Holt: One Year Later

[noahclem]

A shame about the USB stick    Very nice picture though and it's been quite the OSITM so far. Unfortunately I'm not sure which city the picture came from.

[sim_link]

WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 2012 CENSUS IN HD!

The moment is finally here! After several delays (unintentional and intentional) the December 2012 Census in HD is here! Although yes, it is January, this is the December census as this alligns with the census schedule. A census will be done quarterly (every 3 months) - meaning they occur at the end of March, June, September and December. 2012's December census was delayed in part because of OSITM and in part because of RL and forgetting a USB stick on my part. But enough blabbering about what the census is, and more info about this quarter's census.

Q4 in Holt District was a quarter of significant growth. If you thought the last census showed significant growth, be prepared to be astonished this time! Thanks to relaxed planning regulations, super high demand and other various factors (including BOLDNEWHD) growth has taken off in Holt District. A condo boom continues through many of the major cities in the region, and sprawl is making inroads in the western portion of the region. Holt District is becoming a leading region in Orchidsen (the province it resides in) and could soon be considered a world-class place to live and work. While residential growth has been astounding, so had the increase in the number of jobs. The commercial sector continues to dominate commerce in the region, however industrial sector is picking up steam thanks to new designated industrial development areas throughout the region. Of course with massive growth comes some people who are unhappy, the "traditionalists" so to speak - those who want development to stop. But they are few and far between. As the region continues to boom there are still no signs of a bubble - supply is still well-below demand, jobs are keeping up and although prices are continuing to rise, they are not rising at a worrying pace.

So let's go on and take a look at population figures and something many may be waiting for - an updated region view. Note that unlike the last census update, this update does not have a "major development" section - there are so many that instead regular updates will continue to show off new developments.






We begin with the overall region population. Holt District's growth has been astonishing this quarter thanks to a region-wide construction boom. How astonishing was growth? Just scroll down... the number may surprise you. Remember, last census period the population was below 485 000...



As you can see, these new projects have really driven growth. And also take note: this data is real-time quarters. As in from September 29, 2012 to data retrieval day. Not SimCity time.



The first of the municipalities brings us to The City of Sherkston:



The ongoing condo boom in the city continued, fuelled by the influx of jobs to the city.



Next we arrive in the City of Manatee which has experienced its own boom along with Sherkston...



Jobs growth, along with residents choosing to live in quieter Manatee over Sherkston fuelled a 30% population gain.



We arrive in the first of Holt District's towns, heading north to The Town of Dofino. Dofino was the biggest %gainer this census period.



It's proximity to Sherkston and low land costs fuelled an over 300% swell in population.



Next we find us in Shorecoast. Shorecoast was the slowest grower this quarter.



Waterfront development was focused in Midport, which meant slower growth in Shorecoast this census period.



We move west to the Town of Kuhan, formerly The Township of Northwest Holt.



Suburban sprawl continue this census period, lifting Kuhan to one of the largest municipalities in the region.



This picture should look fammilar. Nobody correctly guessed this as Norecount, Manatee's southern neighbour.



Industrial expansion in the town, along with increased jobs available in Manatee, fuelled growth in this once sleepy town.



After being the only municipality with a population decrease last census period, Midport is now booming.



Waterfront development has lifted Midport's population, almost doubling it in the most recent quarter.



The Township of Saltfield continues to boom, and will soon be reincorporated as a town...



Suburban sprawl and suburban condominiums have lifted Saltfield's population. Industrial development is also on the rise.



We arrive now to Old Port, our last community to look at.



Old Port's population was lifted by the ongoing expansion of the large planned community in the town.



For reference, here is the population data as you would have seen it during the September 2012 Census:


Holt District (Entire Region): 489 483 539
Sherkston: 151 690
Manatee: 119 330
Shorecoast: 74 783
Midport: 33 103
Norecount: 18 044
Dofino: 26 824
Old Port: 17 331
Northwest Holt (Now Kuhan): 20 565
Saltfield: 21 869
Just a bit different, eh?


And that does it for population figures! As you can see, this has been another stellar quarter of growth in Holt District!




REGION VIEW TIME!

This first region view is the current look of the region, as of the collection of data. The region has significantly filled in and as you will notice, we've yet to see alot of what has developed. Development in the west has taken off, as has it in the north (Dofino). Also note the increased density of Sherkston's CBD.





For reference, here is Holt District's region view at the time of the last census (in late September) - a very big difference.





AND THAT DOES IT FOR THE DECEMBER 2012 CENSUS IN HD!
Thanks to everyone for your patience in its delay. I hope you enjoyed it, and enjoyed a little more detail into what the population is doing in Holt District! Be on the lookout for the next census, which is scheduled to happen at the end of March! Will it be another quarter of stellar growth? Stay tuned...




bat
Thanks - glad you thought the updates were wonderful!

noahclem
No worries - nobody correctly guessed. It was sort of ambiguous. Congratulations also for getting reply #100!

[vortext]

Wow, that are some astonishing growth figures for sure! 

One minor mistake . .

Remember, last census period the population was below 485 000...

For reference, here is the population data as you would have seen it during the September 2012 Census:
Holt District (Entire Region): 489 539

Still is impressive though, especially since for me adding 500 sims to the population count is considered a boom! 
Also, I'd like to see more of the industrial development you mentioned. Keep up the great work! 

[Swordmaster]

Whoa, those numbers start to get in the Phoenix, AZ range. Pretty decent, I'd say

I like the sprawl. It's good to see you've got a lot of room for more of that.


Oh and, congrats on getting to best sellers next month!


Cheers
Willy

[noahclem]

Holy explosive growth    Great scenes and great work. Congratulations on your 100th reply and I'll be getting back to you on that shortly 

[sim_link]

An OSITM Exclusive: WIP Showcase


In my MD it's not often you see anything in production. From graphic work to cities to plans/ads, etc. you usually only see the finished product. So I can't think of a better time than during OSITM to show you something from behind the scenes. Usually anything that makes its way into HD is in planning and development for months. BoldNewHD? Planning and work on it began in November. It wasn't fully revealed until January. Banner remakes? Those take at least 2-3 weeks and go through several versions. Not everything makes its way into, or remains a part of, HD (development proposals like the one from week #1 of this MD haven't occured regularly as I wasn't happy with how I managed it). The census, for exmaple, was published only after version 4 in terms of layout, presentation and graphics (this is for the September census. The December census and ensuing ones will use the same layout for now). A concerted effort has been made to make everything have a semi-consistent look. This is why the same font is often used in multiple ways.

So, where does that lead to today? Well, after being inspired by a colour block with a random quote on it that appeared from one of my friends on Facebook I thought something like that would be cool in HD. So, I began thinking "what's missing in Holt District?" Answer: A tourism agency. So I have begun work on tourism ads and a tourism agency. Like other projects, you won't see this "officially" launch for some time - it may never get past here. And if it does launch, it could look completely different than it does now. That's just my little disclaimer. How they will be used is currently unknown - one thought is they implemented within updates, and updates themselves go through a massive change. But that's for me to develop and you to see or not to see. So without further adieu, here is part of what I've been working on:




The "tourism HD" logo. This is version 1 of the logo. It is for now known as tourism HD, but could be renamed before (possible) the official launch.





This "this is HD" logo would be used in businesses, on transportation, by education institutes to promote Holt District. Various colours would be used to represent different fields such as entertainment, sporting events, transit, educational institutes, retail, accommodations, eating establishments, etc.





These 2 logos would take the form as billboard advertisements, ads in media such as newspapers, magazines, etc. The first is promoting tourism in Holt District by highlighting shopping. This would appear in travel magazines and newspapers during the high travelling season. The one on the right is promoting moving to Holt District by highlighting abundant jobs and entertainment options. It is meant to give the impression that in Holt District you work hard but can equally or more so play hard. This would appear in housing magazines and in the real estate sections of newspapers.

   


And that's all for now. As I mentioned, these are only a work in progress. If you do eventually see these in Holt District they are likely to have gone through several changes by the time they launch. There is also the possibility this project will be scrapped all together. Despite all of these disclaimers, I hope you enjoyed today's OSITM-exclusive update and the inside look to what goes on behind-the-scenes in Holt District.

[sunv123]

Good work with the Labels.

For the visit HD part, Maybe it would be more fitting for "shop HD" as it is more of a shopping thing, not much of a tourist thing. I could be wrong. I'd be glad if you added this though, "This is HD, we have stuff you want and didn't even  know you wanted!" got it from a commercial.

Anyways, great work with the labels. Very eye catching.

PS, where'd you get the townhomes in the pic with Norecrest? They look wonderful.

[sim_link]

"WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS..."
TEASER



It's looking a little bit wet outside in Holt District today.




Maybe I'll take my boat to work today...



That's it for today. Replies next update.

[sim_link]

Many have wondered how Holt District can always be happy. Today is the answer: it isn't.







































Replies next update.

[sim_link]

Darkness is not something that will disappear quickly, it seems...

Note: this is a very plot-laden update. The pictures only play a small role, so I encourage you to read the storyline...





My heart was pounding in my ear. My palms were sweaty. I could feel the nervous twitch in my eyebrow - it happens everytime I am scared. I can't believe I'm doing this. What have I gotten myself into? But something just didn't feel right about that aid meeting yesterday. The deputy commisioner of the region looked off - he was smirking. It was very... sinister. Maybe he just has acid reflux, but something just didn't seem right.

I see it. The light. I'm almost at the vent opening to his office. I can hear voices coming from outside the office. I better be quiet.
I  hear the door opening.

"We can talk here."
It was the deputy regional councillor, Alexi Samson.

"Well, we've found a loophole in our insurance policy. As you know, the majority of tornado victims are insured with us. We instituted policy changes that came into effect the day before the tornado hit which states we no longer cover tornado damage. Most customers are none the wiser. We alerted them 4 weeks in advance of the changes, as per our legal requirement. However, none of our affected clients purchased the upgrade package that includes tornado damage. It has a low penetration in the region overall, about 5% of clients hold it."
I'm not sure who that is. I can't quite see. I wiggle closer to the grate to look out. It is the CEO of Simsurance Holt, Ltd., the largest insurer in the region. His name is Robert Revenue.

"So are you saying the victims aren't covered?" chymed Samson.
Revenue replied with a simple "Yes."

Samson seemed unclear. "Okay. So when the victims find out, we offer to buy their properties, correct? Since they don't have the funds, in theory, to rebuild, they will have to sell? And then we turn over the properties to you Julia?"

He was speaking to Julia Harshrode, the founder of Callinca Homes. They're a recent entry to the housing market in Holt District. She always seemed really nice.
"Yes, exactly. Once we have control of the land, we will increase the density of homes in the affected areas. To make us look good, we'll offer the victims a home at a reduced rate, say about 50% of cost. We'll still end up ahead in the end."

I had never heard of such vile things. This continued for what seemed like hours as I listened on in horror. I couldn't believe their plan. In essence, they're taking advantage of a loop hole in insurance policies. The region would look good for offering distressed home owners an out, the home builder would look good by offering cheaper residences while taking over their former homes, and the insurance company gets a fat cheque from both parties. And all 3 of them will pocket large sums of money from this deal. It was the most vile thing I'd ever heard.

Eventually, the meeting ended. They exchange pleasantries. However, before leaving, the councillor Samson spoke "It was nice meeting all of you. And I look forward to working with you."
He chuckled.
"Before I leave for the night, I must check my air vent. It heard the distinct sound of a rat making itself at home."

My blood ran cold. I can't be caught... what... what would they do to me? I certainly can't help them. I began to back up slowly. Thankfully Samson was a very short man, and would need to grab his step ladder to reach the vent near the ceiling I was hiding in.

I managed to avoid being seen the entire way out of the Regional Headquarters Building.







I now found myself in downtown Sherkston. My head was spinning... had I really just heard what I did? How could any humanbeing take advantage of another in such an evil, vile manner? I was beginning to feel sick. The ground was spinning, the bright lights twirling.







I began to feel even sicker. How could any person, ANYONE, take advantage of the people who had everything taken away from them? WHO'S RUNNING THIS PALCE?!










I have to do something.... but what?! What can I possibly do? Wait a second...
I realized the Regional Police Force's HQ was just down the street from here.
Should I rat?
What kind of power do those people have, what kind of connections?
No.
I have to go. I have to do this.
I began walking to the police building, recording in hand.
This must not go any further. It has to end here...

[Mr.Lin]

   
Great!

[M4346]

Wow! Interesting twist!

[art128]

Oh, that's quite the change from the usual peaceful updates. Good job making that tornado set-up.

[vortext]

What an evil twist this is. Then again, with so much development going on there's bound to be corruption eventually. 

I did enjoy the pictures though! 

[RickD]

Such an evil plan. How could they? 

[sim_link]

If you haven't already seen it, click the photo below to see my OSITM interview with threestooges. It was an honour to do, and you may get some insight into how HD is formed.

Update 19 is coming soon, be on the lookout!

[benedict]

Great stuff for your time in OSITM, and I loved reading the interview - very thoughtful, insightful answers.

[noahclem]

Awesome work and pictures in the last updates 

[sim_link]

Something is happening in Holt District, and our mystery character is finding out the consequences of getting in the way...

[sim_link]

Welcome to the OSITM Finale here in Holt District!

It's been an awesome month, and I was honoured to have resided the start of 2013 here in OSITM. I hope you enjoyed the regular updates, OSITM exclusive and my interview with threestooges as much as I did. It's been a fantastic month, and I thank you the people of SC4D for visiting. I hope you'll continue to follow along as Holt District moves to its new permanent home in the Best Sellers section starting tomorrow. But for now I am happy to present to you one final OSITM exclusive update, the finale update. We'll be taking a random look at some night shots of Manatee on this final night of OSITM.

Enjoy!






























Once again, everyone, I was really happy to spend the month here in OSITM. To whoever enters OSITM for February, have a good time! It's a blast and an honour and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. To readers, once again, thanks for your ongoing support of Holt District. See you in February!