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The New Frontier - A Realistic, Natural Growth MD

Started by M4346, April 15, 2014, 09:42:48 PM

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M4346

#20
Our business is not quite done in the seaside resort town of Bradley.

We finally leave Meyer's Pond, quite satisfied with our sighting of not one, but three, rare herons (and a long abandoned row boat)! Can you spot them all?


We head to North Beach, on the northern end of Strand Street to take in the late afternoon sun and views over the great river.


Turning right into Prestondale Road, we pull up in the driveway of the stately home of Congressman Ross and his wife Alberta (the one with the swimming pool), where we will spend the night.

The next morning we are joined by Congressman Wayne Ross - also known as Double Cross Ross - a nickname unbefitting a man known widely for his squeaky clean politics and business.

We travel to Ocean View - a Wayne Ross Development - to discuss a business proposal.

Our journey takes us east on Prestondale Road, past the Bradley Police Station, through Newtown Junction and past Meyer's Pond and Park.

After we cross the railway tracks we turn left onto Main Road and head to Reef Road in Ocean View, right on the beach. More about the full journey along Main Road next time!

For now we've arrived at our destination - Ocean View - where we will spend the day discussing business with Double Cross Congressman Ross in Prestwich Manor (the one with the pink flowers and cypresses on Reef Road).

Let us not bore you with the details - yet! Go and enjoy the sun, sand and scuba diving offered on the Gold Coast! (Mind the sharks though, they don't bite, but they are very curious!)




Replies

Quote from: noahclem on April 25, 2014, 01:56:06 AM
Glad to see you started an MD! This is awesome work  &apls  You do a fantastic job with the storyline and have really done some nice city building.  Looking forward to seeing where this goes :)

Thank you very much! The story was really not intended to accompany the MD, but it sort of developed naturally from the second entry and, well, it's managed to get stuck, for the better, I think :)

Thanks for stopping by!  ;D

Quote from: art128 on April 25, 2014, 07:42:29 AM
The Christmas market was really nice. Newtown look like a cool place to live in.

I personally prefer Newtown for the music, but would much rather live in Bradley Heights... or Ocean View  ;) But more about that later  %wrd

Quote from: cmdp123789 on April 25, 2014, 10:36:49 AM
This is spectacular!  &apls It truly resembles a small American town. Great job so far!!

Thank you! I guess I'm going for a bit of a mix here, combining my experience of South Africa, the United States and the old British colonies more generally :) So, I hope it will also, eventually, maybe have an English / British feel to it!

Thanks for the comments and for visiting!  ;D

Quote from: vester on April 26, 2014, 06:05:56 AM
Great update.

... and good to see one of my trains running... :)

I LOVE your train and love seeing it zipping up and down throughout the region! I almost love it as much as the real one! ;) Thank you very much again!  ;D ()flower()

Quote from: vortext on April 26, 2014, 06:29:22 AM
Nice updates indeed, great little town you got going!  :D  :thumbsup:

As Arthur said the market is nicely done, snugly tucked in between development. The pond is also nice, though it could've done with an actual heron;)

Well what do you know!  &idea The rare heron was indeed spotted, as you no doubt saw above!  ;D They must not like winter, not unlike me :P

I had them in my plugins but, because I made the bit about the toad and the heron (sounds like a good children's story, don't you think?) up as I went along I never actually thought of adding them! Thanks for spotting that! And thanks of the comment!  ;D

Quote from: Flatron on April 26, 2014, 08:28:52 AM
The towne thou hath there is great :)

Thank you kindly!  ;D

Quote from: kbieniu7 on April 26, 2014, 09:40:29 AM
The restoration from previous update seems to be an excellent miracle, but would it be possible in real life? :)

Well, unlike Rome, Bradley was in fact (re)built in a day!  $%Grinno$% Okay, not quite... it took three days, but hey! Who's counting?  ::) To be more precise, it took close to seventy game years to get that kind of feel to grow naturally... exhausting work  :-[




Thanks again for all the great comments and feedback!

I really appreciate your continued support!

Sorry for the short update. Until next time!

M
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Themistokles

I've visited your MD many times by now and it is just getting better and better (good enough, that is, to finally pull me out of lurkerdom!) From the way everything fits so seemlessly together, I guess much of it is your own mods, isn't it, or are you just very, very good at finding the right mod for the right place? Wonderful, absolutely wonderful feeling in the city anyhow! 
&apls &apls
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c.p.

Nice little town!  The water looks inviting for a scuba dive, but I think I'll keep my distance from the sharks, thank you :D

ecoba

As I stumble back into quasi-activity this is a golden find. Every detail seems to be covered meticulously while, like the name implies, appearing to have grown naturally.

Great work, M. I'll keep watching.

M4346

#24
The beautiful view of the promenade and beach from Prestwich Manor made it very difficult to waste the spectacular sunset by staying indoors.

A short stroll down the promenade led to the discovery of a campsite where a group of teenagers were spending their spring break. They came to Ocean View for the scuba diving and shark spotting, but couldn't really afford the luxurious accommodation offered on the promenade.


New friends were soon made and dusk would soon turn into dawn if the the return journey to Prestwich Manor wasn't made soon!


It was indeed a beautiful evening, and Ocean View and surrounds was definitely a place anyone could fall in love with.


If there was any doubt about the beauty of Ocean View, the next morning cemented a growing love for this corner of Bradley.


The ocean was teeming life just off shore and the corals were a sight to behold.


The shipwreck just off the coast was a favourite spot for divers.



And, of course, the friendly sharks of Ocean View was one of the main attractions!


Given all these distractions it is not surprising that the business that brought us to Ocean View is almost forgotten!

A brisk walk back up the promenade takes us there...


...but first, a quick brunch at Papa's on the Promenade! The green roofed icon at the bend of Reef Road is an icon, nay, an establishment of great repute in Ocean View (and an even greater and more interesting history).


You have by now surely noticed the Main Road and Ocean View Central Business District, but also the brown monstrosity known as "The Projects" next to Papa's.

The brown towers lining Reef Road were built during the post-war welfare state experiments as council flats to house the less fortunate. It seems very generous, but the reality is that Ocean View was a mosquito infested swampy morass before the big hearted Congressman Ross discovered it.

The bulldozers and money of Wayne Ross Developments moved in, and with it came condos and skyrocketing land values. Well, almost skyrocketing land values. This was currently being, well, held back a little by the interesting characters of The Projects featuring on the Ocean View skyline.

We think it adds a certain cosmopolitan charm to night-time skyline, but the moneyed class clearly disagrees...


This is where the business proposal of Congressman "Double Cross" Ross comes in...

Mr Ross has found a way to make the towers magically disappear, and with it, the woes of aforementioned moneyed class.

A committee of the House has been briefed on (imagined and invented) problems with the foundation and underlying rock formations of The Projects. With a committed investor, Mr Ross can set the process in motion and soon have an open piece of land on the Ocean View foreshore ripe for development - and for more genteel folk to move in.

Naturally our conscience and concerns for residents of The Projects would never allow such an appalling proposal to go ahead, let alone would we buy into it.

Unfortunately, Mr Ross is an influential man, and we can't just blow him off. We need time.

Before we can commit, we tell the Congressman, we'd like to make doubly sure that Bradley is a sound investment.

We take a quick tour of Bradley Industrial - east of Meyer's Pond - which, apart from the fish farm, is mainly a logistics and shipping centre catering for the growing consumer class in the former small coastal resort town.


We also take a look at Bradley Heights north of Prestondale and Bradley Square. The green lungs of Bradley forms a buffer between farm country to the north and the commercial heart of the town.


We conclude that Bradley is a real gem, a worthy investment, and a great place to be...



... which is all the more reason to ensure that it is enjoyed by and preserved for people from all walks of life.

How we will save The Projects without getting on the wrong side - or in the legendary Big Black Book - of Congressman Ross will be the main challenge...




Replies

Quote from: Themistokles on April 27, 2014, 10:17:47 AM
I've visited your MD many times by now and it is just getting better and better (good enough, that is, to finally pull me out of lurkerdom!) From the way everything fits so seemlessly together, I guess much of it is your own mods, isn't it, or are you just very, very good at finding the right mod for the right place? Wonderful, absolutely wonderful feeling in the city anyhow! 
&apls &apls

Wow! That is a great compliment! Thank you very much!  ;D ()stsfd()

I use a lot of the content as is, but make extensive use of texture replacement 'mods' that I have made myself.

But it is a time intensive and painstaking process of making sure everything matches and fits in properly - even more so because I am quite the perfectionist!

Thanks again for your great compliment and comment! I really appreciate it and hope to see you around these parts again soon!  ;D

Quote from: c.p. on April 27, 2014, 10:07:44 PM
Nice little town!  The water looks inviting for a scuba dive, but I think I'll keep my distance from the sharks, thank you :D

Thank you very much! And it is in no small part due to your amazing content! Thank you very much!  ()stsfd() ;D

The sharks really don't bite... unnecessarily ;)

Quote from: ecoba on April 27, 2014, 11:33:48 PM
As I stumble back into quasi-activity this is a golden find. Every detail seems to be covered meticulously while, like the name implies, appearing to have grown naturally.

Great work, M. I'll keep watching.

Thank you very much! And welcome back!  ;D As mentioned above, I am quite the perfectionist and I hope that shows! Hope to see you again soon over here, and thanks again for your great comment and compliment!  ;D

Thanks to all the readers, watchers, lurkers and commentators! Your continued feedback and engagement really inspires me to share my work. It's hugely satisfying watching it all develop in-game, but your feedback and support makes it worthwhile sharing that joy and work with the community!

Until next time!  :thumbsup:

M
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APSMS

#26
Gee, there's a lot of progress that you've made in here. The quality of the work is very high. I'm not sure I have the patience for the kind of development and detailing that you have here, so well done.

Also, where's the third heron? I can only find two.
EDIT: wait, is it in the tree? Cause then I spot not one but two heron-colored shapes... ???
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sunv123

Very nice work M! I like the way you're going with this MD and am excited to see what's next.

I need to stop lurking here now :angrymore:

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cmdp123789

Wow... I missed the last one..  &apls

It looks really good, and to be honest, I see what you mean by English town. When I said American little town, I probably meant little American as in a colonial town, which, it is basically an english looking town.

Now, what I like about the last update is the mix you used... I can see a beach town, I can see some sprawling.. I mean, wow.. and the building selection is superb!!!  &apls keep it up!

M4346

#29
Let me start off with by wishing you all a Happy May Day! (Okay, it's a day late, but it's a public holiday here in South Africa, so I was busy with political activity ahead of our elections next week!)

When we last saw Bradley we were saying goodbye, but where are we heading, and what will we be doing on our way there, and when we eventually get there? And more importantly, where exactly were we?


Well, now you know! Okay, what I mean is, now you have a better idea of where Bradley is and what surrounds it... more or less...

A full update in due course, and possibly only after our elections on Wednesday!

Be sure to check out the previous update in the mean time and find out why we were leaving Bradley in such a rush! :thumbsup:




Replies

Quote from: Terring7 on April 29, 2014, 04:09:47 AM
Very nice :)

Thank you!  ()stsfd()

Quote from: APSMS on April 29, 2014, 12:06:15 PM
Gee, there's a lot of progress that you've made in here. The quality of the work is very high. I'm not sure I have the patience for the kind of development and detailing that you have here, so well done.

Also, where's the third heron? I can only find two.
EDIT: wait, is it in the tree? Cause then I spot not one but two heron-colored shapes... ???

Thank you very much! It is an incredibly time consuming, sometimes frustrating and painful exercise, but very rewarding, eventually :P Thanks for the compliment!  ;D

The third heron is really only a white speck in the trees next to the lake (on the opposite shore 'between' the top heron and the abandoned boat)  :P

Quote from: sunv123 on April 29, 2014, 02:05:15 PM
Very nice work M! I like the way you're going with this MD and am excited to see what's next.

I need to stop lurking here now :angrymore:

Thank you very much! And thanks for making your presence known! Please do so more regularly, it's great to have you around!  ()stsfd() ;)

Quote from: cmdp123789 on April 29, 2014, 03:32:38 PM
Wow... I missed the last one..  &apls

It looks really good, and to be honest, I see what you mean by English town. When I said American little town, I probably meant little American as in a colonial town, which, it is basically an english looking town.

Now, what I like about the last update is the mix you used... I can see a beach town, I can see some sprawling.. I mean, wow.. and the building selection is superb!!!  &apls keep it up!

Thank you very much!  ;D

Sometimes I surprise myself because everything really does develop 'organically' or 'naturally' (whatever that really means in the context of a simulator like this!).

It is, however, greatly influenced by my experience and studies of developmental trends in South Africa, where we have an interesting spatial development history and expansive natural heritage to preserve. So I am very conscious of maintaining a lot of the 'natural' environment and overdoing it with trees! :P

Let's hope I can continue in this vein going ahead!




Until next time!  ;D
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art128

Love the overview in the last update. Such a nice place.

Looking forward to what you have for us outside of Bradley. :)
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feyss

#31
Beautiful work. I like your building's choice and your flora. Please continue in this way.  :thumbsup:

vortext

Well well, there's an airport and everything. Consider my curiosity piqued!  :D  :thumbsup:
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benedict

You've had a great start to this MD - and this week you're all the way at the top of Ben's Top Ten - well done.
Click on the banner to celebrate!

Schulmanator

Nice work! I like what you have here. And congrats on BTT #1!
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kbieniu7

Wow! The first photo immediately caught my eye! Awesome! Ya, beautiful place to spend free time, such as public holiday  ::)
We had also the 1st May free. What is more, In Poland we had it even on the 3th May. A long weekend, I guess that, beaches and other touristic places were very crowded! :P

The view of the green lungs is beautiful. I love it! The great mix of greenery, small housing and fields - that's, what I really like! Bradley, especially with so interestingly written story seems to be great MD! Keep it going :thumbsup:
Thank you for visiting Kolbrów, and for being for last ten years!

M4346

A quick update to commemorate a very significant development! The New Frontier bumped up to the top spot on Ben's Top Ten at SimCity 4 Devotion;D

Thank you very much to everyone for your continued comments and support, and for reading and viewing my MD! I really appreciate it!

Now, on to the quick update...




Our journey north from Bradley takes us through the farm country, the proverbial bread basket of the region. But before we explore this area in great depth, we must make a pit stop in Benthurst, where a swim in the dam is a must for anyone passing through.

The village of Benhurst, and the dam that carries this name, is named after Benedict, a great statistician who was among the first settlers in the area.


Benhurst Dam is to the south of Benhurst Village, which is located along the important regional route and railway through the area.


Here we see one of the freight trains heading to Bradley:


We'll spend the evening and the next day in Benhurst and surrounding area, but first, let's pull over and go swimming!





Replies

Quote from: art128 on May 02, 2014, 10:06:57 AM
Love the overview in the last update. Such a nice place.

Looking forward to what you have for us outside of Bradley. :)

Thank you!  ()stsfd() Do join us for a dip in the Benhurst Dam  ;D

Quote from: feyss on May 02, 2014, 11:14:20 AM
Beautiful work. I like your building's choice and your flora. Please continue in this way.  :thumbsup:

Thank you! And I sure will do!  ;D :thumbsup:

Quote from: vortext on May 02, 2014, 12:07:53 PM
Well well, there's an airport and everything. Consider my curiosity piqued!  :D  :thumbsup:

But will we ever get to the airport alive? Only time will tell...  :P

Quote from: benedict on May 03, 2014, 03:23:58 PM
You've had a great start to this MD - and this week you're all the way at the top of Ben's Top Ten - well done.

Thank you!  ;D &apls I hope you like Benhurst Dam, and will like the area even more as we explore it!

Thanks for all your great and hard work!  :thumbsup:

Quote from: Schulmanator on May 03, 2014, 07:12:29 PM
Nice work! I like what you have here. And congrats on BTT #1!

Thank you!  ;D

Quote from: warconstruct on May 03, 2014, 09:42:16 PM
wonderful update and very beautiful city!  &apls

Thank you very much! Much appreciated!  ;D ()stsfd()

Quote from: kbieniu7 on May 04, 2014, 02:32:13 AM
Wow! The first photo immediately caught my eye! Awesome! Ya, beautiful place to spend free time, such as public holiday  ::)

We had also the 1st May free. What is more, In Poland we had it even on the 3th May. A long weekend, I guess that, beaches and other touristic places were very crowded! :P

The view of the green lungs is beautiful. I love it! The great mix of greenery, small housing and fields - that's, what I really like! Bradley, especially with so interestingly written story seems to be great MD! Keep it going :thumbsup:

Thank you very much for the great comment and feedback!  ;D

Bradley was also overrun on Worker's Day / May Day, especially the beaches and shopping malls, as the rights of workers and the labour movement as a whole is also enthusiastically celebrated in the little town (and it is also a public holiday). Alas, they didn't get a long weekend unless they took leave...  ()sad()

Thanks for stopping by, and I'm very glad you enjoy the 'green lungs' and the story!  ;D
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vester

First time I have seen one of my freight engine in a MD :D


c.p.

Very nice.  It's impressive how the fence separates the different ground textures, even around the curves.  Also, I really like the region view, and the zoomed out views of the previous updates, and especially, the campsite by the water &apls