Three Rivers Region

[Silur]

Hi, David ...
This is simple photo from me and my family - Yes

[rushman5]

Please keep up the progress, and as always, there will be excessive shunning and booing if someone doesn't put up the flag!

[dragonshardz]

Please keep up the progress, and as always, there will be excessive shunning and booing if someone doesn't put up the flag!

No kidding!

[dedgren]

A year and a half ago over at 3RR-ST [linkie] I lamented as follows:

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On June 29th, E.J.C. wrote

I never see an elevated highway in the middle of "somewhere" ;-)

Actually, E.J.C., I have.  It was in western Sicily on a trip from the place I lived in Italy, Monte Calvarina, during the very early 1908s 1980s (Thanks, S_A!).  I was touring by train and on foot visiting the various Greek and Roman temples on the island, and from the temple at Segesta, one can see a miles long stretch of autostrada, elevated for no apparent reason, crossing a valley.  I have a picture of it buried somewhere in storage- I took it because the elevated section struck me as really odd at the time as well.

But the elevated highways of SC4?  Give me a break!  They are completely unrealistic in a rural setting generally, and are not much better in urban settings.  Most urban elevated highways tend to run on earth or concrete berms for any distance, and are only on columns or stanchions when they cross other roads, rail lines and such.  So I agree with you totally- the elevated highway around Johnston's Corners in the pics on page 14 of this CJ is absolutely misplaced.

So why is it there?  Bluntly put, because of the current limitations imposed by the absence of highway overpass and interchange puzzle pieces in the NAM.  Saying this, by the way, is in no way intended to knock the NAM, which is an effort of Herculean proportions on the respective parts of those involved.  More than any other single "user contribution" to SC4, the NAM expanded the game's horizons beyond all limits.  It's just that those guys (and gals, I'm sure) couldn't do and, to the extent the effort is still alive today, can't do everything.  I would give anything to have puzzle pieces that would allow "up and over" diamond interchanges like those that are so common here in the 'States... 



...to be realistically incorporated into the SC4 freeway system.  That pic, by the way, is I-88, the East-West Tollway, over Winfield Road just northwest of Naperville, Illinois, where I grew up.  These, by comparison, are just not acceptable.

Here's another thing the NAM should allow us to be able to do.

The divergence of a limited access highway into two highways, or into a continuation of the highway and a surface road is extremely common, especially as is the case in much of the rural United States. where, outside of towns, the interstate that was built to replace the former US highway, was built right on top of the old right of way.  At the edge of town, the interstate and old highway would diverge, with the old road becoming the "business route" into town and the interstate bypassing it to one side.  This is what I was trying to model at Johnston's Corners.  The above pic is the junction of US 40 (Colfax Avenue) and I-70 just east of Aurora, Colorado, where essentially just that is going on.

There's been a pic of a junction sort of like this floating around the various NAM topics for over a year.  Wait a minute...ahhhh, yes, here's one.

I'm sure someone P'shopped this, because it was around way before the last iteration (October, 2005) of the NAM.

Here's what I've been doing as one kind of workaround.



The exits to the east and west of Johnston's Corners are another makeshift substitute for what I hope someday will be offered as the real deal in the NAM.

Okay, so back to my use of elevated highways.  In order for the "workaround" exits to be possible, I have to use the NAM elevated highway "perpendicular one-way road" exits.  Why don't I use the corresponding ground highway exits?  Because they don't exist.  If, as in Johnston's Corners, the highway turns on the diagonal, it has to stay elevated.  Why, Because no diagonal elevated-to-ground highway transtition piece exists.  Again, NAM Gods, I am not complaining.  I know you all are overworked just making incremental progress on something that is really, really hard.  And you are doing it for grins.  Maxis/EA could fix this for us next week, I'd bet.  But they won't.  And for no better reason than because they are busy doing the  Rural Bumpkin expansion pack for The Sims2.

So that, E.J.C., is why you see elevated highways where they shouldn't be in 3RR.  I'm going to really make an effort to minimize their use where I absolutely don't need them from this point on.

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That first pic again...



...and the NAM Gods now speak...



Well, cross that one off the list.  This is to die for.

* * *

Much, much more on this topic later.  Today I'm doing crop circles and runway work.


David

[Pat]

David that is looking real good and wonderful, Hmmmm crop circles and more runways... I sooooo cant wait to see more on them...

[Kitsune]

Yes, the MiS is the best thing put out in ages - I myself am going nuts making parclos and make shift SPUI's - its great!

[mightygoose]

still its only the early stages of the MIS, there is so much more to come and thats what gets me really fired up for sc4...

[Ryan B.]

David, thank you for the PM.  The amount of work you do with this is astounding; to do this, lead a normal life and STILL find time to message all of the Regulars* . . . . . I'm amazed.

* For those of you who don't know, a 3RR Regular is someone who has posted at least once in the 3RR threads either here or at ST.

[Giligone]

Oh wow! That interchange is amazing. Is that available yet? Great work folks over in NAM team! 

[thundercrack83]

Magnificent work with the MIS, David! I've said it in the RHW/MIS thread, but it bears repeating here (and everywhere!)--this has and will continue to revolutionize this game! I can't wait o see how you put it to work even more!

And thank you for the PM you sent to myself, and all the 3RR Regulars. It's just another way that proves that both you and 3RR are special!

Dustin

[Filasimo]

great updates you got there david,
i lurk in here from time to time but wanted to drop by and say hellos! as for that pic that EJC showed, its now possible to recreate that interchange with the new RHW version 

[dedgren]

So here's what I have spent my afternoon doing.  Note that these are just the textures- Matt (threestooges) and I still have all kinds of stuff up our sleeves that we have planned to make them "ready for prime-time."

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#2


#3


These are big puppies (24x24).  They are seen here on an quarter (128x128) quad (middle-size city).

#4


Razor-straight edges will be a big target.  Ploppables work just fine on the corners,

#5


This is the only view level moire patterns (those counter-circular interference lines) are an issue, and they're not that bad.

There'll be future developments in center pivot irrigation farms, yah sure buddy.

Later.


David

[bat]

Great work on these textures! Looks really nice!!

[bakerton]

That is looking great david. Keep it coming. JKB

[dedgren]

Caution,

...well, that just about says it all...

* * *

Our good friend and 3RR Collaborator Matt (threestooges) has whipped up a prototype center pivot irrigation apparatus.



It looks pretty great right now, imho.


David

[thundercrack83]

"Prototype?" If that's the prototype, I can't wait to see the next edition! Excellent work both to you, David, and to Matt on these great farms! I'm eager to see the finished product!

Oh, and...2497...

Dustin

[Jmouse]

Awesome! The irrigation apparatus is something I see all the time, although nothing as fancy as threestooges' center-pivot system. It will be interesting to see these designs in an actual game-play setting.

Until next time...
Joan

[freedo50]

Wow, great stuff David, I can't wait to try these out! That irrigation system looks cool too, any chance it will rotate?

2499

Fred

Well done Kitsune, I got to close page 125 though, so I'm happy 

[Kitsune]

Awesome looking! And post #2500 

[Travis]

Hey David- great work on those textures. I really should post here more often, but there's not much else to say that hasn't been said a million times before. Your work is too good to describe in words.   

Later David.

PS: Congrats on 2500 posts. Time really flies, doesn't it?


EDIT:  I remember commenting to John (Darmok) way back when in Anduin Valley Revisited [linkie] that this situation was "being overdrawn at the superlatives bank."  Not that I don't need at some level the warm fuzzy glow all those kind words leave, but just knowing that you and all the Regulars are keeping up to date is probably the biggest reward of all. -DE