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True Earth

Started by korver, May 04, 2016, 08:05:18 PM

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Nanami

Couldn't say much.... This MD never fail to amaze me for the incredible pictures! Great works! &apls


c.p.

This MD is amazing beyond belief :o

vortext

Absolutely amazing, sc4 realism taken to the next level!   &apls &apls
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

Themistokles

that rain image :shocked2: no, all of them...
Come join me on a hike to St Edmea!

Latest update: 7

"In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy." - John Sawhill

korver

#164

- UPDATE 14: Southeast Asia -





Our journey to Southeast Asia begins with a trip through the scenic, mountainous landscape of northern Vietnam. For thousands of years, terraces have turned these hillsides into effective farmland - with rice being the staple crop for many. For as far as the eye can see, these terraces stretch on into the distance - a never ending showcase of simple, rural beauty.





Our next stop is the mysterious Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island in The Philippines. Some 1,776 brownish-red hills dot the landscape for miles around, and a variety of wild myths try to explain their existence. Some legends state that the hills are the leftovers of massive pebbles thrown by giants many eons ago. Others believe that the hills have a cosmic connection, with each hill representing various stars and planets. No matter what the explanation, they still leave us in awe.





The crater lakes of Kelimutu in Indonesia are one of the more remarkable destinations on our journey - the lakes are just as stunning as they are mesmerizing. The mineral rich water that fills each of these lakes changes color many times throughout the year, so each trip is truly a unique experience. Despite the ominous steam that emanates from the lakes, the volcano has actually been dormant for quite some time.





Our next stop is the largest Buddhist monument in the world - Indonesia's Borobudur. Rain or shine, it's a truly impressive structure - we're amazed by the sheer quantity of artifacts on display. With over 2,500 relief panels and 500 Buddha statues lining the exterior, we've never seen anything like it before. Reaching the top brings incredible views of the surrounding landscape - but more importantly it signifies the end of a pilgrimage for Buddhists.





As we start to head back north, a can't miss destination is Thailand's Phang Nga Bay, tucked away on the west coast of the country. With over 40 limestone islands jutting hundreds of feet into the air, it truly takes your breath away. We grab a boat and find a secluded beach on one of the islands - no better way to spend the day!





As our journey begins to wind down, we make sure to visit one of the iconic landmarks of Southeast Asia - Cambodia's Angkor Wat. The world's largest religious monument never fails to disappoint - you could spend years exploring this vast complex. While the views from the outside are truly impressive, the interior is a different story. To our dismay, we find out that much of the complex has been looted in recent years, with bas-reliefs and relics fetching high prices on the black market. It'll take a little exploring around to find the rooms left in pristine condition - but it's certainly worth it.





Our final stop is none other than one of the most impressive archeological sites in the world, Myanmar's Bagan. Over 10,000 pagodas were built on this vast desert plain nearly a thousand years ago - with a little over 2,200 remaining today. Despite constant earthquake damage (the ruins are built directly on top of a fault line) - the locals continue to rebuild these treasured ruins time and time again. No trip to Bagan is complete without a hot air balloon ride - despite the steep price, the incredible views for miles around make it a once in a lifetime experience.





-korver


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Replies
Thanks for all the comments everyone, I really appreciate them!

kbieniu7: Thanks for the great comment and compliments! Unfortunately I couldn't find a wider road using the NWM, but if I make a similar scene in the future I'll do some playing around with various NAM components to see if I can find something that fits a little better ;)

Silur: Thanks for the comment, glad to hear you enjoyed it :)  Yeah, as I mentioned to kbieniu - I wish the NWM had bigger avenues so I could make a proper Tverskaya Street, but I'll see what I can do next time. All buildings in this update actually are ingame SC4 Models - vast majority (99%+) are simply existing buildings/props from STEX/LEX/etc arranged into new combinations into LE (or for some pics, simple existing lots without any modifications). A handful of things were then either made by me in BAT, or imported into the game from 3d warehouse. Some PS was used though to add some more nightlights, make the water pretty in the Moscow City pic, add some snow in the Red Square pic, etc - so mainly used to just make the scenes look nicer and more presentable.

art128: Thanks for the comment, glad to hear that :)

compdude787: Thanks for the comment and for the nice words! On the subject of the freeway model, it's actually a custom model I made. Definitely not Reddon/Jasoncw quality.. but it gets the job done :P For all the road textures in the Moscow City scene, I pretty much made some custom textures and put them onto a big flat plane in 3dsmax and rendered it into a couple big props to use in the game. For the highway itself, I just used the spline tool in 3dsmax and cut out the highway texture, added some basic walls, made some basic plyons, made them into props, and raised it about 10m + arranged it all in LE. This pic sorta shows what I did (I moved the highway prop away a bit to show the pylons.) + here's some of the pieces. I hope that's not too confusing for anyone interested :P

dyoungyn: Thank you for the kind words :) All the big stuff (buildings, road textures, etc) are actually ingame assets (lots and lots of custom content creation for those scenes). PS was mainly used for the visual improvements like the weather scenes, some enhanced/added nightlights in the Moscow City pic, making the water look pretty, etc.

Bipin: Thanks for the comment! ;D

Alan_Waters: Thank you! Always nice to hear that my recreation "transmitted the mood of the city" in SC4 :)

FrankU: Thanks for the comment! :)

Nanami: Thank you for the compliments! :)

c.p.: Thanks for the nice words!

vortext: Thank you for the high praise!

Themistokles: Thanks for the comment, glad you liked it!

And finally, big thanks to Girafe for the k-point! :)


Silur

Stunning views. Enjoy each of your picture. Great!  &apls &apls &apls

carlfatal

#166
Hehe, once I saw your MD over at ST and left a few comments. Then I had to leave for a while, and now I am back again to see and comment your fantastic work here. This is much better, cause SC4D is kinda place I would call home...  ;D

I needed some time to look to all your pictures here, and well, I had to download them to be able to look at them at any time I want to. Crazy stuff, man, this is overwhelming crazy stuff, and simply awesome to the end of awesomeness. Like many others here I have no words to express my thoughts and feelings. But keep it up: even looking at these pieces of art is addictive.  &apls

feyss

Well, same comment here: it's amazing  :thumbsup:

Akallan

As I said on Simtropolis: great photos! :D
My CJ :


My european road textures project : S N T - v.2.1

911Diva

Wow these are truly beautiful!  Great talent!!

Simmer2

Once again you astound us with these magnificent tableaux &apls &apls

I'm also glad to see some of my MMPs, forever immortalized, in your work.



Nick
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Eblem


ChiefZDN

 :thumbsup:. Even, I can't do that for now because I don't install big mods. I usually install at most 10 mods.

APSMS

Quote from: ChiefZDN on March 23, 2017, 11:02:25 PM
:thumbsup:. Even, I can't do that for now because I don't install big mods. I usually install at most 10 mods.
I have thousands of "mods" but even with that I doubt I will ever create something like this. The amount of skill involved goes far beyond the amount or type of mods/plugins you have installed. Even a brief look at the creation process shows that this is far more complex than simple lot editing or photoshop work.

These are incredible, korver! As usual, of course, but still, you continue to amaze. Reminds me in some ways of Endora (AntimonyCat), in that it's very hard to tell what is real (in-game) and what is merely photoediting, so excellent work there as well (btw, read Endora now if you haven't; some of the images have started to disappear from his Photobucket account--sorry for the random plug there :-[).
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

My Mayor Diary San Diego: A Reinterpretation

kbieniu7

Unimaginable! A true (literally) wonderland! In HD, coulour and stereo! And live!  &apls
Thank you for visiting Kolbrów, and for being for last ten years!

Akallan

Quote from: ChiefZDN on March 23, 2017, 11:02:25 PM
:thumbsup:. Even, I can't do that for now because I don't install big mods. I usually install at most 10 mods.

There is no need to install a lot of mods to create something beautiful. On the other hand, it takes creativity of talent and patience ... What korver has! :popcorn:
My CJ :


My european road textures project : S N T - v.2.1

korver

#176

- UPDATE 15: Central Asia -





Our journey to Central Asia begins with one of the greatest environmental tragedies of the 20th century - the shrinking Aral Sea. In 1960, it was the world's 4th largest lake with a surface area of over 26,000 sq mi - but with the rivers feeding it being diverted countless times for cotton farming, it's less than 10% of that size today. While there have been small improvements in the northern half with a recently completed dam, the rest of the lake is still in dire straights, with entire parts drying up completely in recent years. To make matters even worse, the exposed seabed is littered with harmful chemicals and cotton fertilizers - which have blown over the surrounding landscape, causing a whole host of health issues for the locals who still live in the area. The ship graveyard of Moynaq in Uzbekistan is an eerie reminder of the past - once a bustling port, the city now lies nearly 100 miles from shore.





Further north past the Kazakhstan border is the city of Aral'sk - just like Moynaq, this city used to be a vital seaport in the region. Many people's entire livelihoods depended on their catches, using this port for years - but now all that remains is rusted cranes and ships lining the harbour. There is hope however. While the southern half is likely on it's last leg -  the Dike Kokaral, built in 2005, has been restoring water levels in the northern half of the sea considerably in recent years. There's been talk about the city once again becoming a port - but it'll take quite some time to get there.





The next destination is the Nurek Dam of Tajikistan - one of the most impressive sights in all of Central Asia. Towering some 997 feet above the town of Nurek, this Dam was built by the Soviet Union from 1961-1980 was once the tallest dam in the world. Since overtaken, it's still the largest earthen dam in the world - there's really nothing else that compares to it.





For many people of central Asia, nomadic herding is a way of life. The steppes of Kyrgyzstan are an excellent place to do this with plenty of places for cattle to graze - and the many small creeks and steams that line the valleys make great places to set up a yurt as well. Evenings are special here - there's a simple beauty to watching the sun set over an endless field of grass.





Our next stop is the sacred Namtso Lake, located high up on the Tibetan Plateau. The locals believe that the waters here are sacred and pure, bestowed by Buddha himself - and can wash away the sins of mankind. A number of stupas are located around the perimeter of the lake - used for meditation and to make offerings, they have a vital role in the life of a Buddhist.





We climb further into Tibet and soon approach Lhasa and the Dalai Lama's home - the Potala Palace. This is one of the must see attractions of Tibet - towering above the surrounding landscape, it's been a sight to behold for well over a thousand years. Snowstorms here are rare, but when they do occur it makes for a magical atmosphere.





Travel some 300 miles west and you'll come face to face with the world's tallest mountain, 29,029 ft Mount Everest (Everest seen in the middle - the world's 4th tallest, Lhotse, can be seen directly below it), located on the Tibet/Nepal border. First climbed in 1953 by Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary - some 5,600+ have made the ascent ever since. Despite relatively low fatality rates compared to other 8,000m+ mountains - make no mistake, this is still one of the deadliest mountains in the world, especially in winter.





In winter, no mountain on the face of the planet is more terrifying than the world's second tallest peak, 28,251 ft K2, located on the Pakistan/China border. With winter temperatures routinely in the -40Cs, huge gusts of 30-50MPH winds, and regular avalanches - it's not hard to see why no one's ever made a winter ascent here. With only a little over 300 people making the ascent in total - it's one of the most difficult climbs in the world, and lives up to the name "The Savage Mountain".





-korver


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Replies

Silur: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them :)

carlfatal: Welcome back - thank you for stopping by :) Always cool to hear that about my work, glad you enjoy it! I definitely plan on keeping this up for a while, so keep your eyes peeled ;)

feyss: Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed it!

Akallan: Thank you for the kind comments Akallan, much appreciated :)

911Diva: Thanks for stopping by, glad you enjoyed it!

Simmer2: Thank you for the comment! Always a pleasure to use your MMPs in my creations.

Eblem: Thanks for stopping by, appreciate the kind words :)

ChiefZDN: Thanks for the comment :) Rural scenes like these fortunately don't require a whole lot of mods - it's pretty much all MMPs and a handful of buildings.

APSMS: Thank you for the kind words! Endora is actually one of my all time favorite MDs, it's truly spectacular. Although if I had to describe my MD, it would probably be closer to Huston/MilitantRadical in terms of PS usage instead - not quite on the level of Endora where things like extravagant ships and buildings were completely PSed in. I add alot of effects in PS, but a lot of what Endora did would be "off limits" for me :P

kbieniu7: Thanks for the nice words! :)


manga rivotra

Exceptional as every time!  ::)
My favorite is definitely the one of Kyrgyzstan's steppes : I can not imagine a more perfect reproduction !  :satisfied:

Simmer2

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c.p.

Outstanding, once again. :thumbsup:  My favorite is the ship graveyard of Moynaq.