Hi!
My name is SuperMessi, I am a soccer fan of FC Porto and FC Barcelona, and i live in Tras os Montes e Alto Douro region, Portugal.
I came here from Simtropolis, where I already have a City Journal called "Chingteng-Nakata Metropolitan Area". Unfortunatelly, I terraformed an existing user made region, and now I am not happy with the result. Consequently, I have decided to start a new City Journal, called Hyōgo (兵庫県), and using the famous "The Ring of Fire" map.
This project will consist in urban, suburban, rural and natural landscapes, oriented to a Japanese architectural style. While I do like this style, I may get away from it while trying some concepts. For example, I love to try out concepts related to olives and vineyards, but I really do not think that Japan has that many olives and vineyards, am I right? The same is right aswell regarding some residential highrises, more likely to be found in South Asia cities.
Hence, I am basically trying to merge some pre-existent styles (e.g. Art, LnX, Fasan, etc.) into a style that fits a Japanese urban environment, where transitions between urban-suburban and suburban-rural are smooth. In order to do this, I employ a bunch of MMP's. I just feel, as I have already stated on Simtropolis, that due to the emergence of Cities Skylines, the way to go for SimCity4 is to maximize the amount of MMP's and to create MMP's that are more geometrical real (e.g., mayor mode plopping houses that have a wide variety of angles or degrees). It is common sense that those MMP's are hard to create (if you want to do it and test your MMP's, just text me, also), but well, we hope that someday there will be a bunch more of those.
Sometimes I will let my cities grow to a certain point, sometimes I will plop the rubbish out of it. It also depends of my mood and inspiration.
Real life may get in the way, since i have my Master's Thesis to finish. But i guess i will always get back, as usual.
For now, i will post mostly close-ups, since i have not something to show that is really consistent on a higher zoom (just work in progress, though I may post it if i feel like it or requested).
In this post, there are some pictures from Fukuoka (福岡市), a suburban city tile contiguous to a river small city. I have already post the spring one's in Simtropolis, but I have decided i should post them aswell in here:
The main commercial area of this city, with a small patium:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNOVA3_zpsr2ycwcej.jpg&hash=2d838c5a957203336b8c5c23e4302296d7fecc11) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NOVA3_zpsr2ycwcej.jpg.html)
Just at its side, a park:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNOVA4_zpsvun7h2rs.jpg&hash=fc93457edd27052d4d76a60c7fd3626bec876224) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NOVA4_zpsvun7h2rs.jpg.html)
Near the main railway station:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNOVA2_zpsvl6nrhnd.jpg&hash=7b2803d2973548297b3dc806ba47ffc445c1b040) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NOVA2_zpsvl6nrhnd.jpg.html)
Some residences and wild bamboo at the end of the canal:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNOVA1_zpsrltahpmz.jpg&hash=d71062cdac4bfdb72ffce17450d894b571649eff) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NOVA1_zpsrltahpmz.jpg.html)
A small walking area besides the canal:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNOVA5_zpslv6ziknd.jpg&hash=75c8218dc4d975c452e2869e7f5bbebca3ba3298) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NOVA5_zpslv6ziknd.jpg.html)
Now, three photos from places near the industrial area, on autumn:
Agriculture:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FDevotion3_zpswo6inazp.jpg&hash=f2116f0ecbb541ddb676a7ae4a7f09d1eddf10d5) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Devotion3_zpswo6inazp.jpg.html)
Small natural park:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FDevotion2_zpszsqblhin.jpg&hash=364f5e65592920844cb5707012b9d010594b5e22) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Devotion2_zpszsqblhin.jpg.html)
Small Bamboo agriculture:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FDevotion1_zpssmgy3edw.jpg&hash=707902a0baa33e0067c3359cdffaf1d667ddb9b9) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Devotion1_zpssmgy3edw.jpg.html)
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Feedback is welcome!! :)
Looking nice so far! I'd love to see a regional image. Wait a sec, actually that region is probably too big to fit in Region Census, so forget it. :P
Really nice! You've got great talent with MMPs :thumbsup:
Welcome to the MD world. :)
Some really nice stuff there, good work with the MMPs!
Hello there!
Good start. Even though, I'm not much into Japaneese climate, I look with a pleasure on your detailed scenes :thumbsup:
But remember to pay the same attention in details to your Master's Thesis! ;)
Great work so far!!!! &apls
I really like the 5th picture, with the canal and the cherry-trees!!! I think yor city would get a lot of tourists from all Japan during Spring!! :D
Replies:
Compdude: Thanks! Ehehe I love region views (and this map can be shown through Region Census I think)! But at the moment I just have a tiny bit of a tile done xD
Themistokles: Thanks, and you too! I have learned already with you! :)
Art128: Thanks, you already know how I try to work :)
Kbienu: Yes, I have to pay atention and thanks for the heads up! :D
Romu: Thanks, but I think it can be a lot better. A lot really.
Some pics with some activities near the Highway, in a place that is at the transition between an urban and suburban environment. Park in the back of the houses, a place were works store some gravel, etc. Could be much better, and I hope that in the future we have more things to add to this scenes. Feedback please! :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNEW1_zpssokfbrdy.jpg&hash=f6776400077edd7ea0df3b8b1bb55be7fbc1df5a) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NEW1_zpssokfbrdy.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNEW2_zpsgytifl4s.jpg&hash=2fa1542c14dc80582d0a6e2ae9451439c242a6dc) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NEW2_zpsgytifl4s.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNEW3_zps3xzmdwkq.jpg&hash=3cb8b0c42ee0ab976dc02023a4cde3b3e6e372c5) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NEW3_zps3xzmdwkq.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNEW4_zpsaszclynu.jpg&hash=5119e45ad7430595c216f41ed2e2677c70e5cae2) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NEW4_zpsaszclynu.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FNEW5_zps5i4augz6.jpg&hash=5cf64b1a41645cf77b004b1d1a490e40cb6f914a) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/NEW5_zps5i4augz6.jpg.html)
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Amazing job with MMP. The transition between city and highway is really good.
I just noticed that the truck on the highway is so tiny vs. the ones on the side
The highway/city transition is well done indeed, however I would have used some sound walls to separate the road and the trees/playfield/paths area.
Quote from: Girafe on November 08, 2015, 03:26:23 AM
Amazing job with MMP. The transition between city and highway is really good.
I just noticed that the truck on the highway is so tiny vs. the ones on the side
Eheh I have totally missed it!!! I think the trucks on the side are Maxis trucks. On the other hand, the trucks on the highway are automata generated through a freight truck generator. I used the trucks on the side (well, the really are not trucks, they don't have the truck per se, so they are just wagons) to replicate a scene where a small construction company owns a small terrain where they store some stuff, like garvel, etc. But the scene as some problems: size of the wagons, limitation of material (I could have used more murimks industrial props, but i did not want to demolish and start again. As I have said, there is a large room for improvement.
Very well done! &apls
Quote from: art128 on November 08, 2015, 03:37:07 AM
The highway/city transition is well done indeed, however I would have used some sound walls to separate the road and the trees/playfield/paths area.
I had this precise question. And I understand the criticism and somehow agree with it. But my tought proccess behind my decision was the following: there are 4/5 tiles between the highway and the residential houses. You could have build a skyscraper between them. Since in real life you have a bunch of examples where, with even fewer distances, sound barriers are not present, I have decided not to use them. Besides that (and this is a reason as strong as the first one, in my view), sound barriers in this particular spot would have to be carefully choosen, and would have to blend in very natural. I honestly do not think that I could have blend them very good, due to a variety of reasons (the sound barriers being somehow irrealistic regarding size, textures, etc., the positioning of them, the light reflectors, etc.). Therefore, I did not include them.
But as I have said, I understand your point, and there is plenty of room to use them latter on, specially in a more urban environment.
Quote from: Ernestmaxis on November 08, 2015, 05:01:58 AM
Very well done! &apls
Thanks Ernest, but with your mmps, those pics would have an high qualitative jump. It is not even close! :D
This is one of the best regions I've seen in a very long time. Amazing work! :satisfied:
Very nice &apls
I love the last 2 pictures. Very well done with perfect MMP placement :thumbsup:
Great pictures again! My favourite is the last one with the park! Keep the good job! :thumbsup:
I also think there's enough distance between the freeway and the houses. Perhaps the sound walls are unnecessary, but I still think it needs some kind of "limit". Being so realistic, I find too "easy" for children to reach the freeway.
Replies:
Bipin: Thanks, that means a lot! I am hoping to use your classical industrial bats somewhere, when I do an industrial zone :D
Gugu: Thanks, let's "rock it" ;)
Manga: Thanks! I try to place them in the exact spot, but sometimes it is just impossible (the grundge path is very difficult to use :S)
Romu: Thanks! Regarding the soundwalls, you gave a good argument, and i had thought of it before. That is why i have add some fences... But, honestly, kids can jump fences... Well lets just assume that this is a mistake of the City planners, like in real life, where we see some strange planning and constructions xD
Update:
Today I worked on some concepts and some new stuff. Although I did not really complete anything, I can post some close-ups. We have, in those photos, a gravel road that happens to be between an Olive field and a parking spot in a camping park. Next, we have some photos of the park itself...
After this, I will do, probably, a stream with a riverside beach, and some more agriculture and random florest things. I have a concept that I want to do, but it is very hard: rice fields with mmps; as you can see, sometimes rice fields assume very curvy shapes, and I want to replicate that. What I have in mind is plopping some water texture and, after that, plopping something that may ressemble rice. I don't know if it will look good. Can you suggest something? Also, can you suggest some new ideas that you would want me to try? Thanks, and feedback needed. I learned with the noise barriers question, so I want to learn more.
Finally, I tried to play a bit with the lot editor today, but I have some questions: can you tell me which are the most important textures and props? I want to know that in order for the plugin files to become lighter... Don't know if I am making a stupid question, though. So sorry if it is... Oh, and I will not play too much in the next few days, I will study probably :).
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FULTIMAS1_zpsqqoxjssl.jpg&hash=e7c55fc904f8e565e3cada41b5b725177415d4c0) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/ULTIMAS1_zpsqqoxjssl.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FULTIMAS2_zpsktjzmfer.jpg&hash=7c47ea44c570e1102170e2a37dd757e8648ff9d2) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/ULTIMAS2_zpsktjzmfer.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FULTIMAS3_zpsjcdzq99q.jpg&hash=ee0f4a76a0ba3f0e41acb47d282a1288467f802b) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/ULTIMAS3_zpsjcdzq99q.jpg.html)
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FULTIMAS4_zpsn3h79ybd.jpg&hash=285102f4e1007c2ee0acf92267d0cc8c83e97982) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/ULTIMAS4_zpsn3h79ybd.jpg.html)
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Nice couple of pictures. You seem to know pretty well how to MMP. The idea of MMP'd rice fields is something I always wanted to do, so if you find a way to do it, let me know. ;)
There's just something... I find that you often use a bit too much effects in your pictures. Especially on the first of that last update, it kind of hurts the eye how the picture itself looks too sharp..
And also, it's generally good behavior to not answer to every comments one by one, specially if by doing so you're double-posting. ;)
Quote from: art128 on November 08, 2015, 02:52:41 PM
Nice couple of pictures. You seem to know pretty well how to MMP. The idea of MMP'd rice fields is something I always wanted to do, so if you find a way to do it, let me know. ;)
There's just something... I find that you often use a bit too much effects in your pictures. Especially on the first of that last update, it kind of hurts the eye how the picture itself looks too sharp..
And also, it's generally good behavior to not answer to every comments one by one, specially if by doing so you're double-posting. ;)
I will try... I have already tried with some ploppable water (the ones that have three blue tones) and with something from the pasture flora mmps. But it becomes very strange! With the HD ploppable water, the flora just does not show :S...
So, how to tackle this problem Art? Perhaps, instead of doing them with water, we should do them with standard terrain or brown dark gravel? It is very hard, but it would look just awesome!
Well, regarding the pictures and effects: I just photoscape them xD. I take the picture in game, post it on Ifranview, open it in Photoscape, cut the margins, and add some efffect (they are pre determined effects). But you are right, I have to stop using that particular effect :D
I really did not understand the answer part. Should I answer in the same post where I post the pictures? Shouldn't I answer to people in the same post?
For example, this post is correct? Sorry I do not know the protocol and thanks for explaining Art.
Quote from: SuperMessi on November 08, 2015, 03:17:27 PM
I really did not understand the answer part. Should I answer in the same post where I post the pictures? Shouldn't I answer to people in the same post?
For example, this post is correct? Sorry I do not know the protocol and thanks for explaining Art.
Yes, you should answer questions in the same post as you post pictures. The reason for this is that once your Mayor Diary (MD) thread gets a certain number of posts and a certain number of views, your MD will be moved from the "Recently Published" section to the "Best Sellers" section. If you frequently make posts with individual replies to people, this is kind of like cheating. That's why we insist on doing all the replies in one post.
Interesting image sections. I'm curious to see bigger pictures. (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ld-host.de%2Fuploads%2Fimages%2Fbcd4e2495db5f8698c2d8c1d862d9c3f.gif&hash=63c8669d4bdb02992dc080e69f50b3a9c86df64a) What is the city built? What is the area? I look forward to see more!(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ld-host.de%2Fuploads%2Fimages%2F31fcecdf19b314863ecc989134f51918.gif&hash=5e9554d1c994e0da39a430c935a60130c93952b0)
Replies:
Compdude: Now I understand, and thanks for the clarification. It does make sense :)
Dantes: Well at the moment I cannot post bigger pictures, since I don't really have something to show :D... Just working first on some close ups. Thanks anyway and in the future I will post them! :)
Now, I am becoming a little burn out. However I have started to work with lots, and I am posting the results here. I have made some lots, although I have some problems now that i really need to solve. So, if you guys understand, please explain it to me. But first, the lots:
There are lots to give some life to that camping scene that you saw on the previous post. I included in them parasols (like in outside bars) with some plants, Lightpoles, a fluvial beach scene, the big house to be the camping park main building (entrance), some more houses and a fence and fence entrance. I have tried to give them a japanese feel, don't know if I have sucedeed. Anyway, give me some suggestions, I am just using the lot editor for three of four days, and probably I have no clue regarding it.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FLots_zpswiykqov4.jpg&hash=508b69d81991c1eb145817ee2782f73822599587) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Lots_zpswiykqov4.jpg.html)
Now, my problem:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FLots2_zpskxqm0n2u.jpg&hash=844ac80a2c452bde208af59f468675a0369a19a8) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Lots2_zpskxqm0n2u.jpg.html)
As you can see, i just cannot plop MMP's (in game, that is) on a particular area of the lot. I have to assume that, since I use the blank lot in PLIMx, that this area is the area occupied by the invisible building. Is there some way to avoid this? I really need this solved, because if I don't I just won't use these lots in natural areas since they will not blend in very nicely.
Thanks :D
I don't know if I can double post but I will have to assume that I can.
Last few days I was still working with the PlimX. In my opinion, I got better at lotting, although I am not the most organized person regarding plugins and, therefore, the process of lotting is just painfull (even though the rewards are fine). Since I was doing that camping scene, I have decided that I should use it as a test to my lotting skills, and to develop that process of playing Sim City 4. Hence, I just did stuff related to that scene, and reformulated parts of it, of course. I have to thank Vortex and Ernest for the suggestions regarding the PlimX, and I also have to thank a lot of fellow users who inspire me through their works and opinions (for example, the users whom replied to me in the introduction topic).
This is an incomplete scene, and I hope that you point out aspects that you do not like about it. After the photos (I have also tried, since Art suggested and he was right, to reduce the ammount of effects or at least to choose effects that are not eye hurting) I will post some doubts that I have.
Full scene:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FTest3_zpsfzajx2pt.jpg&hash=c1a5a246aff5646828562f8846938ebba69dc26b) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Test3_zpsfzajx2pt.jpg.html)
Entrance:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FTest_zpsahdaoixf.jpg&hash=4d4d0cb5793e3e1c0e5c671072ff72f9f5bf61bc) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Test_zpsahdaoixf.jpg.html)
Camping house (where you go buy the ticket to camp, cannot recall the english name right now xD):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi376.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo210%2Fantoniojbt%2FTest2_zpsolit9tlv.jpg&hash=da59a71ad10cc494c0a84b4beaba81ca28e951dd) (http://s376.photobucket.com/user/antoniojbt/media/Test2_zpsolit9tlv.jpg.html)
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A) - Could someone suggest me a better house? It is not that this house is ugly or something, it is cool, but I wanted a more Asian house.
B) - How do I connect a lot edited road to a draggable road?
C) - Is it possible to have a sidewalk that matches the texture of your terrain mod?
D) - I am open to suggestions regarding the next scene: are you curious to see what? A lot edited japanese city scene? An agricultural scene? Just suggest. Anything goes, since that way I will able to improve better.
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I do not know if I will play in the next days. I am a bit burned out (Lot editor is very hard), and now it is time to study a bit more. But lets see!
Thanks :)
Your camping scenes on the previous page are awesome :thumbsup:
Quote from: SuperMessi on November 10, 2015, 02:33:33 PM
As you can see, i just cannot plop MMP's (in game, that is) on a particular area of the lot. I have to assume that, since I use the blank lot in PLIMx, that this area is the area occupied by the invisible building. Is there some way to avoid this? I really need this solved, because if I don't I just won't use these lots in natural areas since they will not blend in very nicely.
If you created your own exemplar for the blank building, you can change the Occupant Size to 1,1,1 or even 0.5,0.5,0.5, and that will mostly eliminate the area being blocked from MMPs.
That's a really good camping ground with lots of details everywhere! :thumbsup: Regarding your question B the simplest way is to use the visual transit enabler available in the SC4tool (http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=315 (http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=315)).
I love your use of MMP in this camp, the result is truly superb! &apls &apls &apls
wow. amazing &apls
Hopefully we'll be seeing more of this soon. It was looking great. As far as Lot Editing goes, c.p. is right about the building size. You can also search the LE for a building that has a smaller footprint than the one that is currently there. I know a number of parks have used very small ones before. As for the "most important textures and props", there are a number of "major" sets out there, but to some degree the "most important" ones are the ones that get you to the look you want. Once you start editing your own lots, you'll develop your own core set, and your plugins folder will likely still be very big. It's a side effect of having so much wonderful stuff to choose from.
As you get going in lot editing though, I highly recommend a good filing system for your folders. It can be easy to start swapping dependency files in and out for editing, and have them get missed, doubled up, or in some cases deleted. Take your time and play with it. It's a lot to learn, but you look like you'll learn it fairly quickly.
Hope to see more soon.