The Towne

[CSGdesign]

The Towne - Simcity4's only RPG.

This is a fairly unique concept in city journal ideas...
The basic concept is described [here] in a little bit of detail, but basically members of the forum are able to set up a sim's life within The Towne and role-play (as much or as little as you want) the life of your sim, and every decision each player (and NPC, or Non Player Character) makes affects the end result of the game.

Current Mayor - Riiga
Current Town Planner - CSGdesign
Current Game Master - CSGdesign
Current Record Keeper - Gorbag

It's true Natural Growth, but this time instead of one person role-playing the decisions and lives of the sims within the town, many people are, from within the town itself, as members of it.

It has a rich and evolving fabric of rules and form to provide a realistic and enjoyable world, however players don't need to be any more involved than you want to be... the intricacies and depth only exists for the game, and for players that want to explore that level of depth.  You can play without even knowing about it if you want to... just by having a home and watching it grow and evolve as the Towne around your sim evolves.

Currently we have just finished our first season, and are heading into our second season.  Each week of real time represents 6 months of game time, so there's two weeks to a year, with each 6 month season being Summer and Winter alternatively...  Each season we provide an entry showing an over-view of what has occurred in the Towne that season.

Anyone can play!  But you need to be a member of CSGforums to play (for a few reasons).
There's [much more] to it than the diary of it, there's a lot of discussion and planning and suggestions and stuff, so check it out, lurk, and if you want to join in!  The more the merrier!


Click to view full-size render of region before the Towne was established.

[danielcote]

Sounds interesting! I might pitch in when I have the time.

[marsh]

Well, I'm the first elected mayor of The Towne. Every so-often a new mayor will be elected, in which he actually builds the town. I hope this will be a neat concept that people here like.  And as CSG linked, check out the site for all the behind the scenes & in depth stuff about what Is going on.

In the Beginning there was just nature, and nothing else...



This region is a large expanse of the massive freshwater lake,  Mediterranean forests, and all the way to snowy mountain tops.

Swampy areas are frequent. Mostly on the coasts, especially where the river feeds into the lake. The ground generally gets more marshy in the rainier months, creating seasonal streams in many places, and causes the entire valley to be very prone to flooding.





So that was just some stuff I was doing with mayor-mode ploppables while I wait for the Town Planner to decide on our initial settlement.   

[danielcote]

I saw this on the website.

[marsh]

[Thanks to CSGdesign for the writing in this update.]

In 6 months The Towne has grown quite a lot. Mostly because of all the players who joined. Which reminds me, anyone who has a home can find their residencies here.


An over-view of the Towne... north upwards.
Most properties have had some of their land cleared to create the lumber required to make basic cabins, but there is still a lot of natural forest on private property.


The Towne's center, showing from left to right the Post Office (with a hair dresser upstairs and a tiny bar), the Sheriff's Office (which also has an armory and a stable in the back), the General Store on the corner (with storage upstairs), and across the street is a tiny Anglican Chapel and above that is the Town Hall.
Humble beginnings, but as more people flock to The Towne, the CBD will grow.


Here we can see Belmont Street to the left and the right in the fore-ground (we're looking to the east), with Mayor Arsh's tiny ranch on the right, and Gabrog Street stretching to the left near the top of the image. Eric Lopetegui's house can be seen just to the left of the middle of the picture, and to the left of his is Robert Cahill's property, at 10 Gabrog Street.


Looking out over Gwenneth Gutripper's property to the south we're looking at the shallow boggy waterway that seperates the Towne's island from the mainland, with Main Street running away from the Post Office to the south, and then curving to the east.
The small cul-de-sac is Lincoln Street, with Francisco Boss's property on it.
The other properties shown here belong to NPCs... and the small diesel generator that powers the town can also be made out.


This image shows the northern shore of the Towne, looking to the south.  In it you can see Gordon Bagge's property with his newly built stone jetty (letting him fish in deeper waters more easily).  To the right (west) of that you can see Tim Howard's place, and on the opposite side of the road is Carl Grant's place... although the house is obscured by one of the many large trees that still stand on properties throughout the Towne.

[Kcrimsonsim]

makes me want to reach for fishing equipment, I even see the first spots I'd hit and have a strategy laid out! How is the fishing in those parts, what species may I expect to find?

Great work with the wilderness.

[lak47]

Very nice town! Quaint and silent. Just you and nature.

What water mod is that you're using? Or is it all ploppable water? 

[nbvc]

Great idea and fantastic start.

[mave94]

Good start, guys!
Cool those homes in the wood
Good luck

[CoastRunner]

Thanks for all the comments!  We're using a combination of custom content: the Windjammer water mod, Italia Terrain Mod, and Italia Tree Controller, as well as MMPs.  Marsh is currently the one making the city.

[serebii666]

Fantastisch!!!

[CSGdesign]

I'm really pleased you're enjoying reading it.
There's so much more to read about this project in the main thread, it can't possibly all be translated to here... check it out sometime.

Here's a bit of role-play from one of the Towne citizens in the Tavern thread...

Gwenneth Gutripper, 32 Aklish St.


Wow, I can't believe it's almost a year ago alreay since I've moved into The Towne. And so much has happend the past few months!

I've cleared a path towards the stream behind my house. Got me enough wood fom the trees to build me a nice tool and storage shed. Now there's a nice dry place to dry some planks for the finer work, and to store my large tools. My house is so much cleaner now I don't have to store dirty shovels and dusty saws next to my bed. I had to remove some large rocks from the path, and made good use of my pickaxe. Made me some flagstones and put those on the rivers edge. No more muddy boots getting water for the animals and garden! Woohoo!
But it only gets better! Remember when I hung that note at the bar in the postoffice building? ;

Well, guess what: someone brought my shirt back! This guy called Michael Arsh came at my door, and not only was he holding my shirt, he's also the mayor! And kind of good looking too I must admit. We got talking, and it turns out that next to being mayor he makes his money of being a Rancher, and quite a successful one too if I'm to believe him. He even told me how he's planning to build a large ranch out of town in a year or two, and he was suggesting I'd take up the job. Imagine that! A whole ranch! I'd have work for many months on end for sure!.

Ofcourse that would be in a few years, but things still got better. He had another job for me to start on right away! With some inhabitants living quite a distance from the lakeside, more flocking to The Towne, and the boggy waterway near my house only being clear enough for drinkingwater in the spring, he thought it was an urgent matter for a watertower to be built. Needless to say I jumped at the chance! It certainly was more complex then the fences, roofs and shabby shacks I've been building so far, so I made me a few designs first;

Then I spent at least two weeks at sawing all the extra lumber needed. Charles Bach helped out by making all the connection pegs to be used. His furniture making skills sure showed, the pegs were a display of perfection. Then Sasuke Irimachi got to work on making all the foundations. I may be strong, but boy, that guy can haul rocks. The foundations were ready in no time, and he was kind enough to help with erecting the large supports too. I must admit working with him takes some getting used to... he's got quite strong opinions on how to tackle things, and he doesn't take no for an answer. Next to that he was very hard to understand, he's obviously from Japan or China or something, but he does speak some English, kind of. Nevertheless his work is fast and effective. Good thing the watertower is right between his and my house, so we had little trouble getting all materials in by handcart. Mine broke twice trying to get the heavy beams there, but we ended up putting one beam on both our carts, which worked great. Then it was up to me to finish the job.

Despite it being quite cold and sometimes dangerously windy, I loved working on that tower. I can't tell you the joy of working on top of that tower, and seeing my house in the background just over the trees. I feel I really found the place where I want to live and grow old, it's certainly starting to feel like home.
When I finished the watertower it was perfect! Ok, it wasn't. I simply dont have the right tools to make the planks fit tight enough, so the tower leaked water for 3 days straight. After that the wood sucked up enough water to expand so it didn't leak anymore. Good thing the mayor didn't come to check the work while it was still leaking. He was content. Very. And so am I. Finally I've been earning a steady income for the past months, and it won't be long till I can afford a better set of tools, so I can really show what I'm made of!!!

[marsh]

The Towne grows more every day. Most people tend to pack in towards the middle of the town, but some are begining to move out to the outskirts.


In the outskirts, people are beginning to clear land for farms. Until now they have fished and hunted to eat. But as a growing settlement, that cannot last for long. Agriculture needs to come into play some day. Now looks like that day.


The townspeople, wanting a place to meet and discuss matters at hand, have pitched in and are clearing the land in preparation for a Towne Hall. The current Towne Hall, being a single room in the back of the bank, obviously does not suit. Ordinary logs however may not cut it. The local loggers are cutting it into clean boards of lumber. Unlike how many of the crude houses in town are currently built.


The Mainstreet of the town is growing fast. A fire house, the "firetrucks" being just a small pushed cart with a pump on it, a butchers shop, and a currently empty shop which someone built to plainly earn a profit (stores named from left to right). And a water tower was also constructed. Dirty lake water was not cutting it for the people anymore.


A local known as Gwenneth Gutripper made a nice little path down to the river. Many people from over the town bring their animals down there to drink often. Gwenneth kindly allowing locals on this side of town to use it.




A newcomer to the towne know as Willem von Draanen, decided on moving far from town. A nice little Barn/house was constructed on the land. And by the looks of it his first Hop harvest should prove profitable. Quaint place really. Quiet and lonely on the riverside.



The Towne has grown much. The new year should prove interesting.

December, 1920.

[Yan077]

Asolutely delightful pictures  Those lanscapes looks so quiet.... 
I can't wait the future developments of "The towne" !

[AcoG000]

those pics are awesome, marsh! I can't wait to see more from ya...

Cheers

-Aco 

[Tyler]

I think I'm in love...... 

[CSGdesign]

The Towne Hall should be up in a year or so, and that'll greatly increase migration to the Towne I'd say...
Looking forward to seeing where this ends up.

[Orange_o_]

I do not come often enough to see the new MD, it is very sad because I missed probably wonders like yours. bravo!

[bat]

Great beginning of this MD! The pictures are fantastic.

[Terring7]

Very interesting