Building Log: World Trade Center (Pre-9/11)

[BigMac 24]

rubik, what is the tile area for each individual tower? My residents and I need to get our city ready. https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/2.gif border=0>

[rubik3 118]

It's looking like the downloads will be about 7 meg per tower.  The model is about 6 meg and I'm giving a meg for the custom content for the lot.

 

With the added window washer the LOD footprint has just barely exceeded the 4x4 size.  I might force it to fit on a 4x4 but expect a 5x5 lot.  I can probably get away with overlap since it going to be a prop though.  Wasn't the deletion problems related to the building itself overlapping?

[+Guest]

You know, if you are going to make the World Trade Cenetr, when are you going to make WTC buildings 3-7?

[rubik3 118]

I can't seem to answer this question enough times.  Scrolling back through the pages of this thread I've seen the same question at least 15 times and the answer hasn't changed. 

 

The first release will just be the 2 towers.  Then I will finish off 3-7.  I'm not going to make everyone wait a month to get their hands on the towers because I haven't finished 3-7...that would be just plain cruel. 

 

Ok that was the last time I'm answering that question.  If I see it again I will ignore it.  I expect this of newbs but not from a long time member.  I answered this question 2 days ago less than a page back.

 

Sorry to be rude but these 30 hours export times along with the small mistakes the BAT is producing is making me a little edgy.

[JEC 101]

what about buildings 3-7? just kidding

But seriously, you said each tower is 7 megs, well my zip file that I was going to use for this site is too large; it is 5.3 megs. It doesn't seem to upload and my computer just dies after I press the upload button. It worked for simcity.com though. Anyways, i'm just warning when you upload.

[DarkMatter 21]

Hey Rubik, don't get down on yourself. The BAT is still buggy enough that it needs a patch...those who have used it enough know that. It might have been a little premature. I know people are getting pushy and impatient, but please take your time.

 

You have done an absolutely PERFECT job on this building, paid attention to every concievable detail and reproduced BOTH towers in the most exquizit accuracy. When these are complete, they will, Maxis buildings included, but the most detailed, most accurate, and most magnificent buildings in the game. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty for these buildings, and the result is truely a tribute to the two towers, and a monument to those who died on 9/11. I want to extend my thanks to you for all the countless hours you have spent on tuning these buildings to perfection. Your hard work and dedication are most appreciated by this member, and I'm quite certain by everyone here. Regardless of how long it takes you to perfect and release these buildings, you shouldn't feel rushed, and if you need a break before releasing them, please take one.

 

So...

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/9.gif> THANKS RUBIK!! https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/9.gif>
For the perfect building.

[flamesrock 6]

This is amazing Awesome detail, but 7megs!!! worth it, yet still outrageous.

[Equinox 1,218]

I agree completely with DM.  Take a break if needed.  https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif>  Fantastic job.  https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/5.gif>

[BigMac 24]

I second what DarkMatter said. This will be among the most meaningful, detailed and significant lots ever released for any SimCity game, and will certainly become one of the most downloaded. Your future lots will have nothing short of my complete interest. Also, I have been and will continue to promote this lot outside of Simtropolis; already it is getting attention on other forums.

 

Thank you for being as open to suggestions as you have been, and I very much appreciate your quest for accuracy. As always, let me know if there is anything I can do to help. You are doing great justice to the memory of the World Trade Center, and then some. If I ever meet you in real-life, I'm treating you to dinner. King Crab or Filet Mignon? https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/2.gif>

[Smurfer2 7]

I third that. If you need a break please take one.

 

I love the project, but will it have a subway station?

[kid_a 1]

Here Here! Couldn't be said better.

Rubik - i'm sending you a PM sometime tomorrow, in regards to the images.

The work you have done on both buildings is absolutely astounding. Personally, I am taken back by the amount of detail and the hours you put towards this project. This project was done out of the sincerity for the other members, and not just yourself, I commend you for that. Great work, this will sure go down in SC history.

[jeeper 14]

If Simtropolis ever decides to have a Lot of the Year you'd be the man to beat, and your buildings haven't even been released yet. As a native New Yorker I thank you and applaud you for your effort and conviction on this project!!!

[rubik3 118]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.  Without the community support a lot of this wouldn't be possible.

 

I don't want to take a break from this project but unfortunately come Wednesday I'll have to.  As much as I want to get this project done, money rules the world and I'm getting low on it.  I was hoping to get the models done by Tuesday night, but I was stupid and ignored a problem I knew I was going to have.  So unfortunately it looks like the 2nd export of Tower 1 will have to wait until the weekend.  Unless of course the export of Tower 2 I just started finishes in 6 hours....but thats not going to happen.

 

I plan on making both towers subway enabled but I'm not sure how it displays the underground scene or if it can be modified.  I don't even think anybody has messed around with the underground models but I could be wrong.

[toroca 162]

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On 2/23/2004 8:21:20 PM rubik3 wrote:

With the added window washer the LOD footprint has just barely exceeded the 4x4 size.  I might 'force' it to fit on a 4x4 but expect a 5x5 lot.  I can probably get away with overlap since it going to be a prop though.  Wasn't the deletion problems related to the building itself overlapping?

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Just to make sure I'm clear on this, when you say prop you're referring to the window washer, right?  Buildings as props can be problematic...  I think I'm too tired to be sure I've understood you correctly. 

[Richiedude44 13]

Wow - all this looks great. I admire the work involved.

I didn't go back to read this entire thread but let me say I hope this just won't be a Landmark lot. Seems to me many of us into building big cities would love a Twin Towers functional lot with C$$$ jobs!!! hell yeah.

If that is your intention please ignore me. If not - please dop consider that!

[rubik3 118]

Buildings as props can be problematic...

 

What problems are you talking about?  I don't need them as props on the single lots but when I do the whole complex they have to be.

[Smurfer2 7]

 

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On 2/23/2004 11:57:02 PM rubik3 wrote:

'Buildings as props can be problematic...'

 

What problems are you talking about?  I don't need them as props on the single lots but when I do the whole complex they have to be.

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*Thinking*

That's what I thought. Doesn't the buildings have to be props in the LE.

[+Guest]

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On 2/23/2004 11:30:35 PM Richiedude44 wrote:

I didn't go back to read this entire thread but let me say I hope this just won't be a Landmark lot. Seems to me many of us into building big cities would love a Twin Towers functional lot with C$$$ jobs!!! hell yeah.

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Actually, no. I hope you'll release a regular landmark lot version. Taking away the CO$$$ demand with jobs while paying for maintenance isn't what I'd look for in a ploppable building. I'll be waiting for the whole WTC complex to be finished before downloading. Everything looks great so far! It'll be the best user creation this game has seen.

[toroca 162]

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On 2/24/2004 12:13:01 AM Smurfer2 wrote:

 

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On 2/23/2004 11:57:02 PM rubik3 wrote:

'Buildings as props can be problematic...'

 

What problems are you talking about?  I don't need them as props on the single lots but when I do the whole complex they have to be.

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*Thinking*

That's what I thought. Doesn't the buildings have to be props in the LE.

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No.  In the Lot Editor, if you can get to a building from the Replace Building button, then it's not a prop.  If it appears under the props button, then it IS a prop.

The problem with buildings as props is that props are not shown in Region View if I'm not mistaken, and they can also vanish if your graphics settings are set low enough.  Wasn't this just a problem recently with a few of the earlier BAT buildings?

In terms of actual gameplay it may not be a problem, but your downtown might look kinda dumb from Region view if there's an empty plaza where the WTC should be...

[toroca 162]

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On 2/24/2004 12:17:44 AM nycHKdragon wrote:

Actually, no. I hope you'll release a regular landmark lot version. Taking away the CO$$$ demand with jobs while paying for maintenance isn't what I'd look for in a ploppable building. I'll be waiting for the whole WTC complex to be finished before downloading. Everything looks great so far! It'll be the best user creation this game has seen.

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You have the opposite attitude from myself, it seems.  If I'm going to be paying a monthly fee for something, I want to get something for it other than a building that sits there and looks pretty.  I want jobs to be provided, since that will give me a corresponding boost in residential demand that I can then use to further develop my office core...

[Smurfer2 7]

Thanks for explaining that Toroca.

 

 

P.S. What a great place for my 500th post.

[+Guest]

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On 2/24/2004 12:23:18 AM toroca wrote:

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You have the opposite attitude from myself, it seems. If I'm going to be paying a monthly fee for something, I want to get something for it other than a building that sits there and looks pretty. I want jobs to be provided, since that will give me a corresponding boost in residential demand that I can then use to further develop my office core...
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While I agree that those jobs would create residential demand, you don't receive tax money from the lot and it eats a big chunk of that hard to get CO$$$ demand. Better to allow a stage 8 CO$$$ to develop there on its own if the jobs are more important to you.

As for my landmark preference; I'm willing to pay a fee for it to just sit there. It's like a reward in the sense that my city management was competent enough to be able to afford it. Plus it would look great in my downtown NY themed city.

[rubik3 118]

The problem with buildings as props is that props are not shown in Region View if I'm not mistaken

 

I believe that was a PM setting that is easily fixed by adding in zoom1 to the zoom flags.  Don't worry, it will be heavily tested to make sure it all works correctly.

 

The eventual release will contain 2 lots for each tower.  One with jobs and one without.

[toroca 162]

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On 2/24/2004 1:24:57 AM nycHKdragon wrote:

While I agree that those jobs would create residential demand, you don't receive tax money from the lot and it eats a big chunk of that hard to get CO$$$ demand. Better to allow a stage 8 CO$$$ to develop there on its own if the jobs are more important to you.

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Actually, if you convert the landmark to a functional one in the correct way, you DO receive tax income from it.  I've proven this by adding Co$$$ jobs to a landmark and then plopping it in a city in which I have completely taxed Office out.  Suddenly I had income from office jobs.  Which doesn't totally make sense to me since the landmark exemplars don't contain a monthly income entry anywhere.  And you still pay the monthly fee for it.

Also, who said it had to be a Co$$$ landmark?  Co$$ works just as well, and since Co$$ demand is somewhat hard to get rid of anyway (because unless you segregate the two, Co$$$ has a tendency to replace it) that's a possibly better alternative.  Among other things, placing some Co$$ landmarks could help you breach the stage limits to allow the largest Co$$ buildings to grow, which would be good since they don't get replaced by Co$$$ easily.

[The PhantoM 1]

u did an outstanding job... Please take ur time to finish these towers... We've all seen what ur capable of and I think all of us want to witness the perfection of the wtc in sc4 rather than a rushed, rendered tower. My respect to u...

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On 2/23/2004 11:05:54 PM rubik3 wrote:

I don't want to take a break from this project but unfortunately come Wednesday I'll have to. As much as I want to get this project done, money rules the world and I'm getting low on it.

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Why don't u apply to maxis . They would be proud to have someone in their team like you.

[JoshuaC 8]

Hey great job on the WTC towers your are very deserving of being a BATT Squad memberhttps://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/10.gif>

 

what texture did you use on the roofs on you towers?

[AtlanticaC5 1]

Wow, the towers look really realistic!! Great work!

[pcsurgeon 2]

Don't worry about webspace. If you wanna share this file i'd be glad to fill in the gap

[rubik3 118]

what texture did you use on the roofs on you towers?

 

I actually created my own texture for the roofs.  It's a combination of a stained concrete overlaid with some faked dirt and grime.

 

Don't worry about webspace. If you wanna share this file i'd be glad to fill in the gap

 

I have about 25 meg free space and unlimited bandwidth of my own that I've offered up to Dirk to use for these lots.

 

It looks like I don't have to take a break yet.  The work I was planning on doing has been postponed for at least a few days so as soon as the export of tower 2 is done (That's right....38 hours and it's still not done with the zoom 3's yet) I'm going to re export tower 1 with a few changes.  Hopefully I can have these ready for release by the beginning of next week.

[BigMac 24]

I will clear my schedule for Sunday through Tuesday. https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/2.gif border=0>

 

Do you plan to release the towers on the SimCity 4 Lot Exchange as well? In addition to more exposure, you would likely receive a job offer from Maxis within days. https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif border=0>