JBSimio Inc.

[Bluebeard]

JB thanx for the  church.The wait will be well worth it.

[Fledgeling]

foundation looks good, cant wait to see more apartments. Is these that i find the most exiting in your lineup since the schools (but i love all your work), thanks!

[threestooges]

That's exactly what I was trying to describe. I'm glad you made it (hope it didn't take too much time). The apartments look great, and the foundations are a good touch. The only thing I would suggest altering (if it isn't any trouble) would be rails at the top of the stairs (including the stairs for the first floor... boy that sounded strange). In the first pic especially, a fall would be pretty nasty. I'll be interested to see these in their finished form.

[figui]

nice foundation!
and i agree with you Matt (threestooges), the stair in the first picture look dangerous (although i don't know how they would look like on flat terrains )
other than that, the building is great, and i like the variations in colours

mauricio.

[JBSimio]

Oldrogue:  Thanks!  There's a whole bunch of these apartments floating around about 10 pages back or so... somewhere back there, I don't remember anymore!  

Bluebeard:  You're welcome!

Fledgeling:  Thank you!  Although I really had nothing to do with how the foundations look... that was all CP.

Matt:  Took hardly any time at all.  The textures were already made, so it's just a matter of slapping the lot together.  Adding railings to the foundation (which is what those stairs are part of) usually ends up looking wierd because they inevitably get buried in the ground at the bottom.  The ground basically forms around the foundation and there's no way to know where it may end from one lot to the next.

Mauricio:  I agree with you both... but the only way to really make it look good would be an enclosed railing wall (if that makes any sense) and even then it's a goofy look.  I chose some rather extreme slopes to test on too.  Hopefully, most people wouldn't have that large of a difference!  I'm glad you like the buildings though!

Just a quick preview of the next Smalltown building... more of a filler lot than anything really:



This will probably be a clothing shop of some sort.  There's still a little work to do around the back and on the roof, but it's pretty close to finished really.  Just a way to clear my head for a day...  

JB

[threestooges]

Yeah, I thought about that as I was writing. You're right about the slope thing too. I actually had some time to play the game tonight, and the slope I build on aren't that bad. The new building is off to a good start. It actually looks like one of the buildings in Orange where I go to school (I'll see if I can take a pic). Hope everything is going well for you. Take it easy and I'll see you next update.
-Matt

[Pat]

Jon wonderful stuff today you have done!!!    Ive been playing most of the day and when i got back home from work and i got the Swan to grow i was so excited to see it grow....

[EDGE4194]

Just a quick preview of the next Smalltown building... more of a filler lot than anything really:



This will probably be a clothing shop of some sort.  There's still a little work to do around the back and on the roof, but it's pretty close to finished really.  Just a way to clear my head for a day... 

JB

yeah!  

[cammo2003]

Just a quick preview of the next Smalltown building... more of a filler lot than anything really:



This will probably be a clothing shop of some sort.  There's still a little work to do around the back and on the roof, but it's pretty close to finished really.  Just a way to clear my head for a day... 

JB

I don't know what it is, but the building feels too short. Perhaps you should scale it up a little (if the floors look a bit tall compared to other buildings after doing so, you can easily palm it off as "high ceilings"). 

[JBSimio]

Matt:  I'm glad you like it!  It's actually another Lincoln Park building from that same area in Chicago... well sort of.  I suppose I should say that was the inspiration.  We all know that I hardly ever make real life buildings... I just beg, borrow, and steal! 

Pat:  Thanks!  And congratulations on getting your own hotel!   

Edge:  I'm glad you're excited... or just happy... or whatever that meant!   

Cammo:  I know what you mean, and I'm pretty sure I know why it looks that way too.  This is why I try not to make 1 tile buildings that are three stories tall!  The height and width end up being nearly identical and fool the eye.  (That's my opinion anyway)  I'll try to stretch it a little more, but I'm not sure that it will do much good without stretching too far.  We'll see though.

So... it got a little quiet here for a couple days.  I've been picking away at various things, but haven't had much worth showing.  I think I was just having one of those weeks where nothing really comes together.  I started both of the alternate "trigger" buildings for the university... but I'm not thrilled with how they're going so far.  I did finally get somewhere today while I worked with the library... so that's what I have this time.

Here's the preview:



Obviously, it's still an early shot... but it's coming along.  The style is different from the other main buildings, but I think that's pretty normal for most universities.  Very few campuses are built all at once after all.  The color palette will stay the same as the others to keep some sense of uniformity.  That's about it for now... maybe another update later if I get that far. 

JB

[vester]

Watch out for the steps....

where are they..... ?



Looking forward for the progress.

[Pat]

LoL Vester, But you have a wonderful point that would be a hellova drop there...

[JBSimio]

Vester:  Steps?  Hmmm... that's not a bad idea at all!  Thanks! 

Pat:  Yes... I'd hate to have the OSHA people out here writing me a fine.

Steps seemed like such a good idea that I decided to put some on the front... and a few on the sides as well.  Then I figured, "Why stop there?  How about a roof??"  I thought a brick texture would lend the thing a little more realism... and then I made a feeble attempt at putting a statue out front too.  I did this last part mainly so I could laugh at myself later... and then thought y'all might enjoy laughing too!



I still have a lot of details to add.  Roof junk, ivy, fix the floors inside... lighting.  I may change the roof to make it a little steeper, but I'm still debating that.  I'm also considering something else around the back basement area... maybe some mechanical venting or some such thing.  But overall, the main building is set now.  (I think)

JB

[oldrogue]

Love the style and size of the front steps...I actually like the statue placed there....needs a pigeon or two tho ...I agree about the back... something small that would add a little "in use" look to it. I can't really put it better than that right now.....Looks great overall tho..

[threestooges]

It looks good so far (especially now that the first step isn't so much of a doozy), but looking at it from the side, the steps seem a bit long. It may just be the perspective, but they almost seem longer than the building itself. I would suggest shortening the top 'patio'  part so that the stairs start closer to the columns. Other than that, the basic structure looks pretty good. I'll be looking forward to the details though. Take it easy.


-edit: I agree with ardecila's suggestion below. Or even as a separate set of stairs on the side, next to one of the existing ones.-

[ardecila]

A set of stairs that goes down a 1/2 story from ground level would look nice in the back.  Basically an access to the basement.

Also, maybe some windows in window wells, or some short windows that end at ground level?

[JBSimio]

Duane:  Thanks!  I've removed the statue for now.  I'm going to either place it somewhere else on that landing, or else it will be a prop somewhere out front on the lot.

Matt:  Thank you!  I shortened both landings a little which I think helped.

Ardecila:  The steps are there now... thanks for confirming the idea!    I didn't do basement windows this time because I always end up covering them up with shrubs and such anyway.  I might still change my mind on that... who knows?

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, so I'll just post the update shots and explain stuff later when after I go feed some people.





Now I'm off to work for a few hours!
JB

[GrizzlyBuilder]

The library looks nice, although it does need quite a bit of ivy to match the other buildings.  I will fit in well with the chapel, and dormatories.  On a side note, may I put out the idea of a neoclassical "main" trigger building to counter the Jacobethen current trigger building.  Perhaps something along the lines of the Wren Building at the College of William and mary in Williamsburg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wren3.jpg

Sorry, I don't don't quite get the concept of posting pictures.

[BigSlark]

Here you go, GrizzlyBuilder.

I was in Williamsburg in August, William & Mary and the whole town are beautiful. I even got the meet the President of the College's cat, apparently he wanders around town and has an official W&M collar so everyone knows who he is!

I have really close friends who live there, one is in graduate school at W&M.

And yes, the Wren Building is amazing. Ahem Jon...

Cheers,
Kevin

[oldrogue]

BigSlark, love the story of the cat....won't show it to my cats, they will want me to wear a collar showing I belong to them....That is a great building too, even if not on jons campus, it would sure look nice in the game.

Jon, the library is looking very good...like the basement steps....a good addition...  You sure do put in a lot of work on your projects....it is much appreciated by all of us.

Duane