Commonwealth of Marathon

[Luke09]

i liked the sugestions  ,but i think the "repetition" of the parks is something necessary,in RL parks,we have some repetition too...

[thundercrack83]

Guillaume (Sciurus): Hi, there, Guillaume! You know, you're right—all is possible! Thank you so much, my friend. You've helped to shift my thinking on this!

Luke (Luke09): Ha! I'm pretty curious to see what ends up there, too!

bat: Thank you so much, bat!

Dan (dsrwhat316): Hi, Dan! Thank you so much with you help on finding diagonal buildings, as well as your advice on the area, my friend! I've actually never been over to Capital SimCity, so it's a breath of fresh air! Oh, and you're very welcome for the birthday wishes, too, my friend! I hope you enjoyed yourself! Take care!

Alex (Driftmaster07): That's great thinking, Alex! Why I never put the Marathon / Québec / Parisian buildings connection together prior to this, I don't know! Thank you so very much, my friend!

nrmn67: Hi, there! That's one of my favorite tricks to do! Use one building in multiple plops in the same area to give the feeling of either one big building or a complex. Excellent idea! Thanks for stopping by!

metarvo: Indeed, the transition is what has been vexing me a bit, but I'm getting my head wrapped around things a bit better now, so we'll what happens!

Jayson (sithlrd98): Hi, Jayson! Thank you so much for all those diagonal building suggestions, my friend! I really like the canal idea, too, though I used a similar technique in the Abitibi Square area from UPDATE XXXII: Developing Abitibi Square. Maybe I'll give it a shot anyway, and see how it looks! Thanks for all your help, and I hope to see you again soon!

Joan (Jmouse): Good idea, Joan! I think I may be over-analyzing the area a bit and I wasn't even putting anything down to see how it looked! I will definitely be keeping your journalism teacher's advice in the back of my head, not only for this area, but for everywhere. Take care, my friend!

Adam (Ennedi): Hi, there, Adam! It's so wonderful to see you here in Marathon, my friend! I'm happy that you're enjoying what you're seeing, and I also thank you for your fantastic input on our current conundrums! I hope to see you around again soon, my friend, as your advice is always indispensible!

David (Simpson): Hello, my friend! Thank you, again, for your fantastic suggestions! Like I said before, I am overjoyed that you've taken the time to put so much thought into this!

Joe (JoeST): Hi, Joe! It took me a second to figure out what was different about your final picture, but when I found it, I like it! The random asymmetry and controlled chaos is a wonderful concept! Even if it doesn't show up here, I will be keeping it in mind for other projects, too! Thanks again, my friend!

Luke (Luke09): Thanks, Luke! I agree with you, too, on repetition. Sometimes it can be used to give a positive effect. It's easy to go overboard with it, though, so you do have to be careful!



Well, more outstanding suggestions and thoughts on this area, friends! You guys are absolutely fantastic!

I would like to say thank you, especially to our good friends David (Simpson) and Joe (JoeST), for taking the time to illustrate to their thoughts in such wonderful detail. Unfortunately, though, I'm unable to heed your thoughts on the road networks, since the symmetrical "over-the-top" feel of it was a major part of the entire project from the outset. But please don't worry, your ideas and critiques are in my head and will definitely be in my trains of thought on the next area of the city. This entire diagonal bedlam has been a gigantic learning experience for me, thanks to your wonderful thoughts on things!

Also, many thanks to two more great friends of Marathon—Guillaume (Sciurus) and Alex (Driftmaster07)—for their thoughts on one thing that I had been toiling over in my mind, the Parisian W2W buildings. As Guillaume pointed out, anything is possible, which helped me get out of the box that I had previously thinking, and Alex's brilliant connection between the Parisian buildings and the Marathon / Québec connection cemented it for me! Thank you, friends, for your very helpful thoughts!

So! Here's where we stand now...

I've filled the previously-marked "?" sections with Parisian W2Ws, leaving only the "B" sections to be filled in.

But how will the "B" section be filled in? My plan is to approach less as "building to the diagonals," as I had been doing in the smaller sections of the inner rings, but more along the lines of how things were conceptualized in the Abitibi Square section with larger-sized lots. I can only handle building three and four 2x3s for so long before my head starts to spin!

That's the latest! There's much more work to be done, but probably not until this weekend as Friday, I'll be headed to Chocolatetown, USA—Hershey, Pennsylvania—for the Bruce Springsteen concert at Hersheypark Stadium.

Stay tuned!

[KoV Liberty]

Looks Awesme! Cannot wait for more!

EDIT: Have a great time!
EDIT 2: Some of your previous updates (pics) are disapearing. I noticed this when reviewing your previous updates.

Alex

[nrmn67]

That is a huge square. And I am not sure I like it. There seems to be something missing. All these trees distract from the place and make it look like undeveloped land. The dome looks a bit forlorn in this vastness.

Here some thoughts:
- less trees
- less roads
- more focal points like fountains

- or change it to a park. Now it looks a bit inbetween a park and a square.

But I am sure you will find the perfect solution.

[JoeST]

I have to say, its looking good

But I also have to (kinda) agree with nrmn67, in that it looks very gray from that (the picture) high up... rather communist

Maybe its just the seasonal trees. You should consider sticking some fountains/other focal points, as he suggests or use different . It might lighten the mood?

Joe

[bat]

Great work on that square! It looks fantastic!

[sithlrd98]

Dustin, I was thinking ...instead of making diagonal areas , since you are knowledgeable in LE that maybe you could just "lot" the NAM curves. It is something that I have done but could not get the TE/pathing correct. I'm not 100 percent sure if this is meant to be just an eye candy area or if it is intended to be functional. That way , it doesn't matter what/how each area around the complex is themed since you could just create full quads in LE.

Just my 2 cents....

Jayson

[Pat]

Dustin looking amazing there and BTW wasnt you just at Hersey PA not to long ago lol gezzzs.... I swear your choco addiction is getting to you lol...

[rooker1]

Hey Dustin,
Love the area just the way it is and wouldn't suggest a thing to you.
For the next section, I think I might continue with the W2W and at the ends where no more houses can fit, make some of your great parks.

BTW...my home computer will be down for a week.  The company that made my hard drive says they can retrieve most of the info, if not all.  So I'm just going to wait.

Robin 

[Luke09]

Nice,I love those parisian buildings...porkissimo stuff is really cool...

[Battlecat]

Nifty addition!  I like the way that area is turning out!

[Nexis4Jersey]

Ah do I smell a Euro theme brewing in your city?   
The "Boss" is @ Hershey's   

[thundercrack83]

Alex (Driftmaster07): Thanks, Alex! And if you could do me a favor and point me toward a specific place where pictures are disappearing, I'd appreciate it. We'll see if we can't get that straightened out for you! Thanks so much for reporting it, my friend!

nrmn67: Hi, there! Thank you very much for your input and suggestions, my friend!

Joe (JoeST): Hey, Joe! Communist, eh? Now that gives me an idea! Ha! Just kidding. You're right on the "grey" feel, though, I think it may be from the concrete textures, not the trees. We'll see what we can do!

bat: Vielen Dank!

Jayson (sithlrd98): Hi, Jayson! On the advice of Dan (dsrwhat316), I had tried this avenue for lotting the area originally, but I kept running into problems with the textures overlapping the roads in different places, as well as trying to get things to line up. I wanted to take that route much more than the puzzle piece one that I employed, since it would have given the freedoms that you described, but unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned! Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend, and for your help! It is always appreciated!

Pat: Ha! I think it's less of a chocolate addiction than a Springsteen addiction for me! Thanks for coming by, Pat! It's always great to have you here, my friend!

Robin (rooker1): Hi, Robin! I'm so happy to hear that the hard drive company may be able to retrieve your information, my friend! That's wonderful news! And thanks, as always, for your support here in Marathon! Hope to see you again soon!

Luke (Luke09): Thanks! I'm a huge fan of the Paris buildings, too. I'm glad you guys talked me into using them!

Battlecat: Thanks, my friend!

Corey (Nexis4Jersey): Well, not so much as a "theme," more of a "hint," perhaps? Thanks for stopping by, Corey!



A bit of an experiment...

Scaling back on the "park" sections of the inner ring a bit, and mixing things up with some SAM streets running between the two rings. Still a few kinks to be worked out, but I think this will resolve the "Communist conundrum" that Joe (JoeST) mentioned with the overload of grey, as well as the emptiness that seems to be present, too. In addition, by breaking up some of the Paris building sections, it adds some asymmetry to what is otherwise a staunchly symmetrical area.

One of these days, we'll get this section finished, I promise!

In a bit!

[sithlrd98]

Jayson (sithlrd98): Hi, Jayson! On the advice of Dan (dsrwhat316), I had tried this avenue for lotting the area originally, but I kept running into problems with the textures overlapping the roads in different places, as well as trying to get things to line up. I wanted to take that route much more than the puzzle piece one that I employed, since it would have given the freedoms that you described, but unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned! Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend, and for your help! It is always appreciated!

Not sure what you are talking about , unless you are referring to what Dan does in his MD as it isn't the same as what I'm talking about.Of course , if it is what I'm talking about,then now I know why Dan never did that , although the only problem I ever had with it was the TE aspect since I really stink at it

Jayson

[darraghf]

I think you should get rid of the brock street that goes through the back of the parisian buildings. It looks like an eyesore. That's just my opinion
-Rainyday

[io_bg]

^ I think the same, too ^

[KoV Liberty]

I was just searching some of the Centinental Quay and pics mostly on pages 35-43. Although there could be others. BTW not all pics are gone just a few that I am aware of.

Alex

[bat]

Nice new pictures of that square! It looks great!

[art128]

Looks great there Dustin, I like the square with the Parisian W2W, it's look very real ! But as you can see, there's no soo much corner buildings to go where we can see the wall of some one, I think try with some Prepo's W2W, It's sure it maybe doesn't looks great, but we can try !
Looking forward to more..

Take care,
-Arthur.

[thundercrack83]

Jayson (sithlrd98): Hey, Jayson! Hmmm...sorry, my friend. I thought you were referring to the same technique that Dan (dsrwhat316) had employed. I will definitely look at your method, too, as I am sure there is great stuff to learn there as well! My apologies, again. Take care!

darraghf: Eyesore, eh? Well, we can't have that, can we! Thanks for your input!

io_bg: Thank you, too, my friend! And Happy Birthday!

Alex (Driftmaster07): Thank you so much, Alex. I will check those pages out, as well as my Photobucket account to make sure that all is in order, and I will certainly get back to you about it and let you know.

bat: Thank you, my friend!

Arthur (art128): Thanks for your suggestions, Arthur!



Well, I think I've got it...

...What I should have done in the first place! Filled the section in with the diagonal W2Ws, just as many of you had suggested from the beginning! Oh, well, I guess I'll know better for next, eh?

All that is left to do is fill in the holes inside the rings of Parisian buildings, and then it's on to...

...the edges!

Oh, and starting today here at SC4Devotion, elections for the Spring 2009 class of MD Hall of Fame MDs have opened and will run until May 22. The Commonwealth of Marathon is a nominee, but no matter who you want to vote for, head over to the ballots and cast your vote for the next batch of Hall of Famers! With any luck, maybe Marathon will make it!

Stay tuned for more!