The Mystic County Project

[tomdapom 79]

Wow great fauna!

[andymcnab666 4]

Nice nature shots... I like it...

[cityhawk 12]

The nature shots are phenomenal! Can't wait for more!

[kant01 5]

Delta Exploration, Part II

Welcome to Page 2!

From the archives of the Mystic Valley Historical Society:

When migrants first crossed over the hills of Attabar to reach Mystic County, one of the earliest settlements arose around the Brush Neck Delta, those fertile deposits left by the Brush Neck River as it flowed into Mystic Bay.

These people came from all over the empire. Some had formerly worked in the imperial guard; others were craftsmen and skilled laborers forced out of their profession, taking their possessions on their backs and their families by their sides. They came to the edge of the bay along the river delta and set up homesteads. They hunted for game and fished in the river. And as more people came, they began to work together to see what food the land could harvest.

The wild animals certainly helped them through their early winters as they ate their meat for sustenance and burned their fat for heat and light.

But as the animals grew scarce, it became harder to heat and light their homes and so a group of the local homesteaders gathered together to dig a mine shaft deep into the soil and extract whatever they could.

According to historians it was the success of that first mine that enabled the early settlement to flourish and grow. It is said that in that mine they found an abundance of coal.

A cooperative was formed to distribute coal to all the farmers and hunters around the delta. The families learned to work together, to distribute labor amongst themselves, and aid each others' burdens.

Their success at farming increased…

And within a few years, the small shacks grew into a community of homes.

More coming soon!

[cifa 7]

Nice shots, nice trees....nice update lol

[Battlecat 14]

Very cool!  Nice start and a good history.  You're really starting from the smallest scale possible.  I'm looking forward to watching this evolve as time goes on. 

Where did you get that classy looking mine site?  Looks great!

[Fabiocb 1]

wow

awesome start it looks alive, keep on this awesome work.

[Micah 16]

So many cool BATs! Really great update on the forest and historic site.

[kant01 5]

Sorry for no updates. I’ve been in NYC the last few days without my computer. I just wanted to go ahead and say thanks for all the wonderful comments! I really feel like I haven’t even begun yet – just stage setting. I should have some more soon.

collgab – Thanks! Realism is one thing I am striving for most!

cifa – thanks for the comment – I really like playing around with the farms and R$ houses so there will be much more of those.

Bombastix – Thanks and thanks! I will…

bat – Well, thank you

eggie99 – thanks – it’s easy to create beautiful landscapes when others have already made such incredible trees

tomdapom – thanks – Cycledogg’s trees make it so easy…

andymcnab666 – thanks for the comment

cityhawk – how nice of you to say!

cifa (again) – thanks, thanks, and…thanks!

Battlecat – I have started very small. I like imagining a back story to how a city begins – where do the people come from, what are their motivations, what unites them and what divides them, etc. I have some general ideas about where this one will go but it is still very open ended so I am looking forward as well to seeing how it will evolve. Thanks for the comment!

Btw, the mine shaft I found on STEX from the wonderful wild west buildings of onlyplace4. I expanded the lot and actually gave it the same power statistics as a wind plant. Basically, I am using it as a small and slightly expensive source of coal for the early residents. As more people come into the area, they will need to build a real power plant. 

Fabiocb – thanks for the kind words

Micah – well thanks!

More soon when I get back from NY!

[cityhawk 12]

Oops, I missed that above update. Anyway, your nature shots are still great, and the story of the settlers, along with the great pics, were very nice to view! Can't wait for more!

[Cjah 15]

Not bad....good job with industry.....

[sloppet 3]

Good work there KANT01 Nice small update..

[wallasey 8]

Your Region is a great choice! And the Cycledogg mods just make the whole region look so much greener, and fertile! The Flora is amazing, the shots are of un-rivalled standard and the story line is also very good!

Great Work!

[DarkLoki 0]

I liked your previous cj to bad you did not finish it. This new region looks very good, i like all the history. I hope the beauty of this region will not be spoiled.

[Rayden 7]

Vey nice Cj here. I like the modd you're using, and the map is fantastic. I'm looking foward to see your building style in the mountains.

[kant01 5]

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates. Still in New York but heading back to Chicago this afternoon so I promise that I will have an update by tomorrow!

In the meantime, I have some personal replies:

cityhawk – thanks for keeping up and thanks for the nice words! We’ll hear more about the settlers really soon as they begin to mix into the surrounding region and leave their mark on it.

Cjah – thanks!   I’m glad you are sticking around – hopefully I will not disappoint! Please do let me know what you think. I will try to show some more close-ups of the R$ in the next few days to get your feedback.

sloppet – thanks for the comment! Sorry this last update was so small – it was all I had time for before my trip – lots of pictures are on their way! Btw, I am looking forward to your new CJ!

wallasey – wow, what a nice comment! I agree that Cycledogg’s mods totally make this region – I cannot imagine it without them. Right now my only wish is that I could use Cycledogg’s seasonal trees in the god/plop modes but I just don’t have the talent to do that. Jeronij was trying to help me figure it out but I think that I was still till dense. I guess I will just leave that to the experts.

Ynterboy – Glad to see you here – I apologize for not finishing my last story. I hinted as to its conclusion in the prologue to this one. I was just so busy last year that I ended up not even playing SC4 for quite a while and then I just got busy playing other games. Perhaps after this one I will return to Glacier Valley, maybe even start it over with some of my new mods and buildings. Not sure yet what will happen. In any case, I am glad you are now here and glad you like the beginning so far! As for the region being spoiled…well…that will depend on many things…

Rayden – Thanks for reading and thanks for the comment! The mountains will indeed prove difficult…have not completely decided how that will all work out….

And thanks to everyone! The next update is just around the corner.

[cowcorn 11]

Well somehow I forgot to comment here. You do a realy great job. I like the use the plopable rocks, the fences and the logs. Great forest.

[kant01 5]

Sorry for the delay! My flight was 5 hours late on Wednesday because of bad weather here in Chicago. In any case, here's the next update - enjoy!

Excerpts from historian Theodore Reichmann’s groundbreaking book, A People’s History of Mystic County, Vol. 1:

...We can now conclude that the mining cooperative at Warwick produced little coal in their first years. Although Susan Graft’s thesis has been widely agreed upon previously (Graft, 102) this archeological evidence together with the carbon readings corroborate that very little coal was burned. Their mining efforts were either simply unsuccessful or else the local residents did not make a serious attempt.

However, all this changed by around the fall of the fifth year when more homesteaders appeared at Warwick. With extra hands available, many already calloused from their work in the imperial mining colonies, both the need and the manpower radically changed how the cooperative operated. Some data even suggest that by the sixth year the Warwick mine was producing a surplus of coal to ferry up the river to other settlements.

The fact is that the ability to harness the energy of the earth transformed the existence of the local homesteaders. In the first place, it put them directly in charge of their physical means of existence. In the settlement no one depended upon a top-down bureaucracy to obtain their food and coal or to produce their houses. Elsewhere in the Empire, the workers produced the energy for the owners and then depended upon the owners to sell it back to them, usually for a substantial profit. Now they produced for themselves. Second, their increased need for coal required more efficient methods of obtaining it and hence inspired technological innovation, both with their haphazard mining methods and for distribution.

Historians at the Peabody Museum in the Linden Province Center have archived an extensive collection of correspondence from various Mystic County figures. Here is a small sampling from the early years:

October 16, 56:

Dear mom,

Thanks for the blankets you sent. It is certainly getting cold at night and dad is trying to conserve our coal for the winter. I hope you are able to come soon. I have been dividing my time between helping out at the mine and taking care of Jacob. Dad would prefer me to stay home and do stuff around the house but I want to feel useful to the entire community. Next year when I turn 16 I have decided I am going to move out on my own, whether you are here or not. Jacob will be 10 at that point and could probably look after himself.

...

Please write soon,

Yours,

Dale Shipman

January 9, 57:

Dear mom,

It has snowed for several days followed by a bad ice storm. Dad and a bunch of the other men stayed at the mine an extra 12 hours because we heard that the new settlement further up the Brush Neck was in trouble.

...

I think the Bernards have come down with cholera. Dad wants Jacob to stop playing with their son. I just cannot watch him any more. Mom, why haven’t you come yet?

September 25, 57

Dear mom,

Well, I turn 16 today and you are still not here. Dad and I are not speaking because he knows I want to leave. Rufus told me he would help me build a shack over closer towards the fishing area. I think I have had enough with the mine for now. If I am there then I will have to see dad. If I fish I can still help provide for the settlement.

October 7

Dear mom,

We have made good progress on my new shack. I think Rufus might even come stay with me. His parents don’t care at all and I think he wants to set out on his own as well. At least this way I won’t be out here all by myself at night. I know you were worried about the bears but Rufus is a great shot and he even shot a grizzly last week.

October 12

Dear mom,

Bad news today – I don’t know if dad already wrote you or not but Jacob is really sick. He has a bad fever and is having trouble breathing. I am going back to stay with them for a while. Dad and I both need you here now and Jacob really does. Try not to worry though because I will help look after him.

October 17

Dear mom,

Jacob has taken a turn for the worse. We really don’t know what it is and we cannot seem to find the doctor. We had news from up the river that he was over closer to the sound but if that is true it may be too late before he can make his way over here. There is no good road across the woods except for some old hunting trails. He will have to make the journey on horse back.

October 20

Dear mom,

Dad is distraught and will not leave the house. Jacob has been barely conscious for days. The Bernards’ son died last night and their eldest daughter is also ill. He may not make it through the night.

October 27

Dear mom,

I don’t understand why you cannot leave your job. I know Jacob is better but we are your family and dad and I need you. I know that you and dad disagree on your political views and that he resents you for working for the chancellor. That is, after all, the whole reason we left the city to move out here. Just because you come and join us does not mean that you are giving in to dad or that you are changing your views. It just means that you recognize how much we need you. Please come. I beg you.

June 13, 58

Dear mom,

I was disappointed by your last letter and to hear that you had changed your mind. I was hoping you would be here in time for my birthday this year.

...

At least Jacob is strong again. He really does miss you, as do I.

...

More people have moved into the area, fleeing the power of the man you work for. I wish you could see them. They are haggard and scarred. Most have left miserable conditions. A few are like dad, idealistic and seeking a better life, giving up the luxury they had back in the cities. It is really inspiring.

July 1, 58

Dear mom,

I have started working on a farm. It is better work then the fishing. My boat sank and I just didn’t have the heart to build another one. Rufus and I had put so much energy into that one.

...

He has gone off for a while, I think up the river to see a cousin. Maybe when he gets back at the end of the summer we will think about fishing again.

July 15

Dear mom,

It has been so hot. I think all the farms in the area are going to have a bumper crop this year. I wish you could see the fields I have been working in. My arms are totally burned, my back is stiff, and my neck is sore, but I feel better than I ever have.

October 7,

Dear mom,

I received your birthday package yesterday. I really appreciate it. I still cannot believe that I am 17.

...

I wish you were here now to see the trees changing again. This is some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen.

…

Our small settlement is actually starting to seem crowded. You wouldn’t believe all the people who are moving here after hearing about our little community. I think at the last count there were nearly 500 people! Dad is taking his turn now as chair of the mine cooperative council. I think his rotation will last for six months. The program has been so successful and there are so many people that there is now talk of forming a community council of some kind. Dad isn’t sure if that is such a good idea, primarily because he wants us to stay under the radar of the Chancellor. If we become too organized they might send a civil administrator out here to start taxing us...or worse.

May 12, 59

Dear mom,

I am sort of disappointed that so many people are setting up their homes near the fishing areas. Rufus and I were just getting ready to make another go at it. I just liked it better when there were fewer people over here and we could fish in silence. I guess we will have to build another boat and head out into the bay.

...

The delta is a truly great place at least to live. I am thinking of even building closer to the water if the fishing goes well.

May 30,

Oh mom, you are not going to believe what has happened!...

Too be continued...

[natedoggg 0]

i love the terraforming

[cityhawk 12]

That mom is just plain stubborn, isn't she?! Anyway, the story is interesting, and the rural pics are great! Keep it up!

[Battlecat 14]

Nice work!  That's a very pretty little town.  Some small growth, but I'm glad you'r keeping it under control.  Those custom lots look great!  I like the story as well.  Keep it up!

[Alkaola 18]

i advise you to add some shadow graphics to ou CJ ... i like it

[andymcnab666 4]

WOW, I thought I lost track of a CJ somewhere along the line, and I have missed some pretty good updates. The story you have included is also quite entertaining to read, I look forward to seeing what will be done here.

[Ramona Brie 121]

Wow. What a great CJ. I am definitely tuning in!

[kant01 5]

Hey, everyone - just wanted to say thanks for reading and thanks for the comments!

cowcorn – well, glad you did comment! Thanks a bunch!

natedogg – thanks!

cityhawk – yes she is…but she has reason…thanks for reading – glad you like the pics!

Battlecat – under control for now – more development on its way – and fast. Thanks for commenting!

Alkaola – you’re right! I don’t remember why I had my shadows all turned off. Will be corrected in the next update. Thanks for pointing it out and thanks for commenting!

andymcnab666 – really glad you like it and really appreciate you reading. More updates coming soon!

Tracker – thanks so much!

Ok, the next update is on its way so stay tuned!

[MayorTim 16]

Wow, very nice! Definately one of the best rural cj's!

[Yoman3 5]

Cool!!! Great woodlands and farms

[kant01 5]

The First Settlment, Part II

From the archives of the Linden Province Historical Society:

Without a doubt, the three most important people in the development of Mystic County, from its spectacular beginning to the tragedy that followed, were Rufus Delacroix, his best friend Dale Shipman III, and Dale’s mother, Victoria Farley Shipman, special council to Chancellor Neibel and later the appointed governor of the region. It is thought by some historians that Governor Shipman was the most ruthless and corrupt female leader to emerge during the past several empires.

The Shipman family history is a complex narrative, one that began when Governor Shipman’s husband left the imperial capital with their two children once political differences between him and his wife became too great. Victoria had begun, like Dale, as a young radical, eager to see change in the regime of the IX Empire. However, her early success propelled her to more official positions where her views on the work of the empire began to change. Her idealism, coupled with this success, led to hostile disagreements with her husband once she was appointed special council to the Chancellor and publicly endorsed his re-education camps as necessary for social progress.

Once Dale fled to Mystic County to begin his new life out view from the empire, young Dale continued to correspond with his mother, trying to convince her to give up her life and position with the Chancellor and make peace with the family. Little did Dale know, his constant reports to his mother were being forwarded to the Chancellor’s department of InterProvincial Security. The Chancellor was closely monitoring every move of the young settlement with particular interest.

From the journal of Rufus Delacroix in May of year 59:

It has been a long journey traveling around the area. I thought it was important to document the areas along the cost and to see what other resources the region might have to offer. So little has been known about Mystic County as we are the very first people to live her in perhaps thousands of years.

The most amazing place I found on my trip was in the Pigeon Cove area, a completely uninhabited little bay on the western edge of Warden’s Preserve. Coming down out of the mountains and flowing down to the cove was the most naturally beautiful river I have ever seen. The water would cascade of the edge of cliffs at times, rushing so loudly that you could barely hear anything else.

Near the larger falls there were some signs that the empire had been there before though it was hard to tell how old the bridge and lookout tower were. Perhaps they are remnants from when the Warden’s Preserve was first created.

The river flowed on down the cove, twisting and winding its way as if it would not be happy until it merged with the salty waters of the sound.

The second place I remember most from my trip was the settlement on the other side of the Brush Neck River in the fertile delta region.

Although their development had not attracted as many homesteaders as our place at Warwick had, it nonetheless showed great promise as a healthy, thriving community taking care of one another. I think the prospect for trade along the coast with the small settlement is rather exciting.

Not only do have they used the delta soil to the greatest advantage, but they have also developed a small fishing cooperative. This includes not only a small boatyard…

…but also small fishing wharf.

I studied these both for sometime and plan on taking their designs back to Warwick to implement with Dale as we begin our own fishing adventure.

I think I will have to return to the Brush Neck Delta very soon.

From the Chancellor’s official provincial report log on Mystic County, kept by Special Council Victoria Shipman:

Our earliest assumptions on the resources of Mystic County appear to be correct. With food and other resources in jeopardy elsewhere in the empire, it is the recommendation of this committee that we begin an immediate colonization. Farming prospects are very high and more importantly the waters in the area have enormous potential for fish.

Since the Chancellor’s personal fishing grounds are virtually exhausted, no time at all should be wasted before we begin the extraction process.

We recommend that the colonization begin with Warwick. As the highest number of settlers have already moved into this area there is a ready supply of labor and the residents have already begun to develop some crude infrastructure.

However, intelligence suggests that the current residential population may not be favorable to an imperial presence and thus it is recommended that a short grace period be provided in which our interests are suitably presented. After that period, if the residents remain uncooperative, this committee recommends that all options be considered, including expulsion, resettlement, or detention.

[sloppet 3]

Hmm.. Very nice.. Lot's of great pics and interesting updates!!

[Battlecat 14]

Nice work with that stream and waterfall there!  Looks great.  It flows quite cleanly into the game water.  The story is evolving quite nicely.  The overview shots look really nice with the farmland gradually expanding.