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Evolution of Windwatt

Started by Ralfger, June 15, 2018, 06:26:27 PM

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Ralfger

Dear SC4-devotees,
a very warm welcome and thanks for dropping in! Some of you have already heared about Windwatt - mainly due to my beginner´s questions about map creating and basic lotting. Girafe, kbieniu7, Andreas, vortex, art128, Thermistokles, nohaclem - thank you once more for your patience and valuable advice. You all are kind of birth attendants for this MD. It is all about the evolution of Windwatt: a self-made varied region with snow-capped mountains, vast tideland, romantic villages, chichic seaside ressorts, bustling towns, natural preserves, and many more to come.



As you can see there´s still a lot to be done to fine-tune the map. I will go on with that depending on my ideas and learning curve. Unfortunately, I am neither skilled nor patient enough to create a really detailed and elaborated map like some of yours are. So, any advice is highly appreciated! Nonetheless, I´d like to invite you on a long voyage building this region. Although I have a lot of ideas and pictures in my mind, progress will be very slow as RL allows only sparse time to play SC4. But the journey will go on!

Ah - by the way, mentioning the hard work ahead: Did I already told you about grand duke Roger I? Due to him, Windwatt´s capital has a literally unique location. Arriving in the region on a late summer evening, he immediately fell in love with the landscape. His sister-in-law captured the moment in a famous painting - rather enthusiastic than of great talent.



PaPa-J

Your region looks really interesting.  It will be fun to see how you develop it. Good luck and have fun.  Will be watching this.
Lighten up, just enjoy life,
smile more, laugh more,
and don't get so worked up
about things.

Ralfger

First Update: Reveal the mystery

PaPa-J, thank you for your encouragement. Enjoy the update!

Did you, too, wondered, what that ugly brown canvas supposed to illustrate? Thanks to the latest rediscovery in the depths of the ducal archive, we are now able to present you a heavily restored picute of the historic scenery:


2.1 Roger I´s sight on his arrival at lake Wangensee. Picture taken after intense deforestation and first construction works.

The Rogieden´s dynasty ruled Windwatt form the dim and distant past until today. In 1796 MD, Uhodal XXII, duke and last prince-bishop of Windgau, gave order to build a modern burial place: Chapel Holy Tide.


2.2 Chapel Holy Tide, today part of a cemetery.

Today, the massive medieval fortifications of the capital city are a popular recreation area and playground.


2.3 Walkway down the moat.


2.4 A safe playground - perfect for puzzled parents.



noahclem

Great start  &apls  I love the details around the fortifications with those perfect MMPs and very clever idea for a playground! Very curious to see more of the area and get an idea of the shape of the fortifications. Cemetery is among the best I've seen and the landscape and water look beautiful. Only thing I might nit-pick about is that I wish the seawalls could go diagonal in that area but I'm not recalling off the top of my head a wall set that would do that and be a close match for the style you're using. Keep up the great work  :thumbsup:

PaPa-J

Nice little update.  Love the stone walls you are using.  Where did you get those?  Wouldn't mind having those myself.
Lighten up, just enjoy life,
smile more, laugh more,
and don't get so worked up
about things.

Ralfger

Teaser

Replies
@ noahclem: Thank you very much! Your nit-pick meets my full approval! When I used Stanleys Seawalls the first time I didn´t realise that there are no diagonals...  :'( I wish I would know how to create those as their style really matches the setting.
@ PaPa-J: Thank you. The stone walls of the fortification are the same - Stanleys Seawalls: https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/30868-stanley-seawalls/

And now, let´s catch a glimpse of the capital´s market square. It was first mentioned in records of 257 MD!


T1: Main market of Königsfurt

At the moment, I try to get an idea of how to make diagonal/far-lots. Does anyone know where to find a tutorial about that topic? 

noahclem

Market place looks great  &apls

Bummer the seawalls didn't turn out the way you'd hoped. That said, mixing and matching seawall sets within a region or tile can be a pretty positive thing so if you end up discovering something else that offer the options you want it shouldn't mean you have to tear down all the old stuff and start from scratch. We're fortunate to have the problem that there's now so many sets that it's hard to keep track of--which can really be its own challenge--and I suspect you'll come across others you also like at some point. I'm still not remembering a set of the style you're using that goes diagonal but, just to throw a couple different-looking ones that I've found very useful, I've particularly enjoyed the NBVC marina seawalls and the JENX Quais Seine. I use others as well though and doubt either would really be a substitute for the look you're going for.

Regarding the lotting question, I don't know off the top of my head a tutorial like that and think I'm no better able to run a search for it than you--but my two cents is that both tend to require models suitable for the task, which are fairly uncommon with FA, and that I'd avoid growables but if you do go that route they'll need to be made as corner lots. Fair warning, ditching growables will mean there won't be residentials, at least ones that function (using building plop or lot plop cheats to place a growable residential lot over a previously-occupied residential zone will work and count toward population but not commute or other stuff).

Lookin forward to what's next  :thumbsup:

PaPa-J

Thanks for the reply and the link. I will download now.

Nice market BTW.
Lighten up, just enjoy life,
smile more, laugh more,
and don't get so worked up
about things.

Ralfger

Update 2

Replies:
@ noahclem: Thank you for your compliment and the hint regarding the seawalls. The last couple of days I´ve been working on the infrastructure leaving the diagonal lotting matter for cooler winter days...
@ PaPa-J: Thank you, I hope you enjoy the seawalls.

And now let´s get down to business  ;)

After presenting the main map of Windwatt and some spots of the capital Königsfurt it is now time to show a little bit of the region´s infrastructure under construction.

Let´s start our tour approaching Windwatt´s main airport for landing. You´re already able to spot the huge parking ground - judging from the amount of parked cars half the population is on holiday!


3.1 Furtwangen International (FWI)

Taking the motorway A2 from the airport we have to follow the A3 in a southward direction from here:


3.2 Interchange between A2 and A3 in the (upcoming) outskirts of Furtwangen. 

Finally, A 143 leads us towards the inland port of Maisgründlach, an urban district of the main capital.


3.3 A three-leg motorway interchange at Maisgründlach.

Our destination for today: a motel next to a lorry parking. Have a nice rest!


3.4 Motel A 143

Ralfger

Third Update: From Accidents and Sunken Cities

Today I have an update that turned out quite different compared to the one I have intended. As mentioned before, I am working on the map during citybuilding using terraformer. And what has to be will be: a slight fine-tuning and I ended up with a huge mess because I was to dumb to save the right way:
()sad() :'( tiles with development on it get affected:


3.1 Remnants of a coastal highway and railway


3.2: Parts of the fishing village Wachtenklipp

I will try to "excavate" some of the networks, at least - but I worry that other parts remain buried by the "avalanche" and have to be overbuild ... It seems that I have discovered the SC4-Troy-mode.


3.3 A popular bathing spot among the natives.


3.4 Town centre of Marienberg - full of parking offenders  :D - and


3.5  its outskirts.


3.6 Nature reserve at the mouth of river Fling.

noahclem

Great work on the update  &apls Airport seems very promising, though I'd suggest parking ramps be closer to the terminal than the parking lots. Can't think of the solution to your parking violators off the top of my head.

I've been there, at least to some extent, regarding the Terraformer issues. In my case it was used to create "floating highways" on the approaches to non-elevated bridges but would consistently lead to some transit network burial. I was never able to figure out a solution to the problem, other than that static puzzle pieces on the approaches prevented accidental undoing of the intended terraforming but the network I recall now as being buried was TIA so I'm not sure if anything would be different with draggable networks. Of course it's recommended to protect tiles you don't want changed when opening the region--and for me terraforming a tile using CTRL, Shift, and numbers is quite a bit easier than using TF for the same. You can always adjust the border areas manually when needed, or just photoshop over minor differences. Anyway, wanted to chip in since I'm familiar with the situation, but sorry I can't be of more help  &mmm

Ralfger

Update 4: Under Construction

Replies
@noahclem: Thanks a lot for your constant commenting - it´s not only a pleasure to read your suggestions but very encouraging to get some response.


Accordding to my way of playing the game und developing my region I am now busy to lay down the main ateries of rail and road in different tiles and clearing up the mess I shared the last update. Most of it is too boring to be shown in a MD - but I hope that this little piece of valley crossing may be of interest ;)


4.1 After crossing a small outlet lake, the litte coastal road snakes its way round the cliff while the rail enters a tunnel leading to the train station Wachtenklipp.   


The "how it is done2-part:


4.2 Earth moving works and using the rain tool


4.3 MMPing the lake


4.4 Waterside and rock slide are done - ready to place the bridges...


4.5 Some more trees and bushes and here we go!  ()stsfd()

Ralfger

#12
Update 5: Monastery "The Holy Fruit"

As soon as Königsfurt was founded, Grand Duke Roger I. donated a vast part of the capital´s estate to establish a monastery. Subsequently, the first Romanesque church became the main religous center of the whole region. In 1256, Uhodal III. planted the fist vineyards laying ground for centuries of economic success.


5.1 Remnants of the very first vineyard.


5.1 Let flowers talk: Rebe Fürstenberg, well known for utmost quality


5.2 Each late summer the current vintage is celebrated with a procession of monks...


5.3 toghether with enthusiasts and tourists...


5.4 eager to test the young wine in the courtyard or


5.5 to celebrate vintage wines in on of the wine bars in town.

evarburg

(I was floored by your airport ! First time I see plausible parkings for an international (I assume) airport. Did you put some rental car parkings in there somewhere ? JENX made some neat ones). I love this monastery entry !

PaPa-J

Wonderful update. Like the little tutorial.
Lighten up, just enjoy life,
smile more, laugh more,
and don't get so worked up
about things.

Ralfger

#15
Update 6: Where your steaks come from

I am really glad about the new format of the MD section - especially about the more tolerant time permitted for updating the MD! But don´t let me waste more of your precious time - time for some new pics!

Replies:
@evarburg: Thanks a lot! Indeed, there is a Sixt rental car in the upper left corner  :)
@PaPa-J: Thank you very much!


Today, we go on an excursion and visit Wachtenklipp. It´s not only one of the most eastern regions of Windwatt - 5 (4x4)tiles form Königsfurt - but rich in history, too: It was here, where Grand Duke Roger I. disembarked and took possession of Windwatt - even though most of the people have forgotten about the fact due to a lack of historical sites. In fact, today Wachtenklipp is better known for its fantastic steaks!


6.1 O´Learys farm - still best grower of Black Angus Steaks - Jim´s ancestors have been purveyor to the court, already.



6.2 Happy cows out at feed... Did you spot the drainage system? It is vital for the quality of the supplementarily feeded grain.



6.3 To solve the problem of backwater ASA (Angus Steak Association) placed an order to modify the drain´s water mouth.



6.4 If your are one of those favored consumers living near by you don´t have to be a member of the court. Just go on a bike ride and grab your piece of meat at the farm shop!



6.5 Some of the intended steaks are just stubborn. From time to time the children can panhandle them a charitable home for the rest of their days.

 

6.6 "Excuse me! Are we on the right track for Sir Ralfger´s manor?"

pressus

#16
Like a movie stoppage.  :thumbsup:
The textures of some plants look unnatural, probably poor quality.  &Thk/(
Very good work with details and applause for respect for small things  :thumbsup:
And earlier - 4.5 super  :thumbsup:
Sorry guys, I'll be here next week, so good luck!

dedgren

Really nice rural development, Ralfger, but then I'm biased in that direction.  Everything looks quite carefully chosen and placed.  The small dirt tracks are always a nice touch.

David
D. Edgren

Please call me David...

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evarburg

I am also biased that way -- rural & greenery  ;). Very nice MMPs and lively scenes, bravo !

eldaldo

Wow, these entries are incredible! I love how much original stuff I'm seeing, have you made all these lots yourself?