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Started by dedgren, November 23, 2008, 01:50:31 PM

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dedgren

This is the SC4D archive of Page 46 of Three Rivers Region at Simtropolis.  Comments are locked for now.

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[row] [data colspan=2]#1350  11/19/2006 09:42 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]UPDATE:  (11-19-06 10:03 a.m. AST GMT-9)  Shameless plug follows...

Stop reading this boring CJ RIGHT NOW

and go on over to Dan's (mtbrocket) CJ Far Away and Long Ago [linkie].  If you have not been there before, do not come back here before you've read the whole thing (currently 17 pages- there'll be a quiz).  There is, trust me, no better way for you to use your time today.  The man is a frickin' genius!

...end shameless plug.
______________________________

Aaron (pickled_pig - Winston County) commented early this morning.


QuoteSeeing that you comment a lot on "homebrew interchanges" (i.e. making one's own interchanges with the one-way streets) in my CJ, I am especially awaiting to see if you use them, and how you use them.

Like these, my friend?





Here's a [linkie] to a post back last summer where you'll find many more examples, plus some explanation as to the techniques used to create them.

More later today on rock mods and trees.  I still remain very interested on your thoughts as to rock mods- if you haven't seen this post [linkie] yet, please take a look and provide such feedback as you would think appropriate.  Thanks!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1351  11/19/2006 02:32 PM[/data] [/row]
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infinitum19
[/data][data]dedgren,

O come on. no not a quiz..... I hate quizzes lol. Man! very nice highway system!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1352  11/19/2006 05:15 PM [/data] [/row]
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Darmok
[/data][data]David,
Rock mod choice:
2 or 6 in that order, all the others while good looking are showing patterns on your big mountains.
Go for the most realistic looking one.

Very good work with the trees, fir trees are my tree of choice in the second half of Anôrien, they really are beautiful!

Enjoy your week. and regards to the family.

-John
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1353  11/19/2006 06:04 PM[/data] [/row]
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threestooges
[/data][data]Of course I'm keeping you busy. You ask for comments and boy am I ready to oblige. So here I go again:
1: It has a good color, but has a bit too much repetitivness on the larger cliff faces
2: looks familiar, good patterns, and the color is decent
3: It seems a bit yellow (sandstone if you will). Not what I would suggest, especially with its tiling effect.
4: Very nice look in the snow. No noticible pattern problems.
5: Decent color, bad pattern.
6:Though a little lighter in color and texture than #4 it works well too. There does not seem to be any tiling problems though.
7 & 8: Again, decent in color, but the texture exhibits that tiling problem again.
You may also be interested in looking into This one.
For my part though, 4 or 6 would take 1st with 2 in second.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1354  11/19/2006 08:51 PM[/data] [/row]
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Gecko_2006
[/data][data]Eh, I'm too lazy to read 17 pages, so I just read the last one.  ()stsfd() That second pic is a transportation nightmare!!!  ;D[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1355  11/21/2006 06:27 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data] n.b.:  I note that 3RR will hit, sometime within the next few hours, 20,000 page views.



I'll say nothing more right now other than you folks are the best...just the best.
__________________________

Our 3RR162 rock mod poll [linkie] has now been up for five days starting from the questions asked in this post concerning the subject here [linkie] and has garnered 19 (UPDATE: As of 11/23/08) 79 votes, and we've had a number of insightful comments in the CJ since the post, so I'm going to go ahead and discuss the results and share my thoughts at this point.

First off, the rock mod pics, this time identified by name

#1 - Pegasus "Eroded Sandstone" [linkie to DL]



#2 - Maxis 'Vanilla' Game Rock [linkie to DL]



#3 - Pegasus "Golden Sandstone" [linkie to DL]



#4 - crazychickensc12 "Gray Marble Rock" [linkie to DL]



#5 - Pegasus "Weathered Granite" [linkie to DL]



#6 - cycledogg "Columbus Mod" Rock [linkie to DL]



#7 - Pegasus "Dark Basalt" [linkie to DL]



#8 - Pegasus "Mossy Granite" [linkie to DL]



And the survey, here again IDing the mods.

Which Rock Mod Do You Prefer? (Total Votes: 79)

#1 - Pegasus "Eroded Sandstone"

   11 votes    13.92 (%)

#2 - Maxis 'Vanilla' Game Rock

   17 votes    21.52 (%)

#3 - Pegasus "Golden Sandstone"

   2 votes    2.53 (%)

#4 - crazychickensc12 "Gray Marble Rock"

   13 votes    16.46 (%)

#5 - Pegasus "Weathered Granite"

   1 votes    1.27 (%)

#6 - cycledogg "Columbus Mod" Rock

   22 votes    27.85 (%)

#7 - Pegasus "Dark Basalt"

   3 votes    3.80 (%)

#8 - Pegasus "Mossy Granite"

   3 votes    3.80 (%)

#9 - None of the above

   7 votes    8.86 (%)


The comments more or less, with a few I'll note in particular, mirrored the survey results.  For all of you who voted or commented, or did both, thank you for your input.

A few initial thoughts- It is clear that the five rock mods by John (Pegasus), despite great colors and variation, were, with only one vote between them, rejected in favor of other choices.  I believe this is because, in a direct comparison with other rock mods, folks find the "fishnet" appearance of Peg's mods at game view settings 1 and 2 (the farthest out) offputting.  I note that Peg's "Mossy Granite" was used in 3RR early on before a switch to Brian's (c.p./cycledogg) Columbus rock for this same reason.  On a close-up basis, the Peg rock mods look very good, but much of what I do in 3RR is further back from the subject of the pic.

The rock mod of choice, at least as far as the survey results were concerned, was that found by default in cycledogg's Columbus Terrain.



Cliffs and exposed rock made with this mod have a fine grain, no discernible repetitive patter and a nice neutral gray-brown color.  My opinion...

...whoa!  ...an opinion?  ...from you?   ...aren't lawyers supposed to be on both sides of every issue?

...and, while we're at it, what about this "discernable repetitive patter?'- you sound like you're describing your CJing style?


...'hem-

EDIT:  ...discernable repetitive patterN...

...my opinion is these cycledogg's Columbus rock textures and colors are not so much great as they are innocuous- the eye just passes over them, having seen nothing other than what it expects- something rock-like where there is supposed to be rock.  This does not detract, in my mind, a bit from considering their use.  They do what they're supposed to, and therein perhaps is their greatness.  You just can't go wrong with them.  In other words, nobody is ever going to see them used in your region and ask you

...what the heck is that?

* * *

With further regard to cycledogg's rock mods, on 11-19 James (hondo42769) asked


QuoteI was wondering if you have considered using cycledoggs Missouri Breaks Rock Textures. It is similar to the Columbus Terrain Mod rock textures, but it adds just a hint of purple, randomly, to the rock. The purple is subtle and adds a bit of variety to the appearance of your rock faces. Just a thought.

And a good thought, too.  I went and checked out the rock mods found in each of cycledogg's Missouri Breaks [linkie], Olympic [linkie], and Painted Desert [linkie] terrain mods by fiddling around with the individual files within each of the three terrain mods.  Here's pics of each.

The Missouri Breaks rock mod.



I'm sorry, James, but if there's a difference between this and basic Columbus (the pic just looked at above), it's too subtle for me.

Here's an interesting thing, though.  Remember what removing Columbus did to our stream banks?



Looks pretty sandy to me.  Anyway, here's the same general area after the selected Missouri Breaks terrain files were installed.





Cool, eh?  This just doubles my resolve to fool around with this in the Reader [linkie].

Here's the Olympic Terrain rock mod.



Wheesh- that's pretty brown!  Not exactly my taste, but it does look pretty good...



...from a distance (Quad 15 is our guinea pig, the rest are still in Columbus.

How about the Painted Desert terrain rock mod?



I really like the rock shading on this one...too bad it isn't available in a gray-blue color.  This particular color combo exists somewhere in nature, I'm sure, but then so does the platypus [linkie].

I'm going to pick up a continuation of this extended post further down the page, so that's it for this one.  I note that nobody has yet found the really crude Easter Egg joke I've carefully hidden somewhere along the way...

...either that, or nobody will admit it ... we'll see.

Anyway, sometime this evening for the continuation and conclusion.  I'll put up a link here when I do.

Later.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1356  11/21/2006 07:33 AM [/data] [/row]
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jacqulina
[/data][data]hello my friend i will check back later [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1357  11/21/2006 07:34 AM[/data] [/row]
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purpledaddy
[/data][data]I definitely think that cycledogg's mod is the most rockish looking.  :D[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1358  11/21/2006 07:44 AM[/data] [/row]
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Rayden
[/data][data]I'm using no.4, crazychicken's one.  ;)[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1359  11/21/2006 08:22 AM[/data] [/row]
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GMT
[/data][data]hm... mountains... and snow...
do we have christ-mess already?
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1360  11/21/2006 08:40 AM[/data] [/row]
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dadyrghluv
[/data][data]damn dave, this is turning into a terraformers wet dream. since your looking for a rock modd, i like the limestone rock modd by pegasus. it goes nicley with the snowy terrain as seen from MT. Rainier map. take care bud[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1361  11/21/2006 08:52 AM[/data] [/row]
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crazychickensc12
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ok ok I admit I had to push it over the edge  ;)...

on another note...im actually surprised to see that PEG rock mods have such a tiling effect....interesting  ;D keep it up always love poppin in here!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1362  11/21/2006 11:54 AM [/data] [/row]
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Gaston
[/data][data]Wow David,
   Congrats on 20k views.    That is really impressive.     Alot of people read this CJ.   That is very kool indeed.

---Gaston
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1363  11/21/2006 10:31 PM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]Well, somebody had to do it [linkie]...



20,000 page views, and our very own feathered friend was the one to roll the odometer.  crazy, thanks to you and a few thousand other folks, 3RR is on the map.  I am so overwhelmed by the kindness of every 3RR regular (again, anyone who's ever posted at least once) and lurker (you know who you are- come out, come out and play with us) in getting this CJ to this milestone, well...

...naw, it's not possible!

...I'm speechless, but for a heartfelt THANK YOU!

In recognition of that, we'll now put you on the map, per the above sign.



Game Preserve?  Designated Wetlands?  Nuke Waste Storage Facility?

Only time will tell.  'Grats, my friend.  You are now a part of 3RR.

Along that line, I finally scraped off the Wite-Out off the region map [linkie] and updated it as follows.



So here's the updated 2,400 x 2,400 map as it stands tonight [linkie].

Finally, I'm off to bed.  The conclusion of the rock mod post will have to wait 'til tomorrow.  If you haven't seen the first part, check it out here [linkie].  Who knows, you might even find the Easter Egg [linkie] I left there...

...gee, who would have thought you were so subtle?

Anyway-

Later.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1364  11/21/2006 11:14 PM[/data] [/row]
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Dr.Gonzo
[/data][data]Congrats Dedgren on 20k hits, twas your Journal which convinced me to sign up a few days ago, so thanks  ;D Awsome CJ and extremly helpful. [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1365  11/22/2006 12:43 AM [/data] [/row]
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name
[/data][data]I like what the Missouri Mod did for the river bed, looks more natural(I think of sand at the beach, not the mnts). I wonder if a shade darker wouldn't look even better?

The Olympic Mod, I do like the color of those(better looking at a distance). I would probably chose to use those on an new developing island chain(just a thought for you islanders). The Painted Desert if I was working (obviously)...........

.....a Desert region?

I prefer dark chocolate instead of vanilla.

;)
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1366  11/22/2006 02:19 AM [/data] [/row]
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owenluby
[/data][data]Very very interesting developments over here at 3RR. I like this a lot. [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1367  11/22/2006 03:53 AM [/data] [/row]
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jasperdeman.nl
[/data][data]Looking good all! Must say I like cycledoggs rock mod most, it is easy on the eye and it just rocks, in more then one sense of the word. Still goingt strong David!

Any idea when we might see some building, or vegetation of some sorts on your newly acquired map?
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1368  11/22/2006 04:02 AM [/data] [/row]
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jacqulina
[/data][data]excellent work my friend an awesome map [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1369  11/22/2006 04:49 AM[/data] [/row]
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GMT
[/data][data]good work again!

I like your explanations.

waiting for more
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1370  11/22/2006 06:35 AM [/data] [/row]
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Nik-nik
[/data][data]Great rocks.
I did not have the time to follow the linkies as I am reading now page 7 o 18 of "Far away and Long ago" CJ as you told me to........ ;D

am in favour of Cycledogg's mod.

Nik-Nik
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1371  11/22/2006 07:05 AM [/data] [/row]
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raul39
[/data][data]Well, the developement to get this region started looks great! Congrats on the 20k page views! You deserve it! [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1372  11/22/2006 07:30 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]I was actually going to to do a quicky "We've got Mail..." this morning, but I was wandering around lurking in CJs last night before I went to bed and saw the following in Craig's (cityhawk) journal Wannabe County, in which he had announced earlier in the post that he is closing.  I quote it without permission (sorry, Craig, I'll make it up to you somehow) because I think that what he said is important, and would like for as many people to see it as possible.

QuoteI don't feel like Wannabe County was a failure but just another "sandbox" region for me to develop my skills on. The following list is more for me to look at later than for anybody else, but here's what I've learned from this CJ and Montrose about what I should and should not do in the future as according to my tastes:

   1. No background story due to the fact that I can't keep a story straight.
   2. Don't sugarcoat the replies section with peoples' CJ and SD links and other fancy things like lines to separate replies and different fonts; this just takes too much time when I'm doing an update.
   3. Don't always update as I do the initial developing; it leads to longer lengths between updates and, therefore, less commenters and viewers.
   4. Don't always worry about realism; just be creative!
   5. I love seeing all the really urban areas in other peoples' CJs, and I want to create some of my own, so I need to get away from the rural and semi-suburban development that I've done for these past two CJs of mine.

I'll add more later if I think of them.

Now, the point of my posting these is not to point out agreement or disagreement with any particular thing that Craig has said (that said, I would include on my own list point 1 and, if read loosely, point 4) .  He acknowledges himself the list is more for his own use than anyone else's.  And that's what is important.

If you are going to do a city journal, have a list like Craig's, but applicable to you.  If possible, have it going in.  If not, develop one as soon as you can.

I see that as being one of the top three or so über-rules of CJing, perhaps exceeded in importance only by

Never (ever) forget that the point of CJing is to have fun.

Now, the über-rules are a topic for another day, so I won't further dwell on them at this time.  My point is that, from at least this reader's perspective (and based on the comments, I was not alone in so thinking), Wannabe County was a really solid, quality CJ worth visiting every few days to check out for an update.  If Craig had simply said, "I quit" or, as so many do, just abandoned it without saying anything, I would have been really puzzled, like someone confronted with the sudden death for no particular reason of an apparently healthy friend.  Showing us his list, though, not only puts his decision in complete perspective but leaves it entirely justifiable. 

I don't mean to have anyone conclude from this long text post that, if you are going to stop your CJ, you have to provide your readers with a detailed explanation.  Far from it.  What I'd really like folks to get is that CJs ought to be started with some intention in mind, and ought to be ended the same way.  That said, the CJ forum index has about 25 of its 35 or so pages littered with the names of journals where that was not the case.

As many of you know, I have a side project: the CJ Lists [click here].  I do it because I find CJing, as an art form, fascinating.  In the course of doing those lists (and the six months or so of private, unpublished lists that proceeded the current effort) I believe that I've learned a bit about what goes on here.  I note also that I lurk in about 100 CJs each week, and comment in 15-20% of them (the best way to develop one's own CJing style and techniques, IMHO, is to have a sense of the CJing styles and techniques of others- not to copy them but to emulate what you like and make it your own).  The lists, along with a substantial portion of the content of 3RR as well as my individual comments on the CJs of others, represent my attempt to pass the benefit of that knowledge, such as it is, back to you- the fellow CJer.

I think I've said, in that regard, that there are two sorts of folks that populate this forum section- those who are doing a CJ and those who will be doing a CJ at some point in the future.  There's nobody out there reading this post who, by some general definition, lacks the skills to do a CJ that is great in some, and perhaps many, respects.

But remember...

...have a list.


DE

n.b.:  It was impossible, on re-reading this post for typos and that sort of thing, to consider it complete without saying thanks to Craig for sharing Wannabe County with us.  I'm sure that his next CJ will be a great one as well.[/font][/size][/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1373  11/22/2006 07:32 AM [/data] [/row]
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crazychickensc12
[/data][data]wow dedgren I'm honored  ::) thank you very much my friend!! count me in on a quad !  ;)[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1374  11/22/2006 09:07 AM[/data] [/row]
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Darmok
[/data][data]David,
just a word to say that I agree with you 100% on your comments about Craig's CJ!
and also that the first and foremost reason behind CJ'ing is to have fun!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1375  11/22/2006 09:45 AM [/data] [/row]
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exodus101
[/data][data]David,

Like many other lurkers, I've been reading your CJ for a few weeks and all I can say is, "Wow!" (Generic...I know) Your attention to detail and evident joy in the game is compelling. The terraforming tutorials you began with are very informative, especially since that has been one of my biggest game play issues. I've wanted a smoother realism and have now found that possible through Simtropolis and especially your forum. Though I was less interested in the map making, I was more than rewarded for staying tuned by the exploration of scale that resulted. Keep up the good work and thanks for inspiring my first post!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1376  11/22/2006 11:11 AM [/data] [/row]
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livin in sim
[/data][data]Hello, David,

Yes, I like the seasonal trees, mixed in with the evergreens.  It's improving right along, and I know when you're done it will be just like a walk in the woods.  I hope the community can solve the snow thing, but with the great minds here, it's not impossible.

Very sly of you to slip the vanilla rock in with the others...when I scrolled by it, I thought, "Is that the orginal rock?  Naa, it didn't look that good."  Maybe it was better than we thought, or just looks good in your area.  The Columbus and Missouri breaks are best, look about the same to me, but the shoreline is way better with the latter, yes.  Olympic might be good for a variation in quads/elevation.  So good choice in your votes, everyone.  Thanks for asking our opinion.

Woo-hoo for the 20,000 posts!
--Liv
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1377  11/22/2006 01:48 PM [/data] [/row]
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hondo42769
[/data][data]David,

I took a long, hard look at the two pictures you posted comparing the Columbus and the Missouri Breaks rock mods. You're right, I can't tell the difference between the two pics either. But, when comparing the two in my own region, I could see a subtle difference. Maybe it's just a matter of perspective. Or, I could just be seeing things (wouldn't be the first time!). As for the shoreline using the Missouri Breaks terrain, when I first saw it I immediately dumped it from my plugins folder. I just didn't like the brown splotches it spewed all over the river banks (this does not mean I don't appreciate Cycledoggs amazing work with terrain mods). At the time I didn't consider how it would look with the various flora added in. After seeing your pics, I have come to like the variety it gives and will reconsider using it in the future.

PS: Have a happy holiday!

BTW: Congrats on 20k views!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1378  11/23/2006 10:03 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]I'm off over the next few days to an undisclosed location to relax and to do some heavy duty fine terraforming in 3RR, as well as finish this week's CJ Lists [ linkie ].  I probably won't be posting again until Sunday, the 27th, so to tide you over, here's something to take a look at.

First, though...

Wouanagaine. Is. God.

...we are not worthy!

#1



#2



#3



#4



#5



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#7



#8



#9



#10



#11



#12



#13



If you have not downloaded V1.1 of the SC4Terraformer, get it here [linkie].

Have a great (US) Thanksgiving [linkie]- if you don't do the Feast of the Turkey, have a great day!


David
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1379  11/23/2006 10:23 AM [/data] [/row]
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asturianu
[/data][data]Hello, David, this pics are awesome, but i won't have this tool because my computer is a bit old and now it can support this programme, but i would love to use it. You know?, You are a genious, and Wouanagaine too!!

This cj is incredible, and the maps with nouns of mountains and rivers are really nice!! Hehe, Crazychickensc12 have to be very proud, no?

Great journal, my friend.

Cristian
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[/tabular]
D. Edgren

Please call me David...

Three Rivers Region- A collaborative development of the SC4 community
The 3RR Quick Finder [linkie]


I aten't dead.  —  R.I.P. Granny Weatherwax

Skype: davidredgren