Osaio: Hand Terraformed

[BlackStar 0]

Welcome This is a new city journal, based on the SimCity region of San Francisco. I have razed the land and terraformed, at great effort, the whole region. I have have re-edited all of my posts here, with new images which have been labelled, sharpened and saved with lower image quality. Hopefully this can reduce loading times, without compromising the look of the images too much. This process has taken a very long time, so I hope you enjoy this region. I have sculpted the land in a unique way, a method that in my opinion, creates a very scenic landscape. I aim for realism, but I don't think the geography in this region represents a naturally occuring landscape. Some advice from any geologists out there would be great. I have designed this region with an ambiguous style. I have developed my own style, so therefore isn't American, European or Asian based. I have taken a blend of all three. Hopefully this will allow a lot more fantasy. So, onto Osaio itself... Osaio is a virgin frontier, laying between the two megalopoli of Kazath and Nerolt. The area is not developed, and overpopulation in the two distant cities is creating demand for settlement. Here is a region overview: We are focusing on the Kanawara Prefecture (state, county, province, etc), and therefore I have left the surrounding land out. The Kanawara Prefecture is made up of the following geographic areas: Ania Plains in the South, Chicote Hills in the North, and Aln Valley between. Numbered are key geographic points in Kanawara: 1. Nethbro Island: Once volcanic, this island now lays devoid of much life, apart from insects and foliage. 2. Perkin Rock: Very similar to Nethbro Island, but smaller. A deep channel between the mainland divides Perkin Rock from the mainland and is a key nature point. 3. North Moon Beach: This lays in the North West of Aln Valley, and is makes up the biggest beach line along the Indona Coast. 4. South Moon Beach: This lays along the coast of Aln Valley West, and is flanked by North Moon Beach and the Aln Valley Ridge. 5. Aln Cove Beach: This smaller beach lays at the bottom of a geographical crevice, between the Ania Plains cliffline and the Aln Valley Ridge. The beach here is quiet, and a key nature point. 6. Ania Beach: The only beach in the Ania Plains area. This beach is flanked by clifflines, and sits at the bottom of a gentle slope. This sunny location is a key strategic point for development for it's fair meteorological and geographical conditions. 7. Ania Brook Outlet: (Sorry for the photoshop error) This is the outlet for the Ania Brook. It emerges on the high-sided Ania Plains cliffline. 8. Aln Valley Beach: The only beach on the East Coast of Kanawara. This beach is rocky, the water turbulent, and exposed to brisk winds. Seasonal flooding also occurs. 9. Chicote Cliffline: An amazingly scenic coastline which features dense forest above beautiful cliffs. This has a large population of seabirds including Puffin. 10. Ania Brook: This river cuts through the North Tip of Ania Plains, in a deep gorge. This river is normally gently flowing, and has a deep bottom. However, tidal forces between the Indona Ocean and Faira Bay mean that this normally-calm water can rip through the area at a fair pace. Geologists are concerned about erosion this causes. 11. Brook Cove: This cove was created by the fast flowing water chewing away at a spot of softer rock. The soft rock was completely extracted and geologists are happy that this less dense rock has been completely extracted. The cove is dense with foliage, and local wildlife centres around this area for its supply of mineral-rich waters, flora and sheltered nature. To quickly overview the area - Indona Ocean is a warm water body, with a calm nature. The ocean brings seasonal weather fronts, which propagate as squalls. Faira Bay is a deep water bay with much sealife (Including dolphin, tuna and cod). Chicote Channel North of Chicote Hills is a deep cut channel, featuring interesting geographical abnormalities. Chicote Hills, although with volcanic islands nearby, is not volcanic, and features dramatic clifflines, dense forests and beatiful scenery. Aln Valley is subject to high levels of run-off and sub surface water - the flora is mainly decisious, with a high level of oak and maple trees - unique to the region. Ania Plains is a vast landscape which sprawls South of Kanawara for 175 miles - it features the Ania Brook with it's deep cut gorge, clustered dense forests and gentle slopes; weather-wise it is a windswept area in Kanawara, but also warm with good levels of precipitation (However poor soil conditions prohibit floral growth). Thank you for reading about this unique, contrasting area. Now, onto the development... "Isosi Network.. Channel 11 News Country leaders, and top brass from Kazeth and Nerolt megalopoli, have addressed the public this afternoon at a press conference. The subject - the overcrowding of the two mega cities.  Debate has raged through the media for many months about the future of these burgeoning cities - riots, civil unrest, as well as a whole slew of infrastuctural problems have put massive pressure on government to bring a solution to the suffering public. Their solution: To populate the devoid Osaio region. Osaio is an area between the two cities on the Indona Ocean coastline, about 100 miles North of Kazeth and 250 South of Nerolt. The region has, until government action, been protected under laws imposed by the International Council, from development. However, the contract agreement between the countries government and the People's Representative and Environment Representative was terminated in a fiery court battle last month. However, interest from private investors, is minimal at best. Currently, there is no development at all in the whole region. It is therefore expected that government housing will dominate the development scope. Currently the only private investor is TransCoast Freight and Dreyson Lumberstock 's partnership... interested in the huge potential gains from the fallen safety of 43% of the regions trees. It is expected they will start operations and develop a small settlement of workforce. The utilisation of the KazethNerolt Express Line is expected to ship lumber to the sea freight complex at Kazeth." This news article filmed in the huge Nerolt megalopoli gives an opening to Osaio - a region to be filled. To imagine the cities of Nerolt and Kazeth, imagine Final Fantasy (Advent Children film, without the destruction lol). The Kazeth-Nerolt ExpressLine runs through the region.. it charges North over Ania Plains with trains reaching 250mph and freight at over 125mph. After picking through the region it continues North to Nerolt, with line speeds of 250 and 125mph. Through the region, commuters enjoy a break from the 400 mile trip to enjoy scenery through the winding hills and forests. However, this does put a damper on speeds, speeds through corners are typically 50 mph or less, with a 20mph or less hairpin, and 60mph straights. The Chicote Coast features a 100mph arc. This gives the airlines (Most specifically the specialist Kazeth-Nerolt Colnfex Air) a leading edge. This busy line will feed the region, with a supply of rail freight pickup and access to the mega cities. Now, onto some pics =] Here, you can see the Ania Rail Station, the first intermediate stop between Nazeth and Nerolt. The location was specifically chosen, as the line speed is but only 45mph. Safety concerns were raised at construction in regards to unrestrained people and high speed trains. The street outside leads into town. The area is undeveloped, as private developers want to maintain as much greenery as possible (For YIMBY reasons, obviously). A small rounabout branches out to the main North Road, which extends a little to the North before ending, and the main East road. Local streets also connect here. We see the town green, as well with its small shopping area. Currently the only occupants are Excon Fuels, Wilbur Grocery, a government office and a clothing shop. The main residential residents are workers for Dreyson Lumberstock, the towns' principal employer, and middle class residents 'getting away from it all'. A weekly market is held on the town green to provide the stop gap in provisions. This market arrives by rail, with free transport for traders under government subsidies. You can also see bus stops - owning a car is pretty much pointless here... the roads extend less than half a mile north. Therefore, with no car parking at the rail station, buses are run. A small company operates a few small cheap rust boxes which are parked anywhere at night. The office is a dingy corner in the government buiding. See here the industrial area at Ania. Ania town is situated just above this picture, and the Brook Cove is just on the left. We see the rail station, at the moment high speed trains are having to make stops at the two stations until either a rail yard for commuter trains, or a road between the two areas is built. This set up adds 20 minutes to cross-region journey times. We also can see a cross region train - this is the old HST1 model, featuring blue and orange on white (HSRP train).. these are due to be replaced with lighter, more powerful Charger trains (Pendolino) Mod request: Adelante Class 180 or TurboStar Class 170 (153/150/156 is better, although for a more specific niche Have acquired class 158 ) The Ania Power Facility is located here. It burns biomass (felled trees) to power Ania. Just to the south of it we see the Dreyson Lumberstock Production Facility - the main employer. Felled trees are brought here, limbs are cut off, and sent to low grade biomass. They are trimmed and then sent out to intermodal trucks to be loaded onto freight trains at the rail station.This loading brings massive delays as manual loading is required, which brings the mainline down to 1 track. Between 5 and 18% of their output is sent to the power station. Chippers feed chopped wood into the fuel hoppers. Other wood is sent to local mills for processing into consumer products. We see the Ania Brook Rail Bridge. This bridge is made from dense steel, and are based on prestressed poly-concrete as protection from currents. The deck is dense steel, with mechanical joints at either end and the centre to allow sway. The rails are laid onto synthetic ballast which lays on a sand bed. This protects the bridge from buffering as trains roll over at 60mph every 40 minutes. The line was 80mph, and as such there is an electronic monitoring system on the bridge. *** Thank you for reading this legnth intro. I apologise for heavy reading >_< but I do like detail lol. I will very much appreciate comments, suggestions and other replies. I always look to improve realism in my cities, so please feel free to give me pointers =] Once again, thank you for reading. I shall come back very shortly with an update on progress (as opposed to a huge post =]) Goodbye John

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[lolebagels 0]

Mmm. Nice start, I like the ambience in this. Although, I have to say, I'd prefer if there were more pictures -- say, one per paragraph at the least. Also, I'd reccommend turning off the zots by going into Ctrl+X and typing tastyzots. Other than those two minor things, this is great!

[CKSmooth 0]

Pretty good setup, looks like you've done alot of hand terraforming. Good job there! Flat cities aren't really my thing, I like the more realistic ones, but this is looking promising! Keep it up.

[BlackStar 0]

Update 1 2 Months later Hello again. haha, I'm having a little trouble today with my computer. Firefox is refusing to bring up dialogs when 'Browse', etc commands are sent, so I'm using the popup-plagued Internet Explorer (despite various toolbars such as Live and Google). Also Windows Media Player seems to refuse to play songs it doesn't like - leaving me with a random mix of eighties MegaCheese pop music, screamo and Mozart... odd. So... here we are in Ania, 2 months later after the last update. Dreyson Lumberstock continues to grow, and so does its workforce. The town is going through certain problems, public services aren't adequate, and nobody really seems to know what to do. However.. Over the annual Red Silk holiday, lasting 4 days, the main rail line was closed to 1 track while freight trains shipped material up to quickly build a rail loop, just South of the industrial area. This was completed quickly, in the space of 3 days, thanks to an overzealous use of construction staff riding up everyday on the supply trains. Cheap work is easy to find... the megalopoli have high levels of unemployment - and working on the black is a good way for people to get the few extra pennies they need to survive. With the rail loop in place, a plethora of opportunities opened up for Ania. First, the countries rail operator, Network Rail, funded construction of the new freight yard, and sold 2 freight trainsets to Dreyson Lumberstock. However, they would not contribute to passenger operations. Travel Ania, the small company operating the buses in Ania have acquired a cheap dogbox, a class 158 unit. This unit sits in the freight yard in a spare siding, until the rush hours when it is driven to the South Ania station, and starts running back and forth between the residential and industrial areas. In the event of breakdown, a freight unit pulls this car on the runs. The rail yard has opened so many possibilites for Ania. Now, Dreyson Lumberstock loads wood directly onto trains at a specialised location, and their operations increased dramatically. The 6pm run South can now be replaced with 2 faster services. Mills increased in numbers, and the beginnings of foundries appeared, as construction materials were now in demand. In the picture we see the rail yard, as well as the expanding industry. Next, we move onto the residential development that has exploded... See how development has shot across the plain... the main East road is the focus of development, and there is even a branch road encircling the new development. The rail yard has enabled building material to be brought up a lot easier and cheaper. The freight rail company has even added an intermodal freight unit into one of it's consists for people moving to the area. We see that there has been the construction of an Elementary School, a highschool and a shopping centre. This development has moved out of private domain, and back into public interest with an appointed mayor and his residence, which acts as the town's hall.  The construction of these stuctures was completed by cash-in-hand workers in need of quick employment. We see the first slew of government housing, across the street from the shopping centre. Private housing has also exploded into development, spurring the sectioning of a part of the town to commercial development. The plaza here was designed by schoolchildren and completed by volunteers. We also see the Ania Worship House. Development continues, and soon after, a private investor takes interest in Ania. They quickly seize land and begin construction on town houses. In this pic we see that there is now a water supply, and that the bus company now has a garage (and competition). This looks to be the centre piece of a thronging downtown area. A new police department has been set up, the town is no longer in corporate hands, so therefore the public cannot be controlled with being fired being over their heads. A fire department is also quickly constructed in a key location before development overruns the area. This is operated by volunteers. We see a car dealership, and traffic queues. Why? It is now a fair half mile to the town green, and a parking garage is now situated at the rail station. Also there is a concernable trend of the new development to be lacking in bus transport provisions. This has irritated the travel companies, who see huge market gains in the development of apartments. Here we see the newly completed Ania Psychiatric Ward. This state of the art facility boasts maximum security for patients, in the most relaxing environment possible. It is located on the other side of the rail station, at the top of the Brook. The trees, running water, fresh air and calm nature makes it an ideal location for patients needing calm from the mega cities. Already there are 30 patients, quickly transferred from the North and South. Mainly laid off corporate staff and overstressed city workers, in need of R&R. The 'lower risk' wing of the facility also has a therapeutic clinic - open by appointment to the public. It's not an ideal getaway location, but by coming to the centre, one can avoid being locked up in it, so to speak. That's all for the moment - I am off now to develop Ania more. The next update will feature more development than this time round. Cheers John

[Perfect_D^rk 0]

Thats some awesome effort gone into hand terraforming the region, congrats on that. The little community you have established with the distant major employer...Dreyson Lumberstock ... is pretty atypical of some the communities i leave near in australia good work there.

[BlackStar 0]

Hello again Comment replies: @lolebagels: haha thanks for the first comment! I forgot about the npz when I took the pic. And to be honest, there weren't that many pictures *to* take, so I used the time to describe the whole situation with Osiao @CKSmooth: Thanks! I'm glad that you've noticed the effort gone into terraforming. It actually took ages. I started on it months ago, got bored and left it after a few days. I came back to it a few days ago, had a stroooong coffee and went at it. I told myself not to give up, no matter how tired or bored I am, and it paid off. The trees  you see are mayor mode planted. (haha the rest of the region IS flat... it's going to represent a marshy area, with not much going on.. aiming for a Southern Alabama look with it - but I'm not going there yet. @Perfect_D^rk: Thanks again for the compliment on the terraforming. I admit, there are some superficial problems such as some cities not matching up perfectly, etc, but I'm going to go over these small things when I get there. And expect to see a lot more of this type of development, until the whole landscape is urbanised, the major functions of the region will be spaced apart. Thankyou all for the comments. And so, my next update... after this I am sleeping LOL Update 2 3 Months Later Ania is now comfortably seated in the region, with a nicely increasing population of about 20,000. Many residents are low-income or unemployed council tenants from Kazeth and Nerolt. Many others are people escaping the big smoke, or retirees. News of this settlement has changed from an obscure 1pm local news bulletin to a region-wide news article. The whole country is being informed by TV, Internet, Radio and in Newspapers of this 'fresh start', and the opportunites the country has to start over. This is where I come in. My name is Ruza Penfeld - a journalist from Kazeth's Isosi 11. I have worked for 7 years in the media, and when I heard of this new development, I had to get involved. Things like this happen only once in a lifetime, and I wanted to capture the unique events in the best detail I can. My bosses at Isosi 11 put me in touch with a local government representative in Ania, it was with them I took up my new position of Public Relations Co ordinator. It's 7am, and I'm stood on Platform 23c of Kazeth's Kazeth Central Rail Station. It is a fresh start to the day, by Kazeth standards... the pollution blots out the sky, so it feels more like 5am. The train arrives duly, and the passengers crowding the station embark. We leave the station, pulling away at a steady pace... once clear of the yard area, we mount the elevated rail deck and begin to accelerate to high speed. As the train continues to accelerate through 200mph, I realise what problems the government is really facing. Even at this high speed, it is still taking ages to clear even the inner suburbs. But finally we do, and we are on a high speed jaunt through to Osaio. *** An hour later, there is a slight jolt, and the typical whine of the train as the braking system slows us down at a firm rate. Then the first sign of Ania. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your train manager speaking - we will shortly be arriving at our first station stop on this service today.. Ania Station North. If you are leaving our service today, please ensure you have all your belongings with you, and mind the gap when you leave the train. On behalf of Unite Rail, I thank you for travelling with us today." This is normally unknown. Many times I have travelled to Nerolt, and it is a direct express service. About 10 or so people from my carriage collected our belongings and made our way to the vestibules. From my position at the door, I see the Ania Brook disappear beneath me. The train clatters and shakes as it hits the joints. A few sharp corners later, the train comes to a hard stop and the doors open. Even though the train is air conditioned, I noticed the immediate difference in air quality. To my left I see trees, with the odd smoke stack throwing out gentle back smoke. Nothing else dominates the skyline other than power lines. Quite different from being used to being overlooked by 2,000ft structures. After 20 seconds, a fast paced beeping sound comes from the train.. the doors shut, and it pulls away quickly, the power car roars past me, vibrating the whole station. Commuters quickly disappear, and some hang around. Not 3 minutes later another train appears, but a single-unit local thing. Clattering up the station, it squeals to a gentle stop, and we all board. I sit, as the loud diesel engine throws into life, turning out very little power for the noise it was making. No matter, I've been told it's the faster option to getting a bus to the town hall. 5 minutes later, the train bucks and sways its way to a loud stop. I get off, and am standing in Ania West station.  The most noticeable object is the hospital - a good start. To the right of the station was a bus stop, at which arrived a bus shortly after myself. So much better than waiting at a crowded depot for 15 minutes. Not a few minutes later, I was outside the town hall. The journey was calm, and easy. We drove past a radio station, and a very leafy suburban area. It was there I met the appointed mayor of the town. "Thankyou for coming today Miss Penfeld. I've a lot to get through, so we shall have to make this quick. Here's our latest report on the progress of Ania, as well as our Project Plan. It shall make for hefty reading, so you will have to brush up in the apartment we have for you. Our public relationship is extremely important to us, Ania is standing on a coffee table, wearing skates.... whilst drunk - if anything goes ascew, we are up a creek. It is therefore important we have a good influx of government funding and public interest. You will meet at 2pm community figureheads to spearhead the media campaign for Ania." "Now I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time to spare today, I'm having a lot of trouble with trade unionists and environmental protesters!" And with a quick laugh to himself, he left as quickly as he started talking. My apartment was a nice place on the 3rd floor behind a clothing store. Here, I put down the pile of paperwork, which I intend to read over dinner, TV, supper, bed, midnight munchies..... ugh But I was more interested in getting out and seeing the town to familiarise myself with the place. I'm told it's pointless to own a car here, so today, I'm taking the change of walking everywhere, I feel like walking somewhere for once =] A short walk East brought me to the water tower, an amazingly beatiful structure for such a utilitarian use. The area in which I stood is relaxed, and spaced out. The green is lined with trees and low rise apartment buildings. There is a slight hum of traffic, birdsong, and the distant noise of people. Walking generally SouthEast, I walk through a small commercial area and arrive at Regal Plaza. Designed by local schoolchildren, and completed with generosity from volunteers. There was even a strip mall there! It's been far too long since I last got out of the city. The police station here was well kept, and there was a distinct police presence with cars coming and going, and the occasional officer walking by. I leave the plaza, and continue down the main West road towards the East of the town. It was along this road I passed the Elementary School. Population is still increasing, and as such, the school looked calm, classes small, and teachers relaxed. I'm now walking down the street, in the midst of the suburban area. This road, despite being the main artery road is surprisingly calm, with smooth traffic travelling at no more than 30mph. However, I do smell something odd... an acrid smell... sort of like burned toast. I ignore this. I continue along the tree lined street, enjoying the walk. It's so nice here, calm, and peaceful, warm and shady. I can see a plume of smoke in the skyline. Some people are paying attention to this now, and I hear distant sirens. Soon enough, police cars drive by with the blues flashing. Nodody seems to know what it is. It is in a buzzing diner in the old town when I notice reports on the TV. IT took a good 20 minutes to get there, so I was in the mood for a strawberry milkshake and pie. "Fire breaks out at the Ania Power Facility.. the town's two fire units have been dispatched, along with 3 ambulance crews and several squad cars. It is not certain how the fire started, but it seems to eminate from the back of the facility where low grade biomass is processed. From our position, we can see this looks like a fair sized fire....and foliage around the building is smoldering.." I noted from basic geographic descriptions that there was no fire unit South of the Brook here, and that the road bridge connecting North and South Ania was completed only yesterday evening [No joke the fire did start after I connected the bridge, lucky me] "We can see traffic backed up right across the bridge... I wouldn't travel if I were you, the rail station is out of action as well" After my lunch, I pop over to the town's supermarket, Wally K's for a few pieces. A bus brings me back through the main East road to the town hall, and I get off and return to my apartment and prepare for the meeting with community leaders. *** lol, this update was a little exhaustive. I wasn't expecting a fire at the power facility! Thank you for reading, more updates soon! John

[jacqulina 162]

excellent terraforming very nicely done,great intro,great pics,and a great start to your building

[Archangel9 28]

oOOOOoh i love the story, very cool......i also love final fantasy, hope u can get images of the two mega cities

[Perfect_D^rk 0]

Awesome effort on the update there, good imagination with the reporter taking us through the images and what they entail. A bit unlucky with the fire there. Also when you said "OK, if anybody is interested, I could do with a little interaction... if you have a megalopolis, of tower blocks, traffic jams and public strife, I need someone to help me envisage Kazeth and Nerolt." I may be able to help you out there. I have made a city for a future update on my own cj that has a population of 2 million, if your interested in looking at a picture of it, just pm me and i can arrange to send it to you. im a bit uncomfortable posting it here.

Also if you have read the book "1984" by george orwell, it has a very good description of a dilapidated and dingy "alternate reality" London megalopolis that might also suit the requirements of Kazeth or Nerolt, if you havent it can be found on wikipedia.

Lastly, thats awesome curvature on the rail track and im really curious as to how you did that??

[BlackStar 0]

Hi Everyone Replies.. @Jacquelina: Thank you for your comment! I had a quick glance just before dinner at the first page of your CJ, and I must say that my efforts are far surpassed by yours! lol, your terraforming inspires me to improve my own =] @Archangel9: Thanks! I literally just thought of the idea as I started writing an update. I felt that my introduction to Osaio was a little stale, and writing in perspective gave a lot more depth as opposed to - here's a, here's b, etc. haha, the only trouble is that when I write in this way it feels as if I'm rambling forever! @Perfect_D^rk: Again, thankyou for the comment on my use of perspective! I am about to write to you regarding the city shots, once I finish writing this. 1984 sounds very interesting, as I had initially started building with the 80s in mind.. although I do not have enough custom content to justify this.. so at the moment the synthpop and retrohair is all in my head =] I shall certainly check it out... I don't really read books, but that sounds intriguing, and especially that it is by Orwell... And for you and all.. the curvature in the track is a component in the latest NAM. I have the January 2007 release. To use these pieces, go to the rail menu, select the elevated rail puzzle (NAM) pieces, and press SHIFT+TAB once... placement is a little finnicky, and the base textures aren't there... but they are fantastic. As a rail savvy person, it has especially irritated me having sharp corners everywhere lol! Perhaps next we may have props built into the rails (as light poles onto highways), to provide us with an overhead catenary? Update 3 The Following Day I woke at 6:30 to the alarm next to my bed buzzing it's abrasive tone. If only life was a little more like the cartoons - there would be nothing better than being able to throw the alarm clock out of the window without getting any manslaughter charges! The meeting with the Community Figureheads went on for a little longer than I had anticipated, so after getting dressed, my primary concern was getting the coffee on. Arriving late on my second day on the job is such a bad look. There's a knock at the door. It's a delivery man. He hands over an envelope, takes my signature, and quietly slips away. It seems this job has better perks than I expected, that was a car hire company delivering a car, opening the envelope I found a car key and some documents. My first duty of the day is to get the buzz on rumours that there's plans for a superhighway, between Nerolt and Kazeth. My boss back in Kazeth has heard something on the grapevine and left an email for me this morning. But first I must go to the newly-opened press in South Ania - Osaio ComNet is the new branch of the Isosi Network Corporation for which I work.  Time is getting on, so I grab my things, and make out of the door to look for my car. After a few minutes of wandering round like a fruit loop pointing the key at parked cars I found mine, got in, and made to Depiesse's in 'Old Town'. I park under the shade of trees, and make my way into the ever-busy diner. Inside I meet Depiesse herself... she is on the Community Board, representing Local Business.  "Hi Ruza, tired?" "You wouldn't believe" "Well, have breakfast anyway.." She sits in front of me and puts down a cooked breakfast and ice tea. "Listen, have you thought anymore about what we talked about last night? I'm concerned, Ruza.. some yuppies have already been in here, they just left. They are from some high falootin' development company, and from what I gather.. this place is already up for razing... something about a rejuvenation program" "You don't need to worry about that, to be honest. You are on the Community Board - they can't really do much about an important local landmark. I'll try getting this place under Historical Protection when I meet the mayor later today." Impatient customers meant she was quickly away. Finishing my breakfast quickly, I make my way back to the car, and make the short drive through the new government housing area to Brook Bridge, and over into South Ania. From directions given to me, it was easy to find from the main road. It was there I was supposed to meet the governor, the person I'm answerable to in Ania. However, he was not around, so I had to sign a few pieces of paper and leave. On the way out, I helped myself to a copy of Ania Times. It is this mornings newspaper, copies not delivered. POWER STATION BLAZE KILLS THREE Pat Benatar The town's two fire units, three ambulance crews and several squad cars were called to a high alarm yesterday afternoon, at the  Ania Biomass Power Facility. Fire alarms were triggered at 13:09, and approximately 23 SOS called were received via landline at  the fire department in North Ania. Conditions inside the building were likened to "a hollywood film", as equipment and fuel went up in flames. A worker at Dreyson  Lumberstock, across the road, witnessed the unfolding events. "Well I was outside, supervising the loading of a semi which I was to drive to the rail yard when I high pitched shrill filled the  street. I look across, and there's smoke pouring out of the ventilation windows... a few minutes later dozens of workers came  running out into the car park. It was like they had been in the mines or something." "Shorty after the first fire crew arrived there was a huge explosion, and I hear screams. About 2 minutes later emergency crews  descended on the area. It was absolute bedlam. There were people being pulled out with cuts, bruises... a few looked like they had  been mauled." Initial reports from the Public Safety representative stipulate that electrical arcing above a biomass loading hopper triggered a  small burn which went unnoticed "until it was too late". Two men working on the electronics above the hopper were seriously injured  after falling from the scaffolding. Investigations have started, but this is not being treated as a suspicious case. However, environmentalists are already backing voices  suggesting Ania needs a new, safer, greener power production facility. Construction begins on Sutro Tower Barges from Kazeth arrived yesterday in the early morning, along with Nerolt Air Force chopper units. The barges were carrying the first loads of building material for the vast communications tower in Chicote Hills. Construction crews are currently being flown in by helicopter whilst adequate road provisions are met. Power for construction will be met with diesel generators until the branch power line from Ania is completed. For the residents of Ania, this finally means wireless telecommunication, TV and National Radio. The tower features a satellite uplink, which distributes satellite feed via radio across the region. This tower has a high power unit at the top, designed to broadcast all the way to Kazeth. This also means that communications between Kazeth and Nerolt have an alternative to satellite relay. ------ This made for an interesting read - I have heard not of any communication tower being constructed. That said, if Nerolt has any cooperation with the project, it is hardly surprising. Nerolt is a military-emphatic city. Frequent civil unrest have rooted the Army into the city which is home to a huge airbase, submarine base, headquarters and training camps. Kazeth is the city of ill gain commerce. Evil corporations run the cities highly successful dockland and airport. Corruption, crime and strife are widespread. Well... time is getting on, and I have digging to do. I have a train to catch, I am returning to Kazeth... maybe there I can find out about this super highway. I pull away, leave South Ania, and make for the parking garage at North Ania Station. 5 minutes before the next South Train is due... quickly I grab my belongings and run to the platform. The familiar sound of flange rub fills the station, and soon enough I see the headlights of the train. It rumbles past, making a mechanical whine as it stops. I board, and settle in for my journey South. Shortly after... the train vibrates slightly, and pulls away. 5 minutes later, the train is on it's determined rampage across the plain... hitting 255mph. --- Sorry about this text-heavy update lol, but I am building Ania up really big, and have some big features to put in, and also I am working on something rather special before our story can continue. More updates soon! John

[Perfect_D^rk 0]

Thanks for the tip, cool update with the newspaper and all, interested to seee what happens with this mega highway.

[jacqulina 162]

hi my friend thankyou im glad you feel inspired but i think when you have time look at more there is some shore work and cliffs further through my cj that you might get some ideas from.

excellent work my friend perhaps i can learn from your work to build a town or village lol,i just am no good at building lol,farms rural yes but other things i get so frustrated lol,you have started your building very nicely,excellent update,and newspaper,i love the story. 

[RushHourFreak 1]

Pretty interesting start. Your development is going on well. Nice use of rail, as I can see it from your first overview.

Good luck.

RHF

[CKSmooth 0]

Uh-oh, I missed several updates. But it's looking good! I love the natural city building that you're doing, I'm not that crazy about what alot of CJers do with their cities (no offense to them) but yours is doing perfect, so keep it up. I like the story telling too. Good job.

Also, could you tell me where you got the commercial centre with the Fashion Bug and other stores? Or were they seperate?

[BlackStar 0]

Hey all Just a quick message to keep everyone in the loop. I'm working on a large update, incorporating Kazeth, hence the delay in a new update. I'm also having trouble with SC4 frequently crashing which doesn't help. Adding to this I am ill, and have a website to build, and have training to do (Am swatting up because I'm applying for scholarship/training under First Great Western for a train driver's position in September). @Perfect_D^rk: Cheers! It is actually the mega highway which is slowing me right down. Because certain aspects of Kazeth are storyline based, I am building my own sections of them myself - I decided to do this for accuracy, at the expense of the speed of updates. I think I have done myself proud with what I have created so far -- the only city I have visited is London, and in SimCity I rarely end up building downtown areas larger, than, say Birmingham/Portland OR... I have got 400,000 residents in one region. haha enough rambling. For everyone, we are visiting Kazeth. I have laid down the main infrastructural necessities of the city, rail, road, etc.. I am now zoning it and adding features. It is based on a large city map. @Jacky: I am the same, really lol. Normally, as I have said, I build suburban communities in foothill areas, with highway and ferry connections to a larger metropolitan area.. which is no bigger than an average mid-American town. The biggest region I have populated is comparable to Denver. Thankyou for the comment! @RHF: haha if you like my rail now, you should see Kazeth. I think I shall edit back with a preview shot of what is to come. I have crammed half a dozen mainlines into and around a termini station, with a dense downtown area sat on top. Elevated rail networks criss cross over this mess, and a HSR line even picks its way through the area. @CKS: Thanks! haha I hate to disappoint, but as I have stipulated, we are going to be visiting Kazeth. It is not a part of my CJ as such, as it is not in the region, but we are visiting it as part of the story. Hopefully after you see it you can appreciate what I am doing. I shall edit back with the location of the shops, but they are separate lots, from SimGoober- Plop a Shop. If you need I shall grab a URL? Thanks everyone! I will come back shortly with a preview of Kazeth. JD EDIT: Here is the screenshot of Kazeth: Please note that I only took the picture randomly when I completed the HSR. I have got a lot further than this... this particular area is fully zoned and kitted out. I have photoshopped in some concrete to stipulate what the area is like now.

[collgab 10]

Nice start, awesome reagion ^.^, cant wait for more!

[BlackStar 0]

Thanks collgab! I promise I will update properly soon!!

john

[jacqulina 162]

WOW THATS AN AWESOME TRANSPORT SYSTEM MY FRIEND sorry for caps forgot they were on lol

[GMT 389]

what a railyard there...

waiting for more

[owenluby 1]

This is very unique! I am loving how you use the new curved rail piece... a lot...

Nice job with the terraforming!

Owen

[Shanna 1]

Great start! I'm looking forward for more!

[BlackStar 0]

haha where was I? Sorry it's been so long, but trying to build a massive city as quickly as possible from scratch isn't easy with a computer which crashes SC4 frequently, and taking 10 minutes to load it again. Anywho, I've taken a different approach. There are to be no wide shots of Kazeth for the time being, only close ups. This is so I can just plant buildings in to give the impression of a completed city in the areas in question. Until then, I'm letting the city grow on it's own as I let it tick over in between developing Ania. We will come back to Kazeth in the future and see it fully developed. You can see from the shot above how Kazeth is supposed to be... imagine a dense packing of tall towers in between those transit lines. Replies... @Jacky: Thanks again! I intentionally made that rail network as over-engineered and complex as possible. Complicated as it may look, it is made up of less than 10 mainlines with between 2 and 10 tracks. @GMT: Haha I think I answered your comment with Jacky's. I am quite proud of this setup.. it really shows off what Kazeth is about before skyscrapers block the view @Owenluby: Not having a curved rail piece has always irritated me. I remember the days of Simtropolis at 15,000 members when we believed exceeding the grid way nay-impossible, and that a hexagonal grid would have to be used to allow curvature. Back then it was roads in question. We believed that the modders had accomplished-all, and that curves, etc were just simply impossible, with a lot of restriction from the .exe. Look at SC4 now with the NAM lol! A lot of thanks goes out to the modders on Simtropolis and worldwide!! @Shanna: Thanks! It's really difficult not to just race ahead lol.. I can't wait to dig into ploughing highways and downtowns all over the region >_< That's not what is going to happen... in Kanawara anyway. I intend to keep it peaceful there, with most of the development in the other prefectures not covered yet. Update 4 Kazeth - The smoky home The train is thundering across Ania Plains. For about 45 minutes now we have been travelling, and time-pressed commuters are getting anxious. I am still wondering how I am going to begin... it seems daunting even for me. Suddenly the train judders violently, and the familiar deafening clatter of the points as we speed onto the deck in the inner suburbs of Kazeth. The final 10 minutes of the journey witness the train winding down from it's speed to local line speeds. The blur outside finally returns to recognisable objects. Soon enough, other lines converge, and it seems that our train is flanked on either side by huge fields of rails and ballast. Many other trains are coming and going, some big, some small. Swaying side to side, the train finally slows under the cover of the vast Gothic roof at Kazeth Central Union Station, in the West of the city. The train stops, and a seemingly endless stream of people leave the train. I tag along at the end, avoiding the crush. Having been in a sleepy outpost community for a few days, the smoky, bustling station feels quite homey. Most of the trains have left, but as others come in, the sounds flood the platforms. Tickets are checked, and I pass the subway entrances and head to the main foyer. Dozens and dozens of commuters descend down the stairs to the subway, and the typical whine of the departing trains echos from the depths. I step outside into the Kazeth Station Plaza The sounds are instantly recognisable. To the right I see and hear el rail trains clatter their way through the city. Ahead, dozens of people flock the subway entrance in the centre of the plaza. Commuter trains ahead of me cross the main avenue, thundering away to their destinations. Buses and taxis pack the streets, and pedestrians spill off the pavement. [I know it doesn't look like this in the pic but use your imagination lol] A short walk North takes me to the main el rail station situated in the area, and I enter the thick crowds to meet an approaching train. There are no rush hours in this city, it is always rush hour. Businesses across the region scatter their work schedules, breaking the 925 in an attempt to ease traffic flow. As I stand on the platform, a train approaches at high speed, rocking and shaking the whole station. As if anymore people could fit into the train, the whole platform floods in. This is a train running on the city to docks service line, tens of thousands of workers take the same route I have to the docks, my first destination. I don't forget this feeling of commute in Kazeth. For those who first come here... it is unnerving. The tension you can feel is so thick, many people avoid Kazeth the best they can. The whole megalopolis is ran by corporations... the public of 28 billion is at the hands of these evil companies. In the past, there have been many catastrophies, shootouts and massive job cuts, strikes and other events caused by these corporations. Public approval of government, and there are many riots, vigilante groups, political activists and general troublemakers. I note the increased light in the train as the skyscrapers lesson, giving way to the first signs of the docklands. We pass over the 1st main ringway and into the slum housing, which is packed in between the commuter arteries and the docks. I see low grade housing to the right, and the main warehouses, distribution centres and factories on the left. We pull into the first major stop, and the crush in the train eases. Soon off again, we travel deeper into the docklands. The familiar branding of the Xeonix Power Corporation is emblazoned on the side of many large fuel depots we pass. The typical smell of Kerosene fuel fills the air. As the train meanders into the harbour area, we pass huge tower blocks. These tower blocks are temporary solutions to the overcrowing in Kazeth. Mopping up the slumland areas, replacing them with high density, affordable living - the land is released to thousands more per city block. On the left I see a vehicle ferry leaving.. full of cars and freigher trucks, it is the cheaper alternative to travel between Kazeth and Nerolt (and other large coastal cities) to flying or rail travel. I can see the operations of the high tip of the docks now... huge cranes glisten in the sunlight, hurriedly throwing intermodal freight units onto waiting freight liners for export. The train is now in the heart of the industrial area at West Union Kazeth. The main stop on this service is approached. The train screams to a stop, and a rushed flock of commuters jam the doors. Only a few were left on the train as I walk back to the main exit. On the street, hundreds of workers make their way to bus stops and nearby factories. This part of the district is the Utility Core.. home to power generation, water processing and waste disposal. The military presence here is intense.. the Kazeth Union TA Regiment have their main base just down the road, and armed troops are seen patrolling the streets. Frequent attacks occur here, from environmental activists. Disgruntled workers also account for a huge portion of civil unrest in this area. This maze of buildings is claustrophobic. There are no streets, only packed alleyways. The occasional military vehicle picks its way through the crowds. All resource deliveries are commenced via pipeline or underground. My intentions were to find my way to the main transit artery, and to board a bus Westwards to the Army Base. Surrounding, and in, the base are government offices. It was here I was expecting to find the transit planning council's offices. These were an obvious target for attack, so close proximity to the army base was only logical. After what feels like an age, my blind struggle through the dense crowds leads me to a road. There, situations were not much better. The road was filled with pedestrians, and the buses which ran up and down were literally fighting their way through. Accidents here, are common. I manage to get on one, and stood in the aisle, packed in with other standees. The bus picks through the crowds, jamming to a stop every few seconds. After what felt like an age, we emerge onto an intersection where the factories gave way. The bus pulls up outside the airbase, and I pry my way through the crowded bus to jump off. I make my way to the main entrance, and note the sign for government offices. A quick security check, and full ID check is performed, and I was allowed through. Under the constant watch of snipers, gunmen, and passing patrol, I make my way to the main office, and head to the office labelled 'Transportation Development Officer'. Visitors are uncommon here, so there is no reception, and no waiting people. The office inside was untidy... towers of paper closely resembling Kazeth itself covered the floor. Filing cabinets lean over at crazy angles from the crush inside, in the small island of space was a desk inhabited by nothing much more than a computer and lots of mess. The person sat behind the desk, was a surly man, who I have met before at a security conference in Nerolt. "....you" *7 minutes later* After clever talk, persuasion and perseverance, I finally gained his trust. "I could use someone like you... if news of another road came out, let alone a super highway, the hippies will descend on us, it will be a bloodbath!" "You need to keep what I tell you on the quiet until the time is right. Trust me, these activists are vicious, they will come after you, after me, and after the whole development team. The engineering company has an office in the middle of the financial district, it's a sitting duck.. be careful, what I'm about to tell you is to be kept quiet." he continued "Yes, there are plans for a route between Kazeth and Nerolt. With the ExpressLine now no longer as express, commuters are going to look for new ways to get over to that place without paying a whole load. Air Travel just got more expensive after the Green Army attacked the airport last night, did you hear about that? Never mind.. the point is... a whole tract of land outside Kazeth is being ripped up, for a giant interchange linking the cities highways with the new super highway headed North. We have already laid down the main foundations, and started on it." "At the moment, as far as anybody knows, we are improving the current provisions... nobody as yet knows a 18 lane multideck will punch through the Green Army's village." Throughout this whole conversation, I was silent. "For Osaio, this means connection to the outside world, Nerolt and Kazeth have been wanting to mass develop the North Ania Plains, but just can't do it at the moment. We have prefabricated highway sections ready to go... construction is full tilt in the Rioab City Dock. Once this highway is in, development will take over in Osaio. The Green Army must..." The whole building shook violently with a prominent crash. A flood of light entered the room, and the lights cut out. The sound of automatic gunfire quickly surrounded, and in the space of a few seconds, the sound of jet engines and chopper blades filled the air. Thanks for reading everyone, and thank you for being so patient. I will go have dinner then make a bit of a warscene in Kazeth lol. I have hi-res images of the industrial area, and some amazing towers as well.. which reminds me there's something I want to share lol.... Thanks Somy! I have Photoshop free, 1280x1024 max quality JPEGs of various other shots close in of Somy's amazing BATwork.. if wanted I can attach a zip of these to a message? I cannot take any credit for the industrial area LOL, it's all Somy and N@B's work >_< Again, thanks for reading, more updates soon!!! John

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Nice pix - a very industrial and developed city

[Narya 14]

Lovely! I like the region, like the story, like the pics. Looking wonderful and interesting.

[MooMix1 2]

Wow, nice work!

I really like the rail lines too!

Good work

[jacqulina 162]

very nice work my friend you sure know how to put together rail systems,excellent work and pics

[aking88 7]

May i ask where you found all the industrial tanks and seaport lots? They look awesome in your region.

[Voulpiotis 4]

Aking88: They are found in NOB's and someone else's Japanese sites.

Black star: You are the Rail King! All pictures are awesome and the use of the NAM's rail turn makes the city even more realistic. Moreover, the industrial port is excellent!

[BlackStar 0]

Thankyou for that, Voulpiotis. And thankyou for the comments everyone. I will honour you properly in the near future.

I am sorry for the long period of updates, but I was away for a few days, and on return, my computer is simply not working as it should. Microsoft Office applications give me an impossible to complete installer upon launching, Firefox updated to 2.0.0.2; which doesn't load web pages anymore, Internet Explorer cannot process pages properly therefore takes ages to do anything [and then hangs for a few minutes], SimCity 4 crashes repeatedly [Not a GLR or MP3* problem], the system has fatal memory errors, vital process terminations, Outlook will not start, the whole system is slow..... I could go on forever. haha I am having to wait periodically for the text in this field to catch up with me [50wpm typing]. So......it may be a little while- give me 2 or 3 days and I will have a new update back in Osaio [Kazeth is killing my computer].

FYI: I'm running a dogbox Dell Optiplex which has been on fire twice. >_<

I will say now that construction of the mega highway has started in Ania, and a boulevard has sprouted East/West from it at Ania..private investors have moved in, in anticipation of the highway. Government housing is now being constructed, and a new port is planned once the highway reaches the coast, which is where industry will develop.

[BlackStar 0]

--Double post, sorry >_<--

While I am here, there is a link to a Japanese website in my signature, which is where I got all of my Japanese BAT. I have navigated the link to the downloads page for you, simply scroll down... further downloads are on succeeding pages (P1, P2, etc)