I've spent the last few nights making a start on a new region. After finding some great maps here and over at SimTrop, I started looking at the various rock and terrain textures and associated maytor-mode tree painting options (i.e. cp's tree controllers). CP has a number of great combinations and see some great examples of use in the various MD's her (one day I'll read through all 498 pahes of 3RR). I'm kindof trying to get the Yosemite feel, granite and lush grass/vegetation and the best combination I've found so far is a mix of the Meadowshire cliff textures, the Missouri Breaks rock texture and Meadowshire terrain controller, with the Olympic Coast tree controller (I tried the Olympic Coast terrian controller but lost the snow at the elevation I liked). I've yet to try the 3RR grey granit rock mod.
So, what's you're favourite combination?
EDIT - I found this post, List of Terrain-Related Plugins (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6210.msg197267#msg197267), that lists the currently available terrain mods
I just got the whole bunch of the Italia Terrain Mod of CP... and I like it :thumbsup:
Well, right now I am using my terrain mod, which is in the scrutineering process. I am also working on my own tree controller. In the midst of that I have made my own water/cliff/beach mods. As time goes by I will be switching out all of c.p. textures with ones that I am working on. So I am no help with picking a mod.
I can help with some modding though.
The snow line is a relatively simple thing to change. If you open the terrain controller with Reader there is a property called "TempRangeFactor". As you lower this value, your snow line will drop.
For more details about the Terrain Exemplar you can check out the Advanced tutorial in my sig. Don't worry about the the advanced part. Both of the tutorials are constantly being updated, and at this point I don't know which one is harder ::).
I use different mods for every region. There mostly heavily modified versions of terrain mods out there. And 1 is my own.
For my desert region I have Orange's Pyreane Terrain mod, only modified so that the low-altitude terrain (which is sand) is at all altitudes. Makes for a nice sandy desert. :P
Another I used Heblem's textures from the higher altitudes of his Chihuahua terrain mod. Which makes a Orangey-grassland type terrain.
I also use my own terrain mod, which I made customly for a region of mine. It's a kind-of sandstone shaded prairie. Similar to southern S. Dakota. Kind of "Badlands-y"
As for water mod's, Rivit's is probably the best. plenty of combinations you can use as well as a beach if you want.
Rock mods, I like enedii's HD rock textures the best.
hope I helped a bit...
EDIT - Oops, I hadn't noticed Deadwoods' link. I'll check those out!
I'd love to see more suggestions here. I'm looking for something different myself. Currently have Meadowshire with Olympic Coast. They are beautiful and I'm going to start a new region now with them because I don't want to wait. Meadowshire is very lush and I love it for rainy regions like B.C. and U.K. But I'd like something toned down by about 25% with a tree controller simulating Ontario flora (http://ontariotrees.com/main/speciestype.php (http://ontariotrees.com/main/speciestype.php)), specifically including birch and maple forests alongside spruce fir and pine ones, for my next region. What are my options?
Orange_O's Terrain mods have yet to be mentioned, and they are not on the list Deadwoods sited: PyreneanTerrainMod (http://www.toutsimcities.com/downloads.php?view=1641), and its 3 dependancies 1 (http://www.toutsimcities.com/downloads.php?view=1637),2 (http://www.toutsimcities.com/downloads.php?view=1639),3 (http://www.toutsimcities.com/downloads.php?view=1640)
As far as tree controllers go, I believe c.p.s are the only expansive ones. People who get area specific generally plant them all by hand.