Hello Everyone.
It's been a while since my last MD attempt. I got really bogged down in story telling and then ended up losing my cities due to stupidity. I recently started playing Sim City again and have been working on a region since January. I play in some vein of natural growth and tend to enjoy looking at region views more than close ups. I think for now i will just be introducing the cities of the region and perhaps tell interesting short stories about some places.
I am naming the journal Elkisma, after the name of the city that is in the very center of the region.
The region is called the Vantas Coast. It is a harsh cold, wet, and windy place for most of the year. The region is newly discovered and most of it is still wilderness. The seemingly endless resources and job opportunites have brought many immigrants to the area, and more are arriving each day.
Below is a region view of the largest city so far in the region. The city is called Mandrake, and has a population around 130,000. it is the industrial heart of the region and is full of factories and plants. It will be the focus of the next update at least.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F73EQt.jpg&hash=afcb78ef9c3ce81884427244eae7f24d6aeeade4) (http://i.imgur.com/73EQt.jpg)
Take care! and thanks for reading.
Oh wow that region view is magnificent &apls I'll be looking forward to more :)
Welcome back to the MD world!
As far as I can see, this region seems very well !
I like how the forest bends very well with farms and cities.
Looking forward to more.
Looking forward for some close ups.
Seems great.
Cool region. Good luck with your new MD...
- JIm
Hi Everyone, Thanks for your comments and compliments! Vester, you get your wish to see some closeups today.
Unfortunately I haven't spent much time on closeups because I am constantly upgrading areas and roads, or putting rail systems in. But hopefully they are still enjoyable. I try to think of my region as a living and growing thing. My hope is that in a few months you can come back and look at these images and see how much things have changed since then. In fact these pictures are already a month old, and the region already looks much different. anyway, onto the update.
Today we will look at the city of Mandrake. It is currently the largest city in the Vantas coast and has a population of around 130,000. See how it is central to the current development of the Vantas coast. (click to enlarge)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIOjLS.jpg&hash=05e4d5752e66a5efc15b5af7218f3dea0d04f1b8) (http://i.imgur.com/IOjLS.jpg)
Below is A mosaic of Mandrake City Proper
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fg9jtC.jpg&hash=8683d19e8255fa553a752730faba2cd8ec781881) (http://i.imgur.com/g9jtC.jpg)
And here's one with the Neighborhoods Labeled
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F92Nxn.jpg&hash=c7456b65ece276bc4993689729b233e077e40807) (http://i.imgur.com/92Nxn.jpg)
Mandrake is an industrial center, and processes almost all of the raw materials of the area, be it lumber, iron ore, or even sand into glass. The benefits of this are that there are always jobs available here, and new immigrants to the continent are constantly flocking here for work. the downside is incredible pollution. Yet, the City Government has been extremely Hands off in terms of zoning and allowing companies to set up whatever factory wherever they want. However, In the recent years as The downtown neighborhood grows increasingly commercial, and larger numbers of wealthy people have been moving in, the pressure to do something about the pollution problem is growing . . .
I will now just display the various neighborhoods . . .
Starting with downtown
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fh7L7v.jpg&hash=708d1c305948c1578efd8bc9e4ad20ac7acc1d29) (http://i.imgur.com/h7L7v.jpg)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fn3T8O.jpg&hash=669338cac61b46fe5902f3e593a2a6386db76518) (http://i.imgur.com/n3T8O.jpg)
Downtown is the oldest part of the City and has always been the business district of the region. Downtown Mandrake is where people from the rural areas and neighboring towns come to get luxuries and fancy clothing or furniture. It also features the headquarters for the various lumber and steel companies of the region. It has some of the largest and tallest buildings in the region, though Waterford to the south has just begun constructing a few small skyscrapers of its own.
Next is Harbor Yard
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FF6M0p.jpg&hash=fe79ec8a1cd27c3d23d4940d4907920489a0c454) (http://i.imgur.com/F6M0p.jpg)
Harbor Yard, is home to the Largest Factories of the City. And is possibly the largest industrial park of the region. Nearly all of Mandrakes lower income citizens work in The Yard as it is called. On most days, just standing in the Yard will turn clean clothes to a dusty yellowish grey. It's pretty foul, and most people who work here don't live very long.
Next is Edges
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPmaDM.jpg&hash=01db86cd07d4fe12f0e091979522b615d77c2a43) (http://i.imgur.com/PmaDM.jpg)
Edges is the Lower income neighborhood that is next to the yard. This is where a large proportion of the city's workers live in very poor and dilapidated housing, it is a tough life to live . . . with little hope of social mobility.
Now I will take you to the other side of town and the neighborhood of Rosalyn.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQPyCO.jpg&hash=8180b56449a0a4df46a35f9c9ac35b5c4052e363) (http://i.imgur.com/QPyCO.jpg)
Named after the main street that runs through it (Rose Lane), Rosalyn is the wealthy neighborhood of of the city. It has rather newly risen to this status as, around fifteen years ago it was just another working class neighborhood. But now fancy restaurants and mansions line the streets. It also features the city's only park at the moment named Rosebush Park. It is a good thing to live here . . .
Next is another nice but kind of isolated neighborhood called Esterby.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQm2Ap.jpg&hash=0f7fc9d6d523c299ea8a44605d5d29def9aa2314) (http://i.imgur.com/Qm2Ap.jpg)
It is located on the East Peninsula, and has some really unique industrial ventures, but is otherwise a charming little town within the limits of a big city. Unfortunately it is quite isolated from the rest of the city, being connected to it by a single road. However, one of those industrial ventures is in the final stages of inventing electrical trains that can run underground . . . this could bring the community in quick contact with the rest of the city.
Lastly we will take a look at the farthest reaches of Mandrake. Also Known as south mandrake.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F0jgp8.jpg&hash=40df1585e06717dbdef80b06d24687db588bd73c) (http://i.imgur.com/0jgp8.jpg)
South Mandrake originally started as this small town the used to be called Mercer Shore. It was originally a farming community that supplied mandrake with food and grain. But as Mandrake spread south, people started calling it south Mandrake.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fw0r8X.jpg&hash=f6cb260021814ab61cc6954df0e09b1b74d9d8d9) (http://i.imgur.com/w0r8X.jpg)
About five years ago development swallowed the rest of the farms that separated it from Mandrake and the whole area was absorbed into the city proper. It is basically the first suburb of Mandrake since alot of the rural and slower aspects of life are maintained, yet many people from here travel north into the city for work. because road traffic and coach traffic cannot keep up with the commuters, plans for a trolley are in the works to connect this neighborhood with the rest of mandrake. It will only be a matter of time before all the rural aspects of the original town are lost to the big city.
Hope you enjoyed today's update. Next time we will look at the small city of Waterford to the south of Mandrake.
Your region shot and aerials are just unbelievable. &apls And I also like to read the information on the different parts of the city.
Reply:
Thanks Rick! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Entry 3: Waterford
today we will look at the city of Waterford and the small towns surrounding it.
Waterford was founded as a small farming community back when the first settlers came to the Vantas Coast. Waterford and the rich soil surrounding it grew to support the growing industrial town of mandrake to the north. Over time as Mandrake grew to its massive size Waterford became the agricultural center to the region bringing in crops from the surrounding farmlands and packaging them to be sold to Mandrake, Elkisma, and even across the world to Simnation.
Recently it has become a commercial center in its own right, Filling its downtown with offices and tall buildings. Also, the farmland that buffers it from Mandrake is quickly being sold and developed as the price of land goes up throughout mandrake peninsula. There is a train that connects Waterford to Mandrake and there are several thousand people who commute between the cities each day. There are plans in the works for a commuter only rail to be built soon. It will not be long before Waterford and Mandrake fuse into a single huge city.
below is the overview of the region to show Waterford in the context of the region.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FvTKJg.jpg&hash=ab9a87b127d469936e756e5ae27f2bcb8ce93092) (http://i.imgur.com/vTKJg.jpg)
Here is an overview of the city. The two main roads that intersect in downtown are Water Street (which is a continuation of Mandrake's Main Street), and Darden Rd, which goes to the town of Darden west of the city.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FfnWeF.jpg&hash=b79f5fa504b19f39624fbc616e26faee560ed918) (http://i.imgur.com/fnWeF.jpg)
A closeup of downtown.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fu4aA8.jpg&hash=dd76337f8ac61002220da0adbb0c5a6be67b137f) (http://i.imgur.com/u4aA8.jpg)
Below is Waterford Station. It is in the middle of the Young Industrial Park, where many of the food processing plants and various agricultural goods plants are. Industry is pretty heavily regulated in Waterford and it is difficult to build plants in other parts of the city.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3swJA.jpg&hash=8a5870fa18e536f2eb93a05b790a16009fb7bbc4) (http://i.imgur.com/3swJA.jpg)
This is the western edge of Waterford. To the south you can see Darden Rd, and In the center is the Overland Rail line that connects Mandrake with the Mallson Hill ore mines to the southwest. While the rail was initially for industrial purposes only, the Southern Coast Rail Company has added passenger service from Mandrake through Waterford to Mallson Hill, and also a spur that goes through Darden to Lancet in the west.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FuKO2k.jpg&hash=bd7470ef9a3f99130abae59ce7c69a0e035565e0) (http://i.imgur.com/uKO2k.jpg)
The massive forest that separates Mandrake and Waterford is called Alden Forest.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fnp6vK.jpg&hash=30e0cbd818583e22f070ffdf5288510348d32cc7) (http://i.imgur.com/np6vK.jpg)
It Has become a controversial topic in the region. When The Vantas Coast was originally settled, Alden Forest escaped agricultural development due to its extremely rocky soil (except for a small section of incredibly rich soil that was the ancient location of a dried up lake). It was known for its great quantities of llama, moose, and deer and was a popular hunting area among early settlers. however, as the cities of mandrake and Waterford grew the game became more scarce, and one of Waterford's first Mayors, Elitzo Carpenter, bought the majority of the undeveloped land between the cities for his own personal use. Here is a picture of the region at the time.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Ff0HHZ.jpg&hash=57724d75cd5000cb88aebbc9973279807a878c1c) (http://i.imgur.com/f0HHZ.jpg)
At that time this caused an uproar amongst the citizens who were now unable to hunt freely but had to sneak around and poach with the risk of imprisonment. a couple generations later Elitzo's grandson Greckory Carpenter who still owned the land opened it up as a wildlife park for those who needed to escape the pollution of the city and it became a popular destination for wealthy city-goers to stroll and try to catch a glimpse of the now recovered wildlife populations. For the next twenty years the forest thrived and the Carpenter family's reputation was improved from greedy bigwigs, to philanthropic environmentalists. However, as Mandrake creeps south and the price of land is ever rising many of the area's wealthy developers wish for the land to be sold for development. There is a great clamour for "progress" and many outrageous offers for the land have been thrown at the now 60 year old Greckory. But Greckory is holding fast to his ideals and refuses to sell.
This is the small town of Ditten across mercer inlet from Waterford. It is known for being the location of the Fairgrounds. Many people flock here on summer weekends, but the rest of the year it is a very sleepy town.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FDPxUe.jpg&hash=f852b5cc4a31d3d4be233fb282f214b3d736f514) (http://i.imgur.com/DPxUe.jpg)
Lastly here is a picture of Manchester point. Manchester point is the peninsula directly east of Mandrake Peninsula. This small town has developed as a suburb of South Mandrake after the construction of the High Street Bridge. While many people have been moving here, it still retains alot of it's original small town charm.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FP5G4k.jpg&hash=241d8668a2406646fe344a702e2577352e5c45eb) (http://i.imgur.com/P5G4k.jpg)
Thanks for reading!
It's been a long time since I posted an update. But I've still been playing on the Vantas Coast region and have been wanting to start writing stories again. So this update is sort of a setting for the things to come. Here it is!
___________________________________________________________
Entry 4: The Times are a Changing
Twenty years ago, the boats came once or twice a month.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrSWUo.jpg&hash=2b6ad7c049e0b809c4c7fdbe2208119f5f76ad75) (http://i.imgur.com/rSWUo.jpg)
at the time they were welcomed. there was much work to be done. industry needed hands, land needed to be cleared, houses needed to be built. there was a communal attitude to things. everyone was a refugee or an exile, it didn't matter where you came from you were here now.
the people set themselves to building up towns
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHguoch.jpg&hash=280910d15a4a81c25a508341b13570acf955ef3c) (http://i.imgur.com/Hguoch.jpg)
and villages,
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FjK0Mxh.jpg&hash=51bbcc997414ce399439fcad262d213fd2a9346c) (http://i.imgur.com/jK0Mxh.jpg)
farms
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrglpU.jpg&hash=a51cb598739fab601eb8decbe7feb851f2d21e5c) (http://i.imgur.com/rglpU.jpg)
and factories.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqycYvh.jpg&hash=0309f978e6a6e07e3ef8fe83242d7b38fe814e8d) (http://i.imgur.com/qycYvh.jpg)
they organised themselves into communities of elected elders who oversaw planning and settling disputes. life was hard, alot of people didn't make it through the dark winters. However over time a society was formed, two cities emerged as the population centers, simply because of the nature of the coast.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fm0t0Th.jpg&hash=d532dba211cec8cdaa6863b034433d566d4e5e87) (http://i.imgur.com/m0t0Th.jpg)
As the years march forward things are changing. The boats are coming from the old world at an increasingly frequent rate, sometimes two boats in one week. The neighborhood of Edges in Mandrake is teeming with "Cargo." as the exiles are often called.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9xCIMh.jpg&hash=abd8e50262d4a0031d4ea6018cc057676c6a6f74) (http://i.imgur.com/9xCIMh.jpg)
The Cities are in a construction boom trying to keep up with the rising population. Socially the cities of Mandrake and Elkisma are losing some of the communal underpinnings on which they evolved. Some of the first exiles have made quite a life for themselves and their children have grown up with no knowledge of what it is like to wake up in a completely new world and have to fight for every meal. Prejudices are being formed against new exiles and the "Native generation" as they are being called is making it harder for the exiles to make a living, seeing them as "cargo" to be used solely for their cheap labor. Yet there are many more exiles than there are "natives," and they are increasing in number each week. Those exiles who are suffering at the bottom in neighborhoods like Edges are starting to become restless and feel like they deserve better treatment than they do. The Vantas Coast is developing into a volatile part of the new world, whose name is simply . . . Regions.
Nice town. Maybe you can add some seawalls to your shorelines.
Very nice small town! :thumbsup:
Quote from: nbvc on December 03, 2012, 09:19:49 PM
Nice town. Maybe you can add some seawalls to your shorelines.
I don't think the city needs them right now, it still looks pretty small.
Keep up the good work! ;)
I like where this is going so far. Little towns, farms, dirt roads, all building up to giant cities.
The overview maps are so awesome :o So realistic. Great work :thumbsup:
Great work ！
Replies . . .
nbvc and sunv123: haha, it's funny you guys should bring that up, The wealthier neighborhoods of Mandrake have already started putting seawalls in. maybe i will showcase them, or . . . I will do an update on them . . . who knows. But thanks for the advice and thanks for reading.
Dantes: Region views are my favorite. Thanks!
kj3400, Mr.Lin : Thanks!
Hi Everyone. I've been trying to finish this thing up for the past several days. it was inevitable that i would start writing stories to go with my region . . . that's just how I play the game I guess. I hope you enjoy this thing as it develops!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fbaseballheader_zps2d2b34fe.jpg&hash=4aa4d7bad0638d98c6d5a8ed34a5f36efe7b4e0d) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/baseballheader_zps2d2b34fe.jpg)
Mark Daltev was both an exile and a child. His Father was Georgi Daltev, His Grandmother Rosette was the only other relative he knew of. He had never met his mother. They were recent exiles, he can still remember being boarded onto the ship that brought them here, and the rotten smell of the old ship as it rocked through the waves on it's 6 day journey. He remembers coming with his Father and Grandmother above deck when the mist departed and seeing the distant mountain.
Warrior mountain is often the first sight of Regions that the exiles see
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fwarriormountain_zps2205209b.jpg&hash=dc700c11e1072e303f2ee13a79adadf936b71f36) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/warriormountain_zps2205209b.jpg)
When they sailed to it their captain was given the choice to sail north or south of the island. Mandrake or Elkisma. They chose south, and the port of Mandrake seized their boat and shuffled them to the smoky neighborhood of Edges.
1: a picture of the neighborhood of edges
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fedges_zpsb7250580.jpg&hash=f7f8d31b1cd3ce3073262956114c336ca0c67f21) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/edges_zpsb7250580.jpg)
The huge smelly factories filled the sky before them and in the distance they could see the skyscrapers of downtown Mandrake. They entered the Edges Exile hall.
2: exile hall is the blue and white building in the center. all exiles are processed through this building.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fexilehall_zps35b88203.jpg&hash=c27976bba7f21ab34ebe4e39c51ab29910b6901c) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/exilehall_zps35b88203.jpg)
There they stood in a line and were processed and given papers that held their names date of arrival and exile number, they were told to remember that number because it would be the number by which they were paid and all of their official matters would be processed.
They were then given a room in one of the temporary residence halls. Then told to report to the work office the next morning. His father was given a job in a nearby steel mill
3: the Harvey steel mill
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fsteelmill_zpsf081530a.jpg&hash=e2353fa617605395e08c1fbab4c9e7f81d0906c1) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/steelmill_zpsf081530a.jpg)
and Mark was given a job in a textile mill.
4: Clara's Cloth textile mill
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Ftextilemill_zpsf4c3dbbd.jpg&hash=eb25d9a04a6fa8623f681b84eb75a1d53e84fb78) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/textilemill_zpsf4c3dbbd.jpg)
Rosa was too old to do any real work and decided not to look for it. Georgi was certain that the two of them could provide for her. They leased a one room apartment in an edges tenement from which they could both walk to work.
5: The large tenement in the center is where they first moved
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Ftenemant_zps0b30852d.jpg&hash=731b28f021b2dc12fc9abfe82699c90abd880f8c) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/tenemant_zps0b30852d.jpg)
Rosa found that she could make a little money knitting socks all day and the three of them slowly earned enough money to move to a nicer neighborhood.
The new apartment was in a small house in the neighborhood of West Kettle.
6:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fnewapartment_zps3c5ad424.jpg&hash=bde1f9fefe4cc2e1b38b513ec77bc4341dd4775f) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/newapartment_zps3c5ad424.jpg)
Mark was quite excited about this neighborhood mostly because of all the other children in it. They were often playing in the streets, and their house was only two blocks from something that amazed young Mark. It was a diamond shaped field. Half of it was dirt and half of it was grass. There were almost always kids on it playing a game he had never seen before. And on most weekend nights there would be adults playing the same game on it as well.
Mark was kind of a shy kid, but there was another little boy who lived next door named Yosef. Yosef was also an exile and invited mark to play with him in the street one day after they both got home from work.
"what is that game they always play in the park?" Mark asked Yosef.
"That's Baseball. You've never heard of baseball?"
"No, not until we moved here. How do you play?"
Yosef took mark to see the kids playing baseball at nearby Tennet's park. The only baseball field in mandrake proper. it was right next to the railroad tracks just south of Mandrake station.
7: Tennet's Park
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F5%2520baseball%25201%2Fbaseballfield_zpsbf68ce16.jpg&hash=bda45d1727e9d8a04ece025eb9991cf140f335b6) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/5%20baseball%201/baseballfield_zpsbf68ce16.jpg)
During the weeks it was almost always full of kids playing baseball from sunup to sundown. There would often be a few different games played at once since the field was too big for the younger kids. this often resulted in a chaotic sea of children. however on Wednesday nights and on weekends adults on club teams would come out and play each other. mark immediately fell in love with the game. he watched games for about a week before asking to join in on a game with some kids one Tuesday night after work. he was terrible and struck out each time he was at bat, and he couldn't throw worth a darn. the kids didn't let him play with them again.
For a few days he was depressed and discouraged, but he went back to watch one of the adult games on Sunday . . . his day off. these games often had many spectators. he found a spot in the outfield near the train tracks and watched. the team at bat was the Mandrake Kickers, they were from his neighborhood and they were winning against the South Mandrake Cod Shacks. Their greatest hitter Tolbe Gunrude actually used to work in the same textile mill that Mark works in until the club paid him the same salary to practice and teach the other members of the club how to play better. He was the Captain of the Kickers and one of the first Mandrake Baseball stars.
This Sunday game would later become part of Mark's legend. It was the bottom of the seventh inning and the game was tied. Tolbe Gunrude was up against the fearsome Cod Shacks Pitcher Kernel Mannerly. On the second pitch he hit a long fly ball out to the back of the field and the crowd reached up to catch it. As people toppled into each other Tolbe ran the bases and scored what would become the winning run as the Kickers kept the Cod Shacks scoreless for the remaining innings. Back in the outfield Mark picked himself up from the ground in possession of his very own baseball. It was just the beginning of his story.
here is an image that shows where each picture was within Mandrake.
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An interesting city. I like it a lot like the city center and connects to the suburban areas.
Very American city.
Great work! :thumbsup:
Replies:
Dantes: Thanks!
Chapter Six: Hargrove (and a story)
On a long island east of Mandrake is the city of Hargrove.
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One of the first towns to develop it has grown to become a part of metropolitan Mandrake. It can be reached only by ferry, which makes it quite separated from the dirty hustle and bustle of Mandrake and Waterford, but in a fast private steamer you can make the trip to downtown mandrake in a little over 30 minutes. With its proximity to Mandrake and relative quiet, Hargrove has become a place of respite for the wealthy of Mandrake. Here you can find many weekend cottages or summer mansions of the richest of the rich.
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While the majority of the population is still working class, and many of them work in the fishing industry, the growing wealth of the city is attracting fancy shops and services to the town. lawncare services, trouser pressing stores, feather quill calligraphy scribe shops, etc etc.
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Another interesting part of Hargrove is the fact that it has the lowest number of exiles per capita in the region. Even the working class are often at least second generation. This island is quickly becoming quite hostile to exiles, refusing to rent houses to exiles or refusing them jobs. Several city councilmen have been elected that are hostile to exiles and it seems like Hargrove may be the first city in the Vantas Coast that will pass laws against exiles. It is so interesting because everyone has exile ancestors, and often it is even difficult to tell a poor 2nd Gen from an exile. but wealth and isolation make people silly sometimes.
For example we will listen in on a conversation that Everly Upton is having right now with his neighbor Thurston Moor.
Everly: Beautiful day today right?
Thurston: Mmmm, yes, quite, hmmmm.
Everly: You smell that Thurston? That is the smell of fresh cut grass.
Thuston: Yes Yes, Heavenly, 'Tis Heavenly.
Everly: I pay good money for it too, almost 30 rocks a week.
Thurston: (spits out his peppermint tea) ppthbth hem hem . . . what? would you be using Cargo? Surely! I pay 50 a week for mine, nope, not a Gen around here that would do such work for anything less than 40.
Everly: Haremph . . . Haremph, I must have misspoke, Hasth I said 30? I meant 60. 60 rocks a week that I might come out here to smell my fresh cut grass on the morn.
Thurston: I see . . . I see, well I better get to the clothes room, bout time to change into my mid morning slacks . . . take care with your lawn, don't spend too much money on it!
Everly: hmm yes quite good day sir.
As you can see quite silly. Silly, yet powerful. It will be interesting to see how things progress on the island of Hargrove.
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This is the end of the Hargrove update, but in case anyone likes reading stories, let's check in and see how Mark Daltev has been up to.
For weeks Mark had been playing catch with his friend Josef after work, and was getting pretty good at throwing. he had also been cramming lunch down his throat at work so that he could spend the rest of his thirty minute lunch break throwing the ball of the outside wall of the mill. One day the girl who worked on the machine next to him, Mara Shank, asked him,
"what are you doing?"
"practicing." replied Mark.
"for what?"
Mark was kind of annoyed at this girl, she was a year younger than him and small, and always asking questions. besides at his age, mark wanted nothing to do with girls.
"I'm practicing throwing and catching, for baseball. You know, the game."
"oh . . . can i practice too?"
"no, it's not a game for girls."
"says who?"
"says me, now run off and ask questions to someone else"
"come on, just throw it to me, and I'll throw it back to you. I won't say nothin else after that."
so he threw the ball at her expecting her to cower away. but she caught it and threw it right back at him. Mark was impressed, and from then on the two of them played catch during every break they got.
After about a month, Mark had made a makeshift bat out of a bannister pole and he and Mara began a game where she would try to pitch the ball to him and he would hit it gently back to her so that she could catch it and throw it back. at first they were terrible at this and they almost broke a window of the Mill which would have meant serious trouble for the both of them. But they got better at it.
Winter had come and baseball stopped for most people, but still in the cold and occasional snow or ice Mark and Mara were out there each lunch playing their game with each other. Mark never got as good at throwing to Mara and Mara never got as good as mark at hitting the ball back. but they got to the point where from quite a distance Mara could throw the ball to mark and after releasing the ball run to the place where mark was going to hit it and catch it. they would occasionally draw a crowd of spectators during lunch because it was so impressive to see a 7 and an 8 year old achieve such a trick.
the next spring when baseball started up again, Mark, Mara, and Yosef tried again to play with the kids who would play pickup games on Tennet's field. Mark and Yosef were immediately allowed to play, but Mara was told that she couldn't play with the boys. At first, since he had never played a full game before, Mark was mediocre, but after a few games he had matched the skills he had practiced with Mara to the game and became one of the best hitters among the kids who played. he was now the first kid picked when the teams were chosen. against a bad or mediocre pitcher he could hit the ball to the exact place he wanted to hit it, and while he was still too small to hit home runs, he almost always got on base or batted runners in.
As the weeks wore on he grew tired of the kids not allowing Mara to play and one day refused to play unless Mara could as well. Finally the Captain agreed to choose both of them, but refused to let Mara pitch. She played outfield and caught three fly balls, but did not hit at all. Still, she had proven herself decent enough to play.
Later that year
"Way to Hit Mara!" yelled mark. Mara had just gotten a grounder single between the second base and shortstop. they were kicking butt today. 9 runs and a 6 point lead. Yosef was on the other team and couldn't help but smile when Mara got her single. The kids had grown to like the inquisitive little girl. They had probably twenty minutes before the older kids got to play and it was clear that Mark and Mara's team had won. Mark came out and batted Mara in only to score himself by the time the inning ended. it was probably the last inning and Mara asked as she always had if she could pitch. Julio, the captain that day, felt like they had clearly won and decided it couldn't hurt to let the girl try.
She walked up to the mound looking tiny and out of place. the kids on the other team were smiling. Yosef was up to bat.
"cross the tracks Yosef!" yelled his teammate Francis.
Yosef went through his routine. two half swings and a little twitch as he set the bat in it's ready position. Mara wound up with her long but skinny little arm and let fly. Yosef swung but missed as the ball raced past near the bottom of the strike zone.
"Woah! Nice throw!" said Yosef.
a smile crossed Mark's face as he watched. Mara was stonefaced as she wound up for her next throw. Another blazing fast strike this time near the top of the strike zone. Now everyone felt the tension. they assumed that this little girl would be terrible and all the sudden they were finding their assumptions to be wrong. Yosef being a good natured kid was smiling out at Mara for the last pitch. he knew that she was too good for him after the first pitch. none of the other kids threw that fast and accurately. neither pitch was in a place he was used to hitting the ball. "I wonder who is going to get picked first tomorrow, Mara?" he spoke to her before she wound up and struck him out. she struck out the next two batters as well. and all the boys were cheering her on. the rest of the game she stayed on the mound as the boys lined up to try and hit off her. all they got were occasional foul balls.
From then on, it was no longer fair to have Mara and Mark on the same team. As it turned out Mark was one of the only boys who could consistently hit off of her. and word started to spread through the neighborhood about the little girl who could throw a fastball.
That's it today, Hope you enjoyed the update!
I like your map and your town. A very interesting place. :)
Replies:
Shulmanator: Thanks so much! I also love your cities. They are beautiful and inspirational to me.
Chapter 7: Drake Digby
This Entry is a journey through my region. I always love seeing these types of entries in other people's journals, this will probably not be the last one in mine. I hope you enjoy it. Here is a labeled Map for reference . . . .
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It was the end of august in the 207th year since the founding of Mandrake. Drake Digby was packing up for his first semester of University. He lives with his parents in South South Mandrake. They are 3rd gen cabinet makers and have a workshop of their own in a warehouse near Waterford. Drake is enrolled in the University of Elkisma.
He wanted to go to Jarring University which is in a suburb between Mandrake and Waterford that is called Jarring, named after the University which was there first. Jarring was the first university in The Vantas Coast and also was the first university in Regions. But Drake applied as a humanities major and had neither the money or the grades to make the cut. University of Elkisma is quite a good school too, and it is the only other university in Regions, but it suffers in reputation for being second in most things to Jarring.
He has packed his trunk and is getting ready to leave for school. It is a long journey and his parents are using the cabinet wagon they use to move and sell their wares to take drake to the ferry terminal in Mandrake where he will begin his journey.
They pull away from the Digby residence in South South Mandrake and head north.
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In Downtown South Mandrake they had to watch out for the street trolleys, luckily they didn't see any.
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They then headed west to South Main St. in the Uptown neighborhood of Mandrake. they turned right/north on Main which would take them all the way to the Ferry.
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When they reached downtown Mandrake they passed Main and Center, one of the busiest intersections of the city during the weekdays, thousands of workers cross this intersection on their way to the factories in Harbor Yard and Edges.
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Finally they arrived at the Ferry Terminal and Drake's parents said their teary goodbyes. Drake hauled his trunk to the ticket window and bought a ticket for the next ferry to Cold Point across Egrand bay. He had to wait almost an hour before the Ferry pulled into the terminal and unloaded all its passengers.
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Before long he found himself in Egrand bay.
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This was only the second time he had seen the open bay like this. Mercer inlet which South Mandrake is built on is much smaller and you can easily see Manchester point on the other side. In Egrand bay he could see the distant green mountains in the north, Warrior Mountain like an anthill in the east, and the towers of Mandrake in the south. but in the west the water stretched on until the horizon, and the waves were large and dark and caused the ship to sway from side to side. it was actually kind of disorienting and before too long Drake began to feel ill.
Luckily they arrived at the Cold Point Rail Dock before he had time to add his breakfast to the bay.
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The Rail Dock, while it has train access is mostly for freight and the factories that surround it. the passenger platforms are actually two blocks away and Drake is forced to lug his trunk the whole way. it is at this point he wishes his trunk had either shoulder straps or wheels. but it does give his stomach some time to settle. When he arrives at the train Platform he buys a ticket to the Elkisma Central Station. Then he sits and waits for the train.
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Once it comes and he has boarded, the train leaves the platform and skirts the outer edges of the town of Cold Point.
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Cold point is important as the town that connects Mandrake to Elkisma. Before the train was built it could have taken the whole day to reach Elkisma from Mandrake on a slow boat, or if the waves were high. While it is still a tedious process, it takes much less time. Now Cold Point is a welcome halfway stop for those on their way between the cities. While Drake landed at the freight terminal, there are many who land at the central terminal and stop for lunch or tea in one of the many shops in downtown, before resuming the rest of their journey.
Shortly after leaving Cold Point the train entered into the wilderness that separates Cold Point from Elkisma. This wilderness is full of trees and various wild animals. it is certainly a wondrous and beautiful sight for Drake, who has spent most of his life in the city. except for a few excursions to Alden forest on class trips to see "nature." This wilderness is much more wild than the forest he is used to where you are always able to hear some human civilization noise, or see some pollution cloud rolling overhead.
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Finally the train started to return to civilization. Though Drake had no idea at the time, this small town is called Verna and is located at the bottom of Sterling Bay; the bay that separates Aliston and Elkisma. The town is built at the intersection of the roads that connect Aliston, Elkisma, and Cold Point. It is a quiet and small town and mostly receives agricultural traffic.
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Lastly, after pulling through some farmland and another forest, the train at last pulls into Elkisma Central Station. Which is kind of a laughable name to the residents of Elkisma, since the station is actually built on the outskirts of town. But, it is a recently built station and the Elkisma Rail Company built it as the future hub for rail operations in the surrounding region. It features a large main hall and two platforms. It is currently the largest rail station in the region.
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At the station he ended up spending another chunk of money on a coach to take him the rest of the way to the university.
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Elkisma has grown explosively in the past few years due to the desire of its leaders to surpass Mandrake in population and in productivity. Elkisma also has fewer rules and laws about exiles and has a better reputation for people who are trying to get out of the slums of Mandrake. However, the city has struggled to keep up with improving its infrastructure and having adequate transportation to various parts of the sprawling city. Thus a bottom-up system of coaches has arisen of independent drivers who use their vehicles to transport people from one place to another, for a small fee. Or for people like Drake who are clearly new to the city, as much as they can take him for.
when Drake finally arrives at the University there are upperclassmen who are directing new students to the dorms. At the check-in table he is given a map of the campus and a key with a dorm name and room number on a card attached to it. "Stye Dorm, Room 218." He makes his way through the campus amazed at how many new and different people are surrounding him. He finds his dorm and room and finds the door open. There is a tall kid with dark skin and a large, round face unpacking a suitcase into the dresser on the left side of the room. He looks up at Drake as Drake pulls his trunk into the room.
"Hello, you in room 218?"
Drake holds up the card with 218 on it.
"Well, this is it. I guess I'm your roomate. My name is James, James Morganfield." He extended his hand offering to shake Drake's hand.
"I'm Drake, Drake Digby. It is nice to meet you." And he noticed a slight frown pass over James' face.
"Drake eh? Well, I guess there's no question where you're from is there?"
"Drake chuckled, heh, yeah. South South Mandrake actually, Near the border with Waterford. Where are you from."
"Me, I was born in Lake Maureen." Replied James.
"Hmm, I don't know that I've heard of that town, where is it? Is it south? Near Avalon?"
"It's in Inakaye, you haven't heard of it because I am an exile. I've only been here for about five years. My father and I have been living in the neighborhood of Westham here in Elkisma since we were exiled."
Drake wasn't sure what to say. He had never really spent much time talking to an exile. His Neighborhood was almost entirely of Gens, and in Mandrake exiles rarely ever went to school. Yet, here was an exile standing before him. An exile who apparently had enough money and intelligence to go to University. His assumption was that most exiles weren't educated enough to go to college. There was a part of him that wondered if this kid and his father were criminals. I mean, how else would they pay for school? His silence and inability to respond was noticed by James.
"Heh, yeah, I don't mean to be confrontational. You're probably not used to talking to exiles are you? My dad and I had a bad experience in Mandrake. That's why we are here in Elkisma. It's not great . . . but it's better than where you come from. Look, I got nothing personal against you, so let's just try to be friendly with each other. Ok?"
Drake looked at James who once again had offered his hand. He took it and they shook. "Yes. That sounds good. Forgive my rudeness . . . . So . . . What is your focus here?"
"Medicine. and yours?" Said James.
"Humantities, but . . . for the past few years I've been interested in journalism . . . "
Their conversation continued onwards. They discussed small things and tried to avoid repeating their earlier awkwardness. Drake decided that he would give James a chance. after all, he had nothing against exiles, he was just sheltered and had some preconceived notions about the world around him. Coming to Elkisma was his first step into the reality of the world around him. He was unsure of where it would take him, but he was excited by the possibilities.
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Whoa, I haven't commented here? I like it. The region views are very good, and your layout is nicely anti-grid. I think you could do with some more attention to flora, though. There are better options these days than CP's conifers.
Cheers
Willy
Replies:
Swordmaster: Thanks so much for commenting. I agree with you that my flora is outdated. There is a reason for this. My region is outdated. I tend to play a sort of natural growth style, where the first thing I do is terraform and plant trees across my whole region, then I slowly build and upgrade my region in as natural a way as possible, and for me the joy in the game comes from the stories and the ability to look back over your region and see how it has grown. I started this region in 2011, and at the time, the best tree controller (in my opinion) was cycledogg's which I am using. Now I see the more recent controllers that are being made and almost want to start over. but after almost two years working on a region . . . I will probably just move forward with my trees as they are and work on making as nice looking updates as I can. I am trying to do things on a regional scale rather than a close up scale, and therefore I find it time prohibitive to put alot of detail into my cities (since in a few updates I am just going to come back and rebuild stuff anyway). Port st. Claire develops slowly and has tons of detail, but that's why your journal is one of the best there is. I hope you continue to follow my diary in spite of my ugly trees! :)
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Alden Forest is the name for two large forests in the middle of the Mandrake Metropolitan area.
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They are separated by South Main St. which is the avenue that connects Waterford and Mandrake. The forests are named West Alden Forest, and East Alden forest, due to which side of South Main they fall on. Sometimes they are referred to as either Big Alden or Little Alden, because West Alden Forest is much larger than East Alden forest.
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The History behind Alden Forest is interesting. It started in the early years of Waterford. When private property started to appear and land started being bought and sold in the young seasons of the Vantas Coast.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fa2yJEpah.jpg&hash=577f0fde7f486a0d335b528d26011bf8ee286a32) (http://i.imgur.com/a2yJEpah.jpg)
Mandrake was just beginning to emerge with industry. Waterford was a distant little town with an Elder who owned a fishing fleet that supplied most of the coast's fish to the markets. His name was Benjamin Stein. His family had been very early exiles and had become quite the survivalists and woodspeople. Fishing was actually his second love next to hunting. Legend has it he once killed a King Wolf with only a bow and arrow, but this is probably not true. He built his business by training new exiles how to fish and then paying them for part of their catch.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F5zuUkni.jpg&hash=b969175a7b8474a79f06473e876f6e0b86b9bc29) (http://i.imgur.com/5zuUkni.jpg)
before long it had become a full time business, and since fishing was the earliest super productive food industry he became one of the richest people in the coast. He became an elder in Waterford's council, and began to buy land with all of his money deeming this to be a wise investment. it turned out he was right and his family continues to be extremely wealthy and influential to this day.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FeHleihDh.jpg&hash=30da2b022f49f55c438705412381888b7a2a171d) (http://i.imgur.com/eHleihDh.jpg)
At that Time farms were being cleared all along the Mandrake Peninsula and the precious hunting woods that Benjamin loved were being cut down for lumber. He set aside Alden forest as his own personal woods to hunt in and refused to sell any of the land to anyone. He also allowed the farmers and families on the outskirts of the wood use it so long as they didn't take more animals than they needed. It became known as Alden forest because of the little farming community located near the center of it which was called Alden.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FL6UCl8uh.jpg&hash=cbdd22ebc668726ff507ca273ed65b09248bcc82) (http://i.imgur.com/L6UCl8uh.jpg)
When Benjamin died, His daughter Esther Inherited his fortune and kept the wood intact. She did allow development of the land that fell directly on either side of Main St. (then Waterford Road).
Each Stein that then inherited the land sold off a little more of the edges of the forest as the towns grew into a city. Yet, the majority of the forest had been designated as "Park Land" and therefore closed to development.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FpuxzXFo.gif&hash=73f88845ff763572cf7a2365df4b02f361902e8d) (http://i.imgur.com/puxzXFo.gif)
Eventually Little Alden was quite separated from Big Alden, and the forests were almost completely surrounded by city. At this time it became too dangerous to allow hunting in the woods and they transitioned into a sort of nature preserve, where citizens could go on weekends for respite and "fresh air" which had been deemed good for one's constitution.
Now, years later, Esther's great great grandson Caleb is in charge of the park division of the Stein fortune, and is faced with big decisions. While Big Alden is still flourishing, little alden is pretty much useless. It is too small to maintain a thriving fauna population, and is constantly being illegally used for firewood and trapping. furthermore, it is becoming a meeting place for criminals. Something needs to be done with it. and with land value on Mandrake Peninsula skyrocketing, there is alot of pressure to develop it.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FtxLyc1S.jpg&hash=33bb9a8887ca940387d444fae36ec475810bf759) (http://i.imgur.com/txLyc1S.jpg)
These days many things are being called parks. there are now "industrial parks" and "residential parks." These definitions technically allow for the land to be developed as "park land." But Caleb doesn't want to completely let his family tradition down. he has been considering developing the land into more useable park space, with trails and beautiful public gardens for people to walk through. In addition there are business interests who have desire to build a large baseball field that would have grandstands so that many people could come watch baseball games be played between regional teams, the men are calling it a "baseball park."
Yes, there are many options open for caleb to pursue. One thing is clear, the forest is currently unusable and needs to be developed into something. the question is . . . What? Caleb, being of generally good will, has decided to hold a vote in the general city assembly as to what the city would prefer done with the forest. so what will it be? what should be done with Little Alden?
Nice work. Your region overviews look very realistic. :thumbsup:
In the forest you can plant some new trees between the existing, there is some free room at some places.
Nice update. That development gif is pretty neat. I should do something like that as well someday.
Thanks for that thorough reply. Long-term development is a good excuse. And don't worry, the trees are not ugly at all, if maybe a bit monotonous. Like nbvc said, you could introduce some variety with a couple MMPs. This isn't as time-consuming as you may think; after a while you'll get the hang of it.
Cheers
Willy
very nice update ！
Very nice work &apls I've really liked the zoomed out views and your networks and planning. Keep it up :thumbsup:
Looks great, keep it up!! :D
Nice! Well laid out with plenty of good stuff. &apls
That region view looks stunning! Well done &apls
I agree, a beautiful region view.
And your MD is number one on Ben's Top Ten this week - well done!
The overview is awsome again :thumbsup:
It's a very big region, I like it very much
It also look very realistic from above.
You're better with the country side and suburbs than with the urban side
Great work.
Nice region overviews! Keep it up :)
Here is an up and coming star. Help me encourage him and congratulate him on his first appearance in OSITM! I'm sure we are in for a great month.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi901.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac213%2FBSCLEX%2Feldaldo3-13_zps3dd01bbe.jpg&hash=63f3a6dc4a037a44f573746e94f56f267bece97c)
Congrats
The SC4D Staff! &apls
Congrats on being OSITM! &apls
Quite an impressive region you have, though I'd love to see a little more custom content in the cities. ;)
Anyhow, I'm curious what you have in store for us! :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Cheers
Willy
Congrats on being OSITM!
Congrats! :)
Congrats on the OSITM! &apls
Nice development and region pictures.
Replies:
I got so many replies from the last entry and OSITM notice that a part of me wants to have a separate entry for them, but I won't. Just scroll down for Today's entry.
nbvc: thanks, eventually I will do another update to see what happens with Alden forest.
swordmaster: Thanks! I am starting to think that perhaps I don't have to have high detail in every city of my region, just the areas where I take pictures. I will work on making things look nicer because everyone is suggesting it. However, I will still lag behind you and the rest of the folks here though because i am quite the beginner/amateur, and I just don't have a ton of time to play. Large scale regional development is my favorite aspect of the game anyway.
Aaron Graham: Thanks! I am a huge fan of your BATs, You will probably see many of them as you look through these entries.
benedict: Thanks! I am honored.
rooker1: Thanks so much. I feel like it is undeserved when I compare my diary with the others around here. I will have to try my best to put forth a good show.
vortext: Thanks, as far as custom content, I am continually expanding my plugins folder, hopefully I will get better at using it.
Mr.Lin, noahclem, Schulmanator, Republic, IL..., MTT9, Kergelen: Thanks so much for your encouraging responses!
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F4n8Djtp.jpg&hash=48f2e3cb99d9d9b98a72e95218f957e7ce83fd12) (http://i.imgur.com/4n8Djtp.jpg)
Thanks everyone for supporting this Diary into my first OSITM. I had an update that followed the story I've been loosely weaving through this diary, but I decided to hold off on that for now and do a couple exposition entries on my region (which I probably should have started out with anyway).
First off, I would like to just talk about the game a little. SC4 is my favorite game, as it is with most of you here. I think that what makes the game so great is that it appeals to many different interests. It attracts transit enthusiasts like halijackey, architechture enthusiasts like aaron graham, geography and map enthusiasts like dobdriver, the list goes on and on. some people are artists like battlecat and swordmaster, in fact most of you who post in the diaries section are artists at city building and scene design. Some people are story tellers like mrbisonm. The ability of SC4 to fulfill so many disparate interests in one game is the reason that the game has such a huge following and continues to be relevant and active today.
For me, SC4 is mostly about two things. World Building, and Natural Growth.
Ever since I read tolkein at the age of 12 I have been creating worlds in my head. future worlds, medieval worlds, steampunk worlds, or just alternate realities. Once I started playing sim city, it has been all about creating my own worlds, filled with people and governments and history.
However, a couple years ago I came across CSG's Natural Growth Diary and my gameplay was forever changed. I have always liked growing things. Gardening and Bonsai are two big hobbies of mine aside from SC4. I have always loved taking pictures of my plants each year and seeing how much they have grown. Natural Growth playing style allows me to do that in Sim City.
Thus, keep in mind when reading my Diary that my focus when playing is the small scale development of each city and how that contributes to the larger regional development. Also, I will probably be telling alot of stories about various towns cities or people in the region. Hopefully those will be entertaining enough to make up for the lack of breathtaking scenery and realism that alot of other diaries have. I honestly kind of like growing cities with non-linear chaotic streets. And with Natural growth I prefer to use the simulator rather than plopping and custom lotting. It makes each new building kind of a surprise (except when 5 of the same building grow at one time . . . sigh) Still, I will occasionally try to take some nice eye candy pictures for you all, and to develop my custom content skills. Ok, Enough about my playing style. Lets get onto the update . . .
Since everyone likes my region views the most I decided to show more of the region than I ever have before.
My region began as paranagua bay which I found on the stex (http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/26797-mf-paranagua-bay-brazil/). I have added to it so that it is 18X20 large tiles now. Alot of the tiles are still being terraformed. It is so large that it crashes region viewer on my somewhat slower single core computer. Therefore it is actually pain in the butt to get really large region views because I have to mosaic them. anyway, I hope you enjoy the views!
The Vantas Coast:
The Vantas Coast is a rugged and cold slice of the world "Regions." It is located on the northeast tip of the continent of Verdant. It is very close to and directly west of the Mist. Thus, it was the first area to be settled by people.
Below is an aerial image of a large portion of the Vantas Coast. (clicking on it will get you an 11mb full size image)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FZVNAw10.png&hash=fb4d38a48e6be13e03dd058ab04c326cb55ef562) (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/eldaldo/sc4screens/mosaicsmallerjpg.jpg)
There are over half a million people living in the Vantas Coast. It is dominated by the two metropolitan cities of Mandrake and Elkisma. Below is a labeled map of the various settlements and cities of the Vantas Coast (once again you will need to click on it to get the full res image and be able to read the labels. warning it may take a while to load!).
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJFo10J6.png&hash=1520b031e12e7d70b57e482cc9c2cd4e0937a0f5) (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/eldaldo/sc4screens/mosaiclabeledjpg.jpg)
Thanks for reading this short update. The next update will be discussing the natural and geographic aspects of the region.
Great looking map! I really like it.
Congratulations on being selected for OSITM.
I like the fact that you started with an overview - and with that stunning map of the whole region, wow. Looking forward to the rest of the month, and beyond.
A top-notch region view!
As for getting images, use SC4StartupManager (http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=311). It can easily parse large regions.
Cheers
Willy
That is a stunning region map. &apls
Congratulations Eldaldo for being selected for OSITM, You've made a lovely region here with all sorts of nooks and crannys to hide in.
Cheers
dobs
I love to see region views and your is really amazing &apls
Wow!!! I have to say that region is about the size of a small country or can be a state. :O
Replies:
Quote from: Schulmanator on March 06, 2013, 04:55:22 AM
Great looking map! I really like it.
Thanks!
Quote from: benedict on March 06, 2013, 08:56:49 AM
Congratulations on being selected for OSITM.
I like the fact that you started with an overview - and with that stunning map of the whole region, wow. Looking forward to the rest of the month, and beyond.
Thanks so much. Sorry I crapped out on the OSITM.
Quote from: Swordmaster on March 07, 2013, 04:08:31 AM
A top-notch region view!
As for getting images, use SC4StartupManager (http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=311). It can easily parse large regions.
Cheers
Willy
Thanks. I'll have to try that in the future.
Quote from: Shroud on March 07, 2013, 04:56:48 AM
That is a stunning region map. &apls
Thanks!
Quote from: dobdriver on March 07, 2013, 05:41:54 AM
Congratulations Eldaldo for being selected for OSITM, You've made a lovely region here with all sorts of nooks and crannys to hide in.
Cheers
dobs
Thanks so Much Dobdriver. I Love your maps! One of them is featured in the world I've built. Hopefully someday I'll get around to showing it!
Quote from: Kergelen on March 07, 2013, 01:38:39 PM
I love to see region views and your is really amazing &apls
Thanks. Region Views are my favorite as well.
Quote from: Aaron Graham on March 10, 2013, 09:11:09 AM
Wow!!! I have to say that region is about the size of a small country or can be a state. :O
Haha. yeah, It probably will be declared a state in a future entry. Thanks for making so many buildings that I love and use in my cities.
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Hello. Before I get to the entry I want to apologise for falling short of my OSITM goals. I spent some time working on the next entry but basically was attempting something that was too big of a scope for what I could accomplish. Then near the end of the month my desktop's graphics card bit the dust. Leaving me with a sorry little laptop that struggles to run SC4. It forced me to take a break from computer games with was pretty enjoyable and healthy. But I can't stay away from SC4 for long and I was able to switch out my graphics card with another and start back at my region. I will continue now with the story that I have been telling. Once again, I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth there for a while. Onward to the update.
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fbrewer-01_zps856239f8.jpg&hash=deb3282209d4b148d3f3c7ab74c8fb269d76b71f) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/brewer-01_zps856239f8.jpg)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fmosaic_zpsffeec102.jpg&hash=d7a45846d66ce28d21e5a2144f9db2e6ee569124) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/mosaic_zpsffeec102.jpg)
While discussion continues about how to manage East Alden Forest, in Waterford. A wealthy businessman in Elkisma is making a first for Elkisma, but also for Regions. Baseball has grown in popularity greatly over the past few years to the point where on weekends, the local fields in every town have many spectators watching exhibition games between various teams from around the area.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fbaseballgame1900_zpsebf47ce7.jpg&hash=93bb894a174fc15f1894e5e414ab38d3015bc03f) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/baseballgame1900_zpsebf47ce7.jpg)
Tennet's park in Mandrake often has so many spectators that they have had to have policemen keep people off the train tracks that run behind the field. Often small vendors will walk through the crowds selling peanuts and empanadas to the spectators. It has become so popular that Mahesh Aravind,
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2FPortrait-of-an-Indian-Man-in-Suit-and-Tie---1930s-Glass-Plate-Negative_zps0722a632.jpg&hash=2aa7347752bec81d7e62ec62bbf82a0e862777d8) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/Portrait-of-an-Indian-Man-in-Suit-and-Tie---1930s-Glass-Plate-Negative_zps0722a632.jpg)
a wealthy Elkisma businessman decided to build a large park with thousands of seats and charge a small admission fee to games where the best teams in the region would be paid part of the profits to play each other, the winner receiving twice the amount as the loser. He would then try to make money by selling food and drinks to the spectators.
The biggest problem is finding a place to build the park. Elkisma has been nearly overrun with exiles for the past decade and this rapid growth has led to drastic and sprawling expansion of the city. meaning that it is hard to find a central location that has enough space to build such a large park.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Felkmosaicwaterblend_zpseafb4ea3.jpg&hash=6f0ef54b8d8025296692b49d07b5229b7e9154c5) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/elkmosaicwaterblend_zpseafb4ea3.jpg)
His two best options were Redbury, near the university; and Espen, the town that lies east of Downtown, across the Inlet, on Baser Point.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fredbury_zps6f81a864.jpg&hash=c1e094cdc1dda732fe16fedb50702aa9e544e6ea) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/redbury_zps6f81a864.jpg)
Redbury has the advantage of being very cheap, and having several farms that could be bought for development. However, Redbury is hard to get to. There are no mass transit routes to the area, and you either end up walking many blocks or hiring a coach.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fespen_zpsc030695b.jpg&hash=6ad14c602d723485c2c9520cd2d4b10a1ba6295f) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/espen_zpsc030695b.jpg)
Espen on the other hand is the up and coming part of the city. A bridge connecting it with downtown has been in place for many years, and just this month construction was completed on a new branch of the underground train connecting Espen with Downtown via a tunnel underneath Goddard Inlet. This expensive tunnel was mostly paid for by the wealthy commuters of Espen who desire easier transit to their daily jobs, and the wealthy landowners of Espen who hope that this will increase land value in Espen.
Land value has increased enough that the farms near central Espen are no longer profitable running the farmers into debt forcing them to sell their property. In addition, the pollution from the nearby Jinning Industrial Park is affecting the harvests.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fcernafarm_zpsb5b5ab64.jpg&hash=3687734af94317faa9b5824c377a2f1308c89a2d) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/cernafarm_zpsb5b5ab64.jpg)
Mahesh ended up paying out a decent amount to Jose Cerna, whose family farm had been amassing a debt for the past four years. Mahesh, had found the perfect location. Only three blocks from the Underground Train Station, and also quite close to the Mour Street Bridge.
As construction started the local papers were full of editors calling him a fool. Saying that no one would pay to see men play a children's game. Also some fans of the game speculating as to whether this would negatively affect the playing of what they thought should be a game played entirely for fun, that playing for profit would take away the character of the game. Most people wondered whether anyone would show up to see the game on the opening day of the park.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fcompletedpark_zpse88a779b.jpg&hash=44b373d1ac8b42c70be36b15624d366113fbd758) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/completedpark_zpse88a779b.jpg)
After almost five months of work on the park, it was completed in the early summer of 208 (from the founding of Mandrake). It can be seen in the image above. It was built so that the stands would get look out over the ocean, and the building of the park has already attracted several commercial businesses to the area. Mahesh had spent the months of building the park amassing a team of all the star players on the various Elkisma teams. Then challenging the Mandrake Kickers, the most famous and allegedly best team in regions, to a game. He bet that regional rivalry and challenges would sell tickets. He was right.
On the opening game day of Aravind Field there was a line outside the field that almost wrapped around it. The game sold out an hour before it started. The spectators were treated to a thrilling game between the newly formed Elkisma Electrics and the Mandrake Kickers.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F9%2520new%2520field%2Fdick-bartell-gabby-hartnett-9-17-1932_zps8ea30c52.jpg&hash=513bbe4e18c2de5c334f7c3aef6f3ebac48c8f80) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/9%20new%20field/dick-bartell-gabby-hartnett-9-17-1932_zps8ea30c52.jpg)
The Kickers took an early lead and kept a few runs ahead of the Electrics for most of the game until the eighth inning when a homerun by the Electrics' outfielder "Fox" Martin brought in three runs putting the electrics up by one. a lead which they kept for the rest of the game. The cheers of the crowds were supposedly heard across the inlet in downtown Elkisma. Mahesh knew he had made a good investment.
Looks awesome and I love the gif with the expanding city in the earlier update.
Its nice to see another natural growth active again and I continue to lok forward to seeing Elkisma continue to grow.
Cheers
James
Nicely done... good stuff and looks great. Keep it up :D
Replies:Quote from: Schulmanator on May 30, 2013, 04:02:50 PM
Nicely done... good stuff and looks great. Keep it up :D
Thanks!
Quote from: 89James89 on May 30, 2013, 03:54:17 AM
Looks awesome and I love the gif with the expanding city in the earlier update.
Its nice to see another natural growth active again and I continue to lok forward to seeing Elkisma continue to grow.
Cheers
James
Thanks! We natural growth journals have to stick together!
Hello everyone, Time for another update. This time It is very story oriented. I have added some images that will hopefully keep you reading. Also, for the first time I have included some drawings. Not because I am good at drawing but because I enjoy doing it and I thought it would add something. Hope you enjoy!
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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboardft_zps834027e5.jpg&hash=d5bc66bab9cce28226776e2ea4de4950cd3f0814) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboardft_zps834027e5.jpg)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboard2_zps5d812b80.jpg&hash=7fd5ddf0f0483ad68f207fab235c51354a74d2be) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboard2_zps5d812b80.jpg)
The Daltev apartment is in the brick rowhouse in center of imageMark Daltev opened the door to his family's apartment after spending his time after work with his friends. Colt Braun, a kid on their team who sold newspapers had brought one that told the story of Aravind field and how the Kickers were beaten by the Electrics. All the kids were so full of indignation that their favorite team could be beaten by some blokes from across the bay. They were also filled with a sort of jealousy for all the people who got to witness the game.
The Mandrake Killers(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FIMG_0834_zps10aa11b2.jpg&hash=452de9ab38abcc23912770463e275b979ccd5852) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/IMG_0834_zps10aa11b2.jpg)
Back Row Left to right: Yosef Bronchowski, Timmons "the slugger" Raru, Colt Braun, Diggun, Gabe "Little Dog" Tanner.
Front Row Left to right: Mara Shank, Shalv "Strong Arm" Rai, Mark Daltev, Eric Zhang.
This image was taken by a Manchester Point Photographer after the team devastated the Manchester Point Boy's Team in a challenge match. The Killers won 18-3.Over the past season the kids had settled into a regular team. Other kids their age were usually too afraid to ask to play with them and they had developed a reputation for being a bunch of jerks and also the best team of kids their age to play on tennets field (the most famous field in the city). This reputation had begun to attract challenges from kids of other areas in the city.
they had gone to play in Edges, South Mandrake, and even once against a bunch of rich kids in Rosalyn.
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Tennet's field. The home field of the Mandrake Kickers. Located in Downtown Mandrake, game days will find crowds of people surrounding the field and policemen patrolling the tracks to keep people off of them so that trains can pass. When the Kickers or other adult teams are not using the field, there are always kids playing on it. usually several games occur at once in different parts of the field since the kids aren't big enough to play on a full size field yet.(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboard-1ed_zps8ff0ef69.jpg&hash=24e5de80a5f3380ee2a1d31e9d40252b75f7e811) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboard-1ed_zps8ff0ef69.jpg)
Home of the "Southern Stags." The Killers will often play here when Tennet's field is occupied because it is within walking distance of West Kettle.(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboard-2ed_zpsd39f59ef.jpg&hash=037b2e5cf696d29c014559201688613cdbd6d219) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboard-2ed_zpsd39f59ef.jpg)
Waterford's only field is where all the various school teams of Waterford and South Mandrake play. The Killer's have a bad reputation here because after beating a local team 9-0, Colt Braun Broke a kid's nose in the fight that ensued.(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboarded_zps55efdbef.jpg&hash=6781ee691ae10ed2f8815c5848a64158e2eaae86) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboarded_zps55efdbef.jpg)
This is the farthest the Killers have traveled to play a challenge. Located pretty far down on Manchester point, The killers Absolutely destroyed The Manchester Point Boy's Team. The spectators really could not believe that a team full of exiles could play better ball than the native Manchester Point Boys. Some spectators were outraged, others were simply amazed.(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi908.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac284%2Feldaldo%2F95daltev%2FClipboardedd_zps120de99d.jpg&hash=d1907abd591577ed546c3f0f5a4f0f6cc643134a) (http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/eldaldo/95daltev/Clipboardedd_zps120de99d.jpg)
Old Man Lenvik's family owned a farm on this location long before Mandrake became what it is today. When development spread this way he made a fortune selling his land, but he has refused to sell his yard even though the skyscrapers creep closer each year. He is a huge fan of baseball though and has allowed his grandchildren and their friends to play ball here no matter how many windows they break. It is another field within walking distance of West Kettle and is the location of the Killer's victory against the rich boys of Rosalyn.They won every time, even against teams with kids who were older than them. No one could beat Mara's pitching, and Mark had finally become strong enough to hit homeruns. Even Yosef had become something of a star second baseman. This invincibility led to alot of fights with the other teams, and they rarely walked away from a game without a few bruises. Still, they left plenty of bruises on the opposing team as well. They called themselves the West Kettle Killers partly because it was close to the name of their idols the Mandrake Kickers.
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As Mark walked in the door his Grandmother greeted him.
"Markie? is that you?"
"Hi Nan." He replied
"Is your little girlfriend with you?"
"She's Not my girlfriend, she's just my friend, and No, I'm by myself" He said indignantly.
"Oh, I do like that girl, I wish you'd bring her around more . . . . Though I don't know why she doesn't knit socks . . . where we come from every kid knitted socks, boy or girl. remember when you used to knit socks with me?" she said moving her hands as if she were knitting a sock, which . . . she was.
"Yes Nan. I still knit with you sometimes"
"Not as much as you used to, you're always out playing that boot ball or . . ."
"Baseball . . ."
"Yes, that's the one. You do like that game don't you."
"ye- . . ." he started to reply but he her, but he heard someone walking up the stoop of their apartment. There was a knock.
Mark opened the door to see a tall man in a hat. A shorter man with a round face and a beard stood behind him.
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"Mark Daltev?" Said the tall man.
"Yes? You want my father Georgi?"
"No, I'd like to speak to you. I am Ferdinand Traore from Waterford Deluxe School. May we come in?"
"Who Is at the door Markie?" Called his grandmother from inside.
Mark led the men into the small living room of the apartment.
"Good evening Ma'am. I am Ferdinand Traore from The Waterford Deluxe Boy's School. I have come to talk to your . . . son-"
"He is my Grandson."
"I apologize, I am here to talk to your grandson about an opportunity that may be of interest for him. . . ." Ferdinand looked at Mark and waited for a response.
"Ok, what?" Mark replied flatly.
"My colleague here," he nodded to the short man, "has been watching you play baseball for the past couple weeks and has told me that you are the best player he has seen. You see, our school has a baseball team, in fact, all schools now have a baseball team, and the schools all play each other."
"I know, we played Rosalyn three weeks ago." Mark Smiled.
"Yes, you see . . . My colleague was at that game. You hit five home runs. Our school is one of the finest Deluxe Schools in the region, yet Rosalyn has beat us in every game we ever played against them. We would like you to come play on our team."
"But I'm already on the best team there is" Mark laughed "we kicked Rosalyn's butt, and you're asking me to play on a team that loses to them?"
At this point, Georgi, (Mark's Father) who had been sleeping in the other room came in annoyed at the noise and the presence of strangers in his house.
"what is going on in here?" he demanded of the tall man.
"I am Ferdinand Traore of the Waterford Deluxe Boy's School. I have come to offer your son the opportunity to play baseball on our team. He would of course, be enrolled in the school and receive one of the finest educations in the region."
"What? We can't afford it, he works constantly as it is. Please leave us in peace." Georgi began to turn around to go back to sleep.
"We would offer his education for free, and are willing to pay his wages with the offer of twice his wages should our team win the regional tournament this next season. We would also provide him with free room and boarding at the school. It is quite a worthy offer."
Georgi turned back around and looked the man up and down.
"How do I know you mean what you say?"
Ferdinand turned to his partner and the short skinny man produced an envelope from his pocket, then handed it to Georgi. Georgi opened it and looked at it. Unfortunately he was mostly illiterate, but there were definitely alot of official looking words on the paper and he did see the words "free" and "full" "and "total." He turned to Mark.
"Well? What do you say son? Do you trust this man? I leave it to you." Georgi said.
Mark stood there. He didn't much care for his job, and the idea of not having to work at it anymore was enticing. But he loved his friends and his team. the thought of not being able to play with them as much loomed in his mind.
"I would still be able to play with the Killers?" He Asked.
"we would hope that you spend most of your time playing with our team, but if this is what it takes to get you to play on our team . . . you could play with your friends in your free time."
Mark still wasn't sold. and was hesitating. The short man whispered in Ferdinand's ear. There was a quiet discussion between the two of them. Ferdinand Turned around . . ..
"Ok Mark. We have decided to give you a final offer. This is also of interest for your father. We will give you a bonus of 500 rocks if you agree to join our team, on top of that we will let you choose three members of the killers who you can bring along to play on the team. and on top of that, you can still play with the killers when you have free time from school and playing with our team. I cannot think of a more generous offer. We are very interested that you play on our team."
His father looked at Ferdinand who was now holding 500 rocks in his hand, a small fortune for a man who was paid 100 rocks a month.
"I think you should take it son. You'll have a much better future than I had ever hoped to give you."
Mark also gazed at the rocks in the man's hand. they sparkled despite the dim light of the apartment. He could bring along Yosef, and Mara, and Colt. They could stay together and get paid to play the game they loved. There was a slight distrust still of this tall man, and he heard something almost menacing in his father's words. He heard a pressure from some part of himself he had never really considered before. He began to glimpse a future that didn't involve the daily toil of the factory. It was a future he had never considered until this moment.
"Yes. I will go. I will play on your team." Mark's words slowly marched from his mouth.
Ferdinand smiled, his dark eyes squinted with warmth as he handed Georgi the rocks.
"Very good. We are delighted to welcome you to our school. We will send a coach this monday to take you to the school. you should be ready by the 9 o'clock bell. your wages will be sent home to your father. Once you get to school you can choose who you want to bring with you. Please do not tell anyone of this until then or we may void our deal. We have competitors, therefore we must be careful."
He handed Georgi the forms.
"we would like you both to sign this sheet of agreement."
The sheet was signed. The men left. That night, Mark drifted off to sleep with both excitement and anxiety about his new future.
Nice update I like all the different baseball fields and the variety of neighbourhoods there situated in.
Will be interesting to see how this choice affects mark and his friends.
Cheers
James