SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

10 Years Ago: A movement started by James Brooks for the right to live tax-free grows in numbers across the Pacific states, enough so that Washington DC takes notice and tries to clamp down on it.

7 Years Ago: The attempt to silence James Brooks' movement fails; support for the group spreads through the United States and sympathizers begin demanding they are given a semi-autonomous state.

2 Years Ago: After several rounds of negotiations, the government and James Brooks' team come to a compromise; an unpopulated and uncharted territory in southern Oregon will be handed over as a semi-autonomous. The name of the new territory is called the State of Nesara.

1 Years Ago: The State of Nesara starts finalizing its plans, and its temporary government, headed by James Brooks, begin to draw possible settlement options.

1 Month Ago: An area is picked for the first settlement, to be called Cedar, after the Nesaran Cedar found only in the area.



With the location of the settlement of Cedar decided, the newly formed Nesara Council, headed by James Brooks, installed a large capacity generator alongside windmill powered water providers to provide the new town with its basic needs. About two years ago, when the State of Nesara was created, the US government presented it with a gift and paved two roads inside the region, one alongside the coastline heading north to south, and the other going west to east, across the heartland. It was on this road, called Country Road, that the settlement of Cedar would be founded.

The Nesara Council decided that a plot of land, which is 10x10 meters, or 100 sq. meters (1x1 in SC terms), alongside Country Road would sell for $1,000, and any plot not situated on it would sell for half that price. A few buyers, all retired folk who were looking for somewhere quiet to call home, bought up a few plots alongside Brooks'  home and the site of the Nesara Council offices.


After a few months of construction work and the completion of the first batch of houses, there were a few more buyers who began developing their own homes as well, and the base for the Nesara Council office building was finished, meaning there would be a few more months of development work before they could move into it. In the meantime, all Nesara Council business was being handled in James Brooks' home across Country Road from the site.

The population of Cedar at this time was 22 residents. The area around Cedar was a dense wooded area, so almost all of the wood used for the construction of the houses was local wood. The generator was fully operational, and water was available in every household. The council billed the residents every month for their utility usage, and it was a decent source of income. They had also made about $80,000 from selling plots of land, but were trying to find alternative methods of generating income.

Great start! Excellent story so far :thumbsup:! Great use of Weasel's construction lots. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out :D.

                 -Jordan

Wow, your shots look great!  It's going to be interesting to watch this area grow. 

Did you do something to the images before posting them?  For some reason they look very sharp in both color and depth.  Whatever the case, they look very nice indeed! 

canyonjumper: Weasel's lots are pure eyecandy, amazing BATs I think :) I will utilize them alot, although Im looking for the dirt terrain other MDs are using along with the BATs, I cant seem to find them :(

Battlecat: I am using Coral Paint Shop, I found it to be better than Photoshop, atleast for me. I love how the pictures turn out...I basically increase the contrast a bit, and sharpen the image out a bit, and voila!

Nice to see you back, Nedalezz !
I really enjoyed watching these pictures, as usual I like how they turned out. The effect added is always excellent and like in your old MDs, the mix of those maxis trees and SimFox's ones is fantastic !
Looking forward to more for sure !
-Arthur.  :thumbsup:

(ps - don't forget to save this region in a ED !  :P )

very great job !

Awesome work! Did you rotate the pics because I'm not sure if the game roads run in that way. anyways, great work and I expect great things!

art128: I think Ive been using the same mix of trees for the past 2 years, lol. The SimFox trees are incredible, though, I really love how well theyre done.

warconstruct: Thank you!

Driftmaster07: Yea, I forgot to mention, I rotate the pics as well :)

The Nesara Council offices were completed on schedule, on the corner of Country Road and a dirt path leading south. A family had bought the 400 sq. meter plot of land to the south of the offices, and construction had already began on their new home. A few of the other houses in Cedar were also completed, and in their place a few had just begun their development.

The Nesara Council, led by James Brooks, moved out of his house and into their new headquarters. Their first order of business was to come up with a solution for the basic utilities; the water windmills, of which there was two, could only handle so much capacity, and the large generator providing the town's power supply was both expensive and limited.

A direct appeal to the US government was sent through the usual bureaucratic system, so the council decided to try to finance their projects through their own means. After researching the matter, a small power plant would cost $1.2 million, money the council simply did not have. The other alternative was to buy another large generator and split the town into two sections, but this solution was only temporary and did not solve the larger issue at hand. An offer from a private company to build and operate a power plant while giving the Nesara Council a cut of the profits was quickly shot down, as it was decided that it would only be a state operated facility.

Two updates from nedalezz in one day.... ;D
Great pictures and a great story, what more can you ask for?
I love the construction stuff.
I look forward to spending alot of time here.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Great stuff Nedalezz! Good PSP effects used. I think this will turn into a great MD, if it isn't already :D!

                     -Jordan

Hi my friend, very cool know that you have a new MD!!! Awesome updates, very impressive!!!  &apls

rooker1: Hehe, yeah, had some free time at the airport waiting for my flight :)

canyonjumper: Thanks, I quite like how the effects on the pics turn out as well.

Tomas Neto: Thanks, yeah Berania wasnt saved :( Ill back this one on the ED ever couple of weeks.

Population: 112

Projects: Power Plant (Nesara Council, tentative), Mini-Market (Jim Calhoun, Country Road), Davidson Contracting Ltd. offices (Danny Davidson, Country Road)


Jim Calhoun recently moved in to Cedar from northern California, looking for opportunity and a quiet way of life. He also decided to bring his business along; he had owned and operated a small supermarket in Eureka before moving in. He acquired a 40x20 (800 sq. meters) piece of land - half of which was used to build his house, and the other half the newly registered Cedar Market.

Meanwhile, the Nesara Council continued to plan the construction of a new power plant to help support the growing town. The location was still undecided, but the general blueprint was already in motion.




The town had grown to over 100 people, and a further 100 were expected to move in shortly. Construction was everywhere, which brings us to our business highlight of the day.

Davidson Contracting Ltd: Owned and run by Danny Davidson and his two sons, Davidson Contracting is the only such company in Nesara, and is responsible for almost construction going on in Cedar. The company got its beginnings alongside the founding of the town, and the Davidsons were one of the very first families to move in. Establishing a contracting firm shortly after settling, they became the only people to call if you wanted construction done. Currently, Davidson Contracting Ltd. is the only privately owned company operating in Nesara, with Cedar Market slated to be the second. With the business growing significantly in such a short period, Davidson recently acquired a piece of land to open an office for his work.

Looking sharp.   :D  What are you using for the sidewalks?  :)

Very nice indeed!  You're focusing in really close on the development of this town!  It's an interesting read as well! 

Interesting update! Great development stuff!

        -Jordan

What a nice way to start! And what a wonderful room and potential for a city to grow.
I like how you turns the construction in to those lovely houses.

scott1964: Hmm, I think its the SMP Sidewalk Mod, although Im not sure of the link. I believe I got it from the STEX.

Battlecat: Yeah, the most enjoyable part of an MD for me is really focusing on the details, imagining a real life urban scenario, complete with characters and companies.

canyonjumper: Thank you, the development will continue as Cedar begins to expand :)

Q-Tips: Im actually using a huuuuuge map which I havent developed yet, lol. But I have a vision of placing Cedar not too far from the coast, perhaps expanding towards there.

Nedal,
Great teaser.  (TY!)  ;)
The street looks like it's coming along nicely.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Very nice  start to your MD. I look forward to seeing how this develops :thumbsup:

Fantastic start to a new MD &apls
I've also read your old MD - so I know what to expect here (...fantastic work... :satisfied:)
Looking forward to the next updates - you've got quite an interasting story here :thumbsup:

Fabian :)

I remember your MDs from old and they were superb. What you have done so far is pretty amazing aswell I love how you have brought to life this neighbourhood.

Will

Nice teaser my friend, looks like a painting. As Robin said, the street looks like it's coming nicely. I like to see the development of a city step by step, you've done it really well.
Can't wait to see more !

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Population: 206

Projects: Power Plant (Nesara Council)


The Nesara Power Plant was finally underway, just north of the town. The estimate of $1.2 million was slated as too high a cost for the plant, and it was finally confirmed as feasible at $850,000. Despite repeatedly being rejected, the Nesara Council finally got the approval from the federal government to fund half of the project. With construction underway (sub-contracted to Davidson Contracting Ltd.), expected commencement of operation was a short time away.



Elsewhere in town, Davidson Contracting Ltd. opened up their offices on Country Road just west of the James Brooks' residence. Danny Davidson, the owner, claimed it was the biggest step the company had taken since it began business, and also said he hoped to help the local economy by employing a further 12 people.

Cedar Market, owned and operated by Jim Calhoun, also opened up for business. Situated on Country Road, Calhoun's business was the second to open in Cedar. The average sales per day was $600, a number he hoped would improve as the town grew. Employing 3 other people, the total expenses per year was approximately $100,000, just about the amount the building he constructed cost him. Although in the current conditions it seemed like a big investment, Calhoun was banking on the growth of Cedar to start bringing in more customers.

Looks great, I'm really enjoying the story side of things here.  Which homes are those?  They look familiar, but I can't seem to identify them. 

Great update! Which building are you using for the Council offices?

            -Jordan

I like how this goes. It all looks so natural and peaceful. Wonderful.

Q-Tips: Thanks, its peaceful for now, yeah hehe. Miles and miles of wooded forests and grass plains, and the ocean to the west.

canyonjumper: That is the Bank of Nova Scotia by Spa, a great little building if you ask me :)

Battlecat: I believe they are R$ Matt325 BATs, although Im not 100% certain. I have this bad habit of not memorizing the BATs I have d/led :( Sorry!

art128: Thanks, yeah I intended it to look like a painting. My favorite part of development is taking it step by step.

Fabian93: Well I hope you stay impressed, hehe. The story will get bigger and more dramatic as the town expands Im sure.

Connor: Thanks, hope you like how it develops!

rooker1: Your welcome ;) Thanks for the compliments.

Wow, fabulous image!!! The handling with effects that you did in this image is marvelous!!!

Great pic! I like that effect!

           -Jordan :thumbsup:

Beautiful forests and small towns.  Hard to go wrong.

It's been way too long, my friend.  I'm looking forward to seeing where you take Nesara.


David

Great teaser. That town is looking fantastic  &apls

Looks really great my friend ! This teaser is excellent, I like how the town is encircled by the forest ! I guess the power plant is growing, right ? It already looks bigger than last time..  :)

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

That teaser is one awesome picture and I can't wait to see where you're going with this

Will

The town and story are coming along very nicely.
It must have taken for ever to plant those tree just right.  I like how you added in just a few seasonals.
Great work, I wait patiently for the next update.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Population: 355

Completed Projects: Cedar Power Plant (Nesara Council)

Developing Projects: N/A


The Cedar Power Plant was finally completed, and was fully operational. The steam plant was small by any standard, but more than capable of supporting Cedar's short term expected growth. Although that meant higher costs and utility bills for the residents, it also meant stable and capable power for the town, a fair exchange in everyone's eyes. The power plant also employed 43 workers, 4 of which were managers, becoming the largest employer in town.



Growth had begun to slow down after the latest batch of land was sold, with only a couple of houses under construction. Land was still being sold at the same price as before ($1,000 per 100 square meters). The Nesara Council was busy making roads, and although unpaved, was going to theoretically make more land purchasable now that they had road access.

Very cool update!  Lots of fantastic details here, the town looks great!

This is looking really good! Nice shots! :thumbsup:

Cool shots, nedalezz! Details are great!

            -Jordan :thumbsup:

I really like this MD! It is Small cute (but growing). I love all the bushy plump trees and lush land scape plus the building are great too!  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:

What did you do in photoshop to get it to look like that? Amazing!

marsh: I actually use Coral Paint Shop, and if you are talking about the teaser, I use an effect called Noise Removal :)

danielcote: I love the SimFox trees, too! I think everyone is a fan of them, really; so life-like and well made. They truly took SimCity flora to the next level.

canyonjumper: Thanks, my focus is the details ;)

bat: Thank you!

Battlecat: The town continues to grow :)

rooker1: Working out where to plant the trees and stuff takes a little bit of time, yes, but I think the results are worth it in the end. I try to focus in on putting a wider variety in and around the built up area, thus the seasonals.

penguin007: And I cant wait to see where you go with YOUR next update in your MD!

art128: Well the answer to your powerplant question is in the last update :) Yeah, the town continues to grow, it might hit 1,000 soon!

Connor: Thank you, hope you like the next update.

dedgren: Yes, after my disaster with the last computer I gave up Simcity for a while when I realized I hadnt back up Berania, but when you love something, you can only leave it for so long ;)

Tomas Neto: Thanks, I like using effects on the pics taken as I feel it adds a whole new level to the picture.

Well it's an excellent teaser!  Looks like this town is growing quite quickly.  It really looks amazing!

It's gettin' bigger! Beautiful shot!

             -Jordan :thumbsup:

looks great man

Excellent teaser, nice effects on the picture.  :thumbsup:

 I can really see me having to move your MD to The Best Sellers section in a few more weeks.  But again, with pictures like the ones you are showing, there is no wonder why.
Great work.  Just the right amount of photo editing and the content is perfect as well.
I do wonder if this city is functional or plopped.  I'm going to guess a bit of both but more on the side of plopped.
A definate pleasure to visit your MD!

Robin  :thumbsup:

this is progressing nicely.

Fantastic teaser, the colors in this image are marvelous!!  :thumbsup:

Oh, wow!  I didn't realize this was yours!  The town has grown very nicely!   &apls

Cedar is growing nicely. I love how you're showing the progress using construction lots. Sharpening the images in Paint Shop is giving a great effect. I love it.

Take care.

Geoff

calibanx: Thanks, I always like to spice up the pictures a bit with some editing, especially colors. The construction sites are great, I fell in love with them the minute I saw them!
sumwonyuno: Yep, I'm back at it after the Berania mishap, hehe.
Tomas Neto: Thanks, hope you like the next update.
mightygoose: Thank you for commenting!
rooker1: lol, it'll take a few weeks I am guessing before moving to the next level. Actually, the only plopping I have done has been with the few commercial lots in town; all the residential lots are grown, none are plopped. I try to approximate my MD population to be similar to the population of the town. I do use a small job provider cheat lot, though.
Connor: Thanks Connor, and thanks for commenting :)
marsh: Thank you!
canyonjumper: Yes it is :) Thanks for always commenting :)
Battlecat: Yes, Cedar is getting larger, albeit at a decent pace. With all the perks that come with living in Nesara, I suppose it would be of interest to many people to relocate here.



Population: 448

Completed Projects: Cedar Fire Station (Country Road)

Developing Projects: Bank of Nesara (Location Not Decided, Country Road)


Just a few months after the small fire just outside of Cedar almost grew out of control, the Nesara Council opened up the Cedar Fire Station on Country Road, complete with 2 fire trucks and employing 12 fire fighters. Led by Omar Kazzem, the fire fighting team recently put out a bush fire 14 miles south of Cedar, proving their effectiveness and efficiency.

The big news coming out of Cedar, however, is the announcement from the Nesara Council that they will be opening state-controlled bank, the Bank of Nesara. The building that will host the first branch of the new bank will be situated on Country Road, although the exact location is as of yet unknown. Although it will be fully owned by the Nesara Council, it will act as a private bank, with minimal interference from  them.

The continued development in Cedar has made demand for the council to start paving the dirt roads as land around the center of town continues to sell, but the council has responded by saying there is no space in the budget for that at the time being after the construction of the fire station and the planned development of the new bank.

Looking real good Nedal. 
I like the little story that comes along as well.

Robin  :thumbsup:

And growth slowly ticks along.  Great little story there!

Great update, Nedalezz!

               -Jordan :thumbsup:

Great work so far here! I love watching little Nesera evolve.

However, I'd certainly recommend a palm tree blocker for some of your streets. :)

-Jason

Population: 512

Completed Projects: N/A

Developing Projects: Bank of Nesara (Country Road), Intersection Street


After a large petition presented to the Nesara Council forced them to reconsider their decision not to pave the off roads, starting with the intersecting street where the Nesara Council building is positioned. The street was called Intersection Street, and was to extend south into the developing residential area coming up.




The Bank of Nesara was now under construction, situated on Country Road between the Howard and Greenfield households. The bank was to serve as the council's base for investment and money-making, while also serving as the primary base for all local private funding in hopes of stimulating a strong local economy.




Finally, the Davidsons completed their home just off of Country Road. It cost them almost $300,000 upon completion, including a state of the art kitchen and a heated swimming pool for use in winter and summer. Danny Davidson was unofficially the richest man in Cedar thanks to the success of his contracting company, which had grown to over 20 employees now.

That's a cute looking city! Can I ask you what kind of houses you use, I do really like them!

A new fresh beginning with a nice story, the construction lots  could almost have been made with your kind of MD in mind. You certainly are putting them to good use here.

kwakelaar: I plan on utilising those constructions lots ALOT. I love them to death!
CrossSide: Thanks, the houses I believe are called Cresswell (or something like that), they are R$ houses made by the great Matt325.
Albus of Garaway: I have tried several palm tree blockers, none of them seem to work, I dont know why :(
canyonjumper: Thanks for commenting :)
BattleCat: Nice and easy is the name of the game, gonna take things slowly and realistically.
rooker1: The story will get more complex as the city grows, Im sure ;)

Ok, for todays teaser, I will show the growth of Cedar, starting with the first update and culminating with the last! Enjoy!

Very cool to see all the growth lined up like this.  This really is a beautiful little town. 

Nice start of showing Cedar... :thumbsup:

I'm liking the development of the city, is being really cool!!!  :thumbsup:

Population: 670

Completed Projects: Bank of Nesara (Country Road),

Developing Projects: Intersection Street


The major headline was the completion of the Bank of Nesara, which was operational, employing 24 people. The head of the bank was Johann Nords, a former resident of Denver, Colorado, who reported directly to the Nesara Council, although the council had promised he would be given near free reign to do as he saw fit with the Bank of Nesara board. Their immediate concerns were to find investment opportunities for the council, as well as begin private banking for the locals. The Bank of Nesara, upon completion, cost the council $445,000.



The paving of Intersection Street began thanks to an allocated sum from the Nesara Council, and would stretch south to the last house being constructed. Several off-roads were also planned for paving, although the council re-iterated that it lacked the funds to begin doing so immediately.

 Wonderful area and great use of dirt roads.
I wonder if someone could make a modd so that trees and cars are along side the dirt roads.  In this case here I think it would look really nice.  But I guess when you go into the farming areas it wouldn't work out so nice.  $%Grinno$%

Robin  :thumbsup:

Great little update!  Nice building choice for the bank.

Update 8 is great! Looking forward to the next... ;)

Great update! Where did you get the bank building?

             -Jordan :thumbsup:

canyonjumper: The bank building is called Towbridge and is made by Tonkso. I found it on the STEX.
bat: Thanks, and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Battlecat: Yeah, I liked the way it fit too, although Im not completely satisfied with the parking.
rooker1: Hehe, well thankfully I am not planning much in the way of agricultural land (maybe a little). But I think the dirt roads really add character to the town and maybe a touch of realism as well.
Tomas Neto: Thanks!

Very slow growth here, but it's coming along! 

I'll stay accompanying the growth of your city with great expectation!!!  :thumbsup:

Nice! Looking forward to more...

Population: 806

Completed Projects: Intersection Street

Developing Projects: Cedar State School


The paving of Intersection Street was completed up to the very last house, and the Nesara Council promised the continuation of the street in the short term future to continue the expansion of the town southwards. The completion of Intersection Street also coincided with an increase in the price of a single plot (10x10m) from $1,000 to $1,500 for all plots situated on Country Road (within a 2 mile radius of central Cedar) and Intersection Street. Other plots were still being sold for $1,000.



After a recent poll among the residents of Cedar done by the council to identify the most pressing needs of the town, it was concluded that the people most desired two things: a school for their children, and a health facility. The council subsequently allocated immediate funding for a school that would handle all grades up to 12th grade. Land was set aside just south of the central Cedar for the project, estimated to cost just over $500,000.

Love the update, the street trees really looks great!  Good to see a school is finally in place.

Looks great as always! A school should realy be good for this small town.

Lovely development here really interesting seeing it stage by stage

Will

I think very cool to see your city grow in the middle of this forest!!! Another awesome update my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

Tomas Neto: The forest around the town is slowly being brought down, but not to worry, the entire region of Nesara is forest! (Almost)
penguin007: Same can be said about your fantastic MD. When are you going to bless us with another update!?
marsh: Yeah, the school was one of the major pressing issues for the locals, and they got their wish!
Battlecat: The streets trees are the JRJ Street Tree mod I believe. Great stuff if you ask me!
bat: Thanks! And thank you for commenting :)





Population: 925

Completed Projects: Cedar State School ; Showtime Theater

Developing Projects: Intersection Street (Heading North)


The Nesara State School, costing just over $500,000 upon completion, has become the second largest employer in Cedar after the Cedar Power Plant, with 38 total employees. It has a maximum capacity of 400 students, more than enough for Cedar. Expected enrollment was at around 225 students for all grades. The Nesara Council also concluded that each student, regardless of the grade, would have to pay $1,000 as a tuition fee, in addition to the books fee, which would vary according to grade. While the decision to charge for tuition was met with disappointment from the Cedarians, the council stated that without doing so, there was no way the school would be able to fund itself due to lack of funds available from the council itself. The Nesara Council was slated to make almost $350,000 when totaling all payments made for each student, almost recouping its initial investment in a year's time. There was also no doubt that the council would only allocate a percentage of the money made from the Cedar State School for the school itself; the rest would be put in the council coffers for presumably other projects.




The newest business that became operational in Cedar was the Showtime Theater. The two-screen cinema was opened by Ian Vinks, a former small-time film producer in LA who had moved to Cedar for a quieter life. He had decided to open a business that was related to his love of film, and the Showtime Theater quickly became the spot to be in town during the weekend, or any week night for that matter. With a full capacity of 200 people, and each movie showing twice a day during weekdays, with 10:30 PM movies also on Fridays and Saturdays.




The Cedar Market, owned by Jim Calhoun, was now selling close to $1,000 a day due to the increase in population. As the only source of groceries in town, as well as other household goods, the Cedar Market was running high profits as expense was less than anticipated. Calhoun originally thought it would have about $8,000 running expenses a month, but the figure was more in the range of $6,000. Given that he was selling just about $30,000 a month, he was making around $5,000 net profit at the end of every month. His land, which he had bought for $6,000, was now worth $9,000.




Every single household in Cedar had opened up an account in the Bank of Nesara, meaning plenty of money to invest in for the Nesara Council. It was also giving back to the people of Cedar, with very favorable loan rates for anyone who wanted to open up a business, buy land, or build a house.

Great update, nedalezz! Excellent work!

            -Jordan :thumbsup:

Amazing update again my friend the town is really coming to life now!!! I have posted an update now just to let you know!!

Will

Great update as always!  A bit more growth and some more subtle changes to the main street of your town are great to see! 

Very nice small town. It's very colorful I like. I especially love the last picture. The effect is surprisingly very nice!  &apls  ;)

M.M.Malwin: Thanks! I try not to butte the picture up too much (just make it a bit more colourful), although the noise removal effect really grew on me :)
Battlecat: Yeah, Cedar is growing :) Pretty soon I'll have to focus each update on a specific part of Cedar due to its rapid growth.
penguin007: I went over and saw it, great update! More more! And thanks for commenting!
canyonjumper: Thanks Jordan, hope you stay liking the MD :)

Lovely pics as usaul can't wait for more!! Yes I do have another update ready just depends on how generous Im feeling this evening!!

Will

Looking great! &apls

              -Jordan :thumbsup:

I'm curious for see your city with a bigger size, occupying a broader area! I'll await patiently, because I'm interested in the final result and because I like a lot of your style of to build cities!

Cedar is really growing up nicely, nedalezz. One suggestion would be to maybe have a little bit more residential variety.

Ethan

Population: 925

Completed Projects: N/A

Developing Projects: Intersection Street ; Medical Facility


The upgrading of Intersection Street has now starting stretching north towards the Nesara Power Plant. There have been some interest as of late from a few manufacturing firms regarding factories in Nesara, and in order to encourage them, the Nesara Council has begun paving the road to what it believes would be prime industrial land near the power plant. With no taxes whatsoever, and land prices very cheap, the council hopes it can finally attract the manufacturing sector to begin setting up shop in the region.





Residential development has picked up again, and recently the town of Cedar hit 1,000 residents. Development has mostly stretched towards the west and the south of central Cedar, with the most popular area right now being around the Cedar State School and the future site of the new medical facility.





The Nesara Council has finalized its plans to open a state run medical facility, and have already cleared the land the facility will be constructed. As with education, healthcare will not be free, and the only pharmacy to be operational in Cedar will be found in the facility. It will employ approximately 20 people, of which 4 will be doctors, and the estimated cost will range between $250,000 to $300,000.





A couple of pieces of land in central Cedar are up for sale. Both houses were owned by retirees, and since their passing, the children of both families (none of which live in Cedar) have put the houses on the market. The one near James Brooks' residence is going for $90,000, while the one in between the Nesara Council building and the Cedar Market is going for $100,000.





Finally, a shot of Cedar as it stands now. Thanks for reading!

 &apls
No more need be said. ;)

Robin

Wow is it growing. I hope you keep some forest as a park.

That's quite the burst of growth in today's update!  I like what you're doing to create a variety of construction shots.

Also, it's nice to see a couple new house designs popping up.  It's obvious you've taken very tight control of your plugins folder!  Looking forward to more as always!

A lot of new development there and I love how this MD is going, what sort of industry or farming is there because I'm starting to think where do all these people earn their money?

Will

This kind of houses are very nice!!! I like very much!!!

lot o' development going on! The towns slowly but shurly growing

Lovely, i always enjoy watching small town and your is looking great, i like also the concept to show how the town grow up quietly, very interesting, it's so hard sometime to find a way to tell a story and show the work done, you just did, i will wait for see where this little town go  :thumbsup:   

planetechef: As the town of Cedar and region of Nesara grow, stories pop up everywhere :) Thanks for commenting and the kind words, hope I see you back here. And great MD you got going on :)
marsh: I will miss Everglades but I have much hope for Vancouver! The town is indeed growing.
Tomas Net: Thanks! My Residential BATS are almost exclusively all of Matt325 work, so if he stumbles onto here, I want to say big thanks for some amazing BATs!
penguin007: Well, the biggest employers in town are the Power Plant, the School, Davidson Contracting Ltd, the Nesara Council, with new employers being the Cedar Hospital and Korra factory. Alot of the home owners of Cedar are summer residents who have bought a second home in the area and retirees who are looking for a quiet life.
Battlecat: Hehe, indeed I do control my BATS very tightly, especially my residential BATs. As stated above, they are almost all Matt325s, and they are all grown btw. Thanks for commenting!
danielcote: There pleeeeennnttyyy of forests in Nesara, lol.
rooker007: Thank you very much :)






Population: 1396

Completed Projects: Cedar Hospital, Korra Ceramic Bathroom Products Factory, Nesara Fuel Station

Developing Projects: Silkmate Home Textiles Factory, Burgundy Restaurant & Pub (Country Road), Lifemate Insurance Office (Country Road)


Cedar Hospital - Originally slated to be smaller than the end result, the Nesara Council decided to expand the original blueprint and ended up with the largest building in the region. The building has 3 floors used for patients and their care, and the 4th floor is used for the offices of the hospital. It was supposed to cost the council around $300,000 upon completion, but the cost nearly hit $1,000,000 after it was all said and done. Instead of employing only 20 people, however, the hospital now employs almost 90, and 8 of them are doctors. The decision was made to expand the hospital after studies showed that the original set up would not be able to keep up with the expected growth of Cedar, thus making it too small to handle the loads expected in the short term future.





Korra Ceramics - An upstart company that was founded by Kimberly Korra. She was seduced by Nesara's policy of no taxes, and bought 15 plots (3x5 - 30x50m - 1500 sq. meters) just north of central Cedar for $15,000, before Intersection Street was paved all the way north up to the factory. Kimberly used to own a sanitary and ceramic solutions store in Seattle, importing products from China and making quite a successful business out of it. Looking to expand her business and go into manufacturing, after reading about Nesara's policies, she was convinced to set up her new factory there. The factory produces all ceramic sanitary products, such as jacuzzis, shower rooms and cubicles, bathtubs, basins, and W/Cs. Korra still resides in Seattle, but has been seen in Cedar a lot since her factory opened for business. Her initial capital, including machinery, land, and construction cost her a total of $1.7 million. It employs close to 80 people total.





Nesara Fuel Station - Owned by the Nesara Council, the Nesara Fuel Station is the first refueling stop to open in the region. After drawing up laws that monopolized all potential extracting, refining, importing, exporting and selling of natural gases and fuels in Nesara to the council itself, it established the Nesara Fuel Authority, which in turn developed and operates this and all future Nesara Fuel Stations. While having the government take control of the fuel market and industry in Nesara made some uneasy, James Brooks was quick to reassure the residents in a speech that its motive was to be able to run profitable operations from its resources and imported resources so that it could develop the region properly, given that there was no income coming in from taxes. The Nesara Fuel Station is situated on the western end of Cedar.







Central Cedar is slowly turning more commercial after the 2 houses up for sale near the Nesara Council building were sold. One was bought by Richard Burgundy, who plans to open Cedar's first restaurant and pub, and the other was acquired by a young man called Udrich Steinberg, who is looking to establish an insurance company in Nesara. Both acquired the lands for $100,000, with Burgundy paying $10,000 more than the listed price after a bidding war happened at the eleventh hour, which he eventually won.





Still on the subject of central Cedar, the plot and house opposite James Brooks' home on the corner of Intersection Street and Country Road was also recently listed for sale, and it seems the Nesara Council will be looking to buy the land back. Rumor has it, they want to open up a small office for one of its newly planned departments, possibly the Nesara Land and Real Estate Authority (NLREA).



Cedar Market has seen strong growth in recent times, and Jim Calhoun's business has begun to average nearly $2,000 a day in sales. He recently stated that his business was outgrowing his small store, and it could be in the market to acquire a bigger piece of land to develop. Still the only source of groceries and provisions in town, he stands to benefit from the rapidly growing population of Cedar.





The council has continued its promise to pave the streets of Cedar, with several formally dirt paths in and around central Cedar now covered in asphalt and concrete. The paved areas have become more desirable to live in, and land prices around central Cedar are now ranging between $1500-1600 a plot, or $15-16 per sq. meter.





Although road works and the noise they bring have been an annoyance to the locals of Cedar, a recent survey showed they were generally happy with the Nesara Council, especially after it moved quickly to meet the residents of Cedar's most pressing needs; education for their children and the construction of a medical facility. Both projects exceeded the expectations of the public upon completion.

Thanks for the answer placed on the spot there!! This update also clarified a lot and the town is thriving beautifully not just a collection of houses but lots of businesses now as well!!

Will

Very good! It's beautiful and it's more interesting. I love all your updates on the progress of this village! Bravo!  &apls  ;)

Growing steadily and still so many houses under construction.

Great Update!

Ethan

Quite an overrun spent to build that hospital!  Maybe I'm too used to boxy hospitals because it has a much more upscale and 18th century look.

[Edit]:  Oh, and congratulations on the move to Best Sellers!   :thumbsup:

 Hello Nedal,
Anothere fantastic update.  I love how you really put yourself in the Mayors seat and tell the story/facts from that view.  The little story line is perfect.
And I hate to say I told you so, even though it did take a few more weeks than I thought.....but it does give me great pleasure to move your MD to The Best Seller section.  &apls

Congrats from myself and The SC4D Staff!

Robin  :thumbsup:

That hospital is a particularly classy building!  All the additions during your latest update look excellent, they only add to the growing character of your city!  Congratulations on your move to Best Sellers! 

Congrats on your Best Seller, that's why I start watching this! I hope you plopped a lot, anything else would make me jealous on your plugin folder ;).

You're doin' it right, nedalezz, you're doin' it right.

Battlecat: Thanks, I love the building. The town is definitely changing and developing. And thanks for the congrats, hehe.
rooker1: Many thanks for the move! Hopefully this MD will be around for a long time to come. The story will become more complex as the town develops, Im sure.
sumwonyuno: The Nesara Council definitely broke the budget, but you cant put a price on proper healthcare. Thanks for commenting :)
ecoba: Thanks Ethan, hope I see you around here more often!
kwakelaar: Indeed, it seems Cedar is slowly becoming a popular location for investment and for residence.
M.M.Malwin: Thanks for the kind words and the comments! With the paving of the streets, Cedar is becoming more eye-candyish :)
penguin007: No problem, any other questions or comments, just let me know! And thanks for commenting.
soulchaser: Thanks! Actually, the only thing plopped are the commercial buildings, the school, powerplant, and hospital. All the residentials are grown :)

Very cool stuff, nedalezz! You've done great things with your MD!

                    -Jordan :thumbsup:

And bit by bit Cedar continues to grow!  Love those night shots and also those before and after shots. 

Great effects on these nightshots!!!

Great night shots, Nedal !

I love the first one, I can say why, but it makes something on me.. Although, I think some cars in the streets would be a great touch.

Good job anyway and congrats on your move to the best sellers ! I hope to see your MD moving to the classic too !  :)

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Welcome to the  Best Sellers!!!  :thumbsup:

Awesome nightshots!!! Fantastic!!!

Once again, I love all your pictures. They are of great quality! The views at night are beautiful! I love to see the evolution of this small town! Congratulations!  &apls  ;)

canyonjumper: Thanks for commenting, much appreciated!
soulchaser: Thanks, hopefully I will start shooting more nightshots from now on.
Tomas Neto: Thank you, and many thanks for always leaving a comment :)
art128: Actually, I shoot most of my pics while the game is live and running, so the lack of pics is representative of the lack of car movement in this quiet little town, hehe. Thanks on the congrats and Im glad you liked the pics.
Battlecat: Thanks! I love to see a gradual pic by pic process of how any city grows, so I thought I would incorporate it in this MD.
M.M.Malwin: The town is certainly evolving as businesses have started moving in. Thanks for commenting!






Population: 1655

Completed Projects: Silkmate Home Textiles Factory, Burgundy Restaurant & Pub (Country Road), Lifemate Insurance Office (Country Road)

Developing Projects: Police Station (Country Road), Haiden Construction Co. Offices (Country Road)


Silkmate Home Textiles - An American company which previously imported all of its fabrics from China and Europe, Silkmate Home Textiles has decided to invest in their own factory right here in Cedar. Much like Korra Ceramics, the company was seduced by the no-tax policy and acquired a piece of land just north of central Cedar to begin its operation. Specialized in curtains and upholstery fabrics, Silkmate has invested $1.5 million to develop the factory and plans to employ around 75 people.





Burgundy Restaurant and Pub - The new hot spot in town, and also Cedar's first eatery, or bar for that matter, and has become an instant success in town. Owned by Richard Burgundy, the land itself cost him $100,000, and he demolished the house that used to sit on the plot and developed the new building, costing a total of $400,000. He also recently started delivery services for his food menu, which has also proved very popular with the locals.





Lifetime Insurance - Situated in central Cedar and owned by Udrich Steinberg, Liftime Insurance Ltd. is the first local insurance company to open its doors for business in Nesara. Back by a larger international insurance company, Steinberg hopes that Cedar and Nesara are on the verge of a population boom,  and is banking on capturing the market before anyone else.










Danny Davidson, owner of the Davidson Contracting Limited, recently acquired a large piece of land to the east of Cedar. The 20x20 (40,000 sq. meters) plot land was bought for $400,000, and it is believed the Davidson Contracting Ltd. is planning to develop a residential compound of sorts.





A new construction company has moved into town by the name of Haiden Construction Company, and have already taken their first contract from Lifetime Insurance to develop their offices. They have also acquired a piece of land on Country Road and are planning to open up their offices there. Seeing how Danny Davidson is a millionaire (estimated worth is at around $2 million), the owner of Haiden Construction Co. has identified the small but growing Nesara real estate market as one that is ready to boom.



Recently, James Brooks, head of the Nesara Council and "father" of the region, travelled to the US capital Washington D.C. for a meeting with the American government to discuss the state of region, its potential future, and for possible endorsement from the federal government. Quite a few points were discussed, but Brooks had a few issues that he stressed, hoping he would get funding from Washington to help his council develop the projects in mind. Two of the major issues were:

1 - Rail connection and the construction of an airfield: Both issues were met with approval from the federal government, and Brooks conceded development and growth would continue to be very slow without them. Industries continue to be reluctant to open up shop in Nesara because of the difficulty of moving big bulks out of the area and into the other parts of the country, while residents continuously complain about the amount of time it takes driving into Cedar. Brooks asked for $20 million to develop a respectable airfield and to run a track line from Portland, Oregon, across Nesara and into northern California.

2 - Funding to help explore Nesara's potential resources: Brooks requested funding and help from the federal government to begin thorough exploration of Nesara in search for potential natural resources that might have deposits.

Looks fantastic, especially the night shots! &apls

Nice update, going to be interesting to see what that compound at the edge of town is going to be.

I quite like how you town is spreading out along the main road, it's very realistic. 

Hi my friend!!! Great update again!!!  I like a lot this growth of your city, very well detailed!!!    :thumbsup:

Hello Nedal,

Another fantastic update. 
I still love the little details you put into each and every new building.
Your night shots are stunning as well.
&apls
Robin  :thumbsup:

Awesome update can't wait to see the new developments forming

Will

Still growing, but with the recent visit to Washington it seems Cedar will experience more of a boom.

Very nice!

             -Jordan :thumbsup:

canyonjumper: Thanks for commenting, Jordan :)
kwakelaar: Rumor has it that the meeting in Washington went quite well. I guess we'll see in the upcoming updates ;) Thanks for stopping by!
penguin007: Cedar is growing, and its starting to grow fast!
rooker1: Thanks, the nightshots are a new touch to this MD but I personally love nightshots!
Tomas Neto: Thank you! You must teach me how to make amazing mosaics like those that can be found in your MD!
Battlecat: Well, no one likes to live on dirt roads, thats why most of the plots were developed along Country Road. Now that paved streets are the norm in Cedar, people are starting to bunch up next to central Cedar as they dont want to be too far from work!
io_bg: Thanks for stopping by and commenting, and thanks for the kind words!

It's once again splendid ! Love these before and after shots   :thumbsup:

Fantastic again!!! Very nice city!!!  :thumbsup:

Yeah, at this point Cedar still has the benefit of being an extremely foot traffic friendly community!  It's really not far to walk from one end to the other! 

Population: 2,115

Completed Projects: Cedar Police Station One

Developing Projects: Haiden Construction Co. Offices (Country Road), Green Oaks Residences (Davidson Contracting Ltd, Country Road)




After coming back from Washington D.C. with relatively good news (i.e. funding), James Brooks promised the Cedar locals that the top priority for the council would be to pave every road in the town, and he has made good on that promise (almost), as just about every street in Cedar is now covered with asphalt. A few side streets on the outskirts of town, especially the southern and eastern outskirts, remain unpaved, but the Nesara Council has promised they shall not remain like that for long.



Quite a few plots with houses on them have been put on the market for sale in and around central Cedar as prices have shot up to around $4,000 in the area. People who had originally bought plots for as low as $1,000 and $1,500 stand to make a nice little sum, especially considering they can relocate just down the road or a few minute walk from their old homes and still pay only $1,500 a plot. The 2x2 (400 sq. meter) plot just opposite the Nesara Council on the corner of Intersection Street and Country Road recently went on the market for $130,000, and there are rumors that Haiden Construction is looking to buy it and re-develop it.



Cedar has seen a small boom in construction in recent times as development has started spreading off of Country Road and further into the forests around the town. Most of the development can be found in the southern area of Cedar, around the school and hospital, and the eastern area, close to the newly built police station. Central Cedar has also seen redevelopment as land owners look to cash in on the rise in prices and businessmen look to cash in on the central location of a rapidly growing town. On a side note, the town recently surpassed 2,000 registered residents.



Davidson Contracting Ltd. recently announced it had completed the blueprints on its new project, Green Oaks Residences, confirming that they will be developing a residential community on the new land it had bought recently. Although the company did not release much information other than that, Danny Davidson, owner of the company, stated that, "Everyone will be able to buy a home in our development, and I can confirm that it will come equipped with all the necessary amnesties to make it a one of a kind living experience."



Cedar Police Station One, situated on the eastern part of town, is Nesara's first and only base for its new police department. The Nesara Police and Fire Department, or NPFD for short, also acquired 5 cars for the police to use. Currently the NPD has employed 24 people, with 16 of them field cops. The NPFD has also now responsible for the fire station just off of central Cedar.











On a recent survey of the coast, the Nesara Council took some pictures of a site used by a few locals for some fishing. They decided to release them to the public for tourism purposes. Enjoy!

Fantastic work both on the village and the beach! &apls &apls

Wow, that's an incredibly beautiful beach area!  Also nice to see some diagonal roads slipping into your community! 

Just fantastic!  &apls

 &apls &aplsFantastic beach . It`s catch my eye for sure. Looking forward :thumbsup:

Those are some fantastic looking beaches, I will back my bags and come for a visit if I could book a flight. (Guessing it is a bit of a problem as the airstrip has not opened yet :) )

I take a fly to Nesara now, I NEED to take a sun bath on that beach !  &apls

Wow my friend, fantastic beach!!! Awesome update!!!  &apls &apls

You've surpassed the, already great, quality of the usual posts, Nedal! Those beach shots are beautiful! Just out of curiosity (plus I might just implement it in my region ;D), which beach mod are you using?

                 Your friend, Jordan :thumbsup:

Wait, i take off my sun glass  :D the beach shots are  :o :o i never seen so realistic sea, just awesome, beautifull update  &hlp

OH WOW!!! those beaches are perfect!!! Also the development also looks to be getting on very well

Will

What I wouldn't give to just pull out a chair and relax on that white sandy beach. Amazing work on everything!  &apls

BuildingUp: Thanks! I didnt know whether the sandy beach and the water would go well together, but I think that it worked :)
penguin007: Cedar is growing! It seems development is also starting to sprout out of central Cedar as well as along Country Road.
planetechef: Thank you :) I wanted to give it a realistic feel, I hope I did well with the tree placement alongside the small cliffs.
canyonjumper: I am using something called the RVT Coastal Mod, which I think is a fantastic Mod. It pretty much lets you select what type of water you want with what type of coast you want, along with some other details. Give it a try!
Tomas Neto: Thank you for commenting, Im glad you liked it :)
art128: Hehe, Id love to join you, I could use some rays!
kwakelaar: Indeed, no airstrip yet :( Although the federal government has promised to fund the development of the airstrip, but nothing has been planned yet. Thanks for commenting :)
kimcar: Im happy it caught your eye! :)
kbieniu7: Thanks for commenting, very much appreciated :)
Battlecat: Yep, the diagonal roads are starting to make an appearance! As growth sprouts out of central Cedar, Im guessing we will see more and more of them in the future.
io_bg: Thank you!

Beautiful beach and nice before and after picture too.

Nice again my friend!!! Great update!!!  :thumbsup:

These are some nice before-after shots, Nedal ! I like how the town is growing, very pleasant to watch and it's nicely done.  :thumbsup:

Thanks, Nedal! That mod was exactly what I was looking for ;D Great before and after shots, it's always nice to see how Cedar grows :D

            Your friend, Jordan :thumbsup:

As always, very nice looking before and after pictures! 

Nice shots there can't wait for the next update!!! NOW!!!

Will

Hey you should turn this into a mrbisonm style map, and have interactions. :thumbsup:

Very nice before and after views. Your town is growing in a natural fashion. It will be fun to watch the first multi-story commercial and Industrial buildings pop up.

Geoff

great, very great update  &apls

kelis: Thanks for commenting, much appreciated!
calibanx: Yeah, thats what Ive been aiming for, some realistic growth patterns in the town. Im excited about the first multi-story building too!
NASCAR_Guy: I think I'll leave that for the experts like Fred, there is no way anyone can replicate what he does, hehe :)
penguin007: Well, its not a real update, but I hope it can satisfy for now!
Battlecat: Thank you as always for commenting :)
canyonjumper: No problem, glad to help!
art128: Thanks, I like how Cedar is growing too.
Tomas Neto: Thank you for always commenting my friend.
Connor: Thanks, I really liked how the beach turned out as well. Thanks for commenting!

That's some pretty serious growth there!  Railway and a lot more industrial in the area.  Looks great!

Nice pics, Nedal! Is that a railway I see? Cedar certainly has grown ;D

            Your friend,
                           Jordan :thumbsup:

Looks like i missed alot. Looks great! &apls

I really do like the way that Cedar has expanded. The old style of growth seemed to be just a little too slow for my liking, but that's just me. Anyway, I think that the new industrial areas that have popped up along the railway have turned out really nicely.

One suggestion I have would be to download the SFBT Rail Texture Mod, found on the LEX, it'll get rid of the ugly dirt next to your rails and make the rails look a lot better.

Ethan

So I was having trouble sleeping, and decided to go over my old MDs (Berania, Qumma), and I must say, I had forgotten just how popular Qumma was. Several times smiles were brought on to my face reading the comments that were left, and I was reminded of the time and effort I put into the region and its updates, and all the fun I had.

Unfortunately, around mid 2008, my life took a very steep downward spiral, and looking back I must admit it was the hardest period of my life, a very very difficult time when all that could go wrong apparently did, at the same time. Loss of loved ones, near collapses in the business field, etc... something Im glad I have gotten through and over, but it was the reason I stopped updating Qumma and lost touch with it. When I started Berania, it was never my intention to let that MD die, but my computer completely stopped working, and although I thought I had it backed up on my external HD, it turned out that I didnt. I lost Berania along with many other important business related documents that I thought I had saved but I hadnt.

So here I am, working on my third MD, and I truly believe third time is a charm. I am having a blast with Cedar and Nesara, and in RL, I must admit, I am finally content having gone through these difficult year and a half. Through it all, I have always felt a sense of serenity and sense of belonging here at SC4Devotion, as I was one of the very first members to join when the site opened, "switching" from Simtropolis :)

I just wanted to thank everyone, lurkers, commenters (special thanks to rooker1 and all the regulars, and a very big thanks to those who have been patient with me and have followed all my MDs), former commenters (I had some legendary ones like JMouse, Ennedi, etc :)) and everyone who has made this place a great place to be (special thanks, ofcourse, to Jeronij).

I hope you all have a fantastic day and a terrific night, and may all your days always be blessed. Thanks.

I did read your text and I stayed happy because the worst period already passed, and now you are in a moment more calms of your life..., I think. I identify me with what did you write, therefore when I did open my MD,  here in the SC4D,  I didn't have notion about would I be received, and then I had to big surprise of find old friends and do new friends too. I believe that have a MD here is more than only do updates, but also share good part of us with these big friends. Today you shared a good part of yourself with everybody us, and this transforms you in a special friend of everybody of this forum.

That was a very nice message. It's a nice idea to stop once in a while and be thankful for what we have.

Great update. The business district fits well in your town's growth.

Take care.

Geoff

Nedal,
It is us that should be thanking you for coming back with what you call "A third time is a Charm MD". :thumbsup:  Your work here is better than ever and I am very glad to hear that you have made it through a tough period of your life.  Any time you need someone to talk to you can find me on MSN.
Anyways, it seems I had missed the last two updates....unsure how how.  Those shorelines are so piture perfect.  I would hate to know how long it took you to prepare that area.  And you know me and how much I enjoy a good dirty industrial zone and my friend yours is no exception. 
Great work!  It's always a pleasure on the eyes to visit your MD.

Robin  &apls

In continuation with the development pictures from above, I did some more work on Cedar today, and I think Im pretty close to the result I am looking for, although there are still some things I need to work on, namely the outskirts of the town. I wanted to model Cedar after the typical American small town, where you would find a small stretch of industry just off of the downtown area, and a spread of residential zones sprouting from the central part of town.

If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know! You can see Davidson Contracting Green Oaks to the far right. In the coming updates, we will take a tour around the town and see what exactly is happening with the Nesara Council and the locals. Enjoy!

Well I really like how cedar is coming together!  The pattern of development is impressively realistic!

That was really a heartwarming message that you gave to us readers, and it shows just how much you raelly appreciate us.  :)

I read through Qumma often myself, I, like you, sometimes have not much to do or can't sleep, and I often search through the MD archives looking for a read. This was how I came about Qumma and I was instantly hooked. That was certainly an excellent MD and I was very sad that I wasn't around when it was open. I did like Berania very much as wel, and I remember I felt very priveliged to comment on one of your MDs.

As for Nesara, I think that you certainly are right on by saying that the third time is a charm. You've had excellent growth here both on the site and in the game, and I'm sure that you'll be here for the long haul as you seem very committed. Nesara also has absolutely wonderful potential; I won't be surprised to see skyscrapers soon!

Ethan

Development suddenly took a giant leap forward, and it looks excellent, the new railway is a perfect fit.

Sorry to hear about your life taking such a dive, but of course it is good to hear that you find yourself at a better place now.

Awesome again my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

I love that town. It seems very realistic. ;) &apls &apls &apls &apls

wow it really is growing

I like how the town is growing once again Nedal. I really love the industrial estate. Although, I think you should use the FARR pieces with the railway, it should looks more realistic.  ;)
Anyway, great word overall !

Arthur.  :thumbsup:

Certainly been lots of development recently, and the town looks really great.

Very nice, Nedal! The industrial area looks great! And I'll just echo what Robin said, I am on MSN if you ever wanted to talk.

                  Your friend,
                                 Jordan :thumbsup:

Really nice update and great message you post, somewhere i agree with the fact then play simcity is really relaxing & watching Nesara growing up, it's relaxing too, looking forward to see more.  :thumbsup:

planetechef: That is so true, Simcity just seems to have a way of making you forget about the real world and become engrossed in a world you are creating. Thanks for commenting :)
canyonjumper: Thank you very much, thankfully all is alright now :) I loved your last update in your MD, by the way!
Connor: Yeah, I jumped development speed a bit. I really wanted to get Cedar to the point of an actual self sufficient town. Now hopefully the fun begins hehe.  
art128: I actually did use the FARR pieces :) I agree, they are much more realistic, hopefully in the upcoming updates you will see where I used them.
danielcote: Yeah, hehe. Thanks for commenting.
Engorn: Thank you, realism is what I am aiming for actually, so it is good to hear you say that!
Tomas Neto: Thank you very much, oh King of all that is Mosaic! By the way, do you have a guide of some sorts on how to put together a mosaic? I want to do my own! I certainly agree with your idea about the feeling of community and friendship here, and it is people like you who make it what it is :)
kwakelaar: Yes, I am in a much better place thanks to hard work and a little faith :) Yes, development has doubled, but now we get back into the details of Cedar and Nesara :)
ecoba: Certainly means alot hearing the comments from someone I personally consider one of the legends here at SC4D :) Thank you so much for the kind words - sooner or later, the skyscrapers have to come! And you were right, the SFBT Rail Mod improved the texture around the rail track ALOT! Thank you for that.
Battlecat: Thanks! I try to keep the realism up, so that is how I tried to develop the industrial part of town :)
rooker1:  Thank you very much for the kind words from another legend of SC4D! You have been around since the start, I remember you commenting on all my MDs, so I definitely appreciate your wonderful comments now. I am glad you liked the industrial part of town :)
calibanx: I take some time out every night to thank god for my blessings, and for giving me the strength to always push forward. The business district and industrial zones will continue to grow as the town develops :)
marsh: Well hopefully you can be all caught up now! Thanks for commenting!







Population: 6,648


It has been a few years since our last update on Cedar and Nesara, so now we have to play some catch up with the developments. The first thing one would notice is how much Cedar has grown, now bordering on 7,000 residents. The growth comes down to 2 things: the increase in manufacturing firms opening up in town, and the opportunities for a person to open a business at a relatively cheap cost.


The industrial area that has developed north of downtown Cedar was fueled by the attention given to the needs of the firms who were looking to relocate and who were already there, such as Korra Ceramics and Silkmate Home Textiles. The most pressing issue was the lack of rail transport for cheap bulk shipments, and that was rectified when the Nesara Council invested nearly $10 million in developing rail tracks connecting the area with Portland, Oregon to the north and Eureka, California to the south. The rail station and rail freight is run exclusively by Nesara Rail, a subsidiary company of the Nesara Transport Authority, which in turned is, of course, owned by the Nesara Council. What this means is that if a company wants to ship anything out of Nesara using rail freight, Nesara Rail is the only company that can offer them that service. Nesara Rail is also the only company that serves Cedar in terms of passenger trains, with trips to Eureka and Portland, although the council has said that it will not give exclusive rights for passenger trains to Nesara Rail.





While a few more companies have opened up factories, the biggest 2 are Tallivert Food Co. and Production Steel, with both factories just off of the rail station. Both companies are upstarts who have stationed their headquarters in Cedar, and both chose Cedar as their preferred location because of the policies in place by the Nesara Council.

Tallivert Food Co. is owned by Chris Tallivert, formerly of New Orleans, Louisiana. Tallivert moved up to Nesara a couple of years ago, and after investing around $2 million in machinery and construction, opened up the Tallivert Food Company and its factory. Specializing in the production of all types of canned foods and other packed food products, the company has found reasonable success since opening for business about a year ago. Currently, the main markets for Tallivert Food Co. is the immediate area around Nesara, which is western Oregon and northern California. The factory supplies distributors and also deals directly with a few chain grocery stores. In Cedar, Jim Calhoun's Cedar Market is the only customer, turning over $65,000 with the factory the past year. The overall turnover in the first year of business for Tallivert was $2.2 million, just about breaking even in terms of net profit, excluding initial capital.





Production Steel opened its doors for business around the same time as the Tallivert Food Company, but has not been as successful as its counterpart during the same time frame. Owned by a conglomerate of businessmen based out of Los Angeles, California, Production Steel specializes in construction steel products. The factory, which cost almost $1.7 million upon completion, was designed to be as cost cutting as possible. However, the turnover has been disappointingly low for them in their first year of operation, only doing $1.5 million, and mostly supplying the North -West region of the United States. Plans for further marketing the brand have so far been put on hold to see how the performance will be in the upcoming year.  





The other two big manufacturing firms in Cedar, Silkmate Home Textiles and Korra Ceramics, have both achieved reasonable and sustainable profits since they began operating a few years ago. Silkmate recorded $3.3 million in sales last year, while Korra Ceramics achieved $2.8 million. Kimberly Korra, the owner of the company, has also moved into Cedar fulltime from Seattle, and is planning to open the very first Korra outlet in the town, with plans of opening in Portland and Seattle, her former hometown, as well.




As mentioned before, a few smaller manufacturing firms have also opened up shop in Cedar, with all doing reasonable profits during the past year. The local economy has picked up significantly by the money these companies have brought into Nesara, and pretty much everyone from the Nesara Council to the employees who are find decent paying jobs is benefiting.

Next update, we will take a look at the commercial side of things as we analyze the numbers and review how central Cedar has developed throughout the years. We will also take a look at some of the residents of Cedar and the houses they live in, as well as some small facts, and finally, we will get you up to date on all the latest news out of Nesara. Enjoy!

Looks good. Like the compact industrial area.  :) What textures are you using for your streets and we need the info on the rail station.  :D

Fantastic job on the industrial, it looks even better close up.  I'm very impressed with your careful selection of buildings once again, they all combine together to make an excellent small town industrial development.

Great work, once again! &apls

I like it, though it's really griddy ;)

Very nice, Nedal! Excellent choice of BATs. And thanks for the compliment!

             Your friend,
                            Jordan :thumbsup:

Sincerely I don't know as you do the esthetic handling in your images, but stays incredible, a spectacular effect!!!  Awesome, really awesome update!!!  &apls &apls
Tutorial about mosaic!!! (http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=96427&enterthread=y)

I agree with Tomas Neto, the effect on your pictures are fabulous, i really, really like the small stone train station, again beautifull update  &apls you have a awesome style here.

Wow these are some high quality pictures.  I thought Simcity 4 came out in 2003? :) Excellent effects!

I just read your MD and I must say the background story is really great. It is fascinating to see how all is growing and developing.

Ey, keep like that. You're doing a great job with your MD. I really like the rural atmosphere seen on those pictures, they seem very real. ;)

Quote(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg535.imageshack.us%2Fimg535%2F4388%2F151cedar6648cedarrailst.jpg&hash=72000c07ab8ad1db50669cae1baab03b342ad872)

where can I get that golf car factory?

Just a quick reply to NASCAR_Guy - It can be found in SimGoobers Industry Pack 02, I believe :)

Engorn: Thanks! The effects are done with Coral Paint Shop, I like the way they turn out :) Thank you for commenting.
RickD: Hey, thanks so much for the kind words! I try to make an interesting story along with the pictures, and really have a point to the development.
Haljackey: Hehe, its amazing what the SC4 community has done in regards to BATS and Mods, and I think the photo editting brings MDing to a whole new level.
planetechef: Thanks, I really liked the train station too, although I was looking for something a bit more industrial to be honest. But this stations fits good too!
Tomas Neto: Oh, a mosaic guide! Thank you so much for that, I hope I can make some that look remotely like yours! Thank you for the comments.
canyonjumper: No Thank YOU for taking the time to leave some kinds words, much appreciated :)
soulchaser: I must admit I do like some griddiness to mix in with some freelance development. I have some diagonal streets developing :)
Battlecat: The big factories are plopped, but the rest were all grown :) The industrial area will continue to expand alongside Intersection Street north, if the trend continues.
scott1964: Thank you for the kind words! I am using the SAM Steet Textures. What kind of info would you like on the station? :)

excellent work, very tropical.

great update! I see the town is starting to get some apartments too!

Never seen such a green industrial area!

Nice effect on the photo editing there!

Population: 6648


In the commercial field, the biggest industries have been construction and retail. Davidson Contracting Ltd. remains the biggest construction and development company in Nesara, and the recent completion of their Green Oaks Residences project has only cemented their status as the biggest in the area. The Green Oaks multi-million dollar project, according to the latest press statement, is "the defining standard in luxury living, with state of the art and high quality finishing combined with absolute security and privacy." All the villas in the project have been sold out, even though some are still under construction. Haiden Construction have not seen the success that Davidson Contracting has, but have slowly started taking more projects. They developed the Production Steel factory, and are currently buying up land around Cedar for future, unannounced developments.

Green Oaks Residences is a full amnesties residential compound developed by Davidson Contracting to cater to the wealthy of Nesara, as well as those looking to invest in a home in the area. Comprised of 22 luxury villas in total, the gated community also includes a state of the art out jacuzzi and heated swimming pool, as we as 24 hour security. The villas come in 2 sizes - 5 bedroom and 6 bedroom. The former has been put on the market for $400,000, while the latter is fetching approximately $550,000. All the units have been sold already, although some remain under construction.















Several retail stores have opened up on Country Road, changing the face of central Cedar. Several former residents have sold their land and homes and in turn the buyers have developed them into commercial properties. Some of have chosen to rent out or lease their developments, while others have decided to develop properties for their own businesses. Jim Calhoun's Cedar Market remains the most successful business, with daily sales averaging almost $6,000. Calhoun recently stated his business has outgrown the store it was currently in, and was looking to open a bigger branch, although the location of that is as of yet unknown.





The Bank of Nesara has been very active as of late thanks to the surge in commercial and industrial interests in Nesara. Several people have taken out loans to start their own businesses in Cedar, and with forgiving interest rates as well as the Nesara Council's relaxed laws on taxes, there have been several applications from out of Nesara for loans to open up in the area as well. The bank's chairman, Johann Nords, recently set up an investment department within the bank which would be responsible for all of the banks future direct investments, including a real estate project they are currently studying in Portland, Oregon. 

 &apls &aplsExcellent update once again. I really like the construction scenery. A great touch of realism. :thumbsup:

Fantastic update!  Those are some great looking homes.  Cedar is looking pretty cool at night now.

Sorry I have missed a couple of updates but the development is racing away now!!
I love the new housing development and the town centre is building quickly

Will

Awesome update, Nedal! I like the Green Oaks concept, I'll have to keep that in mind ;D Excellent houses and interior pics! About the mosaic, it really isn't all that hard; if I can do it, I'm sure you can too ;D

                  Your friend,
                                 Jordan :thumbsup:

Is Green oaks residences close to Cedar?

Hey Nedal
Another fantastic update.
I can really see why you like those construction house set.  Your city is growing at a nice pace now.  The industrial area fits in perfectly there in the middle.  I just wonder how you will fit in another section as the town grows to a city. 
Do you have a plan or are you just doing as you go?  Will we  get to see a seaport of some kind?  If you have no plans, I would love to see your take on some water front properties. ;)

Robin  :thumbsup:

 &apls, so beautifull, he seem then you really take your time to build this town, step by step, tree by tree, the result is awesome, i like very much your choice of houses, those with a grey roof, you treat them very nicely with the picture effect, please continue to take your time on your MD  ;D ;D
oh, i forget, did you use the lot editor for make the house construction site? it's also a great touch.

Some really nice overviews of Cedar, nedalezz. I really am liking the luxury neighbourhood (I actually think it's horrendous, but that's what makes it so great...  :D ), those are some lovely pictures of the inside, looks very fancy...

Ethan

looking great, love that rich nabjorhood. They even get their own wave pool!

Quite some development since my last visit, and Green Oaks are looking very posh judging from the interiors.

mightygoose: Thanks, actually I am going for a more Pacific Northwest  feel, lol. But you are right, it has some tropical-ness to it.
danielcote: Good eye! ;) Yes, there are some lower income small apartment blocks that were developed near the factories for out of town workers looking for cheap living spaces. Green Oaks is on the edge of the eastern part of town, just down Country Road if you look at the aerial shot to the east.
armagin: Well, it is a pretty small industrial area in a town that is surrounded by forests :) Thanks for commenting.
Battlecat: Thanks, Im glad you liked the teaser and the nightshot!  I loved the effects that were generated.
kimcar: Yes, those construction lots are fantastic! I utilize them alot in my MD :)
penguin007: Development has certainly picked up as more people get to know about Nesara and start planning to move to Cedar. Thanks for commenting :)
canyonjumper: It seems to be prevalent everywhere in the world, the whole community living thing, so I thought I would portray it in Nesara as well. I hope you liked how it turned out.
rooker1: I actually don't have a plan, I am taking it as I go. What I am doing really is trying to roleplay realism and treat it like a real town, and Nesara like a real country, complete with problems they may face and such. I actually have imaginary budgets set up for the Nesara Council and if something is too expensive, it wont get built!
planetechef: The house construction lots are actually not my work and can be found on the STEX. I believe the maker is called Weasel. They are absolutely fantastic BATs, especially for this MD :) I really am taking my time and playing the game I like to play it, and Im happy that you are enjoying it as well :)
ecoba: Hehe, well, the rich have to live somewhere! Thank you for commenting, always appreciated :)
marsh: Hehe, is it a wave pool? I downloaded some swimming pool areas off of LEX and STEX, and I thought this looked best given the setting.
kwakelaar: Green Oaks is the poshest area in Cedar up till now, hehe. Davidson Contracting really outdid themselves.

Nice town. You're going to need a high school and a bigger healthcare centre soon.

I agree, the last update was fantastic, and these aerial shots are great, good work my friend  :thumbsup:

Cedar really has grown, hasn't it?

                    Your friend,
                                   Jordan :thumbsup:

Cedar is realy growing. :)

And yea, that is a wave pool. You can tell by the shape of it. (I go to the Waterpark alot ()stsfd() )

Awesome growth pics can't wait for more

Will

Penguin007 is really lucky, I wanted to be the 200^th post here, but I came a bit too late..  :P

Anyway, great little update, Nedal ! I love to see before-after pictures. These are really well done my friend, Cedar is growing, for sure, nicely!

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Wow, my friend, very nice again!!! Fantastic updates!!!  :thumbsup:

Amazing story of growth you have here. It's growing really realistically. I might copy some of your ideas.

Your sequential shots are a real treat!  It's very cool to see the pattern of growth as your city slowly grows!

The richest man in Nesara, this construction tycoon recently moved into his newest home. Located in the Green Oaks Residences community, which is owned by Davidson's company, Davidson Contracting Ltd., the house is estimated to be worth $1.3 million. Although not the most expensive in Cedar, it is situated in the most exclusive area of the town. After moving out of his old house closer to central Cedar, Danny Davidson also developed houses for his two sons and daughter, all of which are located inside Green Oaks.








Kimberly Korra only recently became a full-time resident of Cedar, and has the distinction of owning the most expensive home in all of Nesara. Estimated to be worth just over $2 million, it is situated near the Cedar Police Station on the eastern edge of town. After the success of the Korra Ceramics factory, Kimberly decided she wanted to be next to her work fulltime, and moved her family with her to Cedar. The Korras are the 2nd richest family in Nesara.










The upstart insurance tycoon might only be reaching his late 30s, but he already owns a home worth almost $1.7 million in western Cedar, just off of Country Road near the Nesara Fuel station intersection. Owner and CEO of Lifetime Insurance, the largest insurer in Nesara, Steinberg has thus far resisted the temptation to move to eastern Cedar, where all the luxury homes seem to be popping up. Out of the three most expensive homes, his is the oldest. Udrich Steinberg, who is still single, is currently the 3rd richest person in Nesara.

Nice houses.  :) Where did you get the pool in your gated community?  ;D

Great couple of houses there Nedal ! I liked all of them, however I'm not a fan of classic houses, I prefer modern ones. Can I have a home (modern) in Cedar ? Because the Svanskinahya president would like to take some vacation out of Russia. :)


Arthur. :thumbsup:

 &apls &apls Excellent pics my friend . I like the way that you show the houses. Great photoshop :thumbsup:

Excellent pics! Matt's houses really work well for luxury homes.

Scott, the pool is from here (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=14522).

                     Your friend,
                                    Jordan :thumbsup:

Fantastic houses here, like the way you use the pool for make a really nice estate, beautifull update as always  :thumbsup:

planetechef: Thanks! I downloaded a few pools, but I thought this one fit best.
canyonjumper: The BATs really do work out great! They gave me the exact look I was going for :)
kimcar: Thanks - I dont really use to many effects, just a little brightness contrast, some sharpness, and a flip :)
art128: Are you kidding?! The Nesara Council would be HONOURED to have the Svanskinahya president as a part-time resident of Cedar! Perhaps you could link me the house he would want to build and where in Cedar he would like that to happen :) And dont feel too bad about the 200th post, every other one is just as important!
scott1964: Thanks to Jordan for providing the link to the pool :) Thanks for commenting.
Battlecat: Thanks! I always used to wonder reading other MDs how a certain looked before, so I decided to implement that in my MD :)
emgmod: That is very flattering to know you want to copy my ideas! :) Didnt know I was doing anything special!
Tomas Neto: Thank you for your wonderful comment :)
penguin007: You will soon :) What about you? When can we expect an update!?
marsh: Waterparks are really fun, although I havent been to one in quite a few years, lol. Thank you for commenting.

Well I had a teaser all worked out, but imageshack is giving me hell, and I have to get ready for my flight (still have yet to pack and head to the airport, and my flight is 6 hours from now :(). Hopefully I will have a full update in the next 2-3 days from my hotel room in Dubai :)

Well hope you enjoy your trip!  That was a very cool update showing the inside of the homes!

I'd like to have this one Jen_p House (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=12767). If you can put it somewhere behind Cedar town and the beach.  :)

Enjoy your strip in Dubai, my friend. ;)

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Wow those are some really nice houses!

Update impressive, my friend!!! The way you created this update shows us much of your talent and creativity!!! Awesome!!!  &apls &apls

Really luxury living in the Green Oaks area, the combination of simcity buildings with their interior photos is working very well.

Oh, we can purchase houses? Interesting. Maybe I can lot one and send it to you.

Ethan

Sign me up for a nice colonial manor.  :P

I have been very busy the past few days, so I havent been able to really play. But I dont want to neglect the MD, so here is a small update about some development going on in Cedar. On a side note, the Nesara Council has taken note of all your residential applications and requests and is striving to meet your demands ;)



Due to the influx of workers coming to find jobs at the new factories, the demand for cheap, affordable single and double bedroom housing has quickly outgrown the supply. That is the why the Nesara Council has implemented an initiative to construct accommodation for the new residents of Cedar, and make sure that there are enough residential units to meet the current demand.
Before the construction of what people have started calling the Industrial Park Apartments, many of the laborers were forced to rent out rooms in homes, and most of the rent rates were too high for the new factory workers to be able to save money accordingly. Some even resorted to sleeping outside the factories they work in, sometimes on the cold, hard asphalt. The Nesara Council's initiative has identified the lack of proper affordable housing and has subcontracted companies, mostly Haiden Construction, to begin meeting the demand. The housing estates are owned by the council, and rent is regulated according to the wages being paid.

Hello Nedal,
I hope all is going well for you.
Ahhhh, you finally did it.  You added in row homes and low income apartments.  Perfectly done again my friend.  I don't think I could have done it any better.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Very well done, Nedal! I like the apts and the rowhomes.

        -Jordan :thumbsup:

Wow, fantastic again!!! Great work my friend!!!  &apls

Very well  &apls &apls

Okay, that was marvelous. I agree with Robin, this is such a realistic city, and the low income apartments show it, as any good city has it's low income apartments. But I certainly do like the other, nicer apartments as well. Also, expect a PM from me soon.  :)

Ethan

 &apls &apls always a pleasure to discover new pictures from Nesara, and as always, great shots, it's not easy to do beauty with low income buildings  &mmm but you did it, i like the way you surrender them, the dirty street, carbagge...very realistic  :thumbsup:

Nicely done although I would like to see more green around those apartments instead of cement alleys filled to the to with garbage.

Medium density housing comes to Cedar!  Nice little update!

The town of Cedar has become a small but bustling center between the Pacific Northwest and California, and the exponential growth continues to push the population of the town towards 10,000 residents. Currently, it stands at 8,222, but with all the development taking place in the western part of Cedar, the wait to get to five digits will not be long.
Recently, the Nesara Council found the Nesara Property Authority (NPA), responsible for handling all legal matters pertaining to lands and development, as well as controlling the sale of government owned land to private parties. The NPA developed a policy of controlling the lands being sold to control the development of Cedar in accordance to the vision of the Nesara Council. After holding off on selling property for a little while, they released several plots in the western part of Cedar along Country Road and a newly developed street that swept northwest alongside the train tracks. Several plots were bought quickly, and although there are still a few for sale, most are expected to be gone within the next few weeks.








One of the biggest stories to hit Cedar in recent times was the word that the President of Svanskinahya was to have a holiday home in the area. James Brooks, head of the Nesara Council, confirmed the reports during his weekly address in the Cedar Town Hall, stating that the Nesara Police and Fire Department (NPFD) will take all the necessary precautions and security measures to ensure the President feels safe and secure in his new home. The Svanskinahya Estate is made up of a house designed by a Svanskinahyan architect employed by the President, and a large parcel of land surrounding the house given as gift by the Nesara Council. The land and the house are estimated to be worth $1.5 million. It is located a short drive from the town of Cedar to the west, in between the town and the ocean.

nice update! You'll need to expand the bottom half of the town some time as well.

Good update again there the way the town is now following the railway as well as the road is very picture perfect

Will

Awesome stuff, everything looks so realistic! Can't wait for more! :thumbsup:

I sent you the link, my friend. Hope that it will work. I was wondering if my house could be located in a more secluded area too? I think it would be lovely to live just outside of town.  :)

The expansion of Cedar is really mindblowing. The amount of construction lots that must be in your city at any given time has to be huge. I find that this is really realistic, as you are showing us not only the result of the growth found in Nesara, but you show us the preparation that leads up to it. Great work, my friend.

Arthur's home looks very beautiful. I like the grounds that surround it, and Arthur chose a beautiful BAT as well.

Ethan

Wow! The President's home looks great!

       -Jordan :thumbsup:

It looks great how the construction sites expand into the woods. Looks very natural. And the villa is excellent. The line of trees around the property is cool. The president likes his privacy it seems.

Gorgeous update!  Those are some fantastic high wealth estates!  I like how Cedar is starting to break away from the original grid. 

I really love that villa. Lucky art12...euh president of Svanskinhaya  &apls

The president of Svanskinahya really loves this villa. The land surrounding it is great touch. I also like the tennis stadium, everything seems to be great to make the president's holidays comfortable.

Now into the development of the town. It's growing nicely ! I like how it's developing by the north, but as Danielcote said you have to expand the south too !

Arthur.  :thumbsup:

nice villa  :thumbsup: i really like the road surrender by those trees, he make me remember some road from French country side, nice update my friend  &apls

Cedar looks very thoughtfully laid out and spatially very much how you'd expect to see a growing little town laid out along a well-traveled local road to look.  The location of the new growth makes a lot of sense, and I like how you've varied the layout of the new;y subdivided development from the older block-pattern areas.

The trees are great, too!  Love that change of seasons.


David

That is a great looking estate, and the newest development with cheaper housing is a nice addition to Cedar.

kwakelaar: Thanks! Yes, with all the factory hands coming into the city, they need housing that is relatively cheap. Given how they filled up so quick, I am sure more of those type of housing will be available soon.
dedgren: Wow, thanks for the kind words! It is an honour to have a Sim City legend such as yourself comment here :) Development will probably begin expanding south of central Cedar, as the demand for housing continues to hold steady.
planetechef: Well if it looks like the French countryside, I must be doing something right because it is just gorgeous there! Thank you for commenting.
art128: Definitely, the Nesara Council is planning to release land for sale to the general public to the immediate south of central Cedar, alongside Intersection Street in hopes of promoting more commercial activity in the town. It is rumored that Kimberly Korra will be opening her first showroom somewhere in the area :) The Nesara Council is also very pleased that the President likes his new holiday home!
Yan077: Hehe, coming from someone who is so talented when it comes to developing land and focusing on the details, that means alot. Your MD is legendary!
Battlecat: Cedar will probably be a combination of grids and freelance development - atleast thats how the Nesara Council envisions it! Thank you for stopping by :)
RickD: The President has 24 hour security provided by the Nesara Council as well as his own personal security - not only that, but the little street that leads to his house is strictly off-limits to the public :) Thanks for commenting!
canyonjumper: Thank you, and thanks for commenting :)
ecoba: I got your message, and I will be trying to get your house to grow just a bit west of Cedar :) The development taking place in Cedar is really starting to take off as more people know about the regulations (or lack thereof) set by the Nesara Council, and the benefits of opening up a business there. Thank you for your kind words :)
penguin007: First off, congratulations on your OSITM! You truly deserve it! The reason the development is shifting alongside the tracks is that the council had paved the road north in hopes of building a future passenger train station somewhere in the area, although that plan is as of yet, not confirmed.
danielcote: Certainly, and the next development phase will be to the south of central Cedar as the planned expansion of Intersection Street gets underway :)

Lets see how big it will get!?

I like how, instead of growing your town on blank terrain, it's surrounded and nestled by thick forest. This'll be interesting to watch in future updates, keep up the good work!

Nice work!

Nice! Looks great Nedal!

          -Jordan :thumbsup:

nedalezz, you have no idea how intrest i am when you show the city further out   ()stsfd()

Nice update there, Nedal ! It's great to see the south part of Nesera finally urbanized !

I can see a second train station at the north, this means more developments to come there ?  ;)

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Excellent work! Everything is so realistic! &apls

Nice progress as usual. Cedar looks better and better with each update. The development is very controlled and realistic but also very pleasing to the eye and somewhat interesting too.

Great work  &apls

You're doing a fantastic job of controlling the style of development in your town here!  The latest changes are very appealing!

Wow, Nesera is getting bigger and bigger ! Can't wait until the next update !

Arthur. :thumbsup:

Nice! Looking forward to the 20th update!

 &apls &apls Excellent teaser that prometting

On a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, I had the privilege of spending a night in the town of Cedar, capital of the state-country that is Nesara. Although its population is just about 10,000, the bustle, activity, and energy found in this town was the first thing that caught me, and I am not only referring to the daytime movement of traders and businessmen, but also of the night-time buzz found so evidently in Cedar's center.

Original founded by James Brook after an agreement with the government granted his movement the right to live tax-free, Cedar initially was no more than a small settlement of retirees and Nesara Council, the entity that governs the area, employees. Since then, it has become home for all types of residents, including prominent businessmen who are finding their millions stationed in Cedar.







Nestled in between thick forest all around, there is plenty to do in town and its surrounding area, especially if you cherish time in the outdoors and nature. An hour or so drive west will get you to the Pacific, where pristine and untouched coasts stretch as far as the eye can see both to the north and south. Although generally too cold to swim in, if you do visit Nesara between the months of July to early September, the water temperature will be just right enough for a dip in the ocean and a day sunbathing on the white sands of area's beaches. The Nesara Council recently opened Gateway Beach to the masses, the first public beach with basic facilities the council has opened. It is by no means against any laws to visit whichever part of the coastline you see fit, but Gateway Beach, with its safety guards, parking area, and small fast food carts will serve you well if you do not feel like disconnecting from civilization too much.





A short drive south will have you arrive at the Ravine River, a flowing body of water surrounded by lush greenery of both sides and has recently started taking a reputation as a fisherman's paradise. Although there is no paved road heading that far north from Cedar, a dirt track paved up by a recent expedition can easily be driven on by a 4x4 or SUV truck. Be advised, however; unlike Gateway Beach, there are no facilities or amnesties available anywhere along the Ravine River, so make the trip prepared and stocked. Once there, however, be ready to enjoy a calm, relaxing day, whether it be fishing or just sitting by the river taking nature at its finest.





Cedar has deservedly earned a reputation as town of growing economic opportunity, as witnessed by the continuous construction of factories and warehouses in the northern part of town, but there much more to it than just that. The first thing that will strike is the general friendliness of the place; locals are proud of their new home and will go the extra mile to make sure all their visitors feel at home, as well. While the town continues to grow at an fast rate, the heartbeat of Cedar remains Country Road, regardless of whether you are out for some shopping or want a night out in the town.

Although lacking in any real hotels and motels, Cedar features a couple of cozy inns that will do just fine for those looking to spend a couple of nights. The Bistro features a restaurant on the ground floor, with a few rooms above it, while Burgundy Bar & Inn is exactly what its name suggests. Both are situated on Country Road, and regardless of which place you decide to stay, it will set you back about $50 a night.

The numerous pubs and small restaurants in town are too many to list - a stroll down Country Road, however, will have you walking by almost all of them. In terms of shopping, the lack of large retail outlets should not deter you from an otherwise pleasant shopping experience in Cedar. Again, a stroll down Country Road will show you all that Cedar has to offer in that field, with several local businesses selling products such as antiques, groceries, garments, etc.






While Cedar might be your typical small town in terms of facilities and points of interest, the people of the area make it so much more. The energy felt upon entering the town is strong, and it is hard not to get caught up into it. Even the President of the nation of Svanskinahya bought himself a vacation home outside of Cedar! The growth rate being experienced in Nesara will ensure that this small town is going to become a city soon, but it is doubtful it will lose any of its charm.

Love it.
I can't really think of anything else to say any more.  Your approach to MDing is a breath of fresh air for sure.  To actually show us a city growing, and not just it's over all size but the buildings and consturction, I find it very eye catching.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Really interesting update, my friend. You definitely present Cedar as a great place to visit, and I know it is!  :) Hope to see a new update soon, you've really got a good MD here.

Ethan

Great update Nedal! I really like the beach!
             
                        Your friend,
                                       Jordan :thumbsup:

great update man  :thumbsup:

Great MD!

This is simply marlevous! How you have crafted a city from a simple train station is captivating :D

In my opinion this is your best update so far. Gateway beach is simply amazing.  &apls

Another fine update - your work continues to be of exceptional quality.  :thumbsup:

Nice update from the coast, and great looking pictures from the latest development in Cedar.

Fantastic update!  :thumbsup:

Gorgeous update!  Nice to see more shots of the beach area!  Cedar is certainly in the midst of rapid growth now! 

I continue impressed with the brightness of your images! It looks that I'm seeing a true city, of the real life!!!

nice update again  :thumbsup: the full region shot is awesome  &apls

Wow!  The little town has grown so much since I last visited!

The official census has just been released and Cedar's population has been listed as 13,921, which is more than what was estimated to be the town's population at this point. The estimates, which were taken about a year ago, had Cedar's population hovering around 10,000, but the high growth of the industrial and manufacturing sectors has spurned a much higher growth rate in the town than expected. Additionally, for the first time ever, more than 1,000 people have been recorded as citizens of Nesara but not living in Cedar or its vicinity. The majority of these recorded residents own plots and/or houses along Pacific Road, with some also having constructed some homes on Country Road, especially near the Ravine River Bridge.
Given that the growth rate, which shot up the past couple of years, is showing no signs of slowing down, estimates have Cedar pushing past 20,000 residents soon, given all the construction still taking place. The Nesara Council, headed by James Brooks, announced it was re-studying its urban planning for the next 10 years in light of these new facts, and will be doing the needful to keep the quality of life in Cedar and Nesara up to high standards.






Just a few days after the release of the latest population census, the Nesara Council announced its intention to build a new gas power plant about a mile north of Cedar. Intersection Street will be extended all the way up to the new power plant, and the current power plant will be dismantled and sold part by part.

"In order to support Nesara's growing power needs, we will begin work on the new power plant in the next couple of months," stated James Brooks. "While the current plant can and will meet Nesara's short term needs, it is inevitable that we will need to start developing a larger source of power as time goes by. We have decided to act now, so that we may be able to facilitate our expected future growth without any issues."

Although no official cost for the development has been stated, experts are estimated that project will cost around $12 million.







The tallest building in Cedar, the Loft Apartments building, has been completed and bought out by the Nesara Council as it looks to meet the housing demands of its employees. The project, which was developed by ICON Real Estate, featured a total of 64 apartments and was estimated to have been acquired for $6 million, or just over $93,000 an apartment. The apartments are all the same - 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining room, modern kitchen, and small storage room.

The development, which is situated just north of central Cedar alongside the train tracks, will house the Nesara Council's growing employee base, which is now over 250 with an additional 50 new positions slated to open up before the end of the year. Priority for the apartments will be given according to position and needs (such as size of immediate family). The initiative is being done in order to recruit highly skilled workers to Nesara, with benefits such as free housing.

The Nesara Council is currently the largest employer in the area.









Factories continue to open in Cedar at a staggering rate, almost single-handedly spurning the growth of the city's population. In the past year, 4 new companies have opened their doors for business in northern Cedar's industrial area, and the Nesara Council is currently developing the largest project of them all - the new Nesara Power Plant, situated about a mile north of the city on Intersection Street.

"The manufacturing sector is the engine driving the Nesaran economy," stated James Brooks, head of the Nesara Council. "Without it, there wouldn't be the growth and strength we are seeing today. We recognize this, and we are doing all we can to promote our no tax policy to prospective businesses. We won't be sitting still, either. We continue to study and examine ways we can further help businesses in Cedar grow, and entice future businesses to the area."







The large construction site situated on Intersection Street at the southern end of Cedar is no longer a mystery - it was confirmed as the Nesara Council's new HQ by James Brooks earlier this week.

"As most of you know, we have completely outgrown our old facility, so we have taken the initiative to develop a state of the art building to house all the council's current departments under one roof. This will ease the traffic on Country Road and central Cedar, and will help us become much more efficient. We do this with Nesara's future in mind," he stated.
Although there is no official estimate on the cost of the development, it has been confirmed that it was contracted to both Davidson Contracting and ICON Real Estate. No word on the estimated time of completion has been given, either.

I like how Nesara is sprawling outwards!  Looking forward to seeing your new city hall.

I enjoyed reading the background story. And the nightshots are especially nice.

Wow, amazing update, my friend. The sprawl is looking really great and the night pictures are really amazing. The lofts are one of my favourite pictures, and I also really like the last one.

Ethan  :)

Looking great Nedal! I look forward to the continued development of Cedar and Nesara! Your census stats got me wondering; are there any other towns in Nesara, besides Cedar?

                     Your friend,
                                    Jordan :thumbsup:

Looking great man. I'm liking the sprawl going on also. Those apartments are pretty nice.

On a side note, I remember the journal that you had 2 years ago, Qumma.I just now relized you were the one who made it, and It's realy inspired me on my MD and I thank you for that. I loved Qumma, (even though I never commented I always viewed it), and I hope Nesara does not come to the same fate aa it. Your a great sim cityer, (if thats a word :P).

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Awesome!

Oh yeah!!!   A W E S O M E !!!

Tomas Neto: Thanks! Im glad you liked it :)
976: Thank you for commenting!
marsh: Thank you for the very flattering words! I enjoyed developing Qumma alot, and as I stated before, the reason it ended was some major RL issues. Nesara will NOT suffer the same fate, I guarantee :)
canyonjumper: In terms of registered settlements and/or cities, Cedar is the only one, but as the census showed, there is just over 1,000 people registered as citizens who have homes in the rural area of Nesara, especially along on the coast on Pacific Road.
ecoba: The Loft Apartments are ICON Real Estate's flagship project thus far, and really has solidified their position in the market. I also liked the way the night shots came out. Thanks for commenting! P.S: I havent forgotten about your house, it just hasnt grown yet :(
RickD: I really enjoy putting the story together, so its great that there is someone who enjoys reading it!
Battlecat: Thank you for commenting :) It will actually be more of a Municipality building than a town hall in the conventional sense - in any case, I hope you like the BAT I have chosen for it.

Looks great, my friend. Also don't worry about the house, when it grows, it grows, eh? :)

Ethan

     Wow, Cedar has grown alot already.  :) Im interested on how the city will look in the distant furure. Another interesting thing is the street layout... I like how your starting to diverge from a grid the further out you go.  :thumbsup:

Lots of new plans for Cedar since my last visit. The council seem to be quite ambitious about the future for the town.
Great reading and some nice shots from the latest developments.

Hmm, I can see the city is expanding to the north along the railway, great choice. But I still don't like how looks the railway at the left of the pic, the transition to the diagonal part should be with the smooth curves. Or even without a diagonal but a FARR ! Anyway, nice to see some before-after picture once again !

take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Oh yeah, fantastic!!! Beautiful growth of your city!!!

How Cedar has changed ;D

               -Jordan :thumbsup:

Cedar continue to growing up on the good way, nice aerial view  :thumbsup:

Today marked the first day of operations for the Nesara Council in their new headquarters, called the Council Building. After a few electrical problems caused delays, James Brooks headed a small ceremony before the Council Building was officially opened to the Nesara Council employees.





The Nesara Council currently has 5 departments:

Nesara Natural Resources Commission (NNRC): Originally called the Nesara Fuel Authority, the name was changed when the council decided to put all natural resource-related issues under one department, renaming it the NNRC. Although a small budget has been set aside by the council for exploring the vast wilderness of Nesara for natural resources, the initiative has not really taken off yet. They currently own and operate the only gas station in Cedar.

Nesara Properties Authority (NPA): Also the subject of a name change, the NPA used to be called the Nesara Lands and Real Estate Authority, but was renamed for the more tongue friendly NPA. All matters concerning lands, buildings, properties, etc., run through the NPA.

Nesara Police and Fire Department (NPFD): Operates the police station and fire station in Cedar, and doing a good job at it since crime levels are some of the lowest in all of the US. The fire department has yet to let a fire, whether urban or wilderness, get out of hand, and with a growing number of employees, safety remains a top priority for the Nesara Council.

Nesara Department of Transportation (NDT): The NDT is the most recently established department of the council, and will handle all matters pertaining to transportation, as the name states. Currently overseeing the expansion of Intersection Street, their most recently completed project, the Ravine River Rail Bridge, has been called a success.

Nesara Chamber of Commerce (NCC): Established to help supervise all internal revenue and accounting matters of the council, they have most recently been given the job of overseeing the state-run Bank of Nesara. The NCC is the only department which will not be housed in the new Council Building; they will have their own building across the street from it.




Finally, we will leave with an eye-candy shot of Cedar at night. Enjoy!

Wow, amazing work here, my friend. Cedar is looking really beautiful, and it's growing more every day. I especially like the new Council Building, that's a wonderful BAT. :)

Ethan

The new Council building looks great!  It really fits in with Nesara!

Waow, a very nice council office complex there, my friend ! I like how it blends with the residential development. Also nice work as usual with the smallest details, such as the open grass-brush areas, Nedal !

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

The building design the concil chose is great.  :thumbsup: Hopefully the NNRC can discover somthing and then we can realy see some growth in Cedar. Im also interested in seeing the Ravine River Rail Bridge.  ;)

,marsh  :satisfied:

A new great update, like always, you take your time to put each houses and each bats carrefully on the right spot, the result is a clever town growing up very nicely, beautifull shots again, the night one is very nice  &apls

Great Night Shot! :thumbsup:

The night overview is fantastic! &apls Great looking new headquarters, too!

Very nice again, great update!!!

Love the new consul building, maybe my nation can get a embassy there,

Firstly, I want to reassure anyone who has followed this MD that it is NOT going to die  ()stsfd()

The reason for the absence is that on June 18th, I became an engaged man. That is why I havent had any time for SC :)

Given that, I will post an update in the next few days, and hope you all will enjoy it!

 Congratulation Nedal. &apls
Does your wife know about your SC4 addiction?  Or better still, does she know our addiction to your MD? ;)
I wish you two all the luck and happiness in the world!

Robin  :thumbsup:

Congratulations, my friend.  &apls

I must echo much of what Robin has said, and I find this a perfectly good reason for a small absence from your wonderful MD. Congratulations again, my friend!  :)

Ethan

Congratulations  &apls well this event will deserve a huge update  :P don't worry, we will wait quietly the next one  ;D

 It's no surprise to me that you have done this well so quickly and this is the biggest reason why you and your MD have been choosen to be in OSITM, congrats my friend! &apls  It's always fun to take some time out of my day to view how your city is growing.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi901.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac213%2FBSCLEX%2FMouse%2520stuff%2FOSITMJuly-10c.jpg&hash=95d76578cd7152d797d4ce9b729a9e649e1fe3d5)

Congrats from myself and The SC4D Staff!

Robin  :thumbsup:

First! Congratulations!

Congratulations, my friend. OSITM is such a great honour that you truly deserve to receive!  :thumbsup:

Ethan  :)

Congratulations Nedal! It's great to be sharing OSITM with you ;D

                              Jordan :thumbsup:

Congratulations, Nedal! I'm eager to see what you have in store for us this month!

Best of luck...
Joan

From the end of your MD to the OSITM only one step  ;D well, it's not really a surprise to see you here my friend, congrats  &apls

Yeah..., congratulations, my friend!!!  &apls &apls

Cedar Expanding Southwards


The road works that have taken place south of Cedar were completed recently, opening up an entirely new market for property investors and those looking to buy pieces of land for their own personal use. With the road access comes the issuances of new plots of land by the Nesara Council, with all sales to come directly from the council itself.

It has been no secret that Cedar has begun getting more and more cluttered, especially central Cedar, which was a big reason the council decided to build their new headquarters to the south on Intersection Street, which the council will begin expanding shortly.





Chamber of Commerce Completed


Opposite the Council Building is the Nesara Chamber of Commerce, which opened its doors officially yesterday in a ceremony attended by most of Cedar's big businessmen and politicians. James Brooks, leader of the Nesara Council, gave a short speech, and it was business as usual after that.

The Chamber of Commerce first order of work was announcing the construction of a new Bank of Nesara branch; although the exact location was not given, it is assumed that it will be situated on the enclosed piece of land directly to the south of the Chamber of Commerce building.








Marble Residences Completed


Businessman Howard Sampson recently completed the construction of the Marble Residences building, situated on Hensworth Lane. Although the street is just across the train tracks from industrial development, it has proven popular with some of Cedar's wealthiest given its close proximity to both the industrial zone and business district. The council has also made sure there is plenty of greenery separating in from the train tracks and the factories on the other side.

Marketed as the most luxurious apartment building in Nesara, Sampson subcontracted Haiden Construction to develop the building for him, and including the land, the final estimated cost upon completion was $1.5 million. The facilities in the building live up that promise, with a built in sauna, rooftop swimming pool, state of the art gym, and a large common area fitting with a small bar and large screen TV.

Each floor features 4 apartments, and there is a total of 6 floors. The apartments are all similar in design and are identical in size, amounting to just over 250 sq. meters per apartment. With each square meter being sold for $1,000, which brings the selling price of each apartment to $250,000.








Nesara Economic Report


The Chamber of Commerce has released the latest economic figures for Nesara, and the numbers have been encouraging. A stellar growth rate coupled with strong investment numbers have been the backbone of Nesara's continued economic success, the report stated, with further growth in the short term expected.

The manufacturing sector was the state's biggest earner, bringing in an estimated $65 million from export sales the past year, led by Korra Ceramics and Tolivert Food Processing, both of which sold an estimated $14 million each. The rest of the $37 million were split between the other 22 registered factories in Cedar. The report further stated that the manufacturing sector was estimated to top $80 million this year thanks to an increase in the number of factories that have opened up in northern Cedar.

The retail sector also performed well, despite a lack of anchor stores or large showrooms. Driven by strong local purchases in provisions and groceries, the retail sector sold an estimated $40 million. The recent law passed by the Nesara Council introducing a 5 percent sales tax had no bearing on sales, stipulated the report, and in fact strengthened the state coffers which have led more state-funded projects in and around Cedar.
Official figures had the GDP per person at $28,155, and the total GDP for Nesara at $423 million. The Bank of Nesara, with a savings account return of 4.5 percent interest  annually, was the state's most profitable operation because of Nesarans general liking to saving their income instead of spending.

The Bank of Nesara's estimated net profit for the last year was $17 million, of which $3 million has been put aside for the construction of a new, bigger branch in southern Cedar. The bank is completely state-owned, with no shareholders or private owners.

Finally, the report stated that following recent trends, construction and real estate will overcome retail as the 2nd largest sector by volume of dollars this coming year, and with the highest growth rate by sector, will become the largest in Nesara in the near future. Led by Davidson Contracting Company and Haiden Construction, the real estate sector also had the highest average profit margins.





Nesara Council Short Term Objectives


In light of the completion of the new Council Building and the expansion of the Nesara Council workforce, it has come up with a few objectives for the next few years that it intends to complete and accomplish.

1 - Development of the Cedar International Airport: With blueprints already having been drawn up, the Nesara Council has been busy considering companies for the contracts to develop the new airport. The location will be to the northwest of Cedar, and in a recent interview, James Brooks promised that development on the airport will begin very soon.

2 - Construction of New School: While Cedar State School continues to meet current demands, it is feeling the effects of a growing population and will not be able to keep class sizes at reasonable numbers for much longer. Its close proximity to central Cedar has also raised some traffic issues, and many residences have been calling for a new school in a more secluded, residential area of the city. The Nesara Council recently issued a tender for contractors believed to be for the development of a new school, and the release of their short term objectives confirmed that they were indeed planning the construction of a new school.

3 - Begin Exporting Natural Resources: The state of Nesara has little in the way of export if you exclude the commodities produced by the factories in north Cedar, but the council is looking to change that. Large deposits of gold and copper have been found in eastern Nesara, and although there are currently zero facilities to mine these minerals, the council has already issued the Nesara Natural Resources Commission (NNRC) with a budget capable of developing mines to help the state export them. Currently, the NNRC are studying locations in order to decide which will be the best place to build a copper and a gold mine.

4 - Expansion of Intersection Street: The road sees more local traffic than Country Road, and the Nesara Council has already begun repaving Intersection Street in hopes to ease traffic, and it will be just as wide as Country Road once completed. The main road connecting the industrial area of Cedar to the rest of the city, Intersection Street cuts through central Cedar before making its way down all the way south to the Council Building and the Chamber of Commerce.

Wow! Beautiful pictures here, Nedal! Cedar certainly has grown a good bit.  :)

The luxury apartment look so very nice, even if they are near the train tracks :P. However, I certainly wouldn't mind living close to the railway line, have always liked noise!

The night shots at the end are absolutely wonderful! Show just how active our little city is! :)

Ethan

Wow..., fantastic update again my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

I enjoyed looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed reading the background information. Good work with the ploppable grass around the chamber of commerce.
At second glance I noticed that you seem to miss a dependency there, or are bright red and green cars the new trend in Nesara?  $%Grinno$%

Congrats on the OSITM!  :thumbsup:

     Lots of growth going on in the town. It will be very interesting to see the airport, mines, new school and whatever else you have planned here.

Also, congrats on the engagment and also the OSITM!  :)

,marsh :thumbsup:

A double congratulations and best wishes!   &apls

sumwonyuno: Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)
marsh: Indeed, Cedar is almost at 20k now! The Nesara Council is slowly working to making these objectives happen.
RickD: Yeah, and I cant figure out what dependency is missing :( Anyway, Im glad you liked the story as well as the pictures, I enjoy writing it :)
Tomas Neto: Thank you very much for your continuous support and comments!
ecoba: It is a bustling little town full of activity! Maybe we can get you an apartment in the Marble Residences seeing how your house just refuses to grow! :(








The roadworks on Intersection Street have caused quite a few disgruntled residents in Cedar. What was an otherwise relatively traffic free stretch of asphalt as become a slow-moving work in progress, but the end result will be worth it, promises the Nesara Council.

"We have to anticipate the growth of Cedar and take steps to ensure we do not face problems later on," stated Bassem Safek, Director the Nesara Department of Transportation (NDT). "Yes, we do understand the inconvenience of detours and potential traffic, but this will pass, and the result will be worth it."

Some residents have criticized the timing of the expansion project, calling for the council to at least set up an alternative route before overtaking the project.

"Don't get me wrong, Cedar has some real picturesque neighborhoods, but what used to take me 10 minutes is now taking me 20, sometimes more. At the very least, they could've given us a real alternative route before starting this mess."

As the most important road in Cedar, connecting the south to the industrial north, Intersection Street is used by most of the city, especially during work days. The estimated time of completion has been slated for 2 months.









The new Cedar Power Plant is up and running and has been deemed a success by the Nesara Council. The first day of operations went off without a hitch, and after a few steady and problem free days, the attention turns to the old power plant.

The council has already stated it plans to dissemble and sell the parts, and just yesterday also announced it will take bids of the land the old power plant currently sits on. The council is asking for $100,000, and there are rumors several companies are preparing official bids on the land. It is located in the center of the industrial sector of northern Cedar, and its close proximity to the freight rail station makes it a hot commodity.

As for the new power plant, with brand new technology and low pollution, it figures to be able to keep the lights on for at least 200,000 to 300,000 residents, meaning the council will not have to worry about building a new facility for a while.











The latest major player in the Nesaran real estate market is also potentially the one that could overtake both Davidson Contracting and Haiden Construction as the biggest developer in the state. They certainly made a splash last year when they bought out 2 homes in central Cedar and subsequently turned them into their all-glass headquarters. The Trinity Building is currently the new showcase of central Cedar, located on Intersection Street to the south of the old Nesara Council Building. The all-glass building is in stark contrast the rest of the commercial buildings in Cedar with the exception of the Council Building, and Trinity Properties is not shying away from the attention it is getting it.

Their first project has been equally impressive; they are currently developing The Grand Hotel next to the Council Building and the Chamber of Commerce. The hotel will be owned and operated by the company itself, as it markets itself as the leader in Nesara for hospitality and commercial real estate. Although details about the Grand Hotel have not been released, rumor has it that Trinity Properties are aiming to make it the tallest building in Cedar when it is done.

Congratulations on your OSTIM and your engagement!  You've certainly earned this recognition with your careful development. 

Glad to see your work is continuing to look great!  Your town is growing up rapidly now! 

First of all, congratulations both on your engagement and on the OSITM award! It's well deserved! &apls
As for the last update, Nesara is developing very nicely! Everything is realistic and I love the use of buildings and flora. Congratulations again! :thumbsup:

I have to commend you, nedalezz. Your MD is amazing. I read through it all last night, and I am falling in love with Cedar. I love the natural development that has taken place so far, and I hope it will continue into the future

Congratulations on OSITM, Nedalezz!  Those construction shots look quite well done.  I also like your choice of power plant very much.  It's SG's, isn't it?  I use it regularly myself.  Keep up the good work!

&apls

Hey all! I just wanted to clarify a couple of things about my building style :)

I have made that there is only Matt325's residentials in my Plugins, but everything you see, residentially, is grown and not plopped.

Additionally, I have trying to imagine real life scenarios when envisioning the expansion of Cedar, and considering things that would be considered in real life. I am treating Cedar as such. For example, there would be no massive demolishment, or unrealistic expansion. It keeps in line with the story I am telling.

As for industrials, given that each factory is a specific company that wants to do business in Nesara, I plop a few of them, all though most are grown. The same applies for the commercial building.

Overall, there are bound to be some things I dont like (the location of the Marble Residences for example), but in keeping in life with the natural development of the city, I dont demolish and regrow anything unless I absolutely must. Instead, I try to work out a story around the new development.

I like your building style. I guess it is called Natural Growth, these days. ;) I tried it with several cities but always failed because I got too impatient.  :P

I love it. 
This is turning out to be a really great month with you in OSITM.....A cup of coffee and relax every morning to a new update of yours, a perfect way to start the day!

Robin  :thumbsup:

Cant wait to see what the hotel will look like.  :)

I realy love how your developing this city. I like the style your taking with building this city too.

Cant wait for more!

,marsh  :thumbsup:

It's fantastic to see those shots of progressive changes as your city and region develop.  Looking forward to the next update!

Fantastic again my friend!!! Great work!!!  :thumbsup:

I too love the way that your region develops, my friend ! I really like how in the downtown shots, that one home remains there throughout the years.  :)

Ethan

Very nice Nedal! I like all the development recently!

           -Jordan (y)

A nice couple of pictures for this teaser, Nedal ! Cedar has certainly grown up very well, my friend! Congratulations for your OSITM !

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Welcome to Cedar International Airport! Officially opened and ready for operation, CIA finally makes it easier for travellers to Cedar to get in and out of the city quickly, instead of having to travel for hours to the nearest airport. The Nesara Council have invested heavily in the airport, and the state-of-the-art terminal building has been constructed to be able to handle 3 million passengers a year, or about 8,000 passengers a day. 

Currently, the Nesara Department of Transportation has gotten agreements from both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines to start serving the airport, but the bigger news is the recent announcement from the Nesara Council confirming plans to begin operating its own, state run airlines, called Nesara Airlines. Although no other details were released, it is believed that the NDT will also be resposible for managing it.

With the development of the airport has also come the construction of a new, four lane road that currently leads to Country Road, but the NDT has also confirmed further expansion of the newly dubbed Washington Avenue that will have it expanded to near where the Council Building is situated in southern Cedar.

"Cedar is expanding southwards, and as more residents move into the city, the more the city will expand south. In anticipation of that, we have drawn up plans to have Washington Avenue intersect Intersection Street south of the Chamber of Commerce and Council Building, and continuing further east. Washington Avenue will make it easy for people to get to their homes from the Cedar International Airport, and it has been purposely made into a four lane road to be able to handle the expected increased traffic," stated Bassem Safek, director of the NDT.

Bassem Safek is currently one of the most important and influential people in Nesara, directly overseeing projects that have single-handedly boosted the growth of the city. The design of the CIA was his brainchild, and the conception of Washington Avenue was his work. Considered by many James Brooks right hand man, several insiders also see him as the potential replacement for Brooks when the time comes. As for now, Safek continues to spearhead several projects, including plans for a state-run public transportation system, that have enhanced the lives of Nesarans significantly.

A small, quaint, yet wonderful airport here, my friend ! I've never been skilled at crafting airports, to be honest they rather confuse me, however yours really makes me want to try my hand at one again !  :P

The night shots that you showed at the beginning were really wonderful, it sure is an amazing difference that nightlights can make in a city ! The mixed density of the tree groves surrounding the airport is also a very nice and realistic touch you've given to your already marvelous work. I also like the MAVE-4 running in front of the airport, an appropriate highway for a city of Cedar's size.

Wonderful, realistic work here, Nedal ! Hope to see more from you soon !

Ethan :)

Oh yeah, my friend!!! Cedar International Airport is great, very realistic!!! I liked very much!!!  &apls

Just a quick word: The Simcity Community Magazine selected one of my pictures for its cover page :) Thought you might want to check out the great content these guys are dishing out here:

Hey Nedal,
A very fitting airport for your size of city.  Some may have gone over board, but not you. ;)

Robin  :thumbsup:

That's a very appropriate airport for Cedar!  And a fair amount of room to expand if demand calls for it in the future! 

Headed by Bassem Safik, one of the most influential people in Nesara and considered by many James Brooks most trusted confidant, the Nesara Department of Transportation (NDT) has led the way for the rest of the state in facilitating growth, but on an economic level and demographic level. With completed projects such as the Cedar International Airport and the expansion of Intersection Street, the NDT has helped ease the traffic pressure on the Nesara Council and on the people of Cedar while bringing the city closer to the world.

Initially established as means of the Nesara Council to manage the roads of Cedar, the NDT quickly grew under the leadership of Safik, and has since become the second largest department after the Nesara Chamber of Commerce in terms of employee size. It is the youngest department of the council, and its offices are currently situated inside the Council Building.

It was successfully completed the expansion of the most important road in Cedar, Intersection Street, to help ease traffic to and from the industrial sector in north Cedar to the residential south of the city. Most recently, its largest project was completed, the Cedar International Airport, and it has been deemed a resounding success.

Its current projects include the Washington Avenue, a four lane road which will connect the Cedar International Airport to the expanding residential areas of southern Cedar, and the Ravine River Rail Bridge, which will help connect the rail tracks to the southern state of California. Also in the works is plans for a public transportation system, featuring busses that will serve the greater Cedar area.

Great Update. Your MD is one where I actually enjoy reading what you have to write, as well as looking at the pictures.

Well Done

     Great Airport. Its a nice small one and fits for the size of the city. Also the runway is actualy a realistic size, a thing alot of airport builders do not do. (Including me  :-[ ( And as darraghf said i also enjoy actualy reading your cj too.  :P Im realy enjoying that your going all out for the OSITM.

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Hello Nedal,

I really like the layout.  I like the fact that you have just two main routes through the city...one north/south and the other and east/west with smaller roads off them to mostly residential areas.  And the fact that you have nicely tucked away the industrial section, which is altogether, just to the north of the city which is also brilliantly done.
Very nice to stop by as always my friend.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Your work is simply beautiful as always ! The layout of the town is so natural and realistic it's simply awesome. I like that you always have construction lots on the outskirts of the town.

The new hotel is very nice as well, quite an interesting style compared to the rest of Nesara, but it certainly adds to the city's diversity ! Great work here, my friend! :)

Ethan

Fantastic looking town!  It's very visually appealing and extremely realistic in appearance!

Wonderfull work, the AirPort is Nice and match perfectly with your Town, and me too, i like the idea of this 3 pictures who show us the city progress, well done  &apls

Congratulations on your OSITM as well as the opening of the new airport. I have enjoyed looking back through the updates I have missed with all new developments in Cedar.

Nice aerial view my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

I love the aerial view. A nice balance of looking great, whilst also looking very realistic.

Wow Nedal! Excellent bunch of updates!

            Your friend,
                           Jordan :thumbsup:

I love the way in which you showcase your city's progress as time passes  ;D well cone  ;D ;D

Nedalezz,

I really like your city journal.  Have read though it over the last few days on and off (skimmed the text, stared at pics).  I like the simple uncomplicated start, the basic starting background, the "natural growth" of which I am a big fan and the breaks to those fabulous beach shots where you have indulged a bit more in rendering the background (a real highlight).  It all adds up to great eye candy

Is virtually all the residential mattb?  Its what realy makes the town.  That last teaser aerial view is excellent &apls &apls &apls

Excellent. I am very pleased with your work on this.  &apls

Schulmanator: Thank you very much, and thanks for commenting :)
buncheesy: Pretty much all the low density residentials are Mattb325 BATS, they are simply amazing. Natural Growth is what they are calling this playing style these days, yeah, although Im not too much caught up with the rules of it. I do plop alot of industrials and quite a few commercials, although all the residentials are grown naturally. Thank you very much for commenting :) 
philly_boy: I really like taking my time and developing the city slowly, as a real city would develop. Thanks for passing by!
canyonjumper: Thank you for always reading and commenting :)
Connor: Thats good, because realism is what Im aiming for while letting the city grow naturally through realistic tendencies. The end result is turning out pretty good! Im trying not to force anything.
Tomas Neto: Thank you for commenting!
planetechef: Im glad you liked the airport! I always like comparing before and after pictures, so I added that little touch to my MD as well :)
ecoba: I decided to change the hotel :( While the BAT itself is gorgeous, it just didnt seem to fit as I thought it would - I have used a new BAT for the Grand Hotel now. As for the construction sites, I try not to have development just suddenly appear, thats why I put construction site before I develop anything :)
Battlecat: Thank you for commenting and following the MD :)
rooker1:  Its always great to read a comment from you :) With the development of the city and its expansion comes the obvious need to expand the roads and develop new ones, and that is what the NDT is doing with Washington Avenue :)
marsh: Hehe, in all honesty, I know nothing about the specifics of an airport and what that arrow on the ground means or this one means, but I do have a general idea of how long a runway needs to be and how large a terminal should be. So I tried to portray that into my airport, and Im glad you liked it :) And BTW, your airport in your MD looks amazing :)
darraghf: Im really happy you enjoy the storyline, because that is my favorite part of doing this MD :)














Although rumors were flying around that the Nesara Council had bought the Grand Hotel from Trinity Properties, they were ultimately unfounded as it was the hospitality department for the company that officially opened the hotel for business last Friday night.

"We were in negotiations with the governing body of Nesara for a while, as they were interested in acquiring our project and running a hotel themselves," commenting CEO of Trinity Properties, George Yards. "In the end, however, both parties decided to break off the negotiations, and we are very happy to be presenting Cedar, and Nesara, with its first five-star hotel and service."

The Grand Hotel will keep its name, after rumors also claimed that it would be called Queens Hotel, and it has received its five-star certification already. It has already become one of the most famous, if not THE most famous, building in Nesara, and with 3 restaurants and 2 bars, a favorite amongst the locals during the weekend nights.

Trinity Properties stated the hotel cost them $26 million upon completion, the type of heavy investment the Nesara Council continues to encourage in the area. It also marks the biggest investment in a single project by a company from the private sector in the history of the state.

"Trinity Properties will continue to be a pioneer and leader of development in Nesara," said Yards. "This is only the beginning. We envision great things for both the state and our company, and we envision accomplishing those things hand in hand."










Work has continued on Washington Avenue, and the Nesara Department of Transport recently stated they were ahead of schedule. The avenue continues to stretch east, while the paving has started from both the Country Road intersection, and where it meets Intersection Street, just south of the Grand Hotel.

Although the Nesara Council has not released any land for sale along Washington Avenue, they have been accepting applications from prospective buyers and developers. Widely viewed as the future of Cedar, the council is asking for $500 per square meter along the avenue, with a slow decrease in the number as the land gets further away from central Cedar. Such prices are unprecedented in Nesara, and could see the start of a new trend as land prices inside Cedar increase as the city expands.












One of the first factories to open in Nesara, the company is owned by Kimberley Korra, former resident of Seattle who knows resides in Cedar full-time. The initial investment of the company was $1.7 million, and when it first opened, it employed 80 people. The company is a manufacturer of ceramic sanitary products, such as bathtubs, jacuzzis, shower rooms and cubicles, wash basins and w/cs, etc.

Nowadays, the company is estimated to be worth more than $5 million, and the number of employees has almost tripled to 220. Korra Ceramics also ranks the biggest exporter of Nesaran products, as it racked up nearly $14 million in sales (almost all through export) last year. This year, expected sales are forcasted to reach $15.5 million, and again all sales will be almost exclusively the export.

Kimberley Korra recently announced that she wanted to penetrate the growing local Nesaran market. Although the company has had plans to develop a showroom inside Cedar exclusively for their products, they have not materializes in the past. This year, however, the owner has made it one of the company's top priorities to finally open a retail showroom catering the local population.

The biggest move for Korra Ceramics this year, however, will be the long awaited opening of their new project, a tiles factory at the northern tip of Cedar. The land has been a construction site for a while now, but development has sped up recently, and the factory will be up and running before the end of the year, according to the official press release statement by Korra Ceramics.

     I realy love how your going so in-depth on random people/companies in Nesara. Hopfuly Korra Ceramics will one day be a large indistry in Nesara, with a headquarters building in a skyscraper! (Am I getting to far ahead?) You chose a great building for the hotel. Hope to see more soon!

,marsh  :thumbsup:

The Nesara Council has sold its first plot on Washington Avenue, it was reported last week, for an unprecedented $2.5 million. The rumored plot sold is said to be 5000 sq. meters, and the buyer is reportedly interested in opening up a retail department store to cater to the Cedar and its surroundings.

The plot is situated on the corner of Intersection Street and Washington Avenue, it is being called a terrific location for the proposed business, with easy access to the residential southern part of Cedar. It is unclear who the buyer is, but what is for sure is that the buyer does not reside in Nesara.







The Cedar International Airport was expected to have an big impact on the industrial and commercial sectors of the city, but what was not expected was the impact it had on the residential sector.

"What we are seeing is something we did not plan for," stated the director of the NDT, Bassem Safek. "We have seen a huge rise in construction on the eastern end of Cedar, and upon further analysis, we have concluded that it is the direct effect of the opening of CIA. With easy access to the rest of the country, people have been encouraged to make the move to Cedar."

Estimates have Cedar eclipsing 30,000 residents before the end of the year, and have also stated that 50,000 residents might call the city home in the very short term future.

"We have to step our game up in terms of urban planning," said Safek. "We are hard at work trying to complete the Washington Avenue before schedule, but we also have to focus on making sure we pave new streets fast enough so that the Nesara Council can sell enough plots to meet the current demand."

Eastern Cedar has proven popular with incoming residents because of the plots remain inexpensive, and the because of access to paved streets which the NDT recently completed in accordance with its plan to facilitate future growth in the city.







In a press conference held yesterday, the Nesara Council officially unveiled its plan to own and operate its own airlines, called Nesara Airlines. James Brooks, leader of the council, spoke about the plans for the airlines, stating both short term and long term goals.

"We have already placed an order for 3 Boeing 737-900, and we expect them delivered within a year. We expect to begin operations sometime next year, and we can already announce 4 definite flights: Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. However, we will not stop there - we are currently in negotiations with the authorities in Vancouver, Las Vegas, and San Diego, and we will hopefully have gotten the license to land in those airports before we start operating."

James Brooks also stated he will putting Nesara Airlines under the watch of the Nesara Department of Transportation.

"Given the role the NDT has played in developing the Cedar International Airport, it is only logical that the NDT is given the responsibility of handling the day to day activities of the airline. At the end of the day, we are working to make the standard of living the highest in the country for Nesarans, and having their own state airlines will not only give us easy access to the rest of the country, but will be a matter of pride as well."

Great pair of updates!  Love seeing the expanding road network! 

Great updates. I like the new (normal ;) ) perspective. The mirrored pics are interesting to look at but they do get me confused.  &ops But Nesara is looking great either way. :)

The growth of your city is fantastic, and it is happening at the right rhythm! Awesome work my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

This is growing well and looking good. It looks like construction is doing very well.  &apls

Awesome night shot of the Grand Hotel :o

Wow, you certainly had a month of excellent updates!  I enjoyed looking at them all!    :thumbsup:

Great job!

Hey Nedal,
I missed the last two updates, I was on vacation.  The last updates were great again and I look forward to seeing the new housing.  I can easily assume that with new housing there will be a need for more industrial. ;)
See you around my friend,
Robin  :thumbsup:

James Brooks sipped on his coffee, skimming through the US Today newspaper. He always thought it was a shame Nesara did not have a single newspaper in operation - the problem was the lack of interest from the private sector to establish one. There had been calls for the Nesara Council to begin its own, but he had quickly shot down that idea, opposing any state run newspaper, television or radio stations. He did not any government involvement in those sectors, thinking that any one of those could be used as propaganda machines. The Nesara Council will always be there to service the people, never control them.

Today was Brooks favorite day of the month; once a month, he would make rounds to all the sub department heads of the Nesara Council and get updates on all the projects each was responsible for. Recently, the Nesara Department of Transportation had begun operation of the Cedar International Airport, and they were hard at work finishing off the Washington Avenue. He was excited to meet with his good friend Bassem Safek to discuss the future projects in place, including Nesara Airlines. There was also the Chamber of Commerce, and their plans for the new Bank of Nesara building that he was interested in seeing. Overall, there was a lot to see and a lot to go over.

The sights and sounds as he stepped out of the house were completely different than the ones he used to see and hear a few years back when Cedar was established. Back then, Intersection Street was nothing more than a dirt road leading north, and behind his house on the corner of Intersection Street and Country Road, the first house ever built in Cedar, was lush forests filled with wildlife. The old Nesara Council building was across Country Road, so a walk that barely lasted a minute was all it took to get from home to the office. Traffic was non-existent, and all one could hear was the sounds of birds chirping the morning.

It was a very different scene nowadays. His house was still there, standing as a landmark of the city, having been the very first house constructed here, and the old Nesara Council building was also still in the same place, albeit closed up and not of use anymore. That, however, was where the similarities ended. The morning traffic on Country Road as people made their way to the commercial district of town was a lot heavier; Intersection Street, once a dirt road, was now a wide roadway that was filled with cars heading north to the industrial part of town. What was once forested areas all around his home was now an extension of central Cedar, completed surrounded by commercial buildings. Work was now also a 3 to 5 minute drive away as opposed to a short walk across the street. And James Brooks did not mind it one bit.






Development had far surpassed even the most optimistic estimates, and continued to surprise everyone. The idea that Nesara was built upon - no taxes, free markets, and little import/export laws - had proven to be a resounding success, and as more people knew about Nesara, more people moved to the state. It was all around, and as Brooks passed the Trinity Properties building to his left, he smiled, excited for the future.

The Council Building housed all of the departments of the Nesara Council except the Chamber of Commerce, which had its own across the street. Just recently completed, the Council Building, situated at the southern tip of Cedar on Intersection Street, was also the location of James Brooks' office. Today, however, he was going to make his rounds to the different departments.






First up was the Nesara Department of Transportation, where he met with its director, Bassem Safek. After a little small talk about the weekend, they got into the serious stuff. Safek outlined the current projects under works by the NDT:

Nesara Airlines:  With 3 Boeing 737-900s on order and an agreement with 4 airports already confirmed, things were going well for this particular project. Cedar International Airport was already being served by American Airlines and Delta, but Nesara Airlines was going to create a hub at the airport. Safek had outlined the airline to begin operation with a few months time, after the delivery of the 3 planes. Also, talks to serve a further 3 airports were also underway.

Washington Avenue: Safek confirmed that Washington Avenue was going to finish before schedule, with the final road works expected only a few months from now. Already connecting the CIA with Country Road, the continuation of the avenue was already being developed, and parts of the avenue already opened, including its connection with Intersection Street.

Public Transportation: With increasing attention being given the public transportation project, Safek showed the proposed locations of bus stops to Brooks. There would be a total of 6 to start with, served by 2 routes and 4 buses. Safek gave an estimate of 900 people using public transportation a day in the current state of Cedar, but the real gem was the 3rd route the NDT is proposing: a route that would serve a 7th bus station at the airport and the bus stop in central Cedar, with a state of the art bus leaving every half hour during the day, and every hour during the night.



After finalizing his meeting with Safek, Brooks headed to meet with the Nesara Police and Fire Department head, Jonathan Deerfield. Much in the same way as Safek, Deerfield summarized what was currently going on at the NPFD:

Airport Security: Current construction was underway on the joint police and fire stations at the Cedar International Airport, and Deerfield was happy to point out that thus far, they were ahead of schedule. The total cost of the new stations was originally slated at $700,000, but since has been bumped up to $1.1 million thanks to some major upgrades within the station facility itself.

Crime:Deerfield also reported good news in terms of crime; mainly, there was very little of it in Cedar. A few minor drug busts here, some racketeering charges there, but almost nothing major. The biggest crime scene in the past few months was a domestic abuse charge that was still being investigated.



Next was the Nesara Properties Authority, responsible for anything to do with land or real estate in the state. Its head was the newly instated Harry Roscomb, an energetic man in his mid 30s who used to work as an agent before moving to Cedar.

Properties alongside Washington Avenue: The main project the NPA was involved in was the release of plots alongside the new Washington Avenue. Although they had not officially began selling plots yet, they did make an exception and sold a land for $2.5 million to a businessman who was rumored to be looking into building a department store. While the price that was slapped on the square meter was surely going to scare away people looking to own and build private properties on the land, it was not scaring away people looking for commercial potential. Washington Avenue was going to be the center of Cedar in the near future, and everyone wanted to get in on it.

Expansion of Cedar: Since the NPA decided what land was going to be released for sale and when it would be, it was directly responsible for the expansion of Cedar. The latest batch of lands to be released for sale were in eastern Cedar, alongside Country Road, but also the north and south of it. All of it was going to go towards residential developments, although the NPA was trying to encourage commercial activity on the road.

Gateway Beach: The NPA was taking the steps necessary to officially incorporate Gateway Beach as a town, making it only the second registered settlement in Nesara after Cedar. Since the opening of the public beach there, almost 1,000 people moved to the shore and now called Gateway Beach home.



Before heading over to the Chamber of Commerce, Brooks had one more meeting, with the Nesara Natural Resources Commission head, Samantha Hicks. Despite being the department with the smallest budget, the NRCC still had a lot of projects going on.

Exploration of the Eastern Mountains: Rumors of heavy gold and copper deposits in the Eastern Mountains were confirmed after a large exploration team identified their exact locations recently. Although no official project has been set aside by the council to mine these deposits, Hicks and the NRCC lobbied with Brooks to support the endeavor, promises large returns on investment for the council

Farming: The plains situated in the western and central part of Nesara were described as perfect for agriculture by Hicks. Although the council have not given any licenses for agricultural companies or farms, the NRCC has been constantly lobbying for that as well. Hicks again brought up the subject to Brooks, and asked him to consider opening up some of Nesara's plains for farming purposes.

Diamonds: Although unconfirmed, the NRCC recently discovered what they believe to be a diamond deposit on the banks of a small stream just west of Greenpeak Mountain in southeast Nesara. Hicks could not elaborate any further due to lack of information, but told Brooks they were planning a larger expedition to the area to confirm the reports.



After the NRCC, Brooks took a short break and had some lunch at the cafeteria inside the Council Building. He had enjoyed his meetings, and was optimistic at all of the ideas and projects. It had been a tiring day, though, and he figured after his meeting with Jorge Martinez. head of the Chamber of Commerce, he would head over to the Grand Hotel for a few drinks at the bar. First, though, he had to head across the street to a building nearly as big as the Council Building itself.

Bank of Nesara: The Bank of Nesara had long outgrown its only branch on Country Road, and most of its administration was working out of the Chamber of Commerce. Brooks was unhappy with that, and was disappointed to hear Martinez tell him that construction was to be delayed another 3 months on the new Bank of Nesara branch on Washington Avenue. Martinez did assure him, however, that they would meet the deadline set to open the new branch still.

Nesara Investment Fund: Although they did not have a lot of spare money, the Chamber of Commerce introduced the Nesara Investment Fund officially to Brooks. The NIF was to serve as the council's investment company, where they would look to find investment opportunities all over the world. The rumored acquisition of the Grand Hotel was actually the NIF at work, trying to buy into the hospitality sector in Cedar. Currently, however, they did not have anything on their portfolio.







It was late afternoon by the time Brooks was done with Martinez, and the weather was lovely. He decided to take a walk instead of driving to the Grand Hotel, enjoying the scenery of construction in the distance of Washington Avenue. It was going to change the way Cedar worked, he thought, and would give larger businesses more incentive to open up in the city. Across from where Cedar's first department store was being built was the site of the Bank of Nesara. Once those two building came up, Brooks had a feeling a whole lot more would follow suit. He arrived at the Grand Hotel, and proceeded to have himself a few drinks. The future was looking bright.

After officially announcing the formation of the Nesara Investment Fund, Nesara Chamber of Commerce head Jorge Martinez has released a statement to all foreign dignitaries stating the NIF's intent to seek out investment opportunities outside of the state.

"We invite anyone, whether it is a government agency or a private company, to send us proposals for potential investment opportunities," stated Jorge Martinez. "We are also open to investing in any sector, whether it is real estate, hospitality, medicine, education, industry, commerce...it does not matter. All that we look for is a solid business plan which we can see potential in."

The NIF recently attempted to buy the Grand Hotel from Trinity Properties in Nesara, but the deal ultimately failed to go through. It is reported now that the NIF want to focus exclusively on projects and opportunities outside of Nesara for the foreseeable future.



(Basically, the NIF wants to invest in YOUR region! I think it might be a fun way to interact with other MDs, where the author can roleplay on my board, and I can roleplay on theirs, etc. So if anyone out there is interested, hit me with a post and we can talk details!)

A lovely update here, my friend ! The text in your updates is so realistic, and very interesting, as well as the beautiful pictures.


Ethan  :)

Excellent development once again, Nedal ! The grand hotel fits very well in this environment. Also fantastic storyline, as usual ! You definitely have some skills to mix a great story and some freakin' awesome pics! 

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Wow, my friend... That's a fantastic work on this city!!! Awesome!!!   :thumbsup:

The inaugural flight of Nesara Airlines lifted off from the Cedar International Airport this morning at 8 AM, following a press conference attended by James Brooks, Bassem Safek, and other Nesara Council dignitaries. The Boeing 737-900 was fully booked, deeming the airlines' initial flight a resounding the sucess.

The airline will commence scheduled operation to 6 of the western United States biggest markets officially next week, with at least 1 daily flight to each location, with Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco getting more than 7 flights a week. The Nesara Department of Transportation, which has been given the responsibility of handling the airline, last week announced that Carlos Zema was appointed Director of Nesara Airlines, working directly under the head of the NDT, Bassem Safek.  At the press conference, Zema discussed the airlines strategy for success.

"The Nesara Airlines was found to serve the people of Nesara, first and foremost, to make sure that their standard of living remains high and that they have easy access to the world. And while we no doubt will rely on our fastly growing state to support the airline, we will also market our hub in Cedar International Airport as a transit hub between our southern destination and northern destinations," stated Zema. "We will promote our airline through our exceptional onboard and ground service as well as our very competitive pricing. With the backing of the Nesara Council, we will have the resources and the means to implement our business strategies, and hope to be a primary factor behind the development of Cedar and Nesara for a long time to come."

Speaking further on the short term goals of the airline, Zema pointed out that the airline is working to make sure that all its destinations will be served at least twice a day from Cedar, and that transit passengers would have to wait no more than 3 hours to catch their connecting flight. Another aim of the airline was to begin construction of its own office building, situated on Washington Avenue. Not much is known about the blueprint of the building nor its location on Washington Avenue, but Zema did state that they will break ground on it within a few months.

Nesara Airlines will now be in direct competition with American Airlines and Delta, who both serve Cedar International Airport. American Airlines has a flight a day from Los Angeles, while Delta serves Cedar from Portland and Seattle. Its current employee base, including plane crews, ground units, and administration, is 184 people.






The Boeing 737-900 in operation by Nesara Airlines will utilize a state of the art entertainment system implemented by the airlines itself called the SkyHigh Entertainment System, or just SkyHigh. All 3 planes will feature 22'' LCD screens for the 12 business class seats, and 16'' LCD screens for each of the 165 economy class seats. SkyHigh will also be the name of the airlines' frequent flier membership club.

Can't believe I missed the last two updates!  Looks great!  Interesting to see where Cedar is locate!

Oh yeah... "Nesara Airlines - Your Sky. Your World."   :thumbsup:
Very nice update again my friend!!!

Awesome Nedal! The projects in Cedar are looking great! Nice work with the empty lots, it looks excellent!

                      Your friend,
                                     Jordan :thumbsup:

Very nice MD here, I love the natural growth of your city. Keep up the great work!  :thumbsup:

_______________________________________________________________________________


1482 N. 58th Street
Bayview, Tepoto 00127
August 15, 2010

Nesara Council Offices
County Road
Cedar, Nesara

To whom it may concern:

Regarding your recent interest in the country of Tepoto, we are pleased to inform the Nesara Council that we are grateful for the potential support.

Considering the fact that Tepoto is at this time a very small country, we are currently able to provide everything we need. As the country grows and expands though, resources will soon become limited and the idea of a trade business will be brought back up.

Every member of Congress here has accepted your interests in the region and we are pleased to inform you that we have agreed to the proposal of your country's construction firm. We will be welcoming you with open hearts.

At this time however, we have no means of long-distance travel. We, the country, currently do not have a port nor an airport. Plans for these are on the table and waiting for the go-ahead. The country of Nesara will be the first to know about the openings of said projects.

Once again, we look forward to your country's presence in are humble lands. Anything you may need or want you may have.

Sincerely yours,

Congress of Tepoto

I have to do some catching up on your updates. I had a look at the pictures which are awesome as usual. ;) Couldn't read the text, though, this will have to wait until I have more time.  &mmm

Those are some shiny new buildings going up!  Looks great as always!

marsh: Well it might not be a skyscraper in the sky, but its a start! Read the update below to find out what I'm talking about :)
Battlecat: Thanks for all the great comments! 
Rick_D: Yeah I think I prefer the normal perspective, too. Although I'm sure I'll throw some random mirrored ones every once in a while! I hope you get around to reading and enjoying the story, too :)
Tomas Neto: Thank you for always reading and commenting :)
Schulmanator: Indeed construction is starting to boom in Cedar as the population grows!
buncheesy: Thank you for commenting!
sumwonyuno: Im glad you liked the my updates during my OSITM month! I tried hard to update as much as possible :)
danielcote: Thank you very much :)
Battlecat: Thank you for commenting and following the MD :)
rooker1:  You are not mistaken; the industrial sector is starting to see alot of interest from outside companies. Several of them have applied with the Nesara Council to open up factories in Cedar, and it is only a matter of time before they start developing!
ecoba: Im really happy to know you enjoy the story and the text I put together, because honestly, I believe it is what brings any MD to life! Thank you as always :)
art128: Hehe, well thank you :) I didnt think the first BAT I chose for the Grand Hotel fit well with Cedar, but I am happy with the 2nd BAT I chose.
canyonjumper: Thank you very much for commenting, Im glad you liked the updates :)
Jayster: Hopefully, the NIF will be able to open up a construction company in Tepoto and diplomatic relations between the state of Nesara and Tepoto will grow! Im glad you like my building style - like I said before, I dont know if there is a label, but I guess it is a combination of natural growth and some "special effects" :)








With the development of Washington Avenue nearly complete, the corner of Intersection Street and the new avenue has become the center of development in Cedar. Today, we will have a look at the 4 new developments that have taken place.

(1) Bank of Nesara: The 14 storey Bank of Nesara building, designed and constructed by Davidson Contracting for the Chamber of Commerce, has become the centerpiece of Cedar, earning the distinction of being the tallest building in the entire state. A reflection of the quick rise of the state, the Bank of Nesara, which used to operate out of a small 3 storey building on Country Road near central Cedar, has moved all of its administration to the new building from its old location and the Chamber of Commerce building. The ground floor and the 2 floors above it serve as the main branch of the bank, while the administration occupy the other 11 floors. The building cost an estimated $13 million upon completion, surely a small price to pay for a bank that continues to grow very quickly.

(2) Haiden Building: The Haiden Building was developed by Haiden Construction, one of the 3 big construction companies in Nesara, to serve as their HQ and base of operations. They were also able to sign a deal with Nesara Airlines, who will also have their base of operations working out of the building. The 9 storey building will be split into 3 parts: the Ground Floor, which will feature the Nesara Airlines branch for customers, and also the Haiden Construction retail office. The top 3 floors are the Nesara Airlines offices, and the 6 floors underneath them have been taken by Haiden as their offices. The total cost of the building was an estimated $5.5 million, and although the design seems basic from the outside, it has been made to maximize space on the inside.

(3)The Home Depot Superstore (Not to be confused with RL Home Depot): Owned by the newly registered MasterStore Corporation, the Home Depot is Cedar's first superstore. Although local mom and pop stores situated in central Cedar protested the opening of the superstore in southern Cedar, it has proven to be a resounding success. Daily sales do not go below $100,000, and with Cedar continuing to grow at a rapid pace, so will the sales of the store. The MasterStore Corporation owns Home Depot 100%, and are rumored to be looking for office space as they plan on opening quite a variety of retail stores in Cedar and Nesara.

(4) Korra Ceramics Showroom: It finally happened; after years of planning, Kimberley Korra finally took a piece of land next to the Bank of Nesara, developed it, and opened the first Korra Ceramics retail branch in Cedar. The showroom displays all the Korra products, including the products from the newly opened tiles factory in northern Cedar. Korra Ceramics' administration offices have also moved to the building, situated on the 3rd floor. Although the showroom has yet to officially open, predictions estimate that the company will sell atleast $20,000 average in retail sales from the new showroom.

Hey Nadel,
Not only do you always show very nice pictures, but you also have a great imagination when it comes to giving facts about your city.
I love it as always!
Robin  :thumbsup:

Nice small update.   &apls

As far as our "letters" back and forth (letters is in quotes because of my laugh at a business letter) I have started an airport and if there is a certain building you would like me to get specifically for your country's construction firm, just drop me a link and I'll download it  ;D However, the only large city right now is Dead Man's Point and that is where the current capital of the region is right now until Bayview is created, but Dead Man's Point has a lot of open office area.

Just let me know what you decide.  :thumbsup:

Jayster

This is the first time I'm watching your MD. I read back several pages. I really like the way how you build your suburban areas. I will come back to see more.

Fantastic job on this new update Nedal. Washington avenue is for sure a nice and promising office depot area ! I like it very much.

Official - Message of the Svanskinahya Foreign works :

The government of Svanskinahya is proud to announce that the constructions works of the Nesera Council embassy has started also as the works for the 5n star hotel which will be soon revealed to public with some nice drawing of our best architect.

Some assist will be very welcomed here as the development is a bit on hold.

See you soon !

-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Awesome job with Washington Avenue Nedal! Cedar's really growing up ;D

              Your friend,
                             Jordan :thumbsup:

Wow great updates. Missed alot. I havnt been on for a few weeks.  :-[ Nesera is growing very fast, and it looks amazing. Id realy love to see the town near the beach you were talking about at one point.  ;)

,marsh

Cedar is growing up ;D The progress looks great!

         Your friend,
                        Jordan :thumbsup:

Looks awesome!!!  :thumbsup:

So my wedding is coming up (December 3rd), and it is not the easiest thing in the world organizing a wedding in a different country than the one you live in :) Its taken up sooo much of my time, I havent had time to update Nesara. But I do promise, I havent given up on it. In fact, Ive been working on it bit by bit. By the time the real update comes along, the storyline will be further along. For now, I will leave you with a couple of shots of downtown Cedar. Enjoy!

     I was wondering what happened to you.  $%Grinno$% Hope your wedding goes great! And might I say fine development going on.  ;D

,marsh  ;D

Wow!!!! looks like there has been some huge expansion since I last looked!!

Will

Great shots from Nesara and like the rest I have been waiting for an update.
And it is very understandable that you are busy before your wedding day, have fun on the 3rd  ;D

It's looking good. I am glad to see you back :)

Excellent development! Your cities are laid out so realistically and with great attention paid to gradual changes in height and density. I love it.

Another fantastic update Nedal ! I love the way you designed the area around that avenue. Excellent work my friend.  :thumbsup:

 I wouldn't worry too much about your MD at a time like this.  You concentrate on your wife to be and the wedding.  Your MD and us for that matter will be waiting here when you come back.
Congrats on finding the one and I hope your wedding day turns out to be the best.

Robin  &apls

BTW, nice update.

Beautiful!  &apls  &apls

So on a night flight recently, I could not get to sleep, so I began writing a story out of sheer boredom. I am no writer by any stretch, but I do consider myself to have a vivid imagination that constantly needs expression, and this story was born out of that. It starts out with Episode I: Ray Black, and it set in the distant, ficticious future on the planet of Haven, an earth-like planet somewhere far away. Please keep in mind I will be updating Nesara alot more than this, but every once in a while, I'll throw in an update of Haven. It is word intensive, and picture limited, as opposed to Nesara. I hope you do enjoy my "attempt" at creative writing.



   
                Ray Black lay his pack down, and splashed warm water on his face. His horse was already drinking, no doubt enjoying the liquid as it smoothly went down its dry throat. Placing his container in the river, he pulled it out and began enjoying his own refreshing portion of the Wildbank River's fresh water, thankful for the blessing. The desert was a cruel place.
   
   It was not always like this. Back when Ray was a child, Haven was a beautiful world filled with lush forests, crystal clear lakes, dazzling oceans, and breath-taking mountains. Peace was universal, crime in the well-designed urban areas was non-existent, and prosperity seemed to come without effort. After the Great War, everything changed. Everything.
   
   Now, it was hunt or be hunted. The world was filled with outlaws, gangs, and cowboys, and you were no safer inside a town than you were out in the barrens. Haven was now one mega desert, at the center of which was the Great Barrens, of which Ray now found himself in the center of. That was why the growth of small vegetation alongside the Wildbank River, one of the last known bastions of uncontaminated fresh water, was all the more surprising to him. Flora was like the diamonds of old, rare and hard to come by, and apart from his memories of pre-Great War Haven, when he was just a child, he could not remember the last time he saw a living green organism in front of his eyes.
   
   Ray Black lived the life of a cowboy, travelling from town to town, buying from this one, selling to that, and making himself some currency in the process. There were no more huge urban centers or cities, just tiny dusty towns, usually run by a gang, scattered across the wastelands. Everything had been obliterated, and human life had become nearly extinct. It was almost 30 years now, or in the calendar of the almost primitive human race that remained, AD (After Destruction) 30. He had been travelling like this for the past 20 odd years, and as he lay by the banks of the river, he was ready to give it all up. This was no way to live. Life had become too hard, too depressing. Life was not worth it anymore.
   
   The Great Barrens was an unforgiving place, and with the sun setting, he had to prepare for the perils of the night. Usually, he would hunch up next to his horse, and hold his shotgun tight throughout the night, but tonight, he could at least be able to cozy up under one of the taller trees near the bank. The light grass under him cushioned up the ground a little bit, as well, and for the first time, he actually looked forward to putting his head down for some rest. He was days away from the last town he visited, and he had no idea where he was going next. He heard rumors in town about a river to the south, so that is exactly where he headed, with some food and water to last him about a week's time. The Wildbank River, they called it. In these times, this was as close to paradise as one could get on Haven.



   
   Ray woke up to the sound of leaves swaying in the wind, a completely unfamiliar sound and feeling to him. Confused at first, his memory came back to him and remembered falling asleep on the shores of the Wildbank River next to his trusty horse. Around certain towns, you could still see a few motors running, some on two wheels, some on four, but Ray preferred the company of a live animal through his treks in the Great Barrens. Besides, there was no way a car or motor could handle the rough terrain found here, not by a long shot. Good old Rusty could, however, and he made a great head rest some nights when the ground was too hard to sleep on.
   
   After he had cleaned himself off a little bit and taken a bite of the little food he had left, Ray sat next to his trusty friend and started to think of his next move. The last town he had left behind, Frontier, was supposedly the last known human settlement north of the river, not that these settlements ever communicated with each other. For a while after the Great War, every small settlement thought themselves to be the only, before cowboys like Ray started braving the desert. Even now, however, things were not much better; news about other settlements was very scarce, and was always restricted to the closest ones to the said town. In Frontier, however, very few had been as far south as the river, and no one had been across it. When he mentioned to the folks there that he intended to see what the river looked like, most told him to he must be looking for a death wish, and for the most part, they were not far off.
   
   He had lost all his family in the Great War as a child, saved only because his school had a bunker which he was in at the time the space missiles were launched, obliterating more than 99% of life on Haven. Cities disappeared in a matter of seconds, rubble crushed beneath the surface, and human life was lost in the billions. Animals, vegetation, all was gone - almost nothing remained. In the years after the Great War, the world became a mortifying desert, and all the technology and advancement by humankind was blown away with the rest of the world. It was in this dark, lifeless world that Ray learned to fight for himself all alone, becoming a cowboy trader. All alone. Nothing to live for, nothing to die for. Every day he lived with the pain of a lost family, and every day he hoped he would join them. When he decided to head down to see the river for himself, perhaps he wanted to write himself a death wish.
   
   He did not want to go anywhere else. Every town was more depressing and lawless than the next, filled with gangsters and posers, all look to steal and collect. The gang that ran Frontier, for example, levied a tax on all visitors, not only its own citizens, and demanded additional payment for the "protection" they were offering during the night. Funnily enough, it was those same protectors that caused trouble, drunk and belligerent during the early hours of the night. Ray was sick and tired of it all, having to work and travel so he could find himself something to eat. At least here, by the banks of the river, he could get his own food, by doing what the coastal settlements called fishing. He was taught how to by an old man during his early teenage years in a town by the sea called Blessing, although there they had built floating objects called boats to head into the ocean. Here, however, Ray just had to find himself a solid branch from a nearby tree, a worm or two from the grass under his feet, and hope the river had some fish in it ready to be eaten.
   
   It did not take him long to get all the necessary ingredients for a fishing pole, and using a rope he had on him to attach the worm to, he cast it into the river and waited. About a minute in, he felt a sharp tug, and began reeling in the rope. To his amazement, at the end of the rope, which he had attached a sharp curved bark to which the worm was inserted, was a fish! It was about 2 feet long, and was going to serve as one heck of a lunch. The even better part was that old Rusty seemed to be enjoying the grass, having been munching on it since they arrived yesterday afternoon. Using a lighter he had acquired a few months back in a trade, Ray began cooking the fish, enjoying perhaps the best meal of his life.



   Ray Black had quite enjoyed the last couple of days by the river, as he fished away his afternoons and sat by the warm fire cooking and relaxing during the hard desert nights. He even found an apple tree not far from his resting site during a morning walk with Rusty, and ran into a small herd of wild cows that had seemingly also called the river shores home. He had began constructing a small shack of his own, and as soon as he was done, he was going to gather up some fish, and head north to Frontier to sell them for a small solar powered generator that was on offer last time he was there. While he was there, he was also going to get some electrical supplies so he could have some light on during the night inside his new shack. The truth was, he had not felt this alive since coming out of the bunker that fateful day as a child. For once, he did not have to trade or sell anything to survive, with the river providing all the fish he could eat, and the apple tree providing the dessert. This was the most comfortable, and happiest, Ray had been for as long as he can remember. This was to be his new home.

 Very nice read. 
Unusual for myself, but I find myself wanting to read more.

Robin  :thumbsup:

    I agree with rooker, I do not read many wall o' texts, but I certainly enjoyed this one. Cant wait for more Nessara and Haven.  ;D

,marsh :thumbsup:

Over the last couple of years, the Nesara Council had transformed empty land south of Cedar into the city center, and the expansion south of Washington Avenue continues at a very high rate. All along Washington Avenue plots of land have been sold, and along Intersection Street as well. James Brooks could not help but feel proud of the accomplishments of his dear council over the last few years.

In front of him lay pictures of the new primary and secondary school south of Washington Avenue, and right next to those plans lay the blueprints of James Brooks University, which would be constructed right next to the James Brooks School - a fantastic educational development which the leader of the Nesara Council had put so close to his heart. The old school, just outside the old center of town, was overburdened and over capacity, leaving the educational system of Nesara lagging behind national averages, but the new educational complex would take care of that matter.

The direct benefits were obvious; high levels of education and a number of job opportunities related to the complex for the locals, but the indirect benefits had Brooks equally excited. The educational tourism, the mini-economy based around the university, the population influx, the number of increased real estate investors - all of these, among others, would have a big part to play in further developing the town of Cedar. However, the project was exactly what it was on Brooks desk currently; blueprints and hopes. Although plans to break ground on it where already reaching final phases, it was not happening just yet.

What did happen, however, was the introduction of the EasyTransit public transportation system. Up and running for a year now, the ET served 8 stops inside the town of Cedar, and a 9th stop at the Cedar International Airport. Almost 1,300 people used the ET system daily, and it had been a resounding success despite some issues getting it off the ground. The buses used were state of the art, equipped with TVs broadcasting satellite news and local sports events, as well as airconditioning and heating systems, depending on the weather. Bassem Safek, head of the NDT, stated to Brooks recently that he expects up to 2,000 passengers a day on the ET system by the same time next year.

Cedar's growth over the last two years had been unprecedented, even for its unusually high levels. The town hit 50,000 residents earlier this year, a personal landmark for Brooks, who did not think he would live to see that day. The population of the town now stood at 64,551, officially. Now he had set a new target - for Cedar to reach 100,000 residents before he calls in his plans for retirement.











- Bassem Safek announced to the introduction of 2 new destinations that Nesara Airlines will start serving beginning this fall: Vancouver and Boise. Speaking at a Nesara Department of Transportation sanctioned press conference, Safek said that the new destinations would serve as important steps to further stimulating Nesara's tourism industry and commercial activity. Vancouver would serve as access into the Canadian market, and by serving Boise, the airline was hoping to serve as an important transit point for travelers heading to Idaho.

Safek also announced that the NDT was creating a sub-department within it for the sole purpose of managing and operating the airline. He stated that this new department, which would be known as the administrative branch of Nesara Airlines, was to be headed by Gary Presston, and would employ an additional 50 people to the airline's staff. The NDT, while being the final authority, would cease handling the airline all together.




The EasyTransit public transportation system announced the acquisition of 5 new buses to handle the growing demands of the city, and said it would increase the number of trips on certain highly used routes. The EasyTransit system, or ET, has been a resounding success, greatly exceeding the number of passengers initially predicted would use it. One can either buy a daily pass, which costs $1.5, a monthly pass ($30), or a yearly pass ($300), each of which gives access to all routes.




The James Brooks School, which serves students from grades 1-12, opened for the first time this week with a full capacity of 2,700 students, easing the burden on the old Cedar State School, which was overcrowded and overburdened. The new, bigger school expects a further 500 students at the beginning of the next school year, while Cedar State has put a hard cap on the number of students it will serve, with preference going to families who live close to the school.




In business news, Home Depot recorded an all-time high of $1,214,000 in sales the past month, breaking its previous record of $1,010,000. A strong local economy and a high growth rate has spurred the Cedar retail sector on, with good results across the board, from smaller stores to the big ones. The Korra Ceramics showroom also recorded high sales as a result of the construction boom currently going on in Cedar, especially in its tiles department.

The manufacturing sector also recorded good numbers, although not quite as high as the retail sector due to increased caution from outside markets. With the recession still looming, there has not been the bounce that was expected, although results are still encouraging nonetheless. The Nesara Council approved 12 new manufacturing companies the past few months, and each has acquired land to begin construction of their factories.




The real estate market in Nesara continues to impress, and the 3 largest developers (Davidson, Haiden, and Trinity) have all posted strong numbers across the board. Each have quite a few projects in the works, and rumor has it that Trinity is looking to buy land in downtown Cedar to produce a shopping center, although there has been no official comment from the company itself. Davidson is looking at developing its second residential compound on Washington Avenue to the west of Cedar, and Haiden is currently developing 2 big projects: a small hotel resort in Gateway Beach, as well a mix use building somewhere in Cedar.

     Theres so much happening here.  :P I remember when that apartment building was the biggest news in the town. Now theres too much to talk about... I know the feeling.  $%Grinno$% Those Suburbany residential areas look awesome. I really love how you've incorporated the maxis buildings in the city. They look just as great as anything else here.  :P

,marsh :thumbsup:

Cedar is taking off, together with the local airline company. :)

Wow.

This is an absolutely brilliant MD, nedalezz!
I took the time to read all 20 pages of it, and I'm very impressed by the images and storyline. Great stuff!  :thumbsup:

I'm impressed with the new airline, you've done some great research and presented it well.

Looking forward to more,
Adrian.

Awesome update!!!  :thumbsup:

The EasyTransit publice transportation system launched their new route today to Gateway Beach, the first stop for the government owned company outside of greater Cedar. The route originates at the Downtown One bus stop near the Home Depot, and continues non-stop to Gateway Beach's only bus stop.

"Gateway Beach is increasingly becoming a regional tourist destination here in Nesara, especially on the weekends," stated Bassem Safek. "For people who want to spend the day at the beach, this simplifies their transport issue. We also have our air travellers in mind, who might be looking to go to Gateway Beach from the CIA. Again, this will simplify their transportation issue."

The route is scheduled to run 4 times a day, and looks to be the Nesara Department of Transportation first foray into Gateway Beach. The town has grown to just under 3,000 people the past few years. It was founded after the first public beach was opened, and the town grew around it, originally starting out as a few stores to cater to the beach going crowd before people started to make permanent residences there. It is currently the only incorporated town other than Cedar in all of Nesara.




Nesara will be receiving its own local newspaper soon, called The Nesara Independent, after its offices were officially opened today by the newspaper's CEO, Mrs. Martha Brown. Scheduled to go out into circulation next month, the Independent expects a daily readership of 10,000, pr approximately 1/6 of Cedar's current population.

The Independent is a 100% privately owned newspaper that has been marketing itself as "Nesara's Voice for All." Mrs. Brown has repeatedly stated that the paper will report the news unbiased and true to fact, and the Nesara Council has been encouraging the upstart paper to stay true to its motto.




Finally, we're going to end today's session with a picture of downtown Cedar at night. Enjoy!

Wonderful things are happening in Nesara! I bet James Brooks is looking out over the city and smiling ;D

                        Your friend,
                                       Jordan :thumbsup:

 I thought you said a few posts ago that you would be busy with the wedding planning.....not that I am complaining that we are still getting some great updates, but are you neglecting the planning of the wedding?

Anyways another great update and I am looking forward to Chapter two. ;)

Robin  :thumbsup:

The folks in Frontier were surprised to see Ray back, and so soon. It took him a few days to get down to the Wildbank River from Frontier, but the way back was much simpler now that he knew how to guide himself. The trip took 2 days on horseback, with very little time given for rest. He figured he would check into the small inn on the corner of the town's main road in exchange for some of the apples he brought with him. He had come into town dragging buckets of apples and fish along with him, ready to do business with the traders of the town. Food was a valuable commodity, especially rare meat like fish and tasty fruits like the apples he had on him.

   By the time he finished checking into his room at the inn, word had spread around town that the cowboy was back, and had brought with him some pretty sought after goods. It didn't take long for Jim Benstrike, leader of the gang that ran Frontier and its so-called sheriff, popped by for a small visit. Ray hadn't paid his visiting tax yet, and by the looks of it, it seemed he would have to put up more than the required amount. Ray knew the name of the game, so it was not a surprise to him hearing a knock on the door, with a voice behind it shouting, "Open up, cowboy! Sheriff's here to collect!"

   About 15 minutes later, Benstrike walked out of Ray's room with a small bucket of fish and apples, satisfied at the "token of appreciation" given to him by the visitor. It did not take long for him to follow the sheriff out, ready to do a bit of his own business. He wanted to get done with it as soon as possible, disgusted by the blatant disrespect and corruption that reeked throughout the town. He had come for that solar generator and some electrical cables and tools to power his new home; as soon as he had acquired that, he was not going to spend another minute in this god-forsaken place.

   The old generator was just outside of town, being sold by the same man who had the electrical supplies on offer. The man did not know much about the products he was selling; all he knew at that point, however, was that Ray was being extremely generous with the offer presented to him. Buckets of fish and apples for some cables, lights, sockets, and a beat up generator he had no idea how to work seemed like a fine deal to him - especially as he could head into town and turn those produces for even more profit. He was curious, however, as to what this cowboy wanted with these electrical supplies.



"What is it you need them for?"
"I would have guessed them apples and fish would also make it so no questions came my way, old man."
"Hey, what you do is none of my business. Just asking out of curiousity."
"Ain't nothing to be curious about. Just need these supplies for a little project of mine."

   

   It would take Ray a while to load the generator on the small trailer he had bought in town, and the way back was certainly going to be rough on Rusty, so he figured he'd stock up for at least a week just in case things got rougher than expected. After a little bit of sleep, he checked out of the inn, and headed south. On the way out of the town, however, Benstrike rode up next to him with a few of his goons and singled for Ray to stop. By the looks of it, he didn't like the idea of Ray shipping out of a town with a bulky generator.



JB: "So where you headed then, cowboy?"
RB: "Oh, down to the next town, you know."
JB: "That's some item you got carrying on you. Wouldn't want you stirring up any trouble."
RB: "No trouble at all, sheriff. Just an old man who was talking about this very type of generator in the next town. Going to turn me a small profit."
JB: "There ain't no town after this one, cowboy. We ain't called Frontier for nothing."
RB: "New settlement, sheriff. Don't even have a name yet. If you'd allow me, I'd like to get my trip started. Have a long way to go."



   The frustration in Ray's voice had become obvious, but the last thing he needed was this old fool to cause him some problems. Surprisingly, the "sheriff" nodded his head and stepped aside, averting what could of turned out to be a messy situation. Ray's shotgun was in the bag, away from hidden sight, and he was not looking forward to using it now. He had a home to get back to, and some more fish to catch.





   
   The sight of Ray's shack still standing was a good of a welcome as any, especially after a few difficult days under the harsh desert sun. Even more welcoming was the fresh water from the river that was gulped down by both Ray and his horse. Poor Rusty bore the brunt of the difficulty of the trip, having dragged the trailer holding the solar powered generator along with some primitive electrical supplies, probably the type used in the 21st or 22nd century by humans when they were still confined to Earth. Given the destruction of the Great War, however, he would not have been surprised if those very humans were considered more technologically advanced than the humans of modern day Haven.
   
   Back in his early teenage years, Ray spent a couple of years in Blessing, the coastal settlement where he learned how to fish. The settlement was the largest he had seen after the war, and it was filled with educated residents of all fields. It was an engineer called Henry Hayes who taught him about electricity and how to get it working, showing him the works of how the large solar generator powered the entire town. Ray became like an apprentice to Hayes, and it was the death of his mentor that led him to abandon Blessing and travel into the Great Barrens. Having set the generator about 10 meters away from his shack, he began wiring it to the house, where he would install light bulbs and sockets.
   
   The process took him nearly 4 hours, and by the time he was done, the sun was starting to set. Rusty, resting near the river, looked on lazily, not knowing quite what was going on, but happy he had gotten that huge machine off of his back, figuratively. Given that the generator was pretty much under the sun for the past 5 days, Ray figured it would have enough charge in it to work throughout the night. Hoping for the best, he turned the red button and waited for the rumbling of the generator.
   
   It did not come quick, but after about 30 seconds of choking and gasping, the machine started operating the way it was intended to work, and with another switch in the small electrical board he had built in the shack, the lights came on inside. It had been a rough week or so, but as he relaxed just outside his shack and watched the sun set, Ray knew it was all worth it. For the first time, he had an actual home. There was supposedly a central government that was apparently still operational, although their influence did not stretch out any further than borders of Janneh City, the capital of the old Haven Republic, situated on the coast south of where Blessing was. Ray had never been there, but he had heard stories about how the Haven Republic government had appointed a new president who intended to reunite Haven the way it was before the war. If there was an operational government, Ray thought to himself, he would like to at least get a land deed to legally claim the land he now called his own. Frontier had a small tech-store next to the inn that would have all the information he needed, so he figured the next trip back into town, he would send his claim through the electronic warp (a machine of relatively old technology that uses plasma sensor to register recorded information at another location. Paper had become obsolete a long time ago - instead, electronic records were used.) From what he had heard, a small payment was enough to get the legal claim he was after, not that the government cared - they would probably never step foot anywhere near the land.




   A few weeks went by before Ray began preparing to head back to Frontier. By this point, the solar generator was running smoothly, his shack was lit up, and he had begun taking the apple seeds from the fruits and planting them in the soil, hoping they would bear fruit (no pun intended), making him the caretaker of a small apple tree farm. The fish in the Wildbank River were plentiful, although there seemed to be only one type of fish, thoughtfully called by Ray the Wildbank Trout. Good old Rusty was enjoying his days by the river, munching on grass and just generally being lazy. Sometimes, they would go for a walk down the river, and they always seemed to run into the same herd of wild cows. They always made Rusty uncomfortable, and it was generally then they would turn around and walk back to their home. Ray could not imagine a better way to live - he was already dreading the next trip north to Frontier.

   The dusty town seemed to be trapped in a time warp - nothing had changed, even though the first time Ray came through the town was years ago. No new building, no new technology, no new people, nothing. It was just as depressing as it ever was, and the self proclaimed sheriff, Jim Benstrike, wanted it to keep it that way, under his control and oppressed. Ray had not even been one hour in Frontier before Benstrike came looking for him, chasing after the "tax" levied on visitors. He did not like Black, and the feeling was mutual. Still, Benstrike figured he was getting currency every couple of weeks from him, so he was of better use alive than dead. He found him in the same inn room as his last trip.



JB: "Back so soon, cowboy? I figured you were gone."
RB: "What can I say, great little town you got here, sheriff."
JB: "Dont mock me, boy, or I'll make sure your tongue gets cut off so you can't say another word for the rest of your life."
RB (Shrugging, keeping his hand close to his bag which was carrying his plasma shotgun): "Didn't mean no disrespect, sheriff. Think this is a mighty fine town you got yourself here."  (He reached down into his pocket and took out about 250 Currency Notes (or CN), handing them over to Benstrike, who just eyed him menacingly before finally speaking up.)
JB: "This time, it is 250, but next time, you better find a way to fork over 100 more. You're comin' over an awful lot, I think that warrants a higher token of appreciation."
RB: "No worries, sheriff. You got it."
   


   Ray was in no mood for a fight, but Benstrike seemed to want one.  The sheriff took the CNs from Black, spat on the floor, and walked out of the room. He sighed and shook his head, reminded of why he hated these little towns and why he had started to cherish his lonely abode next to the river. He had a feeling that it was not the end of his troubles for the day, however...





   
   Walking down the main road of Frontier was like something out of an old movie they used to show about a place on Earth called the "Wild West." The usual businesses could be found - couple of bars, brothel, cinema, and a few stores selling objects that has use before the Great War but probably no one knew how to use anymore. Things like shadescreen computers, ray televisions, frequency electricity receivers, plasma and carbon guns, and the like. Ray always had an interest in technology and such, but it was not anything he could afford, so he would walk by rather not looking at them. No use in wishing about something you cannot have, he though, continuing down to the tech-store to process his claim through the electronic warp.

   The tech-store is what they called a place with computers, sort of a business center that people without access to the Internet 5G could go to get stuff done. Nowadays, that was nearly everyone. The tech-store in Frontier was owned by Tiberius Driver, a man of about 50 years old who had a wife and 2 young kids. He was not a big man by any means, but he was quite stocky, and also a veteran of the Great War, when he fought with the Haven Republic forces against the Earthen Alliance. He was part of the battalion that drove the alliance out of Liberty City, which at the time was their last stronghold in Haven. He had met his wife there, after staying as part of the occupying force while the alliance retreated their people from the city, and it was there they took cover in the bunker of the former Parliamentary Palace from the space missiles that destroyed Haven. Although they were married for several years, they did not add to their family until they settled in Frontier a few years ago, when both were in their early 40s.

   Ray always wondered how a good man like Driver could put up with the corruption that ran rampant in Frontier, but then again, it was not like anywhere else was better. Driver had made a decent amount of currency after opening up the tech-store in Frontier, and had even gotten official confirmation from the Haven Republic government in Janneh City as a representative office for all legal matters of state, such as the one Ray was coming to him for today. He smiled as Black entered the tech-store.



TD: Well howdy, cowboy. Back again so soon?
RB: Yep, just need to handle some legal business and be on my way.
TD: Alrighty then, straight to the point. How can I help ya?
RB: I need to apply a claim for a land I've settled on. You know, make my settlement legal.
TD (looking puzzled): Hmmm, never had a request like that before. A land claim? Let me see, here. (Pulls out a book and starts looking through it.) Ok, here we are. Says here you gotta present the exact coordinates of the land, and then fill out the application form, and finally, pay an administrative fee. Ofcourse, you also have to transfer over the amount to the owner of the land of which you agreed.
RB (Smiling): I doubt it has one. Anyway, I have an old location grapher which stored the coordinates for me. As for the application form, you give me the form and I'll fill it out. And finally, you let me know what the application fee is, and let's get in contact with our so-called government and figure out how much extra I gotta pay.
TD: Alright, let me pull up the contact information, and we can talk to them through the plasma feed.



   About 15 minutes later, Ray received an official land deed from Janneh City confirming that he was the owner of the said land. The contact was just as puzzled as Tiberius was, never having heard of such a request since before the Great War, and gladly told Ray that if he can cough up the application fee, then the land was his for free. That suited Ray just fine, storing the land deed on his hard drive device. Before he gave leave to the tech-store however, Tiberius, who had been quiet and observing him the entire time, grabbed him by the arm.



TD: Cowboy...this land of yours...well, this is the second time you come into town carrying a whole lot of fish and fruits. You living by yourself?
RB (Taken back and cautious): Hey now Driver, I don't ask you about your business. Let's leave mine alone. Good day to you, sir.
TD (Still holding Ray's arm tight): Listen, I didn't mean to offend ya. Truth is, I don't know how much of Benstrike I can take. They came in the other night, drunk as usual, telling me they wanted my wife for the night as "token of appreciation." They got called in to go rough up some poor fool who was not paying up, but I've had enough.
RB (Sighing): The river's stretches for miles, Driver. Make your way down there and do what I did, I don't care. Just don't go about announcing this to anyone else.
TD: Cowboy, I want to go with you, and I want to build my home near yours. You're a good person, and we could use each other. I already know you've acquired yourself a solar generator.
RB: You coming in to take my property now? You tryin' to be like Benstrike? Cause I got a rifle that says you should stay put.
TD: Easy now, Ray. I'll pay half of whatever you paid for that thi - you know what, I'll give you the full amount of whatever you paid. There isn't another one in town, and I don't have any idea where I can buy one. Everyone who has one is making money renting out electricity to other people - no one is going to sell. All I want is to share it, and I know it has got enough capacity to support to houses.
RB (Quiet for a few seconds, then looks at Tiberius): I don't want your money, and I ain't gonna be taxin' anyone. Give me half, and if you make your way down there, you can the generator as well.
TD (Smiling): Well, alright then.

Great story Nedal.  You have me hooked now!

Robin  :thumbsup:

This is getting more interesting  ()stsfd() Can't wait for more.

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Excellent!  I love how much Nesara has taken off since I've last visited!   ;D

Nice couple of updates, Nedal ! The last one was really interesting !  :thumbsup:

Yeah my friend..., great update!!! Fantastic!!!

Great use of mayor mode flora :thumbsup: Looking forward to more!

Spectacular coastline Nedal! Really fantastic!

                       Your friend,
                                      Jordan :thumbsup:

Superb coastline!  The story is a nice read as well!

Cedar's reputation as a trade and regional economic center continues to grow, thanks to its relaxed tax and trade laws that have given Nesaran businesses a substantial competitive edge. With several small and medium sized factories calling the state their home base, the manufacturing sector continues to strengthen. The Nesara Council recently passed an ordinance which stated that random plots inside the industrial area will remain free of construction, with trees and grass planted in them and maintained. The council said the ordinance will guarantee a fresh environment in the industrial area, and would keep the area looking, and smelling, good.






The economic center of Cedar is downtown Cedar - a place that was non-existent just a few years ago. Although the origins of downtown Cedar were pre-planned alongside Washington Avenue, with the Chamber of Commerce having developed the tallest building in Nesara, the Bank of Nesara Building, on the corner of Washington and Intersection Street, the commercial activity bustling in the area today grew naturally.

Since the rapid creation of downtown Cedar, residential areas south of it have expanded significantly, spurred on by low land costs and easy access to the commercial district, but also most importantly by the new James Brooks School, a public educational facility that serves grades 1-12. The plans for the new James Brooks University also state that the higher education facility will be in the area, very close to the James Brooks School. Although there has not been anything confirmed, there are also rumors of a new medical facility that will dwarf the current hospital on Washington Avenue, said to be developed by the Nesara Council. There has been no word from the council on the matter, though, and questions about it have gone unanswered.







The Nesara Department of Transportation recently introduced its plans to develop a new freight station to the north of the city along the track lines in response to the complaints from the factories in the area that the current freight station can no longer accommodate the needs of the growing Cedar manufacturing sector. The NDT announced that the station will take approximately one year to be completed, and will be able to handle almost 10 times the cargo as the current one. There was no word on what the plan will be for the current station once the new one is operational.







Gateway Beach celebrated this week as its population surpassed 1,000 residents for the first time. The occasion was organized by the Nesara Council, and they took advantage of the celebrations by announcing that Gateway Beach will have its own local governing body, called the Gateway Beach City Council, which would be led by its new Mayor, Mr. Uthman Kalarov. The town is the first settlement outside of Cedar to be incorporated as an official town. Its economy revolves around the actual Gateway Beach, a stretch of coastline that is a popular weekend destination for Nesarans.

Really nice update Nedal, but I really need chapter 3 in the story, please.

Robin ;)

Very nice update
That last pic it is reminding me on the beach at GTA vice City maybe you should make it a look with more hotels and cafés its just a beautiful place  :satisfied:

Very nice update here, my friend ! Your cities tend to just get more and more beautiful with each update. :)


Ethan

Awesome CBD! Some really great BATs used in that ;D Gateway Beach looks great!

                  Your friend,
                                 Jordan :thumbsup:

Really well done industrial areas. I like that you've decided to keep the areas nice and green. I would agree with Peter007 that the beach area would look a little more realistic with more cafes, hotels, etc. Still a lovely looking beach area, I imagine it has a lot of potential   &apls

Good luck with your upcoming wedding  :thumbsup:

Really another great update!!! Fantastic!!!

Very cool! Can't wait to see more. Also, it would be cool to see a bit more of that beach town.  ;)

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Oh, but I am sure Gateway Beach will develop into a perfect spot for your weekends and holidays with cafes hotels and the like.
Interesting updates here :thumbsup:

Excellent update once again, Nedal ! I love these pictures, the story line is also greatly done, like in each of your updates !
(btw, the building you asked me will be build soon, don't worry ! )

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Excellent update! Gateway Beach looks so peaceful and that grassline has given me many ideas for some of my more annoying beach areas  &idea

Hey guys, thanks for all the great comments!

As some of you might know, I am getting ready to get married, and with the moving to the new house, wedding, etc all coming up, there hasnt been ANY time for SimCity!

Im going to get back to playing as soon as I have some time - I might post an update on Haven soon as I have more parts of that story written.

Stay tuned!

 Good to hear from you, Nedal. 
You just take care of that business first and I'll just sit over here in the corner patiently for you to come back with the next chapter of Haven. ;)

Robin  :thumbsup:

Last update looked great!  Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!  Take all the time you need, I'll be keeping an eye out for your return! 

   Although he was completely against Tiberius Driver moving his family down to the Wildbank River and becoming his new neighbor at first, doing his best to keep to himself and not involving himself with the family next door. That didn't last too long, however, and being the person that he is, inevitably he gave them a helping hand finishing up their new home. It wasn't too long before relations between Black and the Driver family became warm, with Ray having dinner at the Drivers' nearly every night.

   Things were certainly easier for Ray with them around, especially as Tiberius was quite the handy man. Using frequency electricity receivers, he removed Ray's age old cable wires, and also reduced the chance of something going wrong. The solar generator needed maintenance every few days, and again it was Tiberius who took care of the matter thanks to his previous experience. They caught twice as many fish, and Ray's plan to start a small farm of apple trees started to become a reality now that he had Tiberius helping him with his little project. The kids, Vince and Sandra, ran around all day, and the wife, Joelle, did the household chores. Life was good.

   It happened during the evening, as the Drivers' and Ray gathered around the dinner table. What started out as a low murmur grew louder by the second, a rumbling that could only be man-made. Ray and Tiberius looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking. They had never said it, but both men had expected this day. Joelle, seeing the look in her husband's eyes, immediately got off the table, gathered the kids, and headed to their room. Before she slammed the door however, she came back outside carrying two automatic shotguns, handing one to each man, and giving her husband a light nod. Tiberius looked at Ray, and proceeded out the front door. At this point, the rumble had gotten loud, and was right outside the house.  It was Jim Benstrike, with his pack of goons, in two all-purpose armored vehicles, parked outside of Ray's home. He began laughing as both men stepped out, weapons in their hands.

JB (Laughing menacingly): Boys, boys, boys! There you are! We missed ya in town Tiberius. You know I heard a rumor in town saying you had deserted us to join the cowboy, and I just HAD to see for myself. Where are your manners?! Leaving without a word?
TD: You have no business here, Benstrike.
JB: That is where you're wrong, Driver. I didn't drive down for hours because I don't have any business here. This here is my land, and I'm here to collect.
TD: I believe you're a far way from Frontier, and I recommend you head back. There is nothing for ya here.

   Benstrike threw his cigarette on the ground, losing patience with the resistance Tiberius Driver was putting up, something he had rarely faced before. He signaled to his team to advance towards the men, but they didn't get far before a round of shots rang out, and Benstrike's men began falling one by one, very quickly.

RB (Holding his gun): I aimed for their legs. Let that be a warning. Pack your troops up and go, Benstrike. Don't come back here again.

   Ray Black had fired at the men without warning, and blood was gushing out of their legs along with screams from their mouths. Benstrike took one look at his fallen men and hastily retreated back to his vehicle, calling out for the rest of them to carry the wounded back to their rides. Ray didn't flinch; he kept his gun aimed at them the entire time. They might have had weapons, but they did not have two Hardon 55 Automatic Shotguns capable of firing over 200 bullets per minute aimed at them, and they certainly were not expecting a gun fight. Benstrike was shook; his men, even more so. No one had ever dared fight back since he took over the town and declared it his property some 20 odd years back. All he could mutter was "This isn't over, cowboy!" as they drove away like dogs retreating, licking their wounds.

   Watching the two vehicles drive away, Tiberius relaxed his aim and brought his shotgun down towards his waist. He turned his head towards Ray, staring at him dead in the eye without flinching.

TD (Agitated): You know I have a family in there. This could've went a lot worse.
RB: Don't think it could've gone any better. (Shifts his shotgun off his shoulder and hands it back to Tiberius.) Them boys won't be coming back anytime soon.
TD: You need to think of the consequences of your actions! Where the hell we gonna go to sell our products, to get things we need! Where -
RB (Shouting over Tiberius): Hey! I didn't ask ya to come here! I ain't bowin' down to no man anymore! That SOB Benstrike can go to hell for all I care. You don't like the way things are going down, I suggest you pack yourself up and leave, because if they come down here again, it's gonna get a whole lot uglier. I'm aimin' for heads next time!
TD (Shaking his head softly): Damn cowboys, never thinking past their nose. (Looks at Ray for a few seconds, then hands the shotgun back to him.) Well, what's done is done, and at least you're right about one thing - they ain't coming back anytime soon. But...they WILL be back sometime. (Starts walking back to his house.) I've heard about a small town that's supposed to be west of Frontier called Boulder. I'm going to try and pull up its coordinates on the computer I got with me - if it can locate it, I suggest we head over there first thing in the morning and buy ourselves some supplies. We'll take my motor, you can leave Rusty here munchin' on grass. Shouldn't be gone more than a few days, and after the stunt you just pulled off, can't risk leavin' the family here alone. They'll be coming with us.
RB: Alright then, I'll prepare myself.

   Ray was not sure if what he had done to Benstrike's men would come back to bite him, but he was done playing his game. He had built up a home far away from "civilization" so that he could avoid the corruption and complete lack of morals and ethics that was so evident in men, only for the epitome of all he despised to come to his home and try to steal his peace away from him. He was not going to take it anymore, and when he shot at Benstrike's goons, it was more out of blind frustration than strategic thinking. He would rather not live another day if he had to put up with how things worked in towns like Frontier in his own home.

   A few meters away, Tiberius was making sure his family was alright. It wasn't that he disagreed with Ray's actions, it was just that such recklessness could place his family's life in danger, and he was not willing to let anything do that. He had left Frontier because of threats to his wife, and he was not about to bring danger down to his new home. What Ray had done was brave, but he was not going to fool himself into thinking this situation was over. He knew Benstrike, and he knew that a criminal like that was not going to rest until he got his way. He had to stock up, and if what he heard was right, Boulder was going to be the place he did so. His solar powered motor would get them there in about a day's time of continuous driving. Boulder was most likely not going to be any friendlier than Frontier, so he made sure the motor had the two shotguns packed and loaded before the trip got started.


----------------------------------------------



   There didn't seem there was much to distinguish Boulder from Frontier, or any other dusty town that existed in the Great Barrens for that matter, at first, except for the paved road that served as the center of the place. Apparently, the formerly unpaved road was too rocky for the vehicles that came in through town and there were complaints, so the town decided to actually listen to them and paved the road with asphalt. Driving to the Boulder Motel, one of two inns/motels in town, the first thing noticed was the bustle and activity - people were coming and going, buying and selling, and although it didn't seem too much bigger than Frontier, it certainly was much more alive.

   Ray and Tiberius had taken turns driving, so both were reasonably rested. It was the first time for them in Boulder, and for Tiberius' family, the first time they had seen a town other than their former home of Frontier. What was obvious was that whoever was in charge here was attempting to make the town a better place, for whatever reason. Both men, however, knew there had to be more to the story.

   After checking in and making sure Tiberius' family was comfortable and safe, they headed down to the main, paved road in Tiberius' motor, packed with buckets of fish and apples. Both were delicacies that fetched pretty high prices, so they could barter supplies pretty easily with traders for them. While Ray was after certain tools to help him with this farm project, Tiberius was looking for more technological advanced gadgets to help him reconnect with the rest of the world. Both were silent about their respective goals and projects, although both knew what the other was up to. Truthfully, they made a good team, with one man in touch with the world around and a real blue collar type, while the other was a technological whiz who could pretty much figure how anything worked. What they both needed, however, was more ammunition, a perhaps another gun or two just in case.

   After a reasonably successful few hours of trading and negotiating, they headed back to the Boulder Motel's bar to grab a quick drink before going upstairs to retire for the night. The bar itself was buzzing with people, and they could barely get in, having to bump through people just to reach the bar. It was uncomfortably full, and everyone seemed fixated on the blank plasma screen that hung over bar itself. Confused as to why people where staring a black screen, Tiberius asked the bartender.

TB: Hey, can you get us two beers, and make sure they're cold! Tell me, why is everyone looking at the plasma screen? Ain't nothing been on any television since the Great War.
Bartender: Guess you haven't heard then. We received a warp this mornin' sayin' that the Republic has recovered the frequency of an old satellite orbiting Haven and has promised to start broadcastin' today.
TB (Startled, and somewhat taken back): Wow, ain't that something.
Bartender: Yeah, people been in here since mornin', considering this is one of the only televisions available in town. We're still waitin' though - some folks have even started callin' it a lie.
TB: I doubt the Republic would go through the trouble of warpin' messages if they didn't have it all figured out. Anyway, how about them beers?
Bartender: Coming right up.

   Listening intently to the conversation was Ray, and although he never publicly stated it, he wished for the today the Republic would be strong enough to force some law and order unto the lands. He was in the middle of his thoughts when the black screen turned white, and then a few seconds later, began broadcasting live from Janneh City.

Man on Plasma Screen: Welcome, brothers and sisters, and thank you for tuning in to Station One, the Republics' one and only network station. We are pleased to announce that starting today, we will be on this frequency twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The Great War may have destroyed our world, but it did not destroy our spirits, and slowly but surely, we will rebuild. It is only fitting that this momentous occasion be topped off by a speech from the Republic and YOUR President, His Excellency Hans Drake.

   Hans Drake - the supposed right hand man of the champion of the rebellion, the deceased Mercen Stormwind. A lot of stories had circulated through the years as to what had transpired, but the end result was Drake stationed in a safety bunker in Janneh City while Stormwind died like the billions in Haven as the space missiles struck. After the end of the Great War, Drake named himself the President of the Haven Republic, although his influence did not reach outside of the Republic capital city.

   Drake began talking about how this was an era in the history of Haven, and how, under his leadership, the human race to become united again. It was to be his guidance that will push them forward, he said, after which both Ray and Tiberius stopped paying attention. The latter's mind was spinning, however, as he thought to himself of what this could mean. If they had figured out how to get the frequency beamed up to the satellite to broadcast, that meant there was a way to collect data from the satellites and broadcast frequencies himself. All the former was thinking about was having another beer before going to his room to sleep.

   The crowd that had assembled in the bar, however, was hypnotized by the plasma screen, and hearing their apparent President talk had made them very confused. A lot of people did not know the Republic still existed, let alone had a President who was talking about unity. The whole thing had begun to bore Ray, and he was ready to leave, both the bar, and Boulder. But something made him sit right back down before he had a chance to get up: a bullet right through the plasma screen.


--------------------------------------


   The bullet zipped right through the projectile picture and hit the mainframe of the screen, disabling instantly. Shocked by the sudden events, a few people let out screams while the rest instinctually ducked their heads.

"The only government you all need to be listening to is ME!" screamed a voice from the back of the room. Ray looked back to see a bulky man, surrounded by four even bulkier, borderline scary men. "The Republic died when them Eartheners bombed the hell out of this planet, and we've been putting in work ever since tryin' to make this place a livable place for all of you. I demand your loyalty, and believe me, I WILL get it."

   That must've been the sheriff of the town, Ray thought to himself, and he was not mistaken. Casey Farman had been in charge of Boulder since his father passed away nearly twelve years back, and although he was not the oppressive dictator that Jim Benstrike of Frontier was, he still kept his own version of a stranglehold on the town he controlled.

   Ray watched him as the man and his companions made their way to the bar as people began returning to whatever it was they were doing before the "incident", secretly hoping that was all the drama for the night. Tiberius was already on his way out, and Ray was not going to be too far behind. Just a few minutes ago, Ray was a man who wished to see the Republic bestow some order onto a chaotic world; now, he wanted nothing to do with a central government led by Hans Drake. He was an old man, but he did not look it, and as far as Ray knew from stories of the Great War veterans, his corruption and greed knew no bounds. If he wanted to unite the world, it would not be because he cared about improving the livelihood on the broken people, it would be because he wanted to feed his thirst for power and currency. At this point, Ray just wanted to rest his head, get some sleep, and have the morning come as quickly as possible so he could get home.


-----------------------------------------------------



TD (Tiberius Driver): Wake up, Ray! RAY!
RB (Awoken startled): What the hell is it?! You know better than to scream at a dreamin' man!
TD: Get it together, cowboy. I need you outside now!
RB (Gets out of bed and starts putting on his clothes): You're worryin' me, Tiberius. What the hell is goin' on?
TD (Already out the door): Just get out here, for heaven's sake!


   Ray had barely finished putting on his boots before he stepped outside his front door, anxious about what Tiberius was up in arms about, and dreading what he might see. Was Benstrike back from Frontier? Maybe his horse was dead, savagely attacked by an carnivorous animal that laid waste to his carcass? His thoughts were running a mile a minute, but after blocking out the powerful sun shining directly in his eyes, he saw why Tiberius had awakened him the way he did.
   
   In front of him stood eighteen people, six of the adults and the rest children of which the eldest looked about fifteen. Next to them were two wagons, each attached to two horses, no doubt their means of transportation. The wagons were something you would see out of the old Earthen western movies that were based on an ancient civilization called the United States and its wild western area. They had become popular in Haven after the Great War by the nomadic types because of the relative ease one could build one. They were used to protect the wanderers from dust storms, rain, and other weather inconveniences, and made quite the comfortable resting place as well.

   Looking at each other, one of the male adults finally stepped forward and began talking:

BH (Bartlett Homestead): Greetings. I'm Bartlett Homestead and this here is my family. That's my wife Francetta, my brother Vick and his wife Caroline, and my two sisters, Janice and Pristine. These here are my brother's children and my children.
RB (Confused): Howdy. How can we help ya, Bartlett? Tryin' to find your way somewhere?
BH (Drawing out a long sigh): Actually, we found it. We are where we set out to be.
RB (Getting annoyed): Listen fella, let's stop with the idle chatter and the obnoxious vagueness. What are you doin' here and what is it that you want?
BH (Tensely signals to Ray to calm down with his hands): Easy now, cowboy. We're not here to make any trouble - quite the opposite. We heard rumors back in Boulder about a new settlement set up by the Wildbank River, so we headed south and then east once we hit the river. We've been out in the wild for a few days now.
RB (Getting more agitated): You didn't answer my question. WHAT are you doing here and WHAT do you want?
BH (Pauses for a few seconds while looking straight at Ray): We're here because we want to start a new life, and I would be very grateful indeed if you let my family and I become your neighbors. You know it's a rough place out there in the Barrens and-.
RB (Interrupting Bartlett): Excuse me? For the love of God, can't I just be left in peace!?
TD (Chuckles silently, then leans over to Ray and whispers): You know you don't have a choice in the matter, right?
RB: What the hell do you mean?
TD: Even if you turn them away, they're just gonna settle somewhere close. They can't go back to Boulder - they know it, and you know it. Besides, we could use some neighbors. You're quite borin', you know. And truth be told, I wouldn't mind if Joelle and the kids would get some company of their own kind. Most importantly, Ray, we would have strength in numbers. You know Benstrike and his goons aren't gonna be quiet about what happened, but if we got them boys over there with us, he would think twice about startin' any type of attack.
RB (Grunting, then sighing): I know you're right, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Does the generator have enough capacity to power more households?
TD (Smiling): Yes, and I'll fidget around with its capacitor and see if I can give it more juice.
RB (Shaking his head): Too damn early in the morning for this crap. You talk to them. I'm going back to sleep. (Walks back into his house and slams the door.)
TD (Smiling, then whispers to himself): You got a good heart, Ray. (Looks up to Bartlett and his family, still smiling and speaks up.) Welcome.

May I leave only a WOW ?  ;D

Yup, I concur!  Wow, that is gorgeous!

Awesome Nedal! Well told and those pics are just jaw-dropping!

                     Your friend,
                                    Jordan :thumbsup:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FRespect%2Fbowing-036.gif&hash=f2df8e9e0dbd720321d8b023a49af9884f0c6753)

Ahhhhhh, thank you.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Marvelous! :satisfied: I think I need a cigarette that was so good...

The third pic needs to be in the HOF asap.

Lovely little rural enclave there by the sea can't wait for more!!

Will

Great read! As I (think I said :-[ ) before, I don't usually like reading... anything. But I love your story.

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Really nice and colorfull  &apls &apls
I like the way you use your flora items   ;)

Awesome, my friend!!!

I just read through your journal for the first time. Nesara is really good in terms of it's sc4 appeal.  But in terms of overall appeal, I vote for Haven.  This is amazing.  I personally am a huge fan of storytelling in MDs.  Yours is probably the best I've read.  I really cannot wait to hear more.  Please continue with this Haven story.  I know it is alot of work, but I think everyone really enjoys how good of a story you are writing.  So, the work Pays off!

Thanks so much for the replies :) Its very encouraging that people are reading the story and are interested in it. I will be honest, I had no idea how the reaction was going to be...I started it as a personal interest thing and decided to share it with you all. So its great that its gotten a good reception thus far :)

Ive been working on the next chapter as well as development around Cedar, hopefully I will get some updates on both going soon :)

Thank you guys for the amazing support!

"Vince! Sandra! Break-time is over! Get in here now!"



The two children looked up at Ray with sad eyes and let out long sighs, no doubt trying to get him to sympathize. He smiled, signaled towards their mother, and raised his eyebrows slightly.



"Your mother wants you, and you have to hit the books! Don't worry, I'll still be here when you're done."



   Joelle Driver, Tiberius' wife, had begun teaching the kids in their little village every day a few weeks back, educating them on the history of Haven and how it came to be, as well as important skills such as reading and writing. These days, it was a rare to find anyone with actual formal writing skills, and reading was almost a lost art. With fourteen children around, Joelle had made up her mind that this was going to be a fresh start in every aspect, and as much as the little ones moaned and groaned, the parents all agreed it would be a great idea to get them some basic education.


   Given her husband's wizardry with technology, Tiberius managed to pull up some e-books on his last trip to Boulder, using the primitive but working satellite feed just outside the town to link up with the stored archives of Haven, probably stored on a database on one of the thousands of satellites orbiting around the planet. They had records of Haven's history and happenings, as well as bits and parts of Earth's history, and with no centralized protection system against such hacking in place (presumably all were destroyed during the Great War), Tiberius had a field day, gathering all types of manufacturing recipes, technological information, and even farming methods for his good friend Ray. He was careful not to bring any attention to himself, however, only accessing the satellite feed connector at night, and only for the nights he was in town so he wouldn't start getting questioned for lingering. It was during one of those hacking sessions that Tiberius got the recipe on how to build his own solar energy tower, something that would stimulate thousands more EP (Energy Particles) than their beat-up generator. Automatic irrigation systems would be possible, powering motors would be easy...the possibilities would be endless with more EP at his disposal. Tiberius had already started on his project, but it would take a bit of time since he was the only one with the technical expertise to be able to build such a tower.


   Tiberius frequented Boulder because he could not go back to Frontier, and Bartlett and Vick Homestead would be shot on sight as traitors if they ever returned to that town. Instead, they did the opposite - they would head to Frontier, where no one knew who they were, to handle their trade and business. They had managed to capture the small herd of cattle (cows to be exact, whose origins on the planet, like horses, can be traced back to the original colonists who had brought the species with them), and were raising them. They were taking diary from them, and as soon as they were of a large enough herd to be able to handle losing a few of their healthier additions without stunting the growth of the herd, they were going to start selling the meat, too. Throw in a little fishing on the weekend, and the Homesteads were turning a nice, tidy profit every time they went into town.


   As for Ray, he had his apple farm, which was coming along quite well, thanks to a little help from Tiberius. He had taught him the secrets of manual irrigation, which really blossomed the trees. Before Tiberius had told him what to do, a lot of his trees would simply wither away despite a good amount of rain falling. That was a sad part of life on Haven - no matter how much it rained, the ground was simply incapable of supporting life, it seemed. The space missiles had obliterated the planet, and not even rain and sun could bring plants to grow back, at least in most places.


   While Tiberius would head to Boulder, and the Homesteads to Frontier, Ray would stay behind with the women and children as protection. He had no interest in going to either town - in fact, he was more than happy avoiding them all together. Once in a while, he would give a stock of fresh apples to either traveler, and they would come back having sold them all for a bit of currency, of which he would just place in his dresser and save up. It was a quiet sort of life; exactly the type of life he longed for.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




   Ray moaned - this was the third time this month the generator had died out and the power had gone off. Lucky it was still afternoon time and the sun was still out, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to see anything, let alone get to his front door. He stepped and looked towards the generator, waiting for Tiberius to get there from his home - this time, however, Tiberius had beaten him to the punch. He looked up at Ray, and signaled for Ray to come towards him.



Ray (Walking towards Tiberius): What went wrong this time? Overloaded again?
Tiberius (Smiling): Nope, I disconnected it.
R (Confused): Now why in the world would ya want to do that? Repair work? Didn't you just repair it two days ago?
T (Fidgeting with the generator): Cowboy, this here generator is never goin' to have to be turned on again. No more loud noises, no more break downs, no more expenses tryin' to keep this piece of junk running.
R (Silent for a few seconds, then smiles): You got your solar tower thing to work, didn't you?
T (Laughs): Well, we're about to find out! Come with me, ol' friend.



   Tiberius had been working on what he called an EP Solar Tower for the better part of the last three months, slowly constructing it from absolutely nothing. Given how much power Tiberius claimed it could give out, Ray expected it to be larger, much larger than what was currently in front of him. Still, he knew better than to question Tiberius on these sort of things. He had claimed to Ray that once his tower began working at full capacity, it could give out enough EP to power Frontier and Boulder combined, and more importantly, open up a lot of possibilities in terms of development for the little village. He had told him about something called automatic irrigation, some kind of method where water would be forced to flow through a small underground network powered by EP, directly to his apple farm. Ray didn't mind the idea of expanding his farm, or even growing a new one, maybe banana or wheat. He didn't have the man power, but with that automatic irrigation, he would not need it.


   Ray stood idly by Tiberius as he fidgeted, pulled, and plugged at what seemed like the central motherboard of the tower, down near its base. Finally, Tiberius got up and turned towards Ray.



T: You ready, cowboy?
R (Joking): How do I get ready? Is there some kind of ritual?
T (Noting to Ray that he had sensed his sarcasm): You'll be thankin' me soon enough.



   Tiberius pushed the lever protruding from the side of the tower up, and Ray turned and looked towards his house, then smiled. His light was on.





Note: I didnt realize until after I posted the 2nd picture that the gravel trial was missing. Dont know what caused that! Apologies, and I'll be careful next time :(

Very odd about the trail. Breathtaking nonetheless!  &apls

lol, that's funny :P

Awesome update, and great about the generator! Stunning pics, very beautiful!

                       Your friend,
                                      Jordan :thumbsup:

Another fantastic chapter my friend!

Robin  :thumbsup: &apls

Another great read!  Very odd that trail disappeared but it doesn't take away from beauty of the scene!

Wow... the chapter four is great, and the pictures are awesome, my friend!!!  Fantastic update!!!

Awesome update looks like absolute heaven to live there

Will

Another Great Chapter!  I am loving this Story!  Can't wait to see how they use this generator . . .

   The sun was beating down so intensely the world around had a yellowish hue, scorching the soil and making it nearly unbearable to be outside during day hours. It did not make taking care of the farm easy for Ray, and the sweat was falling off his forehead so fast he could not keep them out of his eyes, so on top of all the heat, he had a stinging sensation to deal with. Still, it was rewarding, especially now that he had begun developing his new wheat farm, thanks to the new automatic irrigation system Tiberius helped set up for him. It was not complete, but it was getting there.


   He looked up, squinting his eyes in the distance, trying to make out what the murmuring sound he had just heard was. It was the Homestead men, Bartlett and Vick, who had been gone on a trip to Frontier. He put down his utensils and headed towards the edge of the farm, waiting for them to come back with the currency from his apple load. It was a good set up - every time they headed to town, he would give them as many apples as he could gather, and they would sell it as a favor to the man that had founded this little piece of heaven. As they approached, Ray greeted them with a wave, of which they replied back in the same form. They were using a new motor they had acquired from their last trip to Frontier, and Tiberius had done one heck of a job juicing it up. As they reached Ray, they slowed down, and Vick jumped out of the car - instead of currency, however, he had the batch of apples that Ray had given him.





Ray (Disappointed): No buyers this time? Guess people sick of apples.

Vick (Shaking his head): It's not that, Ray. People want the apples, but Benstrike turned us back.

R (Surprised and agitated): What?

Bartlett: Yep. He confronted us just as we stepped into town.

R: You didn't pay the tax?

B: We've been payin' his tax and then some, but he said that we were corruptin' his townfolk or somethin', talking about how if we show our faces in Frontier again, he'll make sure they'll have bullet holes in them.

R (Confused): Wait, so he knows who you guys are? That you live here with us?

V: Na, he just accused of spoilin' the people of Frontier with our fresh meat, fish, and fruit, and said he didn't want us trading in his town again, and then went on to threaten us for about 5 minutes.

R (Dejected): Guess he doesn't want the people to have their eyes opened to the possibilities this world has to offer.

B (Looking at Vick, then smiles at Ray): Well, we don't have to worry about that. On our way out of town, a man rode up to us, and said they were interested in buyin' from us no matter where we were. So...we told them they can start comin' down here.

R (Shocked): You did WHAT?!

V: Hold on now, cowboy. People are hearin' about us and this set up we got goin' here regardless. Hell, that's how we got here! And if Boulder is anything like Frontier, I can only presume that most of that place knows about us there, too.

R (In disbelief, blinded by anger): You have no right! I accepted you here as GUESTS, and now you're treatin' this land like you own it! I swear on my unborn children...I can't even think right now. GET OUT OF MY FACE!

B (Hesitant): Ray, listen to me. There is no way we can support ourselves or our families without trade and currency, you know that. We might have the necessities, but that's all we have. And we're not gonna sit by and let you be a busboy for our products, tryin' to sell them in Boulder.

V: He's right, Ray. Whether you like it or not, word about this place is out. And all this travelin' up and down to Frontier is not only costly, it is dangerous. The Barrens are filled with outlaws, you know that.

R (Grabs Vick by the neck): I'm only going to say this once. Leave.



------------------------------------------------------------------------



The sound that rang out, followed by another, louder version, was unmistakable. Fearing the worst, Tiberius grabbed his Hardon shotgun and ran out, instructing his wife Joelle to hide herself and the kids. Expecting to find a pool of blood with someone lying in the middle of it, his heart was beating at what seemed like a thousand per minute. He opened the door with his weapon pointed to whatever was going to be in front of him, but he there was nothing but the warm sun beating down upon the green grass. He looked towards Ray Black's house to his left, but there was also nothing. Just when he thought that it was starting to look like a false alarm, he heard shouting coming from Ray's farm, behind his home.

Running as quick as he could, Tiberius found Ray with his gun pointed to the air and the two Homestead brothers, Bartlett and Vick, cowering in front him, pleading for him to calm down.





Tiberius (panting): Ray! What the hell are you doing!?

Ray (Angry): I told you I didn't want these fools here!

Tiberius: What happened? And for God's sake, put your gun down!

Ray (Aims his gun towards the brothers): They've just come in from Frontier, where they have conveniently told everyone there about our settlement here.

Tiberius (Confused): What?....Why would you do that?

Bartlett Homestead (Struck by fear): It's not like that! Tiberius, you have a family, and you know you have to provide at any cost. We were kicked out of Frontier by Benstrike, so we figured instead of travellin' to sell our goods, people could just start comin' here. It'll save us the trouble and we could potentially be makin' alot more currency.

Tiberius (Shaking his head and frowning): That was a very stupid thing you've done, Bartlett. (Looks at Ray.) Put your gun down, cowboy. (Looks back Bartlett.) I don't know what to tell you, Homestead. We accepted you and your family here because you said you had no hope anywhere else, and now you've gone ahead and ruined it for all of us.

Ray (Pointing at Vick and Bartlett): Get out of here. Leave. When whoever it is comes lookin' for you, we'll send them away.

Tiberius: Hold on, cowboy. Let's think about this. No matter what kind of punishment you inflict on them, they did what they did. Instead of sending them away, let's see how we can make use of this situation.

Ray (Looking angrily at Tiberius): Nothing positive is going to come from this. I'd rather take my chances and hopefully people will stop coming when they realize there's nothing here for them since those two idiots are gone.

Bartlett: Ray...Tiberius...what can we do? We didn't think you guys were this protective over this place. We actually thought you would be happy at the convenience. We were wrong, and we'd do whatever it takes to make it up to you.

Tiberius (Thinking): Tell you what, I think I've come up with something.

Ray (Interrupting): No! Whatever it is, NO!

Tiberius (Signaling at Ray to calm down): Just hear me out, cowboy. This irrigation system of yours, it's not going to come cheap, and neither is its maintenance. You need resources in order to keep your farms going. At the rate you're going, you're not shipping out enough of your fruits and wheat to be able to keep up.

Ray (Starting to listen, but still furious): I don't want their money!

Tiberius: Hold on and let me finish! I'm not talkin' about some lousy one time payment. This here is your land, and you've been gracious enough to let us live on it, so everything built on it belongs to you. This is what I propose...the Homesteads' here build a store, through their own currency and materials, to use as their base of operation and sales. Now, even though they've built it through their own currency and expense, the store will belong to you, cowboy, and they're going to pay you rent accordingly. On top of that, you'll get to sell your products at your own prices with no income to them whatsoever inside the store.

Bartlett: So we build the store, with our own currency, for him...and then we pay him rent on it. He also gets space in the store to sell his products, which we will be selling for him, at no additional income or profit to us.

Tiberius: Yes, and in return, he'll allow you to stay in your new homes.

Bartlett (Looking over at his brother Vick, then slowly nodding): If the cowboy can agree and forgive us, we accept.

Tiberius (Looking over at Ray): What do you say, Ray?

Ray (Throwing his arms up in the air): Bah! Whatever. But let's get one thing straight, either one of you pull a stunt like that again, I'll escort you off this land myself. And arm yourselves. Mo' money, mo' problems. ( ;) )

Yah, another great chapter.  One might think you are a writer in RL, if you are not, I suggest you try to get this story to someone that can publish it.  I love it!!!

Robin  :thumbsup:

Shopping in Cedar


As Cedar surpasses 100,000 residents, it has become quite the bustling little city, and although the manufacturing sector of the city maintains its position as the city's number one earner, the retail sector has grown and expanded very quickly. In the past two years alone, a staggering growth of 56% in consumer spending has been recorded, directly linked the equally impressive growth rate in the city's population.

Shopping in Cedar has become more than just going through antiques and groceries at mom and pop stores - today, the city features several large scale options made to satisfy even the most insatiable shopper. Let us take a closer look together.


COUNTRY ROAD
Country Road, until recently, was known as the central and business district of Cedar, filled with small stores filled with all types of consumer goods. Separating the industrial northern part of Cedar from the residential southern part, it was also the middle of the city, geographically. People on their way to work would stop for breakfast, and people on the way back would pass by to pick up some groceries or the like. Not only was it the shopping district, but also the heart of the city politically and financially, with the Nesara Council's original building situated on the corner of Country Road and Intersection Street, as well as, at the time, the only branch of the Bank of Nesara.

Today, while Country Road no longer is the political or financial center of the city (or geographical, for that matter) it still maintains its small city main street feel. All the mom and pop stores are still there, as well as cafes, restaurants, and bars. The originality of the short stretch of road has also been maintained, and although Cedar is quickly becoming a metropolitan area in its own right, a walk through Country Road will have you reminded of a quieter time, when Cedar was a growing yet quaint town. Bargains are available in plenty of the small outlets, and certain items, such as antiques, cannot be found anywhere else in the city.





IKEA
Ikea, the Swedish manufacturers of furniture and other household products, did not become a retail empire just by sitting idly and waiting for opportunities to come to it. They have identified Cedar as one of the prime up and coming markets, and have such opened their own branch of the famous furniture store on Washington Avenue, right next to the Home Depot.

The two storey building is comprised of almost 20,000 square meters of showroom space, and the initial investment of the acquisition of land and construction of the building was put at around  $3 million. Their first year sales were promising at almost $19 million, and their second year sales have so far surpassed that of the previous. Initially, there was skepticism at their investment, and some analyst predicted that Ikea would have trouble recouping what they put in, but all that has faded, even leading to the company suggesting that they would be first in line to build another branch to keep up with the growth rate of the city.



HOME DEPOT
Owned by the MasterStore Corporation, a Nesaran company made up of a conglomerate of owners, the Home Depot Superstore represents the first venture of the multi-million dollar company. One of the first buildings to be constructed on Washington Avenue, it is situated just across the road from the Bank of Nesara building and is also next to Ikea.

The initial capital put into the construction of Home Depot was $5 million, and it has since become the largest and most successful retail company in Nesara, combing in $26 million last year. The superstore takes its inspiration from Wal-Mart, featuring almost every type of consumer product and putting them in one roof over nearly 15,000 square meters of showroom space.

MasterStore Corp. is currently looking to further invest in the retail sector in Nesara, and have been rumored to be looking into opening a clothing superstore, although those have neither been confirmed or denied by their PR representative. What is confirmed, however, is that the company has recently bought a piece of land opposite the Cedar Mall and have released a statement saying that it will break ground on its new headquarters early next year on it.





KORRA CERAMICS
Owned by Kimberley Korra, the retail outlet of Korra Ceramics on Washington Avenue is a showcase for the two factories the company currently operates in northern Cedar - the Korra Ceramics sanitary factory and the Korra Ceramics tile factory. The company is generally considered to be one of the most successful Nesaran owned, having started out in the manufacturing sector before expanding into retail to take advantage of the growing Nesaran market.

In terms of only retail sales, Korra Ceramics sold just under $15 million last year from its showroom, which occupies almost all the first floor of the Korra Building next to the Bank of Nesara. When it comes to all types of sanitary and bathroom related ceramic products (W/Cs, basins, bath-tubs, jacuzzis, etc.), as well as all types of tiles both for indoor and outdoor use, Korra Ceramics has pretty much a monopoly on the local market due to lack of competition.



DEBENHAMS
The famous English retailer became the first major international company in the sector to open its doors for business in Nesara when it began operations early this year. So far, the feedback has been positive - the Nesara Debenhams administration has stated that it has been thoroughly impressed by Cedar's purchasing power.

Although some minor setbacks had to be overcome after intense negotiations between the company the Nesara Council about the price of the land on Washington Avenue, they agreed and groundbreaking began two years ago. The building itself is owned by Debenhams, but they do have the last two floors available for rent for other private companies and offices.





CEDAR MALL
The crown jewel in Nesara shopping, the Cedar Mall opened up for business just a few short months ago, having been three years in the making. It is by far the largest project undertaken by Nesaran real estate developer Haiden Construction Co., who have thrown all their weight behind this successful project.

The mall, which can be found on the intersection of Washington Avenue and Beltam Road, is on the edge of Cedar, situated at its south-western corner. The planned residential and commercial development around the mall will make the area unrecognizable in five years, but currently it is surrounded by forests.

After an investment of almost $35 million, Haiden Construction have now started reaping the benefits of the mall's rentals, and with anchor stores such as Sears and JC Penney, it has proven to be a resounding success.

Fantastic, really another great update!!! Nesara is a nice place!!!   :thumbsup:

Glad the historic downtown is escaping the axe of development, it's far too aesthetically pleasing to tear down! 

The city is growing very nicely, it still looks great!

Awesome update. The mall was a surprise. Can't wait to see the development around it. Mehbe small storefronts.

,marsh :thumbsup:

Excellent update  &apls   The storyline, while a little long, was definitely worth my time to read and held a large amount of interesting and realistic information. I'm glad the downtown area is continuing to thrive (such is not always the case when new big-box stores open on the edge of cities) and the mall looks great!

Very interesting update Nedal. Each of those shopping malls are looking really nice in the way you used them. I see Nesera is growing fast, already 98.000 habs, almost 100.000, it goes fast !

Looking forward to more,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

The mall looks great. I haven't found a suitable spot to place this monster, yet. ;)

Looks awesome Nedal! Love the mall, it's a great BAT ;D

            Your friend,
                           Jordan :thumbsup:

Very curious to see where you go with the area around the mall. The rest is, as usual, awesome.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Sorry I haven't gotten around to personal replies a long time, but the truth is Im still so very busy with the wedding (which I had to delay) and moving into the new house, etc. I did manage to put together an update for the story - Special thanks goes out to Marsh for sending me the ploppable slums...they're great!







Tiberius: What's that you got there, cowboy?

Ray (Fidgeting with some currency): Hey Tiberius...Listen, I want you to connect with them Janneh City folks. I'm buying up all the land surrounding my piece of property.

Tiberius (Surprised): Wow. Didn't think you wanted anything to do with them after what we saw in Boulder.

Ray: I ain't stupid, Tiberius. All these small settlements...they don't have a chance when those Janneh City boys finally get their act together and start rolling out the cavalry, claiming these lawless lands. They will, and they won't be nice about it...that Drake, he doesn't play nice.

Tiberius (Bit confused, but nods): I don't know about all that, but alright, cowboy. I'll set up the link. You got the fees? I assume they're going to ask for the same as last time.

Ray (Hands over the currency): It's all there.



-----------------------------------------------



   Ever since the Homesteads' opened up their store, the movement into the small settlement had begun steadily increasing, almost to the point where they would be someone coming from out of town nearly every day. Most of the travelers were from Frontier and Boulder, but every now and then, someone from a more distant town would show up. Tiberius had given some of the more frequent visitors from both Boulder and Frontier satellite com-devices, so every time they wanted to come down to Wildbank, they would let him know and he would tell them what to bring with them for trade.


   Wildbank: that is what they were calling the small settlement full of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and whatever Tiberius was creating. Ray had bought all the adjacent lands around his original plot, and even though he had offered Tiberius to go half, he had respectfully declined. Ray was spending all his currency on fees for all the land he was buying, but secretly, Tiberius felt he was just throwing it away. The only way to mark you territory these days was with a gun and some ammunition - he could not ever visualize a day where there would be an operating central government.


   Ray, however, thought otherwise. All these little settlements scattered across Haven were almost a carbon copy of each other; each run by a small time crook who had a few henchmen around him to scare the local population into submitting. In other words, not exactly fearful armies. Hans Drake, however, controlled the largest and most prosperous city in all of Haven - one which had a population in the millions and most of the Haven Republic's wealth. He was a greedy son of a bitch, and Ray was certain was already fantasizing about seizing and controlling power over Haven once more. He was not a young man, which gave him all the more reason to do things quicker, before his eventual death. He had no doubt in his mind that Drake was amassing an army to start rolling out of Janneh City and begin "reclaiming" the land belonging to the Haven Republic. When they do come, Ray would have all his legal documents in order - land officially signed off to him by Republic officials themselves.


   While Ray was the owner of all the land that comprised of Wildbank and its immediate surroundings, Tiberius was the unofficial acting mayor. He had already allowed, with Ray's approval of course, for a few families to settle on the outskirts, and organized paid labor for the heads of the households on Ray's farms. Given Ray's fondness for keeping things legal with the Republic, he got Ray business licenses for his farming and fishing activities - Ray Food Co. and Ray Fisheries Co.  He had quite a few people working for him on the farms and fishing in the river, and Ray insisted they all get official employment contracts notarized by Republic officials.


   It was not only Wildbank that was developing, however - news out of Frontier and Boulder suggested more trade activity than ever before. It seemed for the first time since the end of the Great War, people were venturing outside their habitats and exploring their surroundings. Currency was being exchanged at a greater rate, re-discoveries were more common, and lots of the olden machineries and equipment was being fixed to work again. In Frontier, for example, Benstrike had fixed up a primitive cement mixer and was constructing a new town hall using the product. Not only that, but he was selling it at a premium to outside traders who were interested in the product. It seemed, finally, the human race on Haven was ready to put the hardships of the last 30 years behind them and begin the process of rebuilding.


   Ray both embraced and feared this thought - with rebuilding would come a better life for people if done right, but if corruption and greed were to take hold, it would only mean oppression. It was a scary thought, and although Ray would not publicly speak it, he felt the whole process was going to come a lot faster than anyone would ever expect, and given Hans Drake's character, there would be a lot of the latter going on.

Interesting stuff... I wonder whether the new developments will continue to bring prosperity or if corruption and oppression will take hold. Nice photos, I especially like the last one with the beautiful water and sun.

Another nice read.  :) Cool to see those buildings being used too.  :P

,marsh

Yeah..., nice again my friend!!!  :thumbsup:



Happy new year!!!

  Happy New Year and all the best in the coming year.
As always, I loved the story and I look forward to the next chapter!

Robin  :thumbsup:

So beautiful Nedal! I love the way you've done the coast!

Sounds like Drake is a character to watch out for....

               Your friend,
                              Jordan :thumbsup:

Hi guys! Just a quick post to remind everyone not no, this MD is not dead!

My wedding is in 4 days exactly, so been caught up with that :) And then the honeymoon afterwards, so should be back and running by end of Feb!

Great news! (x's 2 :P)

I wish you the best of luck.  :thumbsup:

,marsh

 You take care of the wedding and enjoy your honeymoon first, we'll see you when you get back.  I wish you and your wife all the best!!
Take care,
Robin  :thumbsup:

Congratulations!  Enjoy your wedding and honeymoon!  We'll see you when you get back!

Thanks guys for the wishes :)

Currently in New York enjoying a great city and having a great honeymoon! Update should be resuming in the next couple of weeks :)

Good to hear from you and I'm glad you are your wife are having a great time in New York.  But I can't help being anxious for the next chapter. ;)

Robin

Hey! Just to prove this MD isn't dead and very much alive, Im posting a teaser pic of Cedar! As you can see, I managed to actually play a little bit during the honeymoon (which is now over :( ) Anyway, a full update on the going ons of Nesara should be up soon, followed by another of Haven :)

Very nice teaser there Nedal, I love this big commercial centre there. Also the dirt land area looks nice. Can't wait to see more of this suburb.
Also I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon.  :)

Take care,
-Arthur. :thumbsup:

Nice looking city. :thumbsup:

Awesome Nedal! Cedar just keeps on getting bigger and bigger ;D I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon!

                Your friend,
                               Jordan :thumbsup:

It's great to see here a new picture, nedalezz!
And it's a nice one!
Looking forward to the update... ;)

Cool teaser Nedal. The layout looks very realistic...sprawling suburbia. Oh, and congrats on all your fun times lately. I'm getting ready to make the leap into marriage myself!

Welcome back. I hope you had a great honeymoon.  :)

Great teaser my friend it will be great to see this MD as a regular again. Hope you had a great honeymoon!!

Will

Great see you here again!!! Another fantastic update my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

Tomas Neto: Thanks my friend, its great to see you commenting again :)
penguin007: It was an INCREDIBLE honeymoon. I love New York :) This MD will definitely become a regular again!
RickD: Thanks! Yeah, it was amazing!
cubby420:Marriage is one of the best things you can do in life - from my experience at least :) Thats what I was going for - very Americana, very suburban.
bat: Although its not a full story update, I hope this will satisfy for now :) Thanks for commenting!
canyonjumper: Cedar is closing in on 150,000 residents! It should hit it very soon :) Thanks!
nbvc: Thank you, hope to see you around here often :)
art128: The dirt lands are owned but undeveloped lots, although slowly but surely all of them will get developed :) Downtown Cedar has stayed relatively the same over the years since its development - now the hotspot is the development around the mall :)
Battlecat, rooker1, marsh: Thank you so much for the well wishes :) Its really a pleasure having you guys comment here :)

The development looks great, and I really like that park!   ;)

Glad you enjoyed the honeymoon!! The last two mini-updates look great. The extra parking lots and green spaces surrounding that LBT mall make it look just amazing--probably the best SC4 mall I've ever seen.

The Nesara Property Authority released its annual market report today, and announced it expected Nesaran real estate prices to continue to grow into the next few years, bucking trends around the country which have seen a decline in prices. The NPA report stated that property prices in and around Cedar increased an average of 23% over the past year, despite the release of large patches of land for sale to the general public in western and southeastern Cedar over the same time period.

The increase was the result of high migration numbers into the city, claimed the report, and with the continued growth rate of the population expected to continue in the short term, the NPA report suggested that there will be a further increase of 15-20% in property prices in the coming year.

Currently, the price for a sq. meter outside of the downtown area runs at about $1,000, although that is expected to be at least $1,150 by the end of the year. Washington Avenue plots, however, can command up to $2,000 per sq. meter, especially ones that are close to the downtown area and the Cedar Mall.

The NPA maintained, after the release of the report, that it wanted to regulate the increase in prices as to keep things affordable for the regular citizen, but there has been no word from the Nesara Council as to how they would go about doing that. Recent NPA elections had the general public vote in Gareth Williams, a close ally of James Brooks, whose administration (which is the overwhelming majority in the Nesara Council), favors heavy governmental involvement and regulations. His defeated opponent, Bakreh Rohan, stated in a speech that any form of regulation on the property market would be outrageous, stated that the Nesara Council, "might as well fly a red Soviet Union flag seeing as they seem so intent on becoming a communist state in a free country."

In other development news, the NPA's recent release of land north of the Cedar Mall has proven to be an epic success, with commercial land along Washington Avenue already all bought and paid for, as well as most plots off of Washington Avenue and Beltam Road. The entire area is under massive construction, and the Nesara Council is doing its part to help keep the area beautified with trees and clean roads as projects start becoming complete.













The Nesara Natural Resources Commission announced its intention to begin development on a reported $30 million mining facility in eastern Nesara in order to dig up gold from a large deposit sitting at the edge of Mount Carrison. The NNRC also announced it will be contracting up to 4 private firms to develop and operate the mine, dubbed the Carrison Mine, although details on any such deals were not released. The announcement came just a few days after the Nesara Council confirmed that there were several large deposits of gold and copper deposits in the eastern Nesara mountain range, of which Mt. Carrison is the third highest peak at 3,243 meters.

The Carrison Mine will be the first of several reportedly planned by the Nesara Council for development in the next few years as it looks to take advantage of the natural resources at its disposal in order to help develop the state. In addition to the $30 million that will be invested in the mine by foreign companies, an expected $50 million will come into the state in foreign investments over the same time span as a direct result of the development of the Carrison Mine.

Recently, representatives of AmakaGold flew in  to Cedar as guests of the Nesara Council, with eyes towards helping develop the Carrison Mine before the announcement came. It has been a well-known fact that the council has been looking for the right partners, and have reportedly released statements to several dignitaries around the country and the world advertising its plans for development.

(To anyone who has an MD and is interested in being part of the mine development, whisper me and lets make a deal!)










Word around town is that the NPA is planning on releasing plots for sale along the Ravine River south of Cedar. Although there was no official comment for the NPA offices, sources state that the new plots will be available for sale in an auction form in the coming months.

The Ravine River is currently a popular weekend spot, as many people head there for some camping and fishing. Its source is in eastern Nesara, and it flows directly into the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is expected that any plots along the river would be heavily regulated, presumably only for residential use.

Recent plans by the Nesara Department of Transportation revealed blueprints for a bridge to be built that would connect Intersection Street to the other side of the Ravine River, leading to assumptions that land south of the river will soon be put up for sale and development by the NPA. An NDT spokesperson stated that while the department would not deny or confirm these reported plans, he did suggest that development was only natural and sooner or later, the demand for property around the Ravine River would have to be satisfied.










Named after the designer of the residential park, James Hemway, the park that is situated in the residential neighborhood of Treelane just east of the Cedar Mall has been opened to the public. With a fountain and several beautification pools in the middle, along with rolling green grass on the sides, the park featured 4 walkways from each direction, and each leading to the Hemway fountain in the middle. The Hemway Park is the first such project introduced by the Nesara Council in order to keep its residential neighborhoods green and spacious.








I will leave you with a couple of shots of downtown Cedar at night! Enjoy!

Lovely update! I'm glad the local economy is doing well and the new development is looking great. The residential development near the mall, park, and night shots all turned out really nice.

Nice update. I like the night shots

Great update. In my opinion a healthy city needs all classes of people, not only the rich. The not so fortunate need a place to live, too. But in reality the poor people always have to make room for the rich people. Like in Manhattan for example.

I am wondering when the big box store in the center will have to make room for an office highrise. Looks like prime real estate to me.

Nice couple of updates, you've got there.....

Nice update
And what a big crowd near the construction lots

 The last few updates are great.  Your night pics always impress me.
When will we be getting the next chapter.....I'm not being pushy, I'm just anxious. ;)

Robin  :thumbsup:

Great to see you're back!  Fantastic work as always.  That's quite the housing boom you're looking at there!

Wow..., awesome updates my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

Construction explosion!   :D  Those night shots are great!

 


Ray looked over at his time-piece: 5:14 AM. He groaned loudly and placed his pillow over his head, hoping to drown the sound of the Homesteads' rooster beckoning the arrival of the morning sun. Their latest business plan was herding chickens for their eggs and meat, but given how loud their rooster was, Ray wished they would all perish, even if it meant no more of their delicious cooked chicken meat.

Seconds after the rooster started crowing, the Homesteads' guard dogs, the ones which watched over their hens, began barking loudly. The rooster racketing was normal – the dogs barking, however, was an oddity. Ray didn't waste any time jumping out of bed, and barely a minute had gone by when he stepped out of his front door, ballistic automatic weapon in hand. Instinctively, he looked towards Tiberius' home, and as expected, he was there, having taken the same steps as Ray. They both started running towards the Homesteads' land, fearing the worst. Had they been attacked? Did some of the laborers turn on their employers in hopes of making out with some currency or livestock and running? Tiberius and Ray did their best trying to run this small settlement they had, keeping everyone safe and sound, but there was no telling what these relative strangers were thinking.

The dogs, however, were not barking at someone trying to steal some livestock – it was at sight of a slow rising dust in the distant. As they got closer to the outskirts of the settlement, it became visible to Ray and Tiberius, and there was no mistaking it – it was people, in a relatively large number, making their way to Wildbank. They were too far to make out, but the worst was already assumed; someone was coming in to attack the village. Tiberius had already contacted through the communication device the heads of almost all the household, and had told them to bring their weapons.

As the men gathered around Tiberius and Ray, the intruders were also getting closer. Ray estimated around 50 to 60 people approaching them, an army much larger than the ones defending the settlement. Well equipped, yes, but outnumbered by almost three to one. Tiberius had assumed they were riding on motorized vehicles, but after realizing the pace of their approach was too slow to be on motors, it was decided they were riding on horses, or perhaps bivans, stronger and faster indigenous animals that had six legs and were utilized much of the same way as their Earthen cousins. More concerning to the two, however, was what kind of weapons the intruders might be carrying. Tiberius had done a very good job of organizing and amassing solid and strong weaponry for exactly these types of events, but there was no telling if the enemies they were facing were going to be any less capable. Nerves were rattled, sweat was breaking, and the anxiousness was barely contained.

On Ray's orders, the men took positions inside buildings, near trees, and behind large rocks, anticipating the attack and ready to fire the first hit. Their aims were locked directly on to the intruders, and at a single command, they would open fire. From the looks of it, they would commit a massacre, too. The intruders did not look like they had a single defensive unit around them, and this was starting to make Tiberius think. Who would attack any position head on without anything to take cover behind? It did not seem logical or right. Ray, however, overcome with rage at the mere idea of anyone coming in to take over his bastion of peace, was not willing to second guess their initial assumption. He had given the order for the men to take direct aim at them, and everyone was locked and loaded, waiting for the enemy to get close enough before unloading a barrage of bullets and rockets onto them. Shoot first, ask questions later. If they got close enough to return fire, their sheer number would overpower them, and Ray was not about to let that happen. His hand was raised, ready to be dropped and signal for the rest of the men to start shooting when he heard a scream from his side.



"STOP! DO NOT SHOOT! They have children!"

   

It was Tiberius. Ray looked to his right, and sure enough, Tiberius was signaling for the rest of them to stand down, running towards him.




Ray Black: Children? Are you sure?

Tiberius Driver: Yes, look for yourself. That isn't some invading force, cowboy. Those look like refugees. And look close, too. They're either carrying dead bodies or that's their wounded. Somethin' happened to them, cowboy.





Below is a picture of Wildbank and the desert area around it.

Thank you, thank you. &apls
A bivan, interesting and it has six legs.  Where do they come from?  Genetically altered?  You have a great imagination my friend.
Great work again.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Sorry for not having time to comment. Wonderful work as always. A lot of development going on in Nesara. :)

And it seems as if Wildbank is growing fast. You might want to search for buildings by "onlyplace4" on the STEX. He has some good ones that could fit in very nicely. (The STEX search is messed up, so you should search "wild west". I hope that can help.  :)

,marsh

I have had a few sneak peaks here the last weeks and I always enjoy visiting Cedar to follow its development.
The town is still booming which is obvious to see from the different images taken from Cedar.
Great work and very entertaining.

While I'm working on the next set of updates, I would like to show you Cedar through the ages, from when it first started to what it was just recently :) Almost to the Classics! Enjoy!

Very nice!!! It's cool to see the development through the ages!!!

See you in the Classics!!!  :thumbsup:

Fascinating update to see the evolution of the city! And I'll give you an advance congratulations on hitting 500 replies!

This is just a fantastic MD.  Cedar always feels so natural in it progression, like watching a real town grow.  Keep up the good work and it will be great to see you in the classics!

Nooo! I wanted to push him over :P Ah well, Congrats Nedal on making it to the Classics! It's well deserved ;D

Interesting story, I'm curious, like Robin, to know the origins of the Bivan.

               Your friend,
                              Jordan :thumbsup:

Those developement pictures are fantastic! Very cool update.

 Well, well, well.  I did want to be the one that made the 500th post but it seems that I have missed that chance.
It really does give me great pleasuret o move one of my favourite MDs to the next level....The Classic section.  Congrats my friend. &apls  Here's to another 500 posts.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Welcome to the classics section nedalezz! You definitely deserve it here! 500 comments already. I can't wait to see what awaits in Nesara as well as Haven in the times to come. :)


,marsh

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all that have supported and commented on my MD since its inception. I know Ive had some bad luck with my previous ones, but I can honestly say the desire to continue to update and grow Cedar and Haven is just as strong as ever :)

Again, a huge THANK YOU, and as Robin said, here's to another 500!

Welcome to the Classics, my friend!!!   &apls &apls

Congrats on making it to the Classics section and fantastic set of pictures in the last update :thumbsup: &apls

Wow, just a fascinating update! Beautiful overview shots and the city's growth over time seems so realistic. I think this is my favorite update of yours!

Fantastic updates there! All the areas are beautiful! :thumbsup:
The desert looks really nice. And congrats on making it to the Classics! &apls &apls

Looking forward to more great pictures... ;)

War had come. Just when things were starting to get better, and hope was starting to revive in the human spirit all around Haven. Just when the planet itself had begun to show signs of healing from the atrocities committed on it by the Great War. And just when a shattered world was beginning to revitalize its economy and inventive spirit, war had come.


Perhaps the last point was the most crucial – power hungry throwbacks from a prosperous era now seeing an opportunity to regain the wealth they had lost. As Ray sat listening intently to the refugees, his mind drifted back to when he first saw the live feed of Hans Drake, "President" of the Haven Republic, in Boulder and how he hoped it would not come to this. He knew sooner or later he would roll his armies out of Janneh City and into the wilds of Haven to reclaim what he believed was rightfully he his. Sure, he did it in the name of the Haven Republic, but he knew the truth. It was for him, for his greed, and perhaps most importantly, for his sons.


He had 2 of them, Hans Drake the Second, and William Drake, the younger of the two. Hans Drake II was the next in line for the Presidency while William was known more to handle the financial aspect of things. Janneh City was under their tight control – nothing entered or left Haven's largest city without their knowledge, and from what Ray had heard, you could not so much as earn a single currency with a cut of it going to the Drakes. Obviously, their greed was not being satisfied in the capital city, where financial institutes used to be plenty but resources are scarce, and these days, currency was in the raw resources, the basics.


Ray's mind continued to drift until he heard something from the man speaking on behalf of the refugees that immediately caught his attention. He spoke up.




Ray Black: What did you say?

Brent Jinso (Man speaking on behalf of the refugees): We were caught in the crossfire between Drake's forces...and the Eartheners.

Ray Black: You have to be mistaken. The Eartheners decimated this planet and left.

Brent Jinso (shaking his head): Ain't no mistaken them, sir. They flew in with their jets and bombed the living hell out of Drake's forces...and we were caught in the middle.

Tiberius Driver (intrigued and shocked): Where did you say you folks came from again?

Brent Jinso: A city called Port Serene, on the coast about four days ride northwest of here. Drake's forces rolled up from the south just a few hours before the Eartheners attacked from the north.

Ray Black: What were they after? Why Port Serene?

Brent Jinso: A few months ago, a man claiming to be a scientist uncovered large reserves of Tilkan gas all around the city, and even on the islands just of the coast. He had come in with a team from Janneh City, and they left just a few days before the Haven Republic troops came in.

Tiberius Driver (confused): I thought it was announced that all traces of Tilkan gas was evaporated during the Great War. This is incredible.

Brent Jinso (sighing): Not for us. Port Serene was relatively large city...I'd say we numbered about hundred, maybe two hundred thousand people. After we were caught in the crossfire, everyone evacuated, but most didn't make it. We've been on the road for a few days now, carrying our injured. About half of our wounded have perished, and none of the towns we passed through would receive. The last town we were in, Boulder I believe, there was an old innkeeper who told me that there was a settlement to the southeast that was a sanctuary to all refugees. And that's how we've ended up here.

Tiberius (looking at Ray, nodding back as Ray nods at him): You and your people are welcome here. We'll attend to the injured and help who we can.




It was happening all over again. The Great War, at its core, was fought over resources; the Haven Republic, led by Mercen Stormwind, father of the rebellion, fighting for its freedom while the Eartheners fighting to keep hold of the incredibly valuable resources. The end result was nothing for neither – no freedom and no resources. This time, however, the two sides were fighting to reclaim land they believe was rightfully theirs. It was like they were both waiting for the planet to heal before planning their next move, and they both struck at the same time. It was obvious the Haven Republic was capturing land, and it was also obvious that the Eartheners had their eyes fixed on Haven the entire time, and the two were set for a head on collision of epic proportions.






Bivan: The bivan is an indigenous animal of Haven, featuring two front legs and four powerful back legs. It is about thirty percent larger than a horse, and is utilized in much of the same way – for transport and heavy duty labor. It is a plan eater and a generally calm animal, even wild bivans, which made them ideal for early human colonists. They can travel at speeds of about sixty kilometers per hour for reasonably long distances. They mate once a year, and the female bivan is typically pregnant for about six months, commonly birthing one child per pregnancy. They tend to live for about twenty to thirty years, although they become very weak in the last few years of their lives. The bivan is not genetically modified in any way, and cannot breed with horses or other similar earthen animals.

Tilkan Gas: Tilkan gas was discovered by scientists on Haven roughly twenty years before the actual colonization by humans of the planet. It is a light gas that packs a very heavy punch, and it is used the same way that oil and natural gas are used on Earth. Although it is called a gas, its natural form is a very light, cream colored, liquid that still holds all its strength when evaporated to a certain level, although it loses all form of itself if it surpasses that said level. A barrel of Tilkan gas is equal to the same consumption of roughly 14 barrels of earthen oil, and omits almost untraceable amounts of pollution upon use. It is the primary reason Haven was colonized, and also the primary reason the Eartheners would not give the Haven Republic control over the planet.


This rounds up Episode One! From the next update on, it will be Episode Two – it will be based roughly three years after the latest update. After Marsh's recommendation (Thanks!) took me to the BATs I was looking for, I decided to change up the look of Wildbank. I also worked a little bit on the river and the surrounding desert. I will leave you with a few pictures of the new Wildbank River, and when the next update comes around, you will see the new Wildbank town! Enjoy and thanks!

Very nice update again!!! Good work!!!

Fan-freakin-tastic. &apls

Robin  :thumbsup:

That looks amazing! I can't wait for Episode II!

                       Your friend,
                                      Jordan :thumbsup:

Great use of mayor mode ploppables! :thumbsup:

io_bg: Those trees are great! They immediately became my favorite trees of preference :)
canyonjumper: Episode II is right around the corner, and below is a teaser pic to show you what I'm working on!
rooker1: Thank you :)
Tomas Neto: Thanks!


Im still not finished with the new Wildbank, but I wanted you guys' opinion on the direction I'm taking, so below is a teaser pic. Still to be included are farms and a pier. Please tell me why you think!

Nice work, my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

It looks fantastic with the strong blue colour of the sea and the greens and reds of the flora, great work.

Thats certainly some vivid colour choices there!

Cedar's rapid expansion has not been without its problems; during certain times of the morning and late afternoon, roads become clogged and traffic pour over into neighboring residential areas. Intersection Street is infamous for its bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, even after the opening of Beltam Road, which has done little to ease the volume of cars used by the former every day.

Bassem Safek, head of the Nesara Department of Transportation and key figure in the creation of the EasyTransit public transport system, has been criticized for the NDT's slowness to respond to the problem, despite being praised just a couple years ago for helping keep traffic a non-issue in the city. With the recent population boom which has seen Cedar's official count grow by almost 100,000 residents, the NDT and Safed have been criticized of coming up with "eye-candy" developments that do not address the core of the problem, such as Washington Avenue. While Cedar's largest and widest road has certainly become a hub for the city's financial and retail markets, its east to west direction makes it relatively unused by those wanting to get home as most residential neighborhoods are situated north of the avenue.

Intersection Street remains the only crossing into the industrial part of Cedar, where many of its residents work, and the rush hour commute home through the old part of the city becomes unbearable. Country Road also sees its share of traffic, but shares the same problem as Washington Avenue in that most of the residential neighborhoods of the city are situated on one side (south) of the road.

Safek continuously states that Cedar's road network has been set up to deal with future growth, but citizens are complaining that nothing is being done to address the issue now. Beltam Road was opened a few months ago, but its development was also done with the future in mind. The once popular Safek has lost considerable popularity due to what his opponents are calling an unwillingness to admit that he had made mistakes with the planning of the road network.

The EasyTransit system was much hyped when it first became operational, and for a while, lived up to its hype. But with the introduction of only two bus stops and four busses recently, it simply has not kept up with the growth of the city, and what was once Safek's prime example of success is now being pointed out as his biggest failure. The NDT continues to turn a nice profit from the operations of the ET system, but not enough of it is being put back into it to expand the network of bus stops and acquisitions of new vehicles to meet the demand of the people.

The NDT claims that is doing all it can considering its limited budget and staff. Safek points to the recent development of the new freight station north of Cedar, the opening of Beltam Road, and the planned passenger rail connection between Cedar and Gateway Beach as examples of the NDT's ongoing activities, but it obviously is not doing enough in the public's eyes. Until basic issues like flow of traffic into and out of northern Cedar and the expansion of the popular but overwhelmed ET system get addressed, the NDT will continue to be viewed as too much glamour, not enough substance.












Gary Presston, head of Nesara Airlines, recently announced that the airline, which had turned a profit of $12 million the previous year, was to begin daily flights to Chicago and New York City from Cedar International Airport next month. The airline will utilize a leased Airbus 330-200, complete with 36 business class seats and 210 economy class seats.

To celebrate the airline's expansion into the east coast, Presston also announced the inception of the SkyHigh entertainment system, which will feature on all flights to Chicago and NY, and gradually be added to the other destinations the airline serves. SkyHigh will feature many of the latest movie releases, as well as TV shows and series. Additionally, it will show live sport games, and will be one of the first in the world to allow free wi-fi access on its planes.

The expansion represents Nesara Airlines' commitment to deliver easy access to the rest of the country for the people of Nesara, stated Presston. He also went on to say that plans to upgrade its Premier Lounge for its business class passengers and Gold members in the Cedar International Airport.











Healthcare used to be a major issue in Cedar, with an overcrowded and overwhelmed hospital in the Southbrush neighborhood of the city barely able to handle a town of 20,000, let alone a city of almost 150,000. With the opening of Sacred Hope Hospital on Beltam Road across from the Cedar Mall, however, healthcare has become one of the shining beacons of the city.

The state of the art facility, which is headed by Dr. Brian Thom, is served by highly trained and educated doctors and nurses, and has the capacity to serve a city of 150,000 with comfort. While its location in the Treelane neighborhood means it is on the outskirts of the city, its radius stretches all across Nesara, as it has quickly become the health center of choice of all those living in the state, especially those in Gateway Beach.

Sacred Hope Hospital was developed and is currently funded by the Nesara Council, although it does have several private investors that have contributed to the capital of the hospital and currently serve as shareholders in the facility. When asked about the hospital's most specialized department, Dr. Thom replied that he believed that the surgery department in the hospital to be one of the best in the region.










Davidson Construction recently unveiled their latest project, the Cedar Heights, to the general public. Overlooking the Cedar Mall, the Cedar Heights complex features 3 buildings, each 10 stories high, and a total of 132 apartments (44 in each building). The complex also includes a small lake and park, and features underground parking for all residents and their guests. It also overlooks Hemway Park and its fountain, which can be quite a sight to behold during the night. Each apartment is going for approximately $300,000 and the penthouses for $500,000. The cost of the project was $12 million upon completion.

Not to be outdone, Haiden Construction Co. also unveiled their own, albeit smaller, project. Situated just across the street from Cedar Heights, and overlooking Hemway Park, the Park Residence caters to a more exclusive clientele. Each apartment is a duplex featuring 5 bedrooms, with glass windows from the bottom of the first floor of the duplex to the top of the second. It features 18 duplexes in all, with 6 on each floor. The building is actually 10 stories tall as well, but is higher than the Cedar Heights buildings. The top 3 floors include a banquet hall, a state of the art gym, indoor swimming pool, and 8 furnished 1 bedroom apartments available for lease on a monthly basis. Each duplex is priced at $700,000, and the total cost of the building was $4 million. 






To finish off the update, here are some shots from around Cedar. Enjoy and thanks!

 Great update.  I always love your night shoots.

Robin  :thumbsup:

The last couple updates are fantastic.  The most recent one is great but the detailing in the previous update is simply gorgeous.  Looking forward to more as always!

Great night shots & I love the watercolour!

That city looks really beautiful!
The industrial part is also great.
And the pictures of the desert are nice, too. :thumbsup:

Looking forward to more wonderful updates... ;)

Your night shots are amazing!!! Fantastic update!!!

Great Job !

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12731.0
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Please do not spam people's threads like this.  If you would like to add something like this to your sig.  contact me by PM and I will help you. - Robin - Global Moderator. (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12731.0)

Fantastic update nedalezz. Are you setting us up for some good ole' fashioned political corruption?  :P Again... I don't know why but I love to actually read your MD unlike many others. Also Wildbank is looking real amazing.  :)

,marsh

Sheriff Turner Tower sipped his freshly brewed cup of coffee and looked out on to Main Street. It was your usual weekday morning – a few motors and bivans driven by out of town traders coming in for supplies, a few locals on their way to work, and children being taken to school by their parents. It had been around two years since he came to town, escaping the raging war that was taking place in the north between the Haven Republic and the Earthener with his wife and two children, and it was Ray Black and Tiberius Driver who took him into Wildbank like so many others before and after him. After the population started to increase rapidly, they assigned him as the new Sheriff and head of the Wildbank Police, a group consisting of four men tasked with keeping order within the town. That was just about a year ago – since then, his stature within the town had grown, earning the trust of both the two men in charge and the townsfolk.


Serving under him were Vern Harman, Chris Danube, and Storm Sol, all honest, good men who truly had the good of the town and its people at heart. Braxton Stone used to be the 5th member, but he was banished from Wildbank when he tried to use his newly given power for personal gain. Their leader, Sheriff Tower, was a family man with high morals and ethics, which was the primary reason why Black had given him the title. Ray Black had become something of a hero, his story spreading throughout Haven as protector of the weak and provider of the needy. He owned most of the land around the town, including all the farms he had set up. He had the two biggest companies in town, too – Ray Farms and Ray Fisheries.


Tiberius Driver was the local genius, and the glue that kept the town together. He had registered Driver Energy as his own, and had bought solar powered towers that gave electricity to the entire town and its surroundings. Not only that, but he had built two water mills that pumped water to the town as well, and although the piping that was laid out about a meter underground was primitive, it still got water to the houses and farms. Between them, Driver and Black employed almost all the town. There was the odd trader here and there, the biggest of which was the Homestead family, who owned livestock that consisted of earthen cows and chickens to the Haven indigenous animals like woodlets and grats. The rest were minor traders who made their currency the usual way – trade and barter.


Wildbank was not the only town that was growing and advancing, however. Almost all the towns that were once isolated from one another in the Great Barrens were now progressing. In Frontier, for example, the town "chief" Jim Benstrike had constructed a cement factory that was supplying to the entire region. Still, Wildbank was a success story, and the freedom and peace that the town afforded to its residents was not found anywhere else. Ray Black was initially skeptical of accepting people to live on his land, but he has since embraced his role as a freedom fighter who was giving the good people of Haven a second chance at a better life.


So far, the war that was going on in the north between the Haven Republic, which had amassed large amounts of weaponry rumored to have been manufactured in Janneh City itself, and the Eartheners had not started making its way south. It was primarily being fought on the coast, where large reservoirs of Tilkan gas were recently discovered, a resource both sides valued dearly. For what it was worth, Black had registered all of his land in accordance to the Haven Republic laws, and he even had a couple of visitors come in from Janneh City, but his loyalty did not lay with them. He was just delaying a conflict for as long as possible. For now, however, the Sheriff was on high alert – Black had informed him this morning that Benstrike had sent word that he had not forgotten the incident of three years ago and was time for him to come and "collect."

Wow. The town is looking more and more beautiful.  :) And I see you have taken a liking to the SPAM. Also, stop leaving these cliffhangers.  :D

,marsh  :thumbsup:

Another fantatic chapter.   I like the new models and style, looks much more realistic.

Robin  &apls

Cool use of lots of new custom stuff...Girafe's trees, the SPAM. It all works great together. That first picture is at one time vibrant and barren...no easy task my friend.  &apls  &apls

Very nice farms.
The overview is a very good picture

-Ernst

Nice small town there! And great work with the farms... :thumbsup:

I love it! There's so much though put into the detailing that I keep finding new things to look at!

           Your friend,
                          Jordan :thumbsup:

A quick teaser from Cedar, which had hit 150,000 people! As it prepares for the upcoming election (the focus of our next few updates), I just wanted to show you downtown Cedar as it looks today. Enjoy!



Resized your pic my friend. -Robin  ;)

wow 150k residents and not much of a skyline, I like it, but would have expected it to be taller

I love it! The higherise buildings look perfect in the centre of the residential suburbs, not too tall or out of place!  &apls

Cedar is looking beautiful, congrats on the 150k mark! Great rural areas and story in the previous update as well  :thumbsup:

A charming town. Nice update.

I would say Cedar has come a long way, looking forward to your following updates.

Good picture  &apls  &apls, a very good city  :thumbsup:

So realistic! Bravo! &apls

Very nice work. Cedar is growing very quickly. Soon all those houses and tree-lined streets will be torn down for parking lots and cladded skyscrapers galore.  :D

,marsh

Heh, congratulations on 150,000 people!  I remember when Cedar was just a few houses!   ;)

"We're almost there, boss. Just a few more minutes."


Jim Benstrike nodded his head approvingly. It was a long trip from Frontier to this "bastion of freedom", as he heard some of his townsfolk call it, and he was getting grumpy. The Great Barrens were a very hot place to be driving through in broad daylight, and it had taken them almost twelve hours at high speeds from his town to Wildbank.


The nerve of these people. Benstrike still had not forgotten what had happened three years ago, when some upstart cowboy called Ray Black shot and wounded a number of his men. He had come down to offer his services of protection, as he liked to call it, but the foolish cowboy and his friend, Tiberius Driver, had made the biggest mistake of their lives. That fool Tiberius used to operate the motel back in Frontier, and Benstrike had allowed him to work there and make a living for so many years. That ungrateful bastard thought he could just up and walk away and resettle just like that, well, he had another thing coming.


He had heard all about Wildbank's "success", how the people lived tax free, and how everything was so rosy, colourful, and peaceful. He had heard how Ray Black had established several companies based on some farms he had, and how his influence and name had spread way beyond the borders of Wildbank. He was almost like a mythical hero to the people of Haven and Benstrike just did not get it. What was so special about a nomadic cowboy who had stumbled onto a river and decided to call it home? Better yet, what made that shanty town Wildbank so special? A few vegetables and fruits? Because it was near the water? Frontier had a cement production facility that was the envy of the entire region, with people coming from as far as the Hebert region to buy the product. THAT was a success story.


Truth be told, Benstrike had gotten sick from hearing about Wildbank and how it is the "beacon of light" in this dark world. Frontier was less than a day's drive away – after destroying Black and Driver, he was going to own the town. He had a few loyal goons he could trust to run his day to day affairs, and honestly speaking, he always wanted to live near the water.


"There it is, boss. Wildbank."




Ray Black could see the motorcade through his binoculars, finally. They had appeared from the northeast as expected, and he could count around nine vehicles, probably all manned with weaponry and armor. Tiberius had been informed from his people in Frontier through satellite communication twelve hours ago, at the break of dawn, that Jim Benstrike and his little army had headed out of Frontier and were planning an attack on Wildbank. They had known about this for a while, but they did not know when it was going to happen. Today was the day, apparently. Black looked towards the setting sun; it would be atleast another hour before complete darkness. The battle would be over by then.


He climbed down from the post, and handed the binoculars to Tiberius Driver. The men were all in position; with any luck, the motorcade wouldn't get close enough to Wildbank to cause any real damage. Driver was a genius with machinery, and lately he had developed missiles that would hit targets five miles away. They had a few of them all readied up, and the men were just waiting on instructions to fire them. If they failed, then it was going to be a real battle. Black had about thirty men ready to fight, all armed to the teeth with automatic shotguns and extra bullets, but they were still outnumbered.





Ray Black (talking to Tiberius): So everything is ready to go?

Tiberius Driver (nodding): They won't get anywhere near your northern farms if we launch them right.

Ray Black: Alright...give the order.





Tiberius nodded, and started speaking on his communication device to each launcher. They both climbed to the top of the post to watch the action. Ray Black was worried; there was a lot of children and women in Wildbank, and there was no telling what Benstrike and his goons would do if they managed to break through the defenses. The countdown had begun, and in less than thirty seconds, six missiles will launch directly at the motorcade that was approaching the town. There were going to be casualties, of that there was no doubt, but they had no other option. They had to hit them before they got too close.





The missiles screeched and headed directly towards the motorcade. Watching from his binoculars, Ray Black saw the explosions, one after the other, followed by a sand cloud that covered where they used to be. No one was advancing towards Wildbank anymore; they were stopped dead in their tracks.


The men who had prepared themselves to defend their new home and families all looked completely shocked. They had not expected their weapons to deliver such a powerful punch, and as the fire blazed to the north of them, some were visibly shaken. Ray mentioned to Tiberius with his hands to form a group to head over to the motorcade, and Tiberius nodded. Few minutes later, they arrived the site.




Ray Black: Look for survivors. Take the wounded back to Wildbank and tend to them. Bury the dead.

Tiberius Driver (pointing towards a specific car): I recognize that one. That one is Benstrike's personal vehicle.

Ray Black (nodding): Search it.





Sure enough, there was Jim Benstrike, bloodied and bruised from the explosions all around him, but still alive. Apparently, the missiles had not hit his vehicle directly, and his companions in the car were also alive, albeit in much more serious condition than he appeared to be.





Jim Benstrike (coughing): What...in the world was that? What the hell have you people been doing?

Ray Black: Making sure we can defend ourselves from people like you.

Jim Benstrike: You're an animal, cowboy...

Ray Black: We'll get fixed you up, don't worry. Once you're strong enough, we'll put you on a bivan and send you back to where you came from. Although I suspect you won't be welcome in Frontier, anymore. Tiberius got this whole thing recorded and pretty soon, everyone in Frontier is going to see your little army getting blown to pieces.

Jim Benstrike: Frontier is mine!

Ray Black: Well, that's for the people that live there to decide.





With that, Black mentioned to his men to start clearing up the mess and tending to the wounded. The dead would be buried the next day, after they were cleaned and bathed. As for Benstrike, as Ray promised, he was taken care of, then put on a bivan with some food and water and set off. As they watched him ride off into the sunset, Tiberius and Ray both knew this was the beginning of a dark period. War had gripped Haven, and it was only going to spread. They were able to protect themselves against a tiny militia, but what happens when a real army comes rolling in? Lawfully, they were part of the Haven Republic, but would the Republic's army protect them if the Eartheners came? More had to be done. Much more.





Resized your pics my friend. - Robin  ;)