Commonwealth of Marathon

deathtopumpkins · February 21, 2009, 09:04:17 AM

Hehehe... nice water damage!

I think I can make out a few stadiums in there though...

Jmouse · February 21, 2009, 02:42:00 PM

We used to have a clumsy copy boy like that - I think he's the Senior Editor now.

Looking forward to seeing the redeveloped photo!

Joan

art128 · February 22, 2009, 01:56:33 AM

Dustin, the sport complex is finely done ! Wow -- can't wait to see it on a general view !
Also the newspaper is very greatly done my friend, excellent work.

Heblem · February 22, 2009, 02:01:24 AM

Can't wait what you have prepared for us! also I do really like your train station, eager to see how you'll develop that area.

Take care

thundercrack83 · February 22, 2009, 02:08:39 AM

Matt (threestooges): Hi, Matt! Thank you so much for your input on the bridge, my friend. And, knowing your CML, you know your bridges! I like your idea with the pillars in the middle, too, and will definitely be looking into ways to work around it so the bridge is a bit more realistic. With the slopes so close, though, it might be a tough fit. But we won't know unless we try, right? Thanks again, my friend! Take care!

bat: Thanks!

Guillaume (Sciurus): Thank you, my friend! The image was just a bit of a joke, actually. It doesn't really represent anything...yet!

deathtopumpkins: Ha! You've got some good eyes, there, my friend!

Joan (Jmouse): Hi, Joan! You know those unpaid interns, they just can't seem to do much right! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!

Arthur (art128): Hi, my friend! Unfortunately, it's not finished, but development is coming along quite nicely! Thanks so much!

Heblem: Gracias, my friend!

UPDATE XXIII
Don't You Feel Like You're a Rider on a Downbound Train?
Part II: Completion...For Now, At Least!
22 February 2009

So! Where did we leave off last time? Oh, I remember—

Here! We have the rail lines from the station at the level needed for something that more than one of you guessed would be their next route, a tunnel!

Creating an underwater rail tunnel is the same as creating an underwater road tunnel, so if you are unsure how to do it, but want to make one with roads, avenues, etc., instead of rails, it's just as easy as substitution.

Here goes!

Our initial step is...

...to make a land bridge across the water body that we want our tunnel to traverse. The roads on each side are placemarkers for me to know where the rails are supposed to be on the other side of our future tunnel.

Next, we...

...make a trench across the land bridge so that each side of the tunnel is the same elevation, making it easier to have them connect when it's time to bore the tunnels.

With...

...preparation of the other side finished, we then move on to...

...building our tunnels!

There's number one, and...

...there's the rest!

Now comes the part where things can go south on you if you're not careful and you have to start all the way back at square one:

Carefully—I cannot emphasize this enough—start removing your land bridge and replacing it with the water. I would recommend saving the tile before undertaking this, that way any misstep would not result in going all the way back to the pre-land bridge phase.

Do one side...

...and then the other, followed by...

...some clean-up and cosmetics on the island side of the tunnel.

Here's an overview of the the tunnel.

I'll point out quickly now that absolutely no thought has been put into where things will go once the rails reach the other side of the tunnel. That's part of an immense, ongoing mental exercise that I have been contemplating almost constantly. It's also another show!

We'll go back to the island end of things for a second...

...and examine our tunnels. What can we do here? Well, the answer is...(and I'm sure a lot of you know before I even get there!)...

...the non-slope conforming lots from earlier! Above is the north side, and here's...

south...

...and west.

Thanks to these lots, we've opened up...

...another can of LE worms!

So that's the story on the Marathon Central Station (working title, I'll probably come up with something a bit better). Rest assured, we will be visiting this area later when the surrounding sections—which will be considered another quay like our sports complex one—are out of the preliminary stages and have a bit more development!

More when we return!

Alfred.Jones · February 22, 2009, 02:14:37 AM

Looking very nice Dustin

Those lots look great

bat · February 22, 2009, 02:30:44 AM

Nice work on these rail tunnels there! Looking forward to more...

kimcar · February 22, 2009, 06:54:37 AM

Very original all these tunnel and thats look quite good too .Have fun

Sciurus · February 22, 2009, 07:21:50 AM

It just impressive those tunnels!

Guillaume

thundercrack83 · February 23, 2009, 01:38:30 AM

Alfred.Jones: Thank you, my friend! I'm glad you think so!

bat: Thanks, bat!

kimcar: Thanks so much!

Guillaume (Sciurus): Merci beaucoup, Guillaume!

Nothing new to show right now, I've been at my girlfriend's house since Thursday night and I haven't been on my own computer. She has school at 8:00 AM (about 3½ hours from now), so I've been banished to the living room so she can get a good night's sleep.

While I was out here, though, I did notice that we are less than 150 away from...

20,000 views!

Or, for you fans of scientific notation...

2.0 x 10^⁴ views!

EDIT: Or for our hexadecimal fans, thanks to our good friend Joe (JoeST):

4E20 views!

That's approximately 181 views a day for 110 days—November 5, 2008 to February 23, 2009. We're also on the cusp of 800 comments as well.

I simply cannot believe all the support I have gotten here and I am truly and deeply indebted to each and every one you. You have made making this MD the most fun and exciting projects I've ever embarked on here. Without all of you, Marathon would be nothing.

Thank you all so very much, my great friends!

Back to the grindstone when I get home tomorrow!

art128 · February 23, 2009, 01:48:06 AM

Ah.... Wow.... This is just enormous Dustin, the only few things I can say !

Oh no, not the "puissances" in french, one of the most easier chapter of the mathematics in my grad at school, but one of the most bored too !

As well, congrats on less than 150 away from 20.000 views.

JoeST · February 23, 2009, 01:48:56 AM

hehe, thats an awesome number

and in hex: 4E20

JOe

Sheep49 · February 23, 2009, 12:50:15 PM

That's a real milestone there, Dustin! Congratulations on so many views!

And for all those binary fans out there, it's (now) less than a hundred left to 100111000100000 views!

Sorry for not commenting on last update, Dustin. I was too busy in my RL and was too excited that the new GRV starts to comment in MDs. All I can say is that the twenty third update was really awesome! Although that building strategy is not new to me at all (first used it back in SC3K times

), it's always great to see those different versions of tutorials. It gives you a clearer view on the subject in my opinion. Also, the area around the railways looks truly lovely with those non-slope conforming lots. I'm also wondering what is that lot in the preview going to look like... Probably it'll look great, as most of the things you make

Keep up the great work!

Piotr

Oh, and would forget... From today on, your MD is the owner of the Sheep49's Seal of Quality!*

*Keep in mind, this is an unofficial award given by me to the MD that stands out and impresses me very much.

Battlecat · February 23, 2009, 12:59:35 PM

This is an amazing project. Your latest update says it all, that is a huge rail network! Looking forward to seeing more!

deathtopumpkins · February 23, 2009, 01:58:52 PM

Nice look at making an underwater tunnel, Dustin!

And congrats on all of those views... quite a milestone.

Haljackey · February 23, 2009, 02:05:26 PM

Geesh, that is one big, wide railway. Nice job with the terraforming and the sloping, especially with the creative undersea tunnel!

That ave overpass must have been built with a super-strong material, it has no support beams!

Anyways take care, and an early congrats on the milestone you are about to reach! (19,948 at the time of this reply)

Best,
-Haljackey

Pat · February 23, 2009, 02:16:36 PM

Well Dustin I would say your trucking along here but that wouldnt be right at all

I think it would be better to say your tracking along here lol.... Looking good and I like those stats and how you broke it down!!!

Alfred.Jones · February 23, 2009, 09:23:09 PM

Congrats on over 20,000 or 2.0 x 10⁴ or 4E20 views!!

thundercrack83 · February 23, 2009, 10:18:20 PM

Arthur (art128): Thank you so much, my friend! Without you, we wouldn't have made it this far!

Joe (JoeST): Hi, Joe! I added the hex number in for you! Thanks for stopping by!

Piotr (Sheep49): Wow! I got the big stamp! Thanks so much, Piotr! You never have to worry about missing an update or being to busy to comment, my friend—I understand completely, I'm pretty excited to see how GRV goes, too! Thanks so much for all your support, Piotr. It's very much appreciated and means a great deal to me.

Battlecat: Welcome to Marathon! Thank you so very much, my friend! I hope to see more of you here!

deathtopumpkins: Thank you!

Haljackey: Hi, there! Thank you for your great comment—I'll be looking to find a solution to the bridge situation, it is quite long, isn't it! Hopefully I can come up with something that's not only realistic, but satisfies my need for order! Thanks for stopping in!

Pat: Thank you so much, my friend!

Alfred.Jones: Thank you! We made it!

Yes, we made it, indeed! In what ever language or notation you say, Marathon has made it to 20,000 views!

I'm back home now, and with a brand new computer in tow! Whilst transitioning some things from my old one to the new one, I've had some time to play around in the LE...

Getting started on filling in the area around where our rail tunnels are located.

In addition to the 20,000+ views, we're also dangerously close to 800 comments, as well—I believe this post is the 798^{^th}? Well, whichever post it is, I am deeply grateful for posts 1 - 799 (excluding mine, of course!), and here's to 800 more!

Thank you all again, so very much, friends!

In a bit!

Alfred.Jones · February 23, 2009, 10:26:27 PM

Congrats again Dustin

I really like that Lot! Will look great once you have it amongst the rails!
Nice computer as well

Well done on receiving 800 comments as well