Commonwealth of Marathon

[turtle]

Hi Dustin,

Very nice updates. Good tutorial, very precise   
I'm really looking forward to seeing some development.
Nice lot also. But I guess you're looking at quite some LE'ing if you want to break up the symmetry of the waterfront on the whole island. I agree on that people would make it come alive, maybe add some small shops or restaurants on the lowest level. An idea could be to make variations on the size of the levels in different places, say give the lowest level one or two more tiles some places and vice versa for the middle level. Just an idea, though, it's your game

'till the next
Thomas

[Earth quake]

Wow, nice update Dustin.

I like your quay, good work. 

[kimcar]

  Excellent look your highway . Very well done. Also i`m glad that you still play with LE, and what you did it`s not bad at all. Looking forward have fun

[bluesinjid]

Congrats to the best seller section and the hall of fame picture comp!
This is really a great cj!

[thundercrack83]

Pat: Hello, Patrick! Thanks for the tip on the people, I completely forgot about them!

Lilojame: Hi! Thank you for the planter box idea, my friend! I'll see what I can do!

Alex (Tarkus): Don't worry about missing updates, Alex—you've got way more important stuff to deal with around here! Thanks for your generous support, and I hope to see you back, my friend!

Joan (Jmouse): Actually, there are supposed to be some benches on the lots, but they're obscured by the fences from the retaining walls. Just another lesson learned, I guess. And speaking of lessons learned, thanks very much for the tip on hitting N to cycle through the props in a family! It's become invaluabale!

Arthur (art128): Thanks, Arthur!

Thomas (turtle): You've brought up some great points, my friend! I plan to put them into action, too, as soon as I get the hang of the LE a bit more. Thanks for stopping in!

Earth quake: Thanks so much, my friend!

kimcar: Thank you! The LE has become much more fun, now that I'm getting the hang of things. I still do a whole lot of searching blindly for props, though, which can be frustrating. Take care!

bluesinjid: Thank you for your support!



Still toiling away in the LE.

I've made some adjustments with some of the lots. I now have a 1x1, a 2x1, and a 4x1...

The above shows the 4x1, to which I've added some benches (or should I say "visible benches") and people. I'll have to move that group of people off the walls next time I go in! Also, I'm not sure about the little graphic glitch going on either, but that should clear up...I hope...

And...

Here's the 1x1 (left) and half of the 2x1 (right). Using prop families will help randomize the tables on the 1x1, easing my pain a bit!

Now, a quick question—a lot of folks have suggested adding restaurants, food stands, and the like to these lots. I like the idea very much, but am having trouble locating these types of props in the LE. If anyone can point out where they'd be, it would be very much appreciated!

Now, something a bit different as a teaser, since I've been hitting the LE rather heavily as of late...

A quick shot of the Central Marathon Bus Terminal!

We'll be heading back to highways probably this weekend, so stay tuned!

[Lilojame]

Hey there, my friend!
If I am not wrong then you double-posted the pictures (but I might be wrong). I was looking around fro the pack with those things also not long ago alas, I didnt find it either. :/
As far I see, you are doing great in the LE! And the teaser picture looks great!

I am tuned. 

EDIT: Sweet! I love how the 1x1 with tables looks!

[Pat]

Hey Dustin that looks so much more alive now!!! Looking real good!!! Where's the glitch at as I dont even see it, all I see is the shadow on the wall there from the tree...

[Jmouse]

Dustin, when I look back at page 4 here and see the lots you started out with, then note the progress you've made in one short week, I can predict a shining future for you in lot editing! Honestly, it turned out to be way too complicated for me so I learned to BAT instead.

Sorry I don't have access to my prop lists and cross index at the moment, but I don't recall seeing any food vendors per se. I do see a couple of possibilities, but they're a bit off the wall so let's see if there are some more sensible ideas forthcoming. Meanwhile, looks like you have an impressive CBD going for you and lots of activity. You're moving so fast I'm beginning to think you're either Superman or triplets!

Later...
Joan

[M4346]

You know, first you inspired me to do sunken highways (and I might add I am busy with that... ) and now you are practically forcing me to do some re-lotting as well! Only because the results of your endeavours are so successful and inspiring!

I have always been kind of lazy and only re-lot what I have to (mainly for releases or friends), but I guess if I'm serious about MDing I'll have to follow in your - and others' - footsteps! 

[bat]

Nice work on the LE there, Great pictures, too!!

[art128]

these lots look good Dustin, great work. I love the last picture, very splendid  You've done an excellent job around Feroxx station 

[Earth quake]

Nice update my friend, I particularity like the bus termainl, excellent lot. 
I really love your Quay. 

Just Dustin, it's a excellent update, go on this excellent work.

[metarvo]

Absolute beauty, Dustin!   I sympathize with Joan in saying that I prefer the BAT over the LE.  I've never been able to get anything that I consider to be good out of the LE myself, so I truly appreciate good LOTting.  I look forward to seeing the highways that you mentioned.

[thundercrack83]

Lilojame: Thanks for catching my picture error, I've fixed it! And thanks for your kind words, too, my friend!

Pat: Thanks, my friend! I guess that is the tree's shadow, not a glitch. Sorry about that! Thanks for stopping by!

Joan (Jmouse): Thanks so much, Joan! Progress is all I can hope for with the LE at this point. As long as I'm moving forward, at any rate of speed, I'm happy! And no, unfortunately, I'm neither Superman, nor triplets! I just have some trouble sleeping!

M (M4346): Thank you! I'm so glad that Marathon is inspiring you, my friend! That means so much to me to hear! I can't wait to see what you come up with! Take care!

bat: Thank you, bat!

Arthur (art128): Thanks! I am a big fan of that station, even though I decided to use it as a bus station, rather than the train station for which it was intended. Either way, it's great!

Earth quake: Thank you so much! I appreciate your continued support!

metarvo: I envy you and Joan for taking to the BAT, my friend. I've look at some tutorials and just turned away. It seems so complicated to me. Thank you for coming by!

UPDATE VI
The Highway is Alive Tonight
Part I: So, Baby, Do Not Be Frightened
9 November 2008

Before we get started, I must offer a bit of a preface—well, more a disclaimer and an apology...

As of this moment, there is no RHW in Marathon. Not because I do not like the RHW, I love it! But, for me, the RHW is much like the piano—I like it very much, but I'm very proficient. So I'd like to extend this apology to my good friend Alex (Tarkus) for not showcasing his groundbreaking work here...yet! Rest assured, Alex, once I get my RHW chops, the Marathon Department of Transportation will be developing some plans!

With that out of the way, we'll bring back the Blueprint Map.

Remember this? Well, we've made a new one...

And now, starting with Tile A, we'll proceed in the game, using the sunken highway method employed here in UPDATE V: Sunken Highways, A Tutorial.

Here...

...we have Tile A, unscathed. Time to scathe it!

We've dug the trench for the highway, and now it's time to place it.

But now we've got a bit of an issue with the terrain. No matter! Just break out...

...the great Highway OnSlope puzzle piece, which is found in your Highway Submenu under Custom Interchanges. Just hit [Shift] + [Tab] four times to get there.

With that in place, we can lay the rest of the highway!

Done! So we move on to Tile C...

...where the highway is put into place here, as well. But again, as the picture shows, we've got a grade to handle.

This time, we just let the Slope Mod (I'm not sure which one I'm using, sorry!)...

...do its thing!

But why does the highway stop there? Well, I'm sure you can guess why, but we'll get to that at a later date.

Moving on to Tile D, which was the proving ground for the tutorial in Update V. We start by laying some Hole Digger Lots, and we get...

...this. And then...

...this. And finally...

...this, which I've brought over from the tutorial to show the finished product. If you'd like to see this tile put together in more detail, head back on back to Update V! Go ahead—we'll wait for you here!

Tile E is pretty straight-forward, and Tile F has no highway on it, so we skip to...

...Tile G, where the Hole Diggers go to work and the highway is in place.

So we'll continue with Tile H—

where I use avenue pieces to line up where the trench should be dug. Then...

...dig it...

...and place the highway!

So, where do we stand so far?

Right about there.

But what about Tile B? Why was that...

...and what looks to be a tunnel in that golden circle, skipped? Hmmm....

We'll conclude Part I here, and pick up with Part II next time!

[Pat]

Dustin what can I say but wow!!! I cant wait for part II!!!

[Lilojame]

  Very interesting and well done! Darn, you actualy inspired me do go and do some roads around.  But realy, Dustin, you are doing a superb work! I have to say, that I also like the way the transport map looks. It couldnt be any better.
PS: If you wont find those food vendors etc. you can send me pm and I might bat them out.

I realy enjoy every visit in here!
Looking foward to see the part 2!

[thundercrack83]

Pat: Thanks, my friend! Part II will be coming shortly, I promise!

Lilojame: Thank you so much for stopping by, and for your generous offer to BAT food vendors! I'll have to send a PM your way!



I'm at my girlfriend's house outside of  Allentown, PA —yes, that Allentown, for my fellow Billy Joel fans —and I am away from my computer, so I don't have anything new to show right now.

In the meantime, however, I'd invite you to head over to Mind Scape, where my very good friend Robin (rooker1) is not only showing some great stuff with elevated rails right now, but also constantly putting your mind to work with trivia, riddles, and other great brain teasers. If you haven't stopped in there yet, I'd suggest you do it now!

Meanwhile, I'll be back home tomorrow afternoon or evening, where we'll pick things up here in Marathon with Part II.

And speaking of Part II, if anyone has any advice on the laying of the highways for Marathon Island that they'd care to share, please do so! I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

[Earth quake]

Excellent update dustin.
Good work for your Highway.

Go on your beautiful work.

[dedgren]

I slipped into feeling like I was viewing a really nice technical PowerPoint presentation as I read through the last update, Dustin.  You have a future, my friend, with PADOT.

Seriously, CoM (and its author) are earning some serious chops as a place to come and find out stuff.  Plus, it just looks cool.

Well deserved top-rated in posts last week, my friend.  That's not the last time that will happen, I'm sure.


David

[tooheys]

Some great updates since my last visit Dustin .

I see you have made some adjustments to the lots along the seawalls, looking good.

Marathon is coming along nicely, the hwy and walls are well done and I like the tutorial approach. I see you did mention the NAM and was wondering if you had considered using the 45degree hwy bends?

Looking forward to more.

Cheers

Dave