Xiziz - Shintose Evo Journal

[Chris M 406]

I like this city journal, I love the european look to it, keep it up!

[sirgeoj2 1]

very nice updates, alot of interesting things to look at! 

[Nexis 1]

Very nice update, i like your road plan.

[Deathtoall 28]

nice to see you back again, i can't wait for more lie usual

[utora 0]

excellent update Xiziz! I like the detail in your cities, the cathedrals, the housing, and, of course the colourful farmland; forgive me for not having read the story, but I promise I'll reserve some time to read it all from the beginning; nice photoshopping btw!

[jacqulina 162]

excellent update,very nice details and great pics

[xiziz 11]

Feedback
Traffic_Jam, Thanx for the comment

Leech10, Then wait no longer ^^, it is here ^^

SC4 meister, *Broad smile across my face*, thanx, i would update more often, but right now im very pressed for time.

DragonAnime, Tjanx for the comment, very much apresiated, as for the town feeling a bit european... guess that has to do with me not having much experience in how non-euro town/cities look. Ive only ever been off Europe once ^^ and architecture and wandering towns wasent the top of my todo-list on that trip.

sirgeoj2, Well thank you ^^, i love building them small things too.

Nexis, Thanx for the comment, and the plans, well, there needed sometimes, altough it has gotten some minor redesign, though il show that in the next update.

Deathtoall, Thanx for the comment, and as for disapering, well its summer, that is kinda what happens ^^

utora, ^^ Thanx Utora, its cool, i belive most people just watch the pictures, but those who do follow the story seem to enjoy it, and most important of all, I enjoy writing the story. Though i get you, it takes some time to read, there is a lot of text in it.

jacqulina, Thanx yet again for your comment ^^ you never miss out on an update it seems ^^

 

Update 12

Roads Explained

 

The following morning Shintose first Ministeries opend their doors on Lars command. The Ministry of Urban Planning(MUP) and the Ministry of Infrastructure(MI).

The Main purpose of MUP is to plan the upcoming expansion, and to plan any changes made within an already built up area.

The main purpose of MI is to plan infrastructure, maintain infrastructure and provide rules and regulations for the infrastructure. also to have various official licences to provide higher security.

----------Traffic Information----------

Traffic speeds and the marking of Major roads, roads considerd regionaly important.

Streets: 30Kph

Road: 70Kph

Road through built up area: 50Kph

Limited Accsess Road: 90Kph

Dual Carrigeway: 70Kph

Limited Accsess Dual carrigeway: 110Kph

Motorway: Restrictions pending between 130Kph and Recomended MAX 130Kph

 

R-Class Road: Route of regional Importance

M-Class Road: Motorways, Highspeed Limited accsess routes.

 

Roads are Marked from their starting destination, and when branshed, the second of the roads gets an additional number. If the R1 was to branch, the 2 roads continuing would be named R1 & R11.

If then the R13 branched, it would become R13 & R131.

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---------------Route 22, this is how the R-Class Roadsigns look---------------

As the 3 month deadline was aproaching fast, The valley grew, Shion saw a lot of expansion, this is where this update will be focused. Here come the Pics, the major story will follow in the next update. and the rest of the Shion Valley will folow as it is finished.

 

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Pic 12.1: Shion Prior to development.

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Pic 12.2: Project Liaraki, Making an nice area of the farmlands to be moved out from town.

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Pic 12.3: Project Liataki after development.

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Pic 12.4: Highwind, the highest of the southern Shion Plateaus,

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Pic 12.5: Highwind after MUP's intervention.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/8937/c12a5rdydevelopmentshion9ch.jpg align=baseline>

Pic 12.6: Shion after most development was compleated.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4200/c126roadmap2xj.gif align=baseline>

 

The First real roadmap of Shion. although basic, the information needed is there. The regional Routes and major Areas are marked, and the Major geographic features are too.

 

 

Thats all for today, lets see when the nect one comes, souldnt be that long, since its mostley done already ^^

 

Cheers

//Sim

 

 

 

 

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Looks good, I like the before/after pictures.

[xiziz 11]

Feedback
Leech10, Thanx for the comment, and im glad you liked it ^^

 

Update 13

Lars and Sofias secret revealed

A storyline Update.

 

Sim's Villa, 0812

The phone rang quietly beside Sofias bed, as she answerd the phone thinking who on earth would call her this time in the morning. Her thoughts were answerd rather quickly by the totaly stressed out Lars'es voice. He gave her some quick instructions, and was within 20 seconds of puting down the phone fully dressed running up the stairs to wake Sim.

As the door slamed open i shot out of bed, tripping on the edge and falling straight into the floor, sofia quickly hushed me up and forcefully but the easiest clothes on. She mumbled something about some quickly organised tour by Mayor Lars. Which wasnt like him, he usualy told me some days before. though i hadnt seen much of him since i handed over my drawings and consept art for Storgarden, Shions main Park and centrepillar.

As we came down the door some minutes later, a car pulled in, it wasnt the ordinary Mayoral Limosine, it was a small quite ordinary looking combi. Sofia pushed me into the front seat, and jumped into the backseat, slamming the door shut behid her. Lars speed off as soon as the door shut, normaly he waited for everyone to have their belts on before even puting the car in gear.

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He drove us up the local road and onto the R1, heading soulth. Traffic was almost non existant this early in the morning here, noby started work before 1000 in Shion, not even the construction workers, who were mostley focused on building that Huge Gas plant near Kaoru, Not to metion all the farms and roads, viaducts and railways that were beeing constructed in the soulth. Even canals were beeing built because it was the only feasable way to move large prefabricated stuff into place.

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It didnt take long until we hit central Shion, as we turned out onto the R2 the first thing that struck me was the 2 big towers poking out near my park. As i looked in discust of them, Lars mentioned that this road was due for an upgrade and that the 2 Brink Real Estate towers stood on would have to come down, he also motioned that there was another one that had grown into the sky amist all the confusion and stress.

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We passed the R2/Kings Road intersection, and i got a short glimpse of the Reflective Stuff Inc building. Passing over Shion Soulth Bridge i could se that the mist was dence and damp today, i noticed that the weather wasnt the most pleasant.

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Just before we came into Crossroads, Lars turned of onto the R21, a very small road deadending down at the new Gas Pumping Station. Id never been there, but id heard about it.

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The first thing we passed after coming out of Crossroads was the University, the large grounds had been built on a farm that had been abandoned because of the crops failing last harves, witch occurs several times a year in Shintose. The Road continued past the Windfarm, the only thing that allways seemed to run in Shion. Continuing down the cliff i glanced a small road hading up into the forest, but guessed it was just for some temporary logging camp or something, since all i could see was trees up there.

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Lars finaly drove us in at the Natural Gas Pumping Station, wich was built to pump up a large pocket of Natural Gas found lying just of the shore. The Gas would be transported by boats to Kaoru Gas Station. He cut the engine and we all got out. Lars quickly guided us all into one of the buildings nerby. it was very wet and cold inside, not to mention very dark, quite scary to say the truth. Lars aloud said he needed to talk to Sofia in private, and asked me if i could stay here for 5 minutes. I did as they wished, even if id rather not have stayed in the damp little room.

Though Lars and Sofia didnt go outside to talk, they when out through the doors, wich automaticly locked as they closed. So we actually did have to realise this nightmare plan of yours? sofia asked Lars. he replyed, yes, we do, but its better that we get the information so as we can keep our freedoom here, our way of life. Some sacrifices are done for the good of the many, i have 30 000 people to think about, and that figure is going to be the double in 2 months. Sofia gently replyed, then so be it, but it feels like loosing a daughter. Lars slowly nodded, She should be asleep now, we can take her uphill to the facility now.

All allone inside the room i felt the darkness coming to get me, falling down to the floor, the entire darkness spinning, what was happening. slowly even the loud noice of the pumps faded and there was darkness.

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Lars drove the Combi away slowley, Sofia sitting in the seat beside him. they pulled up on the forested road wich lead to a very well hidden reacearch facility on the mountainside, though plans were to put it in tunnels from the start it had been advised against in the end. the drove through3 security checks, and into an garage, where there were people awaiting their cargo.

5 Minutes later thay passed through the gates again, both with a feeling that their hearts just came one step closer to dying.

 

 

OOC: Hope you like it, oh and for you people just watching the pictures, what do you think of showing the roadsigns on the pictures, there not to nice i know, but they do help a bit with the storyline(and the fact that roads usualy are numbred)

Oh, and just for fun, this update only took me 90minutes to do, contrary to the usual once at about 8-20 hours(depending on the ammount of gametime, some have taken more than that!!!)

 

Cheers

//Sim

[Deathtoall 28]

wow, what is happening, and wow only 90 minutes, new record if you ask me

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Looks good, I wonder what will happen next?

[gurrgkud 2]

Xiziz

 

Wow! Amazing! not only is the story outstanding... but the pictures are amazing! I love the road layout ... and the suburbs! The terrain is also amazing! I love it! Keep it up!!!

[utora 0]

90 minutes is pretty fast! i never managed that. Sometimes I get a very clear picture in my head of what the update must look like, and then I get to work. For example, my latest update didn't take me any building (which you understand if you follow the story, it's still in the beginning stage); so all I did was making some pictures, googled around somewhat and stored some more pictures, then I got to work with Photoshop, and that took me almost two hours for only 8 or 9 pics (I'm still a newbie and I have to find out many functions of the program); then I wrote the storyline, which took me an hour or so, then I started uploading it, and had to answer all the replies, and edit the txt, insert pix etc.: 45 minutes, then I was finally done, almost FOUR hours later; well... this is my record

OK, cut the crap. Your update is great; I read the story, and you have a nice way of telling it; the pics are a great illustration, and i like the roadsigns, they're ok and make things more clear. Excellent maps and city-layout, so.. keep on!

[kb 0]

Very nice work! Well, I've seen better ketchupy city njournals but this one is good, and it deserves two ketchups!

[xiziz 11]

Some Feedback, and the reason, im going away for a week now, holiday with my mates to the nerby(yeah really... only a 7 hour trip) of Gotland. so i wont be present to update and give answers.

Deathtoall: Yeah 90 minutes is amazing, dont think il ever beat it, but i did have a very good picture of how this update was to be, since id been breewing the ideas for 3 days ^^

Leech10: Sadly, only time will tell, be back for the next update and you will find out... partly atleast

gurrgkud: Thanks for the support Mate ^^ Im glad you like it!

Utora: 90 minutes is amazingly fast, the pictures took 5 mins to take, and 10 mins to edit(though i now my way around Photoshop, since have had classes in it for 2 years(seperated by OS and time ofcource :/), the killer is the writing time, thats where the other 75 mins go to ^^, and this time i knew the story well, usually i make it up as i go allong, this one id been planning for days, while sleeping and sitting on the bus etc.
Btw, i did like your latest Update, and i hope to find another one when i get back from Gotland.

Thanx for all the support, and glad you liked those signs, they take their time to implement ^^ and the maps, they were a time killer... Pixel by Pixel work

Kb: Very tomatoy comment ^^ glad you think its good ^^

Cheers & Seeya in 1 week's time ^^
//Sim

[xiziz 11]

Pretalk:
Hello all, im back, no feedback this time because of lack of comments, Today we are introducing a new roadsign, and 2 new villages built for the Big expansion of the Valley(aptly named Lush Valley in my region).

Also i decided to Have some changes to the Chapter System, but only for times when there is a part missing, as most updates before have had development and story in the same chapter, from now on, it will in most cases be separated as follows

Chapter 14   - A Story/Development Chapter 

Chapter 14A - A Story Chapter

Chapter 14B - A Development Chapter

 

Hope you dont mind, this means that the following chapter is a developmetn chapter.

 

Chapter 14B

Lush Valley, 2 months left until deadline.

 

Pic 14B.1: This is the newfounded comunity of Kaoru, this is one of the major towns in the area, Having a large Lumber mill and Grain Shipping plant, also the Gas Power Plant is beeing built here. the town lies just on the R2, so connection to Shion is both fast and good. The Railwaylink between Shion North and Nausicaa has been extended into Kaoru, and is going to be extended further out into the vally, for quick transportation of people. Also a lot of channels are beeing dug, for all the heavy equipment and materials needed to raise the prefabricated briges, Factories and Plants. As the railsystem isnt built to withstand the weight of the goods. Some lighter freight is however carried on the rails, like consumables and loggs.

Pic 14B.2: The Kaoru Logging Camp and Mill.

Pic 14B.3: The Grain Shipping Mill, Huge ammounts of Grain and other crops are loaded onto barges here for transportation to various Factories and Bakeries around Kaoru and Shion.

Pic 14B.4: The site where the huge Gas Plant will stand, its a major construction site, but will be needed once the Immegrants from Fwandreii arrive. The windmills just arnet enough to keep a large population powerd.

Pic 14B.5: As roads splitt, some are bound to merge for certain distances, the cheapest way to get 2 roads over a river is to merge them, and as there not very corowded, a single lane brige was perfect. The R2 & R22 once again splits 100meters after the bridge, The R22 Heading West and the R2 Heading East. (Bridge is in North/Soulth direction, north beeing the uppermost)

Pic 14B.6: The small village of Norris, While the R22 is beeing extended here, the small comunity has grown around a small street. The village has very poor connections to the rest of the Nation, a small mudd path leads down to the R22 Construction site 2km away. The road is estimated to take some 2 months to construct, and the area will be deforested and feilds planted all around it.

 

That was all for today... i know, its not much, and lack the story, but its something. as ive said, ive been quite buissy latley. And BATing has had some time taken from CJ'ing. But as i allways do, the updates will fall in. Just dont get used to see it on page one everyday come back for yourselves and check it out from time to time, chanses are you missed an update that one day you couldnt log onto ST because your ISP was bugging you ^^

 

Cheers

//Sim

[gurrgkud 2]

wow! amazing! great use of the canal set

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Looks great, xiziz. I'm looking forward to seeing Shion grow, and grow.

[sirgeoj2 1]

Excelent updates!  Your landscape looks wonderful!  I love your canal areas and agricultural feilds.  Your layout is very well done also.  Keep up the great work!!     

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Looks good, I like the canals.

[xiziz 11]

Feedback:
gurrgkud & Leech10, Thanx, the hard part was finding a good reason for the canals to be built, wich i finaly popped, even if its just remotley belivable.
Shadow_Assassin, Thanx, and grow Shion shall, but not today
sirgeoj2, Thanx, the canals(read above), The farmlands, well i just try to get them looking abit like the ones ive seen do, its usually loads of feilds and a few bundled buildings, and there never square glad you like the Layout

Update 15A

Sim's first real Adventure

 

Lars was driving his Civilian car, an Posh looking one, one he had brought from Fwandreii when they arrived, in total secrecy. The tinted windows locked out any courious eyes. Sofia was sitting in the passengerseat of the car, which only had two seats. Lars pulled the car to a standstill infront of the large entrance to the Temporary Research Facility, it was to be moved underground later, in the hill to the side. The doors slip up, gently and quietly, and they disembarked the red ride.
A Professor, dressed in a white scientist's robe, he held an notepad in his hand. They met inbetween the door and the car, the Proffessor greeted the two and gave lars the report. The professor lit a cigarete and walked away a couple of meters, he knew Lars didnt like smokers.

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Oh, this supprises me some Lars finaly said, Sofia nodded. Then do you want to pay her a visit? the proffessor muttred. Lars nodded and they walked in through the door into the complex, it was built up of plywood and painted, from the outside it looked like a buildings, but on the inside it looked like a construction site, then again, it was only temporary, it was all to be moved inside the nerby mountain, deep underground, Afterall it was a secret facility, that not many knew about. And the Goverment dismissed its existance to the sceptics.

 

***

 

I suddenly woke up, forced myself out of the bed. As i took a quick look around the room yealded very little information, it was all painted white, a vouple of weird looking machines stood humming against the wall. There was a door, and a window, there was also an airduct. In the corner there was a mirror, as i glansed at its reflection i realised that it was me, and I was standing naked stairing back at me with a suprided look. In panic i looked around, sure enough I found what I was looking for. My clothes where lying on a desk, folded and washed it seemed. Quickly i dressed up, and walked over to the window, i found that i could open it, before i jumped out i ran over and kicked in the airduct. I climbed out of the window onto the ledge, i was on the first floor, it was about a meter to the ground. I closed the window behind me and jumped to the ground, landing softly on the grass i looked around.

 

***

 

Lars, Sofia and the proffessor reached the door, the proffessor looked for his keys, he found them and unlocked the large door. they entred the empty room, the bed was unmade, they stood there baffled, the proffessor making loads of lame exuses that he wasnt responcible, and that the girl should still be asleep from that dose of toxins given her in the harbour. Lars simply mutterd that he could write up chemical resilens on that report.
After some minutes of wondering, Sofia found the broken Airduct, and noted that that probably was the way Sim had escaped. the others agreed and Lars called an imediate and thorough search of the duct system.

 

***

 

Outside sim quietly dashed across the lawn into the woods, when suddenly she heard a lound snapping sound, followed by beeing enveloped on darkness, she had walked right into one of the first traps Mankind fabricated, a camoflaged net on the forestfloor, that caught the victim and lifted them into the air, except that this trap was made of a cloth, not net.

 

Hope you liked todays Story, i know, absolutley no ingame pics, but there kind of unnecesary today, i will try to follow up with the next part of the expansion soon. Haha, and my 1000-post i belive ^^!

 

Cheers

//Sim

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

I wonder what will happen next?

[xiziz 11]

Feedback to Leech:Thanx for the ever continueing support!!! Hopefully you will se that tomorrow(if i manage to make that update)

 

Here is an update i more or less threw together...

Update 16

 

Beeing really pissed of how Sim had evaded capture all through the night, Lars drove to the trainstation in the morning, without sleeping a bit. making a sloppy parking at the station and arriving just in time to catch the train. A PR trap his secretary had scheduled. He was going to cut the ribbon to the first pet-store/Vet in Shintose beeing opned in Hako.

Lars Sighed as he walked aboard.

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train left the station and into the Soulth tunnel

 

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The train then speed over the bridge, picking up some speed.

 

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And across the viaduct over the gorge the train went(yeah, the immage is blurred, it looked better that way... i swear)

 

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Then through one of the last suburbs to Shion before reaching Nausicaa, stopping only breefly.

 

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The Train then stopped for 5 minutes in Nausicaa before heading off to Kaoru

 

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The train then heads through a tunnel under itself the tracks it then traverses only moments later, and over a bridge crossing the River Kaoru.

 

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Then after heading throguh the feilds for quite awile...

 

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The train reaches Kaoru, and stops for 5 minutes here aswell.

 

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I then heads of over River Norris...

 

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9227/c16105vf.jpg align=baseline>

 

Then onto a viaduct, where the R22 crosses underneath it heading soultbound. the R20 still continues straight ahead towards Hako.

 

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http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9453/c16120op.jpg align=baseline>

The Hako Moore, a large collection of stones and dead trees are found here, development has been forbidden by the authorities. and it has been proclamed the first Natural Reserve of Shintose.

 

The train continues...

 

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/513/c16134tf.jpg align=baseline>

Across River Hako on one of the Large Red Metal Bridges. Making a true and large statment in the wilderness.

 

to finaly arrive at Hako Station, one of the largest this far out. but still rather simply built.

 

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Lars quietly walks out of the train, forcing himself to hife the frustration and smile. we quickly walks towards the car waiting for him to take him the 300m it is to the Petstore. Sighing heavily he enters the car and closes the door. the car speeds of.

 

Well, not much to a story, but quite a lot of pictures, hope you enjoy... i should be back with the real story update tomorrow, and with picuters to follow the story.

 

Cheers

//Sim

 

 

 

 

 

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

It all looks very magical, as in some sort of fairy tale.

Very nice, love to see more.

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Looks good, I wonder what will happen next?

[FrenchBread 0]

Nice Cj, I like the road layout...must be easy cummutes for many sims

[vester_DK 477]

Like your CJ. Wonder how did you get those stones at The Hako Moore (pictures no 12 in update 16)? Like that touch.
Will follow the progress. Wonder where is going.!!!

[Shadow Assassin 336]

quote>

I especially like how the train track goes under then over itself. How'd you do that?

[oroen 0]

A lot of nice overpassing and underpassing work, very neat and clean looking. The route numbering system explanation is nice and thorough.

[xiziz 11]

Wow, thats a lot of feedback since i last checked in. il try to update in awhile, but ive been a bit busy getting Pax Americana started on a already clogged up shedule. and offcource the partying that allways seems to hit me

Feedback
jasperdeman.nl, Thank you, well, magic is cute, and fairy tales usualy are nice to read ^^
Leech10, Thanx for your commet, there allways apreciated
FrenchBread, Yeah, there are a few hevily congested roads, but there all in central Shion. out here its designed like it is around me, ite perfect to the extent when loads of cars are using the road at the same time. so i guess the commutes are quite good
vester_DK, Its Jeroni's Maxis Ploppale Props , they do come in very handy, its made like the ploppable trees are, and i belive any prop can be plopped like this... with the right modding knowlage ^^
Shadow_Assassin Its just a small slope(Just long enough) to get the train to an altitude greater than 12m(this is the minimum for traintunnels), i belive its somewhere around 16-17m. whatever the lowest highth of a bridge can be so that ships can still pass under.

Cheers
//Sim