Noah's Siilijoki
Entry 2
Welcome to my second entry of my new MD!Replies:travismking - Thank you for your kind words being the first to comment here! I hope you continue to enjoy my work.
Jmouse - Thanks for the tip on the picture numbering
I went back and edited numbers in right away.
Canyonjumper - Thank you! Those diagonal bridges are always fun but usually don't come without a hassle
Jayster - Glad you like it here and I hope you continue to!
RickD - Thanks for your visit and the kind words!
Tomas Neto - Thank you so much for your compliment!
rooker1 - Maybe teaser wasn't the best word to use but glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the encouragement along the way--I finally started it!
io_bg - Thank you! I think your MD was the first I ever followed, or at least commented on
Ciuu96 - Thanks. My goal is to have Finnish and American elements in the city, hopefully taking the best of both. The Helsinki trams and bats help with the Finnish feel I'm sure though.
art128 - Glad you liked it, thank you! I like it because it combines things that are difficult in SimCity (diagonal bridges and underwater terraforming) with things that are new to me in the GIMP.
First, a little background on the Siilijoki city and territory:OVERVIEW
Siilijoki is a small province (16x22 kilometers) of New Bothnia, a mediums-sized English-speaking republic. The eponymous city is the province’s capital and its economic and transport hub. The name was adopted from the aboriginal inhabitants and means “Hedgehog River.” Exploitation of Siilijoki’s modest mineral resources, limited agriculture, and vast but marginally profitable forests sparked development beginning more than a century ago. After many years of relative stagnation and hesitant growth in the last decade centered on health, finance, and services, the area seems poised for rapid expansion due to a “perfect storm” of external factors:
1. New Bothnia was isolated from the worst of the recent world-wide recession by its mineral wealth and trade ties to nearby growing, export-based economies.
2. Siilijoki’s pleasant climate and natural beauty have made it a popular destination for tourists and relocating people and businesses.
3. The federal government’s recent stimulus spending, especially with regard to transportation infrastructure, promises new opportunities for the region.
GEOGRAPHY
Siilijoki includes hills and mountains in the north, vast wooded lowlands in the south, a long coastline to the east, and a substantial system of internal waterways. The area’s varied topography makes many types of cityscapes possible. The map was created by blade2k5 for NHP.
2.1 - Siilijoki continues to grow at a rapid pace and the city center is thriving. The area shown in this picture is located on the west bank of the Santtujoki (the river that runs a couple tiles above this picture) near where the city first developed. This area suffered a period of decline due to former heavy industry located nearby and urban flight. Recently decreased pollution and crime along with demographic changes have caused property values to increase steadily along with development. Part of this area was featured in a day shot in my first entry.
2.2 - Across the Santtujoki lies the city's commercial center and transport hub. The large rail terminus and tram depot (blue arched building in foreground) pictured here are Siilijoki's mass transit core:
2.3 - Numerous tramlines and railways radiate outward from the center of the network. The route here is only a couple blocks north of the central station, along the riverfront (here the Siilijoki, by far the largest river in the area, from which the city and province took their names).
2.4 - The railways shown here are immediately east of the terminus, crossing a creak before rounding a bend and entering a tunnel.
2.5 - Heading further east and south (near the previously mentioned train's route) we arrive at the primary industrial area. Cars here battle each other and a tram to exit the area when the night shift ends.
2.6 - Many of the commuters who prefer their own ride to public transit make use of Suomenpuro Interchange (eastern half pictured here). The picture faces south-southeast, toward the suburbs. Traffic heading west goes toward the city center and beyond, north toward the industrial area from the last pic, and east toward the port and more industry along the main freeway. The tramway and viaduct link more local traffic.
2.7 - A few blocks away, beyond the previous industrial pic, some smog on a calm day clouds the view of more factories and warehouses. Although progress is being made, air pollution can occasionally be a problem for the area.
For the next update I'm hoping to create some maps and decent zoomed out shots so the geographical references make a little more sense
In the mean time I hope you enjoyed your time here and please let me know what you think!
