Ashtabula

[thundercrack83]

That is one of the most incredible mosaics that I have ever seen, Don! Placement of the poles alone is enough to make my eyes pop out with excitement, but then when you add in the railroads, the farms--just incredible stuff, my friend!

Ashtabula is a must-see, for sure!

Dustin

[Sciurus]

Wow! It's an enormous mosaic, and for Pierpont, maybe some people who came from the french village Pierrepont, founded this city

Guillaume

[Battlecat]

That is an enormous mosaic!  This region looks fantastic, I love the details you're putting into this, particularly your use of power lines! 

[Jmouse]

Very impressive mosaic, Don. You're doing a wonderful job on the rural areas, using the latest tools to their best advantage. I especialy like the way you've left some space between the homes in some cases. It's more along the lines of what I'm used to seeing and thus more realistic in my eyes.

Congratulations on an outstanding update...
Joan

[metarvo]

It pleases me to say that I walk away from every trip to Ashtabula with new inspiration.  This mosaic brings so much rural realism together in one place.  You have done some good work here, Don.

[Swesim]

This MD is absolutely amazing when it comes to rural realism, unfortunately I don´t get much time to play the game these days, but Your work certainly inspires!
I particularly like Your railroad network and the switches by the freightrailstation.
It is also nice to see that You get the raintool to work, for me it has proven difficult to use since the cities in which I use it tend to be corrupted after a while, so these days I don´t dare to use it.
Keep up the good work however, I will follow Your cities as they unfold.

[homefryes]

Dustin (thundercrack83): I'm glad you like the poles; I do too! Also glad you enjoyed the end-to-end mosaic. I owe you a visit soon!

Guillaume (Sciurus): I'm pleased to inform you that my mom shares this tidbit about Pierpont (Ohio): "I found an article on Podunk [linkie] which states that Pierpont was named for a landholder by the name of Pierpont Edwards." As I told her, I was disappointed that the county's historical society had no information about Pierpont online. Thanks for stopping by as always ... and also, thanks, Mom!

Battlecat: Thanks for the kind words, my friend.

Joan (Jmouse): Always nice to have you visit. I too am used to houses with space in between, and have employed this technique a lot, even in some more densely populated cities I've done.

Metarvo: Picking up inspiration from others' work is what this site is all about, that's for sure, and I'm glad to be on the "giving" end this time around.

Swesim: Yes, the rain tool is tricky. What I've learned is that it's always best to use it before doing any other development, particularly on any land that is lower than the spot you're working on. When I'm done dragging the bridges across, I will usually save, exit and re-enter the quad. In any case, I am glad you stopped in.

3.4 – Maps of Ashtabula, Saybrook-on-the-Lake and Plymouth
As mentioned in my previous update, I took a break to work on maps of each of my first three quads. Click on each of the three buttons below to view the full-sized maps. The first map took me a while (lots of trial and error), but the other two came together a bit faster. Each quad's image is 2048x2304; click on the initial image to view full-sized (depending on your browser).

EDIT: Click the button below to view the *new* Ashtabula Region Overview map. From there, you can click on the completed tiles to view the corresponding full-sized maps of those quads. Thus far, Ashtabula, Saybrook-on-the-Lake and Plymouth are completed. Enjoy!



(end edit)
Now I need to get back to work on Saybrook so I can continue my regular updates!

-- Don

[Sciurus]

Excellent!! And thanks for Pierpont

Guillaume

[thundercrack83]

Stunning maps, Don! Absolutely stunning, my friend! The detail is amazing--especially the railroad tracks!

Keep up the great work, my friend!

Dustin

[Jmouse]

Really good maps, Don. I've copied them to an Ashtabula folder on the desktop and will refer back to them from time to time. Past experience has shown well-made maps to be very useful in keeping up with development as a region becomes more complex. Thanks for including them.

Later...
Joan

[homefryes]

Guillaume (Sciurus): Thanks for the compliment ... and you're welcome!

Dustin (thundercrack83): Those tracks were a puzzler at first. I would love to have a good program that will draw a line with hash marks, like a real map ... but instead I built those by hand to start, and then employed my favorite tools, "copy" and "paste!" You may be surprised that I go through a tedious process to put those together, utilizing a number of programs: Paint, PhotoImpact (a now outdated photo/graphics program), Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint! It's fun, but takes a while. Hopefully my next one will come together nicely. I now have my own version of "puzzle pieces" which helps.

Joan (Jmouse) and all: If you've not visited since commenting, scroll back up to my previous update for a new look at my maps! I've added a NEW Region Overview map (hosted elsewhere) to which the individual maps are linked. This will be easier for me to update as more maps are produced!

4.0 – Saybrook, more creeks and culverts


4.0.1 - Saybrook ("loading" image)


4.0.2 - Saybrook locator map

Saybrook was an interesting township to get the network into with the help of FAR/R. One of the notable features you'll see all along the north end of the entire region is the two highways and two railroads that run along the ridges parallel to the lake shore; the highways are appropriately named North Ridge (from the west edge of the region to the Kingsville Township line) and South Ridge (from the west edge of the region to just short of the east edge of the region).

The following images show my prep work in the quad. First is my signpost grid, like what was shown in my first quad, Ashtabula. Note that the northeast corner has an offset grid. This portion of the grid is actually an extension of Ashtabula's grid. Being a 28x28 grid, where 28 tiles = approximately 0.25 miles (0.4 km), centered on the quad, it doesn't line up with the edge of the quad. So later on, I may wish to "grow" Ashtabula beyond its boundaries (as I have already done in Plymouth and Saybrook-on-the-Lake), and I'll want the streets to line up with Ashtabula's street grid.


4.0.3 - Signpost grid

Next, I plotted my transportation network with signposts, based on my RL map.


4.0.4 - Signpost network layout

I laid out my rails and roads ...


4.0.5 - Complete network

... added my creeks and culverts ...


4.0.6 - With creeks

... and finished off with some trees.


4.0.7 - Trees added

I'll be busy most of this weekend, so I don't know if I'll get a chance to post until some time next week. I'll have more preparation pics from Saybrook for you then.

-- Don

[metarvo]

Wow, Don, that is quite a transportation network.  It is so realistic and well-planned, and yet it has a natural feel.  The creeks also flow quite naturally.  Keep up the good work!

[thundercrack83]

Wow, Don!

As always, your preparation is astounding, my friend! And the finished product is even more astounding! Those creeks look so realistic, it's unbelievable!

I am always waiting on the edge of my seat to see what Ashtabula will bring us next.

And good luck with your maps, too--the work that goes into making them sounds like a lot, but when they're finished up, they look fantastic!

Take care!

Dustin

[beutelschlurf]

moin homefryes,

i have to agree with metarvo ... looks like you got a big plan to have it as real as possible!

b_schlurf

[Jmouse]

Those screen captures are just splendid, Don. And the pre-planning that goes into this project is astounding. I've always dreamed of doing work like that, but never figured out how to make the little creeks look right. Besides, I'm more of a "build it tonight, blow it up tomorrow" kind of player - I have a very busy bulldozer!

Nevertheless, you're doing a great job and watching how you develop your region is both educational and fascinating. You're way ahead of me when it domes to doing things right the first time!

Later...
Joan

[dedgren]

Don, I am making it back around the circuit again, looking at the MDs that I have found to be of interest over the past months.

I saw pic 4.0.7 in your recent update and just about fell on the floor.  You, my friend, better than anyone else (and that competition is pretty intense) have captured the vision behind the whole FAR/FARR/Wise Radius Curve thing.  That pic could be templated straight onto a RL landscape- I am in awe.

I will be back over the weekend with an extended comment, some suggestions and a few promises- one of which involves FAR street intersections.  I can't wait to see how you would use them.

This is beyond stunning work.


David

[Swesim]

I agree with dedgren above, this is one of the best screenies I´ve seen in a long time, it could just as well have been Google earth or something we were looking at...
Keep up your wonderful work!

[homefryes]

I saw pic 4.0.7 in your recent update and just about fell on the floor.  You, my friend, better than anyone else (and that competition is pretty intense) have captured the vision behind the whole FAR/FARR/Wide Radius Curve thing.  That pic could be templated straight onto a RL landscape- I am in awe.

Just popping in to make a quick reply ... still "conferencing" half of tomorrow (Sunday morning), and I don't know if I'll get a chance to prepare an update.

I'm speechless! David (dedgren), coming from you, the mastermind behind FAR/FARR/WRC, this is truly the highest compliment, and I am honored and humbled! I was working on an earlier (now dead) version of Ashtabula when you first introduced FAR/R. I was then inspired to start over completely (which included making a more true-to-life grayscale map) so that I could utilize these amazing pieces to more accurately portray the roads and rails that run parallel to the lake shore. So, for FAR/FARR/WRC, and for this high compliment, I thank you, my friend!

-- Don

[ashton23]

Wow your region is great

[homefryes]

As of writing this, we're have just surpassed 2000 views! Thanks everybody for stopping by!

metarvo: I will have to get a scan of the map posted to compare to my finished transit network. It's quite close to RL, thanks to FAR/R. I appreciate the compliment, my friend!

Dustin (thundercrack83): thanks for the kind words! I'll hopefully get a map of Saybrook put together and ready to post within the week.

beutelschlurf: absolutely! I did, however, add a couple of connector rails in Saybrook, and I'll explain why in a future update.

Joan (Jmouse): I have to remind you (and all) that this isn't the first time I've done Saybrook, as it is the last of the 4 quads I tested. However, stay tuned, as the next quad I feature will be one I have not done any testing on. I will share more details of the whole planning process I go through.

Again, David (dedgren), I appreciate the high praise! I couldn't do this without the amazing visions you have turned into reality. I'm looking forward to the other advice you have for me that will make this even better!

Swesim: thanks so much for the compliment!

Ashton: I'm glad you like my region. (I don't have any "grid on" pics this time around, but I will get some for the next update so you can see my tricks for plopping the poles)

4.1 – Saybrook, pre-development details

Following are some random shots around the township, featuring FAR/R and my utility poles.


4.1.1 - Ashtabula-Austinburg Rd. & Center Rd. (SR 45) at the south edge of the quad

This next area is a bit more curvy than it was in real-life; it's as close as I could get it, due to game constraints. Later on (in RL), a bypass and overpass were added to carry Ashtabula-Austinburg Rd. over the tracks to the north of the intersection. I'm guessing it was in the 1950s (Mom?). And much later, the tracks were abandoned; the rail bed is now the site of a paved bicycle trail.


4.1.2 - Munson Hill - intersection of Ashtabula-Austinburg Rd., Forman Rd. and Munson Hill Rd. at the Pennsylvania System Railroad


4.1.3 - Chapel Rd. & Ashtabula-Austinburg Rd. at the Plymouth border

In RL, this next area is the site of a large transmission-to-subtransmission substation, with transmission lines that run from a power plant near the lake front in Ashtabula Township to points west-southwest.


4.1.4 - Sanborn Road Substation


4.1.5 - South Ridge West (SR 84) and the Pennsylvania System Railroad at the Plymouth border


4.1.6 - South Ridge at Gerald Rd.

Following is just one example of a spot where I have since improved the culvert crossing by raising the road.


4.1.7 - South Ridge at Center Rd.


4.1.8 - South Ridge at Depot Rd.


4.1.9 - North Ridge West (US 20) at Brown Rd. (left) and at Depot Rd. (right)


4.1.10 - North Ridge at Center Rd.


4.1.11 - North Bend at Gerald Rd. and Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad


4.1.12 - Lake Rd. (SR 531) and Gore Rd. in the northwest corner of the quad


4.1.13 - Center Rd. at LS&MS R.R.


4.1.14 - Center Rd. at New York Chicago & St. Louis Railroad

See you next time!

-- Don