SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

Hello, and welcome to my first MD!

This MD is a showcase of my endeavours in Riverholm. The pictures will follow no real story line, more of a showcase of what I have been working on. I'll start off with four pictures, just to give you a feel for my style.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fpicturecomp1.jpg&hash=d93307625ffbbdf8b45c64fe92f64d44c41a3eda)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2FSimcity%25204%2Fcoastline1.jpg&hash=08addaa027bf1fa3526e4ecbafadaddeb7030ac6)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural1.jpg&hash=4054145caaab963a6cc9910ee1cf3c38ca087923)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friver1.jpg&hash=fa1d2b2865dd64636a5e53c541aa86331274e448)


I'd love to hear opinions, critisicm, etc.   :)

Cheers, Jacob (ShultzCity)

Nice work, Jacob! You definitely have a unique and captivating style. I'm glad you decided to share some photos with us. It would be interesting to know more about the inspiration behind the playing style, though. Many MDers draw ideas from the environment in which they live, used to live or would like to live. A few are just fortunate enough to have a vivid imagination.

I really like the way you've finished off your shorelines. I enjoy doing them, too, but yours have a softer, more subtle look I've never been able to achieve.

Best of luck with Riverholm. I like what I see here, and I plan to be a regular visitor. :)

Later...
Joan

Oh, wow!  Those pictures are absolutely beautiful!    &apls

Really attractive pictures. I like second one.  :thumbsup:

your 2nd and 4th pictures are truly awesome &apls

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What's this bush?

Beautiful pictures, looking forward to seeing some more.  :thumbsup:

Great start! All those pics are wonderfully detailed and photoshoped! Looking forward to more! :thumbsup:

Nice start! I love your coast lines!

However these pure nature pictures are very dark on my CRT. Could you brighten these pictures up a bit in the future?

Take care


Bernhard  :thumbsup:

Hey Jacob,
It is great to see that you have decided to share with us. 
These pictures are great!  Can't wait to see what you have for us next.

Robin  :thumbsup:

That's an amazing looking coastline!  Beautiful details, I really like the wide riparian shore, it's very well done and realistic!

Very nice and original start. I like natural pics, and yours are well done. Great detail on your coast line.

I'm going to follow your update step by step.

Keep going and good luck  :thumbsup:

Replies:

Jmouse  -  Thanks a lot Joan, it is much appreciated :)   I will provide a few explanations in the coming updates  ;)
sumwonyuno - Thanks mate :)
Silur - Thanks, I think the 2nd is probably my favourite as well...
thingfishs - Cheers mate, much appreciated :)  The shrubs are called Peg Pond Cattails, and they can be found in the main peg pond kit.
Connor - Thanks Connor  :)
io_bg - Cheers :)
Nardo69 - Thanks!  Sorry about the darkness, unfortunately CRT monitors display colours much darker. I'll try and keep away from dark images in the future ;)
rooker1 - Thanks a lot :)
Battlecat - Cheers, thanks for the encouragement :)
clearlypowa - Thanks heaps mate :)

Today's update is just a few more pics from the coastal sorrounds of Troffin National Park. The next few updates should include some background information on the region of Riverholm, and how I go about making my landscapes.

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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friver2.jpg&hash=6ef0dba29ce2d5ee5ef12a96feb9755784f6222c)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcoastline2.jpg&hash=7c16e78d6bf149fb9acde430d321099de0b085ea)

Have a good one, Jacob.

Another excellent batch of photos, Jacob! Your rural scenes are among the best I've seen, and your attention to detail is awesome! It's interesting to note that, while all your photos reflect your personal style, they don't all look identical. There are a lot of subtle differences in the way you "decorate" the various shorelines, including the kind of rocks and vegetation you use.

You do a good job of placing trees, too. The third photo looks especially good. The tree placement looks very natural - not too crowded and not too sparse. You're TPW looks good, too. I like the way the grass seems to be showing through the water in the upper right corner of the second photo.

If I might make one small suggestion, it would be helpful if you would number the pictures to make it easier for us to comment on them individually. One system which seems to work well for MD authors is to use the update number followed by the picture number. For example, the first photo in the first update would be 1.1, followed by 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 in your MD. Just an idea!  :)

Good work here...
Joan

&apls &apls &apls

That latest batch is simply wonderful.  ;D
I'm getting an itch to do some flora experimentation in my region!

Great picture SchultzCity, I especially like the first and last one in the first update and the last one in the second update  :thumbsup:
I'm going to work now (we have 08:27 AM here in Poland), but I will try to prepare a few tips for you when I will come back. You have definitely a painting talent, you harmonize various textures very well just in the painting manner  :) &apls. I will try to help you to make your picture even better, and I see I will learn something from you too  :)

Adam  :thumbsup:

beautiful work Jacob, especially the last shot &apls
I completely agree with ennedi's comment, do you happen to paint in RL? Your coastline work is impeccable.
FWIW I'm not a fan of the round farms people create, I've never seen round farms, all our farms in Australia have rectangular fences.

I am honoured Joan ;) Thanks for all your encouragement. I'll start numbering the pictures from the next update - thanks for the tip :)
Thanks sumwonyuno, good luck with your floral endeavours!
Thanks so much Adam, it is appreciated :)  Can't wait for the tips!  (we are about 10 hours apart, assuming you are on GMT time?)
Thanks thingfishs :) Definitely not a painter in RL, but I love graphic / web design, and hope to train in the web design field when I am older - so digital artist, I guess ;)    I agree with you on the rectangular fences, and I did try this in the first place, but ended up bulldozing the lot, because it looked extremely out of place in comparison to the non griddy, rural sorrounds. If I start to move into some suburbs at some stage, I will definitely go rectangular.

All I can say is: WOW :o &apls &apls
I know that it has already been said, but I've got to agree: Your rural landscapes are definitively one of the best ever seen...
I even saved those pictures on my computer... and I don't do this that often :thumbsup:

Keep up the fantastic work,
Fabian :)

These are really exceptional landscapes, wonderful work &apls &apls &apls

The wealth of color and ground textures is very realistic and impressive. Looking forward to seeing much more :thumbsup:

These landscapes are mervellous ... I wonder what plugins you're using to achieve that variety? I have the pasture flora from the Rural Renewal Project, but you seem to have some more .. maybe you can direct me towards them? I searched the LEX and STEX quite often, but didn't find anything beyond the RRP Pasture Flora ...

These are some nice pics :D I'd like to see more of these in the Picture Competition (I know rady does). I'll definitely keep an eye on this MD!

                             -Jordan

Quote from: Fabian93 on January 05, 2010, 03:12:58 AM
All I can say is: WOW

Exactly what i was going to say. Fantastic pictures  :thumbsup:

That are really beautiful pictures there of that nice nature, ShultzCity! Great rural area! :thumbsup:
Looking forward to more from Riverholm! :thumbsup:

Very nice indeed!  I see this MD is going to be a wealth of inspiration for natural landscapes!  Love the way that marshy are turned out. 

Thanks all for the wonderful comments, they are much appreciated  :thumbsup:

Fabian, you saved them on your computer? hehehe!  $%Grinno$%  Well, I'm glad you like them...
Rady, I mostly use flora from jeronij (search on LEX), as well as a this pack by PEG: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=22701. Having a variety of ground textures annd small shrubby bushes are often the key to making a nice landscape. Having said that, I never really use anything other than the RRP pasture flora and PEG's pack. There is one other bush I use, and in game it is called 'medium scrubby brush', but I have looked and can't seem to find the pack it comes from.

Canyonjumper, I acn't seem to pic the right picture to enter  $%Grinno$%  -  I'll have to give it another go...

Here are two for today. Adam (ennedi) explained a technique in the Show Us your Rural Area thread, and I gave it a try. I'm not overly happy with the result, but I'll keep trying  ;)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural4.jpg&hash=11ebaf04735edbc31abdfdef4d8de5acd4832ec4)

And some coastline further along:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcoastline3.jpg&hash=47d3bc489b1684b46a04edbe3f316f99fae98a7f)

Enjoy, Jacob.

Hmm... maybe I should follow in Fabian's footsteps :D These are great pictures!

                -Jordan

Again great pictures Jacob! And don't worry about the path, it was your first experiment  :)

1. The first picture would be better if you would plop a few trees (better tall than rounded ones) closer to your path. You could plant taller trees closer to the viewer and some smaller ones away. This way we would have reference points to our eyes and the terrain shape would be better visible.
2. The ploppable path will never be ideal, especially if we merge various ploppable stuff as I suggested. But you can cleverly hide the path imperfections (and borders between the terrain texture and ploppable grass) by trees and bushes  :). Paths on the open space look better from a bigger distance.

Adam

Jacob, in case you hadn't noticed, Adam (Ennedi) is one of our most gifted and talented masters on SC4D, so heed his words. He'll be a great help to you! ;)

I agree that a few trees would help the first picture, but understand your interest in and focus on the path. I grabbed the same package of files, and look forward to trying out the props myself.

There are many different textures at work in the second photo which makes it an interesting study. The little spots of color you added work very well with the otherwise near-monochromatic palette you've used, too. Block them out, and there's nothing to catch the eye - you obviously have some artistic talent going for you! :thumbsup:

As always, looking forward to more...
Joan

I saw Ennedi's picture in that thread, and it looks like you've done a great job with that path as well, it looks great.

Second picture is great too, such a nice a variety in texture, flora etc.

Beautiful pictures, hard to believe that it's still SimCity ...this is so colorfullllll!  ;)

DEL!

@ ShultzCity: Thanks for the hints ... as I see, I do have anything installed that you mentioned .. so obviously it's just a matter of taking my time and experimenting ...

Congratulations to your coastline!!

Great coastline there! Nice work on it! Looking forward to more... ;)

Nice work, I like it too. But like Adam said, it can be improved. For example, on the first pic above, the footpath, people tend to take the shortest way from one point to another, on a straight line, unless they had a couple of drinks too much or there are obstacles on the way. So, if you do a zig-zag path, put some obstacles like trees or stones to justify the path taken and at the same time hide some imperfections or similar.
Keep up the good work.

Looks good so far!  I'm really never going to get tired of your coastlines. 

Fantastic work!!! Great!!!  :thumbsup:

Thankyou all for the comments  :)

Adam, I never thought about creating perspective with trees purely for a picture - I'll have to give that a go as well - thanks for all the tips :)

I certainly did realise that Joan, after looking at his MD. Absolutely spectacular!

Rayden, thanks for that. Looking at it now, it does seem a bit odd that there are sharp turns in an open space...  I am struggling to find a realistic ploppable rock that works well on open terrain (instead  of coastlines or rivers), so I will try using trees in the way that Adam suggested, to try and justify the paths turns ;)

Here are two more images:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcoastline4.jpg&hash=f5c89fce84d2902329ef7ed16c1b11bc4fcbca6e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcoastline5.jpg&hash=0d109b4554180b9979e0c57d35e881f4982170d9)

I changed the perspective of the picture in photoshop on the above pic. What do you think? Personally, I prefer the standard isometric view  ;)

Next update will be a small tutorial on creating a coastal landscape   :thumbsup:
Cheers, Jacob.

I prefer the standard isometric view too!!! Nice images, great work again!!

You can find nowadays many ploppable rocks (boulders) right here on the LEX and also at Pegs site. I don't have the links right now but I'm sure someone else will provide that if in the meantime you don't find them.  ;)

The only rocks that I found up to now are PEG's boulders from the PPond Kit

http://simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item993

and the ploppable rock collection over at Simtropolis:

http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17010
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17006
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17005
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17004

but I'm sure you have them already ...

Well, I was going to ask if you'd do a tutorial, but I didn't want to nag too much too soon! All my teammates cringe at the very thought of seeing my posts in their MDs because I occasionally ask them about population and traffic data. :D

The first photo looks good, but I've never figured out how to create an effective transition between TPW and game water. I suppose it would be possible to do it  in Photoshop, but I'd rather find a way to do this in game.

The second picture seems to be missing something - a bit of color perhaps, or a center of interest. You've done a good job on the ground textures, though, and you're really good at placing trees.

Looking forward to seeing how you create your beautiful coastlines... :)
Joan

I think both styles have their places.  It is kind of nice to mix up the visual appearance of the game a bit every once in a while. 

Lovely natural shots here once again!

Two really nice images of that nature! :thumbsup:

Replies:
bat, Battlecat, Tomas Neto, Rayden:  Thanks!  :)
Rady: Thanks for the links, but you guessed right - I do have them all  ::)
Jmouse: I know what you mean  ;)  IT's best to ask though - I figure if people are asking for more info, then at least they're interested in what you are doing ;)  -  as for TPW, I have never been able to create a nice looking transition into the game water. Normal ploppable water (I use Tahoe) blends much better into game water. Don't tell anyone, but I prefer to use Tahoe PW over TPW   :D


Todays update is a tutorial on how I create my coastal landscapes. Enjoy!

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4.1  -  This is the area we will be working with.

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4.2  -  Start by sketching out the tree line. Make sure you have areas of trees close to the water, and other further away.

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4.3  -  Now fill in from the tree line out, starting with Cycledogg's Broadleaf trees, then moving into Aspen groves. Always use smaller, bushier trees closer to the coast, then into the taller trees further away.

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4.4  -  Now, choose a small cove on part of the coastline to begin work on. (I have chosen the main inlet that you can see in the middle of picture 4.3). Start filling in from the tree line with medium scrub bushes (RRP pasture flora pack). Paint them in the shape of a bow, as you can see in the picture. This helps to give the impression of a cove.

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4.5  -  Now, using green and brown rye grass from the RRP Pasture flora pack, paint under the bushes. You don't necessarily have to cover the whole ground area, just enough so that the texture is not the same under the whole area.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut6.jpg&hash=5b9cb7e5ec6973010bce20bd7b5dda699f0a38e1)
4.6  -  Use the grass texture from the RRP pack to paint another bow shaped area. Remember not to make these bows perfect, but more a general area. Then, using the rye grass, paint over the grass again to add extra texture.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut7.jpg&hash=70c8aeb140da5eed62362e66308955e366f52af6)
4.7  -  Use the rye grass to paint some more imperfect areas around our cove. Do not stop at the waters edge with textures - always try to blend them in as muchasa possible. This is often the key to coastlines. Also, experiment with overlaying more than one texture - especially with the green and brown rye grass. Overlaying both provides almost a totally new texture to use.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut8.jpg&hash=d16ad2bd97748f722193942b5c1fe9ef488c421d)
4.8  -  Now, place some groups of rocks and logs to make the area more realistic. Don't go overboard - remember, less is more. Also, always make these groups of rocks/logs in odd numbers. Notice I have three groups of logs and rocks.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut9.jpg&hash=c2485c3dee12ba89bb47b0f0f92028a7a7edd16a)
4.9  -  Using some sand and pebble textures from Peg, paint around the beach area. Make sure you leave open spaces to use other textures, as this will add more variety to your coastline. Continue to use different textures (grass, moss and clover textures from Peg) to paint around the tree line. Remember to keep overlaying the different textures to make sure they blend well.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut10.jpg&hash=0da73b36b6e106102c730777883bc2c6e36e4cec)
4.10  -  Using rocks from Cycledogg, place some in the water. This helps add to the blending of the land to the sea.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut11.jpg&hash=7c6b3af55dad5b9bf61af83687df36eb56bcea4f)
4.11  -  Using techniques from previous pictures, continue to add, blend and overlay different textures to cover the coastline. Remember to continue the textures into the sea, never just stop at the sea.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut12.jpg&hash=4d8434670de2593ff94ee73a2bf721d7a47a137a)
4.12  -  This picture is further up the coastline. Notice how you don't necessarily need to use sand and rocks at the coastline. You can also use grassy, and marshy textures to lead into the sea.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut13.jpg&hash=b5b3e5f7ecd137e46ee1751d4abc00c4a18db540)
4.13  -  Further along. Remember to keep your flora in order from smallest to tallest/largest. In this picture I have used medium scrub bushes and weeds (A) from the RRP Flora pack.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftut14.jpg&hash=d0ebcab117f866b3d735a01effe70e26f5c1b22f)
4.14  -  And as the tutorial wraps up, this is an overview of the whole area, after I have continued to texturise the rest of the coastline.


That's it!  I hope you have enjoyed reading it, and I'd love to hear any constructive criticism as it's my first attempt at a tutorial  ;)  -   If you have given the techniques in the tutorial a try, I'd love to see your results  :thumbsup:

Cheers, Jacob.

interesting tutorial  :thumbsup:. Thanks for sharing

nice tutorial Shultzy :thumbsup:

Very informative tutorial, Jacob. Your advice in 4.9 about leaving room for more textures hits home! I tend to crowd in too much foliage and too many rocks too soon, and have to start blowing things up. Of course, this often ruins the design and ends in frustration.  &mmm

I'll be trying out your method of creating shorelines soon, though.

Later...
Joan

Very nice tutorial, thanks a lot for sharing it with us  :)

Hi Jacob

Some great work you've put in here, the natural landscapes are very nice indeed  :thumbsup:

QuoteAll my teammates cringe at the very thought of seeing my posts in their MDs because I occasionally ask them about population and traffic data.

I'm one of those unfortunate people  :'( Watch her Jacob, watch her very closely  $%#Ninj2 (only kidding, you can do nothing worse than picking Joan up as a supporter, one of the most helpful people going around. I shouldn't have said that, I'll never hear the end of it  $%Grinno$%)

Anyway, great to have another Aussie on board and look forward to see how your MD develops.

Goodluck mate

Dave

Thanks for sharing your strategies. :thumbsup: I'm using a similar strategies for my region.  The fact that certain brushes can be mixed in different layers to create a new look is very handy.

wow, thats awesome! im wonderin where u got that sand texture. Thx in advance

Your work is beautiful Jacob. You play the game like a painter would a canvass. The results are very nice pieces of art. You have an excellent style. Love it!

Geoff

Great work on that tutorial! The coastline looks really nice! :thumbsup:

Replies...

Clearlypowa, connor, thingfishs, sumwonyuno, calibanX, bat - Thanks alot! Your comments are much appreciated :)

Jmouse - that used to bug me as well. I'd fill out an area, zoom out and find that a whole area didn't work  ()sad(). I make sure I zoom out to check every few minutes now.

tooheys - Cheers mate, thanks for the encouragement. I have to say I'd much rather someone comment to ask me something over nothinh  $%Grinno$%

oktoberfest - Thanks! That sand texture is from a pack by PEG called PPond kit.

Todays update is just a small one - your first look at some suburbs!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fsuburbs1.jpg&hash=870c0f134a27c36442f3aba7349699c2aea617f1)

I have done my fair share of experimenting on my current region. Suburbs, farming, CBD's transit networking, and of course mainly natural scenes. However, I think it's time I try and start on a region and try and make a realistic city. From agriculture, to suburbs, to a sprawling CBD.

The question then lies in what region do I pick to start with. I have picked out a few I like, but I would really like my readers to have a say in which one they like best. Of course, if you know of another map that you would think suits my playing style better - please make the suggestion  ;)

So, here are the links to the maps I like:
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1457 (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1457)
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1125 (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1125)
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1970 (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1970)

Cheers, Jacob :)

Great work Jacob, i love that last pic!
I would choose the Whitefall map, because of that weird coastline...
But it's up to you
Matt

Both beskhu3epnm's and cogeo's maps are very good, but they are large. If you want to use your map for learning and experiments, I would suggest the smaller one. Please look at c.p. Map Pack 3 (your third link). In my opinion the Ida Bay (the second map in the set) would be the best one for you. It contains a lot of shoreline and a nice winding river, it will be very playable because of large flat areas, but it has some nice hills too. I suggest you to look at this map in c.p. map thread (the link is in the LEX Details). c.p. (ie Cycledogg) provided a nice mix of large and middle-sized cities which offer you a good playability and not too long loading times. Large cities usually contain some water or hills, you will be able to reach a good amount of citizens but not a huge metropolis. I think it will be good for your playing style.

Adam

Thats very impressive work Jacob  :thumbsup: We might not have the same technique but I really admire your planning and creativity. Thanks for sharing them with us. Looking forward to more pictures of your region. Cheers mate!

-firdaus-

The first two links are fantastic maps, so personally i'd choose one of them, though the C.P map pack also had good maps as well. Also, it depends whether you like big regions or not because the first two links are pretty big regions, whereas the C.P. maps are much more manageable in terms of size.

It's up to you though, and whichever region you choose i'm sure you'll do a great job anyway.

Nice suburban picture as well by the way  :thumbsup:

Connor

I would suggest a map out of the last pack (CP Map Pack 3) - personally I'm a fan of having game-water rivers on my map, and I think they provide ample possibilities for your rural techniques.

I'm looking forward to your next pictures ... at the moment, I'm still struggling with creating good-lookin' forests  :'(, so I hope to learn something from your pics ..   &idea

It's obvious to me you put in a lot of work in this MD and it really shows! Wonderful job my friend!  &apls

Great tutorial there!  Some really good ideas, and an excellent approach.  Thanks for sharing! 

Interesting suburb, Jacob, and quite a contrast in playing style when compared with the wide-open spaces in your landscapes.

You have picked out some very attractive maps, and each one offers its own unique attributes and challenges. I'm inclined to agree that the region size bears careful consideration, and so should the size of the tiles.

Some players find large city tiles more difficult to manage, and others find medium and small city tiles too cramped for their personal playing style. Of course, tile size can be changed pretty easily, and players can always tweak the terraforming, too. It will be interesting to see which map you decide to use.

Later...
Joan

Nice tutorial and the suburb picture looks nice, too, except that it looks rather dark on my old CRT.

For the maps, difficult one, but I might choose one of th third pack.

Take care my friend!


Bernhard  :thumbsup:

Really fantastic tutorial!!!  :thumbsup:

I agree with Ennedi's post. I would just add a suggestion : How many times are u going to play (everyday, weekends,....). Your style of playing is very "time consuming".

Good luck  ;)

Replies:

emmotic - I was thinking this map as well, for the same reason, however I haven't chosen this map due to the inability to make a coastal CBD because of the irregularities.

Ennedi - Thanks for the suggestions :) - Upon review, I was definitely leaning towards CP's maps, because of the good mix between winding rivers, mountains, coastline and flat, buildable areas. I am happy with a large map, as long as the whole map is not flat (or close to). This is what turned me away from the first two links.

firdausabdullah - Cheers mate, it is really appreciated :)

Connor - Thanks for your input  :thumbsup:  -  The first two maps are quite large as you say, but are also relatively flat - so I was reluctant to use one of them.

Rady - Thanks for the input Rady :) - I personally agree with you on the winding rivers subject. I love to use game water, just as much as PW.

BuildingUp - Thanks!

Battlecat - Thanks mate :)

Jmouse - Thanks Joan :) - I have taken map size and terraforming into careful consideration for my final choice. Nothing too small and mountainous, but nothing too huge and flat.

Nardo69 - Cheers mate :) - I am sorry about the darkness! I forgot about the issue when I was doing post-processing ::). I will definitely remember from now on  :P

Tomas Neto - Thanks Tomas  :thumbsup:

clearlypowa - Thanks ;) - I will be looking to play everyday, however school goes back soon, so my play time will be cut somewhat. I find it surprising how quickly I can finish a landscape once I get started. For a good sized area it might take me 20 - 30 minutes depending on the terraforming, etc.

---

Hi everyone :) -  You may have noticed the change of name, and the addition of graphics. With the new region, I have decided to ramp things up a bit - I hope you enjoy the changes. There will be one little extra something in the next update that I didn't get to apply in this update due to time restraints ::) . So, welcome to The Republic of Riverholm!

If you have been really dilligent (or have copious amounts of time on your hands  :D), you have read through all the comment replies, and have started to get sick of me skirting around mentioning my region choice. Well, wait no longer  ;D

To tell the truth - I haven't chosen any of the regions in my link  ??? - After reading Adam's (Ennedi's) post, I went and looked through C.P's map thread (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6978.msg221217;topicseen#new), and found this map pack (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1966). I really liked the look of the Two Dot map, so I downloaded and installed - and loved it! I have spent the last few days planting trees throughout the region (surprisingly time-consuming). I really like the way it turned out!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholm1.png&hash=d94a2e3cb6c9eac539d8be98db1c30983135c377)

Cheers, Jacob  :)

Nice looking region, i can't wait to see what you'll do with it  :thumbsup:

Oh yeah! You have chosen well, Jacob. I liked the map the moment I saw it! There's enough water frontage to make for a nice port if you decide to include one, and a costal CBD if you want one. The higher elevations are well placed and add a lot of visual interest, too.

I enjoy guessing where MD authors will start and which part of the region they will develop next, so I might as well play my little game here as well. I'll let you know if I was right, but I'm not usually a very good guesser! &mmm

Later...
Joan

Hi jacob, this map is simply fantastic! I would install and play it right now if it weren't for my current MD .. but for sure I will download this map for later use. Tha map gives a proper mixture of flat regions for megacities and hilly terrain for some urban touch.

I'm really curious about what we will see next time!

Very nice choice indeed!  There's lots of coastline for you to play with there!

Nice choice of map, Jacob! I like the way the trees have been planted.

                   -Jordan

One nice shot of the suburb!
And great work on the region's "forests"! :thumbsup:

You didn't choose any of the maps?! What a surprise  :P
The map you did choose is great and the region shot, with the mountains and the trees, look great.
I'll have to keep an eye on it to see how it develops.
Good luck,
Matt

Great map Jacob, even better than I suggested  :). You made a good choice!  :thumbsup:
I saw your shorelines yet, now I wonder what will you do with the hilly landscape  :)

Adam

That is a very nice looking region, and I look forward to see how you will develop it.

Really nice region!!!  :thumbsup:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

Hi everyone, thanks for all the wonderful comments  :thumbsup:

Joan, I've just started polka dotting my way around the region - I've started in no one place as of yet ;)

The next few updates may not be of the best quality - I find starting regions the hardest and most challenging part of SC4. Once I get on a roll,  things start to flow more naturally and produce much better and more realistic shots.


So to start off the updates of the new Riverholm:

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A farming area at sunset.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Furban1.jpg&hash=275f9e5f7f7fff7b8ba1015a86a03f88ee3796e0)
An urban shopping centre.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Ftransport1.jpg&hash=17921b31f1fd390ab54be318e537e91cb7abb32d)
The transit network to access the suburbs, shopping centre (overpass), and hospital (underpass).

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Furban2.jpg&hash=735bcf64e0c5757fb1c2c81605c51207ee824f59)
The hospital.

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And finally a small river on the outskirts of Riverholm.

This updates urban pictures were from a relatively small settlement called Healesville. I am not entirely impressed with my work so far - but I do hope to improve (and it doesn't help that I am a perfectionist  ::) )

Enjoy,
Jacob.

great work, i especially love what you have done with the avenues, however please remember to turn the grid off.

Great pics, Jacob! And I too detest starting new regions. But I find that if I pick a central location, and build out from there, my cities are better.

                   -Jordan

Nice update Jacob, I especially liked that hospital, great work  &apls

The first set of updates is always the hardest!  It's a great start though!

Where did you snag that amazing hospital? 

Not a bad start at all, Jacob. Your work with the avenues shows much hope for your transport skills, and I agree that the hospital scene is well done. I like the little river, too, and hope to see more of it later.

I think you'll find that many of us have been blessed/cursed by the perfectionist gene, so we're quite tolerant of each other's foibles! ;)

Later...
Joan

Interesting road network, and very nice hospital!

Fastastic update again!!!  :thumbsup:

Nice views of these places in Riverholm!
It is looking great!! :thumbsup:

I'm really curious about that farm fields.  It has tractor paths running through it.  Though, I wonder if that diagonal can be helped.

Good update ... I also would be interested in that tractor spurs running through your fields and the hospital ...

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

Replies:

mightygoose: Thanks - sorry about the grid, I noticed it after updating   :'(
canyonjumper: Thanks  :)  - I find that if I build a 'bad' area (quick 'n' dirty) first, then go and 'fix it', I get the best results ::)
Connor: Thanks! Glad you like the hospital...
Battlecat: Cheers mate  ;D  - The great hospital is made by Matt: http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1385
Jmouse: Thanks Joan  :) - I do like the odd bit of transport networking!
FleshaR34: Thankyou  :thumbsup:
Tomas Neto: Thanks mate ;)
bat: Thanks  :)
sumwonyuno: The rice fields are by Mas71 - http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1451 - I have seen many wonderful creations with this set, and I wanted to give it a go myself, though I am not very happy with the way it turned out  &mmm
Rady: Thanks - the tractor spurs come with the rice field pack by Mas ( see above). The hospital is from Matt and can be found here: http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1385

---

Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of Riverholm. Todays update will be focused on the CBD of Newport. Enjoy!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcbd1.jpg&hash=dd795e0dc4fcb533a96994310ea8bece402def20)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fcbd2.jpg&hash=db2f9a7dd29ef9de0f56a9a313288ebeacd7dde3)

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And finally, my first real mosaic  ()stsfd()

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Cheers, Jacob.

Edit: Quick question - does anyone know how to get a full sized upload onto photobucket? It kept resizing the mosaic (I assume there must be a pixel size limit?) - I have ended up uploading onto my sites server to get it full size...

Great CBD! Pics 2.1 and 2.2 are great. And your mosaic is really good, although some areas are plain grass. I look fowars for more great updates...
Matt

PS: would you mind telling me where you got the building from pic 1.2?

Excellent mosaic Jacob! I like how you use Pegasus's Marina Lots. Keep it up and this is turning into a great restart for you.

                 -Jordan

Nice update. It seems your city building is just as good as your natural areas  &apls

Hmmm .. indeed the marina looks especially fine ... can't wait until my MD will reach a point where I'm going to have a marina! Lookin' forward to see more!

Nice marina!!! looking foward for more

That's an incredible looking urban core! 

As for your image size issues, I've noticed that imageshack also won't take images over a certain size.  I use my own web space for large mosaics just like you did there. 

Wow, awesome work!!!  &apls

Really great pictures of your city!!! Looks wonderful! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

That's a good-looking CBD, Jacob. Skyscrapers are my least favorite game element, but a necessary evil nonetheless. Overall you've done a great job of creating an attractive and realistic downtown area. BTW, what kind of mass transit system are you using?

Nice mosaic, too - the colors are really rich and vibrant. Also, I'm curious to see what becomes of the wooded area at the top left. The marina is very well placed - it's obviously a continuation of the wealthy ambience you created in the CBD rather than just being an afterthought to fill up space. It's easy to see you put a lot of thought into planning your development strategy. :thumbsup:

Good work on this one...
Joan

some great work, it is good that you have intergrated wide radius curves into your city, but unfortunately it has left some areas barren. do not be discouraged though, and that waterfront roundabout is excellent.

Very nice mosaic!  :thumbsup:  The Newport CBD is quite built up!

Hooray I've got broadband back and I can once again venture into photo laden pages. Love that mosaic Shultzy, nice CBD through marina area. :thumbsup: The curved roads look great but I agree with mightygoose about the empty areas, I would just plants some appropriate trees around the "blocky" parts and make a few nice parks for your city. But the flat concrete areas give the area a good mix of built up and open, like a real city. It's easy in this game to just fill available CBD space with skyscrapers so good on ya for getting the balance right (just plant some more trees).

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

Replies:

emmotic: Thanks! Do you mean this building - http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1214  ??
canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan :)
Connor: Thanks mate. Not sure if it's better, but it's starting to improve slowly  ::)
Rady: Thankyou - gotta love marinas :)
GaBoR: Thankyou!
Battlecat: Thanks alot! Probably has something to do with the pro version for Photobucket that is limiting image size...
Tomas Neto: Thanks Tomas :)
bat: Thanks :)
Jmouse: Thanks for the input Joan :) - I'm not a fan of skyscrapers either. I haven't done a CBD for such a long time now, that I wanted to see how my skills had developed. I now know that I'll stick to more natural / rural scenes ;) .  The wooded areas have turned into some mid rise commercial buildings and apartment stores. I tried to give the feeling of a wealthy, expensive CBD, rather than a dense urban forest full of back alleys and real dirtiness  $%#Ninj2
mightygoose: Thanks mightygoose! It is a shame about the empty areas, the sidewalk mod I am using came with a mod for the wide radius avenue curves, however I still can't get them to work  &mmm
sumwonyuno: Thanks!
thingfishs: Thanks mate :) Enjoy that broadband ;). Have tried to plant a few more trees, though it hasn't worked so well ()sad()

Update ---


Hi everyone :)  - today will be the final suburban update for a while at least. I have decided that I don't quite cut it in urban areas (to my standards at least  :D ) , so I'm going to try and focus on what comes much more naturally - rural / natural scenery.

So, onto the update! Enjoy :)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fsuburbs2.jpg&hash=7d87b02891555879a741f9b10eccbc450eb34343)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fsuburbs3.jpg&hash=050ce3e33aec2ae3ab4c122675a9da7c121bafd0)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fsuburbs4.jpg&hash=9c097d77869d941f422044b564e2ffa818083334)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fsuburbs5.jpg&hash=119a6730ca515484e2ea9257869485c904419d1d)

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Cheers, Jacob.

Wow! Another great update here.

I especially like the stadium pic with that parking place, is just awesome. Also, you should turn that green area near your CBD in some kind of park. And just a little constructive critic, remember to turn the grid off. Except for that, your suburbs look just great. ;)

About the building i was looking for, it was actually the one in the previews update. Not from pic 2.2 but from pic 1.2
Matt

PS: about the mosaic thing, maybe you should cut the image in smaller sections and put them all together in the update, so that the show up in the right size.

EDIT: 100 POSTS!!!

Congratulations on your 100 posts in your great MD.
It gives me great pleasure to move you to the next level....."The Best Sellers" section.
&apls

Congrats from myself and The SC4D Staff!

Congrats for over 100 replies and this new section!
The update is great... :thumbsup:

Fantastic update!  That's a very realistic looking urban area. 

Looks like you've made a pretty good try at creating a suburban area, Jacob. You've already discussed the sidewalk/jagged-edge issue yourself, so there's no point in continuing it. Especially since I've no idea how to fix it either! Maybe someone will enlighten us.

Actually, my favorite pic this time is 3.5. You have some nice BATs there, and I've noticed you have some cars on the avenues in all the shots. So glad to see some parking space near the sports field, and a few Sims wandering around would add some life to the scene, too.

3.3 and 3.4 show off some nice little strip-shopping centers, which are a part of every suburban landscape everywhere. I like the lighting in 3.2 - looks like late afternoon - and it looks like most of those structures are residential. I'm not familiar enough with all the BATs to be sure, though.

And congratulations on reaching 100 posts so quickly. I predict you'll end up in classics before long!

Later...
Joan

p.s. Try and remember to turn off the grid. Try writing a note to yourself and taping it to your monitor - works for me! :)

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emmotic: Thanks! I know, I know - forgot the grid again  ::). This file could be the building you are after - I can't seem to find the orginial download - http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1120 . Hope this helps ;)
rooker1:  ;D Thanks mate, good to be in the new section...
bat: Thanks :)
Battlecat: Thankyou :)
Jmouse: Thanks Joan ;) - I'll let the wide radius curve issue slip, as if I use curves in a rural scene, I won't want sidewalks anyway. I liked that shot as well (would have preferred a few more cars though). I have no mass transit system (I prefer to add things later, just like a real city), and didn't use any highways. I tried to place evenues strategically so that they acted more like arterials into the main CBD. This worked almost too well - one arterial had over 50000 cars travelling on it  :D . /i usually add different lighting post-processing to change the feel of time of day  - glad you liked it :)

---

Hi everyone, welcome to Riverholm! Thankyou to everyone who has replied over the last month or so, it is appreciated greatly! Hopefully, Riverholm can continue to grow into a well-known MD (thats the plan, anyway :D). Todays update, as said previously, is going back to the rural roots of Riverholm. No farms as of yet, but we'll get there ;)

Enjoy!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friver3.jpg&hash=7a71855b625511ed8cfdf9ebf588c15745694168)

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Cheers,
Jacob.

Nice rural area.  :)

Fantastic, all of them!! However the last pic is your masterpiece so far!

Great pics, Jacob!

                     -Jordan

Oh man, fantastic set of rural pics! Great detail and great selection of trees to go with the ploppable water, and the transition to the ocean water is unnoticeable. Great work.

Amazing rural areas!   :thumbsup: &apls  I'm so inspired to play the game right now!

Wonderful pictures!  You do an amazing job with nature details!

Nice pictures of the nature with nice details! :thumbsup:

Ah yes, back to nature! Your shorelines are a treat for the eyes and 4.2 is especially attractive; 4.3 is a very close second. The "evening-sunset" lighting looks great. I'm going to practice your technique but doubt if I'll ever produce results as good as yours. &mmm

Later...
Joan

Excellent job Jacob. I mentioned earlier that you use the game like a canvas. These last pics are pieces of art. Very nice.

Geoff

Excellent pics oncemore, i especially like the third one, great work  &apls

Amazing ! Your pictures looks like painting, especially the last one  :o
Congrats, you're an artist my friend !  &apls

Great work, fantastic pics!!!  :thumbsup:

I have to third that. Fantastic pics.

Great job! Everything looks so realistic! &apls

You've got a fine MD indeed! Your shorelines, grassland and other 'green' areas are some of the best and realistic I've seen on here. In fact it's made me want to attempt more natural scenes...and I'm sure I'm not the only one, well done.

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Replies:

scott1964: Thanks :)
Rady: Thanks, I liked the last pic best too  ;)
canyonjumper: Thanks!
nedalezz: Thanks, glad you liked it :)
sumwonyuno: Thankyou! Inspiring other people is one of the main aims of Riverholm :)
Battlecat: Thanks :)
bat: Thankyou :)
Jmouse: Thanks Joan - never give up  $%Grinno$% - maybe nature isn't your speciality - try going for a more rural approach maybe???
calibanX: Thanks mate - I definitely don't think of it like that, but you are right, we are all artists and SC4 is our canvas ;)
Connor: Thanks
Yan077: Thankyou, I appreciate the encouragement!  :thumbsup:
Tomas Neto: Thanks!
vester: Thanks :)
io_bg: Thankyou!
antimonycat: Thanks alot! I'm sure that your natural scenes will come out just as good as everything else you do - can't wait to see them ;)

-----

Hello everyone! After going back to more natural city-bulding, I now appreciate how much more I enjoy it  ;) - So, todays update is some more rural areas - Enjoy  :)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural7.jpg&hash=f4736df255745cf5e4316ae79b0d9f67b2abdab8)

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(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural9.jpg&hash=90e2dfba4b2323f597c4aef76f3f1d9e6daaf5e3)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural10.jpg&hash=bcdcfd56ef6595f03a723ea0f48cc1355c0cc1da)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural11.jpg&hash=2b81e50be8648b3b75c98aea3f6e0d90c53db87f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural13.jpg&hash=cc0d25417537cda8371687be22d903d361dfa86f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fmosaic2.jpg&hash=2689ceca79c80815f5c9cb2559209b380b20c66d)

 &apls

The rural areas are gorgeous and well-painted!   :thumbsup:

Jacob, that looks beautiful! Good job!

             -Jordan

Excellent looking greenspace! 

This is looking really beautiful! Looking forward to more... ;)

So often, I see great-looking game elements in MDs - be it forests, villages, shorelines or whatever - but all the photos look alike. While the consistency is just a reflection of the author's style, it's still very obvious.

Your work doesn't seem to have that repetitive quality, though, and that's amazing to me. I don't know if you're just trying out different techniques or what, but the variety is one of the things which sets Riverholm apart from the crowd.

Whether you're experimenting with various techniques or not, though, your shorelines and nature shots remain some of the best I've seen. Glad to know we'll be seeing a lot more of them! :)

Later...
Joan

Masterpieces again! It's like I would walk through an gallery of those famous impressionist pictures. I sadly have to acknowledge that I simply haven't got a clue how to create something like that in SC4. I'm sure I do have all the elements at my fingertips, but ... as I said: masterpieces!

Excellent mosaic. Again, your pictures are great. I was trying to imagine the bugs and animals living in that vegetation. Very nice job indeed.

Geoff

Well done Jacob!  &apls &apls &apls

Adam

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

Replies:

sumwonyuno: Thankyou :)

canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan  :thumbsup:

Battlecat: Thanks!

bat: Thanks mate, sorry it's been such a long wait!

Jmouse: Thanks again for the feedback Joan. I strive to make my areas look realistic, and by doing that they often look different. As you say however, I still like to try different things, such as using the rye grass as shoreline. In the end, I wasn't all that happy with the results... Thanks :)

Rady: Thankyou! 5 months ago I thought I had no chance at rural areas either  ;)

calibanX: Thanks, If only we could go down to that level in SC4!

Ennedi: Thanks Adam, nice to see you around again :)

----

First of all, a big sorry for the sparse updates as of late. I have been super-busy, and probably will continue to be for a while yet. I'm still trying to get as much SC4 time in, but it isn't much  ()sad()

This update is again from Gipps Marsh. You will see much of the rural area surrounding the actual marsh. It is still not finished yet, so there is a few bare patches, but I felt it was worthy of uploading. Enjoy!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural14.jpg&hash=e276489b20ac83d56051830daaeb8392c9559198)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural15.jpg&hash=f2fec08e4c357ee26dc225c4b9661b53f841d04d)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural16.jpg&hash=aeb4509eb983d68b28544f64f6349e8a9988783d)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural17.jpg&hash=fcc2dd43478d1887640b1ce85e9b12b2216192d5)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural18.jpg&hash=cd21f3d16e0578332832c9c91da3d304b5530e9f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural19.jpg&hash=de5d43799e0bcc737b2f0b6cec758afb156c5b27)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Frural20.jpg&hash=07e42c29b2bb4808a0542ddb44d37460a211a2d9)

And finally a mosaic of the whole area:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fmosaic3.jpg&hash=fc7a5932e2ea53cb72c1c48388726d48b213af9e)

Have a good weekend,
Jacob  :)

Today's update is a wonderful showcase of all the different things you can do with the various flora textures!  The area looks quite cool indeed, you've done a great job! 

Have to ask a question about the second picture.  What are those small round green bushes those are that are growing around the gravel pathway? 

Beautiful area, fantastic work  &apls

Another interesting and good-looking update, Jacob. I must admit the curvy fence lines look unnatural to me, although they are aesthetically pleasing. The overall effect, which shows up especially well in the mosaic, makes me think of a crazy quilt!

I really like 6.7, mainly because of the colors I guess. And I'd love to know what all you have in the way of plopable flora because there are some elements I don't recognize.

Don't worry about the sparse updates either. We know you're in school, and here at SC4D, education always comes first!

Later... :)
Joan

The mix of colours is mesmerising!!! These rural areas look great espcially with this wintery feel

Will

WOW! Those are some great, GREAT rural shots. Your work with the ploppable flora and the fences is just...wow.

Amazing... I've been in awe of the fields, and now I'm in awe of the layout of those fences!   ;)

Amazing pictures, Jacob! Excellent job &apls

              -Jordan :thumbsup:

Amazing pictures  &apls &apls &apls

Very interesting! I love your pictures of nature, they are beautiful! I also like your breeding areas. This area is very pleasant to contemplate!  :thumbsup:  ;)

Looks great! Very nice usage of those fences and fantastic detailing! :thumbsup:

I love the fences. You're an artist my friend. Great job.

Geoff

Hi everyone, just a quick post to tell everyone what has been happening over the last week and a half or so. First of all, I have been flat out, and probably will be for a while yet. Second, Riverholm V2 killed itself the other day, and is no longer usable  :(. So, Riverholm V3 is on it's way! The same region will be used, it will just be started off again from scratch. Thanks everyone for the comments, when the next update comes I will post formal replies to everyone.

Again, sorry for the scarce updates, hopefully once things settle down I can get back into regular updates.

Jacob :)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

--- Replies ---

Battlecat: Thanks Battlecat, glad you like it! Unfortunately, those green bushes are a bit of a mystery. They haven't come from the RRP, and not from Peg either. I searched through my plugins folder and can only find the .dat, and it isn't in a folder. Sorry  &mmm

Connor: Thanks :)

Jmouse: Thanks Joan - I agree about the fences, aesthetically pleasing, but not functional! As for ploppable flora, I use Peg's flora and the RRP - that's it. There is one other type of flora which I have had for a while, and do not know where it has come from unfortunately...

penguin007: Thankyou, and welcome to Riverholm, I'm glad you liked it ;)

nedalezz: Thanks, it is much appreciated :)

sumwonyuno: Thankyou - the layout of those fences look pretty, but I'm not sure if they are very functional  ::)

canyonjumper: Thankyou :)

kelis: Thanks!

M.M.Malwin: Thanks, and welcome to Riverholm ;)

io_bg: Thankyou!

calibanX: Thanks :)


--- Update ---

Hi everyone, finally found time to get to an update  ()stsfd()

Have finished preparing the region (mass tree planting). So, I am now ready to start building, which brings us to today's update. I have chosen three tiles in which you can pick the one you would like to see me develop first. Bear in mind that your choice will determine the general area in which I build.

So, onto the images (click to enlarge)

Riverholm (V3):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fregion_normal_thumb1.jpg&hash=701617ac47db3c734d86c2a1e58cdd5c8e8cde9f) (http://www.jsweather.id.au/miscellaneous/region_normal1.jpg)

Riverholm (V3) squared up:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fregion_noborder_thumb1.jpg&hash=98bf72fe64872b084d48b939838ba8dfbfa56503) (http://www.jsweather.id.au/miscellaneous/region_noborder1.jpg)

Riverholm (V3) squared up and with borders:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fregion_border_thumb1.jpg&hash=12a64c9f8441c9ff4fbc7855d6ec9d24396ecdca) (http://www.jsweather.id.au/miscellaneous/region_border1.jpg)

A bit of fun in Photoshop :D :
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fregion_skewed_thumb1.jpg&hash=ace5aa16d8f1acfa1043e7af17d90b90ca7cec3f) (http://www.jsweather.id.au/miscellaneous/region_skewed1.jpg)

Right, now here are your choices - the squares that are coloured show the  area in which you will be voting for.

Top right = A - A beautiful flat expanse with flowing rivers. Large communities with sprawling suburbs intertwined with nature will dominate this area of Riverholm.

Middle left = B - A mountainous area with cool temperatures and large rocky expanses. Small farms and nature will abound, and eventually a ski resort will appear in the nearby snow fields.

Bottom left = C - A good mix of both mountains and flat expanses, this area will have a nice mix of small suburbs and rural communites, encompassed by nature.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsweather.id.au%2Fmiscellaneous%2Fregion_choice_thumb1.jpg&hash=cdfb147308655e77fa541e7d5d681621c3a7cc77) (http://www.jsweather.id.au/miscellaneous/region_choice1.jpg)


Enjoy, and don't forget to leave you vote :)
Cheers, Jacob.

Been absent for a while due to RL interference ...

Your region looks great! I would opt for tile A to be developed first!

Wow, your region looks really amazing, and very interesting work with photoshop  &apls

Nice region pics there where did you find that map though?

Will

Very nice region!!!

Tile A for me! Great region, Jacob!

             Your friend,
                            Jordan :thumbsup:

I see you have a nice variety of quad sizes, Jacob. I usually stick to all large quads, but I'm starting to have second thoughts about that choice.

I'm eager to see how you develop your region, and I'll vote for Tile B. I'm sure your work will look great no matter which quad you decide to develop, though. :)

Later...
Joan

Great and BIG region...Tile A for me.

Nice presentations of your region!  Tile A looks like a great place to get started! 

Thanks for trying to ID those bushes!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

Rady - Glad to have you back! I'm really loving this region, and the meadowshire tree controller. Tile A - 1

Yan077 - Thanks :)

penguin007 - Thanks, you can find the region here: http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1966

Tomas Neto - Thanks!

canyonjumper - Thanks Jordan, thats two for tile A

Jmouse - I used to stick to large as well, but I found that sometimes I would get bored developing such a large tile. I'm happy with my choice to go with a mix of sizes (the decision was made when I discovered that this particular region did not divide evenly into large quads). Thats two votes tile A, one for B.

soulchaser - Thanks, I love big regions :) - 3 votes for tile A, one for B.

Battlecat - Thanks BC ;) - No problems, I'm sorry I couldn't successfully find them! 4 votes A, one B

-- Update --

Hi folks, sorry again for the delay in updates  &mmm

Well, tile A, the tribe has spoken, and you are not actually going to be leaving the camp! Tile A has won by a rather large margin, and I have started development. Enter Grenish!

Grenish is a sprawling community, with a super efficient transportation system and large green areas. I had hoped to show you pictures during development, however I managed to delete them accidentally while editing. You'll have to put up with more of a showcase today  ;).


1.1 - An overview of initial transportation infrastructure.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate1_1.jpg&hash=e660dcc78e6b2df2f665497313d439501f327eea)

1.2 - Closer in.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate1_2.jpg&hash=d01e6d1663850d654abce757e57cb184d23c528b)

1.3 - Initial development. As you can see a large shopping centre has been built. Once the whole city of Grenish is complete, this will serve as the main commercial services outlet. Also notice that there is only one way to get over the freeway. A seperate overpass will be built so that commute times stay at a minimum. As well as this, you will notice tram lines at the top of the picture near the shopping centre, and the train line at the bottom.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate1_5-1.jpg&hash=0ee36c7d0d667069fd72ed81d996f911cd0e98eb)

1.4 - This is the overpass.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate1_3.jpg&hash=0a84bfe534ab36f628f326cf977b45273d18e69e)

1.5 - And in context. Notice the small pond in the median of the freeway.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate1_4.jpg&hash=a62829737f73bffb020de336ec1c54d82964b216)


That's all folks, hope you enjoyed the little tour around Grenish!
Jacob  :)

Looks fantastic, I love the transport layout! &apls

It's really wonderful!!
But I would know where you found the depedencies for the LBT Malls, because I don't find them ()sad()

Guillaume :thumbsup:

Looks interesting. Especially since with my cities traffic routes evolve as time goes by and the city developes ... which brings along lot's of destruction work in my cities. I have seenso many members laying out their traffic network in advance but still lack the inspiration for such an attemp ... hopefully I will learn as time moves on ..

Very nice! Excellent layout. I really like pond in the median ;D

              -Jordan :thumbsup:

Awesome little town there the RHW looks lovely

Will

Ah yes, transit networks – one of the more difficult game elements to master. Looks like you've plunged right in and made an interesting start on your network, though. I like the intersection at the top of 1.3, just to the right of center.

I see some unusual shapes emerging, and it will be neat to see how you use them. The small pond in 1.5 is a great idea, and a good excuse to depart from the more common straight layout seen in RL. I wonder what kind of development will end up in that curved road on the other side of the picture. Wondering, too, if you plan to add crossover streets/roads to the avenues and RHWs.

Overall, it looks like development is coming along well. I would much rather see you take your time than try to rush through it. IMO, when someone just throws things together for the sake of creating frequent large updates, the work reflects the disorderly playing style. So far, everything I've seen of your work shows a combination of careful planning and skill, though.

So by all means, keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

Later...
Joan

Great looking town!  I like the off grid layout.  The pond between the two halves of the highway is a really cool touch! 

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

io_bg: Thanks!

Sciurus: Thanks :) - did you end up finding the dependencies re my PM?

Rady: I generally still have to do demolish work later on as this city grows - but I prefer it that way. It allows you to upgrade the natural traffic courses just like what would happen in real life. A good mix between natural and planned growth in my opinion.

canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan :) - I'm trying to find as many ways to incorporate nature into suburban environments....

penguin007: Thanks Will ;)

Jmouse: Thanks for the encouragement Joan. I am trying to throw in as many little ponds and other natural tidbits in my suburban areas as I go along. Nothing special will be going along the curved road - residential and low density commercial services towards the avenue. I won't be adding any more overpasses to the RHW, and major roads will intersect directly with the avenues.

I agree re building speeds, and I am often culprit of not slowing down and inserting details into my suburban areas. I can do it fine in rural and natural areas though. I envy Battlecat's Adara ([url]http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6976.new#new[/url)] for his attention to detail even in more urban areas.

Battlecat: Thanks BC - that is my aim, but it is hard not being able to build right up to the FAR roads.

-- Update --

Hi everyone, I am back with another update. Some of you may have read the official SAM thread and seen that I have embarked on creating a new SAM texture set. This has been taking most of my time for the last week, however I have done a fair bit of work in Grenish beforehand. Unfortunately, I haven't taken any pictures, and in order to properly test the SAM textures, I need to uninstall SFBT's Euro Texture mod. While this is uninstalled, I won't be doing any work in Grenish. I will be posting my progress on the textures here to keep you interested :D.

Some musings...

FAR - Brilliant addition to the NAM that I have rarely used before. I decided when I started Riverholm V3 that I wanted to take full advantage of FAR and FARR (fractional angle road and railroad). I will be using it almost exclusively for rail, and RHW (it will be coming in V4). There is a bad side though - I can't build right up to FAR, meaning that I am left with gaps in development that really should be essentially W2W. I'm trying to decide how to most effectively use it in suburban areas. Obviously I use it a lot in rural areas, but the real question is, how, when and should it be used in urban areas? Currently I am concerned that it is making some areas of my suburbia look somewhat... Unrealistic. I can't put any type of ploppable flora inbetween the road and the houses, and if I were able to, how realistic would it look having trees or shrubs between driveways and roads. I certainly wouldn't be happy if my local council decided to make the area look prettier by making scrubland between my driveway and the road. So maybe FAR would be better used for roads that bypass suburbs? Perhaps like many things in life, it is great for your cities - if used in moderation.

Your thoughts?

---

Here is a screenshot showing the 'standard' SAM textures (straight, end piece, T-intersection, 4-way intersection, 90deg curve). The streets' base textures are from a user called rivitoz (over at Simtropolis, rivit here at SC4D). They are modelled off a typical rural Australian road - they are often major arterials between towns - so they could be (this is what I will be mainly using them for) used as low capacity highways (obviously without realistic speeds) between small townships. Ignore the bright white stop lines - as discussed in the SAM thread, they are actually a mod that I have and need to get rid of.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fscreen3.jpg&hash=d9145a794c37992792871601924941dd37b5f0c9)


Have a great week,
Jacob :)

Wow you're SAM textures look brilliant!

Looking great, my friend. I'm sorry that I haven't been around here much, you have a great MD and I'll be sure to check in soon.

Ethan  :)

Very nice SAM textures  &apls

Great stuff Jacob! The textures look great!

             -Jordan :thumbsup:

I've been following the SAM thread. The textures look great.

Taking on a new project sometimes means easing up on another. I hope you won't have to give up on Riverholm, but I'm proud to see you working on something as huge and momentously important as SAM. I'm certainly no expert at judging textures, but you must be doing a mighty good job if you're in there working with such a talented bunch of folks.

I can't speak for others, but I'm always happy to see the results of whatever game-related element you've undertaken at the moment.

Best of luck with SAM... :)
Joan

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

ManuelR: Thankyou! They are going through a bit of a facelift at the moment - I think they look even better now.

ecoba: Thanks for the kind words Ethan. Feel free to drop in as you please - I appreciate it, but I also understand that some people do actually have a life outside of SC4  ;)

Connor: Thanks :)

canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan  :thumbsup:

RickD: Thanks Rick!

Jmouse: I wouldn't dare give up on Riverholm at the moment Joan - I'm enjoying it too much! Thankyou for the kind words - I really appreciate you dropping in after every update :)

-- Update --

Hi all,
Mammoth update today! I have been slowly working on Grenish over the last couple of weeks, and I have filled out just over a third of the tile. As for the SAM textures, they are still coming along! I've been in correspondence with the original creator of the textures (rivit), and we have decided on working together for the project. We have given the textures a bit of a facelift, and are ready to start. To make things even more time consuming, we are creating the textures with custom alpha maps, which looks great but takes that much longer! Early estimates are 2-4 months of fairly solid work to get it done. Once all the textures are complete, rivit will be compiling them into a stand alone Maxis street override, and I'll be compiling them into a new SAM set.

Grenish is sitting nicely at 50,000 residents at the moment, in a relatively stable condition. Development is slow, as I am going for realistic regional development - meaning that some tiles will have swathes of jobs, and some will have a huge amount of residents. Grenish is one of the residential heavy tiles, which means trying to balance jobs with population is hard. In previous regions, I have found that not starting off with a solid mass transit network is a huge mistake. I am determined not to make the same mistakes this time - Grenish has a large tram network, train network and a positively huge bus network. There is so much mass transit that my highway isn't even being used. Hopefully when neighbouring city tiles are built, highway use will increase (it's all about realism!)

OK, onto todays update. This is basically a showcase of what I have accomplished in Grenish to date. I won't make comments on every picture - hopefully they will speak for themselves ;). There is one area that is mostly complete but is not shown in any of todays images. Enjoy!

2.1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_1.jpg&hash=b7e927b3b02e5a3f05b1af1821c3c502b01f0d39)

2.2 - This is the result of too many people with not enough jobs. I'm just keeping unemployment in check at the moment, lets hope it doesn't spiral out of control as I continue developing.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_2.jpg&hash=cf129680cf9ad4a4486e9c70e6cb06b045edf0fb)

2.3 - Grenish Shopping Complex.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_3.jpg&hash=493e00c6617f5353c99863338727289d8da2391a)

2.4 - Small strip mall on the outskirts of the shopping complex.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_5.jpg&hash=a10a76bbde77a0a0898e09fd659e07995327a0e6)

2.5
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_4.jpg&hash=cdd467ad17919f371a5c4dcc272f4666d4c161eb)


2.6 - Indoor sports complex and Officeworks.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_6.jpg&hash=d3cdbdea38e6df4581ffa2d13d59935a5d2c4661)

2.7 - An outdoor sports complex and the Grenish Regional Hospital.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_7.jpg&hash=ec9e72ed3bebd0a62321b8c009c2b1b54ecec7a6)

2.8 - The image along with 2.10 will be the closest we'll get to the new developments on the western side of Grenish today. This image shows Grenish's main rail hub.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_8.jpg&hash=fe673ff2eca588ac91c7aaeec8a9f88319411d3c)

2.9
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_9.jpg&hash=4b959a67a70cf2b332f69a4230f37727e2610739)

2.10 - A glimpse of a warehouse district - To the north is the rail station seen in 2.8. You can see a vacant construction site between McDonalds and the warehouse.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_10.jpg&hash=e4ad22952afc1762906c3471b8d9463bfe5af7c5)

2.11
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_11.jpg&hash=0f1ea651eef52332c87cb864ace39f488fc30004)

2.12 - The eastern perimetre of Grenish.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_12.jpg&hash=aebd159e67aaa7fd4641a284a3fa98656a85d557)

2.13 - This is the entrance to a large nature reserve.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_13.jpg&hash=85c5e8e06562957af4ab4fa7729c4662cceb4314)

2.14 - A cafe and small playground - the hub of the nature reserve.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_14.jpg&hash=1874bc3bc050403147f8eeba0031ed8852c9c2bc)

2.15 - A large mowed grass area with various picnis tables - perfect for an afternoon in the sun kicking a ball around.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_15.jpg&hash=9a8604d091df79555b95b78aa14769916be52b44)

2.16 - Walking trails allow you to get right up close to the water and watch the native ducks and other water life go about their lives.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_16.jpg&hash=73de01b88f9d4d88767ef11fa3bba7045d838b2c)

2.17
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_17.jpg&hash=b54513bd508700b0eb34bd57862653ac8f1d769d)

2.18 - An overview of the nature reserve.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_20.jpg&hash=c51b03735a3324b1824375ea1f2a37efd86da9a9)

2.19 - A large petrol station and cafe off the main highway. Perfect for a short stop on your way around the currently uninhabitated Riverholm  :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_18.jpg&hash=74409b409b3f57444eca6d9c14ea4b5b62e526c7)

2.20
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_21.jpg&hash=8c00119a7a6ab1bcea98f23eb56447dfd862f057)

2.21
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_22.jpg&hash=3473509b566cf1af76e31a17b8ded90f3f1dcc01)

2.22
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_23.jpg&hash=993ab832128d1a957ae71a6fbad9334a9df6d368)

2.23
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate2_24.jpg&hash=fee0ebd73e92c59c7f2444b959cfd9165ac0783b)

2.24 - Finally, a north to south cross-section mosaic of current development in Grenish. NOTE - This mosaic has been flipped horizontally to give a more realistic appearance. This means that trying to match it up with the other images in this update will be rather difficult. Please don't spend your time trying to figure it out - go, get outside and enjoy yourself! Of course, you could always leave me a comment first :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mypage.tsn.cc%2Fshultz%2Fupdate2_19.jpg&hash=eabbb2b8358ee21c79ba8f7c6e53e49e75038db3)

Have a good one,
Jacob :)

Wow! Grenish is looking really nice, Jacob. The new NAM pieces also really add some flavor to the city, sad there aren't any Euro textures yet.

Ethan  :)

Nice-looking suburban malls, Jacob. Looks a lot like everyday sights where I live. Also, I like the way you plopped or grew houses around that curve in 2.2. That must be a puzzle piece in the new NAM which I haven't had time to install yet.

The mixture of trees you're using in the more natural shots (2.12-2.18) look really good. My favorite of that group is 2.16 – lots of vibrant color, and you've captured nature's best side once again.

The overviews (2.20 and 2.21) look quite realistic, and that pond in 2.20 is very effective in breaking up the monotony of the low-wealth neighborhood (or is that medium wealth?). The only flaw I see, and it's a wee little thing, is over-saturation of the colors in 2.1. Of course. it could be something as simple and unavoidable as the way a person's monitor displays the picture. It might look perfectly normal to some viewers, and all out of whack to others.

I see a lot of careful planning and attention to detail here. Hope you'll be able to find time for more regular updates in the months to come. Is school out over there  yet?

Later...
Joan

Nice couple of pictures there, Jacob !
I like what you did with the smooth curves, it really gives a nice touch to your city. I love the mosaic, the way you made it is simple stunning. Everything in it looks so wonderful. Maybe if you add some electric poles to rail line the result should be even better. Also, nice work with the commercial area, greatly done !

Arthur.  :thumbsup:

The shopping complex in 2.3 is my favorite in this update.

Now I have to go and find out where those four strip mall shops in pic 2.4 are available. I don't think I have them and I am desparately looking for more variety in those kind of bats. They may not be as spectacular as a shiny skyscraper but they add so much to realism.

some damn good stuff there shultzy &apls &apls You're using a great selection of content very tastefully. The mosaic is nuts and where can I get the large BP station you have there? Also how much of your stuff is grown?

and of course happy birthday! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Great job on this update, it looks fantastic!  The nature reserve turned out particularly nicely! 

Fantastic update!!!  :thumbsup:

Fantastic pictures! I can see you too have been waiting long to use the NWM ...!

Ah ha!  You've moved from those amazing fields to amazing urban areas with amazing open spaces!   :thumbsup:

Great pics Jacob! Both the nature and suburban! I really liked pics 2.17-8, they are an excellent example of how useful mayor-mode ploppables are!

                           Your friend,
                                          Jordan :thumbsup:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

ecoba: Thanks Ethan - yeah, I'm really missing Euro textures ATM. Hopefully somebody with a lot more time on their hands than me can create a set  ::)

Jmouse: Not sure about 2.2.? I haven't used any special puzzle pieces to my knowledge?  Thanks again for the lovely coments :) . 2.1 does look a little over-saturated - bad photoshopping on my part. Low and medium wealth, I tried to mix it up slightly. As if an old town has started to redevelop into nicer suburban homes. School isn't out over here - getting towards the end of term though. Unfortunately, it looks like my holidays are going to be chockas, so will have to try really hard to get these updates more often!

art128: Thanks for the feedback! Curves are great, I just wish they didn't leave wholes in the development ;) . I'll have to start electrifying my railways from now on, it has been something I've overlooked a lot of the time.

rickD: Thanks Rick. Those strip malls were mad by simgoober, and they are somewhere on the LEX. Most of the larger malls were made by LBT.

thingfishs: Thanks things, feedback as always is much appreciated ;) - The large BP station was part of a large pack. I am sure II got it from the LEX, but I can't find them in my plugins folder, and can't find them in my LEX download history. In the pack there was probably about 12 stations - they were diferent sizes, and had commercial and residential layouts... Sorry mate :( . I grow everything, except for some small commercial buildings. My Commercial blocker has never worked, so have to do a lot of commercial stuff by hand.

Battlecat: Thanks!

Tomas Neto: Thanks Thomas :)

Rady: Waaay too long Rady! Just need some Euro textures now! Thanks :)

sumwonyuno: I have! Enjoying it too ;) - Thanks for your comment :)

canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan, mayor mode ploppables are my friend! ;)

-- Update --

Todays update is a large one, a bit all over the place really  $%Grinno$% . I haven't had much time at all to play SC4, but I can now say that I have finished the Grenish tile! Next update will show some overviews.

3.1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F1.jpg&hash=07f658d9fe7c933207e599628a15587d1c5eb56c)

3.2 - Does anyone know how to get rid of these agricultural sidewalks (the bright yellowy ones)?
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F2.jpg&hash=fa67b0a74be98573c6d3e04e1ca9c412e1c72836)

3.3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F3.jpg&hash=42d12eaa6a617bdf93bd4a5f1e86bf5218e9c54a)

3.4
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F4.jpg&hash=c2b9de40df87fa6023d60cf45c234cf621e69ff0)

3.5
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F5.jpg&hash=870a0642104158f3e021235b211557f0c7081b8e)

3.6
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F6.jpg&hash=1987979be3d07281e20ebd5040bec35edcd34606)

3.7
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F7.jpg&hash=811468bfcd3df66906c9f2808ab06f9e482b403d)

3.8
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F8.jpg&hash=7fd136fcbc6ca8556b3c9d411c0b83049483c3ec)

3.9
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F9.jpg&hash=5f5020ccace3ec1972146bd4d7e9336ce75ef368)

3.10 - Can't wait for some IR FARR fillers!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F10.jpg&hash=771ce0a49aa19e809008eb7453547a97fc98bb7f)

3.11
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F11.jpg&hash=c9d3462ff1ef0f8db4bc2e2ac578f8ea9ff4e19c)

3.12
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F12.jpg&hash=12519d07454208d609c93417ed4f9c4a52206de1)

3.13
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F13.jpg&hash=b23a0a54a91ea9963be5c8b40541e19d70092530)

3.14
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F14.jpg&hash=97a772310eb5383c896ffc5994c8fb3b50512f09)

3.15
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F15.jpg&hash=9a99d8f007cf81ef8e3be8a4366e348217f2c88b)

3.16
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F16.jpg&hash=6c3e752f7c76588ed40316ec07c8d686c3a17913)

3.17
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F17.jpg&hash=d7bdf16a70e9550c61ffe794d2bb62c62ef09a28)

3.18
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F18.jpg&hash=84fc8e447ab371f6299587783cb88195bcdea1c2)

Sorry for the hodgepodge of images - I hope you can make sense of them all  $%Grinno$% . As I said earlier, next update will include some overviews of Grenish. Then we can move onto uncharted areas!

See ya around,
Jacob :)

Beautiful, Jacob! Grenish really is just a wonderful city to look at, I really love the winding streets and how laid-back the whole town seems.

As for the agricultural sidings, that's just a part of the sidewalk mod that you have, I'm not quite sure how you would get rid of it, however I seem to notice a lack of them in Battlecat's MD...  &mmm

Ethan  :)

The town's turning out nicely!   :thumbsup:

Those long, rectangular industrial buildings are almost what I'm looking for, for industrial districts I may make in the future... they're just a bit too tall.

To get rid of those bright dirt textures open up the file called "sandstane(sic ::)) replacement textures" with the reader and delete the fsh files with that bright dirt. Then reindex and save.

You have a really great looking city. :thumbsup:

Wow Jacob! Great pics! I like the way you've used the RHW ;D

             -Jordan :thumbsup:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

ecoba: Thanks Ethan! I think that's what a tried to create in this city - old, laid back but still suburban and modern at the same time.

sumwonyuno: Thanks :) - I found those industrial buildings almost perfect as well for the same reason, but decided I would use them anyway. As a bonus, they provide a lot of jobs which helped my lack of jobs problems...

sim-al2: Thanks for the suggestion. I have done as you said, but haven't tested it yet, so lets hope it works!

canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan, LOVING the rural highway at the moment, but I can't wait until Shadow Assasin brings out his Euro / Australian mod - It will look much better!

-- Update --

As promised last update, todays update is full of overviews of Grenish. Enjoy!

4.1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F41.jpg&hash=3208cad487e889d0543d4669eb2f4a3bb33ee9b2)

4.2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F42.jpg&hash=e24c03a4748119c9f5379171cfd128bf795f711e)

4.3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F43.jpg&hash=61a1367a51af86e1c9d02a5c77859484497e5658)

4.4
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F44.jpg&hash=583ed0210b597dad16b0d2b547f8877614dfedd3)

4.5
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F45.jpg&hash=a934f212d8ac74a96c6e2c2511012fd318edab71)

4.6
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F46.jpg&hash=874b8c87ad03854059db7cf2a0ced667f509962d)

4.7
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2F47.jpg&hash=3e391211a3f5c3cffd3d04065c57fd364c82e6a1)

Have a good one,
Jacob :)

Wow, I think it looks even better (if that's possible) from above. It really shows how laid out the city is, yet still shows all of that lovely greenery. Great work, Jacob.

Ethan :)

These are some fantastic overviews! Great network layout as well! :thumbsup:

 Awesome and realistic views of your city has made your MD a perfect choice to be moved to OSITM!  Congratulations, it's going to be a lot of fun following you and your MD this month!  &apls

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi901.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac213%2FBSCLEX%2FMouse%2520stuff%2FOSITMJuly-10.jpg&hash=2d1988b8f241e92b9d2e9163320a2c31eecc6743)

Congrats from myself and The SC4D Staff!

Robin  :thumbsup:

Congratulations, Jacob.

You truly have deserved to be in OSITM with all your great work you've showed us.  :thumbsup:

Ethan  :)

Congrats Jacob! It's great to share the spotlight with you!

                         Jordan :thumbsup:

congrats Shultzy :thumbsup:

Congratulations, Jacob! I'm so proud to see you in OSITM. I haven't been around very much lately – RL concerns – but I took a look at Riverholm today and I see a whole lot of progress and some good-looking screen shots.

July is going to be a hot month here in OSITM... :)
Joan

Agree with Rooker1, the region view of your city is awesome and really realistic, well done and congratulations on your OSITM  :thumbsup:

I agree with planetechef and Rooker1!!!

Congratulations, Jacob!!!  :thumbsup:

Absolutely gorgeous city! If I can get Cedar looking anything like that, I will be highly satisfied with myself! Congrats on the OSITM!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Friverholmbanner.png&hash=f14cb7b8c597d98b60c1823a7caaaec93c728852)

-- Replies --

ecoba - Thanks Ethan  :). I have tried to make both realistic zoomed in, but still realistic zoomed out. Hopefully I'm succeeding!

io_bg - Thanks Ioan!

rooker1 - Wow! I'm honoured to be chosen as OSITM, along with two other great MD's. A big upside down thanks from Shultzy  $%Grinno$%

canyonjumper - Thanks Jordan! The work you have been producing in your MD of late as been absolutely incredible :)

thingfishs - Cheers things :)

Jmouse - Thankyou so much Joan :) - I hope that whatever is happening at the moment will sort itself out, my thoughts are with you. Hopefully it will be!

planetchef - Thanks :)

Tomas Neto - Thankyou Tomas!

nedalezz - Thanks a lot nedalezz, Cedar is looking incredibly realistic at the moment - I don't think you'll have any trouble beating Grenish  ;D

-- Update --

Well, it has been a very busy few weeks! First of all, thanks to all who were involved and has congratulated me on Riverholm's induction as OSITM.  &apls

I'm honoured, and it has nicely coincided with two weeks of school holidays here in NSW. Unfortunately, school holidays don't exactly mean more spare time. I'm busy building a website for an organisation working in my local region (the Hunter region for anyone familiar with NSW  $%Grinno$% ), and I am using the school holidays to make as much progress as possible before school returns. However, considering it is Riverholm's month in the spotlight, I might be able to arrange some more frequent updates... Mostly they will be showcases, as progress shots / tutorials / walkthrough updates do take longer.

So Riverholm's first tile, Grenish is complete, and I have decided to move west to a little town called *insert name here*. It is a small tile, so in theory it shouldn't take as long to complete. However - it already has  :D . I'm up to game year 3785, which trumps Grenish's effort of 3193. I am quite pleased with the results so far, but still have just over a third of the tile to complete (the longest third of course  ::) ).

Today's update will show a work in progress overview (with a couple of creative angles), and finally a regional shot of Grenish and *insert name here*. Enjoy!

5.1 - Overview of *insert name here*
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate5_1.jpg&hash=38f72e9b4d2401df7b780c6ef1687e6f7380f4d8)

5.2 - Overview of *insert name here* (flipped)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate5_2.jpg&hash=bbe7d4f2301e4cf3fa6a6e34852da99f135f1d82)

5.3 - Squared overview of *insert name here*
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi846.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab21%2FShultzCity%2Fupdate5_3.jpg&hash=6c5c8759d58c967b559ce1481a7e6563cb394dca)

5.4 - Regional shot of Grenish and *insert name here* - what do you think realism wise?
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Now, I haven't decided on a name yet, so I'd like to ask for some suggestions... What do you think?

Oh, and I still haven't been able to fix my agricultural street sides :( . I tried sim-al2's suggestion and removed the textures but they still show up in game. I'm pretty sure I remember installing a transit mod a while back where one of the options was an alternate agricultural sidewalk, and I installed it?

Talk soon,
Jacob  :)

Congratulations, and I really like those zoomed out pictures!  Even from zoom 1, I can still see the detail and excellent flora work!   :)

I'm sure anyone else can think of a better name for the place than me, but why not name it after yourself?  Shultz City!  :D

Wow, that is as good a region shot as I have ever seen...looks extremely realistic! The new square looks great, I like the agricultural feel :)

Nice region shots. :thumbsup:

Renne

I think it most definitely looks realistic, Jacob! the region view melds nicely. I wonder what you shall end up naming *insert name here*? :)

I'm hoping that we can see some more shots of the new town soon, I know they will be great. As for realism, your region is incredibly realistic, very similar to things I've seen in RL.

Ethan  :)

 &apls  Congratulations on OSITM!  Your region is developing beautifully, I hope you're backing it up regularly!  I love how organic your tiles look, you're putting the curves to great use!  Can't wait to see more! 

The zoomed-out shots are great, Jacob. I especially like the way you've laid out the roads – I guess they're roads, not rail lines, but it's hard to tell from this distance. 5.3 really shows off how the shape of the water and the road layout complement each other. You definitely have an eye for the aesthetics of design.

One thing that caught my eye in the first couple of shots is the "thickness" of the quad – the elevation. It would be almost impossible to cut a river through it or have a beach, yet I can see what looks like normal shores in 5.4. I do believe I'm missing something here. ()what()

I must agree with the others who have posted here. That region shot looks quite realistic, as do the other photos.

Another good update...
Joan


Welcome to page 11, and congratulations on 200 posts!

I'm glad to see the non-grid layout here, Jacob.  It can be hard to do, but it looks like you've done it right.  That square map resembles something one might find on the Google Maps or Google Earth satellite view.  Congratulations on OSITM, Jacob!

&apls

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-- Replies --

sumwonyuno: Thanks for the lovely comment! Yes, I'm sure that would be a great name - maybe I should reserve it for my grandest city?  :D

nedalezz: Thanks! Glad it looks realistic :)

Bobbi: Thanks Renne  :)

ecoba: Thanks Ethan! Read on and find out ;) .

Battlecat: Thanks BC :) - Haven't backed it up yet... Probably a good idea though!

Jmouse: Thanks for the lovely comment Joan. That's the main freeway, definitely not rail ;) . There is another medium sized tile between this one and the river  :thumbsup: . Thanks again :)

metarvo: Thanks! It is hard because of the restrictions to the curves  - getting it to look nice at zoom 1 and zoom 6 is a very fine balance!


-- Update --

A name has been decided upon! SC4D community, meet 'Estburn', the newest city of Riverholm! As quickly as it started though, Estburn, being a small tile, has been completed. Two thirds of this tile is pure nature, which has been reserved by the council to preserve natural flora and fauna. I tried a few new and slightly different techniques to creating the rec area. It will be interesting to see what you think! So on with the update...

6.1 - I tried to make the banks of the river look as if it were under a restoration project - lots of smaller shrubs being established to maintain soil quality, among other things.
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6.2
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6.3 - The main rec area. You can see little paths going along the river banks.
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6.4
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6.5 - Floodplains, currently flooded with recent rainfall.
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6.6 - Main freeway connection between Estburn and Grenish.
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6.7 - Main commercial district of Estburn.
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6.8
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6.9
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6.10
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6.11 - And finally, a mosaic skirting up the western edge of Estburn.
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Hope you have enjoyed the update!
Jacob :)

I certainly have enjoyed it, Jacob !

The river banks really look great in this situation, I especially like the river in the middle of the freeway, you've made a great usage of the flora.

At the bottom of the mosaic, I also see your SAM textures in the rural setting, and they look fabulous as well !

Ethan :)

Fine update you've made here. Your flora work is great, as is the textural variety. How long did it take you to put it all together? I would have almost expected to see a bit swampier of a picture in 6.3, but then I've also seen clear water in small channels like that before. Is that part of the restoration plan? It looks like a nice wetland/bird sanctuary. Also, nice work on the rail viaduct in 6.10. The curved trestle is a nice touch. Making the most of your OSITM it seems.
-Matt

The wetlands look great. Especially in the zoomed out view (6.10).

"greener it is better it is"

natural pics are really amazing and you found the way for mixing mayor plop items and classical plop items it's so nice  &apls &apls

I love how your swampy land turned out!  Great use of the two different styles of plopable water!  The overview of the entire area is stunning as well, you really have a good eye for natural detailing!

Lovely pictures, you really create a beautifull nature  :thumbsup:

The natural features are looking very good, a nice update from Estburn.

These pictures are splendid and your nature is fantastic.

The first five photos are so typical of your distinctive style – a style I never tire of admiring and studying. I really like the way you've depicted a flash flood in 6.5 – never saw that done before.

6.10 looks especially good. Once again, I must compliment you on the highway layout, and its conformity to the existing terrain. Wish RL DOTs were as conscious of preserving the natural beauty of the environs as you are! The little village is well placed, too, and looks perfectly natural right where it is.

I looked at 6.11 for quite a while, admiring the detail work and the way you've combined so many elements in such a natural-looking way. I'm not at all sure it's something which can be taught, though – you either have the gift or you don't.

Congratulations, Jacob, on another fine update and a stellar month in OSITM... :thumbsup:
Joan

That river is beautiful!  I love the detail done in creating it, it looks wonderful!  I can see why you got OSITM.

Wow Jacob! Amazing work with the river! How do you decide what goes where? Because the results look awesome!

                  Your friend,
                                 Jordan :thumbsup:

I just love that river and the highway curving around it. Fantastic work! &apls

Unbelievably wonderful!   &apls &apls &apls  I really like 6.2 and 6.5, they're especially well-crafted and looks quite realistic.

Hi everyone,

After not being able to update Riverholm for such a long time, and RL getting busier and busier, I think it has become time for me to call an end to what has been a wonderful (and educational) journey. I still play SC4 every now and then, but nowhere near long enough to pull together enough content for a respectable update.  :'(

I might still post some pictures of Riverholm in various show us your threads in the future, but I can't say it will happen with any consistency.

Mods, feel free to do whatever you do with inactive MD's.

See you around,
Jacob :)

I've been thinking about you lately, Jacob, and wondering what became of you. So sorry to hear you won't be able to continue with Riverholm, but it's completely understandable. We all know SC4 isn't a game you can pick up for 15 minutes at a time like solitaire!

What's more, starting and keeping up with an MD involves an enormous commitment of time. Later, if it no longer fits into your schedule, putting it aside is your best choice. I do hope we'll see some pictures of your work from time to time, though.

Later... :)
Joan

Oh no, that's too bad. But I understand your desicion.  &mmm

ShultzCity,  I for one have been greatly inspired by your work!  Take care!  :)