Cascadia: A Light in the Pacific (Mar. 1, 2012)

[nedalezz]

Apologies and sincere sorrow for your loss. Its always tough to lose a family member. Hope everyone is doing OK.

As for the update, what a gorgeous one! You capture the essence of a snow filled Christmas perfectly

[Tomas Neto]

Fantastic homage to your grandfathers, my friend!!!
Awesome update, really great!!!   

[peter007]

Great update. Love those rivers

[greckman]

Great snow pics Jordan, those are amazing. I really like what you did with that night pic, I like the blue.
Anyway, Congratulations on a year of Cascadia. You've done well with it.
Wishing you a great 2nd year of Cascadia and a better 2011 for you.
-greg (TC/greckman)

[Albus of Garaway]

My deepest sympathies to you and your family.

On a lighter note, a continue to be amazed by the quality of wintertime pictures here!

[Yan077]

Fantastic winter shots and great homage for your grandfathers Jordan !  

I really hope 2011 will be better for you Jordan  

[canyonjumper]

Marshall (marsh): I hope I was at the moment It would be kinds awkward if you were still in the spirit

Travis (travismking): Thanks Travis! Glad you liked the change of pace!

nbvc: Thanks! That was a favourite to many people it seems

Noah (noahclem): Thanks Noah! The bridge came about as I was dragging the road, and I ran into the river So I used one of Glenni's overhanging bridges to bridge the gap and then photoshopped the road texture on (it was originally a street bridge).

Ioan (io_bg): Thanks Ioan! Glad you liked it

Bernhard (Nardo69): Thanks Bernhard! Congrats on the newborn Yeah, I was lucky to have known them as long as I did, I now plenty of people who've never met their grandfathers. I'll always remember them and I know they both would've liked the update.

Ethan (ecoba): Thanks Ethan! I got the inspiration for the winter pics looking at some of the Pic Comp HoF competitors and one of them really piqued my interest in snow landscapes. If you wanted to try your hand, here are the trees: TSC Winter Pines.

Daryl (daryl7478): Thanks Daryl!

Nedal (nedalezz): Thanks Nedal! Thanks for the compliment

Tomas (Tomas Neto): Thanks Tomas, my friend, glad you enjoyed the cold side of Cascadia

Peter (Peter007): Thanks!

Greg (greckman): Thanks Greg! See you this time next year (hopefully )

Albus (Albus of Garaway): Thank you very much Albus

Yann (Yan007): Thanks Yann! It's nice to hear a compliment from such an accomplished landscaper



Now I know you were all hoping for a full update, and much sooner, but I admit I wasn't feeling the drive to play for awhile. Till yesterday, I said to myself, "Really? You'd rather keep dying in Black Ops instead of making creative scenes that won't get newb-tubed?" So I raided the STEX and the LEX and the PLEX looking for new plugins that wouldn't screw my HDD over, and away I went. Wanna see the results of the hour I spent plopping and dragging? Alrighty then, here ya go. Just one image today, as I only had an hour and I got distracted with some of the new CC I installed Remember, as always, click the image for a larger res.

T17-01: Surrey CBD
Yeah, I know right!? A three laned roundabout!! Gotta thank psander5 for this little jem. And yes, don't say "OMFG where are the cars! Where's the Fries? (next time we'll wash your mouth out with soap) Jordan, what happened to Surrey!!!", it's just the consequence of plopping this stuff down. I haven't hidden away traffic generators yet.

So yeah..... that's all I've got.... Don't give me that look, it's not my fault I got a PS3 for Christmas! OK, fine, maybe it is my fault that I neglected SC4 for 2 weeks, but a guy's entitled to a few weeks off. Ok, now I'm just wasting your time. So I'll see you guys next time! Oh wait, I have a little bit of history first

November 1^st, 2011: An agreement is made between Canada, US, and Mexico to coordinate the battle against gangs, drug smuggling and other assorted criminal acts plaguing the North American continent.

January 1^st, 2013: The Turks and Caicos Islands joins Canada as the 11^th province.

March 22^nd 2013: Puerto Rico is admitted into the US as the 51st state.

June 4^th, 2014: India annexes Bangladesh, after buying up the last of it's resources. It's alleged that India was secretly using obscure companies to slowly cut off Bangladeshi trade.

                   Your friend,
                                  Jordan

[RickD]

Great shot, Jordan!




But where are the cars? 

[scott1964]

Great shot, Jordan!




But where are the cars? 

He invented invisible cars.  Great shot of Surrey. 

[ecoba]

Quite a lovely teaser, Jordan. May I ask what building it is in the sunken plaza?


Ethan

[Nego]

Nice update, CanyonJumper, even if it was only one pic. It looks great, even though there aren't many vehicles. The history is nice, too. Though if on March 22nd 2013: Puerto Rico is actually admitted into the US as the 51st state, I will give you $1,000 USD. Haha! Not really. But still, that would be pretty funny, and cool, if that did happen! Anyway, can't wait for your next update!

[Albus of Garaway]

Beautiful! Makes me want to play right now...

Jason

[noahclem]

Great use of jasoncw's buildings and psander's new roundabout filler! Don't have too much fun with that PS3 

[Skimbo]

Nice teaser, Let's see if your PS3 gives you some free time to continue building your cities

[Battlecat]

That was a great find.  Nice shot there!

[mave94]

I love your cities
and I like the history you add to your updates
waiting for more!

-Matthijs-

[bat]

The teaser is looking really nice!
Nice work!
Looking forward to more...

[Tomas Neto]

Wow my friend, fantastic picture and nice teaser!!!   

[canyonjumper]

Raphael (RickD): They're invisible Nah, it's an effect of plopping buildings instead of growing them. I usually place traffic generators to counteract that, but I forgot

Scott (scott1964): Thanks Scott!

Ethan (ecoba): As I told you in my PM, that is the Gardener Building on the STEX. I'd link you but ST is down (what a surprise )

Nego: Thanks Nego! Hope you enjoy this update then

Jason (Albus of Garaway): Hope this has the same effect

Noah (noahclem): Of course not, why would I ever have fun with a PS3? Thanks

Skimbo: So far it has Thanks for the comment!

Battlecat: Thanks!

Matthijs (MrMAvE94): Thank you!

bat: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this

Tomas (Tomas Neto): Thanks my friend!

Well, it's been over a month since the last update, so I spent some time today crafting today's small, but hopefully enjoyable update. My exams are all over, and I'm starting with a clean slate on Monday, with slacker classes For today's update I constructed the areas specifically for the pic, seeing as Surrey is still a WIP. Heavy FLuP usage in these pics, as you'll see As always, click each pic for higher-res.

37-01:
Welcome to Downtown Surrey! Through the picture we can see the Surrey stretch of the Trans-Cascadian Highway, reduced to an avenue in the congested atmosphere of downtown. The SLR (Surrey Light Rail) line in this picture is heavily used, espeically in the winter months, because most of it is underground.

37-02:
Suburbia. This is the Whalley neighbourhood, a mix of wealthy and well-off families living in medium to large homes.

37-03:
A night shot of downtown Surrey. As you can see, the Trans-Cascadian Hwy is still heavily used, even at 10PM. The same can't be said of the main avenues of downtown however. The streets are basically deserted every Sunday night, as fog tends to form around this time every week, and no one wants to end up in a fiery wreck.

37-04:
Welcome to Rainier National Park, part of the Cascades Range National Parks. It houses the dormant volcano of Rainier, at 4392 metres high. This picture was taken on January 31, 2024, three years before the famous 2027 eruption that claimed over 500 000 lives. A heavy snowfall had just taken place, and logging was at it's worst, the Hart administration allowing logging on certain national parks, Rainier included. By 2023, Mt. Rainier NP had been stripped of 80% of it's trees.

37-05:
At 4:47:34 PM, on January 3rd, 2027, Mount Rainier erupted with the same force as Mount Tambora in 1815. The ash cloud reached 52 kilometres high, and was spread across the cloud, with areas directly around the volcano receiving over 5 centimetres of ash. Vancouver Int'l, Abbotsford Int'l, Portland Int'l, Seattle Int'l, and many other major and minor airports were immediately closed, as ash clogs aircraft engines. As it was, 3 aircraft went down directly after the eruption. Pyroclastic flows raced over 5 kilometres into the surrounding forests, killing any living things caught in it's path. Route 123 was rendered inaccessible due to lahars and hundreds of small rockslides. Officially, 103 people died in the eruption and ensuing disasters. The catastrophe was classified on the Volcanic Explosivity Index as a 7, and the strongest eruption since the Indonesian volcano Tambora erupted in 1815.

37-06:
Mount Mazama was a stratovolcano in the Cascades range in present day Oregon. Circa 5600 BCE, the mountain was utterly destroyed in a VEI 7 eruption that tore away about 53 square kilometres of the mountain. All that was left was the collapsed magma chamber, known as a caldera. Over the last seven thousand years, the caldera has filled with water to become today's Crater Lake. [click image for a larger image. Beware though, PNG]

I've redone Cascadia's independence yet again, hopefully for the last time Here you go!

1958

May 1: Cascadian War of Independence. At 6 PM (VLAT), Soviet fighter jets take off from Vladivostok and fly rapidly to Seattle, arriving simultaneously with the Navy. Saboteurs take out most of the military installations and anti-aircraft guns on the West Coast, making the Soviet invasion basically unimpeded. Only 2 fighters are downed. The fighters immediately move south and take Salem and Portland. The Army disembarks and forms a 2.5 km cordon around downtown Seattle. The USAF base in Tacoma is obliterated. US Army bases in the Seattle and Portland areas are placed under Soviet control.

May 2: News of the invasion reaches the White House, which immediately declares war on Russia and the Cascadian separatists. The USAF launches an full-fledged attack on the Soviets, dropping bombs on the Navy fleet still offshore Seattle.

May 5: Soviets finish setting up anti-aircraft guns on the tops of buildings in downtown Seattle and Portland. USAF jets are shot down in large amounts due to an incompetent commander. A mole in the US Army sells crucial intel on a bombing run to the Soviet-Cascade forces. The path and number of planes are given away, giving the Cascade-Russo time to set up a virtually invisible net across their path.

May 9: Battle of Tillamook. Russo-Cascade forces locate US troops operating in Tillamook, Oregon, and enact a pincer movement, which the US squadron doesn't realize is there unless it's too late. The whole unit is slaughtered.

May 11: Civilians on the West Coast demand the US go into peace talks with the invading army. President Nixon refuses.

May 15: Richard Holmes and Nikita Khrushchev ask for Canadian Military support from the province of British Columbia. PM Diefenbaker politely declines, not wishing to anger the US.

May 23: Siege of Portland. After weeks of scouting, the area surrounding Portland is deemed clear and the Russo-Cascade forces occupy the city. The US Army begins it's siege of the city.

June 1: The United Nations forces the warring countries to peace talks in Vancouver.

June 13: Nixon walks out amid peace talks with Nikita Krushev, Robert Holmes, and Diefenbaker, forcing the UN to place economic sanctions against the US, until Nixon agrees to return to the table.

June 14: In an operation led by a US Black Ops team, several anti-aircraft installations are blown up. The UN members vote to temporarily suspend the US' membership.

June 18: 7:49 PM -  A magnitude 9.6 earthquake occurs off the coast of Kodiak Island, AK. The ensuing tsunami devastates Kodiak, AK and Anchorage is severely damaged. Across the Pacific, cities along the coast are swamped. Prince Rupert is struck by a 5.7 metre wave three hours after the quake. The Queen Charlotte Islands are inundated, and several villages along the west coast of Vancouver Island are washed away, including Tofino and Ucluelet. A 6 metre wave inundated the Alberni Fjord, striking Port Alberni three times. Three quarters of the town is destroyed. In Hilo, officials evacuated the residents in preparation of the oncoming tsunami, so casualties are low. The Pacific Coast felt effects all the way to San Francisco, where boats in the harbour were carried by the wave three feet in the air. Aftershocks were felt for another two years, the strongest being magnitude 7.1. This earthquake is the strongest earthquake on record.

June 19: Relief floods into the affected areas, helping the stunned victims locate shelter, food, and clean water. An aftershock of 6.7 strikes Anchorage, killing a further 28 people who were in a building when it collapsed. Residents on Kodiak Island are ferried to Anchorage, where they receive medical care, and phone access.

June 20: Tourists around Lassen Volcanic National Park spot a steam plume halfway up the mountain. Large cracks appear in the flank of the volcano, and earthquakes occur approximately every hour. Part of the South flank collapses. The resulting landslide cuts off Route 89. Volcanic Alert raised to Red.

June 21: An aftershock of 7.1 strikes Kodiak Island. No casualties are reported.

June 22: In response to the recent earthquake and tsunami, Nixon agrees to return to the table.

June 23: Lassen Peak explodes violently in the climax of its recent activity. The entire East flank collapses, sending an avalanche of superheated rock and gas 4 kilometres away. The snow on the peak melts, creating a liquid lahar that rushes down Lost Creek. The explosion sent an ash column 11.3 km into the sky, and was visible from Eureka 240 km away. 43 casualties, 34 of which are tourists driving on Route 89, the other nine were scientists studying the effects of the water in Helen Lake.

June 24: Treaty of Vancouver. Upon hearing of the Lassen Peak disaster, Nixon immediately signs the Treaty of Vancouver, which ends the Cascadian Revolution. The Treaty recognizes the Pacific Republic of Cascadia, and gives the Soviets fishing and oil rights in Cascadian waters and trading rights with the nation. The Republic will come into being on February 1, 1959. Nixon tells a reported 'off-the-record' that he didn't want to deal with the aftermath of the catastrophes.

June 25: The UK, France, Spain, Russia, and several other countries send relief aid to the Pacific Coast, both for the tsunami and the devastating volcanic eruption.

June 27: A third aftershock of 6.7 strikes Anchorage. A fire starts near city hall after a power line collapses. The fire is doused, but not before city hall and and several other buildings are burned to the ground. A large crack appears in the middle of Minnesota Drive.

July 3: As a nation in turmoil, Cascadia elects a temporary government with Holmes at the head. Holmes immediately airs a live broadcast that states his heartfelt gratitude to the relief money his nation has received, for only being in existence a few days.

To Be Continued...

Well, that's it for this installment of Cascadia! Hope you enjoyed reading!

                  Your friend,
                                   Jordan

[nbvc]

Nice update.