WEST END

[JBSimio]

Ahhh... That's the hint I needed!  I was expecting something much shorter... not that these are huge by any means, but definitely taller than I was expecting for the area.  I'm pretty sure that both of them are the 900 Building by JMeyers...

JB

[paroch]

Nerdly Dood:  Hey good to see you here again and thanks for the tips re NAM textures.  I must confess I don't pay that much attention to them, so your help is appreciated.

Bat:  Thank you and yes, counting down now.......

dandan 777:  Welcome to West End.  Thanks for dropping by.  I'm pleased you liked the farming area – the meditteranean feel was not a deliberate thing – but if you like it then that is good for me!!

Arthur:  Thanks.  The map I am using is so huge that there will be need for many more farming quads like this, so I am pleased you liked it – there will be more to come!!

Sebes:  Anything to get you out of lurk mode has to be good!!  I hear that they have reserved a table for you  – so please pop in again!!  As for the re-build plans...... it will be a mix of both.  Great Portland will be done first.  This will be the main port of West End, so will have much more water this time.  But it will keep the NRG Stadium and also will have high rise buildings on the north bank of the River Dinnium – the airport will go though as a new one in Carnaby will be unveiled before then.  As for Regent – it will still be the "Vegas" of West End, with its own version of the strip.  I think the Regent Royals will deserve a new stadium by then, but it will be in a similar location.  Regent was home to the original "Little Amsterdam" - do you think I should do that again, or has Kingly made that idea redundant    The choice is yours Sebes.

FrankU:  Great to see you here again – I have very few comments from UK members, so I kind of think of the Dutch SC4D members as my adopted countrymen (maybe Kingly has something to do with that!!).  And believe me, as an MD'er a "wow" or a "hurray" are ALWAYS appreciated so please feel free to comment any time 

As for your questions....How much time?  Well, I find the small rural quads can be done very quickly – maybe two hours from start to finish.  Because the farm zones cover such a large area, they can be done quickly.  I find the urban and suburban quads take more time – for two main reasons – (a) with more people you need to get the layout right, or you get no jobs and abandonment and (b) I usually have an idea of how I want things to look, so it can take longer to get it just right.  The Piccadilly quad took me about 2 months to complete!!  I did not add up the actual hours, but it must have been over 50 hours of playing to get it just how I wanted.  I have almost finished the next new quad (Carnaby) and although it is a large quad, it was much quicker because it is at least 30% covered with farms.  I hope this answers your question. 

You also asked about developing rural quads in an urban area.  Well, small quads are not a problem, as I-Ag demand is always high to start with – it seems neighbouring quads do not impact this – so it is easy to zone farms.  With large quads – you MUST build all of your farms before you make the quad too developed with R and I.  As soon as R zones grow and sims get educated and I zones grow and cause pollution, I-Ag demand will fall.  So, for a large quad – you need to plan in advance and build all the farms first and then zone in your R, C and I.  You can have some R zones early – but only low density and not too many.  I hope this helps.

Jon x2:  Funnily enough I am not sure which farms are Maxis and which are not.  I use the Maxis blocker – but obviously not for I-Ag – something I will change for a future quad.  And yeah, I like the streets going into the farm – but it doesn't always work, so lucky growth and selective bulldozing is required.  And congrats  on guessing the buildings correctly (even if you needed the extra picture!!)  I have PM'd you with details of the prize plus some "sneak peek" pics of Carnaby.

Matt:  Hey stranger!!!  Great to see you in these parts again.  I like your thinking on the buildings and I can see where you are coming from with the spa angle.  I use a Maxis blocker (except farms – see JBSimio response above), so that was a bit off-mark.
Thanks for the great comment and compliments and as a result the estate agent (US translation = realtor) has found a great semi for you in that neighbourhood and in the current market climate, word is you can get it for a knock-down price.  Btw, I seem to think the Marina was your suggestion, so thanks for taking part in that.

Shaun:  Ah, so maybe those mobile shops are right then!!  And yes, I tend to be a "once it's done, it's done" kind of player – although I am multi-quadding to a degree at the moment!  Off to Upton Park later today, so COME ON YOU IRONNNNNS!!

Pat:  Well thanks for thinking about those building.  So many of them grow in West End, I kinda assume everyone knows them!!  See below for the answer.  And yes, the count down to 1,000 is underway now!!

Dustin x2:  Hey great to see you again.  I know that with the Stats plus your own MD being in OSITM, time is at a premium, so no worries.  I have a feeling West End will only just get to 1,000 replies before CoM!!  And the rebuild is only because those quads have become "infected" and will no longer open and they are not finished – so needs must.  I wonder if you worked out which building it was?

Joan:  Glad you like the highway.... but you'll see below that it got changed!!  Thanks for the words re the quad – I thought showing the development would be interesting.  As for those MH's, I've just had a BRILLIANT little area grow purely with them, it's a few updates away but I think you'll adore it!! 





First things first – I asked you to identify the growing buildings.  JBSimio got it right – and here they are fully completed.


It is The 900 Building by JMyers.  Part of a great set of small commercial buildings that grow profusely in West End.  JBSimio has been PM'd with details of his prize – watch this space for future updates where it will be revealed.



And this is Berners after the re-development.  I guess in some respects it's a bit unrealistic that there would be tow such buildings in this type of village – but hey, they're there now and part of the make-up of this little place.



Here is the junction with the motorway.  In many respects this is very representative of many UK junctions (remember we drive on the left).  But I can't help thinking that the connections are not quite right.  Maybe I need to play with MIS/RHW more to get the hang of it.

Let's head out into the countryside now and see some farms.....






You know, the more I thought about the RHW, the more it bugged me.  And when I did a traffic data query (sorry Joan, I forgot to take a pic), I found that NO vehicles were using it.  Plus, it messed up my region traffic view.  Grrrrr, it bugged me.  So, I decided to scrap it and revert to traditional motorways!



Here the bulldozers are starting work – the left hand connection has gone.



And now the whole highway is removed.



Traditional Maxis Motorway is restored.  You know, it is kinda more representative of the motorways where I live, and also of what West End is about.  Whilst I have a huge map, the area has quite a high population density and space is at a premium.  Plus, cars are now running on the motorway again and the region view traffic map makes sense again.



The junction is much simpler now, so some re-zoning was required.



The finished village – hopefully you'll agree, quite a nice place to live.



The region traffic view.  You may notice the motorway does not line up from Piccadilly to Carnaby – don't worry, I know and this does get sorted out!



The region satellite view.  The area marked in blue is the rural quad of Hay which is the focus of the next update.  A similar quad to Berners but we'll be looking at is slightly differently


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

[bat]

Your newest update looks great! Wonderful 12 updates! Nice work on that rural town! And your region overview looks beautiful!

18 more replies for 1000!


Oh, And this is my 6500th reply at sc4devotion...

[JBSimio]

Nice update, Paul!   

I really like the overview in 75.02... but it's the farms in 75.04 that really grabbed my attention.  I don't recall seeing the one near the bottom with the open air barn before.  I probably have it somewhere... but I'll have to look to make sure.  Either way... "rural bliss" is a very fitting description if you ask me.  (But then, we all know I have a soft spot for farms now, don't we?)

I would have to agree with you and your thoughts on the RHW mod.  I really thought it would be something I used extensively when I first downloaded it, but I find that I rarely use it even still.  For me, this is just a personal preference and I don't think there's anything "wrong" with RHW by any means!  I just found there were a few unavoidable limitations that I didn't like to work around.  I think your traditional motorway fits in just fine and I like the look of the rezoning as well.  The only thing I might suggest would be the smooth 45 degree curves from NAM on the motorways... it appears that you should have enough room there and I think it add just a touch more to an already good looking area.

With all the praise you give me for region shots, I have to say that yours are pretty darn spectacular as well!    I know I mentioned it before, but I really like how your urban and rural areas mix together and switch back and forth so often.  The smaller pockets of each element combine to create a lot of visual interest.

I've recieved your PM and have been thinking everything through.  I'll try to get back to you with all the answers tomorrow. 

See you next time, my friend!
JB

[Simpson]

Hi Paul

I have missed some wonderful pictures there and for that, my friend, I am very sorry 

Update 73: Fantastic update, as well my friend, I love picture 73.08
Update 74: Wow, your region is superb , I love picture 74.09, this is so réalistic . The city looks good too 
Update 75: Again a fantastic update Paul!! The RHW is perfect, I love all the fields in the general picture

I'm looking forward to the next update my friend
Take care, David

[bokrif]

Barnes looks really cool. I like it.

A little advice: if I know it correctly you can drag the RHW one-way road into the roundabout, which looks better in that way.

Also, have you considered using the asphalt textures for the RHW?

[Jmouse]

Hi Paul! Love the 900 Buildings even though I wasn't quick enough to identify them in the growth stage! I like those dirt roads, too - they give the scene (75.02) a nice country feel and help all the elements in Berners work well together.

The farms are charming, and I wonder how they would look with a fence here and there. We have a lot of unfenced crop land around here so your representation is quite realistic, though. I think the problem is mine - I just have a lot of disconnected ideas at the moment and don't know what to do with them!

The revised transport layout looks much better and more practical - it's exactly the way it should be IMO. And of course, the overviews - both of them - are awesome! I know you said not to worry about the misaligned road, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose some sleep over this until it's fixed - you know how I am about that sort of thing!!

I can't leave without commenting on 75.12. The overview is just stunning! You have done great things with the shorelines and created an overall layout which compliments the terrain. This is an accomplishment you have every reason to be proud of!

Later...
Joan

[Splime]

Wow, this is a really neat region! I love how that village looks.

Also, where did you get that traffic view mod?

[thundercrack83]

Hey, Paul!

Alas, the 900 Building was not the one that I was thinking of...but, hey! Congratulations to Jon for getting it right! I can't wait to see the surprise you have in store for him, my friend!

Oh, and those region views? Tremendous.

Incredible work here in WEST END, Paul!

Dustin

[FrankU]

What an enormous region!

And thanks for your answers on time spending and rural development. I didn't know the small tiles could get developed even in large developed regions.
I usually play with large tiles, because I tend to feel claustrophobic on small tiles.

[thundercrack83]

It's Christmas here in Pennsylvania, so I thought I pop in here to WEST END and wish you a Merry Christmas, Paul!

I hope you have a happy holiday, my friend!

Take care!

Dustin

[Lilojame]

Hi there!
I missed an update here it seems and I am very sorry for that. This month is a bit frenzy for me...

I very much like how this little Village looks (I am a fan of villages, lol, since my country is composed of mostly that  ). Those two 900 Buildings may look a bit strange to be there for many people BUT it is quite a common sight around here so it works just fine with me. 
I like very much how the farms look and blend in.
I don't know, but I think that the maxis highways actually looks better in this village of yours (no disrespect meant towards the RHW) from some reason.

In any case, it is always a pleasure to visit West End!

Karin

[tooheys]

Merry Xmas Paul, hope you and the family had a great one 

Good to see the Rural Hwy mod making an appearance, although somewhat brief. Keep working on it, but can i suggest that with the off ramps, start them a bit further back and the offramps should merge nicely into the roundabout.

Quite a nice little farming community you have put together. Like the winding roads, look great  . Don't know why I haven't tried that yet.

Good to see the traffic overlay, have to keep Joan happy  and the region overview shows you have put a lot of thought in the overall planning, all fits together nicely.

Great work mate.

Cheers

Dave

[warconstruct]

superb area my friend, excuses me not to more often leave of message but I visit your city regularly .
I like always as much your way of played, the countryside is very successful !

My Trieste city is always active, I made a request for reactivated, you can always go to look on TSC, Trieste is updated often .

Merry festival , Mes meilleurs voeux 

[paroch]

Bat:  Thank you Bat – yes close to the 1,000 now.  Hopefully this update will take West End beyond that magic figure.  And congrats on your 6,500 posts.

Jon:  Great comment – thanks.  I have to admit I'm not sure which farm that is either.  And maybe I just need to play with the RHW more, or maybe I'm just too set in my ways!  I'll have to check out the NAM 45 degree curves for motorways – I guess I must have hem, just a question of finding them in the menus.  And thanks for the compliment about the region shots.  I have to say I am quite pleased with how they've developed and once the Great Portland and Regent quads are re-done that will make a massive difference I think.

David:  Thanks for those great compliments.  I am happy that you liked those three updates.

Krisztian:  Thanks for the suggestions – I will have to look at the RHW texture mod.  And thanks for the double post!!!  I brings me nearer to 1,000.  I guess you pressed the button twice!

Joan:  Well, maybe I'll do another "guess the building" and see how you do.  As for fences and farms – yes I know.....I keep meaning to put some in (and I have in Carnaby!)  You are right, some farms with fences would make a big difference.  And the mis-aligned road has now been fixed but it'll be an update or three before you see that!!  BIG thanks for the compliment about the Region view.  I hope it will only get better.

Splime:  Welcome to West End!!  Thanks for your comment and as for the traffic view modd – it is the OS Region Transport Map Mod by She Who Will Not Be Named.  I think I got it from the STEX but I could not locate it now, so cannot provide a link, sorry.

Dustin x2:  Cheers for those words and better luck next time I play "guess the building"!  And a Merry Christmas to you too Dustin – may 2009 bring you all you wish for.

FrankU:  You're welcome – and yes, I think I prefer large tiles as well.  This was a pre-made map, so it has a mix of all tile sizes.  The small ones can be good as they can be done so quickly which makes a nice change.

Karin:  Hey, no problem – I know that there are only so many hours in each day.  And yes, sometimes you have a building that stands out from the rest – as you say, it happens!!  Always good to see you here, hopefully I'll see you again soon.

Dave:  Thanks for the suggestions re RHW – seems the jury is mixed on whether to use RHW or Maxis Highways!!  And thanks for the comments re the farms – I do enjoy building them.  The region is progressing further as I've had some time to play and I hope you'll be pleased with the results.

Paul:  It is always good to see you and I hope you are well.  I miss Trieste and would like to see it active again here at SC4D, I'd be a regular visitor for sure. 




It's time for another West End video – probably the last one of 2008.  We recently visited Berners – well now we're going to Hay, which is another small quad located directly below Berners.  In many ways it's a very similar quad, so I thought I'd share the development of Hay with you by way of a video.

As always, click the link and turn up the volume – today's video contains singing from the Hay Village Church Choir!  I do hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/v/3-KISfQ8bnI&hl=en&fs=1


I will soon be ready to move on to Carnaby and the new International Airport.  I'd really like to have flights from West End to as many other MDs as possible – so please, if you're happy to join in, please let me know the name of your airport (even if not yet built!!) and which airline can fly there (WestJet is the national carrier of West End) and I'll then feature this in a future update.  It would also help if you said where in the world your MD is based, as I am trying to create a world airline routes map!!


I also want to say thank you to EVERYONE who has posted here in 2008 – without you posting comments, West End would cease to exist!  Here's to next year and I hope 2009 brings you all you wish for.

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

[warconstruct]

wow splendid vidéeo ! ! excellent job 

[Schulmanator]

Great video! Always a pleasure to see your work. 

[bat]

Your video is very nice! And the idea is also nice!
Great work on it!

3 more replies for 1000!!!

[cowcorn]

Well... well... Your MD did start about the same time I stopped playing... so lots of catchup to do. I actually went through the whole thing. That right all 50 pages of it. It's hard to comment anything specific on such a large body of work but I'd say the presentation of movies is such a great way immerse ourselves in this. As a bass-trombonist my favorite has to be the choice of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet... I had the chance to play it (in a concert band transcription however) and I can say playing such a large and heavy theme is really a blast on my instrument! 8) (I say that positively, even though blasting means playing without controlling the sound on brass horns...) So I look forward to more of you and if I have any suggestion on a future choice of soundtrack that might thrill me I would say maybe some Richard Strauss... or Beethoven... see A Clockwork Orange and 2001 : A Space Odyssey

Anyway great work!

[threestooges]

Nice work on Berners and Hay Paul. The video was very nice. What program you you use to compile it all, and is it what allows you to do the pans and zooms or is that an effect from the image capturing? WestJet, great name for what I'm hoping will be a great airport (though I don't think I have to worry too much). It might just give me some inspriation for when one gets built around Greenacre (GNX). In case I don't chat with you before then, Happy New Year. Also, it looks like you're getting close to another milestone.
-Matt