Hayden Sound, a region by Swamper77

[Swamper77]

@Jeronij: Thanks for the explaination.

@Heinz: It makes me happy to hear that I can convey scenes with text. I may try writing a story someday, one that isn't SC4 related.

@Bat: Thanks.

@Kwakelaar: I'm glad you enjoyed them. Here's another update for you to read.

@Thundercrack: I try to keep the industrial areas as small as possible to limit the environmental damage from all the pollution. Sadly, they never stay the size I start with and eventually expand.

While flying over Misty Plains on a sunny August day with a SimNation Government helicopter, I watched the fog roll in off the water. It blanketed the town for several hours during the night of the same day. Misty Plains and Stone Vally were quite cool that night.


Anticipating future development to the west, the intersection near the commercial block was upgraded with traffic lights and left turn lanes. Previously, the intersection had just a stop sign for street that came in from the west. That street has been upgraded to rural highway status up to where the roadway turns towards Independence.
Rural highways in this region have the following characteristics:
- Speed limit of 50 MPH
- Limited access (Few intersections)
- 45 degree curves (90s in areas with limited space)


A small section of forest has been recently cleared for new houses to be constructed. Plans are being drafted for the town's first education and medical facilities. Medical care is handled by a mobile SimNational Red Cross unit.


This picture was taken on a rainy November night. Power for the houses has not been switched on yet because the housing inspectors need to inspect the houses before the residents can move in. Some of the new residents are already at some of the houses, checking them out. Why one of them hung their laundry up today, is beyond me.
Construction crews in the Hayden Sound Region are very dedicated. Even as it is raining, the crews are finishing up the house on the end of the block. The house is a shotgun house built from plans that were inspired by the wild west. Thes Dale built a lovely Aussie house next door to SimGoober's Berwick house. The rowhouses were also built by SG. The other two were constructed by OnlyPlace4, who is overseeing the construction of the one that is being finished.


The following night, the inspectors gave the "OK" for the entire block. Seen here are the residents' moving trucks, bringing all of their belongings. Two U-Hauls produced by Swamper Automation LTD. are seen here among the movers. The sides feature a picture of the Mars rover, a scheme that is unique to California.


From September to May, Verdant Island is rather wet from all the rain. Seen here is a morning commute in January after the new residents moved in. Most of the workers commute to the industrial park that is to the east (left) of the commercial block. The left turn lanes are certainly getting used. Good thing I requested that they be installed when the Transit Board approached me with plans to add signals.


The roadway from the commercial block used to just head north at the intersection seen here. The roadway has been extended northwest to the western border. From the aforementioned intersection to the new signal, the roadway has been designated a rural highway. To the north, it is a country road with a speed limit of 25 MPH. The western extension is falling into disrepair due to the rains. The recommended speed limit is 35 MPH or less. The grey sections are gravel roadways where the road was damaged. Crews will be out later to finish making repairs and repaving the road. Over 8K was spent extending the roadway, rebuilding a good length of it as a rural highway, and adding the new neighborhood. Most of the costs for the roadway were for the grading of the roadway, to make it a smooth trip for travelers.


Seen here is the west end of the new extension. It hugs the "plateau" that the Independence connector road crosses. This leaves a lot of room on the coastal side of the new road for future developments. The fact that the road hugs the hillside is why there have been so many mudslides and fallen trees.

Once I get Misty Plains squared away, I will attempt to develop Stone Valley into a farming valley. I want to have a small town out there as well. I'm still analyzing possible locations for the town. As soon as I make my decision, I will start construction in the valley.

-Jan

[mattb325]

Brilliant rain effects there and I really like those traffic lights/intersection things ( I'm sure there's a better term) you've made!

[Heinz]

farms! small towns! oh im going to love that!  hope the industry isnt so dirty that it makes the rain go dirty as well. for the welfare of the farms and farmers. i guess the rains would help the farms blossom. great work again, jan

[kwakelaar]

Ah, I feel right at home with the rain-pictures

[Pat]

Jan very beautiful update love the intersection.
such a superb visit as always - pat

[thundercrack83]

Great update! I love the highway network you're building, and the deveopment looks great, too! Keep up the good work!

[rooker1]

Very nice pictures.  Very scenic and quiet, nicely laid out.  Why do you keep switching back and forth from raod to street in certain areas?

Robin   

[Swamper77]

@Matt: In some rural areas of the USA, the traffic signals are hung from wires over the roadway at intersections. I made a mod to replicate this for my personal enjoyment of the game. I made some modifications to the NAM as well via an "override" file to place the wire-hung stoplights at the intersections that involve turn lanes.

@Heinz: The air pollution is being contained by the surrounding woodlands, and the farms are far enough away to not be affected by the pollution effects.

@Kwakelaar: It only rains during winter to spring in my region. It helps to keep the fire danger low

@Pat: Thanks!

@Thunder: Thanks for your feedback. Eventually, I hope to have a highway system connecting all the townships of Verdant Island.

@Robin: I use streets to start with and roads to handle the diagonals, unless I really want that diagonal roadway section flat. At the time that these pictures were taken, the diagonal streets did not traverse slopes. The reason I start with streets is to keep the maintenance costs low until the people move in and I can start collecting taxes from them. The first roadways I upgrade are the ones that the commuters use the most. As for the one road that was really patchy, there were some landslides because of the rains. The street sections are the temporary patching job of the road department until the hillsides can be stablized.
In this update, you will being seeing the expansion of Misty Plains and the start of Stone Valley.


The Western Woods neighborhood has expanded again. Drawn by the new medical clinic, more residents are moving into Misty Plains. The new medical clinic was designed by PEG Productions after a clinic they saw in the mountains near Sweden, or so they say. It is now one of many products in their Mountain Theme Productions series. This particular design was chosen because it blended nicely with the surrounding woods.


After hearing about the near medical clinic, members of the middle class wanted homes in Misty Plains. Several lower class homes were bought out and then razed to make room for the middle class.


The new middle class homes that are finished. The two upper right houses were constructed by Just Another Sim Industries, the small house to the left of them was designed by 6459978 Designs, and the house in the lower right corner of the same group of houses was constructed by HomeFyres Builders, using plans from old Sears houses.


A few months later, the construction crews were at it again. CSX Construction is just finishing up construction on one of their Cradock houses, based on a design seen in South Africa. Behind that house, SWI21 Designs is building another of their fantasy styled houses. Next door, SimGoober is building another of his RLS homes.


On the east side of Misty Plains, more middle class residents have moved in. The same builders that built houses on the west side, have built houses here too. Two new teams were also at work here. Jen Designs constructed a nice green colored Saltbox Colonial House and Yticmic Industries built a nice duplex at one end of the block.


Just to the south of the section of the Jade Mountain Loop Highway that runs through Misty Plains, a new plot of commerically zoned land has been prepared for development. Power has been routed under the highway and runs a short distance via power poles. Spocky and his crew from SFBT installed the poles and wiring.


BLS jumped on the chance to setup a business in Misty Plains and bought the property. Shortly afterwards, Barby had a real estate office constructed on the site. She and Grampa Al take care of all the real estate business in Misty Plains and Stone Valley.


A few months later, two automotive businesses set up shop across the way from the real estate office. Madre Motors and NAPA Auto Parts will take care of your automotive needs, whether you need a new car or just some parts to keep your current one running. The NAPA store also provides roadside assistance for stranded motorists.


Over by the industrial park, a new interchange has been constructed. The design allows for free-flowing traffic without any direction crossing another. The right side connects to Stone Valley.


During all this time, Stone Valley has been developing at a steady pace. With the recent connection to Stone Valley, some workers have decided to work over in Stone Valley. These few workers that do were having to make a U-Turn to get to Stone Valley. The entire interchange was torn apart and reconstructed. This is the current arrangement. The commuters do a good job of navigating it considering there are no signs installed yet.

Stone Valley


Stone Valley has been steadily growing, but slowly compared to Misty Plains. The town is home to 600 residents currently. Here is an early shot of the town during its first year.


Several years later, this is the center of town. Housing extends to the east, west, and slightly to the south.


This is the town today. Home to 600 residents and a few commerical businesses, the residents prefer this small town look. They have petitioned for the General Store to be preserved as a historical building. I, as Mayor, am still reviewing the matter. After getting some more information, I will most likely preserve it.


This is where the divided highway from Misty Plains enters Stone Valley. The Jade Mountain Loop Highway is mostly complete. There are still sections that aren't to rural highway specifications, but over time these sections will be upgraded.

Now let's have a look around Stone Valley....

RP2004 Enterprises has been constructing several timber framed houses in Stone Valley. The only thing is they are exactly the same as each other.


Barby has had a cabin built here in Stone Valley as a place to escape the rush of everyday life. It is also her place to escape the daily harassment from the TM's. She is seen here frequently with several of her close friends, particularly on the weekends.


To her dismay, the TMs have found their way to Stone Valley. Several of these "brown box" houses have been appearing across the region lately. Sounds of monkeys can be heard late in the night and there have been frequent mysterious fires, fueled by papers titled "Readme".


A fellow named Greg has built a cabin just off Main Street. The house is surrounded by hedges which change with seasons.


Across the street from Barby's cabin, Stone Valley's first row house has been built. SimGoober and his crew built it to accommodate the influx of new residents.


Stone Valley is home to the Region's first dental clinic. Dr. Yankim Owett, DDS, has setup his first office here. Plans are in the works to have an office in Independence as well.


This is my first attempt at a mosaic. This one shows the overall spread of Stone Valley's first town, which is named after the Valley itself.

-Jan

[sEAhAwk fAn121]

i love the secluded feel of this MD!  I cant wait to see how this region grows!

[thundercrack83]

Another great update! I love your custom-made interchange and the small-town feel in Stone Valley. Can't wait to see more!

[Heinz]

hello again! still, the amount of detail in narrating the development of the region almost makes me hear the carpenters working, the mixer trucks pouring and the residents unpacking. you keep my interest level up with every update you share. keep em coming

The entire interchange was torn apart and reconstructed

considering how good it looked, it must be frustrating to have to tear it down.

[kwakelaar]

I like the interchange you have constructed, and of course the mosaic of Stone Valley

[jayo]

  Great!,a joy to read with that little hint of comedie! 

[rooker1]

In reply to what you said to me........


Oh I see, now that make sense.  I wouldn't have ever thought of that reason because I use a money modd and several other modds and now I rarely even pay any attention to the budget.  Just build exactly what I want right from the begining.

Another super update.

Robin   

[emilin]

This journal always make me think: how can you achive so much with such a minimalist style? I said it before, but it grows more true with each update: this material is unique.

[bat]

great small town, swamper77! wonderful interchange!

[Swamper77]

@Seahawk Fan: Patience is the law in this region

@Thundercrack: Thanks for the feedback.

@Heinz: I'll try to keep them coming as long as Real Life permits me I'm also trying to not be so dependent on my computers. I spent the past 2 days without my laptop and didn't suffer from any withdrawal effects from doing so.

@Kwakelaar: Thanks. That was my first attempt at creating both a custom interchange and a mosaic.

@Jayo: I don't recall inserting any comedy into my storyline, but feel free to remind me what it was.

@Robin: No problem. I don't mind having to explain my methods.

@Emilin: I make do with a picky selection of plugins. I'd say about 75-90% of my plugins are BLS/BSC/CSX content. The rest is stuff that I found interesting or just wanted to test out. Some are also files that I assembled myself for my own purposes. I'm interested in hearing what you define as "minimalist" though....

@Bat: Thanks.
Revisiting Stone Valley


Stone Valley is finally becoming what I had envisioned from the start, a farming community. These are the first two farms that appeared in Stone Valley. On the left, is the Capt'n Bananas banana farm and on the right is April's Pride, which is a timber farm. JMyers designed the banana farm and Vlakhaas, the leader of CSX Construction, created the timber farm. The timber farm is surrounded by a grove of gumtrees.


Just to the east of the gumtree timber farm, is the Sainte Brigitte Nursery and its fields of daylillies. The farm uses all natural fertilizer made from compost with their plants. The compost is also distributed to neighboring farms if the farm produces more compost than they need.


At the end of this farm road, a carnation farm has popped up with fields lovely pink and white carnations. The flowers are usually in high demand for formal events, so Lynn decided to setup a farm here in the region so the orders will be processed quicker. Normally, the orders were sent out to SimNation and took a long time to be processed. Now you can have fresh carnations in just a couple of days.


Heading back west on the other side of the street, we see the Stone Valley Turkey Farm. The turkeys are fed grain made from the wheat fields that surround the farm. You have to be quick to place your orders for Thanksgiving or any holiday event, as there is a limited number of turkeys.


And yet another banana farm appears in the valley. The Funny Monkey Bananery is just around the corner from Capt'n Bananas' farm. The banana trees in the region are specially adapted to growing in temperate climates.


Just an overview of the farms that occupy the western side of Stone Valley.
Eastern Stone Valley:

On the eastern side of Stone Valley, several more farms have developed. At the bottom of the picture, a recreation of the famous Chicken Ranch which was constructed by PEG Productions. Now we will take a closer look at the other three farms:

Stone Valley Pineconut Farm

This farm specializes in an rare genetically engineered plant that is a cross between a coconut palm and a pine tree. The trees look like pine trees, but have coconuts instead of pine cones. This farm is purely experimental at this time. If the crop does okay at this test farm, then others like it may be started elsewhere in the region.

Hill-n-Dale Farm CO-OP

This CO-OP farm handles forestry products and the growth of new forests. The farm is surrounded by a special species of oak tree called Oakus Vlakhus. The tree is green is half of the year and has orange leaves in the fall.

Lilly Mae's Foresty Farm

Lilly Mae of Independence has developed another farm on Verdant Island. This one is surrounded by brushland that is characteristic of South Africa. The interesting thing is the brushland seems to have its own microclimate that is different than the farm and the surrounding landscape.
Detail Shots:

Darmok of Auduin Valley helped with the construction of paths for the Stone Valley Pineapple Farm. The farmers can now get their tractors and equipment to the fields out behind the farm.


Stone Valley recently had a second stoplight installed, this one in town. Several accidents have occurred at this intersection, mainly during the morning and evening rush hours. The main cause was people making left turns and not checking traffic before doing so. Now the people making left turns can make their turns with a protected left turn. This particular installation does not have arrows for the signal over the left lane. (Image has been Photoshopped)

Next time, I will hopefully have some more interesting pics. I hope to see you again next time.

-Jan

[emilin]

I'm interested in hearing what you define as "minimalist" though....

Something like "growth before eyecandy". More focus on transit solutions and actual housing than parks and seafronts. Point being: I usually find that kind of approach rather boring (since I don't care all that much about game mechanics myself), but you manage to find new ways to do these things AND make it look good.

Another great update, by the way. The farms look excellent!

[oldrogue]

Hi there, havn't had time to stop and "smell the roses of Hayden Sound" for quite a while....love it.....developing very nicely...thank you for sharing.

[thundercrack83]

Your farms are excellent, my friend! I love the banana one, especially, but all of them look magnificent! Keep up the good work!