WEST END

[ejc]

nice work on the LE!

I wish I could play with it, but Windows Vista doesn't let me run it! 

[Jmouse]

ejc, have you tried waiting a really long time for the LE to respond? I'm using XP Pro, and when I first power up, LE can take as long as 10 minutes to run, although 4 to 6 minutes is closer to normal. Later, 1 to 2 minutes is all it takes provided I haven't restarted XP.
Hope this helps, and what do you have to lose but 10 minutes out of your day!

Until next time...
Joan

[paroch]

I'll post full replies later - but for ejc........

I also use vista (home premium edition) and the Lot Editor works fine.  The best advice I can give (and to Joan too) is to remove everything from your plug ins that you don't plan to edit.  This cuts down load times SIGNIFICANTLY.  If I want to create a new park, then I remove evrything except Parks, Trees and Prop Packs.  Before I did this it could take 10-15 minutes to open.  Now, it's open in less than 2 minutes.

Hope this helps.

[Nardo69]

I have been too busy with RLS lately otherwise I would have been here earlier! 

Great work with the soccer fields, I must say I am a atd too lazy to enhance them so I use mainly the ingame one but yours are really great, you do have an eye for the small details! 
I even like the runway and the way you designed the airport (did I ever metioned that I HATE airports?)

Take care and don't forget to make backups!


Bernhard 

[suplado!]

wow -- cool overview of the city..looks like the city is complete with all means of transportation!! really like the small airport and the market in the centre!! also like the small port and the seawalls looks great...

[tooheys]

Paul, welcome to the Classics, a well deserved honour.

The airport looks great (must be good if Nardo likes it  , do you know he hates airports ) and I like the parks and green areas scattered throughout the city.

But, you know me .....



.... I like things level  . Come on, at least the soccer (sorry, "football") pitches need to be flat.

Good to see you working with the TPW, well done.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Cheers

Dave

[Ennedi]

Hello Paul,

I had less time last few weeks and now I see really dtrong development in West End! 

I like your general views - my favourites are Airport & West Central and Downtown, Industrial & Old Port districts.
I agree with Dave - it would be good to level at least football fields, if you won't do it, scores can be completely unexpected 

I must also say I like your LE attempts! 
I think it is very good to start from smaller and simple lots and make them in some variants, I want to do the same 

Good luck Paul!
Adam

[paroch]

Hi all,

My governmental area is not complete yet (for various reasons), so just some replies and one teaser......

REPLIES:


Sebes:  Thanks for the compliment - I'm just glad you like it.  As for the sea walls - yes, I know I need some more variety.  I'll add it to the long list of things to download.  I'm sure I'll find Marrasts ones here on on the STEX.

Joan:  Good to see you here as always and I'm glad you liked the update.  And yes, having your own LE creations does make a difference to your own sense of satisfaction - although it means the city building and updates slow down!  As for awesome footsteps - well I have big feet, but awesome? ?  The TPW is relatively easy (and fun).  And if I can help on anything feel free to ask here or by PM. 

Leo:  Good to see your first comment in West End.  And four thumbs up - well that sounds good. 

Bat:  Thanks my friend.

Dustin:  Thanks for the compliment.

Capo:  It's funny you say each update is better than the last.  "Better" of course is very subjective but I can certainly see how my building style has changed.  And with the comments and supports you guys give, it can only continue to get "better"!  And yes, the football park looks similar to one near me, and I guess there are similar ones all over the (football playing) world.

ejc:  Thanks and good luck with getting LE to work.

Bernhard:  Hey, now if you HATE airports then I have to take that as a compliment!

Suplado!:  Thanks for the comment and I'm glad someone mentioned the market.  Those lots took me AGES to get looking how I wanted!

Dave:  Thanks for the compliment.  ANd as for the football pitches - I deliberately built the lots to have a degree of slope conforming.  The football pitches in Runwell Park near where I live are also uneven, so believe it or not I was actually pleased with the slightly uneven look.  Now of course, a professional, or even semi-serious pitch would need to be flat.  But having said that Barnet FC (of the English football league) are famous for their pitch which has a slope!  But I take your point and I often go around "flattening" things with your words ringing in my ears!

Adam:  Thanks for the comment and glad you like the developments.  And as for unexpected scores West Ham recently beat Manchester United 2-1 ....... now that was unexpected!!



OK, not a full update but here is a teaser pic from my governmental developments in Oxford.  This is the National Assembly Building.  It's a re-lotted version of Meister Z's Rathaus.  I was hoping for some more suitable commercial development opposite the building but demand has fallen off a cliff since I've been doing some re-developments in the city centre, grrrrrrrr, I'll have to keep trying.



I'll try and get a full update soon - but as Joan says - better to wait til it's right than rushing one through!

'til next time............

[bokrif]

Nice start with the government update.

[Jmouse]

Great looking building, Paul. I'll be considering some medium and large government centers myself in the weeks to come. Of course, there will have to be some LE work involved, though!
Anyway, I always look forward to watching WEST END get bigger and better!

Until next time...
Joan

[sebes]

I like that building very much Paroch - and also the waterfront right behind it 

Looking forward to the rest of the Government District!

[bat]

Great teaser there! Looking forward to the update...

[tooheys]

Hmmm, well it's reasonably flat  Sorry, Paul, it's time I gave you a break, I do like what you are doing and my continuing harping on one point must be annoying. But.... (only kidding  ).

Keep the residential development up in Oxford and the commercial area across from the NA building will soon take off.

You have placed that building beautifully, and the surrounding pathways and waterfront are nicely done.

Looking forward to the full update.

Cheers

Dave

[paroch]

REPLIES:

Bokrif:  Thanks, and here's more......

Joan:  Thanks and good luck with your development.

Sebes:  It took me some time to decide on the "right" building, so I'm glad you approve.

Bat:  Thanks.

Dave:  LOL, no need to give me a break.  I did flatten the ground around the Assembly building to make the park better - see what you think.



UPDATE 17:  13th January 2008


Well this update has taken me much longer than I expected to prepare.  Mainly a result of making some custom lots and also getting sidetracked into tidying up my plug-ins, running Cleanitol and DAT Packer and having to replace a load of stuff that I accidentally got rid of!!

West End has reached the point where it is now big enough and confident enough to go it alone, so has declared independence from Sim Nation.  Population continues to grow and is now at 551,000.  Of that about 190,000 are in the borough of Oxford, the capital of West End.  So I want to use this update to tell you about this new nation and how it is organised........

17.01  West End Flag:


A simple flag.  The first person to guess why I chose this flag will get to name something in the next update!

Also, if anyone is able to make a flag like this for me to use in-game, or tell me how to do it, then I'd be really grateful.


West End is a democracy, with two elected executive bodies; the President and the National Assembly.  The President is the head of state and is elected on a four-year term.  He (or she) sets out their vision for West End - they get elected by telling the people what they want to achieve, what their priorities are and what their beliefs and visions are.  As head of state, the President is also the figurehead of the country.  The President doesn't have to be affiliated to any particular political party.  I'm assuming that at election time, there will be a candidate representing each of the main political parties plus a few independent candidates, who may be well respected businessmen, police or military officers or just a high profile West Ender who has wide popular appeal.

The President's residence is Nieuw Amsterdam Hall.  This presidential palace was built by Sebes' fine countrymen and is located right in the centre of Oxford, on the Oxon Plaza.

17.02  Nieuw Amsterdam Hall:

This is a slightly relotted version of Kwakellar's Kolhof Palais.


17.03  Stock Exchange:

Financial stability and growth is a key factor for West End.  The country has plans to become one of the major global financial centres.  The Stock Exchange is on Oxon Plaza as well  - this way the President can keep his eye on the market.



17.04  Oxon Plaza:

This is the very heart of the country, with the Stock Exchange, President's residence and the Central Station.  In good times and bad, crowds gather here to either cheer and support the President or to demonstrate.
In this picture you can also see both types of bus that West End uses.  The red double deckers and the white "First" busses.


17.05  Overview of Oxon Plaza and Nieuw Amsterdam Hall:

The main city road travels from left to right across the square.  You can see it's morning rush hour, with trains arriving at Central Station every few minutes, full of commuters. 
Looking at this picture now, I realise I need some more "grand" or "landmark" building around the plaza - maybe an opera house, or theatre?  Your thoughts are welcome.


OK, so that's the president.  He sets the agenda and he tells the National Assembly what areas he wants them to focus on and to produce legislation on.  Then it's over to the Assembly who debate and legislate.  The Assembly is dominated by the major political parties in West End, and each member of the assembly is elected on a five year term.  So, at least every 20 years the Assembly and Presidental elections take place at the same time.

Once the Assembly have voted and agreed on legislation and issues they go to the President for approval.  The president has two choices.  Either he approves the legislation, or he sends it back for changing.  He cannot send any legislation back more than twice.  The third time it arrives on his desk, he has to approve it or put it to a public referendum - when the public must decide whether to back the President or the Assembly.  Clearly, he can only do this so many times before the public get fed up.  He has to judge the public mood very carefully - if the public disagree with the President too many times his position becomes very difficult.

The Assembly is headed by the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the political party with the most members.  The Prime Minister has to effectively run the Assembly and drive legislation through.  When he and the President agree on matters, things run very smoothly.  When they disagree, it gets interesting!


17.06  National Assembly Hall:

Here is the National Assembly Hall where it all happens.  It is right on the sea front.


17.07  Reverse View:

And here looking back onto land.  I thought it was quite a nice touch when Hooters grew opposite the Assembly Hall.  There was a rumour that one Assembly Member got caught with one of the Hostesses!

And also, there is Chuck E Cheese.  Now this hasn't reached the UK yet, so I have to ask my American and Canadian friends to tell me what on earth Chuck E Cheese is all about!  And whilst I was taking the pics it got upgraded to some small Commercial mid risers.


17.08  Justice Ministry and Exterior Ministry:

Nearby to the Assembly Hall is this complex that houses the Justice Ministry (left) and the Exterior Ministry on the right.  (I've always liked the sound of the Minister of the Exterior!).  These two departments are responsible for law and order and for West End's relationships with other countries.  They are also very close to the Diplomatic Zone (where the cranes are). 

The Exterior Ministry is in the process of applying for membership of the Independent Pact of Nations, IPON.  West Enders believe that as a newly independent nation they should form alliances and firendships with other independent countries without giving up any of their new found freedoms.  I'll keep you posted on our progress towards membership of IPON.


17.09  Finance Ministry and Embassies:

On the left is the Finance Ministry.  On the right is the Embassy of The Republic of The Liberty Islands.  At the bottom is the Consulate of Qumma.


17.10  Diplomatic Zone:

And here you can see the buildings I've just mentioned plus the ongoing construction of the Diplomatic Zone.  There is still room for some more embassies / trade offices.  If you'd like to be represented here, just let me know which building you'd like.  If you want a ready made one that's fine and if you want to make your own custom lot then that's also fine.


17.11  Hotels:

For anyone visiting the city on political business, these two hotels close to the Assembly Hall and the Diplomatic Zone are very popular.  It's also been rumoured that this is where the Assemblyman got caught with the hostess from Hooters!


17.12  Health and Education Ministry:

Kensington House is the home to the Health & Education Ministry.  It seemed appropriate that as these two are next to each other on the SC menu that they could have a joint ministry. 


17.13  West End United Stadium

You may recall from the football tournament that one of the main stadia was in Oxford.  Well, due to trying to level some land, I lost the stadium and replaced it with this one.  It's called New Canio Park.


17.14  Citywide shot:

To help you get your bearings, here'e the key:
1- Nieuw Amsterdam Hall (Presidental Palace)
2- National Assembly Hall
3- Exterior Ministry
4- Justice Ministry
5- Finance Ministry
6 - Diplomatic Zone
7- Stock Exchange
8- Oxon Plaza and Central Station
9 - Health & Education Ministry
10- West End United stadium (New Canio Park)
11- West End Tennis Stadium
12- Oxford University
13- Magnusson Point, tallest building in West End.

I may redevelop the University - it doesn't have much room there and the land would make prime residential zoning!
Commercial development is expected to grow along the main road which runs from the Assembly Hall up to Magnusson Point.  The sea front is the place to be, both for residential and commercial development in Oxford.
Medium and low density residential is expected to border the Caven Canal in the bottom right of this picture.


17.15  Oxford Regional Shot:

I envisage that the sea front and river fronts will be home to the majority of development, with more rural communities being inland and up in the hills.  You can see they're starting to merge into each other - which is why I'm now referring to them each as boroughs, not cities.  I can see Great Portland and Oxford being part of one mass urban sprawl.  At which stage it's more appropriate that they are both boroughs of the same city.  So, I'll need to think about that for a future update.


I hope you've enjoyed this update - a bit more text than usual!  I'll focus on showing you more of the borough of Oxford next time.  I want to place a building to be the Prime Minister's office/residence, so if you can think of an appropriate building, just shout it up here.


'til next time...........

[rooker1]

Hey paroch,
I have been lurking for the last couple of updates.  Now I had to ssay something this time.  Great update and I really like the region pic.  I like to see what people have done on a larger scale.  As for myself, I have never done a region as much as you have .  I usually loose interest and start a new map.  Great job.  You still need a sidewalk modd.  I personelly hate the changing colour of the sidewalks.

Robin 

[mattb325]

Hello Paroch.

I have enjoyed reading through this journal. Well done.

I'm glad to see you experimenting with the LE - customising the game (including customising other people's custom creations    ) is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game for me.

I enjoyed this last set of updates - I partcularly liked the busy scenes and the general chaos of the city area - it looks like it really has 'evolved' over time (and is still changing).

I particularly liked shot 17.14

[Jmouse]

Hey Paul, I hardly know where to begin commenting on such a massive update, so I'll just start at the beginning.
The UK flag contains the crosses of three patron saints. Scotland is represented by the flag of St. Andrew and Northern Ireland is represented by the flag of St. Patrick.
England is represented by the flag of St. George which contains a simple red cross on a white background. Except for the colors, it is identical to the flag of West End, so that's my guess.
The government buildings are well crafted, well placed and complimented by the beautiful landscaping. You HAVE been busy, haven't you! I especially like the seaside location you have chosen for this complex.
17.07: Worry not about Hooter's proximity to the National Assembly Hall. Be assured that it is perfectly normal for members to have diplomatic relations with W.J.'s ambassadors!
BTW, Chuck-E-Cheese is a restaurant chain in America which caters to children and is a favorite parental choice for birthday parties. For a price, you can let the kids run wild and somebody else will clean up the mess!
I especially like the Ministries in 17.09. The design is hardly "simple," but it has a crisp, clean-cut feel to it. And I see you have dueling cranes in the Diplomatic Zone which will soon be replaced by dueling diplomats (break out the banjos)!
As for the annotated overviews, you know I love them. As stated in the past, we know our own cities by heart, but it's easy for a tourist to get lost.
You are doing well with the LE and you're far ahead of me. I see many details which I suspect you have added yourself, and they make West End that much more special.
Oh, and don't forget to make Hooter's historic!

Until next time...
Joan

[bat]

That's a wonderful update there, paroch! Great work on that governmental area!!
Also fantastic overview!!

Looking forward to more...

[Giligone]

Sweet cities. Great work all around.

[nedalezz]

Lovely update, paroch! Well the red cross is definitely a representative of England, and my guess is the light blue is somehow related to West Ham FC. I know that the colours or Light Blue and Purple, so perhaps that is the relation?

Anyway, I love the Consulate of Qumma! Working hours are 9-5 Monday to Fridays, and we are also open from 9-3 on Saturdays! Come on in and find out all about investment in one of the hottest markets in the world! We'll even serve you coffee (or tea).