Challenge 6 - Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

BarbyW · June 12, 2009, 07:55:25 AM

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BarbyW · June 18, 2009, 03:32:10 AM

"Well," announced Mayor Barby, "it seems as though the emergency is over and we have

control of the north again. We shall keep what remains how we always intended it to be as

a rural area. The border checkpoints shall remain for the time being but while we intend

to keep a small area around them clear we have allowed building to take place in the

vicinity of most of them. This one in Border East clearly shows how we intend for them to

remain unless the Governor requests that they are dismantled."

She threw a small map down on the table and went on, "Unfortunately those damned rebels

forced us to build all over Lowtown Bay and Border East apart from the small island in

Lowtown Bay. Why on earth it has always been called Bison Island I have no idea as I have

never seen bison anywhere near it.

No matter, we need a vacation and the Governor and his lady wife also wish to visit us

along with all the other mayors in GRVII. As Bison island is one of the few untouched

places along the only stretch of sandy coast in this region we need to build a vacation

resort there. I am calling on the services of Ripptide, Diggis and also BLS - my own

design studio - to design and build a luxury retreat on the island. There will be no cars

allowed on the island and visitors will only be able to arrive by ferry."

With that Mayor Barby swept out of the council chamber and went to consult with her team.

Ripptide volunteered to provide a luxury hotel, marina and restaurant while Diggis

provided the loungers and umbrellas for the beach. Ripptide also provided horse-drawn

carriages to get the guests around the island when they didn't want to walk. Diggis

advised on landscaping and the BLS team did the work.

The beach is very popular and situated on the side of the island away from the city. It

has many loungers, some with umbrellas and people take their towels to sunbathe on the

sand. There are a few swimmers and some children playing but it is generally a beach for quiet sun soaking.

If you look closely you should see some familiar towels both occupied and empty.

The hotel was renamed Fred's Hotel in honour of the governor although it had originally

been called the Grand Incan. Ripptide designed it in the shape of an Incan pyramid and all

rooms have a balcony and superb view. The rooms are fitted with the best in comfort and

also all have jacuzzis in the luxury bathroom. The rooms overlooking the swimming pool are

the most expensive as they all have a view of the sea and the mountain that dominates the

northern part of Lowtown Bay.

At night Fred's Hotel twinkles with light and the waterfalls at the rear shine with

underwater lighting. Local fishing boats can see the hotel from way out to sea and it helps them to navigate the shallow waters around the island.

Across the plaza from the hotel is Lynn's Restaurant. Formerly the Coranza Azul this was

renamed in honour of the Governor's wonderful wife. It has a renowned international chef

in Mark Blackstone and is the proud holder of 4 Bridgestone stars - more than all the

other hotel in GRVII put together. The cuisine is an interesting blend of modern fusion

cuisine with many elements from all over the world. The chef's signature dish is roast

fillet of venison on a bed of crushed potato and beetroot with a red wine reduction. No

one knows where he sources his venison from but it is always tender and rich. The menu has no prices as if you need to know the price you cannot afford to eat here.

At night the terraces are flooded with light and the diners sit out in the balmy air.

Finally Mayor Barby showed a satellite image of the region to her council. "This is how

the region looks at the moment.Any future development is subject to negotiation as we

would prefer to keep the north rural and with space to roam for people and animals. How

much we develop or allow to be developed remains to be seen in the coming weeks."

CabraBuitre · June 18, 2009, 07:14:53 PM

Looks good Barby! Darn... I was going to use the carriages...!

tooheys · June 18, 2009, 11:17:36 PM

Very nice Barby. There must be a chain of those restaurants becuase I have one too

It is lotted differently though.

Dave

Diggis · June 21, 2009, 03:41:57 AM

Hey Barby, great resort there. Book me a room on the top floor and a lounger next to one of those blondes please.

BarbyW · June 21, 2009, 05:00:00 AM

Booked for you, Shaun.

jmyers2043 · June 24, 2009, 07:46:01 AM

The island resort with the carriages and no vehicles is a neat concept. I am liking the beach sceen with the people on the lounge chairs. It looks (to me) like Diggis used the 'HD' technique. If so - a good example of when to use it.

Good Luck with all us judges.

Diggis · June 24, 2009, 08:00:11 AM

Quote from: jmyers2043 on June 24, 2009, 07:46:01 AM
The island resort with the carriages and no vehicles is a neat concept. I am liking the beach sceen with the people on the lounge chairs. It looks (to me) like Diggis used the 'HD' technique. If so - a good example of when to use it.

Good Luck with all us judges.

Well spotted, I sure did. It was my first attempt at it and I'm happy with how they came out. Eventually we will package these up and release them but I have a few more ideas to do first. I'll post some pics into my DDD thread shortly.

Pat · June 26, 2009, 05:54:50 PM

Barby love your beach there simply stunning!!!

TheTeaCat · June 28, 2009, 05:48:04 AM

Very very nice indeed. I think the Governor will be very pleased with your efforts

An excellent display of your skills ma'am

TTC

clearlypowa · July 27, 2009, 03:39:17 PM

Very nice beach, looks realistic

, and the pictures with no vehicles, and only carriages reminds me Marrakech (a city in my country)

SC4BOY · July 29, 2009, 11:10:23 AM

Yes a very nice foundation there.. looks great

Quote from: kakimalaki on July 27, 2009, 03:39:17 PM
Very nice beach, looks realistic , and the pictures with no vehicles, and only carriages reminds me Marrakech (a city in my country)

funny.. I just watched a "Globetrekker" episode (kind of a travelogue) on Monocco just this morning.. was interesting..

threestooges · March 20, 2010, 06:16:35 PM

Time to get the judging started for this one.

The border crossing is still a bit militaristic, but it's well done given the development of the region's politics. 4 points

The beach is very nicely done, but the sharp drop off of the shore detracts from the image. a bit of smoothing there would have made it seem much more natural. I'm also a bit confused by the tetherball pole there, but the creativity of the setup gets this one a solid 4 points.

The hotel: Great model, great surroundings, great story. 5 points

The restaurant: send some of that venison my way and we'll call it 5 points as well. The sharp border between the lot and the grassy texture of the terrain seems like it could have been blended or otherwise hidden a bit, but the story and the entree description compensated for that quite well.

Total: 18 points

tooheys · March 21, 2010, 02:11:03 AM

Well as requested by the governor, time for me to make some friends and lose some

1. Bordercrossing: Still looks quite a bit unfriendly, enough so to make a lot of people nervous. 3pts

2. Beach: Very nice indeed, great use of props and of course Shaun's beta(at that time) lots. But the drop off is a worry. 4pts

3. Hotel: I like it and could certainly spend some time there. Great water frontage and the surrounds are nicely done (although that little bit of road bottom centre has me a bit confused). Nevertheless, 5pts

4. Restuarant: Nice and close to the hotel but I would have liked to see it with water views given this is a small island. 4pts

TOTAL: 16

soulchaser · March 21, 2010, 02:50:21 AM

Hi BarbyW,
here's my opinion on your Ch. 6:

1. Bordercrossing: I like the overall look, but it seems a bit too freightening. I'd still avoid crossing. 3 Pts.
2. Beach: I like lonely beaches. This is a bit overcrowded. 4 Pts.
3. Hotel: I like the greenyness and the ole look. I' d only find it annoying, having to wait for the next ferry, to visit some culture or for shopping. 4 Pts.
4. Restaurant: Nice pics, but a bit of monopolistic. 4 Pts.

I also have to give 1 Malus Point for all the horses. They hate me and this wouldn't be a fun holiday for me. And surely expensive as I might have to pay all the damage, the bolting horses made.

That's a total of 14 Points.

turtle · March 21, 2010, 06:29:32 AM

Hello BarbyW

Here's my judgement:

1. Bordercrossing. The railroad crossing looks very good, but I don't feel the road crossing is consistent with it. 3 points

2. Beach: The beach looks very popular. It goes well with a themed island resort. Nice work. 4 points.

3. Hotel: A well chosen bat, that sets the thematic frame for the resort. The theme is very consistent. I'd give you five points, but I wouldn't go to a resort myself. 4 points.

4. Restaurant: A nice restaurant, not too fancy. It would have been nice with more options. 3 points

That gives a total of 14 points

metarvo · March 25, 2010, 01:43:46 PM

Here are my points, Barby.

Bordercrossing - 3

This would be a great border crossing if there were actually a conflict still going on. In any case, it's still good. However, it looks like it would be a little of a hassle for trains to get through that crossing regularly. Similarly, the military presence at the road crossing would be a little intimidating to me.

Beach - 4

I haven't really been to a beach too many times, but I must say that yours looks good. The beach itself seems to be crowded and I imagine it would be noisy as a result, but the relative isolation from the city balances this out IMHO.

Hotel - 5

I stop short of saying it's "to die for," because I couldn't very well enjoy it if that happened. Even so, this is an excellent hotel. Maybe I can use an online hotel discount service to find good rates for a few nights there sometime!

Restaurant - 4

It's not too far from the hotel, and it seems quite nice. The building looks good, as well.

Total - 16

jmyers2043 · May 01, 2010, 06:26:49 AM

Border Crossing - 4 - The rebellion has only just ended. It's not yet time to tear down the fences.

Beach - 5 - very popular. I like crowded beaches as there are many opportunities to watch the surf ... yep ... I'm just watching the water, seagulls, clouds passing by slowly

Hotel - 5 - Great selection of Hotel and lotting.

Restaurant - 4 - Fine dining is close and was worked into the theme nicely. The roof is sure bright

Points = 18