SFBT Park Set medium wealth by AndreasI'll start with this set because it's the oldest one, rooting back to 2003, shortly after the Lot Editor was released. I always thought that the game lacked of a really large park, and the 3x3 thingy was merely a joke in my eyes - sure, enough to place a small green spot here and there, but of course nothing that you would call a "park" in real life. So I created three lots, a 6x6, a 6x8 and finally a 6x11 lot with similar layout, but still a few differences. Some months later, I discovered joerg's Golf Pack, which also featured a few path lots, as well as some open grass and tree lots that had the same base texture as the Maxis parks.
So I expanded the set continuously, and as of now, it contains 22 individual lots. A big thanks goes to ArkenbergeJoe, who created some excellent diagonal path textures, and he also created some new preview props that are now included in the SFBT Essentials. Those props will show up when you place a lot, so you can see where the path is, but never appear in the game, due to some tricky modding.
The query UI was also designed by ArkenbergeJoe, it shows the wealth of the park lots with a nice tree icon.
SFBT Park Set low wealth by ArkenbergeJoeBased on my park set, Arkenberge created two sets that should complement that one. They are not that extensive so far, but should fill quite some needs as well. The first set is intended for low wealth areas, such as the SFBT PreFab (Plattenbau) lots. Low wealth lots tend to upgrade quickly when you place some parks nearby, that's why this set has been stipped off any park and landmark effects. However, the air cleaning function remains, so the low wealth areas benefit a bit from those as well. The lots also feature the exact replica of an Eastern German lamppost, like they could be found basically everywhere in the former GDR. Also, keep an eye on the dead-end path circle for some seaonal surprises.
SFBT Park Set high wealth by ArkenbergeJoeFinally, here's a set intended for the high wealth areas, with a lush green texture, fancy lampposts, asphalt paths and lots of flowers and other greenery. It mixes well with the in-game high wealth lots and the in-game open grass lot, and if you like, you can also mix it with the BSC Park Series, which has the same lush grass texture. All three sets have been updated to the latest SFBT standards and require the SFBT Essentials from April 2007.
Not shown in the images above are the new SFBT diagonal filler lots. Each park set has two lots, one with the green grass texture that shows up next to blank terrain and low-density zones, and the pavement texture that shows up at medium and high density zones.
Here's the situation without filler lots - doesn't look too bad in this particular case, but the jagged edges still don't look that great.
So we bulldoze the park lots next to the road again and place one of the diagonal filler lots. Note that the lot features a preview prop that should be oriented to the curb of the road.
Looks a lot better than before, huh?
As mentioned above, the filler with pavement texture works well with medium and high density zones. The "sidewalk" might be a bit wide in this case, but it still looks a lot better than with those jagged edges.
BTW, more diagonal fillers for other purposes will be released soon. Check out the "
Upcoming BATs and lots" thread for some pictures.
