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ÆRDEN ~ new streets!

Started by vortext, May 31, 2013, 11:31:03 PM

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mattb325

Truly, truly spectacular!  :thumbsup:

I love the gifs - the farm imagery is masterfully done

art128

Two incredible GIFs once again! :)
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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feyss

Your GIFs are amazing. I think you brought the game to its extreme limits.  :thumbsup:

Schulmanator

Great stuff. Isn't it awesome what SC4 can do?! :D
See the all-new National Capital Region!:http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=15118.0

Swordmaster

GIF me a break!

Ah, silly joke time. They're gorgeous. But I seriously wonder how and if ever we're gonna get to the modern period. "We" here means you and me. With you having spent a good few years on lotting, street modding and the tree controller, the work load to maintain your standards will rise exponentially as time progresses, I think. I wonder if you've thought about this and what your ideas are right now.


Cheers
Willy

whatevermind

Of course I'll be back! I just have to say, going back two posts now, that that series of nature photos is just stunning! The variety of terrain and incredible detail in those photos is just insane.

benedict

Congratulations, you're back at number one on Ben's Top Ten this week.
Click on the banner to celebrate!

Gugu3

Well done Vortext! &apls

FrankU

Who needs Sim City 4 after these images?
Somehow I seem to remember that this game was meant to be a city simulator.... But that is of no importance anymore.

Wow, just wow....

RepublicMaster

Great GIFs. These are absolutely amazing! :D

vortext




Wait, do I now need to make a 'replies-to-the-replies' banner?!   $%Grinno$%




Just a few words today, first and foremost to thank you for all the kind comments! Without it wouldn't be half the fun so keep 'em coming. Making it to #1 in btt is icing on the cake so thanks again everyone! &apls

In addition I kinda forgot it's my birthday this weekend and won't have time to finish the next update. Yes, I can hear the crowd go 'boo!' but tough luck, you'll have to wait.

That's it for the general announcements, time for the individual replies!




Quote from: woodb3kmaster on June 22, 2013, 03:19:45 AM
Those GIFs just get me every time, Erik! I think it's the combination of the seasonal effects and the smooth transitions that really make my jaw drop. The clean edges of the farm fields are equally impressive, and they really enhance the realism of your scenes. Kudos to you, my friend!

Re: the thread title, I've found that you actually have to edit the title of the original post, back at the top of page 1. That's what I do with each update of Nyhaven, and while it can be a bit tedious (and prone to forgetfulness), it seems to help alert readers to the presence of a new update (or so I keep telling myself :P).

Thanks Zack! I'm pleased to hear you like these gifs as I had some doubts at first to show them. I'll try editing the title in the first post the next time, thanks! 

Quote from: Swordmaster on June 22, 2013, 07:20:08 AM
GIF me a break!

Ah, silly joke time. They're gorgeous. But I seriously wonder how and if ever we're gonna get to the modern period. "We" here means you and me. With you having spent a good few years on lotting, street modding and the tree controller, the work load to maintain your standards will rise exponentially as time progresses, I think. I wonder if you've thought about this and what your ideas are right now.


Cheers
Willy

Well, that went from silly joke time to serious question time pretty darn quick!  :D

The short (and lazy) answer to your question would be that only time will tell.  ::)

The slightly longer answer; there's certainly no shortage of ideas and plans. Most of it concerns lotting & modding which tends to drive things forward for me, rather than regional development. Though I'll have to say this mding business has actually provided a fresh new take on how to go about regionally and changed my mind on certain aspects. Without giving away too much, I find the use of eye candy less troublesome nowadays then I used to.  ;)

As it stands now, I reckon the medieval centuries will probably go by relatively fast, compared to late 18th, the 19th and early 20th century as that's when the interesting stuff happens (i.e. the Industrial Revolution). In addition, there're some pretty amazing proppacks in development to fit that era, check Simcoug's New SorGun to get the sneakpreviews. So yeah, I'm very much looking forward to more modern times.  :)

Quote from: whatevermind on June 23, 2013, 08:07:32 PM
Of course I'll be back! I just have to say, going back two posts now, that that series of nature photos is just stunning! The variety of terrain and incredible detail in those photos is just insane.

Well, I didn't see you around for a bit hence my remark. At any rate, glad to hear you enjoyed the sight-seeing tour!  :D

Quote from: benedict on June 25, 2013, 12:18:32 PM
Congratulations, you're back at number one on Ben's Top Ten this week.

You say 'back' as if this were a long running MD.  :D Thanks for keeping track every week!  :thumbsup:

Quote from: FrankU on June 26, 2013, 12:34:48 AM
Who needs Sim City 4 after these images?
Somehow I seem to remember that this game was meant to be a city simulator.... But that is of no importance anymore.

Wow, just wow....

Hehe, city? What city?! You just wait Frank!

Quote from: mattb325 on June 22, 2013, 03:43:06 AM
Truly, truly spectacular!  :thumbsup:

I love the gifs - the farm imagery is masterfully done
Quote from: art128 on June 22, 2013, 04:53:32 AM
Two incredible GIFs once again! :)
Quote from: feyss on June 22, 2013, 07:03:37 AM
Your GIFs are amazing. I think you brought the game to its extreme limits.  :thumbsup:
Quote from: Schulmanator on June 22, 2013, 07:15:25 AM
Great stuff. Isn't it awesome what SC4 can do?! :D
Quote from: Gugu3 on June 25, 2013, 02:06:06 PM
Well done Vortext! &apls
Quote from: RepublicMaster on June 26, 2013, 01:20:18 AM
Great GIFs. These are absolutely amazing! :D

Thanks Matt, Arthur, feyss, Schulmanator, Gugu3 and RepublicMaster for your kind words. And of course thanks for leaving a comment in the first place, much appreciated!   &apls
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

FrankU

Quote from: vortext on June 28, 2013, 02:29:28 AM
In addition I kinda forgot it's my birthday this weekend and won't have time to finish the next update. Yes, I can hear the crowd go 'boo!' but tough luck, you'll have to wait.

OK, now that's a serious problem. In which direction do I need to throw the rotten tomatoes?  :thumbsdown:

Simcoug

Swordmaster's question is a good one!  (it's something that I am starting to come to grips with).  Attempting to keep New SorGun growing in a natural way on a regional level is already becoming quite a task.  The trick is balancing close up eye candy pics with regional shots that show convincing growth one decade to the next.  As you stated, the earlier eras may not prove to be too difficult considering it took decades and even centuries for real growth to happen.  But as you move into the industrial revolution, the pace will start to pick up.  All I can say is 'good luck' (I know I need it  :D )

Gobias

What an amazing start to this MD!  Why have I not bookmarked this MD before??  Fixed.  Keep up the good work!

benedict

Congratulations, you're number one on BTT for the second week in a row.
Click on the banner to celebrate!

vortext

#55




Hi everybody! Today we'll start following the Potyomkin brothers on their journey into Ærden. Enjoy!





2.1 | And here they are, trudging through the forest. The brothers don't have a clue really where they are. Then again it's not like there's any choice other than to follow along the path, which is exactly what they've been doing the past few days.

If we were to ask what caused them to hit the road in the first place, they would talk for hours on end. There's little point, however, rehashing the scandalous behaviors the brothers were engaged in so we won't ask. It'll suffice to say that whatever they did had their hamlet up in arms - mind you, this is no metaphor.

Eventually they were given an ultimatum; be gone before dawn or face the wrath of the community, which everybody knew would result in a certain death. Needless to say, the brothers rushed to gather their belongings as soon as that conversation ended.




2.2 | Daylight starts to fade and the brothers grow a little worried. There should be a little shelter up ahead to spend the night. They know this much because as luck would have it, they had come across a traveling salesman on their first day wandering about.

Once pleasantries were exchanged the salesman had inquired as to where the brothers were going. Reluctant to tell him they were in effect banned the oldest brother told him they too were traveling merchants, looking for new places to go. And so the salesman had told them a little history about a new city founded not too long ago in Ærden valley.




2.3 | Finally, the destination is in sight!

This little shelter once was a infamous refuge among plunderers and murderers which used to plague the area, the salesman had explained. Typically they would roam the valley floor, conducting all kinds of mischief until they'd become too notorious for their own good. Then they would flee, usually on stolen horses, following a dried up river bed high into the mountains, the pursuit of which was considered too dangerous. 

In short, it used to be a lawless land which hadn't been much of a concern to anyone in particular. Except if you were trying to make an honest living of course. It wasn't until the Abora Monastery was raided by a horde of Vændals, the Church finally took notice and turned to the King, demanding him to safeguard the valley. And so the King had delegated some obscure relative to the area to take care of business, so to speak, the results of which we'll see later on. ;)
   
   


2.4 | Night had already fallen, however, the brothers didn't feel like going to sleep just yet. They were excited and a little anxious. Excited because from here it would only be one, maybe two day travel to their destination. And they were anxious because the salesman had also warned them about the perils that lay ahead.    

Besides encountering ordinary thieves, he told them, they ran the risk of being crushed by rocks falling from the sky, being viciously attacked by bears or being washed away in thunderous water if it so happened to rain. And to make matters worse he had expressed utter disbelieve when it became apparent the brothers wanted to make the passage along with their wagons.




2.5 | Despite the short nights sleep they awake invigorated the next morning.

Inside the shelter they'd found old, dirty sacks filled with equally old and dirty hay. However, it still proved a real treat compared to the wagon floorboards. The horses seem well rested too and if the directions the salesmen provided were to be believed – and why not, he had been correct thus far – that was a good thing since today the only way was up, into the mountains.




2.6 | They've been on the road for a few hours now and things aren't that bad.

Honestly, they don't quite get what the salesman had warned them about and why he had been so adamant about ditching their wagons. True, the horses struggled a bit with the loose gravel and sure, they'd been followed by a bear for some time but other than that everything was going just fine. They even started to crack a few jokes at his expense until. .




2.7 | . . what goes up must go down again.

The youngest brother nervously started arguing they must have taken a wrong direction somewhere, that they better head back. The other two leave him be, because all three knew full well this is what the salesman had been talking about. Minutes pass in silence as they looked down the narrow gorge, stretching a few hundreds meters or so. There's no way to tell really since it goes around a bend. Finally when each has taken the situation into account, the brothers quickly reach an understanding the horses must be brought down safely first of all.

And so they proceed. . but will they succeed?!?


Stay tuned to find out! Bye for now, Erik




Replies  to the replies  to the replies




Quote from: FrankU on June 28, 2013, 03:02:54 AM
Quote from: vortext on June 28, 2013, 02:29:28 AM
In addition I kinda forgot it's my birthday this weekend and won't have time to finish the next update. Yes, I can hear the crowd go 'boo!' but tough luck, you'll have to wait.

OK, now that's a serious problem. In which direction do I need to throw the rotten tomatoes?  :thumbsdown:

So it was you I heard booing! And btw, your tomatoes missed!  ;D

Quote from: Simcoug on June 28, 2013, 05:31:07 AM
Swordmaster's question is a good one!  (it's something that I am starting to come to grips with).  Attempting to keep New SorGun growing in a natural way on a regional level is already becoming quite a task.  The trick is balancing close up eye candy pics with regional shots that show convincing growth one decade to the next.  As you stated, the earlier eras may not prove to be too difficult considering it took decades and even centuries for real growth to happen.  But as you move into the industrial revolution, the pace will start to pick up.  All I can say is 'good luck' (I know I need it  :D )

The most interesting aspect imho is to balance natural growth vs. planning. By which I mean, look at what Haussmann did in Paris, or take New Yorks grid which was designed when there still were farms on Manhattan! Both are a prime examples of extensive planning while the city was still in its infancy, so to speak. I really look forward to do some serious planning as well, without getting too far ahead of the natural growth curve. The latter has proven to be difficult though!   ;)

Quote from: Gobias on June 30, 2013, 04:56:24 AM
What an amazing start to this MD!  Why have I not bookmarked this MD before??  Fixed.  Keep up the good work!

I don't know, you tell me?!  ??? :D Thanks for your kind words!

Quote from: benedict on July 04, 2013, 10:52:39 AM
Congratulations, you're number one on BTT for the second week in a row.

Pretty amazing given the lack of activity! Thanks everyone!!  :)
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

agunter999

Removed sig, as it linked to a site that promotes unauthorized "modpacks" (see #10 on Site Rules). -Admin

Girafe

The Floraler

This is the end, hold your breath and count to ten, feel the earth move, and then...

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *    *   *   *   *   *    * 

art128

Fantastic.

The little camp with the fire is incredible.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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sc-4

It's gorgeous with all the details  :)

Call me Ludo