Commonwealth of Marathon

[rooker1]

Hey Dustin,

Congratulations!! on breaking the 500 reply mark!! 

What an incredilbe achievement. 
You start your MD on November 5th and have a super month, attaining 213 replies and an awesome amount of views.  December 1st, it's announced that your very well deserved MD is in OSITM.  Here you knock out all the stops and provide us with a picture every single day, stupendous updates and Jeopardy.  Now it's nearing the end of the month and you hit the 500 reply mark.(as I predicted)It was my pleasure coaxing you into starting your MD.....it was my pleasure moving your MD to OSITM and it will definately be my pleasure to move your MD to the Classics on January 1st.



BTW, another great update my friend and I also have similiar problems.   

Robin 

[metarvo]

I guess I'm not the only one who builds the transit grid before developing the city.  This is a well-constructed tutorial, Dustin, although it is what I have come to expect from Marathon.    I must say that I agree 100% on the power idea, since a more realistic power grid is also one of my major goals.  A large city tile is about 2.5 sq. mi. (4 km²), and I've never seen any RL area with power plants spaced 2.5 sq. mi. apart, so this is a good strategy, Dustin. 

I must congratulate you on getting 500 replies.  Honestly, I had no doubt that CoM would be a success.  Congratulations, Dustin! 

[thundercrack83]

deathtopumpkins: Thanks, my friend! I don't know how many others put that much thought and planning into the arteries, but I speaking for myself, I couldn't help it!

Joan (Jmouse): Hi, Joan! I'm glad you enjoyed the update! To answer your questions, there will definitely be on- and off-ramps, I just didn't get that far on each tile. I'll handle the ramps, highway walls, etc., when I start building each tile. Also, the layout of each and every avenue isn't static, if something comes up to rework things, we'll definitely move it around. Nothing like this can be set in stone, otherwise I'll never get anywhere, right? I'm with you on the spontaneity, too—I try to be spontaneous and it ends up being planned spontaneity!

Pat: Thank you so much, my friend!

bat: Thanks, bat! And thanks for breaking 500! I can't believe we've made it that far!

Robin (rooker1): Hey, Robin! Wow, fireworks! I'm quite overwhelmed at how far we've come so fast here, and I have you to thank, my friend! Without you, Marathon would exist only in my little head!

metarvo: I'm not alone! Power is one of those oft overlooked aspects of the game that is also very important...without it, we'd be in the dark! But you're definitely right, power plants that close together is unrealistic and downright dangerous! And thanks for the congratulations, my friend!

DECEMBER 30

More STR, but this time with the wonderful bridge that comes with it! And of course...seasonal trees...this time, winter!

And, 7:31:28 AM EST, we had our 500^th comment here in Marathon!

I'm overwhelmed, friends. The reception and support here has been absolutely unbelievable. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and I hope to see you all back again!

[Jmouse]

Congratulations on 500+ replies, 10,500+ views and what must be a record-setting sprint into the Classics!

But most of all, congratulations on a stellar month in OSITM. You've set the pace - the rest of can only follow! And try to run fast enough! Great daily, too - Marathon just gets better and better by the day!

Happy New Year to all...
Joan

[threestooges]

It doesn't seem like it has been that long since I was last here, but it seems you are in the classics already. Well done Dustin. I knew big things were coming when I saw your first update, and these 31 days in OSITM have really done it. Nice use of the STR, but that bridge... eh, I don't know... there must be something to better fit that area(then again, it's not like the BATter left you with much of a selection, did he, heh heh). I have something in the works that might fit the bill better (plate girder), just have to iron out some texture issues, and maybe add some ripple effects at the bottom of that trestle if I can. Happy New Year Dustin.
-Matt

[paroch]

Hello Dustin,

First up - congrats on reaching 500 posts in RECORD time - wow, that really is something.  I look forward to seeing you in the Classics (it'll make it easier to visit more regularly as I am terribly lazy and often don't get further than there!!)   I've done a (very) rough calculation and reckon that at current "post rates" CoM will overtake West End on 15th February!

The daily pics have all been very good - thanks for sharing them and apols for not commenting on each and every one.

Now, this last update....... verrrrrrrrry interesting.  I've read Joan's comments and like her appraisal of how you've approached Marathon island.  I'm trying to decide whether I'm absolutely impressed or totally horrified by your approach!!  Your attention to detail and logic is really something else - I have laid out the main highways and railways in West End (over 18 months ago) but even they seem to change when I actually get to developing a quad.  When I built the Amterdam themed city in West End I laid out the canal system because I was after somethign specific - but believe me, whilst it delivered the "look" I wanted, actually building that quad was the most challenging SC4 thing I've done.  Those pesky sims just didn't seem to appreciate what I was trying to achieve!!

It will be interesting to see the individual tiles develop and I just wonder what level of "give" there is going to have to be between your self confessed "obsessive-compulsiveness" and Joan's hinted at need to be flexible and destroy parts of the grid to accomodate cetain parts of the city.

For me personally (and I guess this is because I live in England), I try to keep away from too much griddiness and straight lines.

I'm assuming from the grid layout that Marathon is going to be a densely populated place with lots of high risers.

One specific point on the "roundabout" junction.   Hmmmmm, there are so many intersections so close together there I can't help but think that you're asking for trouble.  Both from the point of view of traffic chaos and also from missing the opportunity for creating a central focal point for the quad.  Maybe (and this is only a suggestion) if you could get all of the avenues to converge on the one roundabout you'd have an almost "Arch de Triomphe" type junction that would be a real foacl point.  Or, again, with so mnay arteries converging you could create a "mini-ring road" using one way roads that in effect is an extra large roundabout.  This would then leave you with a nice sized central "island" that could be a focal point - maybe  asmall park with statues and a monument?  I'm kinda thinking of Parliament Square in London (and I'm sure there are hundreds of other similar places nearer to home).

Well, thanks for the update Dustin- hopefully you can tell from my comments that I found it very interesting and thought provoking.

All the best for 2009,

Paul

[bat]

Nice work on that newest picture there! Looking forward to more (perhaps in this year...)...


I wish you a Happy New Year!

[thundercrack83]

Joan (Jmouse): Thank you so much, my friend! Your presence here in Marathon has made this month so much greater, and I appreciate it very much! See you in 2009!

Matt (threestooges): Hey, Matt! I feel you on the bridge (I used it again in today's picture...Sorry!)—I can't wait to see what you have in the works, your bridges are extraordinary! And a Happy New Year to you, too, my friend!

Paul (paroch): Hi, Paul! First off, thank you so much for the congratulations and support, it really means a lot to me, my friend. Now, onto you points about the update, which are very poignant, and I have to say that you are very, very correct! As the island stands now, it seems to work, but when the time for development begins, I have a feeling that things will be extremely different! The game simply does not care how much planning you do, and you have to be flexible! My obsessive-compulsiveness only goes so far—I'd rather have it look nice than have it fit into some preordained system. You're also very correct about the intersections leading to trouble, too, and I will most certainly be employing some of the strategies that you suggested for them. I tried to set things up as detailed as possible this early because, for one, it could save some trouble, and two, when things start to change in development, we will have something to look back on to illustrate that change. I want to thank you so much for your suggestions and advice, my friend. I have no doubt that I will be revisiting your post when I start building, and that I will be indebted to you! Have a very Happy New Year!

bat: Thank you, bat!

DECEMBER 31

This picture is more pretense for the greeting and sentiment at the bottom—I wanted to do something big for New Year's Eve, but that's the best I could come up with!

Well, that is our final "31 Days of OSITM" picture, on our final day here in OSITM. It's still New Year's Eve here in the Eastern United States for about nine more hours, and I'm unsure if I'll be able to get in here before the stroke of midnight tonight, so if not...

Have a Happy New Year!
See you in 2009!

Also, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has stopped over here in the 56 days that Marathon has been opened. As I've said, the reception and support here has been unbelievable and I thank you all, my friends, so very, very much!

[bat]

That's a great finish for your second month and the year 2008 of your MD!
Congrats for so many replies and views in 56 days!!

Have a Happy New Year, too! And See you in 2009, too!

[art128]

That's a great mosaic my friend ! 
I like the "ghetto" in the top. 

Happy New year !

[rooker1]

Hello Dustin,

Another super picture.
I wonder what we will all do from now on....not getting our fix....dose....ahhh you get the idea.  What are we going to do?
I don't know about everyone else but I was getting use to seeing an update in here everyday.

Where did you get those apartment buildings?  They look like SFBT style.

I hope your Christmas holidays were the best they could be and I hope your New Years eve will begin the new year with a bang.
Don't drink too much we need you tomorrow.

See you in the New Year my Friend,
Robin 

[Jmouse]

That's quite a grand-exit mosaic, Dustin! Tenants would need a GPS to find the right building, especially those who come home a bit late from a rompin' an' stompin' New Year's Eve Party!

Anyway, here's to 2009 and all the things it will bring - the good, the bad and the surprises...
Joan

[JBSimio]

Great mosaic, Dustin!  You managed to finish the month just as strong as you began.  It's been great having a new picture every day (although I imagine you may be ready for a little break by now!) and the larger updates in between were always very insightful.  It's always interesting to watch how different people plan and play the game and the way you've walked us through each step has been fascinating.  I'll be watching this one for quite some time, I'm sure.

Have a wonderful New Year, my friend!
JB

[thundercrack83]

bat: Thanks, bat! Happy New Year!

Robin (rooker1): Thank you so much, Robin! The apartments are NDEX, I believe, though I don't remember off the top of my head. I'll look into it for you, though, my friend!

Joan (Jmouse): Thanks, Joan! I'm with you on 2009, too—we'll see where it takes us!

Jon (JBSimio): Hi, Jon! It's been such a great month, I don't even know where to begin! I'm so glad that you've enjoyed things here, and I hope to see you here in 2009, too! Take care, my friend!



It's almost 1:00 AM here in the Keystone State, so...

Happy 2009!

My time in OSITM is officially up today, so I'll leave you all with this, a final OSITM treat to wrap things up...

Time for a bit of a break, I think...not too long, though—don't worry!

See you soon!

[Jmouse]

Wow! What a wonderful idea - nobody's going to top a 31-day odyssey like that!

It's a quarter hour into 2009 now, so Happy New Year to all!
Joan

[threestooges]

Well done on the month in OSITM Dustin. You certainly made it interesting. As for the bridge, I actually kind of liked the avenue bridge, what I was talking about was the STR one. However, perhaps an avenue bridge maight be a nice addition. Any suggestions? Nice mosaic to close out the month with. I don't think I've seen those towers before, nor those blocks of warehouses at the bottom. The retrospective pic was a neat one to looks at too. Enjoy the break, and I'll be looking forward to seeing how that grid holds up to development. Great work.
-Matt

[dedgren]

Little did I know that my best friend here at SC4D would prove to have such a sure hand at doing an MD.  Marathon has become a must read (must see, to be more accurate), and you have had a great OSITM run, Dustin.  I can't wait to see what you do here in 2009.

Happy New Year!


David

[CasperVg]

I must congratulate you with the impressive works you have showcased here over the past 56 days. It certainly is a well-deserved feat that Commonwealth of Marathon has been moved to the "Classics". Not only does it have the needed post and view counts; it is also a pleasant to read, and wonderful to look at, Mayors' Diary, that showcases a wide variety of playing styles, cities and on top of that it is authored by one of the most friendly members of this community.

I have enjoyed looking at each of the Daily OSITM Treats. That's actually an understatement, since I started to anxiously await the newest teaser from the moment I had spotted the last one. It has become a routine job to check in here after I get up in the morning, to view another most awesome picture, that you made.

As for the the latest teaser: What is there to say? I am overwhelmed with the beauty of how the residential blocks, the river, the seasonal trees, the bridge and the industrial estate nicely fit together, and seem to create an almost utopian mirror of how life really is. The seasonal trees really do add to the overall picture, by supplying it with the necessary colourfulness and the river seems to be a smooth border line between the industrial and residential development, and from an artistic point of view, it seems to nicely divide the picture into three small pictures.

I hope you, and all others here, will have a splendid 2009!

P.S.: Those residential towers were made by ill tonkso, and can be found here, here (or just search "Portsmouth" on the STEX).

[bat]

You have made an excellent job there in your first OSITM! And that's a nice collection of 31 pictues!

Looking forward to the pictures in 2009!

[paroch]

Happy New Year Dustin - you certainly rounded things out in style.

Those apartment blocks have certainly drawn plenty of comments - I too thought they looked like a variation on the SFBT Plattenbau - so thanks to Casper for the link.

Delivering a pic a day - plus a quiz, plus some sizable updates has been quite a task - so enjoy your (short) break!

And I'm pleased you appreciated my last comment - I will enjoy watching it all develop.

All the best

Paul