Building a port - the hard way

[TheTeaCat]

I've said this before about SC4Dthat every time I vist I learn somnething new.
This time it has been as one of the best "Tutorials" I've ever read.

This information about different types of ports and their functions to a masterclass in gameplay and the amount of info in your pics well what can I say

Kettle's Boiling!

Here take a seat, put your feet up and enjoy this cuppa 

You've earned it 

[Silur]

This is wonderful and unique work !
Thank you very much !

[rooker1]

I really love this tutorial that I had to read it all again.  Great job on this one.


Robin   

[football_fever]

Great stuff!  I agree with Gaston that everyone should read this.  I'm about as intersted in making a 100% accurate port as I am in making a 100% accurate city...not very much.  I do, however, look to better the cheap knock-off looking ports and cities that I do make, to make them that much more realistic.  I also respect those that make extremely accurate ports and cities, and really really respect those that look to teach others how to do it better as well.

VERY nice job you did here.  I can't imagine how long it took you to type all that, gather the pictures, and label everything so you don't have 1,500 people asking "where did you get that?" 

Bravo...

[Gaston]

I do have one suggestion.    I would like to see if Jeronij could move each section to a consecutive page some how.    For me it is difficult to wait for so long while over 100 images load on the first page.     On top of that having to reload just to get all of them to show takes forever (or it seems like it)


---Gaston

[Andreas]

I've been eyeing the title of this topic since quite some time, but never got around to read it. But now I finally had the chance, and I'm as amazed as everyone. You attention to detail is astounding, and you made extremely good use of the Google Earth screenshots. 

[HabLeUrG]

I got inspired! , thank you very much for this useful tutorial 

[DFire870]

I love this tutorial. I used to live in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is a big oil port (importing)... When you enter the city from the interstate, your first view is of several refineries, and oil tanks dot the landscape north of the freeway. Because of this, I have always been fascinated by ports, and this tops it all off. Great job.

[stewart_garden]

This is a truly excellent tutorial and will be of considerable use when I build my city's port.  Many thanks.

Stewart

[Sardonic Arbiter]

I'm glad to make my first SC4Dev post to congratulate what has been an inspiring tutorial, especially the lists of custom content which will act as an excellent reference.

[glepet]

This has got to be one of the best presented tutorials I've come across. More than a tutorial, but also an informative lesson on ports that is very interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowlede and skills with us. 

[spokaneflyboy]

Having lived in Alaska and now Washington, I've seen a lot of ports and I have to say these are amazing. I do have one question though, do you know of many lots for smaller ports, marinas, and harbors. Having lived in Alaska, I find myself sometimes wishing I could build ports similar to the one on the Homer Spit as well as those at Seward, Seldovia, and other smaller towns. Just for an example, these are some views of the harbor at end of the Homer Spit: Google Map View, Photo 1, and Photo 2

I've also found a few photographs of Seldovia's harbor set up. Photo 1 and Photo 2

For Seward, I've found these: Photo 1 and Photo 2

I've tried using the Pier set by Pegasus, but they just don't quite have the same look and feel to them.

[FrankU]

In the course of this last week I read all of your tutorial. Got fascinated, started downloading and begun with my first real port project. Couldn't resist my eagerness. It's all your fault!
What I'd like to say had been said already. In two words: Brilliant work.

I was amazed, by the way, about the beautiful bats from SOMY and NOB.

Thanks for everything.

After all this: who needs a SC5 anyway? I have played the game for 1,5 years now and never had a dull moment.

[castironpigeon]

I just found this tutorial last week and it is definitely one of the most complete, well written tutorials I've ever seen and all the background information is excellent. Since then I've been trying to implement some of the advice emilin gave, but I'm coming across some trouble. All the major port sets seem to be made for the old style ports described in the tutorial. Small, cramped ports mainly for goods. Not too many container lots. I've been editing some of Peg's port lots to resemble newer style container ports, but it's very slow going. Has anyone found a better way?

Also, joining up different port sets is a real pain, especially in those parts where the pieces meet. Either you get ugly overlap or a bunch of blank ground. What do people put there to cover it up and make it look nice?

[spokaneflyboy]

Also, joining up different port sets is a real pain, especially in those parts where the pieces meet. Either you get ugly overlap or a bunch of blank ground. What do people put there to cover it up and make it look nice?

Having been to ports like Seattle and Portland as well as the small one in Anchorage, "ugly overlap or a bunch of blank ground" is rather realistic. Each company sets up it's wharf side and rarely do the companies ever build them to match their neighbors. In Seattle, it's common to see blank ground between the different lots containing the wharves. Industrial areas are typically ugly areas to begin with since most of them were, and still mostly are, built with function in mind and not form.

[existenz]

Finding this amazing tutorial came at the right time. I have had RH for only three weeks and am just about ready to start a port on my very first region ever! So haven't built much yet - hopefully will make it easier to terraform a port without demolishing anything I have built. So thank you, thank you and once again thank you. 

[FrankU]

Oh Castironpigeon, Yes, it does take a whole lot of time.
I was ambitious and have built a large port with the help of a lot of self edited lots. I took Fukuda's and NOB's lots and made a lot of variations. Mainly emptier lots, because they where very stacked with buildings.
And yes, it takes a lot of micro-terraforming and bulldozing before you get your harbours right.
What helped a lot were the Harbourpier lots by Jeronij. I used them here and there to fill up the gaps and the corners.

And then, in the end as my harbour was finished, it took me an awful lot of time to persuade enough sims to come to the city and work in my beautiful harbour. But they came and the city is flourishing.

[NikNik]

Masterpiece in tutorials Emil!

Wonderfull how you take us through building a port (  content on seeing Rotterdam as your example port, I am Dutch never the less).

Nik-Nik

[SC4BOY]

The Europoort.

Big and getting bigger...  hehe.. Check out these expansion plans!!



Oh.. and great work.. nicely laid out and well presented.. and a learning process too!!

And also I'd not feel bad at all about that airport.. I thought it looked "artificial" in exactly the OPPOSITE as others have said... haha.. Maybe I'm just weird, but in keeping with your great work on the ports I feel that you should make the airport at least partially built on reclaimed land, just as your ports are. I find MANY examples of island airports on areas of rugged terrain such as yours are "built up".. especially the runways which are very often extended out into the former water area on landfill..

If that kind of prime land area where you have your airport were actually available on your island, it would have LONG AGO been snapped up by commercial and residential developement! Airports are normally built on low value land, not prime island real estate!  I think a reclaimed land airport would look great on your city as well.. fit perfectly in your scheme.

However you decide to go, have a good one..

edit: Oops.. that last part probably should have been posted in your city journal.. I've read both and I think I'm mixing them up... LOL... oh well..

[sebes]

After seeing this thread the Port Authorities of Rotterdam hired Emil to expand the Maasvlakte