non-asian branch of SimFox' pixel torture chamber

[Une_ame]

TY mightygoose for those amazing pics .

Talking about CAM, a plop is soooooo simple ....

[SimFox]

[cameron1991]

 
That looks incredible! 
I can't wait for this to be released!

[Shadow Assassin]

Wow, this looks great!

Though, I don't know why, but it lacks a certain presence in its upper floors, it's quite insubstantial, in the sense the edges of the glass aren't well-defined...


Oh yeah, and I can't wait to see the nightlights on this baby.

[mightygoose]

im assuming that although you have put in the windows, you are going to add the triangular shapes on the ends of the wings and also the remaining mech floors...but apart from that great progress so far, btw are the blinds generated using some kind of average deviation array tool? like you make one, give max a 40% height variance and then array?

[SimFox]

"Triangular shapes" - the steel Chevron Braces providing rigidity for the tips of the winds are actauly there. There are not outside but inside glass curtain wall. if you look carefully you can still make them out:



Of course on the observation deck levels they are clearly seen. I might still make glass lighter so that internal structures could be better seen...
Yep on the topic of blinds...

[tcx]

 

amazing !!!!!

can't wait to see this available for download, I think I'll need to install CAM just to have this.

[JoeST]

you sir are INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1, thanks for sharing your crazy creations with us

Joe

[mightygoose]

now that is what im talking about...

[mmorales2]

Beautiful. Im sorry that didn't come out right. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful work Fox. Do you have any idea what you r going to do for the base? But thank you for making such wonderful BATs. 

[SimFox]

Base?? I'm not sure what you're talking about... basically the tower is "baseless"... Or do you mean lot?
I'll be making underground shopping mall  though...

[mmorales2]

I know it is Baseless right now, but I was wondering if you have any ideas right now. An underground shopping mall sounds very cool! How big do you think the base is going to be? I would like to say again, Nice Work



I know it is Baseless right now, but I was wondering if you have any ideas right now.

That didn't come out right. Do you have an idea what you plan on making it look like. Ex: Gardens around the building, many trees, etc.

MOD EDIT: Combined a double post, please use the modify button, rather than double posting - Fred

[SimFox]

mmorales2
I still don't get what do you mean by base... sorry. The tower is as is, it will just rise from the ground the way it is currently do. Nothing more comes "around" it. The mall is extending underground withing the limits of the "pyramid" you see. So as such it would be seen only at night. Original also will be linked with underground station. So I may consider to do it as well to help with the traffic this large structure will generate. Real thing will be housing around 25000 people in various capacities - it is a multifunctional complex with offices, apartments and hotel. But I guess for the game it should be just limited to office. And the retail at the base... but it wouldn't be all that large as tower is constructed right next to what is gonna be biggest mall in Europe and 2nd or third larges in the world (Four Seasons Mall) and it gonna be ready sometimes next year.


Here is a little progress:

[Shadow Assassin]

Where is Russia getting all their money to do these massive projects?

I suppose it's probably one of those super-building fads that seem to be gripping the Middle East...

Love the detail on the base, though...

[SimFox]

yeah the question of money... where do they come from and where to the run out to!?!

First of all, all that construction is done with private money.

Situation that Marcszar described isn't quite accurate anymore. Development had spilled over from Moscow and even all so called Million cities (those with population larger then 1 million) to midsized and even smaller cities. Given that vast majority of population in the country lives in such places it has become mass process, not some isolated cases. Naturally there are still some depressed areas and there will always be some, Russia is just too big for situation to be even, but situation today is radically different then say 7 years ago when there was Moscow and nothing round it.

Investment (foreign one) does play noticeable role in Russian economy. But it isn't quite a source of grow, rather the consequence of one. Here are numbers for last 3 years:
2005 53,62 billion US$
2006 55,109 billion US$
2007 120,2 Billion US$

And that in times when all you can read/hear in western mass media how bad situation is. And how wrong Putins government had been conducting affairs. Of course it is mostly due to policies of the state in oil and gas extraction industries. Western multinationals had been methodically and continuesly pushed out of this sector. Well, their loss. But situation isn't quite different say in Norway. As a result of such policies most of that FDI nowadays flows in other sectors of economy working to achieve Putin's goal of diversification of the economy.
And here are numbers to illustrate the trend - industrial output growth last April (year 2008  to year 2007)
Overall industrial output 9,2%
Overall manufacturing 14,9%
   passenger cars 28,8%
   cement 11,2%
Mining industries (including oil, gaz, metals) 0,6%
well numbers suggest policies are working... economy seems to grow in the right direction

Record food prices had given russian agriculture huge boost as well. April's (again year on year) meat production is up 18,9%

Oil prices on the other hand is a mixed bag... Positive effect of those nowadays is dubious. Unlike some gulf states Russia not just world's larges producer but also one of the largest consumer of the stuff. Plus, traditionally russian industries and transport weren't geared to be energy efficient. So high prices although filling countries coffers with piles of foreign cash do have negative effect on overall output of other sectors of economy. And even by itself such huge influx of foreign exchange reserves (that at about 525 billion US$ are 3rd larges in the world after China and Japan) is  making governments task of keeping Rubble appreciation under control and managing inflation quite difficult.

Speaking about Moscow itself, City budget revenue for the year 2008 are projected on level of 1 452 000 000 rubles (about 60,5 billion US$) -about the level of budget revenue of NYC (Tokyo still has higher revenue).
So on the financial side things aren't half bad. If only same could be said on ability to make those piles of cash work efficiently. Here Russia still has a very long way to walk, but some improvements. Large scale investments into country infrastructure are already on the way. RRW (Russian Railways) is spending in excess of 30 billion US$ in the next 5 years on a new rolling stock  and in excess of 140 Billion US$ on network upgrade and expansion for instance.

Unlike other developing markets growth in Russia is not directly linked to the western consumption. It is very much domestic consumption that pushes the economy. As such it may prove more resistant to world economic downturn. Private incomes in Russia still growing fast and faster then Country GDP. In next 3 years they are expected to grow 30% and 22,9%. Meaning that private consumption will become even stronger force in the economy.

All that doesn't mean that situation is all peachy. But it explains the money.

And here is something to lighten up tall that political economics:



For those completely unaware of Cyrillic HET -no, ДА - yes

[Une_ame]

Yesterday, I fill the tank of my car : 4,19 USD/gallon !!! As a result, I guess Russia will have more and more new big and nice building projects in the next years !!!

And after seeing the last pic of your BAT, I hope you'll be there . TY for the Quality of your BATs and for the choices you've made so far .

[krbe]

Western multinationals had been methodically and continuesly pushed out of this sector. Well, their loss. But situation isn't quite different say in Norway.

Oh, we're just taxing the oil corporations to death (78%), else we're not so picky about who pays us. That a ConocoPhillips engineer meant this was communism; well, which country has no state debt?

The good thing, however, is that this "fad" is paid for by private money, and not just something done for the prestige of it (that's left to the military ). Indeed the Russian started to implement some of the same models as Norway, instead of letting it all flow down into the pockets of the oligarchs, or be spend it like a headless chicken, like some countries have done in the past.

[SimFox]

seeing all that plane modeling going on I've decided to try my hand in it as well...

[Godzillaman]

The chopper definitely pwns!

[pilotdaryl]

You're using the same method I use to model planes!   Looks very nice!