WEST END

[tooheys]

Nicely done Paul, love the tennis complex, that's one magnificent centre court 

Tooheys (Dave):  LOL, scruitinise away my friend.  Whenever  I build a sea wall that is not quite level I can hear you in my head saying "well, that's not right is it!"

Well as an Aussie, I would probably say "thats not bloody right" but close enough 

One suggestion if I may, the elevated highway should be pretty well flat. There will always be climbs and falls but they will generally be gradual and there shouldn't be any little "humps", these would normally be ironed out.

Looking forward to seeing the diplomatic zone.

Cheers

Dave

PS:12.03 seems to be missing.

[nedalezz]

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT FROM QUMMA

The QEC would like to congratule West End for their successful entry into the Qumman market, and would like to specifically thank Ulrtan Fuels and Parochian Steel, with the latter becoming only the 2nd factory to open for business in Qumma. Furthermore, we believe that both companies will go a long way in helping Qumma economically grow, and their success will encourage other foreign investors to do business in Qumma.

The QEC views the country of West End and its people as kind, friendly, and helpful souls and have such exempted West End manufactured products from any import tax in Qumma. This will encourage Qumman traders and importers to consider West End when it comes to buying their goods, as they can now get it into the country cheaper than any other. We also have drawn up a buyers guide for all Qumman traders, introducing them to all big and reputable West End companies.

We hope this signifies only the beginning of an everlasting relationship that will be very beneficial for both countries. Thank you again, our brothers and sisters of West End.

If there is interest in viewing and reading information about the new companies that opened up in Qumma, please visit the Qumman MD.

[paroch]

REPLIES:

Joan:  You're right, OSITM was tiring .  Plus with the run up to Christmas I've had a lot of after work stuff, so less time for SC4.  Thanks for your comments and your PM.  I will come back to Oxford and the diplomatic zone - but I've been working on something else first.

Bat:  Thanks as always.

Nedalezz:  Thanks for your support and glad you like the embassy building (it had to be a Mbear one of course).

Tkirch:  Thanks and no, I can assure you there is no tennis tournie around the corner .  I may weave in a storyline that features it though.  Also, a BIG thank you for the link to the Region Census.

Capo: Very kind words there - I appreciate your comments.  And Roger Featherer made me laugh .  Maybe I can incorporate him in the story when I come back to Oxford.

Dave/Tooheys:  Yeah that centre court is an amazing building.  10/10 to the creator.  And thanks for the comment re the highway.  I now have the slope mod installed which will help.  Because I'm playing on a pre-formatted map, the terrain is quite bumpy and I often forget to flatten it before certain projects.  I'm hoping for your input on the pics in this update, 'cos boy, do I need your advice for the TPW.  And 12.03 seems to be there now - I know Image Shack does some weird things sometimes.

Nedalezz:  I love the way you build your story and how you phrase your updates and comments - thanks, I am enjoying the Qumma/West End link up.


UPDATE 13:

I thought it was time for a region overview.  Population figures are now:
Residential:  464,478
Commercial:  226,895
Industrial:  68,186

And thanks to Tkirch for pointing me in the direction of Region Census, here are some region shots:


13.01  Region overview:

You can see that development has focussed on the east coast and moves inland.  That west still looks pretty wild though!


13.02  BIG region view:

Click on the thumbnail for the full size pic.


Interest in the diplomatic zone has been limited, so I have focussed on Cavendish, a large tile that looked suitable for a rural/farming community.


13.03  Cavendish Region View:

And this is the tile I've been working on recently.  It has a nice valley between the two sets of hills.  This land is very fertile, so is ideal for farming.  It's also home to West End's first TPW river.  The River Caven.
The odd empty square in the top right is the Cavendish Wind Farm - see below.
I have planted more trees since this pic.


13.04  Cavendish Traffic View:

You can see that two motorways skirt the edges of Cavendish.  The one to the right goes into Oxford.  The one on the left goes south into Great Portland and north into the undeveloped area.
The green "A" road is the main route through Cavendish.  I've not numbered the roads yet.
There's only one station in the whole tile so far.  This part of the railway is not the mainline, so traffic is reasonably light.


13.05  Cavendish Wind Farm 1

The Wind Farm is arguably Cavendish's most striking feature.
Here you can see that a large area of forest was cleared on top of the hill to make room for this wind farm.  The people of West End are aware of the environment and agreed to erect these large turbines, evn if they're not the prettiest things.
You can see the generating plant and the connection down to the main grid.


13.06  Cavendish Wind Farm 2

Here we zoon in a bit.  There's a fence around the farm to keep trespassers out (thanks for the link Joan).
In game I just love the way the windmills move, the shadows work beautifully too.


13.07  Cavendish Wind Farm 3

And here we zoom again.  You can see the gate house and the generating plant - and those great windmill shadows!


13.08  Riverside Hamlet

So here's my first attempt with the Transparent Ploppable Water.  I know it's not a brilliant effort, so any input, advice or feedback from you guys (and definitely from you Dave) would really be welcomed.  Maybe there's a tutorial you can recommend?
Anyways, here are a few houses that people who have always dreamt of a countryside retreat would like to have.


13.09  Transition

From TPW river, to canal.  I struggled to decide how to do this - Hiding the connection under a bridge was the best I could think of.  There must be something a bit more subtle - so any ideas are welcomed.


13.10  Green Bridge

Here is one of the bridges over the River Caven.  I followed the "land bridge tutrorial" from on this site and it was very useful.  I'm pleased with the result apart for the fact that I could not plop water under all of the bridge. 


13.10  Covered Bridge

I really like the Dutch Barn Farm.  And the bridge is quite interesting.  But again, I couldn't get the TPW under all of the bridge - help!!!


13.11  Stone Bridge

Now, I really like this bridge.  The slope mod works a treat in making it look good - BUT that pesky TPW again.  I really need some advice here guys and girls!


13.12  Riverside Farms

A riverside farming scene.  I like the greenhouses there.


I hope you've enjoyed this first visit to Cavendish.  Next time I'll show you more of the town itself and the surrounding countryside.

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

[sebes]

Nice update and great pictures Paul. The greenhouse in 13.10 caught my eye, but the ones in 13.12 are awsome indeed. I love greenhouse, especially in the evening and night: they set the area in such a great glow !

[Jmouse]

Thanks so much for the full-size region photo - you know how much I like to see "The Big Picture!" . I hope you'll update it as WEST END grows.
I really like the winding road in 13.05, and as a fan of shadows, I like 13.07 as well.
The neighborhoods look good, and I think you've done a very good job on the TPW, especially for your first time out.
I've been experimenting with it myself, and here's a link to some grass (and lots of other good flora) that I found helpful: Linkie
13.09 is way out of my realm , but I imagine Dave will offer some suggestions. The stone bridge in 13.11 looks really good and adds a lot to the rural atmosphere.
And if you don't mind, I have a suggestion after looking at 13.12: Consider backing off on those farm fields by the water by a grid or two and replace them with the trees, rocks -- and grass if you decide to use it! I live in a rural area and I've seen some of the huge machinery used in the fields. In RL it would be impossible to tend fields that close to the water. Besides, your riverbank is a jewel and deserves a special setting all it's own!

Until next time...
Joan

[tooheys]

Hehehe, welcome to the trials and tribulations of TPW 

First of all, a great update, and despite the obvious problems under the bridges, you have done a fine job with the TPW. 

There are a several different options with the TPW, but only one offers the 1/2 size lot. This does help a bit when in tight quarters, although I have found through a bit of experimentation, the longer the bridge span, the better the result.

13.10, well keep experimenting, sooner or later you will get the TPW to plop how you want it. You could always place a boulder or two there.

13.10 (No.2  ) and 13.11. With such narrow spans, from my experience, it will be difficult to get a reasonable result. The covered bridge and narrow spans just don't seem to work well with the TPW. Having said that, you can sometimes fluke a combination that looks great (although you might have noticed, the view angle also has a big impact).

Paul,  I'm afraid I'm not much of a teacher, regardless, feel free to PM me anytime. But my best advice, find a free tile, create a TPW river/creek/steam and experiment.

I will be watching with interest to see what you can come up with.

Cheers

Dave

[suplado!]

wow -- cool overview and the region is really great the mountains the rivers, and the settlement fits well together...also nice idea on the transition!! i think ill try it too..hehe!

[bat]

These are some great new pictures there, paroch! And wonderful river there, too! Also a fantastic overview of that city.

[nedalezz]

Wow, huge update! Fantastic one at that, too!

The Region Census looks great! I downloaded it but never figured out how to work it

I am loving Cavendish! Its so calm, quiet, very rural small town America feel. I like the houses near the ploppable water, which IMO you did a fantastic job on. And the transition between the canals and the ploppable water doesnt look bad at all!

My favorite pics of the update have to be the two 13.10s with the bridges. That is just beautiful.

[Pat]

Paul i picked a wonderful time to poke my head back in here... Well wow lets see here to start im gonna say about 13.9 and that is the most creative way of hidding the transition that i can think of wow!!!

OK on to 13.10 green bridge: What ive found useful is what dave said have a larger span works the best and in that small of span i would use the bigger size TPW and plop till its right... If i still had a gap i would cover it up with some rocks and what not... thats the best i can offer on this one

13.10 Covered bridge:  OK i noticed the gap in there and the only way to avoid a gap like that when trying to place tpw is to have a flat land under the bridge... Of course that means before you place the bridge and while you have the river flowing with game water is to make sure its flat there...

13.10 stone bridge: Well that is very good and the only fault is the gap in tpw and that can be again covered with rocks and water flora that would work and for water flora check here [linkie] and you have to be registerd at gizmo's site to get the mod and its waterflora mod you want...

OK Paul in other news the update in a whole is wonderful and really enjoyed it!!! if you havent seen what i do with PW and TPW check out my MD and that will give some and i do say some helpful pointers by pics... See you soon pat

[paroch]

REPLIES:

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions - it's what makes this such a great forum.  You guys are certainly helping me build better cities with your support, tutorials and ideas - THANKS.

Sebes:  Yeah, those greenhouses reminded me of flying into Schipol at night.  Loads of HUGE greenhouses lit up for miles (or is that kilometres?)

Joan:  No worries - I'm glad you liked the region shot.  And big thanks for the linkie, I've downloaded them and played about already.  Thanks for your comments re the winding road and shadows - I knew you'd like the shadows!
And I've re-worked 13.12 (see below)

Tooheys:  Thanks for the comments and the thumbs up.  Not sure how I managed two 13.10's
But I have re-worked the covered bridge - to much better results, so thanks for the tips.

Suplado:  Welcome to West End - your first comment I believe.  Thanks for your comment and I have enjoyed your pictures in the competition - I must come over to your MD.

Bat:  Thanks my friend - Glad you liked the overview.

Nedalezz:  The Region Census confused me a little to start with because it kept delivering an error message - but ignore this and then select "file" and "open region" then locate it from your regions folder and away you go.  If you need any help just PM me and I'll try to help.  Glad you like Cavendish.  Small town UK/Europe is what I'm aiming for, but I'll take the compliment anyway   Bridges re-worked below, hopefully you'll like these too.

Pat:  Good to see you again.  It's funny, because I thought the transition in 13.9 was "cheating" but a few of you liked it, so I'll use it again   Thanks for the linkie, I've now downloaded them.  And yes, I will study your pics in more detail - after all, you are the daddy of water and waterfalls!!

OK, after all your comments I re-worked the bridges and some of the riverbank - here they are:

13.13  New Bridge

This was the 13.10 Covered Bridge.  OK, so it's not so "small town" but I think the effect is loads better.


13.14  Stone Bridge

Now, in re-working 13.11, the span got bigger.  I kinda preffered just the one arch, but think that the water looks better here.  And as Dave said, the angle of the pic is all important - here it's swung through 180 degrees.


13.15  Riverside Farms

This is the 13.12 picture re-worked.  I've taken Joan's suggestion and pushed the fields back a bit.  I think to good effect, so thanks Joan.  I play the game in constant daylight, so must turn night "on" to see if those greenhouses light up.


Well, not really an update, more a re-date!!!

'til next time.....

[Jmouse]

Oh yes, yes, yes Paul! These are exciting improvements you've made. The riverbanks look so much better, and you were able to keep that lovely stone bridge. Also I like the variety of elements you've used next to the water.
Actually, I like the two arches in the stone bridge, too, but I wonder where you got the flora in the near-bottom center in the water. It looks like some I've discovered in LE, but what I found is a prop and not available to plop. I like it, though.
Anyway, you're way ahead of me on TPW and bridges, but I'm thinking of trying a small pool "just to get my feet wet."
No awful pun intended, of course!

Until next time...
Joan

[bat]

Nice pictures of that river which is looking great! Also wonderful work!

[suplado!]

cool pics...really like the small town and the farm fields looks great!!

[bokrif]

Nice update. The Qumman Consulate looks nice.

I've been busy, but as soon as I can play SC4 I will make the West End Embassy for the appointed ambassador.

[Pat]

Paul I love how well you took everyones thoughts and Idea's and then you improved upon your last update... Keep Up the hard work and btw ima mer apprentice I would call Rayden or David True Fathers of Water works...

[jmyers2043]

@ Paroch

That little industrial in your picture 13/07 does look like a power plant. Great idea. 

[nedalezz]

The new bridges look great! Your work with the ploppable water (I believe that is what the river is made of) is fantastic, and the way you place the stones, rocks, and trees around it is so life-like. Very nice stuff!

[paroch]

REPLIES

Thanks for all who viewed and left comments:

Joan:  Hey, you liked it then?!  It's nice when your efforts are appreciated - so thank you   As for the water flora - it was the linkie provided by Pat just above (BIG thanks to Pat).  It's over at Gizmo's site, you will need to register first and it's the Water Mod under "miscellaneous mods".  Here's the linkie again http://gizmo.lunarpages.com/index.php?action=filedownload&sa=miscmods

Bat:  thanks as always.

Suplado!:  Thanks for your visit.  I finally got round to visiting your MD - WOW

BoKriF:  Thanks for your visit and comment.  I will very soon build the Liberty Islands embassy - I'll PM you a preview!

Pat:  Hey, nice comment, cheers.  For me, part of the appeal of an MD is that people are good enough to make suggestions and more often than not they are great suggestions that help me improve what I do.  You're a modest guy.  Not checked out Rayden's work but will do so.

Jmyers:  I have a lot of your BATs and I love them, so a comment from you is MUCH appreciated.
I must confess that the "power plant" grew by chance - but the minute I saw it I made it historical!

Nedalezz:  Thanks for the great comment.  I must confess that the Ploppable Water is fun to work with and I'm pretty pleased with the results and glad you are too.


UPDATE 14  - More from Cavendish

14.01  Cavendish Overview

Cavendish is a large tile rural farming community that sits in a valley.  There are high hills on either side and the River Caven flows through the farmland.  The whole of Cavendish borough is home to 9,848 people, the majority of whom live in the town of Cavendish itself.  There is one other small town in the borough, Lane, plus a few villages.  There are 5,208 commercial jobs (again mainly in Cavendish itself) and 5,390 industrial jobs, the bulk of which are spread across the numerous farms.
There is a small industrial estate down in the South East of the borough next to the Motorway and the border with Oxford.

The South West corner of the borough has yet to be developed and is likely to be taken up with more farms.


14.02  Farms and Power Lines

Here the farms are bisected by the power lines that come down from the wind farm up in the hills.  You'll see that flowers are grown extensively in Cavendish.  They are high quality and are exported daily all over the SimWorld.


14.03  Farms, River and Small Settlement

This is the same bridge as in 13.13 above.  The small village is a sought after location, with its own school.


14.04  Stone Bridge

This bridge seemed popular, so here it is, zoomed out with a view of the surrounding fields.  That vineyard is one of the main wine producers in West End.  The climate isn't really good enough for top quality wine, but they produce a half decent sparkling wine - our version of champagne.


14.05  Orchards

Plenty of fruit grown in the valley as well.  Pears and apples are the two main crops.


14.06  More Farms

This shot is from the very south of the borough.  You may recall I was having seriously weird shadow issues in some of my Regent pics - they seem ok here.


14.07  Cavendish centre

I must confess that this town was not planned particularly well regarding zoning - everything is a bit mixed in together.  But I kinda like the result.


14.08  Station Square

The rail line through  Cavendish is not on the West End main line, so trains are not that frequent.  But plenty of freight trains take the produce out of town.  Some townsfolk travel by train to Oxford to the main financial district.


14.09  Cavendish School

Here's the main school in Cavendish.  First time I've used this park set - what do you think?
I would really love an athletics track on grass, a bit like the football pitch, but an athletics track painted on to grass.  They are so common in English schools that I'd use it in most of my schools.  Does any one know of one or do you think it's something that could be easily produced??  Could I produce one - never done a bat and only basic lots before??  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.


14.10  Smart Neighbourhood

Here's a nice leafy neighbourhood just north of the station.  These houses crop up a lot in West End.  I think this pic is "typically West End".


14.11  Lavender Row

Here the main A road enters the centre of Cavendish.  A side road runs either side, so this gives easy access to the main road but also means traffic on the residential roads is lighter.  As a result some serious "executive homes" have been built.  Either side of the main road is row after row of lavender.  I made this lot using capo's tutorial - simple but it achieved the look I wanted.


14.12  Cavendish Tykes

Here's the home of Cavendish's own football team - the Tykes.  Small town, small team, small stadium!  The trouble is that many residents are fans of either West End United in nearby Oxford, or FC Portland in nearby Great Portland.


14.13  Snake Pass

There are two routes from Cavendish east into Oxford.  One is on the fast, modern, safe motorway.  The other is this road, snake pass.  It winds its way up and over the hills.  The road is old, slow and dangerous, but the views are great and it is still very popular.


14.14  Helvetia Manufacturing

I try to play SC4 with as little "cheating" as possible.  But sometimes money gets tight.  I don't use a money tree, or other such lot.  I use the Helvetia Manufacturing plant.  It seems to generate about §1,500 taxes and provides some high tech jobs.  (I also sometimes use the oil rig).
Helvetia are one of the largest employers in all of West End, and here in their Cavendish plant they make components for the automotive industry.


14.15  Industrial Estate

Straddling the motorway on the Oxford border is this industrial estate.  You can see that there are some waste to energy plants plus various small scale industrials.


14.16  Lane by day

Here is the "second" town in the borough, Lane.  It's a self contained small town/large village with its own school, church, police station, fire station and a few shops.  You can see it nestles between the main A road and the river.  I think it's a cute kind of place.


14.17  Lane by night

And when I was over at Gizmo's site I couldn't resist downloading this mod.  I know there's nothing fancy or flash about this picture, but I think it sums up just what a sleepy place Lane really is!



NEXT TIME.......  I've had limited interest in the Diplomatic zone so far.  Evergem/Biroud and Liberty Islands are due to open embassies in Oxford and Wildcat Junction is drawing up plans for a Trade Office.  So, please feel free to send me your suggestions or ideas for your region to be represented in West End.

I've also got that south west corner of Cavendish to fill in, so maybe we'll be back here for one last peek!


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

[Jmouse]

Absolutely love the city overview, Paul. A few small towns surrounded by farm land looks so realistic. You'd think it would be an easy setting to create, but so far it's been beyond my abilities. I always end up packin' 'em and stackin' 'em!
The farms look great, and you've done a good job on the riverbank.
Also, I love the closeup of the little town (14.07), and the more upscale neighborhoods look very nice as well.
As for the grass track, you might find what you want in the LE. I'm certainly no expert, but I do have a few tips I can send in a PM when time permits.
Snake Pass certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but scenic as you pointed out. Are you planning to add anything to the roadside?
The industrial area (14.15) fits in well, and the "second" town (14.16) is delightful, especially at night!

Until next time...
Joan