Welcome to Elizabeth County

[projectadam]

Welcome to Elizabeth County



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page One:
0 - 20 Years
0 - 20 Years Replies
20 - 25 Years

Page Two:
20 - 25 Years Replies
25 - 30 Years
25 - 30 Years Replies

Page Three:
25 - 30 Years Replies (Part B)
30 - 35 Years
30 - 35 Years (Part B)
35 - 65 Years

Page Four:
Where Art Thou Projectadam
TWAS THE NIGHT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ALL THROUGH BRASKA
65 - 70 Years

Page Five:
Housekeeping

INTRODUCTION

What is it?!? The River Region of Braska is an area that is developed closed to a historical representation of the Midwest in the United States. What exactly does a historical representation mean? Well due to the lack of custom content, for the early 19th century the buildings and cars being all over the place will be a little out of context BUT I will try to follow as much as I can with the period following limitations to the game. This means that skyscrapers NOT going to be around for a long while. Trains NOT going to be around for a short while. Paved roads NOT going to be around for a while etc...

Some of you might remember that I tried to do something like this about half a year ago and failed. One major problem was that at the time, I had a laptop and it could not handle the amount of content I had. Game play became extremely slow and it was unbearable to play. Shortly after I quit playing my hard drive completely fried out on me. WELL we have a new computer and have brought out the big guns to handle the region (Intel Core 2 Quad CPU @ 2.67 GHz and 6 GB of RAM).

I plan to do an update once a week with replies halfway between the week. For starters, 20 years of game play will be in-between updates and as we approach the present fewer years will go by between updates. I very much wish that I was a genius at Photoshopping like many of you are but I am afraid I am not. The majority of my pictures are going to be coming straight out of the game (and when I say majority I most likely mean ALL). I am looking to gain much more from this than most other authors. I strongly recommend criticism as long as it comes with a solution. I can handle hearing "that looks terrible, might I suggest this in its place." Hopefully I will improve significantly as time goes on in this journal but at the same time I hope that I can inform others about significant building events in the United States history (although I do not think I will be quite as good as doing it as Professor David can).

Therefore, with that being said I hope you enjoy your visits here, learn a little bit and suggest A LOT!!! If you stumble across an interesting article or just some general knowledge about city development, railroads, major transportation, etc... please share it, I know I will be interested in learning about it and can almost guarantee that someone else will be too.

[art128]

great map there projectadam 
can't wait the first pictures 
Arthur

[dedgren]

That's some beautiful terrain and an excellent background statement, my friend.  Don't sweat the PhotoShop skills- some others of us (me, for instance) are similarly challenged.

The next installment is eagerly anticipated.


David

[Lilojame]

Hi!
The terrain you coosen looks realy nice and it will be definetly interesting to follow its evolment. I also liked your written introduction into this MD of yours. Eagly anticipating the updates!

Wish you best luck with your goal! 

[projectadam]

I almost have the settlements up to the first 20 year interval and hope that by the weekend you will get the first pictures of the development. In the mean time, here are two teasers. I also just wanted to say that it is a good time to be an author of a MD or a player of this game. Individuals keep pushing the limit and far exceeding anything anyone could have imagined when this game first came out. People wonder when SC5 is going to come out? As far as I am concerned, IT HAS. THANKS TO ALL THAT ADD CUSTOM CONTENT TO THIS GAME!!!





What ever did we do before seasonal custom content was added to the game? Probably the same thing everyone did before the invention of the T.V.

[metarvo]

This is a good start, projectadam.  It appears as though you are well on your way to creating a realistic rural area.  IMHO, this is one of the most difficult parts of the game, simply because rural areas are more random and rarely stick to a rigid grid pattern.  Nonetheless, you have done quite well, projectadam.   

[sim-al2]

What did people do before the invention of TV? Anyway, those three pictures look great. Can't wait to see more!

[Lilojame]

Hi!

Great looking teaser-pictures. The first one is specialy eye-catching with those lovely colours of fall and subtle sunlight.

Hm, what did people do before the TV? Well, they listened to a radio, go to stage-plays, play board games, take strolls in the parks etc. etc. 

And I do agree with you on the note of SC4 being "SC5" because of the wonderful creations. 

[Evillions]

There's a truck in the picture. If it's a modern one with 18 wheels. Then please get parts that look 19th centry. or better yet did they inveted grain silos.  Like the big one in above.

EDIT: While constructive criticism is always welcome here, your general tone does not seem constructive. There's nothing good that you can point out? I think you can do better that this. - Dustin (thundercrack83)

[sim-al2]

Pretend it's a backwards rural community... with some big cranes around? 

[projectadam]

The First Twenty Years: Settlement Begins


00 - 20 (Year Founded in Parentheses)
New Jamestown (00)
Jacksonville (00)
Jacobsville (05)
Williamsburg (19)
West Platte (19)

Welcome back to the river region Braska or welcome if this is your first time here. For the first update twenty years have passed and we now find ourselves somewhere in the early 19th century. As Evillions pointed out there is quite a bit of content that is out of place. I agree with him and would love it if I could make Sim City look like this,



Unfortunately, that picture took somewhere between an hour to 2 hours to complete and I just do not have the time to do that for every picture. My main objective was also to grow the cities as if they were just starting out. Maybe I should have never said that this is going to be a historical represented region but also do not know how I would have justified waiting almost half a century before railroads even shows up? If anyone has any suggestions on how to state the objective better please let me know.

Moving forward you can notice that five settlements have developed. New Jamestown which is located just North of the Braska River (the region shots so far have been with a South orientation pointing up, in the future I will rotate it back to North to save some confusion). New Jamestown was the first settlement of the area. This is where I will be busted by the time police again but I just could not help how funny I thought this picture was. What would an early 19th century town be without a XXX video store?



The next settlement to be founded is the one nearest to New Jamestown directly west (to the right on the current region view). Jacksonville was established around where a fort used to stand. General Jackson was granted some land for his service to his country and he took that land and developed a town.



Coming back to just across the river from New Jamestown is the village of Jacobsville. The main reason that New Jamestown and Jacobsville were founded was because of their proximity to the Braska River. Just down the river, there are sudden depth changes and a rocky bottom making navigation almost impossible. Many boats stop at one of these settlements to unload their cargo where it is dispersed from there. Watch in the future as these developments follow the river in their development.



The next two settlements were founded back out by Jacksonville. These two developments both were established by business associates that got into a fight over a business decision. Businessperson John Williams was so upset over the fighting with his partner that he left Jacksonville and founded Williamsburg. His business collaborate George Platte, not to be outdone, also left and founded West Platte.





Hope you have enjoyed your visit to Braska River and will come back really soon.

Replies:

art128: Arthur, thanks for stopping by and I hope you stay around to see how everything develops.

dedgren: David, hope you enjoyed the next installment. Always great to get encouragement from someone who has made such a huge impact on MDs.

Lilojame: Thanks for the wishes of good luck, if only I had your ability to create such great in game pictures!

Metarvo: Hopefully we will be able to get some good looking rural areas but growing up in the Midwest I am a big believer of the sections of farm ground so there will be quite a bit of big grids in the region. At the start at least.

Sim-al2: I do not know what they did before television but I am guessing it was not near as fun after it was invented. I will use it to make the same comment for the seasonal changing fields found in Sim City 4.

Evillions: Yeah, there is going to be a lot of out of place content but even with all of the great content out there I still do not feel that you can create a true 19th century atmosphere. I hope you can overlook this because I think the development of the region will be interesting and hope you make it back.

[blade2k5]

Nice start to your MD.  The map is a good one and I like how you're starting out with farmland, which also looks fabulous.  Look forward to seeing more in the next update

[dedgren]

And anticipation is well repaid.  I remember driving for miles on then unpaved US83 in Nebraska in the early 1960s- the rural west was not settled all that long ago.

A great trip, my friend.


David

[projectadam]

We are making progress on the region slowly but surely. The five towns that are already settled have seen a major growth and looks like this update will only be a 5 to 10 year update. Do not worry though because with the added growth of the settlements and the addition of 2 - 6 new settlements the next update should be packed with excitement. Here is just a little teaser, what would a Midwest town be without a Farm and Fleet?



Replies:

blade2k5: Thanks for stopping by; to hear that you think the map is good really means a lot from someone who has the map-making skills that you do. I hope you will become a regular here.

David: Thanks for being a repeat customer As my region gets closer to the present day expect to find many of your great projects along with others to be used quite a bit. As for good old US83, a road that I have been on many times although it was always paved when I traveled it, I am wondering if you went south of I-80 on 83 and if you did, I wonder if the water tower that looks like a golf ball was there when you were on it?

301

[Lilojame]

Hi there!
Hoho, things are on the roll here. I am sorry, to check back in so late... Thanks for the compliment there. If you want any help with that feel free to pm. 

And now to your update: The region picture looks good. I am a bit bothered with the gridines of the farm fields there BUT that is meerly because here wehere I live we dont realy have that. As for the pictures that you have taken, they are very nice shots. The first (after the region shot) and the last one in the update are especialy nice looking.

Nice teaser there also. A question tho: are the sidewalks by the "dirt" road they intentionaly?

I am looking foward to see more!

[metarvo]

It looks like you have done a fine job of constructing a small town, projectadam.  I have heard about the midwestern farm grids before, but I suppose I was biased on this subject since the farms in my area are usually more random.  Even so, this is becoming a very good MD, if I do say so myself.  Keep up the good work, projectadam!

[projectadam]

20 - 25 Years: A Little Town Called Washington


20 - 25 (Year Founded in Parentheses)
Washington (22)
Beatrice (23)

Welcome back all of the loyal followers that post/lurk and welcome if this is your first time here. This update is going to focus on only one town, which I am quite fond of and find it interesting. Washington was founded in the 22nd year after development first began in the River Region Braska. Washington was founded because of the river business that brought in fishing, goods, and the first ferry crossing in the area due to the rocks that are along the river directly to the northeast. Unfortunately, as settlers become more aware of the river, ferry operators will be able to navigate the river along the rocks and the major growth will bypass Washington and settle in New Jamestown, Jacobsville and Beatrice. The other larger cities on the river will become the major attractions to take advantage of the business along the river and Washington's glory days will only be after its first several years of settlement. For now, we will look at the seasonal looks of Washington. Enjoy and have a great weekend


Spring


Summer


Fall


Winter

For a bonus picture this week, I thought I would take something from real life. I think when you sit down to create a region in Sim City 4 it should be a good mixture of both what you know and what you have seen in places you have not been. Therefore, I have chosen a picture from the area that I grew up to show the role that agriculture still plays to the area.



Replies:

Lilojame: Thanks for taking the time from your EXCELLENT MD to come over here and comment on mine (for those who have not taken a look at Lilojame's MD I highly recommend taking a look). I actually did or did not really have a preference on the sidewalk and did not know I had an option of whether it showed up or not. I thought with the zoning it would automatically show up but if you told me a way for it not too I would probably take it out 

metarvo: Thanks for coming back for a second helping of Braska. I appreciate your comments and the midwest is really a crazy area for the way that the land is used. I have heard from countless amounts of people how boring they think the drive through Nebraska is but I happen to enjoy going (posted speed limit on I-80 75 mph) a little faster because it is so flat you can see if there are any cops ahead 

386

[blade2k5]

Washington looks to be a quaint, cozy little farming town.  Great update, and yup, I'll be dropping by between updates

[Lilojame]

Hi there and thank you! Hm, not sure actualy but that is because I never tried using dirt roads for the residentals but if I find out a way to "remove" them I will let you know.
As for the update, it looks very nice. I specialy like the first 3 pictures, for the last one, sadly it doesnt really look like winter. With that could help plopable snow that is somewhere on LEX (I will add link when I find it) and maybe the mod that changes the textures of some lots (not sure where to find it but I know that it exist) or well, ading some white specs around the image in the image-editing program to do a feeling of falling snow and since there are the greens, maybe turning it into black&white.
I love how quiet and peaceful this village looks. And the RL picture looks very interesting.

Looking foward to see more!

[Simpson]

The region picture is really fantastic and so réalistic, and the city is looking very good too