment!

7.12  Club House
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Here is the entrance to the Golf Club.  The club house has hosted some of Regent's swankiest weddings.  My own daughter held her wedding here and I can tell you it cost me a pretty packet.  Still, Heddon knows how to put on a party and all of the guests had a whale of a time.

I'm planning on holding my next fund raiser on the lawns here very soon - you can secure your ticket for just one thousand simoleons!

7.13  First Holes
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Now this is where I love to spend Sunday mornings.  The sun on your back, the wind in your hair and the dream of a perfect round in your mind.  Shame the perfect round only stays in my mind and rarely actually happens!
Those houses that back onto the course are pretty special too.

7.14  Middle Holes
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Now this is one of the quietest spots in the whole of Regent.  No cars, no houses, no nothing to disturb you.

7.15 Back Nine
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The last few holes.  Where great rounds are made or broken.  In the West End open last year this was where Happy Gilmore pulled off the win of his career against Shooter McGavin.  Man, the crowd went wild.  Gilmore's been a hero here ever since!

7.16  Course Overview
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And here is the whole course.  Old Burt Heddon is proud of this place - I hope you've enjoyed this little tour as well.

There's been a fair bit of development elsewhere in Regent, so I'm hoping to give you a bigger update over the weekend.

Til next time...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Scenic update, paroch. The parking lot by the clubhouse is a nice touch, and one I often forget to add.
That looks like a really challenging course, but based on what I see here, Happy Gilmore just got lucky! :D
Anyway, I can see why Old Burt Heddon is proud of it.
You continue to do a fine job, and I'm looking forward to "#8!"

Until next time...
Joan

Great work on that Golf course! Wonderful pictures! :thumbsup:

Congratulations, Paroch-

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Never mind the gutted crab...


The Staff

Congratulations on the promotion. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine! ;)

Until next time...
Joan

Congratulations paroch, it's a very well deserved award! &apls

You are working on a very interesting terrain, and your region is full of nice places. Last pictures of the golf course are excellent :thumbsup:

I am curious what will happen here in the near future!

Congrats on the move to SIOTM. In your last updat ethe golf course looks pretty good my friend.  I can't wait to see what you have for us this month.

Robin   :thumbsup:

Hey, congratulations on making Special Interest status for November, my friend! It's going to be a great month!

Paroch, congratulations on the promo. :thumbsup:

Like the update as well, especially the clubhouse and the adjoining park/recreation area.  :)

Think I'll get the waders out, with so much water on that golf course, I could make a fortune selling SH golf balls I can find in the lakes  ;D

Cheers

Dave

Congrats for this award, paroch! &apls

Looking forward to the updates of this month! ;)

Congrats on the award, I'd say it's well deserved!

I can't stop looking at that golf course, the way you planned it out...must have taken quite some time preparing it before actually start building it. btw those curved purple-ish red brick paths near the club house are pure genius! Old Burt Heddon has every right to be proud!

Great update again, and congratulatiosn with your award. :thumbsup:

There is one thing that bothers me though in the picture (I hope you don't mind me mentioning): the abrupt end of the asphalt paths on the golf course. It would be much nicer if the path was continueing between the holes.  But the terrain as a whole makes up for that.... the trees and water are very good  :satisfied:

Hi all, and wow, what a surprise.  I certainly didn't think about "Of Special Interest This Month".  So thanks to the modds for the award - it will inspire me to try and do something special this month.  I have a plan or two up my sleeve, so watch this space.

I have virtually a whole day free tomorrow, so I will devote some serious time and give you an update or two!

Some replies in the meantime:

Joan/Jmouse:  I'm pleased you like the course.  I don't play myself (well very very rarely), so I find any any course challenging!  As for the parking near the club house - I confess this is a custom made lot (linkie: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=3228).  Quite a few people commented on this, and I don't recall seeing it in a MD before so thought I'd share the link.  This pack also makes up the bulk of the course itself.
And congrats also on your promotion to the Monthly Special Interest.  I'm glad we're here together!! :P

Bat:  Thanks as always.  Watch this space for more.  I must pop over to Capporth to see if you've done more to that HUGE park.

Dedgren:  Hey, thanks.  This made my day when I logged on this evening.  ::) Hope I can deliver some special interest.

Ennedi:  Thanks for the kind words.  Watch this space!!

Rooker/Robin:  Thankyou.  I wasn't sure if the golf course update was a bit weak, so I'm glad you and others liked it.

thundercrack:  Thanks for your ongoing support in West End.

Dave/tooheys:  hehehe waders indeed.  See the linkie above for the golf course and club house pack.  The club house area actually replaces the maxis country club reward.  So when I first built the golf course I had a very small club house and had to wait for the in-game reward and then had to re-jig things.

Capo:  Welcome back and also congrats on your award. The course did take some planning (and some re-working).  I have to admit that I changed it so many times I cannot be sure how many holes it has!  And as for the paths near the club house - I wish I could claim the credit for them but it's part of the Golf Pack by sim_idiot over on the stex (linkie above).

Sebes:  You and capo are my two Dutch visitors, hopefully you appreciate the Dutch buildings and influence.  Part of Regent is called Little Amsterdam.  I'll make sure I feature it this month.  And as for your comments re the paths on the golf course - seriously thank you.  I really appreciate constructuve comments like that.  You are right, the are somewhat abrupt.  I don't know if I have any better paths in my plugins.  I think maybe a dirt track may look better but I don't have one.  Or as you suggest, carry the path on, all the way around the course.  Hmmmmm, that may take quite some re-work.  I'll have a play tomorrow and see what I come up with.




So thanks to all for viewing and commenting on West End.

As a small teaser (particularly for capo and sebes) here is an overivew of the Little Amsterdam district of Regent:

7.17 Little Amsterdam
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'til next time $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Never too many canals in a dutch city :  you got the concept right paroch!

Thanks for this teaser, I am looking forward to see more of Little Amsterdam  :thumbsup:

Since I can't afford to travel the RL world, I'm looking forward to seeing some of its wonders interpreted here in WEST END. I've always thought the Netherlands would be a fascinating place to visit, so I'll be watching out for the next update. :)

Until next time...
Joan

paroch Congrats on OSITM and loved the last few updates very great and well deseverd promotions - pat

Another great update.  I look forward to see what you are going to do with Regent Island, that looks like a great place to build.  The GC looks great I especially like the clubhouse and plaza, GREAT JOB!! 

And congratulations on the move up to Special Interest of the Month!!!

Update 8 - 3rd November 2007

OK, today I have some time to build, take pictures, write updates and plan future updates......  So here goes:

sebes:  I can't promise that Little Amsterdam will be authentically Dutch, but I'll give it my twist on a Dutch theme.  I hope you enjoy.

Joan:  I guess one of the advantages of living in Europe is that we're all so close together.  London to Amsterdam is a 45/50 minute flight.  Amsterdam is a great city, and whilst I'm not trying to (or able to) recreate the great city itself, I hope it gives you an essence of the place.

Pat:  Good to see you again, thanks for dropping by and your kind words.

Tkirch:  Yes, that island is the reason I started work on Regent - but I seem to have this need to develop all other available land before I start on it.  I'm thinking it's going to be a very exclusive place to live.  The mayor's house has not been built yet, so maybe he'll go on here as well.  My plug ins are a bit light on R$$$ low/medium density, so I'll have to download some mansions I think!  And thanks for posting the 100th comment in West End ;D

I'll hand you over to Bill Bailey, Mayor of Regent:


Little Amsterdam is the part of Regent where many North Europeans have settled.  The dreams of a new life, in a new environment drew them to West End.  As you know, Regent has many attractions that has made it a popular place to live.  The land where Little Amsterdam now sits was very marshy up until 30 years ago.  The land was drained for farming, but as the city grew, this was valuable real estate, so the farms gave way to what we see today.

8.01  Little Amsterdam overview (old)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F8229%2Fimg0027qd9.jpg&hash=3d7adcbac479141e6067de6c2dcc66898179a7da)
This is what Little Amsterdam looked like up until a few years ago.  The city council wanted to improve the look of the area, so the roads were re-worked, so that they now run alongside the canals so that the houses generally front the canals, instead of backing onto the canals.

8.02  Little Amsterdam overview (new)
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So here the roads are re-worked and many of the older English style terraced houses have been replaced to give more of a Dutch feel.  Now, whilst I can control zoning I can't always control development styles, so it's not 100% Dutch.  But it is 100% European and Little Amsterdam has a different feel about it compared to the rest of the city.  I should never have granted planning permission for those high rises near the station.b I'm not convinced that they  sit there particularly well - but hey, I guess that's progress (plus the bribe, er I mean fundraising contribution, helped pay for the last election).

At the top of the picture is Little Amsterdam Station.  This used to be called Viddiams Station (as that is the district to the north of the railway).  However, the city council felt that more residents of Little Amsterdam used the station - plus it's a much nicer district, so we changed the name to project a more positive image of Regent.

8.03  Lake Capo
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg249.imageshack.us%2Fimg249%2F6374%2Fimg0075mu6.jpg&hash=88a4818881eaedc8708f95eb084b07bdf1b854c2)

8.04 Lake Capo
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The lake connects to each of the small canal arms that link with the main North/South canal.  The lake was named after a very famous Dutch historian, who charted the rise of the Dutch nation.  There is a wing dedicated to him in the SimNation museum (more in a future update).  The steamboat restaurant on Lake Capo is one of the most popular places to meet for lunch or dinner in the city.  Of course, we have the Strip, but the pace of life here is just that bit slower and more relaxed.

8.05 Sebes Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg258.imageshack.us%2Fimg258%2F7074%2Fimg0067tf9.jpg&hash=93f36768fac8be078185297ac54b6e8e07b669e4)

8.06  Sebes Park
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Between the bank of the lake and the railway is Sebes Park.  This park is named after a Dutch designer.  It's a nice place to relax and walk the dog.  It sprawls over a few roads and behind buildings.  From the eastern side of the park you can see the city museum complex.

8.07  Capograacht
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This is the most southerly of the small canals.  A mix of traditional and more modern apartments.

8.08  Lindengraacht
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This is the middle of the "islands".  Note the mix between the traditional Dutch building and the UK style family homes - Europeans living together in harmony!!

8.09 Lindengraacht
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The Tourre Matisse is one of my favourite building in Little Amsterdam - and what a view they have.

8.10  Grolschenstraat (south)
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8.11  Grolschenstraat (north)
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This is the main road that connects each of the islands.  There are a few bars on this road (hence the name).


I hope you enjoyed the tour of Little Amsterdam.


My next "mini updates" will feature a transit map of the city (I hope).

'til next time.... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Little Amsterdam is looking very good! Great work with the canals! :thumbsup:

paroch I loved this update wow!!! You did a fantastic job here and the canals flow so nicely... Cant wait to see your transport map.... - pat

This is a very interesting update, paroch.
I have not updated (online) my own concept of Amsterdam in quite a while, but you have inspired me to do so. I must say you've done a good job on the canals, and I suspect it was no easy job.
I went back and forth many times between 8.01 and 8.02 looking at the differences. For the reason stated above, I cannot comment on the realism of either one, but I like your choice of buildings throughout the area. Also, the tree-lined streets work well with the sharp edges of the canals while the parks take the edge off.

Until next time...
Joan

Wow - I got a park named after me... Wow. Thanks. Words fail. :satisfied:
(Fledder: don't you dare making nasty comments on this)

Unfortunately I cannot see the "old" picture of the quarter, but the new one looks very good! You gave it a nice Dutch twist. I can imagine why so many Europeans settled there. Considering your spelling of Graacht, I think that either many people from Utrecht settled in Regent or you had a few too many Grolsch beers    :D

Stunning work on Little Amsterdam, my friend! Your canals look wonderful, and I love all the parklands! Keep up the great work!

Hi all. 

I'm glad that Little Amsterdam has been popular.  Funnily enough I didn't find developing and re-developing it that difficult or too time consuming.  Make the land flat and away you go.  The things that take me ages and drive me a bit insane are making seawalls that line up, or trying to fit runway pieces together :'(.  When it comes to just zoning and roads, that's when I'm happiest!!!

bat - thanks again for your kind words.

pat - cheers for that.  Transit map below - I'll let you decide if it's any good.

Joan - glad you liked it.  The main difference between the old and new version is that on the old version each "island" had one road running down the middle with the houses facing the road.  This meant that they backed onto the canal.  In the new version the road runs around the outside of the island, so that the houses actually face the canal.  In Amsterdam itself this is how the houses are built.  And I'd love to see your own Amsterdam.  Go on, post it up sometime!  p.s. hope you don't mide me doing the transit map.

Sebes - I'm glad I got a Dutch comment on Amsterdam.  I felt that I should honour both you and Capo with names in my own Dutch district.  And I'm guessing it should be Gracht???  I just remember from Amsterdam Herrengracht, Prinzengracht, Kaisergracht etc.  Plus I re-linked 8.01 picture.

thundercrack - thanks for your visit and comment.

I'll hand you over to Tim Burrows, Director of the Regent Transit Authority:


8.12  Regent Transit Map(1)
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Here you can see an overview of the city with the main bus and rail routes imposed on top of the map.
I think it gives you an idea of how the residents get about the city. 

The yellow route is particularly popular with the toursits as it runs the length of the Strip, connects with the city centre, passes the main museum park, touches the southern part of Little Amsterdam and terminates at Riverside Park which is also a nice tourist spot.

The green route takes workers up to the industrial area in the Nort West of the city.  It also serves the west bank and links to the city centre.  It's very busy on match days as it passes the Royals Stadium.

The blue route connects the South bank with the two main ferry terminals and the Industrial and Business parks in the North West.

The brown route connects the Strip with many of the residential areas.  It also runs through Little Amsterdam.

The black lines show where the railways run.  The railways are really aimed at journeys beyond the boundaries of Regent.

8.13  Regent Transit Map (2)


(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg67.imageshack.us%2Fimg67%2F1555%2Fmap011fz5.jpg&hash=ce7b0c4cc9157b591bdc90395d368d7c44e48e1b)
Now this is the map that appears on the bus stops and is given out by the Regent Transit Authority.
It lists each of the stops on the four main routes.  You can see where you need to connect to reach your destination.
I admit that it's not quite as clear as the London Underground map, but I have to admit that this is my first attempt at something like this.  Your feedback (good or bad) is much appreciated.


Well I hope you enjoyed this mini update.  Seeing as West End is in the Special Interest section this month I figured I should try to give you plenty of updates and hopefully a few things that are a little different, if not special!

I will give you a few more updates on Regent before we move onto another city. 

I also have planned the West End International Football Trophy.  This will be a tournament open to football (soccer) teams from all over SC4Nation.  I'll be seeking your entries in the next few days and giving you more details - so if you'd like to take part......stay tuned!

'til next time $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Lovely &hlp

I msut admit that I'm in love...

in love with Little Amsterdam! I've already offered a bid on three apartments in this part of town, one is of course at the very pictoresque Capogracht, the second one at the place near the footballfield at Lake Capo and the third one is a corner apartment at Grolschenstraat. I hear the beer is quite tasty there (better then Amstel :D )

Amazing update, it reminds me very much of the original Amsterdam...including th high rise towers. Every Dutch city has the same problem as your MD does, beautiful ancient buildings are being replaced with new modern stuff. It generates an interesting mix of buildings!

I really like the overview, I just love all these extra (transport) details about a city including the names of all the stops. It adds so much realism to a city.

That football tournament sounds very interesting, the people of the medieval city of Biroud play a version of this game as well. The slight differences are that a pig's head is used as a ball and armor and swords are allowed in-game. Would that be a problem in your tournament?

Seriously, this is an excellent MD and the latest updates are the proof of that. Keep up the excellent work!

Firstly, I like the transport map, and the way you have shown the overlay on the map. Great effort for a first attempt, seems easy enough to follow, not too many people should be getting lost :).

Little Amsterdam is looking great. Well done with the use of the canals and and the adjoining parks and trails.  :thumbsup:

The fences around Sebes Park caught my attention. Can I ask where you found these?.

Enjoy your stay in OSITM, well deserved.  &apls

Cheers

Dave

Wonderful maps there!! :thumbsup:

Very nice and helpful maps, paroch. Also, your notes on why you chose to plan the routes the way you did are most interesting.
This update is well worth studying in greater depth.

Until next time...
Joan

I'll provide replies to you all plus my next update real soon - in the meantime I wanted to give Dave the link to the fences:

javascript:opennew('lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=477')

hmmmmmm, doesn't look right!!!

They are Deadwoods BSC Parks Wall Set v2.  They're right here on the BSC Exchange.  Just do a category search under Parks - BSC compliant and you can't miss 'em.  In picture 8.05 you get that effect by selecting the wall/fence pieces witout the pillars.  Enjoy.

And seeing as I'm here, and I've just done a transportation update, here is a shot of the rail junction just outside of Central Station.  Trains buzz about in all directions (but not seen one use the bridge yet).
8.14  Central Station and Rail Junction
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg404.imageshack.us%2Fimg404%2F9632%2Fimg0071hq5.jpg&hash=4654e51990a29c01cf332bf9edad7124ae09dd90)

'til next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

The Little Amsterdam looks very good! :thumbsup:

You are right, Dutch and UK homes look great together. It's a big city, but it has very specific, cosy atmosphere (maybe because of some little parks and other decoration stuff you used :)) I like it!

The transit map is done very professional, looking at it I think it is also functioning very well! &apls

Its been a while since i popped in here ( RL and other things) but I missed so much. I don' know where to start $%Grinno$%.I skimmed quickly thou it all but will not go back for a closer look but need a cuppa first. Fancy one?

This is amazing what you have accomplished in so short a time &apls. The one thing i really like is seeing proper football pitches about the place :thumbsup: it's more realistic IMO especially for us Europeans :D

Its a wonderful mix of buildings with atmosphere and charm - well done

:satisfied:
TTC

A great looking picture there! Good work! :thumbsup:

Update 9 - 6th November 2007

I have to admit, as fiddly and time consuming as the transit map was, I did enjoy doing.  The final result was not as good as I wanted, just because the lines were a bit cramped together and the stop names were a bit squeezed in - but I've learned a few lessons so will hopefully produce something better the next time I produce one.

Replies:

NASCAR Guy:  Welcome to West End, and thanks for the jumpy flamey thing!

Capo:  Hey, thanks for your great comment.  If a Dutchman says such things about Little Amsterdam then I think I must have done well!  Seriously, thank you.  I'll let you reserve any apartment you want.  Have to admit I like Capogracht the best.
As for the football tournament it would be an honour if Biroud enters a team (time differences not withstanding). As for the armour and swords, if your team can get them through airport security they're welcome!

tooheys/Dave:  Glad you like the map - and yes, first attempt, so I hope the next one will be better.  See above for the link to the fences/walls - I'd be amazed if you don't already have them somewhere in your plug ins!  And a team from Balnavia would be a great addition to the tournament, my RL team has an Aussie captain, so more Aussies welcomed!

bat:  Thanks for your regular visits.

Joan:  Thanks for that - glad you found the explanation of interest.

Ennedi:  I'm enjoying your visits and comments - thanks.  I worry that my cities are starting to look the same, so I'm glad you sense a different feeling in each area.

Tea Cat:  Welcome back.  And yes, whilst you're brewing up I'll join you!  I'm a football fan myself and as you know plenty of footie pitches around most UK towns, so I can't resist plopping them in.  Also, most English schools have a pitch, so again, in they go.


OK, I mentioned the West End International Trophy a few posts back.  I've been toying with this idea for a while but West End wasn't really big enough.  It probably is still a bit small for such a project (400,000 citizens), but I think that the Special Interest category is the best time to do this, so here goes - wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed, let's hope there is interest and it's not a big flop!!!

I'm going to hand you over to Sir Bert Microchip, chairman of the West End Football Association (those Brits old enough will get the lame joke) who is hosting a press conference at the West End Imperial Museum in central Regent:

9.01  Imperial Museum
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg212.imageshack.us%2Fimg212%2F8400%2Fimg0077qm8.jpg&hash=c72b6ca2e782354b9c0bff612ee189a9ca88284a)

Hello everyone, and welcome to this magnificent building that houses many of the most significant artefacts from across SimNation.  I'm here today to announce the launch of the first West End International Trophy.  A football competition open to teams from across SimNation.  Now when I say football, all Europeans and South Americans know exactly what I mean.  For our Australians and Americans I should say soccer!

This tournament is being held to promote the sport across all SC4D Mayor Diaries and is also a shameless attempt to boost tourism here in West End.  We feel we have a lot to offer, so we welcome you all to our new but growing region.

The tournament is being hosted by the four major teams here in West End.  Allow me to introduce them to you:

9.02  Wardouroda:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg223.imageshack.us%2Fimg223%2F7239%2Fprofilewardourodaln6.jpg&hash=88ac37fbbb243561f68ade44b888df50fdc61379)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F3849%2Fimg0001ti1.jpg&hash=947f0e1642780d448c9adff890f84ca3ccbc4c0c)

Wardouroda were the first team to establish in West End.  They recently moved into their fantastic new stadium, New Merry Park from a much smaller ground in the middle of Wardour.  It is a fantastic modern stadium modelled on the one used by FC Roda of Holland.  Wardour is arguably the most football crazy town in West End, with many pitches and smaller teams dotted around the town.  All visitors to the tournament will be impressed by the warm welcome they'll get here.

9.03  Regent Royals:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg218.imageshack.us%2Fimg218%2F356%2Fprofileregentroyalsai1.jpg&hash=ddfb441199da29e242fbafc59272e9b00d8801f6)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F4671%2Fimg0076dz6.jpg&hash=e9e1abcf15b29295373c5e28444799f72281ca86)

The Royals are the smallest of the West End teams in the tournament, but their fans are possibly the most fanatical in the region.  Their Royal Stadium is due to be replaced by a brand new larger stadium on the south bank of the city.  Unfortunately this will not be ready in time for the tournament.  But visitors to this city will have plenty of other attractions away from the football to keep them entertained.

9.04  FC Portland:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg217.imageshack.us%2Fimg217%2F5811%2Fprofilefcportlandzj1.jpg&hash=c6b3903c8a8c3c43d9f6dce6517d1a7d1bac96ad)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg137.imageshack.us%2Fimg137%2F9439%2Fimg0031hk3.jpg&hash=fef7c839530eb02203dc0d139f36b4935beb21fb)

FC Portland have the largest stadium in West End.  And whilst Great Portland is not the largest city, they get capacity crowds at all of their matches.  The final will be held at this stadium and FC Portland will fancy their chances of being there.

9.05  West End United:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg98.imageshack.us%2Fimg98%2F7121%2Fprofilewestendunitedla9.jpg&hash=90c0c16563c56d5139b85b315a1b0b4ee3783b3b)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F336%2Fimg0000vp2.jpg&hash=befe42d3f507a1d70e6bb1f023612e1758ef6683)

Another new stadium, only recently finished.  Canio Park is home to West End United, the main team in Oxford, capital of West End.  Located next to the City Ferry terminal it is no surprise that their sponsor is P&O Ferries.  West End United caused quite a stir with their choice of name, as we hope to have a national team soon, which will be called West End.  This is bound to lead to confusion!  West End United have a fantastic football academy and have produced some of the finest young players in West End.

To give you an idea where each team is based and how well located they are for travel, here's a graphic:

9.06  Region graphic:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg124.imageshack.us%2Fimg124%2F9361%2Fregionmap02di9.jpg&hash=0369374fd24e08c8f7c8761ce8f2d5c7f30fa0aa)

Well, there are the four host teams.  We are sure they will do well, but the tournament will be very dull without teams from across SimNation, so we are now inviting you all to submit one or two teams from each Region/MD to take part and try to win glory.  The closing date for entries is Thursday 15th November.  This will give us a realistic chance of having the final by the end of the month.  The minimum total number of teams required is 8, but we are hoping for more.  16 would be perfect but if interest is high then we will cap it at 32 (I don't really expect this!).  To enter a team the West End FA asks for the following information:

Mandatory:
1. Team Name
2. Home City name
3. Home Region/MD name
4. Team colours

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name
6. Stadium capacity
7. Stadium picture (please keep within 800x600 pixels)
8. Team kit picture (please try to keep similar size as above - but I can produce these quite easily)
9. A fact about your team
10. Shirt sponsor

The winning team will win a virtual trophy, which will be presented on your MD (with your permission of course) and will also win naming rights over some future landmarks in West End!

It's over to you to submit your team(s) now - please don't let us down, enter as soon as you can!  I'll hand you back to paroch now.......


For the actual games and calculating the scores, well we have a good system planned that gives an advantage to the larger teams but still leaves it down to an element of luck.  Each team will have a real life "representative" and a tournament will be set up on my son's PS2 game FIFA07 and we'll run a simulation.  Teams in FIFA07 have a star rating from 1 star (poor) up to 4.5 stars (excellent).  I will try to allocate a representative based on your country, and size and quality of your team.  So a team from a large city with a big stadium will have more stars than a village team playing on a park or school pitch!  If you have a real preference for your representative team let me know and I'll see what we can do.  FIFA07 has teams from most European leagues, plus Brazil, Mexico, USA and Korea.  Representative teams so far:

Wardouroda:    Norwich City
Regent Royals: Leicester City
FC Portland:    Newcastle United
West End Utd: West Ham United

I hope this catches your imagination - West End will still continue to develop - this is just a bit of fun and interest on the side for November. 

I hope to see you in the tournament...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Good new update there! And nice tournament! Also wonderful pictures of these stadiums! :thumbsup:

Hey Paul, this is a very creative update. The tournament is a great idea and I like the way you've planned it out.
Unfortunately there is no soccer stadium in Pitchfork Pass and none planed. The mayor has expressed a strong interest in participating, however, so he wondered if he could co-sponsor someone else's team. Potential commercial sponsors include Hooter's of course, but we have the new Hillbilly Heaven Resort as well.
Let me know and I'll pass along your answer.

Until next time...
Joan

LOL, Joan, great post there!  I spoke with Sir Bert Microchip and he said please tell Hooter that we'd welcome a team from Pitchfork Pass even if they don't have a stadium. 

We know some of the schools in Pitchfork have a soccer pitch.  Surely some of the young Texans in town could get together and form a team.  Lack of a stadium does not prevent a team from entering, it just means they'll be assigned a "representative" that has a low star rating.  Still football is a funny old game, and every underdog has his day, so even a small team has a chance.

I'm sure we'll be able to find some alternative sponsorship deals if this doesn't appeal (there are smaller teams in West End that will step in if no entries come forward!)

Let me know what Hooter thinks and I'll pass it on to Sir Bert!

1. Team Name Republic Stars
2. Home City name Degrensville
3. Home Region Republic of Chesterfield
4. Team colours Pale Green/White
5. Stadium name J&J Lube Field
6. Stadium capacity 100 (We are a very small nation.  &mmm)
9. A fact about your team We will lose evey game by at least 7 goals
10. Shirt sponsor Shea's Grocery/Pat's Firefighting Equipment

I'd love my team to participate, but my city is still in medieval times..in those times they didn't have real football pitches yet...hmmm what to do. Well, I'm going to dive into LE today and create a medieval football pitch for my team to play and train on :)

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: VV Biroud
2. Home City name: Biroud
3. Home Region/MD name: Evergem
4. Team colours: Green, White

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name: De Stal
6. Stadium capacity: 100
7. Stadium picture:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg67.imageshack.us%2Fimg67%2F5444%2Fstadiumpj6.jpg&hash=9449e742fc6a428dd668e0c3cfb1794edd8278ea)
8. Team kit picture:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fad.klangundkleid.ch%2Fimg%2Fkleid%2Ftrikots%2Ficon%2FTRIK-728_FC-Groningen-1980s-shortsleeves.jpg&hash=fa4490bad57094d1791f757e6cb0c5655387502b)
9. A fact about your team: A foul will be penalized with a duel
10. Shirt sponsor: No sponsor yet
(11. Team style: physical)

I'm going to write a comment about your update as well, but now I really have to go shopping for groceries..man hungry!

Paul, please inform Sir Bert Microchip that Mayor Hooter Hillcrank has submitted the following application for the tournament.
The mayor wishes to thank Sir Microchip for giving the Seagulls a chance to play their very first game ever in competition.

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: The Seagulls
2. Home City name: Pitchfork Pass
3. Home Region/MD name: Wildcat Junction
4. Team colours: Black and gold

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name: N/A
6. Stadium capacity: 175 (NOTE: The soccer field (AKA football pitch) is located on the college campus. There are no bleachers, but plenty of room for fans to set up their lawn chairs.
7. Stadium picture (please keep within 800x600 pixels): N/A
8. Team kit picture (please try to keep similar size as above - but I can produce these quite easily): ?
9. A fact about your team: The coach has a bumper sticker that says, "I'd rather play baseball."
10. Shirt sponsor: The Hillbilly Heaven Resort

(Paul, please feel free to edit out as much of this silliness as you see fit. Guess I get a bit carried away sometimes, but I just can't hold back my sense of humor once it gets fired up!) :D

Dang - I wish I had an MD now....

@sebes: I wouldn't mind seeing an MD made by you...and with 3 Dutch MD's we have a bigger chance of winning this tournament as a (sim)nation :)

@paroch: THe pictures of all the stadiums are all so nice that I wanted to comment on those as well

9.01  Imperial Museum
Great use of the parks there, I just love that BSC park release. The park/plaza on the right side doesn't look familiar. Did you create it? Only small things I don't like is the rollercoaster railroad and the changing street texture in the same street, but hey..that's just personal.

9.02  Wardouroda:
Now you've done it..placing a picture of the Roda JC stadium just when my hometown team FC Groningen is going to play them next sunday in RL :D A great picture of a typical stadium scene anywhere in Europe, very realistic, very nice

9.03  Regent Royals:
A stadium next to the church, why didn't they invent that earlier? Many people visit the church on sunday and after that, a nice football game. What a great way to combine religion with sports :) Again, great parks I see there, I hope nobody forgets the hand-brake when they park the car next to the stadium, that could become nasty. What's the building to the right of the stadium? That one looks really nice

9.04  FC Portland:
Grolsch....aaaaah, there is no substitute :) This is my facourite stadium. I liked it then, like it now. I think a bus-mod would make it even better, I really dislike the blue maxis bus..but again, that's personal.

9.05  West End United:
Are you a West Ham fan perhaps? The Canio park, West End and the great youth academy all sound so familiar :) Awesome pic btw, they all are..

Region graphic:
Thanks for the map, my medieval knights/football players are ready to loot...eh play ofcourse :D


Again  &apls &apls &apls for organising this tournament.

Thanks for your kind PM Paroch! I will enter a team in your contest, even if I have no MD. Maybe one day I will be able to show some of the region that I build, but I need a new PC first... The name of my region is Nieuw Amsterdam (NWA). The city of NWA is the capital of Nieuw Nederland, conveniently located on an island on the east coast of North America, called Manhattan. Does it ring a bell?  The cities nickname is The Big Orange  ;)

So, I proudly present the team of the Big Orange:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi241.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff155%2Fdgnk_amsterdam%2FNWA%2520soccer%2Fmets.jpg&hash=ca89ad7b154a63bc5114849d1cdfb935dd8e1adc)

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: FC Manhattan (nickname: De Mets)
2. Home City name: Nieuw Amsterdam
3. Home Region/MD name: Nieuw Amsterdam
4. Team colours: Blue & White

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi241.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff155%2Fdgnk_amsterdam%2FNWA%2520soccer%2Fblauw_wit_copy.jpg&hash=7b02fd6b36b99f46f84f22d9f05f749bbda219eb)

5. Stadium name: Peter Stuyvesant Arena (Haarlemmerhoogte Stadion)
6. Stadium capacity: 75000

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi241.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff155%2Fdgnk_amsterdam%2FNWA%2520soccer%2FAllianz_Arena.jpg&hash=846c84eb3b676246da7b4276352f49488c586c92)

8. Teamkit: blue white striped shirt, blue shorts, blue white striped socks.
9. Fact: the oldest Football Club in the Americas, founded 1860
10. Shirt sponsor: PanAm / NedLloyd

Update 9a - 10th November 2007

Replies:

Bat:  Thanks for your comment.  I'm sure that there are some impressive stadiums in Capporth City.  It would be an honour to have a team from Capporth in the tournament.

Joan:  I'm glad you like the update and the idea of a tournament.  Thanks for entering a team, I'm sure they'll do Hooter proud.  I looked at the list of soccer teams from the MLS and I think I will select FC Dallas to represent The Seagulls - please let me know if you have an aversion to Dallas!

NASCAR Guy:  Thanks for your team entering the competition.  I'm not sure where in the US you are, so not sure which team to assign - how about the Colorado Rapids?  There is a team in England called Chesterfield (but they're not very good!).  If you have a preference on which team I should use to represent Republic Stars let me know.

Capo:  Thanks for your entry.  I have chosen FC Groningen to represent Biroud - I assume this is OK.  As for your comments - thanks I love feedback like this.  I have recently installed the slope mod, so I bulldozed the railway and rebuilt it, not so bumpy now!  I'm glad you liked the Museum Park.  As for the park/plaza it is called Blam FC Peace Plaza and I got it from STEX - linkie: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17872
Good luck against Roda tomorrow and yes, I am a West Ham fan (see my avatar) and we have just beaten Derby 5-0 away from home  ;D.  Paolo di Canio was, and still is, my hero.  I loved watching him play, so Canio Park is my small tribute to him!
I know what you mean about the slopes on the Regent Royals car park.  I must remember to level the land before I build them in future!  And I agree, the blue buses are boring, I must look for a decent bus mod - if you have any suggestion please let me know.
Good luck t Biroud in the tournament.

Sebes:  Thanks for your visit and comment.  I'm glad you've entered a team, and I guess as your team is from Amsterdam, I should use Ajax to represent your team.  If this is not your preference please let me know.  I would be very interested to see your region, so good luck with the new computer.

I will post the profiles I've created for each of your teams tomorrow - having some issues now.  In the meantime, here is are a couple of water shots from Regent. 
9.07:  Twin Bridges
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg147.imageshack.us%2Fimg147%2F3497%2Fimg0085dm3.jpg&hash=380425ac1990991a50c606cdf628cd5a9402b862)
I rebuilt them after installing the slope mod and they look much better!  They are the first bridges to cross the River Dinnium.


9.08:  Riverside Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg248.imageshack.us%2Fimg248%2F2156%2Fimg0086ic8.jpg&hash=92f29fb6d02aaee8db9466e7d0db1c3eeba5aead)
This is where one of the bus routes terminates (remember the transit map?)  This is a very popular spot in Regent, where you can have a bite to eat and a nice peaceful stroll.

I'll have more time tomorrow when I hope to give a fuller update and catch up with some other MDs.

If you're watching West End - I'd love to see your team in the competition, particularly some of the regulars, tooheys, rooker1, pat, thunder crack and nedalezz.


'til next time...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Quote from: paroch on November 10, 2007, 11:20:00 AM

Capo:  Thanks for your entry.  I have chosen FC Groningen to represent Biroud - I assume this is OK.  As for your comments - thanks I love feedback like this.  I have recently installed the slope mod, so I bulldozed the railway and rebuilt it, not so bumpy now!  I'm glad you liked the Museum Park.  As for the park/plaza it is called Blam FC Peace Plaza and I got it from STEX - linkie: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17872
Good luck against Roda tomorrow and yes, I am a West Ham fan (see my avatar) and we have just beaten Derby 5-0 away from home  ;D.  Paolo di Canio was, and still is, my hero.  I loved watching him play, so Canio Park is my small tribute to him!
I know what you mean about the slopes on the Regent Royals car park.  I must remember to level the land before I build them in future!  And I agree, the blue buses are boring, I must look for a decent bus mod - if you have any suggestion please let me know.
Good luck t Biroud in the tournament.

The people of Biroud are proud that their team is represented by FC Groningen, they are however fearful of this evil satanic machine called PS2. It's made of materials never seen before and when offered to 'plug it in' the people picked up their torches and had themselves a little riot :)

I will download that plaza for sure, thanks for the linkie. To return the favour: here is a bus mod made by Andreas on the STEX: Andreas BART Bus (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=11783) <-linkie, wich I like a lot. The nice thing is he has elevated rail, trains and monorails in a matching theme.

Thanks for the best wishes for the game, the teams are about equally strong so hopefully it's going to be a good match. I read about West Ham's victory, must have been a great match. I'm waiting for MOTD to watch the goals, I'm glad we have the BBC here :) When I was playing Championship Manager many years ago I always played West Ham...with Paolo di Canio as captain playing behind 2 strikers!

I've finished the stadium 'De Stal' so I will modify my entry post. De Stal is the stable in Dutch so it's not going to be a surprise what this pitch looks like...

About your pictures:
9.07:  Twin Bridges
Not many bridges look well together I think, but you pulled it off. The symetry is what makes the picture..very very nice!

9.08:  Riverside Park
It's good to see we share so many fine bats. The MAS embankment and stairs are a must-install for me as well, I really like what you have done with them. I would have never come up with the idea of building embankments on top of the other, that's the great thing about all these MD's: you can learn so much from looking at beautiful pictures!

Chesterfield is on a small Island east of North Carolina.

The FC of Dallas will be fine, Paul. I think the idea of bringing your readers in on a tournament is a great idea. I especially like the fact that you have made it so easy for us to participate and planned it so well.
And the photos look good. I've seen many a twin bridge and occasionally see a train trying to keep up with me! They always lose, and you'd understand if you could see my car! :D

Until next time...
Joan

1. Team Name: Westmountain Soccers
2. Home City name: Capporth City (Downtown area in West Mountain)
3. Home Region/MD name: Nation of Capporth City
4. Team colors: orange, gray

5. Stadium name: 1^st Soccer Stadium West Mountain
6. Stadium capacity: ca. 75 000
7. Stadium picture:
    (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fileden.com%2Ffiles%2F2006%2F11%2F4%2F347058%2FCapporthCityatsc4devotion%2FCCsc4dUpdate5%2FCCsc4dU5p_02.jpg&hash=98a681606576d9f7cec8067f93a78fde5c821102)

8. Fact: "Westmountain Soccers" is the oldest team in the West Mountain Area.

Ajax is the best team in the Netherlands ( :P )  so go ahead. I am thrilled to see how your competition will go. And with competitors playing in a stable, well, what more should I say... GO METS!

The bridges look great. Those two are also my favourite bridges, but I normally use marrasts waterfronts. They come with underbridge pieces.

1. Team Name: Los Pioneros de Canatlán (en. The Pioneers of Canatlán or simply as The Pioneers)
2. Home City name: Ciudad de Canatlán (en. Canatlan City)
3. Home Region/MD name: Canatlán
4. Team colours: White and Blue (adversary, White and Cyan (Teal))

Optional information:
5. Stadium name: Estadio Universitario de la Universidad Autónoma de Canatlán (en. University Stadium of the Autonomous University of Canatlán)
6. Stadium capacity: 15,000
7. Stadium picture: not yet
"Specialist in football defence and attack"

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: Terrigal Mariners
2. Home City name: Terrigal
3. Home Region/MD name: Balnavia
4. Team colours: Blue & Yellow

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name
6. Stadium capacity
7. Stadium picture (please keep within 800x600 pixels)
8. Team kit picture (please try to keep similar size as above - but I can produce these quite easily)
9. A fact about your team: They train at the Terrigal Arms
10. Shirt sponsor: Tooheys (who else)

Paul I'll get you the stadium details later although it will only be a pitch.

By the way, last couple of pic's look great. :thumbsup:

Dave

paroch, I sent you a message with my team information from Qumma. I love the idea!!

Update 9b

Replies:

Capo:  "evil satanic machine", LOL, you crack me up :D.  Thanks for your great comment there.
I also meant to say "wow", De Stal looks incredible.  I cannot believe you have lotted a medieval football pitch.  I just hope that the goat and cows don't make too much of a mess near the goalmouth! ()sad()

And it's nice to hear you know about West Ham and Di Canio.  If ever you come to London you must tell me and I'll take you to Upton Park.  Incidentally, in the picture of the Regent Royals Stadium you commented on the church next to the stadium.  Well, at West Ham there is a small church that almost touches the stadium - where football touched religion!

Thanks for the linkie to the bus mod, I'll download it - But I hope to keep my docklands GLR mod, hopefully they don't conflict.

Also, you commented on the change in street texture.  I agree that this is not ideal!  I have the:
BSC_DAE_RoadandSidewalk_textures.dat
BSC_DAE_RoadEuro_textures.dat
BSC_DAE_RoadMaxis_textures.dat
Installed in my plug ins.  I don't appear to have any control over the street/pavement textures.  Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for comments re bridges and the park and I'll try and identify the building next to the Regent stadium for a future reply!!

NASCAR_Guy:  It's always interesting to hear of other places that share a name.  In the UK, Chesterfield is in Derbyshire and is famous for its church that has a twisted spire &mmm
Chesterfield Church:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg50.imageshack.us%2Fimg50%2F3821%2Fchesterfieldchurchdm6.jpg&hash=cf7da4f1f2b33233bed326d397bb79f497ab23bc)


Joan:  Thanks, as always, for your support - keep your fingers crossed for the tournament.  Glad FC Dallas are good for you.  And I'm intrigued about your car now.

Bat:  Thanks for entering your team,  You have been with West End since the start, so I'm glad you're here.

Sebes:  You probably know that in England Ajax is a bathroom cleaner!!!  I use the marrast's when I remember to level the coast line before building a bridge, in other words, not very often!!

Heblem:  Welcome to West End and thanks for your team entry.  I will prepare your team picture in the next few days - do you have any particular real life team from Mexico you'd like to have represent The Pioneers?

Dave/tooheys:  Thanks for entering a team Dave.  As per above, team picture in the next day or so.  Unfortunately no Aussie teams on the PS2 game, so if you have any particular European team that is close to your heart let me know, alternatively I'll pick one at random-ish!

Nedalezz:  Thanks for that and for the PM.  Your team picture is on the drawing board and will follow soon.


OK, enough of that, on with the update - over to Sir Bert Microchip


We've had five teams enter the tournament so far.  We'd love some more, so please feel free to send your team to West End.  Closing date is Thursday 15th November.

Here are the teams we have so far:

9.08:  Republic Stars - entered by NASCAR_Guy
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg57.imageshack.us%2Fimg57%2F903%2Fprofilerepublicstarspn6.jpg&hash=00455fa98129a6a7aa87cc1774f0c686ed05ed58)

9.09: V V Biroud - entered by capo
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg80.imageshack.us%2Fimg80%2F8899%2Fprofilevvbiroudja3.jpg&hash=bbe0900373f9b5f65b24f1b5b37002aa0f38e435)

9.10:  The Seagulls - entered by Jmouse
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg253.imageshack.us%2Fimg253%2F1954%2Fprofiletheseagullssf7.jpg&hash=c138de8350125820123b042e671d9f1cf004998d)

9.11: FC Manhattan - entered by sebes
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg441.imageshack.us%2Fimg441%2F7110%2Fprofilefcmanhattanja5.jpg&hash=e8d3bbbc9ada7ad7aa7aa824f9a81072691433b1)

9.12:  Westmountain Soccers - entered by bat
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg233.imageshack.us%2Fimg233%2F8505%2Fprofilewestmountainkf2.jpg&hash=35e7be3ecfeb4a540150b32b55ee2bb49aa49aad)

I hope the colours are OK - the site I use to produce these pics only has a limited number of options - alas my technical skills are also limited!!

Heblem, tooheys and nedalezz's teams will be added very soon.  16 would be the perfect number, so still room for a few more!

Just to prove that life in West End continues, here is an update from Regent:

9.13:  Museum Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg250.imageshack.us%2Fimg250%2F6945%2Fimg0081jy6.jpg&hash=37dedc39da7dcff3667eab6c4e192ae04a1147ff)
Arguably the cultural highlight of Regent.  On the left is the Imperial Museum, which houses exhibits that show the history and splendour of SimNation.  To the right is the SimScience Museum which exhibits the greatest scientific discoveries made in SimNation.  This is where you can find out answers to questions like "how does SimGoober produce so many high quality BATs", What does "BSC" actually stand for and "Where does tooheys dig up his jokes"!  And in the centre of the park is the Regent Natural History Museum, which hosts exhibits from dinosaurs to colonies of soldier ants.

9.14:  City Plaza
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg145.imageshack.us%2Fimg145%2F5161%2Fimg0082atf4.jpg&hash=fcc27354a167469020d4609d45302a24d7e4dd40)
This is the official centre of Regent.  The plaza is actually a square that traffic goes round (one-way road) and is home to the key administrative buildings.

9.15:  Overview
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg267.imageshack.us%2Fimg267%2F5866%2Fimg0083wq0.jpg&hash=1ffe7d8b3d7c029c170760155fd4865e917ac47a)
View from the south.

9.16:  Overview
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg143.imageshack.us%2Fimg143%2F1026%2Fimg0106gt5.jpg&hash=42ffb9b6cade1c1696f80ef18cac5466546b2da2)
View from the east.  Central district in the foreground with Little Amsterdam behind towards the top of the picture.

9.17:  Waterfront
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg140.imageshack.us%2Fimg140%2F4333%2Fimg0084eb0.jpg&hash=bd2fd62e460f9e690bdb2725901e7b8e56c021aa)
You can see that some high risers have been built on the waterfront.  Proof that Regent is now home to a thriving business community and is not just a place for casinos.

9.18:  West Bank Living
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg440.imageshack.us%2Fimg440%2F1917%2Fimg0087ut6.jpg&hash=1b3b93f0773d70788cecb1877745fa424c06aba5)
Some classic medium wealth suburban development.  This is on the West Bank of the main canal, just across from Little Amsterdam.  Unfortunately that school only plays rugby and not football.  We will be working with them to try and change that!

9.19:  Viddiams
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg223.imageshack.us%2Fimg223%2F4999%2Fimg0105mx5.jpg&hash=826ac3ea49bc9d32c8a3f38b9c8aded2a21bdc3e)
This is the worst neighbourhood in Regent.  But hey, everyone has to have somewhere to live!



That's all for this update.  Regent is now virtually fully developed.  I hope to bring you another update or two before we move on to a different town or city.

'til next time...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Regent is looking superb, Paul. I see several elements here I'll need to place in my region when the time comes. The Museum Park is beautiful, but so is everything else. It all fits together so well, and I think I need to take some lessons from you! ;)
And I'm proud to see the tournament is growing, but it doesn't surprise me. The regulars here at SC4D love to interact and have a good time. That's what the game is all about. :thumbsup:

Until next time...

LoL ok after a little poking and prodding from a little mouse im here with a subbmitted entery Paroch lol....

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: PitchForkers
2. Home City name: Farmington Heights
3. Home Region/MD name: New Castia
4. Team colours: Blue & Red

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name: NCS aka New Castia Stadium cap to be 15,000 for larger venues as well
6. Stadium capacity: Under Construction at this time
7. Stadium picture (please keep within 800x600 pixels)
8. Team kit picture (please try to keep similar size as above - but I can produce these quite easily)
9. A fact about your team: Currently this team is signing up members and scouting the fields, core members came from the All Blacks... ;)
10. Shirt sponsor: Fire Service Suppliers of New Castia / Tooheys Pale Ale...

OK that is my entry for my football team err or soccer lol... either ways Paroch great last few updates here that i missed.... - pat

That's a wonderful new update there, paroch! Great work on that part! :thumbsup:

Im soooo excited about the tournament! Great last update, too. Your waterfront is picture perfect.

The tournament is getting  %BUd%  !!!

Anyhow, great picture of city plaza! I can picture the Blue&White legion celebrate their victory on that square..! :P ! 

Once again amazing pictures and I would love to get in to your tournament

Mandatory:
1. Team Name: Wombats
2. Home City name: Sheboygan
3. Home Region/MD name: Badger Bay
4. Team colours: Purple & Silver

Optional information (that will help but not essential):
5. Stadium name: Fieldhouse on Devil's Lake
6. Stadium capacity:
7. Stadium picture
8. Team kit picture
9. A fact about your team: They have the prettiest cheerleaders around
10. Shirt sponsor: Billy Bob's Food Emporium

Ohh Hey Paroch i didnt even realize you had updated im sorry lol.... That was a good update i was soo focused on submitting my entry, that i ummm lost track lol.... Wonderful progress and cant wait for the tourney to start - pat

Hehehe, Pat you must of shooed that mouse in my direction ::)

Paroch, feel free to select a team for me.

Nice update by the way. Your "worst" neighbourhood looks pretty good. Museum Park is nicely put together as well. :thumbsup:
Oh, and leave that rugby field where it is, it might help reduce the pain threshold of some future soccer players :P Those stretcher bearers work overtime these days  $%Grinno$%

Cheers

Dave

Hi All,

Well closing date of the tournament is here and we have 15 teams, 4 from West End and 11 entries from you all, the SC4D community.  As 16 will be a perfect number for the tournament, I'll enter a team on behalf of SC4D itself, called the Devotion All Stars.

I'll provide a proper update tomorrow giving full details of the teams entered and the format of the tournament.  In the meantime, here are some replies:

Joan:  What would I do without you Joan?  Thanks for sending PMs and encouraging others to enter the tournament - you're a star.  And thanks for the great comments - you take lessons from me???  It's very nice of you to say, but I think Ennedi has summed it up elsewhere by saying that each MD'er brings something new to the table.  And you're right, this is a great community.

Pat:  Thanks for the football/soccer team entry.  And thanks for the nice words too.

Bat:  Cheers my friend - always good to see you drop by.

Nedalezz:  You're excited?  Good!!!  Having Manchester United represent Fursan FC means you will be one of the pre-tournament favourites!  And glad you like the waterfront - thanks.

Sebes:  LOL, I assume the blue and white army will be reasonably well behaved.  I don't want them smashing up my city!  (Oh, forgot, that tends to be the English fans  :(  )

Tkirch:  Glad you made it in time - good to have you on board.  Hmmm, purple and silver will be a challenge with the web site I use for football kits - you'll have to use your imagination when you see it!

Dave/tooheys: - Thanks for that!  Whilst not a big rugby fan myself, I chuck a few in just to keep a bit of diversity.  There's a saying in England that Football is a game for gentlemen played by animals, whilst rugby is a game for animals played by gentlemen! 

Sir Bert Microchip will be back tomorrow once the draw has been made.  First matches take place on Saturday!

'til next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Excellent update, I really can't wait for the tournament to begin! When looking at the pictures in your MD, I so want to take my own city into modern times as well... Your MD truly is an inspiration! Even the worst neighbourhood (last pic) is still very nice.

I really have to visit the SimScience Museum, because those are all questions that come into my mind as well!

Paroch i agree Joan is such a great recrutter... Heck i think that should be her offical title...  ;)

Update 10 - 16th November 2007

First up - capo, the wait is now over! almost!!  Thanks for your really kind words.  I've never thought that West End could be an inspiration, so big thanks for that :P.


Hello Everyone, my name is Sir Bert Microchip, Chairman of the West End Football Association - welcome to The Imperial Museum in Regent, where the draw for the West End International Trophy will be made in a moment.

We have 16 teams from across SimNation taking part and they are as follows:

Team:                              Manager:              Representative on PS2

Belmont Rangers                Ennedi                   Legia Warsaw
Devotion All Stars              Jeronij & Team        Real Mallorca
FC Manhattan                   Sebes                   Ajax Amsterdam
FC Portland                      Paroch                  Newcastle United
Fursan FC                        Nedalezz                Manchester United
Los Pioneros de Canatlan    Heblem                  Monterrey
Pitchforkers                     Patfirefghtr             Chicago Fire
Regent Royals                  Paroch                   Leicester City
Republic Stars                  NASCAR_Guy           New York Red Bulls
Terrigal Mariners               Tooheys                 Lazio
The Seagulls                    Jmouse                  FC Dallas
VV Biroud                        Capo                     FC Groningen
Wardouroda                     Paroch                   Norwich City
West End United               Paroch                  West Ham United
Westmountain Soccers      Bat                       Borrusia Dortmund
Wombats                        Tkirch                    USA


First, I must thank each manager for entering a team and wish you all good luck.

(Paroch's note:  I hope you are satisfied with your team's representative.  I tried to allocate a team from your own country.  Chicago FIRE seemed appropriate for Pat.  Heblem's Monterrey is his own team I think.  Groningen is Capo's home town team.  No Australian teams on the PS2 game, so I plumped for an Italian team for tooheys.  The Americans are at a bit of a disadvantage because the teams from the USA are not so strong, so I allocated the national team to the Wombats.  And with one team short I made up an entry for the SC4Devotion crew - I'm sure Jeronij is from Mallorca, so hopefully he'll appreciate this!)

The tournament will consist of two parts.  A group stage, where there are four groups of four teams.  Each team will play each other team in their group once.  Three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a loss.  At the end of the group stage, the top two from each group will progress to the knock-out stage.  There the winner of each match progresses until we get to the final.

The winner will be awarded a fantastic virtual trophy and will also win naming rights for some future landmarks to be built in West End.

The pre tournament favourites are Fursan FC.  They will be hard to beat as they have a very strong team.  The other teams with the best chance are FC Manhattan, FC Portland, Terrigal Mariners and Westmountain Soccers.  But football is a funny old game, so who knows!

Now it's time for the draw.  First up is Group A.  All matches in this group will be played in Wardour.  And the teams are:
10.1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F3849%2Fimg0001ti1.jpg&hash=947f0e1642780d448c9adff890f84ca3ccbc4c0c)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg66.imageshack.us%2Fimg66%2F4222%2Fprofilewardourodadu9.jpg&hash=935f5680a72601fc1ed78061c0789fecc58460b3)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg129.imageshack.us%2Fimg129%2F8455%2Fprofilecanatlandq6.jpg&hash=7be028370efea8891fcb7acd1110a24128f3d0e0)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg214.imageshack.us%2Fimg214%2F7281%2Fprofiletheseagullspb0.jpg&hash=0ac4c81e1a4ada76a904fa908a1f3b266920a133)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg124.imageshack.us%2Fimg124%2F258%2Fprofilevvbiroudng7.jpg&hash=b97b68420493d4135d840472567510a05a8a8130)


Group B will be played in Great Portland.  The teams are:
10.2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg137.imageshack.us%2Fimg137%2F9439%2Fimg0031hk3.jpg&hash=fef7c839530eb02203dc0d139f36b4935beb21fb)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg401.imageshack.us%2Fimg401%2F4901%2Fprofilefcportlandan4.jpg&hash=84ba19d2d05f57bb5aa3f7e4348facc60a130b5e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg256.imageshack.us%2Fimg256%2F1038%2Fprofilefursanfciz9.jpg&hash=050b39cef77cfa39dc8036e2e3d7da667baf31d8)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg407.imageshack.us%2Fimg407%2F5546%2Fprofilepitchforkersnm6.jpg&hash=87a6550f83010a6178727aeb5d63a5dfa745a54e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg204.imageshack.us%2Fimg204%2F4527%2Fprofiledevotionak6.jpg&hash=5c2d2565e73798a50a2c86001d7075fba3b0fe27)


Group C will be played here in Regent.  The teams are:
10.3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F2599%2Fimg0057jz3.jpg&hash=f73a91d1bb7ffe0f57dc352f4e1a02579b9e4352)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg401.imageshack.us%2Fimg401%2F5191%2Fprofileregentroyalsnq0.jpg&hash=1ce21f7451e724d4142eec1bf55087169a73e558)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg139.imageshack.us%2Fimg139%2F5567%2Fprofileterrigalmarinersht9.jpg&hash=f0166ad752881db570585cd3fe025c3518ba87a1)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg80.imageshack.us%2Fimg80%2F9418%2Fprofilewestmountainob3.jpg&hash=325e5b74daebf5e5d29e1b0061f15175c2f31adf)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg105.imageshack.us%2Fimg105%2F7294%2Fprofilewombatsbr6.jpg&hash=dcc8f4e21cf55e8d81ef1ef302fb21e6643bce7d)


And Group D will be played in the capital, Oxford.  The teams there are:
10.4
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F336%2Fimg0000vp2.jpg&hash=befe42d3f507a1d70e6bb1f023612e1758ef6683)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg105.imageshack.us%2Fimg105%2F8008%2Fprofilewestendunitedfj6.jpg&hash=3ba4920f54188bbee8df92f3e4abe089d118f43c)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg105.imageshack.us%2Fimg105%2F2043%2Fprofilebelmontrangersbm2.jpg&hash=08f70620cc2d9440ac2a4c88ae4cb127fd98a49a)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg80.imageshack.us%2Fimg80%2F4485%2Fprofilefcmanhattanaz5.jpg&hash=ff7cb93563960b63795bb57aaa167be7572d4a0b)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg80.imageshack.us%2Fimg80%2F9276%2Fprofilerepublicstarsqb3.jpg&hash=546c9211efdef1a364315d621be2bc491815d98a)


Tournament schedule starts tomorrow, with one match in each group.  There will be one match in each group for the next six days, so the group stages should be ready to start next weekend which will give time for the final to take place on 30 November.

The West End FA will try to post an update on each day of the tournament (although we hear our press officer has a heavy schedule next week so is likely to miss a few days!)  Rest assured all results will be posted as quickly as we can manage.

Good luck to you all - may your teams perform to their ability and may your fans enjoy the hospitality of the host cities of West End.

I'll now hand you back to Regent's mayor, Bill Bailey.

We're proud to be the media centre for the tournament.  When Project Regent started, it did so because we sought your views and Joan suggested Regent as the next city to build because of the islands we have.  Well, the islands have now been developed, so alongside the tournament, we will be showing you how the islands look.  Here is a small teaser, more to come soon..

10.5 Island Teaser:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg525.imageshack.us%2Fimg525%2F9567%2Fimg0109kb7.jpg&hash=155f5d75329ea7e3053ddfcf7ffe0f61a69cc3d8)

'til next time....... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Ooooh, this is very exciting! I hope you have a couple of cheering squads on hand.
Now that I've had some experience as a recruiter, maybe I should think about doing a little bookmaking on the side! :D
And I love the teaser photo. Looks like you've done a great job developing that island.

Until next time...
Joan

Paroch that is wonderful stuff on the teams... @ joan i'll take a 10 - 1 on that thought...

This draw isn't a bad one when looking at my small team, I might even hope for a small chance progressing to the next round! As one mayor to the other I do feel I have to warn you, I have heard that a small group of hooligans might follow VV Biroud to the tournament, please warn your local law enforcements and make sure you are ready. Most of the people are fun-loving kind supporters of their team, however there will always be a few ruining it for the rest.

ps loving the teaser, very nice composition and I love the colour in the pic!

Great teaser there! And wonderful part of that island! Fantastic work! :thumbsup:

Looking forward to more and more from the tournament!

Hello paroch,

First of all I must say West End is a really great place, the Little Amsterdam is fantastic, and my favourite places from last updates are Central Plaza and the Museum Park :thumbsup:

As a main soccer manager in Shosaloza I would like to say all Shosaloza citizens are very proud of an advance of our oldest club - Belmont Rangers - to this great tournament!
Here is a photo from the last fashion show in Belmont, organized by Belmont's Mayor on the lakeside in the famous night club "Amnesia":

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg125.imageshack.us%2Fimg125%2F9251%2F3socceras3.jpg&hash=b7748378c7eb1b4326c70cd06914abae963955f8)

The team itself also needs some marketing:
We know very good our soccer teams haven't such great tradition and experience as many others, so the team manager introduced some innovative techniques to Belmont Ranger's training, such as Kung Fu techniques:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg125.imageshack.us%2Fimg125%2F9614%2Fs5fj1.jpg&hash=375755294156097e427d8911019b2ba47ddde64a)

These techniques are really effective in soccer and they are continously improved, but of course sometimes little accidents happen:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg125.imageshack.us%2Fimg125%2F9186%2Ffootball5bwwwhsspl5dim9.jpg&hash=c0699d6c4bb6547b87ce56d180183433b3773a5c)

(this photo was made after the last sparring between Belmont Rangers and the best club from the fishermen town Hakodate - Calamare Guys)

It will be a great event, thank you paroch for this idea! :thumbsup:

Before we get started, some quick replies:

Pat - you managed to get your comment in whilst I was updating - great timing!  You're right Joan has done West End proud and is now officially Chief Recruiterteermeister (if there is such a word ;)).  And glad you like the team info.

Joan - or should I say Chief Recruiterteermeister.  I'm glad a degree of excitement is building!  Cheerleaders have never really caught on in football in England, but rest assured there will be plenty of loud support inside the stadia.
If you're running a sim-book I'd be interested to see who you tip and where the simoleons go.

Capo - you're right.  Biroud will fancy their chances in that group - and what a great mix of nations.  Thanks for the warning about the fans - hopefully our stadium security will confiscate the swords!

Bat - cheers my friend.  More island pics below.  Your team is in action tomorrow.

Ennedi - LOL, glad you're entering into the spirit of it.  Feel free to allow all your female fans to dress in the Shosazolan costumes!  And I hope your Kung-fu players don't go head to head with Capo's knights!  It's a tough draw for Belmont, so good luck.

One technical note.  When I set up the tournament it would not allow national teams, so Tkirch instead of USA I chose Galatasary, a strong team from Turkey.  Hope that's OK, no other Turkish teams in the tournie.


Day One of the tournament.  There has been one game in each group.  Results from the games are as follows:

Group A - Wardour
Wardouroda  1-1  VV Biroud
A very nervy opening match.  Biroud looked the stronger team but Wardouroda sneaked a late equaliser in the 82nd minute.  A section of the Biroud supporters acted furiously and were last seen pouring boiling oil over the stewards.  ::)


Group B - Great Portland
FC Portland  0-0  Devotion All Stars
Portland were one of the favourites, and playing on their home pitch many expected them to open with an easy victory.  The All Stars defended really well and had a few chances to score themselves.


Group C - Regent
Regent Royals  0-1  Wombats
The Royals were very poor, maybe nerves got the better of them.  Tkirch's Wombats must be please with this early win.


Group D - Oxford
West End Utd  2-1  Republic Stars
Wet End United became the only one of the host nations to actually win their opening game.  They were 2-0 up at half time but the Stars fought back hard and had their chances to equalise.  The fans from the Republic of Chesterfield seemed to enjoy themselves though.

So congratulations to Tkirch  &apls whose team has got off to a good start.  All of the other teams will have their opening game tomorrow on Day Two.



I said I'd also be showing you some pictures from the islands of Regent during the tournament.

There are three islands in Regent:

Crown Island - a small uninhabited island
Regent Island - home to the largest estates in Regent.  Also where mayor Bill Bailey lives.
Consort Island - the largest island.  Only half of the island is actually in Regent, the rest in Stratton (yet to be developed)

Today I'm going to show you some shots from Regent Island.

10.6  Regent Island Mansions
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg406.imageshack.us%2Fimg406%2F9498%2Fimg0110nh5.jpg&hash=a7823613d217ff996b0a127ed6a711abaf4513f1)
Here are the three large estates on the island.  The top one is Audley End, which is a real building in Essex, the county I live in.  It's a great old building in lovely grounds, well worth a visit.  The one at the bottom is open to the public, and is a popular place with the sea-side walks - and tooheys, if you're looking, please forgive the difference in height in a couple of places on the boardwalks.  It took me AGES to line them up as well as they are!
The wealthy residents insisted on solar power for the environment!


10.7  Sir Waldorf Black House
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg61.imageshack.us%2Fimg61%2F9530%2Fimg0111sk1.jpg&hash=cab6bd83f981bd0b751335ea6b4296f61e5dd973)
The house and gardens are now open to the public.  Sir Waldorf was a brave and daring sailor in the 1800's.  He moved to Regent island to see out his days after a long and distinguished career.  Unfortunately his great Grandson, staked the family fortune on the family name, Black, on roulette in the Mirage over on the mainland.  The ball landed in Red 36, so they had to sell up to Stately Homes R Us who opened the House to the public!
I love the way the BSC park in the small square opposite the house entrance conforms with the slope.  The BSC team did an EXCELLENT job with these park pieces.


10.8  Downtown Regent Island
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg130.imageshack.us%2Fimg130%2F146%2Fimg0115hw3.jpg&hash=63f0fa81e1720173df0a2032d27554647eaaad2a)
That is the extent of commercial activity on the island.  It's a real sleepy kind of place.  But if you like strolling along the beach, or through the woods, this is the place to be!


10.9  St Dagmar's Church
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg105.imageshack.us%2Fimg105%2F5479%2Fimg0117ng4.jpg&hash=e31c168ac8034f3bc155ac149e8e4a0109d830a3)
The main church on the island, together with the library and school


10.10  Close Up
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg61.imageshack.us%2Fimg61%2F9515%2Fimg0116th8.jpg&hash=3f7cfd1c998d6989759988936300ac93f912c3fd)
I really like this building.  I added a medium sized cemetery in front of the church.


'til next time........ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Congratulations to the winners, and congratulations to you for such a fine update, Paul! :thumbsup:
You've done a good job designing the estates, and overall, Regent Island looks like a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the scenery.
But has the dreaded pine bark beetle invaded some of those trees on the beach? If so, I have a group of college students that can help you out! :D

...and where do you think all those lovely green Simoleons will go!!

Until next time,,,
Joan

Paul i tend to have that nack of sticking my neck in at the right time to throw someone off lol.... A big congrats to the winners of the first games of soccor err football... What a fantastic update here Paul and i cant wait to play....   

@ Joan i will take a 5 pt lead against my foe for my first game, I want a cool mil on that ride - pat

Really good looking island's pictures there, paroch! Great work! :thumbsup:

I hope Fursan FC can live up to all the hype! It would certainly bring plenty of pride for the town of 20,000 and the country of 40,000! Go Fursan!

Well, the tournament is well and truly underway now.  The PS2 is buzzing and anticiaption is building.

A few replies before the next update.....

Capo - A few posts back you asked about the building next to the Regent Royals stadium.  It's taken me a while to track it down from the ingame menu, and I think it's the Maxis Reward for Major Art Museum.  So, if it is then I guess you'll have it available at some point, although I think it'd look a bit odd in Biroud at the moment!

Joan - hehehe, glad you like the island so far.  And as for the pine bark beetles, I have to admit that I use the lodgepole pine forest almost all the time near to the water.  I just like the look of them - but maybe a bit more variety wouldn't go a miss.  We'd love to host the college students from Wildcat Junction.  I'm sure we could find a suitable environmental project for them!

Pat - thanks for that, and the waiting is over, your team are in this update!

Bat - thanks for your comment - glad you like it.

Nedalezz - fingers crossed.  I'm just glad it's the PS2 that will decide and not me.  So many excellent MDs have entered a team it would be difficult to decide on the strength of each MD.  By the way, loved your recent updates in Qumma.  For those who have not visited - YOU SHOULD!!!!


OK, I'll hand over to Sir Bert Microchip now......


Day Two of the tournament.  All of the teams yet to play their opening match played today.  Results from the games as follows:

Group A - Wardour
Los Pioneros de Canatlan  3-1  The Seagulls
The Pioneers looked very slick and controlled the match from the start.  Their star striker, Marcos Heblem scored a hat trick and was naturally delighted:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg442.imageshack.us%2Fimg442%2F6609%2Fcanatlanscoreryi4.jpg&hash=f3745fbfde9a2934ece3619cad478874a02192a6)
Still, The Seagulls gave a good account of themselves and will have hope for future games.  (sorry Joan! :()


Group B - Great Portland
Fursan FC  1-1  PitchForkers
This was the shock of the day .  Fursan were the pre-tournament favourites.  We've heard rumours that they are a team of part-timers, but don't believe it, they played well but Pat's PitchForkers were just more prepared to battle for it today and deserved their point.


Group C - Regent
Terrigal Mariners  3-0  Westmountain Soccers
Two strongly fancied teams here and it was a great game.  The Mariners were just that bit stronger on the day and in this group, which has been dubbed the Group of Death because of the strength of the teams, three points will be vital. 


Group D - Oxford
Belmont Rangers  1-2  FC Manhattan
This was always going to be a tricky fixture for the Rangers.  But Ennedi can be proud of the way they battled.  Unfortunately they had a man sent off for a kung-fu challenge on the Manhattan goalkeeper.  Manhattan looked a strong side and could go a long way in the tournament.


So congratulations today to Heblem, Tooheys and Sebes on your victories &apls &apls &apls.

After only one game each we won't bother with group tables yet.  We'll publish those after Day 4.  That's all from me today.



OK, back to those islands!  You can guess that I'm having to do a bit of preparation in advance for these updates. 

10.11  Audley End
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg405.imageshack.us%2Fimg405%2F5725%2Fimg0118fl8.jpg&hash=96b485f5f19cccc73828b1ef4e9a5c735e38d5ad)
Here is a close up of Audley End.  This really is a stunning building IMHO.  I mentioned yesterday that it's in my home county of Essex.  It has very lovely grounds, and no swimming pool!  I have enjoyed using the ploppable rocks, I think they work well part in and part out of the water.


10.12  Island Fellowship Church
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg117.imageshack.us%2Fimg117%2F3936%2Fimg0146lq0.jpg&hash=14295aa92c2e9faa5f2ea5721391e7798420b670)
This is an independent church near to the town centre.  The paved plaza next to the church highlights the uneven terrain of the island and is known amongst the teenagers on the island as Skateboard Heaven!


10.13  Mouse Point
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg233.imageshack.us%2Fimg233%2F2041%2Fimg0119uz6.jpg&hash=917900666ee60223660c773ef7f59f53d75e8494)
Named after a good friend of Regent.  After all, it was your suggestion to develop the islands!


10.14  Sylvia's Farm
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg145.imageshack.us%2Fimg145%2F2256%2Fimg0130yd8.jpg&hash=0f4d448d1ed60bb3388bab6213c5c223aa07d1b4)
Believe it or not, this is the only farm in the whole of Regent.  I made the classic mistake of developing everything else to the point where I-Ag demand disappears altogether.  And I have no plop farms (other than rewards) in my plug ins at all.  So this is it, the only farm.


10.15  North Eastern Tip
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg255.imageshack.us%2Fimg255%2F7458%2Fimg0129he9.jpg&hash=d5a7afe7a6bb07b9cd413aec014ee32e6aa1194f)
This is the North Eastern end of the island.  The opposite end from Mouse Point.  Just across from here is Crown Island.  I hope that ferry doesn't get too close to the rocks!


10.16  Overview of Regent Island
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg151.imageshack.us%2Fimg151%2F6870%2Fimg0120ou0.jpg&hash=6c5ca9cfe52e50d1fb287f56324af82b0f30d05d)
Here is a shot of the bulk of the island.  I think you get an idea of how green the island is, and also how important ferries are to Regent as a whole.


That's probably all from Regent Island - I've been playing with a mosaic but I'm not convinced it really shows anything special!  We'll move to another island next.

'til next time....... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Again a wonderful update, paroch! Also great pictues of Regent Island! :thumbsup:

Looking forward to the next island! ;)

Hey there, Paul, I like what you've done with Regent Island. The sparse population works well to give it the right kind of atmosphere.
And it looks like the view from Mouse Point is spectacular. I am honored to be a part of this lovely place! :thumbsup:
BTW, congratulations to the latest winners. Actually I'm kind of relieved - now I can sit back and watch everybody else get walloped! :D

Until next time...
Joan

GO METS!!

I  was preparing a nice comment to prepare for the match while you were posting your update, and find out that De Mets already won their first game. :thumbsup:

So instead of pictures from before the match, here a picture from the BlueWhite Legion cheering their goalkeeper after the shameless attack by the Shosalozan Belmont Rangers. 
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.people.com.cn%2F200407%2F05%2Fimages%2F0705.euro4.jpg&hash=8bf4da341a32d9d718e6fc9c7869c043e2c7ec1a)


And Paul, that are some great shots of the Regent Islands.

Congratulations Mr Sebes, one of our main soccer/Kung Fu principles in Shosaloza is to lose in a honourable way :D
But we are now in a group phase of the tournament, and maybe we will meet again... :P

There is a great mobilisation in Shosaloza now, we send the next group of our fans

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg123.imageshack.us%2Fimg123%2F7910%2F5405ea6b79ad841ae6a9cc7ce6.jpg&hash=7263072a0787beb791750d2d9795083bc1f14797)

All soccer fans from Shosaloza are carefully controlled before they go to West End, a few hours ago our police confiscated some interesting stuff:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg123.imageshack.us%2Fimg123%2F974%2Fnewweapons02jz7.jpg&hash=924af7d554444e386896b2a3367dbd95648065d7)

"I think other teams can feel safe till now, but we can't guarantee 100% effectivity after the next lost match" said the police representative :D

One of the more unknown Dutch masters "Stein Huysegems" has made a very famous painting of the day that VV Biroud scored a draw in their first official international match.

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For many centuries people thought this painting was showing the storming of the Bastille. However, with new found documents it has now been proven that this was in fact history's first football riot in Biroud, that late equalizer really caused havoc here I must tell you. I'm really hoping that VV Biroud will win their next match (and with hoping I mean one giant crate filled with goldcoins for a certain tournament director...)

Holy smokes paroch, I kinda disappear for a while and I come back and find you in Special Interests! Whatever you've got, you have to give me the recipe  :D

Those are some really cool islands, though your shadows in your screenshots look a little weird. Can't wait for the next update and I can't wait to see who wins the Tournament!

Paul, you are certainly expanding your repertoire. Nice work with the shorelines with the use of rock and vegetation.
The island looks great  :thumbsup:

Audley End looks fantastic. I have a heap of mansions etc but I don't think I've seen that one before. Can I ask where you found it.

And finally, GO MARINERS.

Cheers

Dave

Before we get started, some quick replies:

Bat - thanks and yes, page 9 - wow.  I really wasn't sure how long this would run!

Joan - I am pleased you like the island, and Mouse Point seemed kinda appropriate.  It would be a nice spot to watch the boats and ships sail past.  Good luck for your next match.  I'm sure those Seagulls aren't done yet.

Sebes - LOL, glad that you and the Blue and White Legion are entering into the spirit of the tournament.  Great pic of that crowd - which one are you??

Ennedi - that made me laugh too!  You have some very nice ladies in Shosoloza.  I bet they all hang out at Amnesia Nightclub!  And I'm pleased your border control are doing a good job.  Interesting to see that football hooligans even get corporate sponsorship these days!

Capo - LOL, well at least they don't take football too serious then!!!!  Great post - I'm pleased that the tournament is bringing out plenty of humour!  Huysegems also plays football for Feyenoord I believe (I guess not the same Huysegems!).  I'll pass the gold coins onto Sir Bert Microchip and see if he can have a word with the referee.

Sober - Welcome Back.  Yeah, I think they got mixed up and let me in by mistake!!  And I know what you mean about those shadows.  Looks like those trees are really skyscrapers!  Not sure why it's doing that - have you ever seen that elsewhere?

Tooheys - Dave, good to see you.  I'm glad you've noticed my expanding "repetoire" (never thought of it as such before).  I think this is the beauty of MDs.  You look, you read, you decide what you like, you experiment and learn.  I hope West End is improving my SC4 ability but even if not - I'm really enjoying it!  More natural landscaping in the pics below.
As for Audley End, it's here on the LEX.  Category Search - Rewards BTE, page 8, CSX Mansion - Audley End by Colyn    http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=142

And good luck to the Mariners!!


Today is Day Three of the tournament.  Teams are in action for the second time and after this game you should start to get a feel for your chances of progressing further:


Group A - Wardour
VV Biroud  2-1  Los Pioneros de Canatlan
Those players from medieval times really excelled themselves this time.  That's a draw and a win for Capo's team and they are starting to look powerful.  Unfortunately for Heblem his team seemed to be distracted by their own group of cheerleaders!
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Hopefully now the fans from Biroud will calm down and chill out with a glass of Grolsch (or Amstel!).  And I can let you know that no gold coins influenced this result at all!

Group B - Great Portland
Devotion All Stars  1-5  Fursan FC
Well, we knew Fursan were capable of destroying teams and that is exactly what happened today.  The All Stars were never really in this game.  Great Portland bars and restaurants were doing a busy trade after the game as the fans from Qumma celebrated their victory.  I have heard a rumour the team have received a good luck message from the Dawa Berber himself!


Group C - Regent
Wombats  1-1  Terrigal Mariners
Both these teams won their opening games, so this match was always likely to be tight.  The Mariners had the better chances and will feel unlucky not to have won but the Wombats defended valiantly to hold on for a draw.  The fans from Badger Bay and Balnavia hit the casinos in Regent after the match and had a whale of a time - I think they're enjoying the tournament so far.


Group D - Oxford
Republic Stars  2-1  Belmont Rangers
Both teams lost their first match, so now, having lost both games the Rangers look as though they will be eliminated from the tournament at the end of the Group stage.  They were unlucky in a close game.  Still the Republic Stars deserved their win, so well done.  Whilst Oxford doesn't have as many night spots as Regent, both sets of fans found plenty to do, and even had a kick about in the Central Park.


So on day three, congratulations go to Capo, Nedalezz and NASCAR_Guy  &apls &apls &apls- well done to you and your teams.  It goes to show what a fickle and harsh game football can be.  Ennedi has one of the best MDs here on SC4D but his team has two defeats.


During the tournament I am also trying to keep you updated with developments in Regent.  Today we move onto Crown Island.  This is a small uninhabited island.

This is pretty unusual for me, because I love to zone, zone and zone some more!  I can't help myself.  But here, I concentrated on just creating something natural.  I took advice from Capo's tutorial on coastlines and how to make them smoother.  I won't pretend that I have achieved his level of creation, but I am quite pleased with it anyway.  I hope you enjoy too.


11.01  Overview of Crown Island
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You can see where the island lays in relation to Regent Island and the mainland. 


11.02  Zoom in
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Many people have applied for building permission here.  They always say, "only my house", but if you let one in, you have to let them all in!  The only way onto the island is private boat, or swim from Regent Island!


11.03  And zoom again!
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A close up of the sea shore.  Joan, maybe your college student could paint those white rocks a more natural colour!!??
I've not installed a terrain mod yet and am not sure whether to or not - I'd be interested in any opinions you guys have.  After all you know West End nearly as well as I do!


11.04  Balloons
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Sometimes I see something a bit odd and think "where did that come from".  Well, I spotted these balloons the other day.  They just floated up and up and up.  Has anyone else seen these and so you know where they come from??


'til next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Crown Island is gorgeous just the way it is, Paul, so leave it alone!! :D If folks just can't stand it, let them swim!
For some variety in rock color, take a look at this: Linkie (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17005)
Later if you have time, just enter the search word "rock" and you'll find all kinds of stuff.
Anyway, beautiful update, but I was wondering what setting you're using for shadows. I have mine on medium and sometimes they get chopped off so I have to fix them in PhotoShop. It will take someone a lot more experienced than me to explain this.
And Re: the balloons, you just might have discovered Lawn-Chair Larry, one of several "Easter Eggs" Maxis included in the game so I've heard.
Bear with me here because I'm trying to remember a post I saw a couple of years ago on ST. Larry was a real person who tied a bunch of balloons to his lawn chair, took off into the wild blue yonder and eventually was arrested for his trouble.
When he appears in the game, though, it's a good sign because it means the Sims are very happy.

Until next time...
Joan

5-1, thats more like it! Honestly, the boys were jetlagged from the long trip. That Qumma Airways chartered flight just wore them out! But they came back strong in the 2nd match. They were so impressive that Berber Dawa has been talking about going to watch the 3rd match in person!

paroch, what you are doing here is unbelievable. This is simply the most entertaining MD at the current time, thanks to your tournament AND the constant, large updates.

I loved Mouse Point for some reason, it just seems so calm and serene.

This is absolutely great stuff.

Hey my Wombats are better then expected.  Look out here we come....

I love the pictures.  Regent and Crown Island look awe inspiring.  And I think to build on those beautiful islands would take away from their beauty.

Well haven't lost a game yet, just lucky tkirch, another 30 secs of injury time and we would have had you  :D

Paul looking good as always  :thumbsup:. Terrain mods are great, but finding the right one is difficult. Given your current island region, the current look works quite well. Perhaps something like urban's although that is more tropical.

Anyway, looking forward to see what you do with Crown Island.

Cheers

Dave

Woohoo Biroud's first win! The people and it's ruler couldn't be more proud, instead of riots festivities have started in the small town of Biroud. Mayor, I'm also proud that Biroud has opened it's own travelling agency wich offers trips to West End. I guess organising that tournament will make a huge increse in commercial demand in West End, because all the residents now want to go there and support their team. A new feature is that you can now also fly to West End. The BLM (Biroud's Luchtvaart Maatschappij) has bought a fine catapult wich will be used in this new form of transportation. People who buy an economy class ticket will be shot with the catapult towards West End, no drinks will be served on flight. With a business class ticket a stewardess will acompany you with the flight and some nice soft pillows are given to ease the landing. It's still a bit tricky to let all the people land at the same place so I hope this new method of transportation will not frighten a West-Ender if a Biroud citizen lands in their front yard by mistake.

Stein Huysegems is indeed a football player, he played for Feyenoord last season. This season he plays for FC Twente, I'm surprised you recognized the name.

About your pictures:
11.01  Overview of Crown Island: It's really great to see that you used my tutorial and create something completely on your own with it. I really like these natural islands and what a great view you must have on them when you are at the top of the ferris wheel. A very nice overview of these two islands.

11.02  Zoom in: You are completely right denying building requests on this fine natural island. I know most people really want the best for this island, but unfortunately everywhere humans go, destruction of nature will follow. Perhaps you should request a 'special natural landmark status' for this island, so no smart lawyer can find a loophole for a building permit. Very nice touch in this picture: the natural lake/overlay close to the shore, that looks like a place where a lot of 'life' would be. I can already imagine people hiding in the bushes with their binoculars ready to spot the 'redwinged fisher king' that would probably reside there.

11.03  And zoom again!: Now I have to ask you, what is the rocky substance in the sea close to the island? Where did you get that plopable thingy? I downloaded all CP's and JRJ's plopable stuff and I never saw that before, you are making me curious. The placed white rocks look a bit out of place to tell you the truth, maybe a bit more variety with JRJ's plopable rocks (under dedgren in LEX) and the rocks that Joan provided in her reply would 'liven' it up some. Since a few weeks I am using the Italia Landterrain mod, it can be found on the PLEX and I like it very much. In Ennedi's MD you can find a great tutorial on modding the terrainmod, you asked for advice on a terrainmod. Well that one is the best imho :)

11.04  Balloons: No I've never seen that before but thanks Joan for explaining! I'm going to keep a keen eye on my town when it's in modern times, I'd like to see the balloons as well (and the gnome, I've never seen the gnome either!!)

Great update on a great tournament, what else is there to say?

Crown Island is looking very nice! and also great detailing! :thumbsup:

Tomorrow will be the big day: several thousand Blue White tyfosi have booked charter flights and ferries to Oxford, to support their team and party with the OXford locals, the Shosalozan ladies, and the Biroud Happy Landers.  Nieuw Amsterdam insurance companies even offer packages covering being hit by Biroud's Economy Cabin fans being mis-shot by BLM, and offer a premium bonus if a Business Cabin stewardess is landing on your lap. The Legion is now gathering at Oxfords central square for some Grolsch SABMillers and have a great time before tomorrows match:  GO METS!!


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Oh - and the island and beaches shown are wonderful - a good place to relax after an exiting game and a few too many Grolsch SABMiller  ;)

Paul wonderful stuff here and i cant belive i tied for my first game eeeeek i better run and hide now from Jsquad i here them boys are nasty if you lose lol........ BTW i love chicago fire they are a strong team and its a perfect fit as well....  Awesome update my friend and till next time see you soon - pat

Work commitments kept me out late yesterday, so Day Four is a day late - sorry guys!  Also, because I've been busy with work stuff I've not had as much time as I'd like to visit other MDs, so I apologise to those of you who I've not visited in the last few days.

I loved your replies - all very funny and really entering into the spirit of what I hoped the tournament would be - a bit of fun!!!

Replies:

Joan:  Where would I be without you Joan ()what()  Great comments, great answers, and some great suggestions.  The Larry thing is very interesting - never knew that.  I've heard about the gnome but never seen him.
As for my shadow settings - they were on medium but I recently cranked them up to high.  Can't remember if these pics were taken on medium or high.  I'll have to have a play around as I don't have photoshop.

Nedalezz:  Thanks for the kind words.  I must confess that I am trying to put as much into November as I can - OSITM is an honour I didn't expect, so I'm trying to do it justice!  As for Berber Dawa's visit, I'll make sure that Portland Airport has plenty of red carpet ready!

Tkirch:  Yeah, those Wombats are doing well - they could be the surprise package of the tournament!  After the comments received I can assure you all that Crown Island will remain undeveloped.

Dave:  The Mariners are looking good so far.  Hopefully they'll go further than the Aussies in the rugby world cup!!!  ;) And thanks for the advice re terrain mod.

Capo:  It's official, you are insane!!!  Must be that orange madness!!!  I will try to build a swamp region for safe soft catapult landings.  I recognised Huysegems from that evil machine that is PS2.  My son and I have a mini league and one of my teams is Feyenoord and he scores plenty of goals.
Your tutorial was VERY useful.  Simple things like making the "cursor" smaller and treating it like a paint brush make so much difference.  I'll keep playing with it and see what else I can produce.
And your comment re natural landmark status and birdwatchers is interesting.  Near where I live we have a large resevoir with bird watching hides.  Do you know of any "hides" Bats/Lots that are available? They'd work well there.
As for the rocky substance, here'e the linkie  http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17099
I use it quite a bit - I think it could work well in Biroud.  And yeah, the white rocks need to change.  I'm hoping the collage students from Pitchfork Pass will come over and either paint them or replace them!  And thanks for the advice re terrain mod.  I've also seen an eagle flying around before.
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You ever seen him?

Bat:  Thanks, glad you like the island - bit different for me!

Sebes:  Big day indeed.  West End United have a place in my heart but I promise that it is all decided by the PS2.  And I'm glad it is.  If I tried to decide myself, how could I choose from all the great MDs, great support you guys give and great teams you've entered.  Oxford know that your guys will be in party mood, so the beer is ready and chilled.
Great comment by the way.  You and Capo seem to be having a Dutch humour competition!  I'm trying to work out which one in the picture is you and which one is Capo!

Pat:  Glad you're liking the Fire, the Chicago Fire that is.  And thanks for the visit and kind word.


Today is Day Four of the tournament.  Teams are in action for the second time and after this game you should start to get a feel for your chances of progressing further:


Group A - Wardour
The Seagulls  1-0  Wardouroda
A great result for the team from Pitchfork Pass.  Those young Texans scored early on in the game, after just 2 minutes and then had to work really hard to keep Wardouroda out.  The home side will be bitterly disappointed and know they have to win their last game to have a chance of progressing.

                               Points      Goal Difference
VV Biroud                 4                +1
LP de Canatlan           3               +1
The Seagulls               3                -1
Wardouroda               1                 -1

Biroud play The Seagulls in their final match, so The Seagulls have to win that to have a realistic chance of progressing.



Group B - Great Portland
PitchForkers  4-2  FC Portland
After their great result against Fursan, the PitchForkers record a stunning victory over the host team.  The PitchForkers were literally on fire - and then Pat put them out!  Great Portland was kept awake through the night as the fans from New Castia partied long and hard in the streets of the city centre.

                               Points      Goal Difference
Fursan FC                   4                +4
PitchForkers               4                +2
FC Portland                1                 -2
Devotion All Stars      1                 -4

PitchForkers have to play Devotion All Stars next and a draw will see them through.  The All Stars need to win by a big margin to give them hope.  Fursan play the hosts, FC Portland.  The situation is similar, a draw for Fursan and they qualify.



Group C - Regent
Westmountain Soccers  1-0  Regent Royals
The Royals continue their dismal form with another one-nil defeat.  Bat's team from Capporth did what they had to do, soak up pressure and convert one of their chances.  It was a very professional performance.  Rumours are starting to circulate that the Regent team are spending too long in the casinos in town!

                               Points      Goal Difference
Terrigal Mariners       4                +3
Wombats                    4                +1
Westmountain             3                 -2
Regent Royals             0                 -2

The Royals become the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.  Still, they don't have too far to travel home!  Terrigal are almost through to the next round, they'd need to lose heavily against Regent in their last game and also see Westmountain win big against Wombats.  Westmountain will need to beat Wombats by three goals to progress.


Group D - Oxford
FC Manhattan  0-1  West End United
De Mets can feel very upset after this result.  The referee awarded a late penalty that was hotly disputed.  Maybe it was the home crowd on his back that influenced him, who knows.  But Noble, the young West End midfielder, stepped up and slotted it away.  Tempers were frayed and the Blue and White army vented their frustration afterwards by painting Dutch slogans on the walls around the stadium.

                               Points      Goal Difference
West End United        6                +2
Republic Stars            3                 0
FC Manhattan             3                 0
Belmont Rangers       0                 -2

Belmont play West End Utd in their next game, so are also eliminated from the tournament.  Even if they win, the other match will mean that they cannot progress.  The Republic Stars versus Manhattan match is now a winner takes all game.  If it's a draw the Republic Stars will progress as they have scored three goals, whereas Manhattan have only scored two.  That will be a very nervy match!

The next round will shape up as follows:

Winner Group A  v  Runner Up Group B   - Regent
Winner Group B  v  Runner Up Group C   - Oxford
Winner Group C  v  Runner Up Group D   - Wardour
Winner Group D  v  Runner Up Group A   - Great Portland

I'm not going to be around for a couple of days now, so I'll post a combined update for Day 5 and Day 6.


OK, now some pics from the last island in Regent - Consort Island.

This is a bigger island than Regent Island and it is also more developed.  It even has some small industrial zones.

11.05  Overview of Consort Island
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This gives you an idea of where the island sits.  You can see where the two ferries are sailing - this is the main shipping lane from the ocean into the River Dinnium.


11.06  North Ferry Park
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Nice park, shame about the uninspiring town!  This town is somewhat functional I think, without looking that nice.  But still isn't that the case in RL sometimes?


11.07  North Ferry
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Here is a close up of the North Ferry Terminal.  One of PEG's great creations.  I had some serious issues getting these to work properly - but a delete and reinstall to the plug ins seemed to do the trick!

That's all today,

'til next time......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Absolutely stunning overview, paroch, which I might add shows off the lovely view from Mouse Point! :)
You've done a fine job on the islands - they're just right, not overcrowded the way I'd probably make them!
As for the tournament, I'm so pleased I could help in some small way. I can't believe the Seagulls won a game, or did they? This is all very confusing to me &mmm, and the coach has left town this week to play baseball! :P

Until next time...
Joan

from the another game i'm sorry i was distracted, but wow!! i'm really surpired an honored for the results!  ;D

Excellent work in the tournament really glad to see my team getting on it :P hurray
Today will be a special information in Canatlan about this success ;)

Take care, go! The Pioneers

Wooooooooohooooo GOOOOOOO Pitchforkers!!! WOW im pleased to win the game out right that is soo cool and Paul you are doing a great job here, see you next update - pat

More stunning pictures.

11.05 I live those Consort Island, Mouse Point and Regent Island all work together in that picture.  It is a perfect picture.

11.06 I love the park.  As far as the city, I like it.  Not always does a city come out the way you hope, but it doesn't look hodgepodge, it has its own character which in many ways is much nicer than a planned out city.  Very realistic in a growing town, especially like here in the US.  In Europe you have so many older cities, you get that buildings have been around, where here you see cities that way. And I think it looks nice, you have open areas, I like the street in the upper right that goes up the hill.  Looks like you have quite a few Olive Gardens in the city, but hey they do have good food.

Great new pictures there, paroch! :thumbsup:

Good to hear that my team has won its second game! ;)

The Blue White legion had a bad evening in Oxford. What started as a great party, first on the squares in the city and later in Canio Park, became a fight and chase with police squads and local WestEnd United supporters after the disputable penalty that gave the hometeam the full prize of the game. Back home in New Amsterdam the talk of the evening was how the referee could make such a decission, shamelessly benefiting WestEnd United. Although the athmosphere was very tense, the Blue White Legion is still very positive about the changes for De Mets, and is already preparing their move to Great Portland after the next game. Chance of becoming group D runner up is however very present, and when looking at the capacity of the Royal Stadium in Regent, NNVB-officials are expecting the worst... Extra stewards are currently recruited, to be flown into West End to assist the West End police in Regent if needed. In the mean time the players are preparing for this important match against the Republic Stars from Chesterfield.

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More and more Mets fans arrive in West End to support FC Manhattan

QuoteIt's official, you are insane!!!

That's what my psychiatrist keeps telling me, however me and my seven other personalities completely disagree with him ;) just kidding!! :D

I'm very surprised to see Biroud leading group A, but that last match is going to be decisive. Thanks for the rocky substance linkie, much appreciated! Yes the birdwatcher hides we have over here as well, it would be a very nice addition to any rural scene I agree. As soon as I have located a lot (or found a way to create it myself) I will send you the linkie.

This is what they look like over here, I think they would be the same, Im just posting the links, not the pictures..it's your MD and I don't want to pollute it :)

http://www.maldon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E146A5B1-9EFB-43B5-BD77-7C6B526CD58F/7714/BradwellCockleSpitHidereduced.jpg

http://www.alderney.gov.gg/pimages/348_lg.jpg


Unfortunately I have a bad case of the flu right now so I'm not really in the mood to play SC4, I owe you a longer comment next time. I just wanted to add that I really like the pictures you added (as always).

Take care my friend and good luck with the next update (and supporter riots of the teams that did not qualify)

Before we get started, some quick replies
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Joan:  Good to see you in town again!  Thanks for your kind words and glad you like Mouse Point.  As for the tournament, each team plays three games (against the other teams in their group) and then the top two in each group progress to the knock-out stage of the competition.  And I guess my understanding of baseball is similar to yours of football/soccer ;)

Heblem:  Good to see you here and no need to apologise.  It is difficult to visit all the MDs here at SC4D, so many good ones.  And a great newspaper report you produced on your MD.  For those who have not visited Heblem's MD - YOU SHOULD!!

Pat:  Thanks my friend.  Those PitchForkers aren't finished yet I suspect.

tkirch:  Thank you for your comments, I appreciate what you're saying.  As for those Olive Gardens, yes, three next to each other.  I should have weeded two out, but you are right, they do good food!

bat:  Good to see you again, and yes, congrats to the Westmountain Soccers.

sebes:  Great post, thanks.  Luckily the police managed to contain the few troublemakers.  Those Mets fans know how to party and the bar owners in Oxford are enjoying having full bars.  The referee from the last game has been sent home from the tournament in disgrace.  He has been booked in to get new spectacles next week!

capo:  Glad the linkie was of use.  And yes the pics of hides are just what I had in mind.  And capo, please feel free to post pics here.  Someone who can create Biroud can not be capable of "polluting" this MD here!  I hope you feel better soon, and any comments you, or anyone else, leaves here on West End are ALWAYS appreciated regardless of length.


I know I've not updated for a few days (been a busy bee!), so today is a double update from the tournament.

This update covers both Day Five and Day Six and marks the end of the group stage.  That means that half of the teams will be eliminated and leave West End.  Hopefully even if your team departs, you'll still pop back to see how things are progressing.


Group A - Wardour
VV Biroud  3-1  The Seagulls
The team from Evergem only needed a draw to guarantee qualification but an early goal settled the nerves and they went on to win comfortably.  Still The Seagulls can be proud, proud of their performance, proud of their fans and proud to be heading home to such a great MD!

Wardouroda  0-0  Los Pioneros de Canatlan
Quite a dull game really.  The host team will be disappointed that they never really got going in this tournament.  Still, all credit to Heblem's team, they knew a draw would be enough.


                               Points      Goal Difference
VV Biroud                    7                +3
LP de Canatlan             4                +1
The Seagulls                3                -3
Wardouroda                 2                -1

Congratulations go to Capo and Heblem.   A BIG thanks to Joan for her participation and for being Chief Recruiterteermeister.  Without Joan's encouragement this may not have happened!



Group B - Great Portland
Devotion All Stars  0-3  PitchForkers
The PitchForkers notched up another fine performance and are unbeaten so far.  The people of Great Portland were kept awake again - boy your fans know how to party Pat!  The PitchForkers will now move on to Oxford for their next game.  And Oxford have only just got used to Sebes bunch from Nieuw Amsterdam!

FC Portland  3-1  Fursan FC
At last the host team put in a performance that they can be proud of.  They took the game to Fursan and were 3-0 up at half time. They had to win by 4 goals to go through and even though they won the match their hearts were broken when Fursan scored with 3 minutes to go.  The Dawa Berber is reported to have paid a big bonus to each team member for qualifying to the next round.

                               Points      Goal Difference
PitchForkers                 7                +5
Fursan FC                    4                +2
FC Portland                  4                  0
Devotion All Stars         1                 -7

Congratulations to Pat and Nedalezz.  Good luck in the next round.  Commiserations to the SC4D team and also to FC Portland.  This was the team from West End with the best chance, so it looks as though the trophy could be heading elsewhere.



Group C - Regent
Wombats  0-0  Westmountain Soccers
Westmountain needed to win this game by at least 2 goals and they had their chances.  The Wombats goalkeeper was their hero and he made a dozen fine saves.

Regent Royals  1-1  Terrigal Mariners
The host side restored a bit of pride with their first goal and first point of the tournament.  Unfortunately it was a case of too little, too late.  Tooheys team played well and will fancy their chances of going a long way.

                               Points      Goal Difference
Terrigal Mariners            5                +3
Wombats                      5                +1
Westmountain               4                 -2
Regent Royals               1                 -2

Congratulations to Tooheys and Tkirch.  Good luck in the next round.  Thank you Bat for your team taking part.  Capporth is a fine region and the players will go home knowing that they were close to doing it.  The Regent Royals have a new stadium planned, but after that performance questions will be asked whether they deserve it!



Group D - Oxford
Republic Stars  0-2  FC Manhattan
De Mets bounced back from the disappointment of their last match, knowing they had to win to progress.  This was a strong performance and the Dutch technical ability was what gave them the edge.  The Stars had a few chances but as soon as they went behind things looked hard for them.

West End United  1-3  Belmont Rangers
Ennedi's team did him proud here.  A strong performance gave them their first win.  But those two earlier defeats were too much and they are eliminated.  West End United will be disappointed they didn't do better in this game as it means they did not win the group.

                               Points      Goal Difference
FC Manhattan                6                +1
West End United            6                  0
Belmont Rangers            3                  0
Republic Stars               3                 -1

Congratulations to Sebes and me!  Thankyou Ennedi and NASCAR_Guy for your teams taking part.  Ennedi, I have enjoyed your humour, so hopefully your fans will stay in town for a while and watch some more games.  And for those returning home, I hope they have a big night out in the Amnesia!  NASCAR_Guy, good luck with your racing league.

So the draw for the next round is as follows:

Match 1 in Regent                       VV Biroud (capo)    v  Fursan FC (nedalezz)
Match 2 in Oxford                        PitchForkers (Pat)  v  Wombats  (tkirch)
Match 3 in Wardour          Terrigal Mariners (tooheys)  v  West End United (paroch)
Match 4 in Great Portland        FC Manhattan (sebes)  v  LP De Canatlan (Heblem)

Then the winner of Match 1 plays the winner of Match 3 in the semi final.
And the winner of Match 2 plays the winner of Match 4 in the other semi final.

OK, enough words, here are some pics.....  Probably the last from the islands....


11.08  Consort Overview
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Here's another overview showing more of the island.

11.09  Martensen Stacks
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This is probably the most spectacular natural feature in West  End (so far!).  The Stacks were formed by limestone deposits millions of years ago. 

11.10  Martensen Stacks close up
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Here's a closer shot.  I enjoyed creating these.  Again, Capo's coast line tutorial was a big help.

I hope you enjoyed.

'til next time......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Very nice looking natural new area there! Fantastic pictures of it! :thumbsup:

Consort is perfect, Paul, and I'm going to miss combing those beautiful beaches around the islands!
BTW, I'm glad you explained those interesting rock formations - I was wondering about them.
Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store for us now.

Until next time...
Joan

The people of Nieuw Amsterdam are very proud of FC Manhattans achievements in WestEnd. And all officials are glad that the world has seen how great the Dutch Americans can play Football and party and have as if the cup is already theirs.
Of course, a big hurdle is yet to be taken: how to beat those Pioneros from Canatlan with star striker Heblem. Anyhow, while the Blue White Legion is still celebrating last night's victory in WestEnd, new fans are arriving in Great Portland, hoping for their share of the famous Great Portland Beef and Onion Pies
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Well it wasnt the most impressive performance, but qualification was the main goal, and the boys achieved it!

Berber Dawa did pay the players a bonus, but did warn them against what seems to be their complacent nature.

Those rock spikes are fantastic and your coastline looks magnificent! Bring on the 2nd Round!

Woohoo! VV Biroud advanced to the next round, I couldn't be more happy! When the news reached Biroud, all the people stormed the streets in one big celebration. I'd like to show you a picture of the parade that was organised, not only for VV Biroud, but also for Lord paroch for organising the tournament where VV Biroud had the chance to shine.
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Perhaps this could be the beginning of a town twinning (sister city) project between our two towns? I know Biroud can use a nice economic boost and perhaps the people of West End are interested in visiting their sister town for a small historical holiday?? The good care from the West Enders for the Biroud people who bought a ticket at the BLM has really made an impression on the people of Biroud, there's even a new saying in the streets here: "As helpful as a West-Ender", wich means that you do everything possible in your life to help another. And the new nickname for the monastary is now " De West-End" ...you can see that this tournament is really giving a mark on city life in Biroud!

Yes, Belmont Rangers saved the rest of their honour winning their last game, but this acceleration came much too late. They come back to Shosaloza this evening, but instead to play and drink in Amnesia they go to the high mountain retreat to make meditations and learn to draw their internal energy in a more proper way :D

But Shosaloza girls don't want to come back! "West End is a beautiful place, and the atmosphere of this tournament is really great! There are a lot of nice clubs, discos and other interesting places on Regent and Consort Islands, and we love the intimate atmosphere and beautiful beaches on the Crown Island - especially at the evening! And these all nice boys... We simply can't leave them alone!"

Some of our girls say Shosalozan soccer team is too poor yet, so they decided to make their own team:

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They started to work very seriously

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So don't be surprised we will have not only the male team in the next tournament ;) (of course they want to play with male teams, they are sure they will be enough good!)
So we will stay at the West End, and we will support all teams, but especially our group leader - FC Manhattan, and of course Biroud knights ("it's such romantic!" - said one of our girls)

:thumbsup:

These islands are really great, I like this region more and more!
If you have any specific questions about terrain mods, inform me please
Adam

I do hope that the Biroud players will not get too distracted by their female fans, the most of their lives they've been staring at the back end of a horse...this is something completely new and unknown to them to stare at :D

If your new female team by any chance needs a coach Ennedi, I'm sure I can find a spot in my busy schedule ..just because I love the sport of football, that's really the only reason! :D

paroch: I forgot to let you know how much I liked the islands, the Martensen Stacks are really great!!! I just love to see something 'different' yet also it doesn't seem out of place. You can already imagine the tourists walking around and wondering how those rocks were created, like that famous french place wich name I forgot :)

REPLIES:
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Bat:  Thanks as always.

Joan:  I'm flattered with your use of "perfect"!  The West End region has plenty of water - sea, rivers, islands, lakes.  So I suspect there will be more beaches (and I enjoy them as well).  As for what's next.... only two final things for Regent, see below for today's installment...... ;)   And as for my explanation re the rocks, erm, well, erm, I just made up the first thing that came in my head.  Was hoping we don't have an amateur geologist on here &mmm

Sebes:  I really hope that is not YOUR dog!!  Thanks for your visit and my greetings go to the people in Nieuw Amsterdam (I can't wait for you to get a new PC and see your MD).  As for the beef and onion pies.... steak and kidney is my favourite at football ()stsfd().

Nedalezz:  Now the serious matches start - good luck.  And I hope Berber Dawa makes it to West End for a match soon!

Capo:  What a parade your people put on.  That looks a great setting.  I am sure Biroud will have such a square.  Maybe one for your next update??  It's good to see football has driven people crazy throughout the ages!  And as for a sister-town / twin-town, West End would be honoured.  Take your pick from the cities in West End - Wardour (where your team played its group matches), Great Portland, Little Portland (much agriculture), Regent (home to Little Amsterdam and the casinos), Oxford (the capital at present), Cavendish (large agricultural town I have just started work on).  I'm not sure how the twinning would work, but I'm sure we can make it up as we go along!
And thanks for your comments re the Martensen Stacks.  As you say, a bit different!

Adam (Ennedi):  I love the pictures you provide!
I can imagine the Belmont Rangers at the mountain retreat.  Hopefully the RL England players will be sent away for some serious contemplation!  I hear that the players from Regent Royals have been made to stand on top of the rocks at Martensen Stacks!
Thanks for your kind comment and should I have any questions on terrain mods I'll take you up.  That tutorial you provided was amazing but probably a bit beyond my capabilities at present!

I went to watch my own beloved West Ham United today.  We drew 1-1 against our London rivals, Spurs.  Our keeper made a penalty save in the last minute, so a draw was good in the end!  It was a really good game to watch, hopefully this tournament here can provide some similar excitement!!


Day 7 and 8 were rest days.  A chance for the players to recuperate after the three matches of the group stage.

OK, Let's get straight to the action:

Day 9 - Match 1 in Regent - VV Biroud v Fursan FC
Wow, what a game.  A real thriller where the lead kept changing hands.  Biroud got off to a dream start, scoring from a corner in the 4th minute.  Fursan fought back hard, but conceded a second goal in the 35th minute after a sweet passing move by Biroud.  But just before half time, Fursan pulled one back after some neat work in the box by their star striker Tevez.
At half time you could sense that the Fursan goal had given them some belief and that they would fight really hard.  Which is what they did and they scored in the 48th minute.  2-2 and it was all to play for.  Fursan piled on the pressure and scored their third from a free kick on 62 minutes.  Was that it?  No chance.  Biroud's manager, made a change, bringing on their young striker, Van Hoogervord and taking off a defender. Would the gamble work?  Well, on 84 minutes the youngster pounced on a loose ball to score the equaliser, 3-3.
But Fursan's Tevez broke Biroud's hearts with a header in injury time.
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And that was it, Fursan progress and VV Biroud are out. 
VV Biroud  3-4  Fursan FC 
West End are preparing the catapults to fire the Biroud team back to Evergem.  But they will always be remembered for their fighting spirit (and the boiling oil!)


Day 9 - Match 2 in Oxford - PitchForkers v Wombats
This was the clash of the American MDs.  Which one would emerge the stronger?
It was an edgy affair, with both teams being cautious and concentrating more on not making mistakes than pushing for a goal.  PitchForkers were angry that they were not awarded a penalty on 39 minutes.  It looked like a hand ball by a Wombats defender, but the ref looked long and hard before saying NO.
Nil, nil at half time.
In the second half the Wombats upped the speed of the game and started to pressure the PitchForkers goal.  And the pressure finally paid on 71 minutes, with a blistering shot by Martins that came back off the post only to prodded home by Grimes.  One nil to the Wombats.  But Pat's team have fire in their bellies and they soon pulled one back, with a deflected goal on 79 minutes.
At the end of 90 minutes it was all square, so extra time was played.  Both teams looked tired and sure enough, it was a defensive error that caused the goal.  A mix up between two PitchForker defenders let the Wombats captain sneak between the two defenders and shoot home.  There were no other clear cut chances, so the match ended:
PitchForkers  1-2  Wombats
So tkirch's team are through - congratulations.  Pat, unlucky my friend, it was close.


Day 10 - Match 3 in Wardour:  Terrigal Mariners v West End United
There was a real party atmosphere in the stadium at Wardour.  The Mariners fans certainly made plenty of noise and it paid off when their team took an early lead on 10 minutes.  The rest of the first half saw plenty of action but no real clear cut chances.
The second half started and within 3 minutes West End were back in the game, with Collins, the big defender heading home from a corner.  The Mariners dug deep and were next to score on 77 minutes.  2-1.  But with just seconds to go, Cole got the ball on the edge of the box, played a neat one two and slotted home underneath the advancing keeper.
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2-2 and extra time beckoned.  West End had the best chance during extra time but were denied by the cross bar, so the game went to penalties. 
Penalties are a harsh way to decide a game, and it was harsh on the Mariners, they had two misses, so West End won 4-3 on penalties.
Terrigal Mariners  2-2  West End United
  (West End United win 4-3 on penalties)
West End United book their place in the semis and their fans are celebrating.  Tooheys team can feel very unlucky to go out on penalties.  It's a long flight back to Balnavia, and maybe one day a team from West End will make the journey.


Day 10 - Match 4 in Great Portland:  FC Manhattan v Los Pioneros De Canatlan
This stadium will host the final and both teams today thought they had a chance of being there.  But straight from the whistle it was Manhattan that were in charge.  Canatlan just didn't seem to get going today and on 32 minutes they fell behind to a crisply struck goal.
Half time gave the Pioneers a chance to re-group and the manager made a substitution.  Canatlan looked a little brighter in the second half and had a few chances, but on 68 minutes Manhattan scored a second and that was pretty much game over.  Canatlan tried to get back in but the Manhattan defence were just too powerful.
FC Manhattan  2-0  Los Pioneros de Canatlan
Well done Sebes.  The Mets party continues.  If any more fans arrive I don't know where we'll put them all!
And Heblem, thanks for taking part.  You have a fine MD in Canatlan, you can be sure I'll continue to visit it.

And so, to the semi finals next time:
Fursan FC v West End United in Great Portland
Wombats v FC Manhattan in Oxford.


Regent is fully developed now, so I thought I'd start winding it up now.  Here are some graphs and data views to summarise the city.

Population:  99,011
Commercial jobs:  57,335
Industrial jobs:  8,746

So a fair number of citizens commute outside of Regent:

11.01  Commute Times
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You can see that commute times have been brought down over the years.  Just as well, as it was starting to kill the city.



11.02  Road Congestion
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Most roads are flowing well.  A few hot spots - but I like that.  The red line at the top is the street that leads to the beach parking lots and I thought that this looked better as a street rather than a road.



11.03  Traffic Volumes
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Car is by far the most popular method of transport, but ferries are also popular, which considering the two inhabited island this is not so much of a surprise.



11.04  Ferry Usage
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And here you can see where the ferry usage is.



11.05  Zone Data
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This gives an idea of how I zoned the city.
1- City Centre
2- The Strip
3- Museum Park
4- Little Amsterdam
5- Heddon Golf Club
6- Mouse Point



11.06  Pollution
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Pollution was restricted to the main industrial areas plus the main roads.  Nothing too serious.



11.07  Education
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Regent was the first city when I really concentrated on making more realistic schools.  Before it was a case of making sure I had good coverage.  But here, I wanted the schools to look good more than be effective!  Having said that, they did a reasonable job I think.



11.08  Average Incomes
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I guess the level of education helps this.  But I don't recall seeing anyone else publish this graph, so I'd be interested to see or hear how Regent compares.



11.09  Residential Wealth
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And this shows that the vast majority of residents in Regent are in the medium wealth bracket.  The islands and South Bank developments helped bring some high wealthers into town.


I hope that these graphs were of interest to you and give you some idea as to how the city actually grew and works.

'til next time........ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Those are some impressive stats for a city of almost 100,000, Paul.
Commute times are looking good, traffic is moving right along and the other desirability factors are showing steady improvement just as we all hope they will. I noticed an upswing in car usage, but it's OK as long as it doesn't get out of hand. I'm impressed by the ferry usage, a method of transport still in my future.
I was especially interested in the zone data. I like the way you've scattered jobs throughout the city to keep commute times under control.
And your response made me laugh because I do the same thing! :D I just open my mind and wait for something to fall in! :P

Until next time...
Joan

Those are great stats! The city of Regent has grown steadily, so they probably need a bigger stadium now as well. No matter what the result of this tournament will be, the New Amsterdam fans would love to come again to West End, and raise hell (in party mode) in Little Amsterdam!

The New Dutch are thrilled to play in the semi-finals against the Sheboygan Wombats, The Blue White Legion was impressed by the outfits of the Biroud fans - causing that "biroud-like" clothing is a big hit in the wellknown department stores in Manhattan. The latest biroud-fashion is also worn by Mets fans that arrived today in Oxford
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Oh no, what a climax of that game. Well VV Biroud may have lost, but they have done so in style. This mayor couldn't be more proud! It seems that this style is now wearing off when you read the post above :D But now I read sebes his post, many things start to make sense now. Just a few hours ago, some Biroud villagers came to me asking for someone or something called "Intonet". They claimed that some Mets fans stopped them on the streets asking them where they could get such an outfit, they advised them to sell their clothing on the 'intonet' and they would become rich. I'm not real happy about that, because it seems that this 'intonet' is starting to become our next holy grail. Already knights who are normally responsible for city defence are talking about organising a quest to search for the intonet and already some beggers claim to have seen the intonet, trying to earn a goldcoin for their story. At this point the intonet is a very big and fluffly dragon-like acrobat in a pink outfit...people thought to have seen the intonet are advised to close windows and doors and contact local authorities. However a fun thing is that some West End city slang has given off on the Birouders, here's a small poem from these days to give you an example:

"Sir knights,take heed hither in hie
This deed on dergh we may not draw
Ye woot yourself as well as I
How lords and leaders of our law
Has given doom that this dote shall die.
aiiiight"


Thanks for posting all the stats, that is a nice conclusion for the end of a town. Like Jmouse I don't make much use of ferries either so this is quite an encouragement that they do work very well. Btw what Maxis genius came up with the idea to make the High Volume color blue for ferries? :)

After a thrilling match with VV Biroud, the FURSAN FC manager, Amadou Khalilo, personally made sure to congratulate their opponents on a match well-played.

"This was by far our toughest opponents so far this tournament," stated Khalilo. "My boys could learn a thing or two from them. Fantastic squad, hats off to them. It really couldve went either way."

Next up is West End United, and it will be the pre-tournament favorites against the host squad. A tough match, definitely, but here's the bigget announcement:

Upon witnessing Fursan FC's performance, Berber Dawa has announced that he will fly to West End to personally watch the Semi-Final and the Final, whether Fursan make it through or not. In addition, Dawa will also fly in a small QEC delegation to begin officially forming ties with West End based on cultural, diplomatic, and possibly economic terms.

Congrats to the teams who won! And nice states there! :thumbsup:

NOoooo!!!!!! Not a penalty shootout, what a way to lose. Congrats to West End, we'll get you next season.

Looking good Paul, except for the Mariners that is  :D

Like the stats, Joan must be in heaven  ;)

Consort looks great, especially the work you have done with the Martensen Stacks  :)

Cheers

Dave

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Joan:  I know you like a stat or two!!  I have to confess that with NAM I choose the setting for improved commute times (so maybe they're not so impressive now!).  As for the ferries.... I guess living on an island in RL means that I have a soft spot for water transport!  Clearly they're not suited to every tile but Regent is perfect having islands plus being on the mouth of a river.
And when you say you "open your head"...... I hope you don't mean literally - ouch!

Sebes:  I have the new stadium ready - but seeing as I've developed the tile now, I guess it will have to wait!  And the Nieuw Amsterdammers are welcome any time in West End.  I have so many Dutch bats in my plug ins that I have a feeling that most of my cities will have a certain Dutch feel about them.  And good luck for the semis.

Capo:  It's a shame Biroud have been knocked out.  Your MD is AWESOME and you've been a great supporter of West End - but that satanic machine has no emotion when it comes to the results.
And a great post from you as always "intonet" made me laugh.  And that poem is so, well, so West End ish!
Glad you liked the stat attack and I agree, using blue on the water wasn't a brilliant idea.  And whilst it's true that Maxis made some strange choices we should still all say THANK YOU MAXIS - they made SC4 and we all love it.  And by making it not quite perfect it has spawned so many GENIUSES who have Batted and Lotted and Modded and given rise to where SC4 is today.

Nedalezz:  Great post and nice words for Biroud in the true spirit of SC4D.  And West End is honoured by the presence of Berber Dawa himself.  I have read your response over at Qumma - thank you.  The West End government will meet with Berber Dawa to finalise the agreement - maybe he can find time in his schedule to sign the declaration!

Bat:  Thanks my friend.  You're approaching the 3500 posts, will you be the first on SC4D to hit that landmark?

Dave:  Penalties are cruel I know.  We'll miss the Mariners but hopefully you'll still pop by and leave your comments.  You're one of the few posters who tells me where I'm making mistakes - but always in a constructive way that helps me improve my city building (so I do appreciate it).



Welcome to the semi finals of the West End International Trophy.  Only four teams remain and excitement levels are rising all over West End, and in particular in Oxford and Great Portland, the two cities that are hosting the semi finals on Day 13 of the tournament.

Semi Final 1 in Great Portland:   Fursan FC v West End United
Fursan have been far from convincing so far in the tournament.  They had one big win and other than that have scraped through but today they were really professional and played a tight game and took their chance.
With just two minutes to go until half time, Fursan scored a well crafted goal.  A fast move down the left wing saw a perfect cross into the box and Fursan's star striker, Tevez, made no mistake.
West End threw everything at Fursan in the second half but it was not enough.
Fursan FC  1-0  West End United
So Fursan go to the final and West End United crash out.  At least they don't have far to travel home!  Congratulations to Nedalezz.  Berber Dawa was seen hugging Amadou Khalilo, he must be very proud of his team.


Semi Final 2 in Oxford:   Wombats v FC Manhattan
Manhattan played their group games in this stadium and looked right at home.  They took control from the start and went 1-0 up inside the first ten minutes.  Wombats fought back hard and looked as though they could get back into the game but at half time they were still a goal down.
In the second half Wombats changed formation and threw an additional striker up front.  Things just wouldn't fall for them and as the clock ticked on they became desperate and started punting long hopeful balls up towards their tall strikers.  But Manhattan coped well and hit on the break with just four minutes remaining to make it 2-0.  Mets fans went wild and at the final whistle went crazy.
Wombats  0-2  FC Manhattan.
The Mets make the final, well done sebes.  Tkirch, your team did so well and came close.  I am sure they will get a warm reception when they arrive home in Badger Bay.

So the final will be on Friday in Great Portland between Nedalezz' Fursan FC and Sebes' FC Manhattan.  Good luck guys - I plan to post the final result on Friday 30th November.


OK, Some pics.  I tried to decide how to finish off Regent.  I have to say I have spent more time on this one city square than any other, ever.  And I've really enjoyed it.  I also think I've learned a lot from it, mainly form your comments and suggestions and also from looking and learning from other MDs here on SC4D.  And I've got so much more to learn and so much I want to do next time.

Anyways, I'm going to finish with my personal top ten places in Regent.  I'll start with an overview that has a yellow circle for each location in the top ten.  Today I'll show numbers 10 to 6, with the top ten to some with the final of the tournament and my last day here in OSITM.

Regent Overview:
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Number 10  The Mirage
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Well, this is what Regent was all about initially - The Strip.  Home to casinos, hotels, beaches and tourist attractions.  The Mirage is the most luxurious hotel on The Strip and is a Regent icon - it HAD to be in the top ten.


Number 9  St Dagmars Church
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Here on Regent Island is this peaceful church.  I think it's a lovely BAT and I also like the setting, near to the coast and surrounded by trees.  Just a shame about those shadows!


Number 8  Royals Stadium, Royal Park and St Michaels
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Appropriate really considering the football tournament.  It's a pretty standard stadium but I like the setting, next to the park and church with a nice sea wall nearby.


Number 7  Heddon Country Club
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This was also from one of the early updates in Regent.  I'm not a golfer myself, but this place does appeal.


Number 6  Mouse Point, Regent Island
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Back to Regent Island for this scenic view point.  You can stand there and watch the ferries sail past and stare across at the South Bank.

Well, the next update is the last for Regent (top five), last for the football tournament (the final) and the last in OSTIM.

So, 'til next time...... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

And once again the crowd went bezerk....

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The Legion and the NNVB-officials are very proud to have made it to here, and play the finals in the NRG Stadium. Of course Fursan FC has the advantage of having played all games until now in that Stadium, the large and overwhelming Legion will probably outyell the Nedalezz suporters in that large stadium. One thing is for sure: normal life in Nieuw Amsterdam, and probably most of the Dutch America's will come to stand still Friday, when everybody will be watching this game on national television.

So far today for the competition: back to Regent. The 5 pics you show are a good choice. I love St Dagmars church. And, as these are the numbers 10-6 only, I can only imagine how nice the numbers 5-1 will be. In fact, I think to know 3 of the pics that you will be showing there - and wonder of your number 1 shot from Regent will be mine too.  :satisfied: 

You chose the highlights well, Paul. All are lovely and bring back pleasant memories of days gone by in Regent.
And I know what you mean about spending a lot of time developing a single quad. I get kind of attached to my cities in a way as I watch each one develop a personality of its own. Maybe that's one of the reasons we work so hard at the job of having fun! :D

Until next time...
Joan

Yes, great places there! Congrats to the teams which has won!

Looking forward to number 5 to 1!

The Blue White Legion is awaiting the start signal of the game between Fursan FC and FC Manhattan in the NRG Stadium in Greater Portland - with full convidence in their team:

GO METS!!

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Holland for ever - this is my favorite team !
No World Cup - but GREAT FOOTBALL PLAY !!!

REPLIES:

Sebes:  Your fans have been great - you deserve to be in the final and that's a great stadium shot - good luck!  I wonder which 3 pictures you had in mind - and I hope you like the choice!

Joan: Thanks, your comments hit the nail on the head.  You're always a welcome visitor to West End.

Bat:  Likewise, thanks my friend and good to see you here.

Silur: Welcome to West End - Feel free to visit again.



Welcome to day 16, the final day of the tournament.

There is a really buzzing atmosphere across West End today and the fans have been making plenty of noise and having fun.  The Mets fans have even taken to decorating the staues around Great Portland:
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As always one or two have too much to drink and cause trouble.  Luckily the West End police force were quick to identify trouble makers and take them away:
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And now over to Sir Bert Microchip for the final of the West End International Trophy
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Welcome to the NRG Stadium here in Great Portland.  The stadium is full with 45,000 fans here today.  The fans of FC Manhattan outnumber those from Fursan FC, but both sets are equally passionate for their team.  There are also many fans from across West End and the other regions who took part in the tournament.

Berber Dawa is in the Royal Box and is the guest of the West End government today.

Here is a shot of the stadium and the surrounding area.  Large screens have been erected in the plaza and in the riverside park, so that fans without a ticket can join in the party atmosphere.
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The teams walk out to a deafening cheer.  It's clear that the FC Manhattan fans are going to make loads of noise:
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The national anthems are played and both teams look tense.

The game starts and both teams are going for it.  The game has a real pace about it as chances are created for both sides.  The first great chance falls to Manhattan in the 12th minute but the Fursan keeper makes a finger tip save and pushes the ball onto the post and out for a corner.
On 25 minutes Fursan carve the Manhattan defence apart and their midfielder Ronaldo is going one on one with the keeper.  The keeper stands tall and Ronaldo shoots left, the keeper gets a touch but the ball bobbles into the net - 1-0 to Fursan.  The Fursan fans go wild.
The rest of the half goes by without any other clear cut chances.
At half time it's still close and all to play for.
Fursan get the second half underway and are straight away on the attack.  They look in control now but Manhattan dig deep and weather the storm.  Despite a few good chances, there is still only one goal in it.  Now Manhattan start to pass the ball around and are making some progress.  The young striker, Van Martins gets the ball on the edge of the box and is brought down - the referee points to the spot -penalty to Manhattan.  Van Martins steps up and shoots but the keeper guesses right and saves it.
And just two minutes later Fursan punish the Mets by scoring from a corner.  2-0 Fursan.
With just 15 minutes remaining the Mets make two substitutions and throw on an additional striker.
It looks as though it could pay off as Manhattan are looking the most dangerous now.  They create chance after chance and put the ball in the net but it is ruled out for offside.
And then with just 4 minutes remaining Fursan hit them on the break and score a third goal.  3-0 Fursan and surely that is it now. 
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Manhattan look broken now and have nothing left to give, the referee blows the final whistle and that's it:
Fursan FC  3-0  FC Manhattan

It was a great game and the scoreline is harsh on the Mets.  They hit the post, had a penalty saved and a goal disallowed.  But Amadou Khalilo can be proud of his team.  Up in the royal box Berber Dawa is cheering and clapping and smiling from ear to ear.  This result has put Qumman sport on the SimNations map!

The trophy is awarded by Sir Bert Microchip to Fursan FC
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And Nedalezz - with your permission I will also award the trophy within your MD.

So commiserations to sebes.  Your team played bravely and your fans were a joy to have in West End.  There were more fans from Nieuw Amsterdam than any other region.

And congratulations to Nedalezz and Fursan FC - your team took their chances when they needed to and are worthy champions.

Thank you to all who took part - I have really enjoyed putting on the tournament, I hope you have had some enjoyment from it too.

And now, to say goodbye to the tournament, the city of Regent and Of Special Interest of the Month, here are my top 5 pictures from Regent.

Number 5   South Bank Waterfront
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This part of South Bank grew to be quite a commercial hub of activity.  I just like the mix of building and the two matching towers.


Number 4   Anthony Haines High School
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One of the early pictures from Regent and probably the best school complex I have produced. 


Number 3   Museum Park
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The cultural centre of Regent, and arguably West End.  I just like the mix of building here.


Number 2   Martensen Stacks
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Thanks to capo's coastline tutorial I tried something a bit different with this.  This is my favourite "natural" piece I've put together.


Number 1   Little Amsterdam
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Little Amsterdam seemed so popular with you, that it had to be number 1.  This is my first published mosaic (thank you Joan for your tutorial).  You can see Little Amsterdam station at the top, down through Grolschenstraat, Lindengracht, Lake Capo, Capogracht and Sebes Park.  And Capo, you may even notice the bus mod I installed - London Red Double Deckers (and you still get the Maxis defaults as well).  I think this picture sums up Little Amsterdam living quite well.


I hope you all enjoyed Regent - I have!  I need to do some more development now on another tile before the next update, so


'til next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

The final game report is really fantastic! :thumbsup:
I love all pictures too, especially first two with decorated statues and cheerful De Mets fan  :D, Fursan fans with Ghana symbols are also my favourite :thumbsup:

And of course, congratulations for nedalezz and Fursan and also for De Mets and sebes  &apls
Shosaloza players still meditate, our girls still train soccer - who knows what will happen next time? ;)

Great tournament, great atmosphere and great West End promotion during all this special month! &apls

Your Top five is really very good, and well deserved first place for Little Amsterdam. West End not only looks good, it is also alive and full of very good ideas &apls

I will visit you with pleasure in future too :)

Congratulations Fursan FC and Nedalezz. It was an exiting game, and a spectacle to watch. Unfortunately de Mets had some tough luck against them....

As "Mighty Man" Mark van Martin missed the penalty it was clear that the game would not be ours..
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Also the fans back home in Nieuw Amsterdam realized that:
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And of course, some elements in town started making troubles, as here on Roosevelt Dreef.
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So Paul, if you ever organize a football event again, be sure to invite De Mets again!


Regarding your best shots for Regent: I had three different ones in mind : Grolschenstraat (south), The railjunction (near Central Station) and Central Market.  But your selection is great too, so we can just conclude that you presented us the best of all in this month.

And - thanks for getting the chance to be part of that all as well.

If I ever get my act together and start an MD about my region Nieuw Amsterdam I will dedicate an update to this tournament.

Thanks  :thumbsup:

Sebes.

Qumma has given an extended weekend in celebration of its history victory in West End, and also sends its congratulations to "de Mets" for a great run and heck of a game. Berber Dawa has promised ample rewards for his victorious boys, and a glorious parade upon their return home to Fursan.

I loved the school compound, very well done. The way you molded your MD, with a football updates and then pictures and information was a work of art. It really was a great month of entertainment. I dont remember ever checking a single MD so many times a day in anticipation of the next update!

That Ghana picture was incredddiiiblllle! I agree with Ennedi, it really was my favorite, and it made my day!

Ofcourse you have permission to present the trophy on my MD. Congratulations on a fantastic tournament!

Congratulations to the Fursan team for a fine performance. Berber Dawa and nedalezz have every right to enjoy a special celebration with them. :thumbsup: (Now aren't you glad I nagged you a little bit?! ;)) It looks like every team won at least one game (correct me if I'm wrong), and if so, that's great!
Once again you chose your photos well, Paul. Every one is a winner and the mosaic looks terrific. :thumbsup: I'll miss Regent, but I'm sure there's a lot more to come.
And even though all the November OSITMs will turn back into pumpkins at midnight, Cinderella has already proved it's just the beginning of something better! :)

Until next time...
Joan

Congratulations to the Fursan team! Such a great accomplishment from a small nations' team.

Quote from: paroch on November 28, 2007, 01:33:38 PM
Dave:  ......  You're one of the few posters who tells me where I'm making mistakes - but always in a constructive way that helps me improve my city building (so I do appreciate it).

With the demise of the Mariners, I'll be scrutinising especially hard now  %BUd% (only kidding)

Last couple of updates have been great. The school complex and cultural centre are nicely compiled and the
mosaic of Little Amsterdam, &apls &apls

And congrats to Fursan  :thumbsup:

Cheers

Dave

Wonderful new pictures there! And great top 5 places there! Also fantastic work on the high school area and Little Amsterdam!


Congrats to Fursan FC!

Been gone awhile on official unofficial business.  WOW I made it further than expected.

CONGRATULATIONS TO FURSAN FC


Love the new pictures.  I particularly love Anthony HAines High School.  That is the way a school should look.
And I also am very fond of the Museum Park.

REPLIES:

Ennedi:  Thanks for your kind words.  I think of you as one of the MD Gurus, so to get such encouragement from you is much appreciated.

Sebes:  It broke my heart to write that report :-[. You've been such a great supporter of the tournament that it was a harsh result.  And your choice of top 3 was also good!  I don't plan another tournament just yet - although if West End survives I guess there will be a follow up.
I look forward to your MD - I have a feeling it would be a special one.

Nedalezz:  Well, congratulations on the win  &apls - you were also a fantastic supporter of the tournament, so I'm glad it went to one of you!  And thanks for the kind words.  I have to admit I did enjoy the time in OSITM.  I know I also owe you naming rights of some future sites in West End - I will PM you on that subject.

Joan:  Chief Recruiterteermeister!  It wouldn't have happened without you - thanks.  The only teams not to win a game were Regent Royal, Wardouroda (my teams!) and Devotion All Stars (the one I made up for the SC4D team!)  I'm missing Regent too - I put a lot into it!  And good comment re pumpkins!

BoKriF:  Thanks for your visit - and thanks for your PM re establishing an embassy.

Tooheys (Dave):  LOL, scruitinise away my friend.  Whenever  I build a sea wall that is not quite level I can hear you in my head saying "well, that's not right is it!"

Bat:  Thanks - and congrats on your OSITM award!

Tkirch:  Cheers and thanks for the comments re the school - maybe I should enter it in the picture comp and see what happens!



UPDATE 12.


Well, I have to say that providing very regular updates during the football tournament was quite tiring.  So I've had a little rest.  I spent so much time on the Regent tile that I have struggled to concentrate on one tile since.  I keep flitting between Oxford (the capital), finishing the gaps in Great Portland and starting a new large farming/rural tile called Cavendish.

I'll need to decide exactly where to concentrate, but in the meantime, here are a few pics from Oxford:

12.01  Tennis Centre
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg210.imageshack.us%2Fimg210%2F865%2Fimg0010ls2.jpg&hash=f178c398f9e85aafc40dd4b2d90b7d78efc9a1ed)
And closer in:
12.02  Tennis Centre
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg359.imageshack.us%2Fimg359%2F5797%2Fimg0008gt2.jpg&hash=0cd25d1fb64bbb00c793ff91988730a470e8fcc5)

The idea was for a kind of mini-Wimbledon!  And don't worry, I'm not about to run a tennis tournament!  But hey, who knows what might happen in future!

12.03  Consulate of Qumma
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg263.imageshack.us%2Fimg263%2F909%2Fimg0006vp5.jpg&hash=012d788bb574cbadae60bbc8a44b7eaef2385d75)
Following Fursan FC's stunning win in the West End International Tournament and ongoing political discussions, Qumma have become the first nation to open a consulate in West End, here in Oxford.  This is a replica of the Presidential Manor in Fursan and was designed and built by Qumma's finest craftsmen.  I'm sure you'll hear more about the consulate in future updates.

12.04  Proposed Diplomatic Zone
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg84.imageshack.us%2Fimg84%2F5829%2Fimg0009ct4.jpg&hash=0dad0e29bf8af66181c05e6d1f4f6a9f637bea86)
The West End government is keen to establish political and diplomatic ties with other MDs/CJs/Regions.  It has set aside an area of the city to house the various embassies and consulates that it hopes to be built. 
West End formally invites Mayors/Governments to submit their proposal for an embassy or consulate here in West End.
Please just send a PM letting me know which building/Lot you'd like to represent your Region and I'll do my best to build it here.  I think this will make this corner of West End very multi-cultural and a possible interesting mix of building styles!

So, I look forward to receiving your embassy comments!


'til next time..... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Hey Paul, I was wondering which of the recent OSITM authors would come out of hiding first! ::) Guess everyone's a little tired out. /wrrd%& **Snores loudly**
I really like the idea of a diplomatic sector and have an idea I'll PM tomorrow. Qumma's Embassy looks great in its place of honor next to the garden.
Meanwhile you continue to do a great job. I expect December will be bit a bit sparse what with college finals, mid-terms, Christmas and other seasonal celebrations afoot, but I'm sure things will pick up after everyone sleeps off New Years Eve!

Until next time...
Joan

Quote from: paroch on December 05, 2007, 03:03:12 PM
(...)
Bat:  (...) and congrats on your OSITM award!
(...)

Thank you! ;)


Fantastic pictures of the tennis stadium and consulate of Qumma! Wonderful work on that! :thumbsup:

Im loving the Qumman Embassy! Great choice for a building; the Qumman Ambassador will feel right at home. Its an honour to beginning diplomatic relations with West End.

As for the update, as usual, great pics, great info, and great organization. The diplomatic quarter is fantastic idea, I totally agree with Joan.

Another greta update.

The Tennis Complex ....  Do I sense the West End Tennis Open around the corner.  Bjorn Borg vs Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Conners vs Jim McEnroe.  And Ann Kournakova in the stands next to me of course!

Awesome update my friend! I love the big tennispark, even though you say there will be no tennis tournament...the top tennis player from Biroud 'Roger Featherer' is practicing very hard. The fame that the VV Biroud players received when they came home seems to be a big stimuli for other athletes.

The consulates are an awesome idea and I really like how the proposed diplomatic zone looks, the building even looks like an embassy! I'd be honored to have a Biroud embassy in your city, I will get to work asap for an apropriate embassy building.

As always, excellent and creative work. It's not just the pictures that makes this MD an interesting one, it's the things that happen in your city that makes this MD so great. Keep it up my friend!

Nicely done Paul, love the tennis complex, that's one magnificent centre court  :thumbsup:

QuoteTooheys (Dave):  LOL, scruitinise away my friend.  Whenever  I build a sea wall that is not quite level I can hear you in my head saying "well, that's not right is it!"

Well as an Aussie, I would probably say "thats not bloody right" but close enough  :D

One suggestion if I may, the elevated highway should be pretty well flat. There will always be climbs and falls but they will generally be gradual and there shouldn't be any little "humps", these would normally be ironed out.

Looking forward to seeing the diplomatic zone.

Cheers

Dave

PS:12.03 seems to be missing.

The QEC would like to congratule West End for their successful entry into the Qumman market, and would like to specifically thank Ulrtan Fuels and Parochian Steel, with the latter becoming only the 2nd factory to open for business in Qumma. Furthermore, we believe that both companies will go a long way in helping Qumma economically grow, and their success will encourage other foreign investors to do business in Qumma.

The QEC views the country of West End and its people as kind, friendly, and helpful souls and have such exempted West End manufactured products from any import tax in Qumma. This will encourage Qumman traders and importers to consider West End when it comes to buying their goods, as they can now get it into the country cheaper than any other. We also have drawn up a buyers guide for all Qumman traders, introducing them to all big and reputable West End companies.

We hope this signifies only the beginning of an everlasting relationship that will be very beneficial for both countries. Thank you again, our brothers and sisters of West End.

If there is interest in viewing and reading information about the new companies that opened up in Qumma, please visit the Qumman MD.

REPLIES:

Joan:  You're right, OSITM was tiring /wrrd%&.  Plus with the run up to Christmas I've had a lot of after work stuff, so less time for SC4.  Thanks for your comments and your PM.  I will come back to Oxford and the diplomatic zone - but I've been working on something else first.

Bat:  Thanks as always.

Nedalezz:  Thanks for your support and glad you like the embassy building (it had to be a Mbear one of course).

Tkirch:  Thanks and no, I can assure you there is no tennis tournie around the corner ;).  I may weave in a storyline that features it though.  Also, a BIG thank you for the link to the Region Census.

Capo: Very kind words there - I appreciate your comments.  And Roger Featherer made me laugh :D.  Maybe I can incorporate him in the story when I come back to Oxford.

Dave/Tooheys:  Yeah that centre court is an amazing building.  10/10 to the creator.  And thanks for the comment re the highway.  I now have the slope mod installed which will help.  Because I'm playing on a pre-formatted map, the terrain is quite bumpy and I often forget to flatten it before certain projects.  I'm hoping for your input on the pics in this update, 'cos boy, do I need your advice for the TPW.  And 12.03 seems to be there now - I know Image Shack does some weird things sometimes.

Nedalezz:  I love the way you build your story and how you phrase your updates and comments - thanks, I am enjoying the Qumma/West End link up.


UPDATE 13:

I thought it was time for a region overview.  Population figures are now:
Residential:  464,478
Commercial:  226,895
Industrial:  68,186

And thanks to Tkirch for pointing me in the direction of Region Census, here are some region shots:


13.01  Region overview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg512.imageshack.us%2Fimg512%2F2324%2Fregion004cp5.jpg&hash=031eed95d076f336285193b75b95bc3768224426)
You can see that development has focussed on the east coast and moves inland.  That west still looks pretty wild though!


13.02  BIG region view:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg112.imageshack.us%2Fimg112%2F6347%2Fregion003gj3.th.jpg&hash=c24fb74068fb5bd288870e6f169c4a0488d9e89f) (http://img112.imageshack.us/my.php?image=region003gj3.jpg)
Click on the thumbnail for the full size pic.


Interest in the diplomatic zone has been limited, so I have focussed on Cavendish, a large tile that looked suitable for a rural/farming community.


13.03  Cavendish Region View:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F3447%2Fregion001dr8.jpg&hash=e6ad2831603006fd5a57a60033287b9a4b18c688)
And this is the tile I've been working on recently.  It has a nice valley between the two sets of hills.  This land is very fertile, so is ideal for farming.  It's also home to West End's first TPW river.  The River Caven.
The odd empty square in the top right is the Cavendish Wind Farm - see below.
I have planted more trees since this pic.


13.04  Cavendish Traffic View:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg527.imageshack.us%2Fimg527%2F4209%2Fregion002lq9.jpg&hash=138929d4c003c13588d691f9fb144c907c44ce53)
You can see that two motorways skirt the edges of Cavendish.  The one to the right goes into Oxford.  The one on the left goes south into Great Portland and north into the undeveloped area.
The green "A" road is the main route through Cavendish.  I've not numbered the roads yet.
There's only one station in the whole tile so far.  This part of the railway is not the mainline, so traffic is reasonably light.


13.05  Cavendish Wind Farm 1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg147.imageshack.us%2Fimg147%2F9703%2Fimg0011jc8.jpg&hash=ca574b3c9a8b56461f0991645d0f6f7670c32e39)
The Wind Farm is arguably Cavendish's most striking feature.
Here you can see that a large area of forest was cleared on top of the hill to make room for this wind farm.  The people of West End are aware of the environment and agreed to erect these large turbines, evn if they're not the prettiest things.
You can see the generating plant and the connection down to the main grid.


13.06  Cavendish Wind Farm 2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg134.imageshack.us%2Fimg134%2F1554%2Fimg0003op1.jpg&hash=ddd8ca899ac7f46e62477151819b5874b013b021)
Here we zoon in a bit.  There's a fence around the farm to keep trespassers out (thanks for the link Joan).
In game I just love the way the windmills move, the shadows work beautifully too.


13.07  Cavendish Wind Farm 3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg84.imageshack.us%2Fimg84%2F6733%2Fimg0002rj7.jpg&hash=f3ee063d438bc53154315c08db21bb46a3ebdc88)
And here we zoom again.  You can see the gate house and the generating plant - and those great windmill shadows!


13.08  Riverside Hamlet
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg504.imageshack.us%2Fimg504%2F1078%2Fimg0005as6.jpg&hash=561fc80475fa5ed3adc1cc840c4a856acded19f4)
So here's my first attempt with the Transparent Ploppable Water.  I know it's not a brilliant effort, so any input, advice or feedback from you guys (and definitely from you Dave) would really be welcomed.  Maybe there's a tutorial you can recommend?
Anyways, here are a few houses that people who have always dreamt of a countryside retreat would like to have.


13.09  Transition
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg86.imageshack.us%2Fimg86%2F7189%2Fimg0006rn7.jpg&hash=ac762ea4d32385a86a538938b4d3cad5ae992317)
From TPW river, to canal.  I struggled to decide how to do this - Hiding the connection under a bridge was the best I could think of.  There must be something a bit more subtle - so any ideas are welcomed.


13.10  Green Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg156.imageshack.us%2Fimg156%2F676%2Fimg0007no2.jpg&hash=2f0494534d4c5c83c75388e90f0fa89fc7975d9f)
Here is one of the bridges over the River Caven.  I followed the "land bridge tutrorial" from on this site and it was very useful.  I'm pleased with the result apart for the fact that I could not plop water under all of the bridge. 


13.10  Covered Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg530.imageshack.us%2Fimg530%2F476%2Fimg0008sc3.jpg&hash=d3d41ee0ae882eabfabd639bf102acade65e7c5f)
I really like the Dutch Barn Farm.  And the bridge is quite interesting.  But again, I couldn't get the TPW under all of the bridge - help!!!


13.11  Stone Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg206.imageshack.us%2Fimg206%2F2854%2Fimg0010wn1.jpg&hash=5dda51248553a1e65b94c5776b8d58d7202f4a16)
Now, I really like this bridge.  The slope mod works a treat in making it look good - BUT that pesky TPW again.  I really need some advice here guys and girls!


13.12  Riverside Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg337.imageshack.us%2Fimg337%2F3594%2Fimg0009ir8.jpg&hash=e74765d08e8d54a369130630f2b3c4a2079d1db3)
A riverside farming scene.  I like the greenhouses there.


I hope you've enjoyed this first visit to Cavendish.  Next time I'll show you more of the town itself and the surrounding countryside.

'til next time........ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Nice update and great pictures Paul. The greenhouse in 13.10 caught my eye, but the ones in 13.12 are awsome indeed. I love greenhouse, especially in the evening and night: they set the area in such a great glow !

Thanks so much for the full-size region photo - you know how much I like to see "The Big Picture!" ;). I hope you'll update it as WEST END grows.
I really like the winding road in 13.05, and as a fan of shadows, I like 13.07 as well.
The neighborhoods look good, and I think you've done a very good job on the TPW, especially for your first time out.
I've been experimenting with it myself, and here's a link to some grass (and lots of other good flora) that I found helpful:  Linkie (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=921)
13.09 is way out of my realm %confuso, but I imagine Dave will offer some suggestions. The stone bridge in 13.11 looks really good and adds a lot to the rural atmosphere.
And if you don't mind, I have a suggestion after looking at 13.12: Consider backing off on those farm fields by the water by a grid or two and replace them with the trees, rocks -- and grass if you decide to use it! I live in a rural area and I've seen some of the huge machinery used in the fields. In RL it would be impossible to tend fields that close to the water. Besides, your riverbank is a jewel and deserves a special setting all it's own! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

Hehehe, welcome to the trials and tribulations of TPW  ;)

First of all, a great update, and despite the obvious problems under the bridges, you have done a fine job with the TPW.  :thumbsup:

There are a several different options with the TPW, but only one offers the 1/2 size lot. This does help a bit when in tight quarters, although I have found through a bit of experimentation, the longer the bridge span, the better the result.

13.10, well keep experimenting, sooner or later you will get the TPW to plop how you want it. You could always place a boulder or two there.

13.10 (No.2  :) ) and 13.11. With such narrow spans, from my experience, it will be difficult to get a reasonable result. The covered bridge and narrow spans just don't seem to work well with the TPW. Having said that, you can sometimes fluke a combination that looks great (although you might have noticed, the view angle also has a big impact).

Paul,  I'm afraid I'm not much of a teacher, regardless, feel free to PM me anytime. But my best advice, find a free tile, create a TPW river/creek/steam and experiment.

I will be watching with interest to see what you can come up with.

Cheers

Dave

wow -- cool overview and the region is really great the mountains the rivers, and the settlement fits well together...also nice idea on the transition!! i think ill try it too..hehe!

These are some great new pictures there, paroch! And wonderful river there, too! Also a fantastic overview of that city.

Wow, huge update! Fantastic one at that, too!

The Region Census looks great! I downloaded it but never figured out how to work it :(

I am loving Cavendish! Its so calm, quiet, very rural small town America feel. I like the houses near the ploppable water, which IMO you did a fantastic job on. And the transition between the canals and the ploppable water doesnt look bad at all!

My favorite pics of the update have to be the two 13.10s with the bridges. That is just beautiful.

Paul i picked a wonderful time to poke my head back in here... Well wow lets see here to start im gonna say about 13.9 and that is the most creative way of hidding the transition that i can think of wow!!!

OK on to 13.10 green bridge: What ive found useful is what dave said have a larger span works the best and in that small of span i would use the bigger size TPW and plop till its right... If i still had a gap i would cover it up with some rocks and what not... thats the best i can offer on this one

13.10 Covered bridge:  OK i noticed the gap in there and the only way to avoid a gap like that when trying to place tpw is to have a flat land under the bridge... Of course that means before you place the bridge and while you have the river flowing with game water is to make sure its flat there...

13.10 stone bridge: Well that is very good and the only fault is the gap in tpw and that can be again covered with rocks and water flora that would work and for water flora check here [linkie] (http://gizmo.lunarpages.com/index.php?action=filedownload&sa=miscmods) and you have to be registerd at gizmo's site to get the mod and its waterflora mod you want...

OK Paul in other news the update in a whole is wonderful and really enjoyed it!!! if you havent seen what i do with PW and TPW check out my MD and that will give some and i do say some helpful pointers by pics... See you soon pat

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions - it's what makes this such a great forum.  You guys are certainly helping me build better cities with your support, tutorials and ideas - THANKS. &apls

Sebes:  Yeah, those greenhouses reminded me of flying into Schipol at night.  Loads of HUGE greenhouses lit up for miles (or is that kilometres?)

Joan:  No worries - I'm glad you liked the region shot.  And big thanks for the linkie, I've downloaded them and played about already.  Thanks for your comments re the winding road and shadows - I knew you'd like the shadows!
And I've re-worked 13.12 (see below)

Tooheys:  Thanks for the comments and the thumbs up.  Not sure how I managed two 13.10's ()what()
But I have re-worked the covered bridge - to much better results, so thanks for the tips. :P

Suplado:  Welcome to West End - your first comment I believe.  Thanks for your comment and I have enjoyed your pictures in the competition - I must come over to your MD.

Bat:  Thanks my friend - Glad you liked the overview.

Nedalezz:  The Region Census confused me a little to start with because it kept delivering an error message - but ignore this and then select "file" and "open region" then locate it from your regions folder and away you go.  If you need any help just PM me and I'll try to help.  Glad you like Cavendish.  Small town UK/Europe is what I'm aiming for, but I'll take the compliment anyway :thumbsup:  Bridges re-worked below, hopefully you'll like these too.

Pat:  Good to see you again.  It's funny, because I thought the transition in 13.9 was "cheating" but a few of you liked it, so I'll use it again ::)  Thanks for the linkie, I've now downloaded them.  And yes, I will study your pics in more detail - after all, you are the daddy of water and waterfalls!!

OK, after all your comments I re-worked the bridges and some of the riverbank - here they are:

13.13  New Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg104.imageshack.us%2Fimg104%2F4811%2Fimg0012mz1.jpg&hash=3dd559aa92bf187f031f4aa26e3721fbaf52eff5)
This was the 13.10 Covered Bridge.  OK, so it's not so "small town" but I think the effect is loads better.


13.14  Stone Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg158.imageshack.us%2Fimg158%2F8923%2Fimg0014dt7.jpg&hash=be6d254c019a0600678e53ad7db6022dab5d568a)
Now, in re-working 13.11, the span got bigger.  I kinda preffered just the one arch, but think that the water looks better here.  And as Dave said, the angle of the pic is all important - here it's swung through 180 degrees.


13.15  Riverside Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg104.imageshack.us%2Fimg104%2F2050%2Fimg0013rq5.jpg&hash=9ca9cf38b737c51d433180ec8c6dd413766c04de)
This is the 13.12 picture re-worked.  I've taken Joan's suggestion and pushed the fields back a bit.  I think to good effect, so thanks Joan.  I play the game in constant daylight, so must turn night "on" to see if those greenhouses light up.


Well, not really an update, more a re-date!!!

'til next time.....

Oh yes, yes, yes Paul! :thumbsup: These are exciting improvements you've made. The riverbanks look so much better, and you were able to keep that lovely stone bridge. Also I like the variety of elements you've used next to the water.
Actually, I like the two arches in the stone bridge, too, but I wonder where you got the flora in the near-bottom center in the water. It looks like some I've discovered in LE, but what I found is a prop and not available to plop. I like it, though.
Anyway, you're way ahead of me on TPW and bridges, but I'm thinking of trying a small pool "just to get my feet wet." ::)
No awful pun intended, of course! :P

Until next time...
Joan

Nice pictures of that river which is looking great! Also wonderful work! :thumbsup:

cool pics...really like the small town and the farm fields looks great!!

Nice update. The Qumman Consulate looks nice.

I've been busy, but as soon as I can play SC4 I will make the West End Embassy for the appointed ambassador.

Paul I love how well you took everyones thoughts and Idea's and then you improved upon your last update... Keep Up the hard work and btw ima mer apprentice I would call Rayden or David True Fathers of Water works...

@ Paroch

That little industrial in your picture 13/07 does look like a power plant. Great idea.  :thumbsup:

The new bridges look great! Your work with the ploppable water (I believe that is what the river is made of) is fantastic, and the way you place the stones, rocks, and trees around it is so life-like. Very nice stuff!

REPLIES

Thanks for all who viewed and left comments:

Joan:  Hey, you liked it then?!  It's nice when your efforts are appreciated - so thank you :)  As for the water flora - it was the linkie provided by Pat just above (BIG thanks to Pat).  It's over at Gizmo's site, you will need to register first and it's the Water Mod under "miscellaneous mods".  Here's the linkie again http://gizmo.lunarpages.com/index.php?action=filedownload&sa=miscmods

Bat:  thanks as always. :thumbsup:

Suplado!:  Thanks for your visit.  I finally got round to visiting your MD - WOW :o

BoKriF:  Thanks for your visit and comment.  I will very soon build the Liberty Islands embassy - I'll PM you a preview!

Pat:  Hey, nice comment, cheers.  For me, part of the appeal of an MD is that people are good enough to make suggestions and more often than not they are great suggestions that help me improve what I do.  You're a modest guy.  Not checked out Rayden's work but will do so.

Jmyers:  I have a lot of your BATs and I love them, so a comment from you is MUCH appreciated.
I must confess that the "power plant" grew by chance - but the minute I saw it I made it historical!

Nedalezz:  Thanks for the great comment.  I must confess that the Ploppable Water is fun to work with and I'm pretty pleased with the results and glad you are too.


UPDATE 14  - More from Cavendish

14.01  Cavendish Overview
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg266.imageshack.us%2Fimg266%2F5742%2Fcitycavendish01bd4.jpg&hash=08edc688b021e4bd8c5e0421c19f30f79551a272)
Cavendish is a large tile rural farming community that sits in a valley.  There are high hills on either side and the River Caven flows through the farmland.  The whole of Cavendish borough is home to 9,848 people, the majority of whom live in the town of Cavendish itself.  There is one other small town in the borough, Lane, plus a few villages.  There are 5,208 commercial jobs (again mainly in Cavendish itself) and 5,390 industrial jobs, the bulk of which are spread across the numerous farms.
There is a small industrial estate down in the South East of the borough next to the Motorway and the border with Oxford.

The South West corner of the borough has yet to be developed and is likely to be taken up with more farms.


14.02  Farms and Power Lines
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg299.imageshack.us%2Fimg299%2F7721%2Fimg0015lx4.jpg&hash=01f28cdf3b0db60fbe3900583cb4e5ebc1f773bb)
Here the farms are bisected by the power lines that come down from the wind farm up in the hills.  You'll see that flowers are grown extensively in Cavendish.  They are high quality and are exported daily all over the SimWorld.


14.03  Farms, River and Small Settlement
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg523.imageshack.us%2Fimg523%2F527%2Fimg0016ge7.jpg&hash=fac37587ed9a6307c61435a7a12d8c491c7ffdd0)
This is the same bridge as in 13.13 above.  The small village is a sought after location, with its own school.


14.04  Stone Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg211.imageshack.us%2Fimg211%2F5291%2Fimg0017qo2.jpg&hash=8ee48df29219d56b87d33610563e0dd356e1a593)
This bridge seemed popular, so here it is, zoomed out with a view of the surrounding fields.  That vineyard is one of the main wine producers in West End.  The climate isn't really good enough for top quality wine, but they produce a half decent sparkling wine - our version of champagne.


14.05  Orchards
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg143.imageshack.us%2Fimg143%2F126%2Fimg0018ui0.jpg&hash=47a1969fed28dcebb4cc1fe07d4db4b72bb1f9df)
Plenty of fruit grown in the valley as well.  Pears and apples are the two main crops.


14.06  More Farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F112%2Fimg0031he1.jpg&hash=e9d9ee36d3383a7cc8bd51e2843a749a0c9e9e5b)
This shot is from the very south of the borough.  You may recall I was having seriously weird shadow issues in some of my Regent pics - they seem ok here.


14.07  Cavendish centre
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg299.imageshack.us%2Fimg299%2F1669%2Fimg0019ai9.jpg&hash=6d68605a179bedd56b71623855fe2c86b9c93e78)
I must confess that this town was not planned particularly well regarding zoning - everything is a bit mixed in together.  But I kinda like the result.


14.08  Station Square
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg297.imageshack.us%2Fimg297%2F3981%2Fimg0020pe1.jpg&hash=9b81c8a03b1fa6702312c99c17eb65915bbb63a8)
The rail line through  Cavendish is not on the West End main line, so trains are not that frequent.  But plenty of freight trains take the produce out of town.  Some townsfolk travel by train to Oxford to the main financial district.


14.09  Cavendish School
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg520.imageshack.us%2Fimg520%2F5781%2Fimg0021gz2.jpg&hash=b8105251928a7e45bbc81260c18653a031dd3566)
Here's the main school in Cavendish.  First time I've used this park set - what do you think?
I would really love an athletics track on grass, a bit like the football pitch, but an athletics track painted on to grass.  They are so common in English schools that I'd use it in most of my schools.  Does any one know of one or do you think it's something that could be easily produced??  Could I produce one - never done a bat and only basic lots before??  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.


14.10  Smart Neighbourhood
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg529.imageshack.us%2Fimg529%2F8236%2Fimg0022xk5.jpg&hash=b1c9ce106b3bef9c5282dd7b7128bca549113985)
Here's a nice leafy neighbourhood just north of the station.  These houses crop up a lot in West End.  I think this pic is "typically West End".


14.11  Lavender Row
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F2478%2Fimg0023qs1.jpg&hash=b7ea8d4885aa68c35df88e232de8916f21fc85b1)
Here the main A road enters the centre of Cavendish.  A side road runs either side, so this gives easy access to the main road but also means traffic on the residential roads is lighter.  As a result some serious "executive homes" have been built.  Either side of the main road is row after row of lavender.  I made this lot using capo's tutorial - simple but it achieved the look I wanted.


14.12  Cavendish Tykes
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg176.imageshack.us%2Fimg176%2F3017%2Fimg0024dp5.jpg&hash=ddeae9c355843b6b99d09dbf2b6606a0de7afb8b)
Here's the home of Cavendish's own football team - the Tykes.  Small town, small team, small stadium!  The trouble is that many residents are fans of either West End United in nearby Oxford, or FC Portland in nearby Great Portland.


14.13  Snake Pass
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg90.imageshack.us%2Fimg90%2F5606%2Fimg0025oq9.jpg&hash=dce8599e5b5d16bf60716f9aab2662fc588e25a0)
There are two routes from Cavendish east into Oxford.  One is on the fast, modern, safe motorway.  The other is this road, snake pass.  It winds its way up and over the hills.  The road is old, slow and dangerous, but the views are great and it is still very popular.


14.14  Helvetia Manufacturing
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg212.imageshack.us%2Fimg212%2F9725%2Fimg0026bz4.jpg&hash=ce158975469bbb56843510dfe9b849cac1ca1803)
I try to play SC4 with as little "cheating" as possible.  But sometimes money gets tight.  I don't use a money tree, or other such lot.  I use the Helvetia Manufacturing plant.  It seems to generate about §1,500 taxes and provides some high tech jobs.  (I also sometimes use the oil rig).
Helvetia are one of the largest employers in all of West End, and here in their Cavendish plant they make components for the automotive industry.


14.15  Industrial Estate
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg176.imageshack.us%2Fimg176%2F5263%2Fimg0027zj2.jpg&hash=190ab1f7817c00df4b65522cf44b8554c923eeb6)
Straddling the motorway on the Oxford border is this industrial estate.  You can see that there are some waste to energy plants plus various small scale industrials.


14.16  Lane by day
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg211.imageshack.us%2Fimg211%2F629%2Fimg0030id3.jpg&hash=f55fdfb056054cacdad76f7999e1eccd90599f01)
Here is the "second" town in the borough, Lane.  It's a self contained small town/large village with its own school, church, police station, fire station and a few shops.  You can see it nestles between the main A road and the river.  I think it's a cute kind of place.


14.17  Lane by night
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg527.imageshack.us%2Fimg527%2F2445%2Fimg0029wu5.jpg&hash=5fbab78ee4039a946d4c9153362ca95d22a6c03d)
And when I was over at Gizmo's site I couldn't resist downloading this mod.  I know there's nothing fancy or flash about this picture, but I think it sums up just what a sleepy place Lane really is!



NEXT TIME.......  I've had limited interest in the Diplomatic zone so far.  Evergem/Biroud and Liberty Islands are due to open embassies in Oxford and Wildcat Junction is drawing up plans for a Trade Office.  So, please feel free to send me your suggestions or ideas for your region to be represented in West End.

I've also got that south west corner of Cavendish to fill in, so maybe we'll be back here for one last peek!


'til next time........ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Absolutely love the city overview, Paul. A few small towns surrounded by farm land looks so realistic. You'd think it would be an easy setting to create, but so far it's been beyond my abilities. I always end up packin' 'em and stackin' 'em!
The farms look great, and you've done a good job on the riverbank.
Also, I love the closeup of the little town (14.07), and the more upscale neighborhoods look very nice as well.
As for the grass track, you might find what you want in the LE. I'm certainly no expert, but I do have a few tips I can send in a PM when time permits.
Snake Pass certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but scenic as you pointed out. Are you planning to add anything to the roadside?
The industrial area (14.15) fits in well, and the "second" town (14.16) is delightful, especially at night! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

It's a lovely rural area Paul, a joy to look at. I agree with Joan above me, it looks so simple to make, but I never ever had a rural area that even came close to Cavendish. So, you did an excellent job there my friend! 

Wonderful overview of that city. Looks beautiful! And great work on the farms. Also nice pictures of the city...

Thanks.
I like those rural curvy roads. :)

Cavendish looks great, my friend! The town looks fantastic, and I love all the farms and the windy roads. Excellent job! I'll be looking forward to seeing more!

cool pics!! the overview looks so realistic, nice town and great attention to details

Wow, monster update! I cant tell you how gorgeous Cavendish and Lane are; just spectacular. Your ploppable river is so realistic, and the river beds lined with trees are as well. I especially adored shots 14.03 and 14.16!

REPLIES:

Joan:  I hope you had a great Christmas and that all of your plans paid off.  Thanks for your nice comments (as always!).  I really enjoyed creating Cavendish and was pleased with the result, so I'm glad you appreciated it.  I have played around with Lot Editor (see below) and found a track in there, so watch this space.  As for Snake Pass - I have no plans to put anything beside the road, but you know me, always open to suggestions &idea

Sebes:  Hi, I hope you're well.  And hey, thanks for the comment, it's nice to hear things like that - maybe with these compliments I should stick to the rural stuff!

Bat:  Thanks as always.  I know you've had a busy month with Capporth being in OSITM, so I'm impressed you still have time to visit so many MDs so regularly. :thumbsup:

BoKriF:  Good to see you here again, thanks.

Thundercrack:  Hey, long time, no see&smrt!  I hope you're doing well.  Thanks for your comments, I'll make sure there are more rural updates to come.

Suplado!:  Thanks for your comment, I'm glad you liked the overview pic.

Nedalezz:  You know I'm a big fan of what you've produced in Qumma, so comments like that from you make me very  ()stsfd()



UPDATE 15:   My first forays into Lot Editor

OK guys, a slightly different update from me this time........Following Capo's Lot Editor Tutorial in his MD, plus Joan's suggestion that I could find what I wanted, I finally had a go.  So here are some pics of what I've produced.  You'll see them being introduced to West End over the coming updates.

Your comments are always welcomed - suggestions you guys have given me have always helped me produce something better......

15.01  Tennis Courts:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg186.imageshack.us%2Fimg186%2F5457%2Fimg0002un8.jpg&hash=310e7edf613560ee919d1da983055684a30919ed)
So simple really.  It bugged me that I could not find a single court with a fence.  Yeah, sure, there's PEG's brilliant tennis park (two courts) and there's one that has four courts, but I wanted one on its own, that I could combine if I wanted to.  So here it is.  I used Jestarr's chainlink fence.


15.02  Fences:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg181.imageshack.us%2Fimg181%2F1622%2Fimg0004wn5.jpg&hash=cd311e12ca3306b31c0ab4944c0cd97eb746a6d6)
It also bugged me that whenever I built parks, other than the BSC Park Wall, I struggled to fence them in. Now, I like the BSC Park Wall, but I wanted a bit of variety.  The two park sets I use the most are BSC and SFBT, so I created straight and corner fences for each....The pic shows the BSC Grass texture with Jestarr's Park Fence, A wooden fence (I think it is Maxis), Jestarr's Chainlink Fence and Jestarr's Security Fence.
I added the BSC alignment arrows to make them easy to plop.


15.03  Changing Rooms and Hot Dogs:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg297.imageshack.us%2Fimg297%2F7752%2Fimg0005pj1.jpg&hash=c40a4bd221dd2c5a1a14433b52b93417ac61e719)
Another thing that I wanted in my parks, were changing rooms for the footie players.  You often see nice parks and pitches in MDs, but where do the players get changed?  Well here's the answer.  They are portable classrooms (I think from Deadwoods).  Set up in two configurations.  One with dugouts for the coach and subs and one with benches for the mums and dads to sit with the bags whilst their kids get changed.
And I also wanted somewhere to buy a hot dog, or an ice cream.  I wanted an ice cream van (does anyone else outside of England have ice cream vans??) but couldn't find one.


15.04  Changing Rooms in Action:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg169.imageshack.us%2Fimg169%2F181%2Fimg0007ex4.jpg&hash=3240f8a5ef9728d9d7893264da8f0360cbebfdfa)
And here they are in situ.  I wouldn't usually use both sets - just wanted to see what they looked like.


15.05  Library, Fire Station and Junior School:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F2217%2Fimg0011vh8.jpg&hash=4c369582cde298d416f842bc799de8b4a060113b)
The main thing that drove me to do these was Maxis insistence on putting parking lots at the rear of buildings with no access.  So I just re-jigged a few lots.  With the library I added some trees and benches as a nice place to sit and read.  And with the school I fenced it in but left access to where I'd place the playing field.


15.06  Football Pitches:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg179.imageshack.us%2Fimg179%2F8564%2Fimg0014sk1.jpg&hash=8e5b2210cd50b467616b3f20d53bc1614e5111c5)
All across England you'll find football pitches.  So, I just wanted to create some variety.  These are not stadiums, just pitches for small local teams, both kids and adults.  They'll be empty most of the week, but come Saturday and Sunday they'll have plenty of games going on.  I wanted somewhere to park, plus somewhere to change. 


15.07  More Football:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg168.imageshack.us%2Fimg168%2F3599%2Fimg0015ue1.jpg&hash=cb2f168dc8f0c06b3ad61d73dfc914c2201b2689)
Just a slightly different configuration.


15.08  More Football:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg169.imageshack.us%2Fimg169%2F9022%2Fimg0019gl1.jpg&hash=7e7fa5707a6d1e1ebae28de576e84e5a7e9bef01)
With or without fences.  These will be used mainly for schools.


15.09  Construction Site:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg180.imageshack.us%2Fimg180%2F5973%2Fimg0016ly1.jpg&hash=b03bdeff98967701dba15d435aa121771d953b48)
I've seen plenty of people use construction zones and they do look good, so I though I'd see what I could do.  I couldn't do a tall crane as the tower pieces only seemed to work from one direction!  But this is a start I guess.


So, how do some of these look "in game"?

15.10  High School:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg175.imageshack.us%2Fimg175%2F5637%2Fimg0066cq4.jpg&hash=541eb1b275bd247d06dfc49c4a3edadb43d8f6c5)
The school was made using props by Deadwoods and RP (zero7).  SFBT park textures surround the school.  Custom lots for the tennis, running and football.


15.11  City Jail
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg175.imageshack.us%2Fimg175%2F3661%2Fimg0065ua4.jpg&hash=633990a13b52dfc012fcb5026bd70d3f0d33109e)
Here is Great Portland City Jail.  Custom lots include the farm fields and the fences. 


And I also played around with a few junction ideas (thanks Pat).......

15.12  Roundabout Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg257.imageshack.us%2Fimg257%2F460%2Fimg0068zd5.jpg&hash=49b2882311549a44e0e5a06138b8cf22bd894768)
Possibly the most common junction type in the UK (or certainly in Essex!)  Highway raised over a roundabout.  Shame I couldn't make the roundabout rounder!


15.13  Avenue /Double roundabout / Highway Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F5107%2Fimg0070jr1.jpg&hash=803d08027bce81112d93fa3373af85d63448a809)
I never realised that the NAM avenues could have one way roads coming off just one side!  So once I found this, I created this junction.  Remember we're Left Hand Side of the road here!  This junction is really busy and I enjoy just sitting watching the traffic zip about it.  You'll also see I got rid of the Maxis standard train at last.  Red double decker bus in bottom left corner as well.


15.14  Crazy Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg247.imageshack.us%2Fimg247%2F9638%2Fimg0071xr7.jpg&hash=9f82b50c05fd7eae39fb3df55ea9f5e539e3c0fc)
Now, this is based on the junction of the M25 and A127, about 8 miles from where I live.  It looked good in my head, but the one-way raised roads did some things I didn't expect which resulted in it looking like a roller coaster!!  I'll re-work it and show you the results.


15.15  "So West End":
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F3660%2Fimg0060cu6.jpg&hash=668fc88fde011801e4cbb27167a6d71b3004501c)
I thought I should include at least one picture that is somewhat typically West End.....A Great Portland suburb with brilliant BATs/LOTs from Gascooker, RP (zero7) and MattB.  Those three are true artists as far as I'm concerned, without them West End's suburbs would look so much poorer - THANKYOU.  Apologies if I've missed any other of the house BATters. 


Well, I hope you enjoyed this slightly different update.  I'd be really interested to hear what you think of the LOTs.  Should I show future ones in the MD, or start a thread on the LOT Editor Projects - whaddayaaaall think?

'til next time........ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

I have missed too many updates, I feel ashamed. I'm happy my small tutorial inspired you to use the LE, it's so much better to give your city your own personal touch. Very nice to show us your progress so far and I can't wait to see what you come up with next. I already like what I see, the prison is really well done. The maxis jail doesn't look very realistic, yours does. In the SFBT Essentials there is also a very nice looking fence: SFBT_Maschendrahtzaun, also the red and white pole you see many times at the entrance of a parking lot looks very good: SFBT_Schrankerotweiss. I think you will like them as well!

I like what I see in all the updates I've missed. Keep it up!

Great work on the park(s), Paul! :thumbsup: You have added some important details I never thought of -- especially the changing rooms and concessions.
The only thing I see missing are bleachers or stands where observers can sit to watch a game or match. I could be wrong about the need this element, though. I am not a sports fan and include facilities in my cities only for the sake of realism. I do know, however, that almost all the attractions in parks I'm familiar with have some kind of seating, even if only for watchful parents.
Hope you'll continue to use the LE because you have some very good ideas. For me, being able to do more than wish for something has been kind of addictive! ;)

Until next time...
Joan

These junctions are looking very nice, paroch! And great work with the LE! Also nice high school area there!
Picture 15.15 is looking fantastic! Looking forward to more...

Paul - that are the best football fields ever! You have made them very realistic.

And it's a great idea to move the parkings without street access to the street side of the Maxis buildings. You convinced me to try to learn lotting myself!


PS: I believe this post makes West End a SC4D Classic!  &apls

Congratulations, Paul. It couldn't happen to a better MD! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

very beautiful city , the last image is splendid  &apls

First off a big thank you to everyone who has commented and taken part in West End and helped it reach the Classics section.  When I started out I never really envisaged it getting this far, so I'm well chuffed ()stsfd()

As for the custom lots, well I have started a thread on the LOT Projects board.  I'll preview them over there and then if they look right they'll make an appearance here.  So feel free to pay it a visit ;)

REPLIES

Capo:  Good to see you here again in West End.  And no need to feel ashamed!  Thanks for the tips re SFBT fences, I will check them out.  Hopefully you'll like some of the other lots I've come up with.

Joan:  Thanks for that and I'm glad you liked them.  I did agonise a bit over seating areas.  In the two big parks in my home town they have plenty of football pitches and none of them have seating areas other than the odd bench.  So I think it's a case of I'll build some with and some without more formal seating.  And yes, I have a few other ideas, mainly recreating bits and pieces I see in daily life!  Trouble is LE can be time consuming, which means less time for actually playing!

Bat:  Good to see you again (and congrats on a great OSITM).  I re-worked the last junction, see below.

Sebes:  Wow, what a compliment, thanks.  And yes, give lotting a go, if I can do it, anyone can!!  I'd be interested to see your results.  And thanks for being the person to put West End in classics - as a "reward" I would like you to name something in West End, I'll PM you for details.

Warconstruct:  Welcome to West End.  Your comment re the last picture prompted me to post it in the picture competition where it won two rounds and was only denied entry to the Hall of Fame by losing the third round 10-9!



UPDATE 16 - 2nd January 2008

Well, West End starts 2008 with a move to Classics.  The region has also just passed 500,000 citizens for the first time.  And I have just reached Forums Mayor status.  So with all of that activity I guessed it must be time for an update!

We're going back to Great Portland today.  The city has grown considerably since our first visit here.  It is now the second largest borough in West End with approx 130,000 sims living here.

16.01  Great Portland Mosaic (Trains, planes and automobiles):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg242.imageshack.us%2Fimg242%2F2716%2Famos01oz8.jpg&hash=b51018f6eccf20c649f1e62e0b61d0723d1dec56)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg72.imageshack.us%2Fimg72%2F9545%2Famos02anw9.jpg&hash=d1da02c766fbf7d4f6e58713a2836cab96f9813b)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg247.imageshack.us%2Fimg247%2F7468%2Famos03oh9.jpg&hash=2e9871eb1255ee69f33f164779b920e053216673)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg242.imageshack.us%2Fimg242%2F1588%2Famos04aed1.jpg&hash=8db9dd63bc76c7906d02837b6405518e42b8e936)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg183.imageshack.us%2Fimg183%2F932%2Famos05beg1.jpg&hash=9ce3298cf050bccb55621adc38654e290ebd7316)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg252.imageshack.us%2Fimg252%2F1430%2Famos06bvj9.jpg&hash=594f88d7a8366171f30649fd6d638d4101006d59)

We start at the airport's sole runway, with a WestJet plane waiting for take off.  WestJet are the official airline of West End (and shouldn't be confused with the Canadian regional airline!).

We then move down through Fursan Friendship Park, named after the victorious team in the West End Tournament.  You'll notice the custom changing room lots!

Custom lots also make up the residential six house row development (shame that high wealth property grew!)

Next down, is the market that is held in Rom Place.  The GLR serves Rom Place with its own station.  The trams are often full with shoppers who have stocked up on fresh fruit and veg as well as plenty of other bargains.

We then cross the mainline railway which has been upgraded to four tracks all the way from Oxford to Wardour to accommodate the high volume of passengers.  And I had to wait ages to actually get a train on each of the four tracks (bottom one is just peeking from behind the building).  You can also see the Dominguez Hospital next to the railway.

We then cross the riverside branch of the GLR and finish on Hunter Point which is home to some low wealth high risers with great riverside views.


16.02  Fursan Friendship Park Football Pitches
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg183.imageshack.us%2Fimg183%2F2379%2Fimg0122nb3.jpg&hash=dbe7131341a68737a4c202f95bf321258e6f9360)
Here are the four pitches in the park.  Plenty of kids from across Great Portland and the surrounding areas play here in the hope of being spotted by the scouts from FC Portland.


16.03  Fursan Friendship Park Football in Action
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg114.imageshack.us%2Fimg114%2F4508%2Fimg0077ad8.jpg&hash=f77e06b03d4751010d2f55a97c64d2f75a6e0861)
And here you can see the pitches in use.


16.04  Fursan Friendship Park Lake
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg126.imageshack.us%2Fimg126%2F4009%2Fimg0123uf4.jpg&hash=a898dd7a288e0c9a79df906a579138990d1c1db2)
The park is separated by a road, so there are ped bridges linking the two parts together.  The lake is a popular spot where people sit and enjoy the views.  There are also a few different places to buy a bite to eat or a cool refreshing drink.


16.05  Ready for take off
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg299.imageshack.us%2Fimg299%2F5563%2Fimg0121yr4.jpg&hash=80ce2a2fbc4ec7e8388c50d9ef2f114d906d5630)
Since the decision was taken not to extend the airport, the area to the south of the airport has been developed.  The houses are quite close to the runway, but once the new airport in Carnaby is opened, it is likely that the airport here in Great Portland will close.  The planned International airport in Carnaby is only a few miles away, so there will be little demand for this old facility.  A few different business groups are bidding for the land, with different ideas of how to make use of the existing infrastructure - watch this space.


16.06  Another near miss
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg176.imageshack.us%2Fimg176%2F2891%2Fimg0078ke1.jpg&hash=e62391af5f7437ac05ced2f4e45fd44c24747cb2)
I love this picture.  One of those images that the game throws up from time to time.  It shows just how busy the airport has become.  Indeed the Aviation Authority are pressing for the new airport to be constructed as quickly as possible as the current airport is clearly at capacity!


16.07  Airport & West Central districts
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg108.imageshack.us%2Fimg108%2F9812%2Fimg0128ia0.jpg&hash=8cb709b034e53500675978a19d0783f79621badb)
A zoomed out shot of the airport and the West and Central districts, including Rom Place.  The far left is the area of the mosaic above in 16.01


16.08  Downtown, Industrial and Old Port districts
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg246.imageshack.us%2Fimg246%2F2944%2Fimg0129sw8.jpg&hash=7539b0d2480267d9f9f7e616622efb3cbfc513b3)
Great Portland started life as an industrial town, hence the close proximity of the industrial zones and the old port to the city centre.  The new port is just across the River Dinium.


16.09  North East suburbs (including re-worked junction)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg169.imageshack.us%2Fimg169%2F8619%2Fimg0130gu6.jpg&hash=b7a34d36e24f1a9fa31d65c0b817cba9b027871b)
As the city sprawled outward the zoning became less dense, with just a few tall buildings near to the main roads/junctions.  You can also see that many of the borough's schools are in this area.  In the top right of the picture is a re-working of the junction shown in picture 15.14 in the previous update.  This is a much more realistic version of the M25/A127 real life junction (just a shame the roundabout is not round!).


16.10  South Eastern district
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg181.imageshack.us%2Fimg181%2F4895%2Fimg0131ha5.jpg&hash=7f11a5744944962bd2b4723a38055c65007e0bf8)
Not much to say here, other than one of the plush towers seems to have fallen on to hard times!


16.11  South Western district, including FC Portland
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg176.imageshack.us%2Fimg176%2F3382%2Fimg0132bv4.jpg&hash=d508df48aa03dd27ac408f64c3f8bb445ae63bee)
This is where the final of the tournament was held.


16.12  City View
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg98.imageshack.us%2Fimg98%2F7711%2Fcity01iq0.jpg&hash=ec639ae68806a27f6d08fca9fb1ae09b1b2c0199)
The city is now almost fully developed.  There are no more large scale developments planned - just a bit of tidying up and tree planting.  Farms won't grow, so I may have to build some custom ploppable farm houses to go with the fields.


16.13  Traffic View
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg49.imageshack.us%2Fimg49%2F9111%2Fcity02zz7.jpg&hash=0b021ab4186051766b53ff8710315b6a66443237)
And here is an idea of the traffic networks.


Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing an up to date Great Portland.

Seeing as West End has now passed 500,000 citizens I think that it's now grown up enough to be considered an independent nation.  Up until now I have considered it a region of Sim Nation, but now, it's time to declare independence.  I will try to develop some governmental departments and institutions to show you in the next update.

'til next time......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

And this is exactly why I return evey time here : what an images, what a talent you show!

The airports is simple yet amazing, the first mosaic is showing all my favourite residential bats (and in a very natural way), the football fields turned out really nice, and the industrial zone looks great too!

There is only one but: I don't like the waterfronts you use - I'd prefer the conrete ones from Marrast in this setting.

But never-the-less: this is a great show master! Thanks for entertaining  :thumbsup:

Hey Paul, that's an impressive update you have here. :thumbsup:
Good work on the mosaic, and I'm glad to see your LEs in game. I see you have quite a few benches around the pitch fields, and folks can always bring their lawn chairs if they want to. :)
The Fursan Friendship Park Lake looks really good – I'll have to try my hand at TPW one of these days.
Congratulations on reaching 500,000+ - I'm not quite halfway there, but I'm on my way and enjoying the privilege of walking in some awesome footsteps! ;)
And I was pleased to see your transport system in a nutshell – I'll PM a question I have about textures.
I'm especially interested in watching your government sector come of age. This is an exciting era in WEST END's development.

Until next time...
Joan

This is a fantastic journal. If I had four arms, I'd give you four thumbs up. I hope this is good enough.  :thumbsup:  &apls

Fantastic new update there! And that park is looking really nice!!
Wonderful pictures of the airport, too. Also great region overviews!! :thumbsup:

Welcome to the Classics, my friend!

With updates like the previous one, you are definitely here where you belong! Great work!

Dustin

Congrats on your promotion to the Classics, well deserved.

You know, with each update I see from you I always think one thing: Each update is of higher quality then the previous one. It's real nice to see you 'evolving' into true greatness (don't get me wrong, I always liked what I saw...but your latest work is really amazing) and I must say that with the latest update (and very important: the story that comes with it) I am just struck with awe. Those footballpitches are so nice and remind me so much of a football-park not so far from my home...Great work Paul, please keep it up! I'm longing for more :)

nice work on the LE!

I wish I could play with it, but Windows Vista doesn't let me run it!  :(

ejc, have you tried waiting a really long time for the LE to respond? I'm using XP Pro, and when I first power up, LE can take as long as 10 minutes to run, although 4 to 6 minutes is closer to normal. Later, 1 to 2 minutes is all it takes provided I haven't restarted XP.
Hope this helps, and what do you have to lose but 10 minutes out of your day! :)

Until next time...
Joan

I'll post full replies later - but for ejc........

I also use vista (home premium edition) and the Lot Editor works fine.  The best advice I can give (and to Joan too) is to remove everything from your plug ins that you don't plan to edit.  This cuts down load times SIGNIFICANTLY.  If I want to create a new park, then I remove evrything except Parks, Trees and Prop Packs.  Before I did this it could take 10-15 minutes to open.  Now, it's open in less than 2 minutes.

Hope this helps.

I have been too busy with RLS lately otherwise I would have been here earlier!  :-[

Great work with the soccer fields, I must say I am a atd too lazy to enhance them so I use mainly the ingame one but yours are really great, you do have an eye for the small details!  &apls
I even like the runway and the way you designed the airport (did I ever metioned that I HATE airports?)

Take care and don't forget to make backups!


Bernhard  :thumbsup:

wow -- cool overview of the city..looks like the city is complete with all means of transportation!! really like the small airport and the market in the centre!! also like the small port and the seawalls looks great...

Paul, welcome to the Classics, a well deserved honour.

The airport looks great (must be good if Nardo likes it  :D, do you know he hates airports ;)) and I like the parks and green areas scattered throughout the city.

But, you know me .....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg183.imageshack.us%2Fimg183%2F2379%2Fimg0122nb3.jpg&hash=dbe7131341a68737a4c202f95bf321258e6f9360)

.... I like things level  ::). Come on, at least the soccer (sorry, "football") pitches need to be flat.

Good to see you working with the TPW, well done.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Cheers

Dave

Hello Paul,

I had less time last few weeks and now I see really dtrong development in West End!  :thumbsup:

I like your general views - my favourites are Airport & West Central and Downtown, Industrial & Old Port districts.
I agree with Dave - it would be good to level at least football fields, if you won't do it, scores can be completely unexpected  :D

I must also say I like your LE attempts!  &apls
I think it is very good to start from smaller and simple lots and make them in some variants, I want to do the same  ;)

Good luck Paul!
Adam

Hi all,

My governmental area is not complete yet (for various reasons), so just some replies and one teaser......

REPLIES:


Sebes:  Thanks for the compliment - I'm just glad you like it.  As for the sea walls - yes, I know I need some more variety.  I'll add it to the long list of things to download.  I'm sure I'll find Marrasts ones here on on the STEX.

Joan:  Good to see you here as always and I'm glad you liked the update.  And yes, having your own LE creations does make a difference to your own sense of satisfaction - although it means the city building and updates slow down!  As for awesome footsteps - well I have big feet, but awesome? ;)?  The TPW is relatively easy (and fun).  And if I can help on anything feel free to ask here or by PM. 

Leo:  Good to see your first comment in West End.  And four thumbs up - well that sounds good. 

Bat:  Thanks my friend.

Dustin:  Thanks for the compliment.

Capo:  It's funny you say each update is better than the last.  "Better" of course is very subjective but I can certainly see how my building style has changed.  And with the comments and supports you guys give, it can only continue to get "better"!  And yes, the football park looks similar to one near me, and I guess there are similar ones all over the (football playing) world.

ejc:  Thanks and good luck with getting LE to work.

Bernhard:  Hey, now if you HATE airports then I have to take that as a compliment!

Suplado!:  Thanks for the comment and I'm glad someone mentioned the market.  Those lots took me AGES to get looking how I wanted!

Dave:  Thanks for the compliment.  ANd as for the football pitches - I deliberately built the lots to have a degree of slope conforming.  The football pitches in Runwell Park near where I live are also uneven, so believe it or not I was actually pleased with the slightly uneven look.  Now of course, a professional, or even semi-serious pitch would need to be flat.  But having said that Barnet FC (of the English football league) are famous for their pitch which has a slope!  But I take your point and I often go around "flattening" things with your words ringing in my ears!

Adam:  Thanks for the comment and glad you like the developments.  And as for unexpected scores West Ham recently beat Manchester United 2-1 $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%....... now that was unexpected!!



OK, not a full update but here is a teaser pic from my governmental developments in Oxford.  This is the National Assembly Building.  It's a re-lotted version of Meister Z's Rathaus.  I was hoping for some more suitable commercial development opposite the building but demand has fallen off a cliff since I've been doing some re-developments in the city centre, grrrrrrrr, I'll have to keep trying.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F2571%2Fimg0017cn5.jpg&hash=c4c3a1835eacd4ada436afbd45dc1f9c8134bc28)

I'll try and get a full update soon - but as Joan says - better to wait til it's right than rushing one through!

'til next time............ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Nice start with the government update. :)

Great looking building, Paul. I'll be considering some medium and large government centers myself in the weeks to come. Of course, there will have to be some LE work involved, though! ::)
Anyway, I always look forward to watching WEST END get bigger and better! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

I like that building very much Paroch - and also the waterfront right behind it  :thumbsup:

Looking forward to the rest of the Government District!

Great teaser there! Looking forward to the update...

Hmmm, well it's reasonably flat  :D Sorry, Paul, it's time I gave you a break, I do like what you are doing and my continuing harping on one point must be annoying. But.... (only kidding  ;)).

Keep the residential development up in Oxford and the commercial area across from the NA building will soon take off.

You have placed that building beautifully, and the surrounding pathways and waterfront are nicely done.

Looking forward to the full update.

Cheers

Dave

REPLIES:

Bokrif:  Thanks, and here's more......

Joan:  Thanks and good luck with your development.

Sebes:  It took me some time to decide on the "right" building, so I'm glad you approve.

Bat:  Thanks.

Dave:  LOL, no need to give me a break.  I did flatten the ground around the Assembly building to make the park better - see what you think.



UPDATE 17:  13th January 2008


Well this update has taken me much longer than I expected to prepare.  Mainly a result of making some custom lots and also getting sidetracked into tidying up my plug-ins, running Cleanitol and DAT Packer and having to replace a load of stuff that I accidentally got rid of!!

West End has reached the point where it is now big enough and confident enough to go it alone, so has declared independence from Sim Nation.  Population continues to grow and is now at 551,000.  Of that about 190,000 are in the borough of Oxford, the capital of West End.  So I want to use this update to tell you about this new nation and how it is organised........

17.01  West End Flag:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg148.imageshack.us%2Fimg148%2F6950%2Fflagwestendke7.jpg&hash=2c7d07f3689fe6d444fa7f7c66a098727220fa47)

A simple flag.  The first person to guess why I chose this flag will get to name something in the next update!

Also, if anyone is able to make a flag like this for me to use in-game, or tell me how to do it, then I'd be really grateful.


West End is a democracy, with two elected executive bodies; the President and the National Assembly.  The President is the head of state and is elected on a four-year term.  He (or she) sets out their vision for West End - they get elected by telling the people what they want to achieve, what their priorities are and what their beliefs and visions are.  As head of state, the President is also the figurehead of the country.  The President doesn't have to be affiliated to any particular political party.  I'm assuming that at election time, there will be a candidate representing each of the main political parties plus a few independent candidates, who may be well respected businessmen, police or military officers or just a high profile West Ender who has wide popular appeal.

The President's residence is Nieuw Amsterdam Hall.  This presidential palace was built by Sebes' fine countrymen and is located right in the centre of Oxford, on the Oxon Plaza.

17.02  Nieuw Amsterdam Hall:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg242.imageshack.us%2Fimg242%2F226%2Fimg0022bw4.jpg&hash=8a356c263cfa55a1634ba4dbccc1cd46dc228711)
This is a slightly relotted version of Kwakellar's Kolhof Palais.


17.03  Stock Exchange:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg297.imageshack.us%2Fimg297%2F2418%2Fimg0023ps9.jpg&hash=316bac8eb6b3e623fe95c1ba05e9322bbd68a570)
Financial stability and growth is a key factor for West End.  The country has plans to become one of the major global financial centres.  The Stock Exchange is on Oxon Plaza as well  - this way the President can keep his eye on the market.



17.04  Oxon Plaza:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg145.imageshack.us%2Fimg145%2F425%2Fimg0040wc0.jpg&hash=df36ca35dd698858fc8ce124341ed9e2bc6f9a1c)
This is the very heart of the country, with the Stock Exchange, President's residence and the Central Station.  In good times and bad, crowds gather here to either cheer and support the President or to demonstrate.
In this picture you can also see both types of bus that West End uses.  The red double deckers and the white "First" busses.


17.05  Overview of Oxon Plaza and Nieuw Amsterdam Hall:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F3709%2Fimg0034cc8.jpg&hash=32bd4ae3cc1627de68b137fccc2ae077cbd133a5)
The main city road travels from left to right across the square.  You can see it's morning rush hour, with trains arriving at Central Station every few minutes, full of commuters. 
Looking at this picture now, I realise I need some more "grand" or "landmark" building around the plaza - maybe an opera house, or theatre?  Your thoughts are welcome.


OK, so that's the president.  He sets the agenda and he tells the National Assembly what areas he wants them to focus on and to produce legislation on.  Then it's over to the Assembly who debate and legislate.  The Assembly is dominated by the major political parties in West End, and each member of the assembly is elected on a five year term.  So, at least every 20 years the Assembly and Presidental elections take place at the same time.

Once the Assembly have voted and agreed on legislation and issues they go to the President for approval.  The president has two choices.  Either he approves the legislation, or he sends it back for changing.  He cannot send any legislation back more than twice.  The third time it arrives on his desk, he has to approve it or put it to a public referendum - when the public must decide whether to back the President or the Assembly.  Clearly, he can only do this so many times before the public get fed up.  He has to judge the public mood very carefully - if the public disagree with the President too many times his position becomes very difficult.

The Assembly is headed by the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the political party with the most members.  The Prime Minister has to effectively run the Assembly and drive legislation through.  When he and the President agree on matters, things run very smoothly.  When they disagree, it gets interesting!


17.06  National Assembly Hall:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg127.imageshack.us%2Fimg127%2F686%2Fimg0026nr2.jpg&hash=209fb16faa276d603c35ca07f76014f85ee8457d)
Here is the National Assembly Hall where it all happens.  It is right on the sea front.


17.07  Reverse View:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F4994%2Fimg0025jd9.jpg&hash=e6b8e64fb2df09aa4ef86ccad74fe21bfcc6103b)
And here looking back onto land.  I thought it was quite a nice touch when Hooters grew opposite the Assembly Hall.  There was a rumour that one Assembly Member got caught with one of the Hostesses!

And also, there is Chuck E Cheese.  Now this hasn't reached the UK yet, so I have to ask my American and Canadian friends to tell me what on earth Chuck E Cheese is all about!  And whilst I was taking the pics it got upgraded to some small Commercial mid risers.


17.08  Justice Ministry and Exterior Ministry:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F2236%2Fimg0027yd1.jpg&hash=0ce23af8536b16530a67e2983dc6a6550835957b)
Nearby to the Assembly Hall is this complex that houses the Justice Ministry (left) and the Exterior Ministry on the right.  (I've always liked the sound of the Minister of the Exterior!).  These two departments are responsible for law and order and for West End's relationships with other countries.  They are also very close to the Diplomatic Zone (where the cranes are). 

The Exterior Ministry is in the process of applying for membership of the Independent Pact of Nations, IPON.  West Enders believe that as a newly independent nation they should form alliances and firendships with other independent countries without giving up any of their new found freedoms.  I'll keep you posted on our progress towards membership of IPON.


17.09  Finance Ministry and Embassies:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg244.imageshack.us%2Fimg244%2F8333%2Fimg0028ab6.jpg&hash=a298766015c39f468502cb98f73265fc743b9e83)
On the left is the Finance Ministry.  On the right is the Embassy of The Republic of The Liberty Islands.  At the bottom is the Consulate of Qumma.


17.10  Diplomatic Zone:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg205.imageshack.us%2Fimg205%2F8238%2Fimg0029ng7.jpg&hash=4cc2deb306663833c475f2253b765a22a1b0ea31)
And here you can see the buildings I've just mentioned plus the ongoing construction of the Diplomatic Zone.  There is still room for some more embassies / trade offices.  If you'd like to be represented here, just let me know which building you'd like.  If you want a ready made one that's fine and if you want to make your own custom lot then that's also fine.


17.11  Hotels:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F7905%2Fimg0037gy9.jpg&hash=83fd854cd33c72466dd38401f5a8c16bf9e90af0)
For anyone visiting the city on political business, these two hotels close to the Assembly Hall and the Diplomatic Zone are very popular.  It's also been rumoured that this is where the Assemblyman got caught with the hostess from Hooters!


17.12  Health and Education Ministry:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg120.imageshack.us%2Fimg120%2F1431%2Fimg0035kp7.jpg&hash=862f289a82bfc63ecb2890e513ee5d31a49eb685)
Kensington House is the home to the Health & Education Ministry.  It seemed appropriate that as these two are next to each other on the SC menu that they could have a joint ministry. 


17.13  West End United Stadium
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg170.imageshack.us%2Fimg170%2F5372%2Fimg0042ju2.jpg&hash=d09072579a1e26c7def51c7d56d08ab021022189)
You may recall from the football tournament that one of the main stadia was in Oxford.  Well, due to trying to level some land, I lost the stadium and replaced it with this one.  It's called New Canio Park.


17.14  Citywide shot:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F3013%2Fimg0036abr1.jpg&hash=5f1608ce2c67c9511c65c904b1b336c43f642ed7)
To help you get your bearings, here'e the key:
1- Nieuw Amsterdam Hall (Presidental Palace)
2- National Assembly Hall
3- Exterior Ministry
4- Justice Ministry
5- Finance Ministry
6 - Diplomatic Zone
7- Stock Exchange
8- Oxon Plaza and Central Station
9 - Health & Education Ministry
10- West End United stadium (New Canio Park)
11- West End Tennis Stadium
12- Oxford University
13- Magnusson Point, tallest building in West End.

I may redevelop the University - it doesn't have much room there and the land would make prime residential zoning!
Commercial development is expected to grow along the main road which runs from the Assembly Hall up to Magnusson Point.  The sea front is the place to be, both for residential and commercial development in Oxford.
Medium and low density residential is expected to border the Caven Canal in the bottom right of this picture.


17.15  Oxford Regional Shot:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F5931%2Fimg0043ajo6.jpg&hash=2d7b9162056a048faec1e57da7985029e27a4da5)
I envisage that the sea front and river fronts will be home to the majority of development, with more rural communities being inland and up in the hills.  You can see they're starting to merge into each other - which is why I'm now referring to them each as boroughs, not cities.  I can see Great Portland and Oxford being part of one mass urban sprawl.  At which stage it's more appropriate that they are both boroughs of the same city.  So, I'll need to think about that for a future update.


I hope you've enjoyed this update - a bit more text than usual!  I'll focus on showing you more of the borough of Oxford next time.  I want to place a building to be the Prime Minister's office/residence, so if you can think of an appropriate building, just shout it up here.


'til next time........... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Hey paroch,
I have been lurking for the last couple of updates.  Now I had to ssay something this time.  Great update and I really like the region pic.  I like to see what people have done on a larger scale.  As for myself, I have never done a region as much as you have .  I usually loose interest and start a new map.  ;) Great job.  You still need a sidewalk modd.  I personelly hate the changing colour of the sidewalks.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Hello Paroch.

I have enjoyed reading through this journal. Well done.

I'm glad to see you experimenting with the LE - customising the game (including customising other people's custom creations  ::)  $%Grinno$% ) is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game for me.

I enjoyed this last set of updates - I partcularly liked the busy scenes and the general chaos of the city area - it looks like it really has 'evolved' over time (and is still changing).

I particularly liked shot 17.14

Hey Paul, I hardly know where to begin commenting on such a massive update, so I'll just start at the beginning.
The UK flag contains the crosses of three patron saints. Scotland is represented by the flag of St. Andrew and Northern Ireland is represented by the flag of St. Patrick.
England is represented by the flag of St. George which contains a simple red cross on a white background. Except for the colors, it is identical to the flag of West End, so that's my guess. ::)
The government buildings are well crafted, well placed and complimented by the beautiful landscaping. You HAVE been busy, haven't you! I especially like the seaside location you have chosen for this complex.
17.07: Worry not about Hooter's proximity to the National Assembly Hall. Be assured that it is perfectly normal for members to have diplomatic relations with W.J.'s ambassadors!
BTW, Chuck-E-Cheese is a restaurant chain in America which caters to children and is a favorite parental choice for birthday parties. For a price, you can let the kids run wild and somebody else will clean up the mess! :D
I especially like the Ministries in 17.09. The design is hardly "simple," but it has a crisp, clean-cut feel to it. And I see you have dueling cranes in the Diplomatic Zone which will soon be replaced by dueling diplomats (break out the banjos)! :P
As for the annotated overviews, you know I love them. As stated in the past, we know our own cities by heart, but it's easy for a tourist to get lost. :thumbsup:
You are doing well with the LE and you're far ahead of me. I see many details which I suspect you have added yourself, and they make West End that much more special.
Oh, and don't forget to make Hooter's historic! ()stsfd()

Until next time...
Joan

That's a wonderful update there, paroch! Great work on that governmental area!!
Also fantastic overview!!

Looking forward to more...

Sweet cities. Great work all around. :thumbsup:

Lovely update, paroch! Well the red cross is definitely a representative of England, and my guess is the light blue is somehow related to West Ham FC. I know that the colours or Light Blue and Purple, so perhaps that is the relation?

Anyway, I love the Consulate of Qumma! Working hours are 9-5 Monday to Fridays, and we are also open from 9-3 on Saturdays! Come on in and find out all about investment in one of the hottest markets in the world! We'll even serve you coffee (or tea).

great Update Paul and massivly hugh  :thumbsup: Loved court yards and your custom lots have not gone to waste at all!!!

Absolutely love the plazas.  Just did a long look at yours, catching up with all the great updates.  Looks great and can't wait for more.

Really great update. I love the zoomed out screenie of Oxford. Nice capital!

REPLIES:

I'm finding that I'm spending more time actually browsing the boards here, playing with Lot Editor and downloading additional Bats and Lots than actually playing the game recently.  This means that development has slowed down.  So, the next update is in my mind and the development is there, just need to take the right pics, write the right words and get on with it!  Hopefully sometime in the next few days.......

In the meantime, I owe you all some replies:

Robin:  Good to see you here again.  Thanks for the comments.  It is a huge region and I am determined to see it through.  Population is at 550k and I have a vision in my mind of the region supporting 3 to 4 million whilst still being able to have a mix of rural, urban and suburban areas.  Just hope I can keep it going that long.  As for the sidewalk modd..... I do have Jeronij's sidewalk mod plus his streetside modd installed.  I think I need to delete some of the wealth levels, as I agree, the change in texture is not ideal.  I'll play around with the plug ins and see what I can achieve.

Mattb:  Matt, you're one of my favourite Batters - just love your buildings, so it's good to have you visit.  I'm enjoying LE and am discovering some of the issues it throws up (like setting school levels correctly so it's not constantly on strike!)

Joan:  The flag.... Yes you're half way there.  The English flag (known as the St.George's Cross) is a red cross on a white background.  I'll explain the colours in Nedalezz's reply.  You were close enough to get a naming right!  I'll PM you for details.  Thanks for the words re the government buildings.  And if Hooter would like to set up his "embassy" inside the restaurant that would be a fine and amusing idea!  I've now made it historic.  And the duelling cranes comment made me laugh (remember we've already had banjos!)
Oh, and thanks for the info re Chuck E Cheese!

Bat:  Thanks my friend.

Giligone:  Welcome to West End, good to see you and thanks for the comment.

Nedalezz:  You've got the flag cracked.  West Ham colours (Claret and Blue) transposed to the English flag.  It seemed appropriate that West End adopt the colours of my team!  I'm PM you about your additional naming rights!  I'm pleases that the Qumman consulate occupies such a position of prominence, I'll be in for a coffee later to discuss some more trade proposals!

Pat:  Thanks for that and glad you liked my LE works,

Tkirch:  Thanks, and I'll be showing some changes to Oxon Plaza next time.

Bokrif:  Thanks for that, I'm glad you like the capital.

Watch this space for the next update....... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Well, this is the worst update I've ever produced....... :thumbsdown:

I have run into a problem with my four most populated tiles in the Region.  I am unable to open Oxford, Great Portland, Regent or Wardour.  Between these four, they have 501,000 of the 560,000 region population.

I've done some reading on the boards here and also Joan has given me some suggestions - but so far, I've not cracked it.

If I describe the problem - maybe you'll have a suggestion for me as well:

The last time I played the city was Friday evening - all fine.  Now I've been unhappy with the sidewalk modd for a while now, the way it has the red pavement on high wealth areas and just switches from one square to the next.  Now, I thought I'd already deleted the high wealth sidewalk option - but I have also installed Jeronij's side street modd within the last week or so and it has worked fine.

So Saturday, I went into my plug-ins, deleted all except the low wealth sidewalks, and also deleted all of the side street parking options other than "London".

I then went into Lot Editor to create a new residential lot and to try to fix one I'd produced that refused to grow.  I also just amended some of the textures on another growable residential lot.

I ended up deleting one of the residential lots I created because I decided I no longer wanted it (it had not grown anywhere).


I then fired up SC4 but could not open the Oxford tile.  I can open 7 tiles that are developed but not the 4 most developed tiles.

Now, one of the things I read on a thread was that if you've deleted a modd that is used in a tile, it may prevent it from opening.  So, I have played around with different configurations of the Side Street and Sidewalk Modds in my plug ins, as I know I changed these.  I'd also only just downloaded the SAM and RHW.  So again, I have tried to open the cities with and without the SAM and RHW.  But nothing will let me in.

As for what I'd backed up - I have back ups of my plug ins - but not the region.

Joan has suggested backing everything up, then re-installing SC4, re-importing the region and taking it from there.  I will try this a bit later on today.

So anything you guys can suggest is much appreciated.  If push comes to shove, I will flatten the four tiles in question and rebuild (they'll be better second time around!).  Although one of these (Regent) is fully developed, so I could just leave it alone I guess.

In the meantime, here is what little of an update I have for you all:

UPDATE 18:

The Oxon Plaza needed some more "grand" buildings, so it has been redeveloped:

18.01  South side:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg248.imageshack.us%2Fimg248%2F3240%2Fimg0045qu2.jpg&hash=2c64ca2b7414f3d9a77c8a4667d29c0cc9505f97)
Two Independence statues have been built outside the Nieuw Amsterdam Hall.  Next to it is the Supreme Court.  This is the highest court in the country.



18.02  North Side:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg250.imageshack.us%2Fimg250%2F7760%2Fimg0047yz2.jpg&hash=ecc3f0932d62ed487546879324137fbb2eac47fe)
Next to the station is the Oxford City Court. 


18.03  West Side
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg444.imageshack.us%2Fimg444%2F1949%2Fimg0048rm0.jpg&hash=5064f39f42ef3b29bfbc63f674bc84f9c79c64ba)
From left to right is the Stock Exchange, Independence Hall and the National Business Association HQ.  A new large hotel looms behind them all.


18.04  Ferry Landing:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg259.imageshack.us%2Fimg259%2F6370%2Fimg0049ex3.jpg&hash=8cb9c4470fb4c3642e76299eb6fa2af398ec5d04)
This is the ferry terminal that sits behind the National Assembly Hall


And that's it for today.  Hopefully I'll recover it, if not then the next update may be a little while and also a bit different!!


'til next time............... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Oh - that is  nightmare Paul.... hopefully you'll get help and get thinks sorted out and Westend back.... It's too nice to be lost :'(
I had it once with an airport city - freaked out completely - but managed to get it back just as accidental as it got lost...I cannot recall what I did to get it back though...

Yes, great new update there! :thumbsup:
And also hope that you can fix your problem! ;)

Hi Paul - I hope I can be of some small help - when batting/lot making, I frequently move files in and out of my plugins for testing.

Now I have the following 'working' mods: maxis landmarks with jobs and the nam; if I forget to put either of these back in - or even part of either, I cannot open any tile until they are reinstalled. I have some other tree/pretty mods and the like, but these don't affect the opening of tiles. It really doesn't sound like any lots/textures that you may have removed.

First step: I would suggest putting the SAM back exactly as it was in your plugins and undo any other changes made since last in these tiles. See if this works (although it sounds like you've been trying this). Make sure you haven't accidentally removed any NAM files.

Second step if the first gives no assistance, try opening the tiles with no plugins whatsoever (if you get in, don't save the city). I doubt this will work, but its something you should always try.
Then, put half your plugins in and repeat - it could be something downloaded; then try the other half - whichever stops the tiles from opening - the culprit is in that half; it's then a process of elimination

Those are some nice photos, Paul. I like the diversity of building styles. The courthouses are especially appealing because buildings like that usually have such beautiful interiors. They are prime destinations for connoisseurs of historical architecture. :)
Also, I'm glad to see recommendations forthcoming from someone more experienced than I am, and I hope they work for you. Whether or not, however, just remember that you have a supportive family here that will hold your hand in times of crisis, then beat the socks off you on the football pitch the next day! :D

Until next time...
Joan

Paul it's certainly not a bad update, yes the news may be bad  :( , but the pic's are great.

Like the parks and and your selection of lots looks great and well planned.  :thumbsup:

Hey, even the seawall is nice and level  $%Grinno$% (couldn't resist)

Hope you resolve your game issue. I'm a total techno dunce so I'm afraid I'm of no help.

Good luck

Dave

Sad news. Also I don't have any idea what has happened to your cities. I have one developed city wich is veery old and I used few plugins there, and a half year ago I tried to open it and it crashed too, but I didn't care. I might have to try again just to help diagnose your problem (but it won't happen till friday, as I am having two exams)
Good luck!

That sucks big time. That happened to one of my cities. But thankfully it was only a boring suburb and I didn't lost much. I hope you can get this fixed   &mmm

Nice arrangement. That station, is this the new Paris Gare du Nord?

The slopes ... are tricky, I know. If I was you would experience with the different streets and railways - most slope mods have different values for the different networks. Some time laying out railways or highways then tearing them down and THEN laying streets does the trick to avoid such not very pleasant small ramps at small elevation differences.

Bernhard  :thumbsup:

Sorry to hear about your plug-in woes, my friend. It's always a sad day when things like this happen, I hope you're able to figure out the problem, though.

But on the bright side, your update looks great! Good luck!

Dustin

REPLIES:

Sebes:  Yes, it is frustrating.  I have tried many things but to no good.  Thanks for your concern - it will be back better than before!!

Bat:  Thanks for your comment.

MattB:  Thanks for your suggestions.  I have tried them - but cannot succeed.  I think the truth is I've now tried so many variations I cannot recall what was there to start with!!  See the update below for your McDonalds in game shot.

Joan:  Great comments, thanks.  It is a very supportive group here, so it helps. 

Dave:  Thanks my friend.  Glad you liked the update.  I don't think I've ever produced one with so few photos before.  Normal service has been resumed.  Oh, and thanks for the link to the sunken highway walls.  I've built my first sunken highway but already used something else.  They will make a future appearance!

Bokrif:  Thanks for your support and I hope the exams went well.

Giligone:  No fix (yet) but rebuilding has begun!

Bernhard:  The station is the Helsinki Central Station by Prepo - linkie:  http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=849  Nice eh!
And thanks for the advice on slopes - yeah the entrance to the square looked a bit odd - but it's gone now, along with the rest of the city!!  Next time round it'll be a nice flat area!!

Dustin:  Thanks for the comment - no luck yet, but onwards and upwards!!


UPDATE 19 - 26th January 2008 - WARDOUR REBORN

The original Wardour had a population of 47,000.  It was the smallest of the tiles effected by the mysterious geological fault that caused the collapse of buildings in the region!!
The new Wardour has started to be rebuilt (with back-ups ;)) and is up to a population of 9,000 so far.

I thought it might be interesting to see how the new town will grow.  Normally I post pictures of the finished article, so this is a bit of a change.....


19.01  Western Wardour
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg165.imageshack.us%2Fimg165%2F5849%2Fimg0009jv7.jpg&hash=ea12937162fcb6c1a054080fd516b17aee1498db)
Here is the newly terraformed map.  This is the western half, which is quite hilly.  There will be very little development here, maybe a village and maybe a farm or two, ideally a sheep farm.  To the south of the hills will be the edge of the town, with a small industrial area.


19.02  Eastern Wardour
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg139.imageshack.us%2Fimg139%2F7033%2Fimg0008gy3.jpg&hash=ed6ac4fe0ba2d9d45f2d28a88db25cd549b156fb)
This is the part where most of the development will be.  I've put in a TPW river, to give it a bit of a focal point (plus I enjoyed doing the last one!).  In the valley, around the river will be mainly farms.  I decided to put all the farms in early on in the development of the tile to make sure they're done before their demand drops (had that problem plenty of times before!).


19.03  Bridges over the River
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg232.imageshack.us%2Fimg232%2F1973%2Fimg0010jf5.jpg&hash=f375e9c5476c6657943fde69da4635300accfb02)
There needed to be a few bridges for the various transport networks, so I put them in early.  Again, learning from previous mistakes!


19.04  First Housing Development
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg172.imageshack.us%2Fimg172%2F287%2Fimg0012hs6.jpg&hash=21a5de40a955dd8666f94f2fe549ec840efe9552)
Here's the first housing development in the new town.  I zoned a few streets with 1x1 low density residentials and they all grew as Jen_P's Woodville Road houses.  I likes the look, so spent a few minutes making them all historical.  I think Jeronij's side street mod makes a nice difference.
The old Wardour's low wealth residentials were old style UK terraces (Gascookers and SG's mainly) - so this gives it a more modern feel I thought.


19.05  Housing Development Spreads
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg529.imageshack.us%2Fimg529%2F9233%2Fimg0013wa3.jpg&hash=ee586d77ba82dd2a7eec2f5dd366c08702ee1dce)
I mirrored the 1x1 residential zoning on the other side of the road, and luckily all Jen_P's Woodville Road houses grew again, so plenty of make historical clicking took place.  Added a few small commercial zones next to the roundabout to give the sims somewhere to shop.
The small Industrial estate was to provide early jobs and keep the power plant company!  The power plant will be demolished when the city grows some more and I'll put a cleaner plant on the edge of town.  The Helvetia Corp buildings are the only buildings plopped so far (they generate plenty of taxes!).


19.06  Station Square plus MattB's McDonalds
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F5854%2Fimg0015xu9.jpg&hash=6198bad2833358797974ab055c3d47a5f7713e9d)
Here's the first main transport hub in Wardour.  This is Wardour North station.  It's not on the mainline, but is on the branch into the north of West End.
At the top next to the station is MattB's recently released W2W McDonalds building.  I think it fits beautifully there.  Next to the station and also it's grown next to a pub.  So you can have a few beers and grab a burger for the walk home!  If you look you can see Christmas lights on the building - they appear during December and early January - nice touch MattB!!  Unfortunately I forgot to make it historical, so it got re-developed  :(


19.07  Raised River Banks - 1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg141.imageshack.us%2Fimg141%2F1541%2Fimg0017pw5.jpg&hash=99c79240c43a4b566f788a964ddae4ab63f594e3)
I thought that I'd create dykes along the river banks for much of the river through the farming area.  It is prone to flooding here!  This picture shows that I've raised the banks and put a road on top of each bank.  And as you can see, plenty of farm traffic.
I've not really dressed the riverbanks at all yet.


19.08  Raised River Banks - 2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg88.imageshack.us%2Fimg88%2F4531%2Fimg0021kz1.jpg&hash=d75098878fc1d4ef20548c431e3b5bc16d421b61)
Here you can see I've added some rocks and trees to make it a bit more alive.  I think it also gives the shot a bit more perspective so you can see the banks are actually raised.


19.09  Overview - 1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg177.imageshack.us%2Fimg177%2F74%2Fimg0022eo9.jpg&hash=59fb619a59492a5c6813410e077df4a7092f2fbc)
So here you can see the northern edge of wardour.  The Jen_P housing development (from pics 19.04 and 19.05) is in the bottom right corner.  As you can see it is a very rural area with plenty of farms.  You can also see the dykes a bit better here.
I've not put all the trees in yet!


19.10  Overview - 2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg209.imageshack.us%2Fimg209%2F487%2Fimg0032dw5.jpg&hash=f51db096ef90d2fd876f12a405f7cab6e0ab2a33)
This picture shows what it looks like once I've greened it up a bit with trees!  You'll notice the railway goes up on to the dyke near the top.  I also like the winding road that goes up the hill, just below the village at the top of the picture.


19.11  Overview - 3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F3856%2Fimg0035yc6.jpg&hash=fc8a06b25f6e264b9daec8610a1979ae029782fe)
Here you can see the two distinct developments to date.  Mainly Jen_P's Woodville Road houses to the right and my re-lotted RP Six House Row to the left.  Small commercial zone in the centre and a custom lotted school with running track as well.


19.12  Overview - 4
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg247.imageshack.us%2Fimg247%2F2749%2Fimg0033to9.jpg&hash=996bdbf2ab99e653cb56d38be9f662d69002fcd8)
This shows the bulk of the development to date.  I plan to put a bit more industrial between the existing industrial and avenue.  A park and residential will fill in down to the motorway.


19.13  What's Next......
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg102.imageshack.us%2Fimg102%2F3406%2Fimg0034ky5.jpg&hash=e81757b71bf080ef7ed847c72c0bac7e0fdfeb2b)
My first attempt at sunken highways.  The town centre commercials will be along the avenue to the south of the highway.
I need to work out how to put a station in the sunken rail area.
I need to work out how to build a junction from the sunken highway.
I need to decide where to rebuild Wardouroda's football ground.

Other than that, I have a reasonably good idea of what will happen next (until I change my mind ::)).

Hope you enjoyed seeing the re-build.



'til next time....................... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

It still looks awesome. Nice work redoing it. I think it's better than before. Later dude.

Great update there! And wonderful river and using of the farms! :thumbsup:

The new Wardour looks fantastic, paroch! Your ploppable river is absolutely stunning! Good luck with the rebuilding, and I'll be back to see what else you've got!


Take care!

Dustin

plopable river is the future ! ^^, you've done an amazing job with it, baks , and field around it ! ( and this little urbainzed area is good ! with filed between residential development) ! >Good luck with rebulding !

I see how you improved in city building. Not a big change, but I can see it. (Not big, because you had great cities.) The ploppable water was used perfectly, along with the flora. I like the most the slopy farms, and those residential bats from the first picture (19.04); where can I find those houses?
Good job.

The New Wardour is great Paul - the plopped river is a piece of art by itself. great job. And if  I may say so: it looks even better than the previous Wardour...

&Thk/(Hmm... maybe I should start all over with my region as well...  &Thk/(

Great work Paul, particularily like the residential estates, especially with the Jen_P lots, they are some of my favourites.

The TPW looks good, nice work with the shoreline.

Paul, you improve with every update. Looking forward to the next.

Cheers

Dave

New and improved, I really like what I see Paul. The first signs of a great rebuild are there, I wish you a lot of luck with it. Jen_P's houses indeed look cute and I'm impressed with your work on JRJ's plopable water. Excellent work (as always), please keep it up!

REPLIES:

TopCliff/Leo:  I think I agree with you.  I'm really enjoying this tile and can see the improvements in my building style since last time.

Bat:  Thanks for the compliment. :)

Dustin:  Hey, thanks for your kind words.  I admit that my TPW ideas come from Pat and Tooheys.

Nova Vesfalo:  Thanks - it's nice to get such compliments about the river.

Bokrif:  I've already sent you the link to the Jen_P houses.  And I found more of her great buildings and downloaded them too! :D

Sebes:  I'm liking the new Wardour better too.  But seriously, think carefully before restarting a region.  There are always empty tiles!!  PS-when are we going to see some of your cities??? ()what()

Dave:  Well, I think the reason it looks good is for two reasons:  1-I copied your TPW style! And 2 - I started with a nice new FLAT tile!! :thumbsup:

Capo:  Thanks for dropping in and leaving such kind words.


UPDATE 20 - 3rd February 2008.

Well, the rebuilding of Wardour goes on.  The city population is now up to 35,000.  The original wardour had 49,000.  I plan to get it to the same size and then move on.

The biggest difference between the old and new Wardour is that I've actually planned this city before I started.  I know where I want each type of zone to be.  I pictured where the city centre would be, where the industry would be and where the low density residential estates would be.  And most importantly for this tile, where the farms would be.  I think it's the farms that are the "glue" in this tile.

Enough words..... Picture time.  Today we're going to see the rural bits of the Borough of Wardour.

20.01  Norvaney Village
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg408.imageshack.us%2Fimg408%2F2769%2Fimg0038mh5.jpg&hash=a13556787e2a0ab43fdd2e0bdc0d65664809cdd6)
To the north east of Wardour itself is the village of Norvaney.  It nestles beside a hill and is surrounded by farmland.


20.02  Village School
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg409.imageshack.us%2Fimg409%2F143%2Fimg0039yq2.jpg&hash=0108cae79ae90889a6cdd04fcf00a02b90b30856)
The village school is a BAT by Vanderaap and it's the first time I've actually plopped it.  I like it, although I guess it would look more at home in a W2W setting.  I just wanted something a bit different for a change.  This picture was taken late in the day and look at those shadows on the football pitch.


20.03  Village Life 1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg129.imageshack.us%2Fimg129%2F8743%2Fimg0040hs5.jpg&hash=cb9f89ddf01d523cc8ea7e027b144fab3034e5e8)
Here's the south west corner of the village.  I think Jeronij's side street mod just adds so much character to this sort of housing development.


20.04Village Life 2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg174.imageshack.us%2Fimg174%2F4098%2Fimg0041ii1.jpg&hash=d59c60578d328c25bbbd678b5a604391d1acd9c3)
This is the north west corner of the village.


20.05  Village Flats
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg223.imageshack.us%2Fimg223%2F2013%2Fimg0043lh4.jpg&hash=b3cb1a3a974f5b01e8ae32d6ba21e4757a7a9cf8)
The local council built these flats in the village to provide affordable homes to many of the farm workers who work the local farms.  I can't remember who made this BAT (that's the problem when you download so many) but I really like it.


20.06  The Local Team
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg337.imageshack.us%2Fimg337%2F3715%2Fimg0042vk9.jpg&hash=d1298efa05028e846cba22333df24358fb8fe010)
Norvaney doesn't have a full time football team.  Most of the villagers are fans of Wardouroda Football Club.  But this pitch is used by three local part time teams.  The land was given by one of the local farmers.  And if you look in the garden of the house next to the pitch it looks as though the peace and tranquillity of the village has been shattered!


20.07  Honeysuckle Drive
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg138.imageshack.us%2Fimg138%2F7448%2Fimg0046gc6.jpg&hash=94bad0dffec5c1c73bc01274658ce049e716967a)
Here's a close up of one of the residential roads.  I think it's a nice mix of houses and looks like a nice peaceful place to live.


20.08  High Street (South)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg231.imageshack.us%2Fimg231%2F4003%2Fimg0044ff1.jpg&hash=840d52e9ddac6755e5fa9906281b2ecf0d243a5d)
Here's the south side of the High Street. 


20.09  High Street (North)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg159.imageshack.us%2Fimg159%2F3817%2Fimg0045tx2.jpg&hash=d7caf060c7952d85e9b923ae38b40cd9ebb28f77)
And here's the north side.  This village is great if you like nuts, Chinese food, waffles, like karaoke, have a car that need repairs and you visit "adult" bars.  If you need to do the weekly grocery shopping, I suggest you drive into Wardour itself!


20.10  Lipsmon Bridge
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg245.imageshack.us%2Fimg245%2F9589%2Fimg0048ye0.jpg&hash=79cde7ebf9b9653620a480e2feb2cfb14240c197)
This is the main road out of the village.  The Lipsmon Bridge crosses the River of Qumma (thanks Nedalezz), go over the bridge and turn left for Wardour.


20.11  A Random Farm
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg176.imageshack.us%2Fimg176%2F5900%2Fimg0054mv8.jpg&hash=5355f34b2e5b177fc54db36fad9f21d2f97d7b34)
A large greenhouse farm for all my Dutch friends.......


20.12  Wardour Overview
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg352.imageshack.us%2Fimg352%2F1951%2Fimg0057wg0.jpg&hash=774c187c7c8056bb34f5d2c181041325ba1d806e)
This is how Wardour is looking now.  Norvaney is just to the right of the bridge at the top of the picture.  This shows you the whole of the River of Qumma, that flows through Wardour.
You can see the city centre to the bottom right of the shot.

Joan - your naming suggestion will appear next time.
Nedalezz - your other name will be used when I build a building grand enough.  That may, or may not be in Wardour.

Next time I plan to show you two of the key parts of Wardour - the industrial zones and the football pitches!

I should also tell you that West End gained acceptance into the Independent Pact of Nations (IPON).  This is a group of 9 MDs/CJs that hold summits to discuss areas where they can work together.  I'll keep you posted on how this will impact on West End in future updates.  If you're interested in knowing more about IPON just ask me, or have a look at the IPON site here:
http://uisn.freeforums.org/index.php

'til next time................ $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Very nice Paul, the residential areas are prepared with your typical high standard and I like the small commercial areas built throughout.

The farms look good and the bridge over the TPW is a beaut.

Perhaps the farms along the hwy need a bit of seperation from the hwy, perhaps a fence or a row of trees.

Nevertheless, another fine update  :thumbsup:

Cheers

Dave

Hi Paul,
Looks like I missed an update, so I have some catching up to do. ::)
First of all, I'm glad to see Wardour rising from the ashes, and especially glad to see you've inlcuded some ground-zero shots.
The river looks great, and I love the raised banks. Love the farms on those rolling hills, too.
19.12 is the kind of photo I always like to see because it helps me put all the pieces together.
And the Feb. 3rd update...
I think you did well in your city planning venture, and IMO, planning is a vital part of success in the game.
It's a pleasure to see your LE work in use, and I think you're right to limit growth in Wardour to retain the rural atmosphere.
All the photos are just lovely to look at, but the last one - the overview -- is especially stunning. :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

I like very much your village ! So... british with BATs  $%Grinno$%

The village area is looking very nice, paroch!
And great farms there, too! Fantastic update! :thumbsup:

Another magnificent update, my friend! The farms, the neighborhoods, everything looks fantastic! Keep it up!

I love your little towns... they're so quaint and nice.  ;D

Thanks Paul - the residential areas look great! I also love those 2 apartment houses...  And the greenhouse indeed made my day (how did you know  ;)
The overview is giving a good impression of how you develop the town. The farmland on the hills looks very realistic.

I like Wardour. Looks very nice from the overview. Only those three flats doesn't look good on the west side of the town. Anyway, your micromanagement is stunning.  Good job!

Just a pleasure for my old eyes ..  ()stsfd()

Lots of nice details like the streets on the dams on the shores of the river, rolling farm fields  ;)  and that flat builsings just fits inside that village - most of the time these kidn of buildings don't fit# this is the exception ofthe rule!

I just wouldn't do any more bridge over that river - you already hav 6 of them!

Only thing I miss is a church in the center of the village ....
(Its counterparts are there ...  :D )

Take care my friend!

Bernhard  :thumbsup:

REPLIES:

Dave:  Thanks for your kind words - I'm enjoying the TPW bridges now!  And thanks for the suggestion re the farms next to the highway.  I know what you mean and I'll amend some of them next time I dive in.

Joan:  I think I can forgive you for missing an update ;)  I know you like a good overview shot, so I'll try to keep 'em coming.  Glad you liked the raised banks - I thought they'd make a nice change.

Antoine:  Welcome to West End  :thumbsup: always good to see another new face.  And thank you for your comment.  I try to achieve a mix of British with a hint of European thrown in.  But you'd also be surprised that many of the houses in the last update are from Australian Batters - Jen_P and MattB.

Bat:  Thanks my friend.

Dustin:  I'll do my best to keep it up.  I try to keep the balance between trying new things and doing the things I think work well.

PantherSim:  Good to see you here  :thumbsup:  Quaint is good, I like that, thanks.

Sebes:  It was Capo who pointed me to the greenhouses.  Trouble is, the minute after I took the pic they abandoned!  I really enjoy the rolling farms, so I'm glad you like them too.

Bokrif:  Thanks for your comment.  And I know what you mean about the three blocks of flats..... See the bottom of this update for more on that!

Bernhard:  Cheers for the detailed comment.  I agree with your comment about the flats in the village - most blocks would look wrong there.  Sometimes we are lucky with what grows - that time I was lucky!
And you are also right about the lack of a church in the village.  See below for a re-work,


UPDATE 21:  9th February 2008

Let's start off with a last little trip back to the village of Norvaney.  Nardo69 had it spot on when he said that the village was missing a church.  When I looked at the village again it hit me like wet fish ?=mad)=  It was obvious that the village needed a place to worship.
21.01  Norvaney Faith:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg163.imageshack.us%2Fimg163%2F4830%2Fimg0079xe9.jpg&hash=46aeae0da64e18e58d08a7b6f1546a836e37ad51)
And seeing as I missed this first time round I thought I could fit two in to make up for my bad behaviour!  So, in the centre of the village on the cross roads is a synagogue and up on the edge of the village is a church.  And seeing as the flats got such positive comments I squeezed them in the picture as well!


Now, I think that the weakest part of my game is my industrial areas.  Wardour is an important industrial town within West End, so here it is.  Your comments are always welcome and here I'd really appreciate any pointers so that I can improve them....

21.02  Helvetia
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg168.imageshack.us%2Fimg168%2F2693%2Fimg0062on0.jpg&hash=61c780deceb9ca4882947eb227cbdc70169afacb)
This was the first industrial are in Wardour.  The Helvetia plants are my only money cheat.  They generate approx 1,500 per month in taxes, so I often plop one or two early on in the game to give the city that early boost.  They also grow from time to time, so after a while I often bulldoze them to allow for variety.
There's a mix of older brick factories mixed in with tag ones great furnace which is more modern and gives a more "heavy industry" look with their tall smoke pipes.


21.03  Main Junction
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg156.imageshack.us%2Fimg156%2F5876%2Fimg0063qa7.jpg&hash=8f85890070e55d03285932dab1a15ed8e46ffea6)
More of the same industrials huddled around one of the main junctions in Wardour.  Plus there is a garbage handling site here as well.


21.04  Sewage Works
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg178.imageshack.us%2Fimg178%2F2901%2Fimg0064mw6.jpg&hash=b64595fd1c6e5e72a49266785b4bb3eb0565a70b)
I love this sewage plant.  It's by Glenni and can be found here:
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1210
The lay-out here is my standard industrial area lay-out.  A bit griddy with some dead end streets going into the middle of a built up area.  Not exactly imaginative, I know.  Up at the top is the SFBT Donutator.  I like this building and re-lotted the power plant version just to give the parking a more logical position.


21.05  Rail Yards - 1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg171.imageshack.us%2Fimg171%2F1425%2Fimg0065hf2.jpg&hash=d0e74c5ea32ef3560ee3813e1756cbeae1b98fc9)
Here is where much of the city's freight is handled.  I like the various transit enabled Industrials that Jestarr has produced.  Plus the almost "standard" freight yard that we all seem to use!  Plenty of red double decker busses serve this area!


21.06  Rail Yards - 2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F96%2Fimg0066ky5.jpg&hash=3dee3040372e3fb425ab8147b3f299c810194323)
This is the first time I've plopped one of these.  They look brilliant, but I'm not convinced I've got the placing of it right - what do you think?


21.07  New Industrial Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg404.imageshack.us%2Fimg404%2F5774%2Fimg0078bb7.jpg&hash=ae8ff80f2c1a80037041719242e4f535656b039c)
And here is a newly built industrial park on the eastern side of the River of Qumma.  I tried to make it so that the industrials were not actually on the main roads, but you have to enter the industrial park via the streets.


As I said, ANY feedback on how I place industrials will be welcomed - I know it's an area where I can improve.


Wardour is an Industrial town but it is also a football town.  So here's a tour of some of the footie places in town:


We'll start at school level.  All of the schools in Wardour have at least one football pitch.  Here are some examples (hope the regulars appreciate the school names ;))

21.08:  The Tooheys High School for the Study of Flat Surfaces:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg177.imageshack.us%2Fimg177%2F5453%2Fimg0075dl8.jpg&hash=6c8b86f7c0e104fe758e701dce0e201a05fd44e0)

21.09:  The Bat High School of German Efficiency:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg412.imageshack.us%2Fimg412%2F9929%2Fimg0076jz9.jpg&hash=13ad4133aaec9a5806803d8edee6795875489724)

21.10:  The Thundercrack Junior School for Statisticians:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F4856%2Fimg0077te1.jpg&hash=d41bc86dddc6aaf23449d212fff5472551cfae15)

As you can see, each school places a lot of importance on their football team.

The next level up is the local amateur football scene.  Local teams either play on park pitches or on pitches that are set aside for local teams - usually on land owned by the local council:

21.11:  Mousie Park:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg145.imageshack.us%2Fimg145%2F4520%2Fimg0067ms5.jpg&hash=ba88f1e253a809d4e0d38ca86ebafcabc785b0cf)
A double pitch park on the western side of town/


21.12:  Bokrif Corner:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg169.imageshack.us%2Fimg169%2F6558%2Fimg0068dh5.jpg&hash=b47ca781f24468a2a45957337067a546663a64fa)
This pitch is used by four different local teams - two who play on Saturdays and two on Sundays.  It's opposite the church, so on Sundays it gets busy around here!


21.13:  The Sebes Arms:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg503.imageshack.us%2Fimg503%2F7494%2Fimg0069iv5.jpg&hash=8a3d44e6b25d968f77f1ac7cb6c65d10820ada5c)
This is where the fearsome team of the Sebes Arms play.  The pub opposite the pitch is called the Sebes Arms and is known to be quite a rough pub where some shady characters drink.  The football team reflects the pub and has been known to have three red cards in one match.  They won their division last season to get promoted and had a celebratory meal in the Sum Ting Wong Chinese restaurant next door to the pub.


21.14:  Nardo Park:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg212.imageshack.us%2Fimg212%2F4120%2Fimg0070pj9.jpg&hash=48456ce76ad404dc5bbf342531e03889505e85da)
This is where the best amateur team play.  Trouble is this year they have to play Sebes Arms.  It will be a local derby with blood and guts!


21.15:  New Merry Park (rear):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg255.imageshack.us%2Fimg255%2F2542%2Fimg0071nf2.jpg&hash=d6cc3074d399d67d92297cfaa9005a0f50aba87d)
21.16:  New Merry Park (front):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg177.imageshack.us%2Fimg177%2F8186%2Fimg0072yh0.jpg&hash=91ba13046032881129464abbf271106c31290083)
This is home to Wardouroda FC.  One of the big professional teams in West End.  The stadium holds 28,500 and draws its fans from both the town of Wardour and the surrounding farming villages.  This was one of the host stadia used in the West End tournament.  I've heard rumours that there will be the second West End Tournament in May.  If it happens Wardouroda will want to host more matches.


I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the industrial and sporting aspects of Wardour.

Next time we'll focus on the transportation network and commercial areas.  As a warm up, here's a pic of one of the motorway junctions at the Dunrose Union Crossing:
21.16:  Dunrose Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F7856%2Fimg0074bg5.jpg&hash=6bf4bd0fc6c284f8a6346ce9a5c752438aa0681d)


21.17:  Overview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F5757%2Fimg0080pa8.jpg&hash=0767759245738b1fa56b459fe1f63b5fbd8fb432)
Here's what Wardour looks like at the moment.  Bokrif raised the point about whether the tall blocks of flats on the Western side of town look right there.  I'm always interested in what you think, so I've set up a poll.  Should the tall flats stay?  Add your vote at this link  http://doodle.ch/m7b3nugkn5zmsqgt and just before the next update I will act on your voting.  If you vote "yes" the tall block stay.  If you vote "no" then the three "plattnebau" blocks will be demolished and replaced with mid-rise apartments.

'til next time................. $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

That's a very nice village, paroch!
...And thanks for the name...

Great work on these schools and parks and stadium!! Also nice pictures of Wardour! :thumbsup:

The industrial areas look great! The only thing I would say is that perhaps a bit more concrete junk lots around the factories so that they are not so bundled together...but otherwise, they look good. Another huge update, so impressive. Wardour and the surrounding villages look absolutely great!

Excellent update, Paul.
You and Nardo69 were right -- the churches add a really nice touch to Norvaney.

I think the industrial areas in Wardour look just fine. Industrial parks, as we often call them, are usually griddy and largely unadorned. Sometimes there's a bit of landscaping out front to make the entrances look a little better, but otherwise they're strictly business for profit. The larger factories usually sit on oversize chunks of real estate where existing trees are left uncut. It makes for a slightly more attractive setting, but I think the underlying reason is the idea of possible expansion in the future, not good looks.

As for the rail yards, I've never tried any either so I'll leave comments to the experts. ???

The school grounds and parks are delightful, and yayaya, I get two footies and everybody else gets just one!  :D BTW, does RODA JC in the stadium mean anything?

Thanks again for rounding out the update with an overview which is looking better and better I might add! :thumbsup:

Until next time...
Joan

I know I don't comment too much, but I feel the following is enough: I like the industrial area!

ok Paul , you got to explain to me the link you lay between the roughest bar in town, shady characters and moi... I know that I get a bid ?=mad)= after a few too many wines but that it could end in blood and guts derby with Nardo ??   $%Grinno$%  I swear you, there is nothing rough going on in Sebes' arms my friend (but of course if I could get my arms around an entire football team who knows  ;)  

But seriously, I also plop railyards in most of my cities (I use NCD's for that) and yours look great. But the 2 double decker busses driving on that dead-end street in the waste lands is kind of funny... make we realy wonder what is going on there... uhm?

The Merry stadium looks great (Joan: the stadium is batted after the Parkstad Limburg stadium in Kerkrade (NL), and the homebase for the local Roda JC football team) . I can tell you FC Manhattan is already training very hard to join the tournament again, and loads of Mets fans are speculatively booking tickets to Westend already.

And in your poll I voted yes, for the plattenbauten to stay. As added in my comments on Doodle: any city with so many industries needs these kind of social housing from the 60's and 70's for the laborers to live in. And as Wardouroda has a 28500 stadium you''ll have to give the hometeams hooligans some shelter too (they need a place to go when they come out of Sebes' arms ;)

QuoteThe Tooheys High School for the Study of Flat Surfaces

hehehe, I love it, and I can't believe they still teach that the Earth is round  :D

Good to see you're dirty side, nice industrial area and rail lots  :thumbsup:

In fact the entire update is well done, but I must say, the standout is your LE work.  &apls

Love the fences. I really have to teach myself how to do that.

Cheers

Dave

Well, with the votes at 3-1 in favour of demolishing the tower blocks, they're starting to look doomed!

I thought I'd provide you with a closer pic, so you can get a better idea of what they look like.  Between the three blocks they house approx 4,500 sims.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg442.imageshack.us%2Fimg442%2F8910%2Fimg0090pi7.jpg&hash=f2e5997266bae40b506a5f983382900773f2d97f)

Next update is likely to be next weekend, so there's still time to either save them, or condemn them!

Wow, I just recently noticed that you download pretty much the same content from the STEX as I do :) Very , very nice updates since I recently posted in this thread, though I am starting to get curious where you got the buildings in the 20.05 pic and your last pic from. I know you don't reallly rememeber...though I am curious :D

I really like what I see (hint: Mas'71 has just released a new wall pack on the LEX. I think for this city you would like this new wall series on the LEX).

I hope you are doing well my friend, take care.

Quote
21.10:  The Thundercrack Junior School for Statisticians:

Wow! I don't know what to say, my friend! I'm very flattered! And you're right, we do take football very seriously! In fact, I think the most tabulated statistic at the school is red cards!

Paul some wonderful activity here lately and see my comment on Doodle for why I think the flats should stay....  I await with anticpation to see what happens...

So at this view it is looking very good, paroch!!

Looking forward to more of West End!

Missed many updates sorry 'bout that  :D

love what you done so far and all your hard work shows  &apls &apls
I think you may need this
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg152.imageshack.us%2Fimg152%2F2651%2Fkaffe06ut5.gif&hash=b712f75428e987c8f6b0e93298c7ff4cbdaf43f8)

till the next time

:satisfied:
TTC

I think the three towers can't be there. Two should be a good number. If you buldoze the middle one, it will look much more realistic and you don't have to remove all three of them with ~4500 sims.

Looking at the close-up pic, indeed the middle tower should go....  kaboom %%Order?/

Yup, the middle tower should go, keep the other two. Maybe have some parking in the middle or just open grass for kids to play?


Anyway, great job so far on West End. The region is growing quite nicely, it seems.

REPLIES:

Well, the vote seemed reasonably popular - thanks for taking part.  See below for details of the result:

Bat:  thanks for the comment and you're welcome re the name.  You are a constant visitor and supporter, it was the least I could do!

Nedalezz:  Thanks for the advice re "junk".  I have a few "filler lots" that I will try to remember to use more often :thumbsup:

Joan:  Thanks for your comments re industrials.  No-one has said I'm doing much "wrong" but I do feel they're the area where I have most room for improvement.  Glad you liked Mousie Park.  As for the RODA JC in the football stadium - Sebes has already said, it's the stadium of Dutch side Roda.  Here's a link to Oppie's fantastic stadium BAT if you're interested:  http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=2688

Bokrif:  Thanks - short and sweet!

Sebes:  LOL, Since you've been visiting West End, I have kind of figured out you have a sense of humour  :D, so I thought if there's anyone I can say such terrible things about and they'll laugh, it'll be Sebes!  The red busses seem to spawn in some unexpected places - but they're just so English I've got to keep them.  I'll seek opinions about another footie tournament, maybe in May as it'll be 6 months since the last.

Dave:  Thanks for the comments and glad to see that Balnavia now has some custom fences!

Capo:  We have similar download tastes eh?  Well, great minds think alike! ;)!  Can't wait to see all your downloads in the new Biroud!

Dustin:  Well, you are a regular visitor so it was only right you had something named - and you are THE statitician!  And red cards, ouch!

Pat:  Good to see you again and thanks for taking part in the vote.

Tea Cat:  Hey, good to see you and thanks for the cuppa and doughnut  :P YUM.

Shadow Assassin:  Good to see you here again and thanks for your suggestion - see below.


UPDATE 22 - 16th February 2008

The results of the vote were........3-3.  It's a tie.  So in the spirit of compromise, and also, based upon the comments you made, I decided to knock down the middle tower and keep the other two.....like this.

22.01  Before
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg180.imageshack.us%2Fimg180%2F5602%2Fimg0091ra7.jpg&hash=982118d21951d7353fb4fadc215a723fe0b3741b)

22.02  Going, going
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg152.imageshack.us%2Fimg152%2F522%2Fimg0092wm2.jpg&hash=91f9775ef91754d5530f2561be1c01d1adafa5c7)

22.03  Gone
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg517.imageshack.us%2Fimg517%2F7349%2Fimg0093tw5.jpg&hash=b88f26ed5b60de7d94f8505192d8ea23f7a9b207)
I decided that one of the towers on the other side of the road had to go as well.  Trouble is, after I demolished one, the other "upgraded", 'doh, I'd forgotten to make it historical!


22.04  After
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F636%2Fimg0117vt7.jpg&hash=dfb3856add40680309cde942cae581a5ab01ba9e)
This is what the area looks like now.  Somewhere to park and somewhere to play.

Hope you all like the results.  I plan to release a fuller update tomorrow - transportation and commercials.

'til next time.............. $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

I do indeed like the results  &apls
looks much better now - not so cluttered well done :thumbsup:

:satisfied:
TTc

Oh, yes, yes, yes! :thumbsup:
I'm glad you didn't get too dynamite happy all at once -- you definitely made the right choice. The park fits in perfectly and the smaller buildings that grew next door look really good.

Until next time...
Joan

I love the result of the big kaboom Paul. But 1500 Westenders homeless now... that is something else of course. Where will you park those poor people? Hope not in the stadium???

Hehe, I've missed my dose of destruction since Bliss was retired  :D

That does look a lot better Paul. Can't wait for the fuller update.

Cheers

Dave

REPLIES:

Tea Cat:  Thanks, clutter is sometimes one of my problems, both in SC4 and RL ;)

JoanMouse:  Glad you like it.  And here's next time.....

Sebes:  Wardour does seem to have a surplus of Big Issue sellers at the moment!  Don't worry, the population is now up at 61,00 (more than I intended), so there are plenty of houses in the leafy parts.

Tooheys:  Ah Bliss - yes destruction was always well done in Bliss :bomb:.  And you didn't have to wait long for the fuller update!


UPDATE 23:  17th February 2008

The last update was only a small one - more to do with RL logistics than anything else :-[

Today is Transportation and Commercials.......

23.01  Transport Overview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg520.imageshack.us%2Fimg520%2F2113%2Fimg0116gi6.jpg&hash=7225ecddbd97174e65b307a68cf9a97db8e0c8b7)
Blue = Motorway  with junctions in Red
Orange = Main Boulevard/Avenue
Black = Railway with stations in Yellow.

The centre of Wardour is along the Main Boulevard, stretching north to the motorway and south to the railway.
There is no GLR, subway or El-Rail in Wardour.  The railway is used mainly by people commuting eastwards into the larger cities of Great Portland and Oxford (still to be re-built).
There are plenty of busses in Wardour.

Let's focus on the main motorway junctions.  We'll travel from the west heading eastwards......

23.02  West Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg352.imageshack.us%2Fimg352%2F2236%2Fimg0094uy0.jpg&hash=16ec7e7e16bf53db4737583c47a02989b90cb9e1)
This is a busy junction where the Main Boulevard ends.  To the north east is a large sprawling low density development.  Plenty of drivers from that development join the motorway here when leaving town.  I really need to start using some diagonal buildings though ()what()
This style junction is seen quite a bit on some of the older motorways in the UK.


23.03  Dunrose Junction (Central):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg156.imageshack.us%2Fimg156%2F6563%2Fimg0095al2.jpg&hash=6e533d5b8382f56b17adc7b3c303a5d90588113a)
Similar style junction to the West Junction.  Traffic leaves and then uses the roundabout.
This junction serves the city centre and also the low density developments to the north.
I don't often see those concrete planters used alongside sunken highways - I thought they made a nice change.


23.04  East Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg99.imageshack.us%2Fimg99%2F2551%2Fimg0096uh7.jpg&hash=25d90b5491f2a5795c8ca52af83773173c39ed34)
This is an important interchange, particularly for drivers heading into town from the east.  They can come off the motorway and onto the Main Boulevard without having to use single lane roads. 
This junction also serves the football stadium and southern industrial parks.


23.05  Maxis Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg205.imageshack.us%2Fimg205%2F8286%2Fimg0097fj9.jpg&hash=5e195efa1178f861f0126cf07504470e7a9836b4)
This old style Maxis Junction is still so very useful for those places where space is at a premium!
This junction serves the central industrial park and also some of the housing developments near to the centre of town.


23.06  River Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg183.imageshack.us%2Fimg183%2F3332%2Fimg0098qh3.jpg&hash=4c5a64c47770af0768341069d0acd7ba4743bb02)
This is a restricted access junction, only serving one side of the motorway.  It's main purpose is for access to and from the developments along the riverside.
You can also see the bridge over the River of Qumma.


Let's move on to the Railways now.....


23.07  Wardour Corrigan Station:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F5076%2Fimg0103mt1.jpg&hash=1dea32010b422af614e80c78412f0395b966b871)
This station serves the residential area of Wardour known as Corrigan.  You'll see it only serves two of the four tracks.  Express services use the north tracks (in my mind ;)) and do not stop at Corrigan.  This is very much a station for local and feeder services.


23.08  Wardour Central Station:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg156.imageshack.us%2Fimg156%2F762%2Fimg0104uo7.jpg&hash=1d62cb51dd6d5df90a6851148134b0ac9e85376d)
The Main Boulevard is to the right of the picture.  Busses serve both sides of the station.  Parking is down at the same level of the stations.
I'm a bit annoyed that one commercial square didn't develop &mmm


23.09  Wardour Pelham Park Station - Before:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg148.imageshack.us%2Fimg148%2F4215%2Fimg0100kk6.jpg&hash=a9c3235658573c6b4717033853b9ad85d3d59bc7)
23.10  And After:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg210.imageshack.us%2Fimg210%2F203%2Fimg0106ym8.jpg&hash=dbac47910617da5dec8552102531bce3d9ab2bc4)
Now don't get me wrong, I think the Dora Bay building is a great Bat.  All that shining steel and glass looks magnificent........but just not there!  When I saw that had grown on that spot I knew it had to go, no need for a vote this time :bomb: :bomb: :bomb:
Pelham Park is a busy commuter station to the north of the centre.  Plenty of car parking available at the station.  Busses serve both sides and the small commercials do a good trade.  The two pubs in the top of the picture are popular with commuters on their way home.


23.11  Twin Rail Bridges over the River of Qumma.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg183.imageshack.us%2Fimg183%2F9383%2Fimg0105zj5.jpg&hash=cc41d78feb8e221e6746fc870916a12ceaac8cce)
The title says it all!


Let's now move on to the main commercials in Wardour.........

23.12  Dunrose Union Crossing:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg214.imageshack.us%2Fimg214%2F9792%2Fimg0113us2.jpg&hash=cc53fde86a5cc9183cf8539df5df7ba5ecbbf5ca)
Thanks to Joan for the name of this central commercial development.  The market is a busy and thriving place.  The Dunrose Tower looms over the city centre and is perhaps the most famous land mark in Wardour.


23.13  South Side Commercials:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg246.imageshack.us%2Fimg246%2F6016%2Fimg0114fb0.jpg&hash=9d7b2a596d8c3fce9a7ca9152d89e81b238f1181)
The Borough Council decided that the area immediately to the south of the railway needed some commercial development to give it some life.  This small plaza was the original piece of that plan, but the commercials along the road have actually done better.  Two more pubs can be seen, suggesting that Wardourians like to have a pint (or three :D).
To the north of the railway you can see 5 key cutting shops, suggesting that Wardourians drink too much and then lose their keys when drunk.  Just as well the "odd shop out" is the Java Hut Coffee Shop as they can have a strong espresso to help sober up ()sad()
(Oh, and I know the red and white small tower does look a little odd there but it's the first time it's grown in any of my cities - and I like it).


23.14  Main Boulevard:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg208.imageshack.us%2Fimg208%2F6845%2Fimg0112la1.jpg&hash=72cae75949996dceb78f1df8cb00698d0b09f52f)
This picture is taken near the Central Station.  You can see a good selection of offices have sprung up along the Boulevard.


23.15  Diagonals!:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F2645%2Fimg0118iz0.jpg&hash=2d422cb8d463fe095ad789241f2a7e55e425679b)
My first use of diagonals!!!!  I really need to download some more. &idea
I like the building loads - and thought the ped mall plaza worked well with it, do you agree?


Well, that's the end of today's tour.  Wardour is zoned as much as it's going to be now.  Population is at 61,000 (I was planning on 50,000).  Some small low density zones have yet to grow, so I'll let the game run for a bit to see if they will develop.  I just need to decide on which tile to develop next.  My choices are:
Piccadilly - an undeveloped tile that will be a large high density commercial district.
Broadwick - near to Piccadilly and will be a "mid town" kind of place with plenty of apartments and mid sized commercials.
Carnaby - site of the new International Airport
Oxford - The capital needs to be re-built after my city locking up problem.
As always, I welcome your input.

Before then, there will be one more update from Wardour focussing on the residential areas.  I do feel that the low density suburbs of Wardour are the best I've ever built.  I hope you enjoy them, as a teaser for next time, here's a picture I entered into the competition.  It won one round and then came up against one of Cockatoo's great photoshopped pictures!

23.16  Suburban Dreams:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg257.imageshack.us%2Fimg257%2F3156%2Fimg0101dg1.jpg&hash=ab77e54981b7cc3a0b05a994c46764cb32bfddaf)

'til next time........... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Wardour is a very interesting city! I had no idea how busy and sparkling the town center would be! The Dunrose tower looks a bit out of place considering how sleepy and dull the town is where the real version is (Emmeloord (http://lh3.google.com/_Sgr5LcaT9Mw/Rs3nRAmZ9WI/AAAAAAAAEgA/mHub2uFqbLs/s800/75-a.jpg)). So good that you make this nice tower the landmark of a more sparkling city Paul :thumbsup:. 
I also like the variety in roundabout that you have in this town - especially the one near Wardour Central Station fits very well with the surrounding buildings!
Looking at the East Junction picture I realized in shock that the trucks take the wrong lane entering the highway, realizing only now that Westend is a left-hand driving nation.... Of course I could have noticed if I had a closer look at the arrows and cars on the streets before, but somehow I was feeling so 'at home' in your MD that I never realized it before...  ::)

The result on the middle towers is looking really nice, paroch!!

The update is wonderful! Like the Wardour Central Station - area! The others are looking good, too! :thumbsup:

wow fantastic update  :o

it is really splendid, your river is very quite carried out! many details are taken into account, one can only like  $%Grinno$%
the sight area with this countryside is superb !

If I can allow myself on the 11eme images, or have to be this lays?

I thank you in advance and good continuation .

You've been really busy working on transport routes, haven't you Paul! That's one of my many weaknesses, but you have created some really impressive intersections. While all are good, the first one (23.02) is really a standout IMO.

I like your use of mid-rise buildings, too. As a native of Houston and later living within shopping distance of Dallas, I got my fill of skyscrapers. Even so, it's too bad about the Dora Bay Building -- I like the looks of it, but you are right about the inopportune location. Maybe it'll pop up somewhere else.

Dunrose Union Crossing (23.12) turned out great, and I'm honored to have had the privilege of naming it. 23.14 is an excellent example of commercial development, too.

Of course, now you have me hankering for a better look at the residentials. Knowing you, they are very much in keeping with the rest of the city, so I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

Until next time...
Joan

The highway system looks fantastic, and I liked what you did with the Industrial zones. It seems you are using a bit of fillers between factories, giving a more realistic look. They look great!

Ohh very nice indeed.  &apls
I like the way everything integrates so well. there is a logic to it all and it blends seemlessly - well done.

The double bridge look good - musta taken some time to get them identical yes I'm impressed :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

:satisfied:
TTC

Really nice job.
Though:
a; the diagonal buildings will sure help! :P
b; you should change that double rail bridge, where the the central part is missing. It looks bad. I know, it is the problem of the lot, but still, looks bad.
I repeat, really nice job, you 've done Paroch! :)

i love the the overview from the last update it looks absolutly perfect
the slope from 23.13 is also something what catched my eyes and i also like your last picture alot with all the trees and the soccerfield

REPLIES:

Sebes:  Thanks for the link to the pic of the Emmeloord tower.  It's funny, the RL pic looks as though it could have been taken in one of Wardour's suburbs, with Jeronij's side street modd!  I like your description of Wardour being "sparkling".  And the UK version of SC4 defaults to left hand drive, so I've just stuck with it.  Glad you feel "at home" here - you're one of West End's frequent visitors and ALWAYS welcome :thumbsup:

Bat:  Thank you for those words and your support.

Warconstruct: Thanks for that.  I'm not sure of your question about the bridges in picture 11.  I created these by using the "rain tool" and then dragging the bridge over the "rain area".  There is a great tutorial on this somewhere, if you would like a link to it please say and I will look for it for you.

Joan: Yes, I actually planned out the main roads and rails in advance this time (too often I make it up as I go along).  Glad you liked the junctions and of course the Dunrose Union Crossing.  Wardour is complete now, so Dora Bay will have to wait for somewhere else  &mmm

Nedalezz: Indeed, a few more fillers make a big difference - thanks for noticing! :)

Tea Cat:  Cheers for the compliment.  As for the double bridge - I had twin rails, so had to put two bridges in.  I would have liked them side by side but I don't think the game allows you to do this, so the one tile gap was the compromise. 

Bokrif:  Good to see you here again.  Yes, I really need to tidy up my landmarks menu so that I can find those diagonals!  And I know what you mean about the rail bridges.  I think it's the lack of supports underneath the bridge that make them look a little odd.

Squidi:  Welcome to West End  $%Grinno$%, I think this is your first visit.  And thank you for such great words.


UPDATE 24 - 23rd February 2008

OK, this is our last visit to Wardour.  The quad is now completed  ;D.  The original Wardour had a population of 49,000.  The new Wardour has 61,000 sims, so it's a bit bigger than before.  But it is also more rural, with plenty of farms in the valley and a lot of trees up on the hills.  Some industrial parks provide plenty of jobs and there is some commercial activity in the town as well.  But Wardour is really a commuter town, where most residents travel outside of the town to their jobs in Great Portland, Regent and Oxford.

The final update will give you some overviews and then look at some of the residentials:

24.01  Wardour Overview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg186.imageshack.us%2Fimg186%2F7762%2Fcitywardour1mj0.png&hash=8f22b940e12b8d9a4f35fd11060950755da03884)
With hidsight, maybe I should have put the river a bit more to the centre of the tile and built the centre of the town along the river banks.  But overall, I am pleased with the result.


24.02  Traffic Congestion:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg527.imageshack.us%2Fimg527%2F1001%2Fimg0131ng8.jpg&hash=a2ba7ac0e9b66baed5b892bceeeea3c098cf7064)
Traffic is flowing freely on all of the major routes.  Some side streets are a bit busy, but nothing disastrous.


24.03  Crime Data:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg530.imageshack.us%2Fimg530%2F2637%2Fimg0134py2.jpg&hash=54654530483022bb452b7c7d965f39a0f96e8467)
Crime is often one of my weak points.  I focus on building the city, then afterwards remember that I really should have placed some police stations!  Still, nothing too bad here.


24.04  Low Wealth Rules:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg206.imageshack.us%2Fimg206%2F3681%2Fimg0135lw8.jpg&hash=899e3c41ad5e4937188c54941d580e996d021612)
Here is the graph that shows what wealth levels are in the city.  R$ is the top line, R$$ the middle and very few R$$$ residents here in Wardour!


OK, now let's look at some of the residential areas.  I have to admit, that the Jeronij Street Side Mod has made a big difference and I think that here in Wardour are the best low rise suburbs I've ever created.

24.05  Woodville:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg245.imageshack.us%2Fimg245%2F6268%2Fimg0120yy4.jpg&hash=05e1127d3f4f3ac7ee41c69b189439411b3afb4e)
This was the first housing development in Wardour and is made up exclusively of Jen_P's Woodville homes.


24.06  Riverside:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg244.imageshack.us%2Fimg244%2F9710%2Fimg0119an5.jpg&hash=4995f3eb41ba01ce16525eb19a64260ff98906b4)
This development still has some Jen_P Woodvilles, but also some MattB Belmont series, plus a few other lots from Gascooker, RP and Haarlemgold (apologies to anyone I've missed).


24.07  East Central:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg525.imageshack.us%2Fimg525%2F3973%2Fimg0121lo2.jpg&hash=62bc4f30e3b4e5eb498510ee6a506fcd1221e0e5)
This development is sandwiched between the Motorway and the Main Boulevard.  Just to the east of the centre and opposite the football stadium.


24.08  South Side:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg244.imageshack.us%2Fimg244%2F3306%2Fimg0122nc1.jpg&hash=ecc775077679613f35cd4a260106fe10c0a4273b)
Another medium density residential zone.  This is on the south side of town, near one of the large high schools.


24.09  Jebel Road:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg141.imageshack.us%2Fimg141%2F6668%2Fimg0124vc5.jpg&hash=0de59af05be306aa2654135eb0c46cc3aa6815d9)
Jebel Road is north of the motorway and runs from left to right.  It has a collection of medium density residentials, with the low density homes tucked away behind them on side streets.  This little housing development is just what I was trying to create here.  A small oasis of calm just off a busy thoroughfare.


24.10  More South Side:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F4879%2Fimg0123fr3.jpg&hash=2a5b13ea7d66c9b8494fc0ee61457e043938b2d7)
Another development on the south side.  If you look carefully, you will see that as you drive into the development they are zoned 1x1 ox 1x2 lots but as you drive deeper into the development there are more 2x2 lots for the wealthier sims.  The yellow/creamy coloured house crops up a lot but I think adds something to the development as a whole.  It's a building from haarlemgold.  I really want to find some time to download all of his stuff from the STEX.  I have a lot already, but want the rest :D


24.11  Corrigan North
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg508.imageshack.us%2Fimg508%2F230%2Fimg0126cf5.jpg&hash=1ee13d29fcb64092038bf05dd452ed97efacb8f3)
A similar mix of houses.  Local amenities include Mousie Park, the library and the bingo hall.


24.12  Edge of Town:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg247.imageshack.us%2Fimg247%2F9528%2Fimg0125fl1.jpg&hash=3e8d1f56810d3ad6481f1bd7fcaa4ad930fbfb89)
Here's a small development on the edge of town.  It's on a bit of a hill and I really enjoyed looking at the different building and seeing how the slope is handled by them differently.  Some are more slope friendly than others, but I still like the overall look.


24.13  Low Rise, Low Density, Low Wealth:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg99.imageshack.us%2Fimg99%2F7084%2Fimg0128nc8.jpg&hash=d9f7e09b8726a6e5493f4270e9abc6103cdb00b9)
This is a development made up of custom lots I created using RP's 6House Row.  It has a certain 1960's/1970's UK council estate look about it.  I entered this in the picture competition.  It didn't win :(


OK, that gives you an idea of the different residential areas in Wardour.  Just a couple of other things to show you......

24.14  The Jail:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg115.imageshack.us%2Fimg115%2F7707%2Fimg0129na0.jpg&hash=ee54dbd22cf092e29db67650ec577ff3f85a216c)
This is where all those bad sims end up!  There have been some pretty gruesome guards versus inmates matches on that pitch!


24.15  Sports Complex and Shopping Mall:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg257.imageshack.us%2Fimg257%2F898%2Fimg0130ba3.jpg&hash=e2332e55d8e321efc3fbb67d131031181084866f)
Right on the eastern edge of town is the Wardour Mall and the Zamora Sports Centre.  You can also see there is still some undeveloped zones on this side of town.


Right, let's wrap this up with some final overviews:

24.16  Wardour, Central, West and South:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg299.imageshack.us%2Fimg299%2F3003%2Fimg0138cl0.jpg&hash=14abfef31a975b74b1d61841499fee6bb4737db2)
You can also see a small village was zoned up in the hills - but it has not developed!


24.16  Wardour East, North and The River of Qumma:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F4269%2Fimg0139vx9.jpg&hash=fce5141db837ca4c27595d45885474db96879816)
Plenty of farming in the valley plus the village of Norvaney.  You can also see the two waste to energy plants that keep the city tidy and produce most of its electricity.


24.17  Region View:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg184.imageshack.us%2Fimg184%2F7581%2Fimg0141mg5.jpg&hash=879cc16050a48ffe194bb6706de44a2af286654d)
This is not the whole region, but gives you a feel for where Wardour sits.  I think I'll complete Shaftesbury next before deciding on the next quad to attack.  You also need to remember that Great Portland and Regent are "dead" quads that cannot be opened.  Great Portland will definitely need to be redeveloped at some stage.

I hope you've enjoyed Wardour as much as I have.

'til next time.......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

very nice city paul!
it seems your bad sims have it very easy  :D
imo there are not enough custom police stations created (or i havnt found them)
the jail looks much better with the surrounding than the default one

Nice update!
I like such details as the embankment at the river and the pedestrian overpass at the highway!

About the picture, well, don't worry. I gave up to understand how a picture gets into the HoF and how not - whenI think it's a special one IMHO I'll give it a try. And as I PM'ed you before, if I vote against a great railway pic your picture IS a good one!  :thumbsup:

A hint: for such large open rural areas I like to plop the Marrast Sheriff'S office (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=16752Marrast%20Sheriff'S%20office) - with its extremely large coverage radius it is a econimocally solutions for maps with only so much inhabitants ...  ;)

Take care my friend!

Bernhard 

Great update there! And wonderful work on that city! And like the region (over)view! :thumbsup:

Wardour is now looks even more perfect!
This is not a critic, but next time could you show something new? I am not bored, I am just interested in more of your work and variations.

Paul I loved that jail and also that Sports Complex WOW.... Did you do those yourself? Plan on sharing hint hint lol....  Great UPdates here and wonderful progress.......

Oh Paul, here's everything I've ever wanted in an update! Overviews, data views (are you awake, Dave!) and loverly photos! :thumbsup:

The Woodville neighborhood looks great, and so do all the rest, but the way you've given each of them a different personality is really impressive. That couldn't have been easy to accomplish! :o

24.11  Corrigan North looks great (OK, I'm partial!), and even though 24.08  South Side doesn't have the type of residential structures I'm used to seeing, I think it's very charming.

I like the way you've designed the jail - a few shade trees but not too many hiding places. As a reporter I used to visit a correctional facility in Texas occasionally, and your layout is pretty much spot on. The 24.15  Sports Complex and Shopping Mall is well done as well.

Overall, this is one of your best updates -- well planned and beautifully showcased! &apls

Until March 12...
Joan

Your focus on details, especially with the schools and jails, is really incredible. Its the little things that make our cities that much better, and you certainly have an eye for detail. Even though its not complete, the region shot looks great.

QuoteOh Paul, here's everything I've ever wanted in an update! Overviews, data views (are you awake, Dave!) and loverly photos!

Look likes somebody has someone wrapped around their little finger  :D

I must agree with Joan though, that is a fine update.  :thumbsup:

I really like the first pic of the residential area. In fact all of your residential areas look great and are nicely varied.

To add to Nardo's suggestion, PEG's MTP set has police, fire, hospital, and school which also fit nicely into rural areas. They are small lots and unobtrusive.

Cheers

Dave

Splendid update. &apls
You really have the sense of detail.
Excellent.

-first of all thank you to have taken time to answer has my question, because me in moment I do not have myself it too much.

For the bond do not be born yourself from refusal, and I think that it will be very useful for me if I count modified one lays has my own way. Then thank you very much  :thumbsup:

- secondly your city is quite simply splendid !
I like much these details like the district of the prison and the sporting district in north .
Your river is very well make !

- thirdly the sights general are superb! especially your countryside which ventilated
and is well separated by the vegetation  . Which gives one made very realistic !  &apls &apls


After having seen your I work had a very particular envi to launch SC4 and of living our passion which is this play .

Impatient to see the continuation !

Paul 

REPLIES:

Squidi/Paul: haha :D, yes the prison does not look too tough does it!  As for custom police stations.... Hmmm, not too many - my favourite is MattB325's Bathurst Police Station: linkie (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1358)
And the funny thing is - I thought the jail is the default one - it's the only one in my menu!

Nardo/Berhard:  Thanks for the comment, and yes sometimes I concentrate too much on details and leave the "big picture" to chance!  Thanks for the link to Marrast's sherrifs station - have it now. :thumbsup:

Bat:  Hey, glad you like the overview

Bokrif/Krisztian:  Thanks for the comment, and don't worry, I know what you mean.  I was thinking that I need to do something new.  I've not had much SC4 "play-time" this week, so only a small update.  I am really struggling to decide what to do next!

Pat:  hey, thanks.  Well, the jail.... I really thought this was the default jail  ()what(), as it's the only one in my menu - and looking through my plugins I can't see anything obvious!!  The football pitch with changing and small farm field are custom lots.  As for the sports centre.... Here's Deadwoods indoor sports centre  linkie (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=492) , for the main building. The football pitch with the changing room is the same one as the prison and the running track with the pitch in the middle is also a custom lot.  I'll try and put a pack together and see if I can get it LEX'd!  If you'd like a snaek preview, PM me your email address - with your BLaM experience you'll probably find plenty wrong with them!

Jmouse/Joan:  Hehehe ;D, I take it you like the content of this update then!  As for the different looks..... Woodville took a little bulldozing and ALOT of making historical.  The 6House Row lots are custom lots 5x4, so relatively easy to zone for.  The others just took a little bit of luck and a whole lot of bulldozing!
Thanks for such encouraging comments.  Oh, and by the way, I've taken a leaf from Dustin's book and drawn up some West End stats.  It's official, you are West End's most rugular visitor - this is your 51st visit to West End - I'm sure that is worthy of some kind of award!  I'll have to dream one up %$payas)(.

Nedalezz:  Thanks for those words.  I guess I do enjoy the little details and am slowly doing more of my own custom lots.  And the region still has plenty of room to grow into!

Tooheys/Dave:  Wrapped around a little finger?  Me??  LOL.  Thanks for the comments and the suggestion re PEGs lots.  When I lost my "big 4" cities, one of the variables in what may have caused the problem was the MTP pack, so I've been reluctant to use it again.  Probably irrational, so maybe I'll go and have another go.

Earth quake:  Welcome to West End - good to have you here and thanks for your comments.

Warconstruct/Paul:  Thanks for your support and your comments.  I am happy that seeing West End made you want to play the game.



UPDATE 25:  29th February 2008

As I said above, have not had much SC4 "play-time" this week and also suffered from a bit of a block on what to do next  ()what() %confuso ()what().  I had a medium sized quad called Shaftesbury that needed finishing off, so thought I'd do that.  To be honest, there's nothing particularly special about Shaftesbury, so only a few pics this time.

A small bit of London facts:
My city of Shaftesbury takes its name from Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End.  Arguably it is the heart of "Theatreland" in London, with many of the top theatres either on the avenue itself or very close by.  Shaftesbury Avenue runs from the busy Piccadilly Circus, through China Town, across Cambridge Circus and then towards Covent Garden.  It has a mix of retail, restaurants, offices and of course theatres.  Soho fire station is situated on Shaftesbury Avenue.  It really is a hive of activity.

And back to West End's Shaftesbury, a town of 21,900 sims......

25.01  Shaftesbury Orientation:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg153.imageshack.us%2Fimg153%2F8571%2Fimg0143sz5.jpg&hash=f5e45ee1843d7dea4f1b4604178167e1f5f5d666)
This is where Shaftesbury is located in respect of the West End region.  I'd normally cut out the buttons but thought the population figure may interest.....


25.02  Shaftesbury Overview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg167.imageshack.us%2Fimg167%2F2282%2Fimg0144rh7.jpg&hash=bfa2d1021947ae6f5fef4f6dfcedf035c7109abc)
As you can see, the canal is the main feature in Shaftesbury.  The railway runs pretty much parallel to the canal.  You can see the town centre is a bit more built up than another sprawling low rise suburb.  Surrounded by farm land, it's a pleasant place to live.


25.03  Junction:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg262.imageshack.us%2Fimg262%2F9846%2Fimg0150uv5.jpg&hash=236874900aa4723d91c2524992e3142560c34751)
Another junction that does actually make sense if you look at it carefully.  But I know this would just drive Americans crazy.  I have an American client who has just moved to London and he says that the English love of roundabouts is driving him crazy - apparently it makes it much harder to keep a sense of direction!  My argument is that we grow up with them, so develop fantastic senses of direction!


25.04  The IPON School:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg177.imageshack.us%2Fimg177%2F4845%2Fimg0149vn9.jpg&hash=cc161e53ba0b5fc5a25995d548e2e07d06841ff5)
This civic complex next to the canal on the western edge of town has a fire station plus a police station and school that are in identical buildings which has caused some confusion over the years!  The school is called the IPON School and has a speciality on foreign studies as it has a teacher from each country that makes up IPON.  The newly adopted IPON flag flies proudly next to the school.  And thanks to Tooheys for his tennis court lot (I could not get that fence to appear properly!)


25.05  Town Centre:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg186.imageshack.us%2Fimg186%2F3039%2Fimg0148to7.jpg&hash=bc9c4e31f4736a4869a1eb4123bb45f350471982)
Yes, that really is the extent of commercial activity in Shaftesbury - it really is a sleepy place!


25.06  A Picture for Bernhard:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg442.imageshack.us%2Fimg442%2F9666%2Fimg0152gc5.jpg&hash=368039b558f92edf19bfddf40eafac8828cd82c4)
With his love of all things train related, I thought Bernhard would like this pic.  Two trains passing on a level crossing.  If you look carefully you'll notice that the trains have the same carriages but different engines, cool eh?  And if you look really carefully you'll see that in West End we drive on the left hand side of the road, but the level crossing barriers and road markings are set up for right hand driving, weird eh?
And this picture was just one of those lucky times when you get multiple trains in shot.  Oh, and more tennis courts from toohey's custom lot collection - thanks Dave.


Well, much like when creating industrial areas we use "filler lots", Shaftesbury is a bit of a "filler quad", so that's it - a short and sweet visit to a small but sweet little town.

Now, what shall I do next??????

'til next time.................. $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

"just a filler quad" ...  I love it!

I am not an American - and have a great sense for directions - but hate roundabouts as well. It seems like they are subsidized or so because almost every crossing with more than 5 cars per minute is changed into a roundabout the last days... it's driving me nuts  ?=mad)=

This city has something very special I noticed: the Northeast corner has a difffernent seasonality than the rest of town.  :P

QuoteAnd if you look really carefully you'll see that in West End we drive on the left hand side of the road, but the level crossing barriers and road markings are set up for right hand driving, weird eh?

See - I am not crazy $%Grinno$% : your cars drive on the wrong side!!

I love Wardour and Cavendish, and Shaftesbury fits nicely between them.

Canals are one of the many elements I've never used simply because they aren't in my visual vocabulary. You've made good use of them, though.

And you're right, that junction in 25.03 makes no sense to me at all! :D You have drivers either exiting a highway or coming off an overpass and immediately encountering a merry-go-round - "...where she stops nobody knows!" As for your client, maybe it would help if you tell him the roundabouts are actually banjos and banjos are fun! ;D If I ever visit the UK, though, I'll be sure to bring enough money for bus or taxi fare.

The civic area looks good as does the town centre. The dead end in front of the city hall (I think that's what it is?), is a bit troublesome, but once again, it's something I'm not used to seeing.

And 25.06 is awesome - I never could get a single train to show up, much less two! :thumbsup: And those are some nice tennis courts you have there. Did they come with any traffic data?

And it doesn't surprise me that I'm your most talkative visitor and most loyal fan! West End has passed the half-million mark but it's still a great place to hang out!

Until next time...
Joan

Fantastic new pictures and overviews there! Like the junction! :thumbsup:

Still a splendid update, thank you to make us divided your good works  &apls &apls

-It is true that me also I never liked these channels of Peg too much but you have make an excellent use which I like much!

-Your network lorry drivers is well thought with many round not which can reduce the accident  $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Finally to finish as usual I am in a hurry to see the next update my friend  ;)

A + Paul

It is simply a splendid series of pictures. &apls
The town centre is really made well.
I really do not know what to say about other one.

I missed some updates and I see new great cities!  :thumbsup:

I agree with Joan, 25.06 is awesome, but I love 25.02 too!  &apls
The city centre is very diversified and well composed, and rural areas are beautiful. And the region view looks very realistic in it's developed part.
It's a pleasure to visit your MD  :)

Adam  :thumbsup:

Paul wonderful Update here and about that Jail, so you just placed those lots together to create that complex? WOW!!!  I love the devolpment of the Canal...

Hi Paul

Nice region shot and I see you are planning ahead. Looks like you have some interesting areas to work with going forward.

Shaftesbury is looking fine and I like the overview.  :thumbsup: Hey, even the hwy is almost flat :P Nice use of the canals,
although wouldn't it be great to have a diagonal lot.

The closeups along the canal are nicely done, you do put together a nice suburban area. Of course those tennis courts help  ::)
The two trains at the crossing in the last pic, beautiful and I would suggest you waited a while for that to happen.

Another great update Paul

Dave

Paul, that is an awesome update. When I asked for a little more variety I meant this.
Shaftsbury looks cool and I see you didn't forget about the little things hence it is a "quad" tile. ;)

Just got your pm ... ;)

Nice overview, but isn't it a pity that there are only diagonal pieces for oppie's Kanal and not for Simgoober's or PEG's? They would become handy so often. I like oppie's kanal buts it style doesn't fit into rural or industrial ...

Well, you know that I don't like level crossings, do you? But unless the railway line is not a high speed main line with maximum speed >= 160 km / h I can tolerate that one! (I guess I should bring my Thoughts - thread to SC4D ... )
And apicture dedicated to me - wow ...  &blush

In 25.05 you might try these underpasses (http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=105) here. The site is German but the files are multilingual. Stays just the problem that I do not know if they have left-hand pathes or not ...  ()what()

Take care my friend (and don't forget to make backups!)
   
Bernhard  :thumbsup:

Nice pictures, I really like how the cars goes is the right direction  ;)

It seems that many MDs I visit have recently passed their one year anniversary.  Well, West End still has some way to go, but it has now passed the 6 months stage!  So it's a kind of mini mile stone, one that I'm sure many MD'ers wonder if they'll make but are pleased to reach. 

REPLIES:

Sebes:  Filler Quad  ;) - well, you know what I mean.  And congrats on spotting the seasons glitch!  Basically I used seasonal trees in one part and non-seasonals in the other - what a goof  %wrd
I am sure our debate about left side driving will continue!!  I tell you, us Brits just like to be different!

Jmouse/Joan:  Thanks Joan, great comments.  But banjos are dead ends, whereas roundabout actually lead somewhere, so if I'd put banjos next to the highway then that really would have caused confusion - do you follow  :D
The dead end in front of the town hall was because I forgot to extend the railway across the quad.  So after it was developed I had to smash the railway through the middle of town which required some serious re-working.  Some was more noticeable than others!

Bat:  Thanks as always my friend.

Warconstruct:  Well, if you liked the PEG channels in Shaftesbury, I think you may be interested in what's next!

Earth quake:  Hey, thank you.

Ennedi/Adam:  Welcome back!  Good to see you and thanks for the encouraging words  :P

Pat:  Cheers mate.  And yes the jail was just a series of bits and pieces.  I have done something similar with a nuclear power plant.  I'll try and find it for a future update.  More canals to follow.

Tooheys/Dave:  Almost flat - but not quite!  I've done some extensive levelling on my next quad - We shipped in a boat load of Balnavians to do the work!  Yeah, those tennis courts are proving popular in West End.  People actually spend more time hitting the ball instead of running after them  ;D

BoKrif/Krizstian:  I'm please you liked this.  It is hard to think of new things to show each time, so I appreciate your comments.

Nardo69/Bernhard:  Diagonal canals, hmmmmmm, maybe one day!  And no, I didn't realise you had an aversion to level crossings.  I generally try to avoid them, but due to my bad planning on this quad, I had little choice.  But, the crossing is not too far from the station, so trains tend to be slowing down, or only just building up speed.  I dedicated the picture for you because I know you love a train picture, and two passing on a crossing?  It doesn't happen often!
Thanks for the link. :thumbsup:

Heblem:  Thanks and yes in England our cars always go in the right direction (just ask Sebes) ;)


UPDATE 26 - 9th March 2008

Project Kingly Amsterdam

Only a small teaser I am afraid.

My next quad is Kingly.  This is the most western part of West End to be developed so far.  I was thinking about how I can do something different and not just produce more low rise suburbs!  The city of Regent had a development called Little Amsterdam that proved to be popular.  Well, since then Regent got corrupted, I've downloaded loads more Dutch buildings, so thought I'd try to do my version of Amsterdam.  I guess I'd say this is not a true copy, more an "inspired by Amsterdam" city.

First, I need to tell you that the canal system is based on the real thing and it took about 6 hours to lay (and it is not yet completed).  Secondly, my plugins for Residential and Commercial have been cleared out of everything except those by Haarlemgold and Vanderaap.  Some buildings that are both I and C have crept in.  I may add MattB's W2W commercials soon as they would fit in.  More may be added later.
And finally I have to thank Sebes who has given me some pointers as he lives in Amsterdam and Joan and Dave for giving me some hints and tips behind the scenes.

There is still much to develop, so only some teasers at this stage:

26.01  Kingly Orientation:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg254.imageshack.us%2Fimg254%2F2888%2Fimg0000dk9.jpg&hash=be61747528e581463b7ea846b766267a3b3c4d36)
I know that I will also need to develop parts of the tiles next door to help with demand - already getting the dreaded "no job zots".


26.02  Amsterdam Canal Layout:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg182.imageshack.us%2Fimg182%2F7037%2Fimg0004vn5.jpg&hash=fd9c7a019182a02d4cb0056e62a628b7131affb8)
Look at all those canals.  If you've not been, then you're missing out - it really is a FABULOUS city.  The sqareness of SC4 means that I have some restrictions.  I've also squashed the system in places to make it all fit.


26.03  Kingy Canal Layout:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg210.imageshack.us%2Fimg210%2F4020%2Fimg0011wf7.jpg&hash=d4fea33989dbe52868be76b18e87c72fe8fcde1b)
Six hours that took!  I have changed the rail in the top left.  Also the bottom left part of the canal system has also been amended.


26.04  Central Station:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg111.imageshack.us%2Fimg111%2F6800%2Fimg0016go0.jpg&hash=f8448577a3e9812725d7cd6c45e414c4540ff98c)
What a magnificent BAT!  I've continued to use the Dockland Light Rail tram mod.  If anyone knows of a more realistic Amsterdam one, just shout.
Plopping that GLR alone took a long time - so many crashes to desktop - but I think I've worked it out now.  If you move a GLR puzzle piece over the Tonkso GLR station it crashes.  Solution - plop the stations last!


26.05  Oudezuds Achterburgwal and Voorburgwal
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg72.imageshack.us%2Fimg72%2F2654%2Fimg0017oo1.jpg&hash=771dbbbeff82ec04d41212e32aaa3e225ba617a9)
This is the heart of the Red Light District.  The modern tower needs to be bulldozed!  But hopefully this gives you a flavour for more of Project Kingly Amsterdam.

Criticism of the layout / building choice is only allowed from the Dutch  ;) ;) :D

Seriously, all comments welcomed, as always

'til next time.......... $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$% $%Grinno$%

Looking really nice so far! Great work on Kingly Amsterdam! And nice use of these canals!

Looking forward to the update!

Paul - great pictures. The layout of the canals is very good, given the limitations of SC4! I can easily believe that it took you 6 hours to lay this out, but you can be proud of the result.

The textures of the pedmalls does not realy match to the real Amsterdam. But as your former Little Amsterdam (in Regent) was established by Dutch emigrants, I guess this town will be as well, and the emigrants had of course to use the local available materials to build their streettiles  ;)  I like it a lot that you use the same texture in the entire town, also  with the GLR tracks. 

By the way: Vester made some Amsterdam Trams. They are part of his GLR tram mod and can be found here (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=55).

I like the map that you have.... You might be interested in this map (http://www.amsterdamhashmap.com/) as well..  You can zoom in and switch from map to satelite view.

Looking forward to the rest of Little Amsterdam in Kingly!

I prefer PEG's canal lots, however I suggest you to have a look at the new remodelled SImGoober canals. They look extremely realistic - IMHO.
Anyway, nice start.

very good start my friend ! I am of agreement with you that Amsterdam is really a fabulous city !
The channels are quite selected it make well "industrial" , because one should not forgotten to pass it from this city, even if yours comes from immigrant  $%Grinno$%

Beat of German type they are not which it thus misses you will be able to make of large thing !

without waiting more I tell you good continuation  ;)

Paul / Warconstruct