Osturland

[guurgkud]

Happy 102nd comment!! 

[bat]

Congrats on more than 100th replies (now 103 )!

[Yoder7652]

First some replies.....

@Bengt - Thanks for the compliments...I may try to work on the diagonals a little more and see what happens, but I couldn't release them in their current state. I have one building uploaded on LEX right now and another one will soon be posted.

@Antoine - Thanks! I have your recent skyscraper gracing the skyline of my city....I'll show it in a few updates or so, so stay tuned!

@Guurgkud - Thanks for your kindness...I like the effect I've achieved and I'm glad you can appreciate it! Thanks!

@Badsim - Ahh yes...but diplomatic relationships can be much fun! I love the work you've done on the embassy for Osturland. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is currently investigating potential ambassador candidates for your fair city. I also look forward to an upcoming visit by representatives of your city. Thanks again for the gift too!

@Thundercrack83 - Thanks...my photoshop skills are only now developing, but I love to experiment with new things. I remember seeing the seal done in a CJ at ST by Slann and thought, I wonder how he did that? So this is my attempt...Thanks again.

@Strechnitz - I like Badsim's acheivement as well, a very classy plaza for a very classy nation !

@Colyn - Thanks, I'm glad you like what you see. Now you get an idea of what I had in the back of my mind during all of those development threads on the BSC boards 

@emilin - Thanks for getting me that much closer to the next MD classification! It feels good being a Best Seller!

@Metasmurf - Thanks, I appreciate your comments...and thanks for making the 100th official!

@Thundercrack83, 2nd comment - Thanks!

@Guurgkud, 2nd comment - Thanks!

@Bat - Thanks!

Well everyone I've been swamped with RL lately so I haven't had as much time to play SC4...which means no updates  But don't be too sad, becuase I have a newspaper for toaday (my first, let me know what you think) and I have a real update almost finalized for this weekend. I'm going to introduce more on the government of Osturland, in particular the various ministries and their locations in the city. Without further ado...the Osturland Tribune....

[Badsim]

Hi Ryan ,

I shouldn't say that I'm impatient to see what will happen after this place under construction  ... but I am !

I need to write a minumun storyboard about this visit to come , untill now I wasn't worried about this , AntiGone was a single city ... maybe  has to become at least a territory or principality (with a presidency )... . I'll let you know .

Great newspaper , I haven't seen everything on this subject but It's the best realistic newspaper looking that I know ...
Except for the title error ... ... oh and the folding seems to show ... the last page ! 

Waiting for the update to come :

[kwakelaar]

Nice looking newspaper Ryan, looking forward to your update.

[thundercrack83]

The newspaper looks great, my friend! I can't wait to see what is being built!

[bat]

Wonderful looking newspaper! Looking forward to more!

[Flipside]

Beautiful Old World approach. 

A pleasure to peruse. Keep it up. 

[Yoder7652]

Before I post the first of a two part update I will respond to a few replies.....

@Badsim - You should have a good idea of what is coming in that spot  I look forward to the official state visit...I have several festivities planned that I think would make a decent update  Keep me posted with what you are thinking. Well that was my first attempt at a newspaper, I think I'll have more when in the future when I'm not ready to make a full-blown update, at any rate it was an interesting experiment...I hope you like what I have planned for today.

@Kwakelaar - Thanks, but wait no further as I have the first of a two part update ready right now 

@Thundercrack83 - I'm glad you like the newspaper, but you'll have to wait and see at the upcoming Jubilee what is being built in that area! Hope you enjoy today's update.

@Bat - Thanks for the encouragement....hopefully there will be more to follow in the future.

@Flipside - Thanks for stopping by, I'm glad you like what I've posted so far 

Now on to the business of the day! In today's update I plan to introduce to you some more on the innerworkings of the Osturland Government. Below is a flow chart that captures the relationship between the three primary branches of government and the oversight capacity constitutionally granted to HRH. As you can see HRH primarily provides oversight to the Prime Minister, the Ministerial Cabinet, and the Supreme Court appointees (although not shown in this chart, I couldn't get the arrows to work properly for it  ). Recall that HRH (also known as Grand Master Templar) is selected by the Upper House of parliament, which is comprised of the descendents of noble Osturland birth. Additionally, the Upper House provides oversight to the Prime Minister as well as his or her appointees to the various positions in the Ministerial Cabinet. They also confirm members of the Supreme Court that are selected by the Lower House. The Lower House selects both the Prime Minister and members of the Supreme Court and provides oversight to the Prime Minister. Finally, the Prime Minister oversees the day-to-day operations of Osturland and has 14 members of the Ministerial Cabinet that divide the functional components of the government. In today's update I will go over five of these Ministries (in no particular order ) and talk a little about what they do and where they are located in the capital of Payens.




Below are pictures of the two most prominent political leaders in Osturland, the King and Prime Minister.


HRH King William Gardannes


Prime Minister Bernard W. Rigaud





The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for providing Osturland farmers with all of the necessary resources for ensuring successful crop production each year. This ministry disburses government subsidies to farmers as well as ensures the quality of crop production in Osturland. While the farming industry in Osturland (in terms of overall number of farmers) is declining, crop production has never been higher. This is primarily due to the advances in farming research sponsored by this ministry. The ministry of Agriculture is headed by Lady Jennifer Bancroft (it is not uncommon for members of the Upper House to temporarily abdicate their positions in the House in order to serve in ministerial positions). The ministry is apart of the government quadrangle located to the west of the Citadel in the Government District. The Ministry of Agriculture occupies the north and south buildings in the quadrangle.







The Ministry of Transportation is a vital ministry in the Osturland Cabinet. Also apart of the government quadrangle, the Ministry of Transportation occupies the east and west buildings in the quadrangle. This ministry is responsible for keeping traffic running smoothly throughout the country. It oversees the maintenance of all federal roads in the nation and holds standards for other thoroughfares in the counties and cities of Osturland. The ministry is also responsible for the operation of all airports and seaports throughout Osturland. Currently, the ministry is headed by Lord Frank J. Murray Sr.







The Ministry of Education is one of the more important ministries in the Osturland Cabinet. While the ministry does not "officially" sponsor any institutions of education, it is responsible for providing oversight to all education institutions run by counties, cities, and private sponsors throughout Osturland. The ministry develops the national curriculum for primary and secondary education and provides accreditation to institutions of higher education in the nation. It is said by many that the Osturland educational system is the envy of Europe  . The Ministry of Education is currently run by the appointee Danyele M. Midddlestetter. Although important, the headquarters for the ministry is perhaps the furthest from the Government District. The Ministry of Education is located in the 4th Ward.







The Ministry of Health and Human Services provides the underprivileged in Osturland society with health coverage. This ministry sponsors government welfare programs and oversees their implementation in the privatized healthcare system in Osturland. The ministry also oversees several research funding institutions for the advancement of new technologies and treatments in the medical sciences. The ministry is apart of a larger ministerial complex also located in the 4th Ward. The current head of the ministry is Rebecca L. Chandler.









The last ministry showcased in this update is the Ministry of Finance. This ministry is responsible for the fiscal health of the nation. The ministry oversees the development of the Osturland budget as well as provides accounting and auditing services for the whole of the government complex. It is responsible for printing new monies for Osturland as well as the department of taxation which generates the revenue necessary for the nation to operate. The ministry is headed up by Lady Linday E. Mccroskey and is located in Payens prestigious 1st Ward.







Well that is all for today! I hope you enjoyed the update...in the next one I will finish showing off the rest of the Osturland ministries dispersed throughout Payens. Till then,
Cheers!

[Krio]

Where is my jaw?! 

The political stuff was allready stunning, but the city..the city..oooh..need medicine to my poor heart 

[emilin]

As always: a maginficent update! I must say that I would have found the consitutional situation a bit confusing... is it just me or does the Prime Minister get an almost president like status? Interesting stuff!

[Alarik]

WOW !!!   ... I really like the building of the ministry of finance. Is it available soemwhere for download or still in the pipeline sort of speak? The entire update is high class, as usual and a joy to read ... 

[Strechnitz]

Hello Yoder,

Interesting update. I like the crests you've made for each of your ministry. The Osturians haven't lost their heraldic origins have they?

The Government graph is nicely done. The outlining of government is quite clear to me. And I like the austere appearance of the ministerial quadrangle. very nice.



Alarik the ministry of finance was done by a German Batter who shared it on www.Insims.de or www.simszone.de if I'm correct. I hope I have helped you there.

Strech.

[bat]

Fantastic pictures of the political stuff! Great pictures!

[thundercrack83]

Well, the pictures of the city look absolutely beautiful, my friend! I love the Ministry of Finance complex, especially! Also, I love the diagram you made about how the government in Osturland works. Very good work! Can't wait to see what you're going to do next!

[Badsim]

Hi Ryan ,

What is particularly (and deliciously ) inequitable with a MD written by a BATer like you , is that we can only go from surprise to surprise ... 
The ministry of transportation is an unusual building concept ... I love it , of course , even if the Lot is a bit bare for my taste .
I'm glad you've got the "Rathaus" as ministry of finance ...wonderful Lot this time . ... reading the comments before mine , a lot of desires are going to be frustrated : this BAT was effectively available on a German site a few years ago but has disappeared since ...just like some masterpieces from Torremayor ....

I enjoy too your work on seals and banners , an elegant addition to this MD which could have lived without ... sign of a meticulous and exacting mind  .

Congratulations , Ryan .

[Alarik]

Thank you Strechnitz and Badsim for the added infor about the "Rathaus". Its a shame it isn't available anymore as I find it a beautiful building and it is missing from my collection. Hopefully it will surface someday again.

EDIT: The Rathaus was made by Meister-Z ... and I do have it    ... I had placed it in the folder for Erdmoebel 

[Yoman]

No ministry of Pictures? Because I'm sure that ministry would get a ton of money due to its wonderful work showcasing this lovely MD. Your BATs combined with the environment = success!

[sebes]

Perfect pictures of a very well designed government area... The area around the Ministry of Finance is absolutely top notch 

[kwakelaar]

Great to see more of Payens and this new presentation of its ministries, I keep spotting small details in the images from the city. The canals, the GLR track and the different intersections all make up for a very diverse scenery in the capital of Osturland.

Like Badsim I also noticed all the ministries have seals, you must enjoy making things like that because there is a lot of it in this MD.

I read the workings of government in the country but I am afraid this kind of litterature is wasted on me, I find it quite hard to follow  though I can't help wonder; where have I seen the Prime Minister before?