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Port St Claire (#36)

Started by Swordmaster, October 07, 2012, 05:19:58 PM

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Swordmaster

#20
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Quote from: Schulmanator
Some very nice rural areas. I like it! :D
Thank you!


Quote from: MTT9
Love that overview and can't wait to see the wider vicinity! The regional road looks great and the canal is a nice addition.

Wonder what will happend to all the farmland and the forests...
Thank you! I wonder, too. I have a certain idea how the region should develop, but not how it really will develop. The great thing about SimCity is that if you stick to some basic rules of realism, you don't control nearly as much as you think you do.


Quote from: jmyers
No, thank you for sharing. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and reading the captions. I wish that I played rural as well as you do.


- Jim
Well, that's a wonderful comment, Jim – for you to say this is really all I could hope for! Anyway, what I personally like most of what I've shown so far are your farms, so still, thank you.


Quote from: Simcoug
Very impressive rural scenes!  I'm looking forward to see how the town progresses through the ages  :thumbsup:
Thanks. Me, too! Although this town will not even be the center of the region – it's simply the oldest. The industrial age will shift the center of gravity from farming (which Barton is excellently located for) to the actual port the city will be known for and named after.

BTW, you should get your MD over here, too. I've had a few glances over at SimPeg, and it's excellent!



Quote from: WC_EEND
Very impressive my fellow Belgian, I really like what you're doing here.

Xander
Bedankt, Xander! Great to have you here, too! I may be going for American style, but it'll likely end up with a lot of European influences, some deliberate, some probably not.


Quote from: noahclem
Fantastic work Willy  &apls  The countryside here, particularly all the farms, are just excellent. It's also very nice to get the variety of zoomed shots. Keep it up  :thumbsup:
Thanks, Noah. Well, I guess SC4 players primarily fall in two categories: those who zoom in and those who zoom out to observe their creation, with the resulting difference in emphasis. I'd consider myself naturally in the latter category, as I prefer maps, transit networks, and the region view over detailing mini-scenes. Then again, I'd say MD'ing brings a certain pressure to diversify. Still, MMP work is not my natural habitat, so the zoomed-out part might as well come to dominate. But who knows, really?


Quote from: Gugu3
Very nice!love the countryside! &aplswhich street tree mod are you using just for curiosity? :thumbsup:
Thanks! I made my own street mod, but this one's a good basis.


Quote from: feyss
Nice town and nice rural areas. A very good start for your MD.   :thumbsup:
Thank you, too!


Quote from: benedict
I love the way you ended the canal with the pipe - unique approach.
Thanks! Just some playing around, you know.




0.3. Scarborough, 1780s (part 1)

I've had a heavy week at work, and didn't do as much as I had planned. Still, I'm commited to doing regular updates, so here we are again.

Early may – the nicest month – and we're taking a little trip south, to the nearest village. We're still in the same era, so don't expect much development beyond farming.

0.3.1.  Facing north. The gravel road on the left leads to Barton. The canal is not for irrigation, but a measure of flood control. (Droughts are rare in these parts.)


0.3.2.  Taking a little sidetrack, we're in the real countryside here.


0.3.3.  Taking a sidetrack of the sidetrack, this isn't even a road. . . yet.


0.3.4.  We arrive at the St Claire river. Does not flow in the Thunder, but. . . we'll get to basic geography in the near future.


0.3.5.  The canal ends near Scarborough Bridge, one of the oldest in the area. (Hall of Fame viewers may know the fall view of this one.)


0.3.6.  Not very wide, though. This is facing south, looking onto the Scarborough side.


0.3.7.  Scarborough, facing north. Population at this time is 157. (The lots might need a little more work. . . but that's time-consuming. The basic look is there, though.)


0.3.8.  Scarborough chapel. Religion was very important for the pioneers.


0.3.9.  A look at the levees. With most of the riverside lands in the region being floodlands, these are fundamental infrastructure, the lack of which has prohibited the land from developing sooner. But that, too, is a history lesson for later.


0.3.10.  Stairways for access to the water.





There, that's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by and if you will, leave a comment.

Also, if you like, tell me what you think of the two types of shorelines (rural and levees). I like them, but I feel they can be improved further, especially the texture of the levees. I also may leave a little strip of "beach" at the bottom, see what that gives.

I've always found the waterside hard to present properly in SC4, either in developed areas or rural, and most of the available seawalls annoy me in some aspect.  But since there's hundreds of miles of riverside, lakeside, and oceanside in the region, it's vital to get them right. So, let me know.

Cheers
Willy

Kergelen

Very nice rural pictures! I like the lots with the diagonal houses and fences. &apls

The stairs to access to the water is a good idea. Great use of MMP too.

About this walls in the shoreline it's a little strange for me to see walls in a rural areas. I prefer "natural" shorelines and yours are really good.


                                    Links to SC4 websites

noahclem

Fantastic work  &apls  Your meadow MMPing and those diagonals really stand out as well done. I'd recommend against seawalls for these rural areas and your MMP shores look quite nice. At least while the area is small I'd stick to different styles of MMP shores and trying out some beach areas as you mentioned. The best thing you can do is continue to experiment until you figure out the styles and techniques you like most  :thumbsup:

RickD

Very beautiful pictures. I am wondering which of these small roads and trails will once become a huge freeway?  :D

I wouldn't use too many seawalls in a rural area. Maybe on some selected places where it would be built to reduce erosion (under the bridge for example). If you want to achieve the look of a straightened river, I would use MMP stones instead of the repetitive wall textures.
My name is Raphael.
Visit my MD: Empire Bay (My old MD: Santa Barbara County)

MTT9

Quote from: Swordmaster on October 21, 2012, 02:15:07 PM
The great thing about SimCity is that if you stick to some basic rules of realism, you don't control nearly as much as you think you do.
That's quite an interesting concept... have never thought about it that way, but it makes a lot of sense.
Love this new update, looking foward to explore the rest of the region :thumbsup:
You can call me Matt

Swordmaster

#25
Replies

Quote from: KergelenVery nice rural pictures! I like the lots with the diagonal houses and fences. &apls

The stairs to access to the water is a good idea. Great use of MMP too.
Thank you! I've spent some more time on the lots, so they've changed a little.


Quote from: noahclemFantastic work  &apls  Your meadow MMPing and those diagonals really stand out as well done.
Thanks!


Quote from: RickDVery beautiful pictures. I am wondering which of these small roads and trails will once become a huge freeway?  :D
Hold on! Freeways are a long way from here. We've got rails and docks first. . . lots of rails and docks! The expressway system is slated for the 1920s/30s. Interstates late 1950s. Huge freeways are 1970s at best. So try to enjoy the wilderness while it lasts! :)


Quote from: MTT9That's quite an interesting concept... have never thought about it that way, but it makes a lot of sense.
Love this new update, looking foward to explore the rest of the region :thumbsup:
Well, I have to admit: there is a SuperPLAN™, so it's not entirely true that I don't know what will happen. But it's flexible, so who knows. And I'll introduce the region map soon enough.


On the seawalls:

Quote
About this walls in the shoreline it's a little strange for me to see walls in a rural areas. I prefer "natural" shorelines and yours are really good.
QuoteI'd recommend against seawalls for these rural areas and your MMP shores look quite nice. At least while the area is small I'd stick to different styles of MMP shores and trying out some beach areas as you mentioned. The best thing you can do is continue to experiment until you figure out the styles and techniques you like most  :thumbsup:
QuoteI wouldn't use too many seawalls in a rural area. Maybe on some selected places where it would be built to reduce erosion (under the bridge for example). If you want to achieve the look of a straightened river, I would use MMP stones instead of the repetitive wall textures.

Thanks for the tips! I admit those walls were not exactly what I was aiming for. . . but natural shores everywhere aren't true to the facts here either. Let's see. . . the region, although on the East coast, is still sparsely populated in this era primarily due to the geographic conditions. The main rivers produce major flood risk every spring, the lake area (we'll explore that soon) is mostly marshland, with the lake itself very shallow, and then on top of that there's the risk of flooding from the sea as the ocean is right behind the door. These parameters combined make for quite an effort that had to be made from early on to withstand the forces of nature and protect property and estate. Only the successes of the coming generation enable PSC to exist.

You can tell I'm from the Low Countries, can't you? :D

But I'll keep your hints in mind and continue to experiment.




0.4. Scarborough, 1780s (part 2)

I've spent most of this week in the Reader, so an add-on to last update: some scenes from Scarborough and surroundings.

I've made changes to the beach textures; Lowkee's originals were a little too bright for my purpose. They mostly represent sometime-floodlands, so they need to be muddy and grimy. Actual beaches will use something else.

I've also darkened the water textures, but that was already in the previous update.

After/before


Even better: I've made my own seasonal tree controller with some of CP's newer models. It's tailored to represent the typical beech-maple forests in the region, although I didn't actually use the beech models. They're all-deciduous and grow on the dry ground of the lowlands, so a different controller with conifers will be used for the mountainside.



Tell me what you think.




Now, on to the good stuff.

0.4.1.  First, here's a little floodland west of Scarborough. This thing is inundated about once every two years:


0.4.2.  After heavy rainfall, there's a little creek that comes from inland. You can tell by the flora in the middle:


0.4.3.  Ideal spots for lillies:



0.4.4.  Misty days are for fishing. Wait. . .  I know this guy! Didn't know he had a dog, though.


0.4.5.  In case you're wondering, I've also got a God mode brush with the VIP pampas grass and the MJB flowers.


0.4.6.  The tree line is defined by elevation due to the flooding.


0.4.7.  Now, if you don't like a bunch of grass, here's some of the lots I've worked on earlier. This is the same area from last update, the few streets that make up Revolution-era Scarborough:


0.4.8.  Not much of the Revolution to see here, though:


0.4.9.  Most of the folks here have their own plots where they grow the real good stuff:


0.4.10.  Horse and cattle, too!


0.4.11.  Compare next two pictures. The second one has some effects. Been playing with that, but I've not mind to judge it actually. Good/bad? I'm looking to get some more subdued colors.







That's all, I hoped you enjoyed it. Make a reply if you've got some spare time.

Next up, I'm continuing this introduction with some views of Concord, and finally we'll move to 1796, which is the founding year of St Claire.

Have a nice weekend!

Cheers
Willy

nbvc


Girafe

I really like the job done with the remplacement of old trees by more realistic ones.

Is it your private modding for example for street sidewal?

Anyway good job  &apls &apls
The Floraler

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

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

Simcoug

This looks great!  Your 19th Century CP lots fit in well together.  I understand the time consuming part - sometimes I wonder if I spend more time in the LE than the actual game...

noahclem

Awesome update Willy  &apls  The water texture change and the flora controller work is really outstanding  :o  Also very nice work with the lotting.  It took me a minute to find the dog  ;D  Keep up the great work!

art128

I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

Props & Texture Catalog

Schulmanator

Impressive! Great quality pics. They look so real!
See the all-new National Capital Region!:http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=15118.0

nas-t


Dantes

Fantastic Work, I love the many little Garden  :thumbsup:

vortext

The reworked water texture is great, it makes the flora mosaic all the more impressive!  &apls

The lotting is a bit sparse and I spotted a few empty lots, some missing dependencies perhaps? Still looks nice though, as do the rural shots from the previous update. Keep it up!  :thumbsup:
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

RickD

Wow, I am out of words. Fantastic detailing.
My name is Raphael.
Visit my MD: Empire Bay (My old MD: Santa Barbara County)

eldaldo

Wow,  i seriously can't compliment you enough on all the work you have put into this CJ.  Also, a tree controller with season trees!!  I have been trying to figure out how to make one for a couple weeks now.  If there's any way you could upload that somewhere I would be quite grateful! as far as i know there is not a god mode seasonal tree controller, and yours looks wonderful.

sunv123

I just love that floodland and picture 6. They're really good.

Looking forward to the next update! ;)
Provo, a city apart Updated July 4.

FrankU

Hi Willy,

An outstanding MD with really beautiful images.
The green atmosphere of all images fits together. Although it is possible to comment that the lots of the houses are a bit empty this is not really bothering. Somehow the lots look convincing, which is something else than realistic, but is a more important property of fictious work.
A Science Fiction novel isn't realistic either, but it has to be convincing, otherwise it is a bad novel. In that same way an MD has to be convincing. It should give a feeling of the details fitting together, the elements being part of the same reality.
You do this very nicely.

I am missing a small railroad with relalistic textures though....  :D

Swordmaster

#39
Replies

Wow! Lots of comments! I'm a bit taken aback by the popularity of this MD so far. I haven't even started yet! ;D

Quote from: nbvcGreat landscape and village. &apls
Thanks!


Quote from: GirafeI really like the job done with the remplacement of old trees by more realistic ones.

Is it your private modding for example for street sidewal?

Anyway good job  &apls &apls
Merci, Antoine. The only thing left now that I haven't touched are the farms. Terrain, water, trees, streets, lots. . . all have some form of modding. I'm obsessed :D

Oh, and I hope you're getting by in RL – I read your comment in AntigOne. Wish I could help. Keep well!



Quote from: SimcougThis looks great!  Your 19th Century CP lots fit in well together.  I understand the time consuming part - sometimes I wonder if I spend more time in the LE than the actual game...
Thanks! I'm sure you see I took a little page out of your book there. How you recreated Civil War-era Atlanta is exactly my idea for early St Claire, which will be quite obvious when we get there.


Quote from: noahclemAwesome update Willy  &apls  The water texture change and the flora controller work is really outstanding  :o  Also very nice work with the lotting.  It took me a minute to find the dog  ;D  Keep up the great work!
Thanks again, Noah. Great to see you making the effort to reply every time so far!

Glad you found the dog – you know they tend to hide when you want them!



Quote from: art128That picture man, that picture.  &apls &apls &apls &apls &apls &apls &apls &apls
Thanks, Arthur! Just a cheap effect in GIMP, though.


Quote from: SchulmanatorImpressive! Great quality pics. They look so real!
Thanks a lot! Good to see returning customers! And I'm really glad folks like my style.


Quote from: nas-tgreat rural shoots!  &apls
Thank you! I just realized your username is a pun! (A bit slow on these things.)


Quote from: DantesFantastic Work, I love the many little Garden  :thumbsup:
Very humbling to hear this from one of the great MD'ers in the house. Thanks! I hope you'll stick around to watch the railroad development that's around the corner.


Quote from: vortextThe reworked water texture is great, it makes the flora mosaic all the more impressive!  &apls

The lotting is a bit sparse and I spotted a few empty lots, some missing dependencies perhaps? Still looks nice though, as do the rural shots from the previous update. Keep it up!  :thumbsup:
You've a good eye – the lotting is a little unconventional, yes. I've kept them more open than what I would have in modern suburbia. These folks are farmers with only space in abundance. There are no empty lots, but there are quite a few empty plots:




Just some of them. Cattle appears in the bottow right one. I don't think these are too empty to be realistic. They're are all stage 1 lots; the stage 2, 3, and 4 versions of them will have more buildings.


Quote from: RickDWow, I am out of words. Fantastic detailing.
Thanks, Raphael. And thanks for your patience, too. Rails are coming!


Quote from: eldaldoWow,  i seriously can't compliment you enough on all the work you have put into this CJ.  Also, a tree controller with season trees!!  I have been trying to figure out how to make one for a couple weeks now.  If there's any way you could upload that somewhere I would be quite grateful! as far as i know there is not a god mode seasonal tree controller, and yours looks wonderful.
Thank you very much. Now, I made this controller specifically for myself, without an eye towards uploading it. Both epicblunder and vortext are working on seasonal controllers, and well-rounded ones at that. My controller is much simpler and plainer than theirs, taking no advantage of height or moisture variations. So my advice is to have a little patience and be on the lookout for their work.


Quote from: sunv123
I just love that floodland and picture 6. They're really good.

Looking forward to the next update! ;)
Thanks and welcome!


Quote from: FrankUHi Willy,

An outstanding MD with really beautiful images.
The green atmosphere of all images fits together. Although it is possible to comment that the lots of the houses are a bit empty this is not really bothering. Somehow the lots look convincing, which is something else than realistic, but is a more important property of fictious work.
A Science Fiction novel isn't realistic either, but it has to be convincing, otherwise it is a bad novel. In that same way an MD has to be convincing. It should give a feeling of the details fitting together, the elements being part of the same reality.
You do this very nicely.

I am missing a small railroad with relalistic textures though....  :D
Hi Frank, good to see you here! I like science fiction :) Concerning the lots, see my reply to vortext. Some of these lots contain small pastures or empty, unused plots. This is, after all, a place that will grow once more immigrants arrive!

And no railroads yet in the 1780s ;)





0.5. Concord & vicinity, 1780s

Not a particular focus this time, just a few pictures to bridge the gap with the end of the introduction. Yes, folks, this has been an introduction so far. We're moving slowly but surely towards the good stuff, which will start sometime this month with a look at the region, some maps, some history, some plans.

But until then, some rural localities. First, four pictures from the area between Barton and Scarborough. Just a couple of families live here, nothing to declare.

0.5.1.  If there's no town, there's only three things: canals. . .


0.5.2.  woods. . .


0.5.3.  and/or farms.


0.5.4.  Not quite the industrial logging operation here. . . just stocking for winter.


0.5.5.  Upstream from Scarborough, the town of Concord. Original name unknown to me, but sometime after 1775, a number of veterans from the famous battle moved here and brought the name. So they say.


0.5.6.  Church of St Helen. Image is from October 31st, but I see no pumpkins here?


0.5.7.  Population: unknown. I guess no more than 200.





Next, founding St Claire, lakeside. See you there.

Cheers
Willy