The Greater Terran Region

[bat]

Nice work on that highway there! Nice pictures of it!

[Nexis4Jersey]

Nice Rail network , you always impress me with your different Transport uses 

[Blue Lightning]

I like the port and train yard, keep up the good work! Hope to see this area devoped well! 

Vince

[Haljackey]

Sorry for the long delay everyone.  Seems that everything is forbidding me to update the GTR, School, my social life, work, family, and even SC4!

Yes, SC4 has been very mean to me lately.  Today I have had more crashes than ever before, including the good'ol Blue Screen O'Death! 

But its not like I didn't intend for that to happen .  I've been pressing the game to its limit, working on airports, a seaport, a university and a lot of light rail.  I'll select a GLR puzzle piece and there just so happens to be a TE-station right next to the menu.  I move my cursor, and you know the rest of the story.

I've also been having a lot of trouble making the port.  Unlike ferry terminals and the Maxis seaport, it seems the custom stuff needs to be at a certain height- something I didn't plan for.  Issues with rail and whatnot have also been problems.

So the port won't be featured in the next update.  Instead I am nearly done a university, which I plan to show for the next update as well as this:



Yep, that's a A380... I finally got it to work!

Anyways, just hold out a bit longer and I'll have a new update out!  I'll get replying to your wonderful comments at that time as well.

All the best,
-Haljackey

[Sciurus]

Oh nice city, but I see a European creation on the latest image!
Very good work

Guillaume.

[Haljackey]

Replies:

deathtopumpkins:  Hey, thanks a lot!  I hope so!
-Thanks!  I downloaded a crapload of peg's stuff!

mrtnrln:  Thanks, I'll look into it!

bat:  As always, thanks a lot bat!
-Congrats on your new CML!

Nexis:  Thanks a lot!  Always?  Wow!

Blue Lightning:  Thanks!  I hope so too!

Sciurus:  Yes indeed!  You'll see more of it indeed!



Update time!

This update will show something that I have been working on for a bit behind the scenes.  Whoever thought the GTR's universities were just the Maxis ones needs to take a good look at this update.  Yes, Witburg University has arrived!

This update will be a tour around the campus.



Pictures
Click the images for full resolution! (1920x1200.) See my picture information section on the first update of this page for more info.

In the central part of campus, you'll see a lot of Maxis-influenced areas.  The odd-shaped building at the top is the main library.
-Eek!  Sorry for the sidebar!


But as we zoom out, you can tell this is not the case for the whole university.  The tall building seen here is the Eleavtor tower, and the media research centre below the bullet train interchange.


Here's a better look at the new bullet train interchange.  Smaller than the bullet train clover I showed a few updates ago, its compact, efficent design keeps the trains running on time!


Light rail is the primary mode of transportation in the university area.  A great example of this is the line heading towards central campus, making effective use of the new T-RAM and the loop to create dedicated platforms at the station for exit and entry.


In the north part of campus, we see the natural science centre and the area where the city and the university converge.


Parking garages, a research centre, and a convention centre in the university's east end.


A highway interchange marks an entrance to campus.  At the top of this photo is a popular shopping centre, which boasts a light rail station for easy transportation.


High-tech corridor in the south part of campus.


The university community centre.


As you head away from the university, several of Witburg's stadiums are found, and the university puts them to good use!
-If the GTR ever hosted the Simlympics, the majority of the events would take place in Witburg.


The eastern entrance to campus.  Several lecture halls and residences are seen here as well.


The western edge of the university is bounded by a RHW-10.
-This used to be a multi-highway, but I "downgraded" it to a RHW-10 during university construction.  Although it loses a lane per direction and its collector/express system, carefully planned interchanges are along the route to ensure maximum efficiency. 


A zoom-out of the university in its current state.  The developed part of Witburg is to the northeast.


Funny Pic:
Not related to the university at all, but it appears after adding the A380 I forgot how big they were!  I think I need some bigger gates!

-More on that later.



Anyways that will do it for this update.  I hope you enjoyed the tour of the university.

Best,
-Haljackey

[Pat]

Hey Hal looking real great here man!!! Love that airport and of course the highway too!!!

[Sciurus]

Very beautiful and your El-Rail interchange is excellent and very impressive

Guillaume

[bat]

Your city looks really nice! And nice work with the GLR...
Great update!

[deathtopumpkins]

Wow, Hal. That is one huge university... very complex and interestingly designed, especially the light rail lines.

Though are those double-height bullet train pieces I see? 

And heehee... funny plane shot.

[LE0]

Nice!

[nerdly_dood]

Well hows that for some mental whiplash!

GTR emphasis on educational facilities, rather than transportation... Weird!
You sure do make good use of the Maxis university props, they work out rather nicely in this setting and with newer buildings to complement them.

[Haljackey]

Replies:

Pat:  Thanks Pat!  Glad you liked the airport!

Sciurus:  You mean bullet train .  Thanks again!

bat:  Thank you very much Bat!

deathtopumpkins:  Indeed it is.  Thanks a lot!
-Yes indeed it is. 

LE0:  Hey, thanks a lot!

nerdly_dood:  Hehe.  Well, there's transport in there too!    Glad you like the university!



Update Time!

Finally I have a new video to show you all!  It's going to be a little different this time however, because I am driving a train opposed to a car. 

This fun little video will showcase part of the mass transit system in Witburg and the university area.  Don't you worry, even though I am in a train, a lot of car crashes will happen like always! 



Video

Two Youtube video boxes should appear below.  If you can't see them or are having problems, follow the link below them.  Oh, and make sure you turn up your speakers!

Watch in Standard-Definition.  (Recommended for slower connections.)
http://www.youtube.com/v/eTmVeabNwzo

Watch in High-Definition.  (Recommended for faster connections.)
http://www.youtube.com/v/eTmVeabNwzo&fmt=22&ap=%2526fmt%3D22

An even larger video box can be found by clicking the link below and selecting "Watch in HD".

Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTmVeabNwzo

HD troubleshooting:
-I found out that you need to have Java Player 9.0 or better to watch HD Youtube videos.



I hope you enjoy the new video, whatever definition you view it in .

Best,
-Haljackey

[deathtopumpkins]

Wow, I can watch the video in HD with no problems now!  I guess it's an excuse to break my boycott of YouTube...

Anyway, great video! 

[bat]

Welcome to page 29!

That's a great almost-four-minutes drive through your city! Nice work on that newest video!!!

[MandelSoft]

Weird... did I see a carraige following the train engine just a few meters behind it.   

Nice video, Hal! Sure this is something different 

[Haljackey]

Replies:

deathtopumpkins:  You can?  Congrats!  Boycotting Youtube?  I could never do that! 

bat:  Thanks Bat!  Glad you enjoyed it!

mrtnrln:  Just a few meters?    Yeah its a stupid graphical glitch, but it adds to the humour of the video.



Update time!

This update will be pretty straightforward.  I will be constructing/reconstructing a highway interchange in Witburg's southeast end.



Picture Information:

NOTICE:  Please Read!

    Before I post some pictures of my cities, please know that I strive for the best quality of my images possible.  Every picture from here on-in is not photoshopped in any way, and is taken directly from the game to show you exactly what I see in the game.  The only editing done is converting the .PNG file to .JPEG.

***IMPORTANT***    Also, please know that my pictures are COMPRESSED, and are NOT RESIZED! When you resize a picture, a ton of the image's quality is lost, and is shrunk to comply with SC4D's picture size limits (800x600 STRONGLY recommended for MD's).  Compressing the image retains the quality, but looks terrible when squeezed to comply with site limits.

But, I have found a loophole in this problem.  Each compressed picture displayed will be linked to the actual uncompressed, true image.  All you have to do to view the image in its FULL RESOLUTION (1920x1200) is to simply click on the compressed image displayed in this Mayor's Diary (800x500).  The reason that the images are not 800x600 is because I present my pictures in widescreen (16:10 aspect ratio), making the image much more appealing for the human eye's stereoscopic vision.

If you have any questions or comments about how I display my images, feel free to post a reply.



Pictures
Click on the images for full resolution!  (1920x1200)

Here is the interchange in its current state.  I quickly constructed this ground highway cloverleaf in order to establish a temporary connection to Witburg.  I knew some day I would need to upgrade it.
-Although its a cloverleaf, there is no weaving as only one of the four loop ramps are being used by traffic.


Pretty pathetic eh?  I will be constructing a sunken stack interchange where this cloverleaf once was.
-Here, I have demolished the interchange and sunk the ground.


The stack interchange fits perfectly into the new depression.


Time to "hook it up" with the existing highways.
-Note the use of double-height elevated rail at the top of the image.  Without this feature, this interchange could never have been constructed here.


Adding some snazzy support walls and a overpass.


Adding lights, signs, and other eyecandy.


A closeup of some of the new signage.  As you can see some of it is extra-large sized to ensure drivers know where they are going.


The sunken segment is extended further east to connect with this avenue.


A zoom out of the interchange in its current state.  I have also begun to add roads to this area in preparation for zoning and development.


The location of the new interchange in the region view.
-Sorry, this image is not available in full resolution.




Anyways, that will do it for now. 

What would you like to see in the next update?

Best,
-Haljackey

[Simpson]

Great update my friend, this highway is looking superb
The last video is good too 

David

[wes.janson]

Another great update!

Quick question.. are those Bullet Train Mod double-height pieces DTP commented on availble anywhere?

[deathtopumpkins]

Well the ads that pop up over your video have driven me completely insane...    But there aren't any on the Youtube app on my ipod, so I still watch stuff on there.

Nice stack interchange! Looks really good with the walls and signage... makes me want to build another sunken highway!