Typographia

[art128 4,618]

Very nice update !

[Benedict 3,119]

Trees in Garamond are very well placed - very natural look. Great job.

[Abc987 3]

Wow. Your concept is so amazing, yet so simple, it's absolutely incredible. Your use of seasonal trees is stunning, and the simple Maxis is incredibly gentle on the eye. You have absolutely amazed me!

Jason

[s_olah 87]

Wow, incredible mosaic....Keep up the good work

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Looking good, etherian!  Love all the greenery & the two mosaics.  Your suburbs look very peaceful. 

[WeekendCityPlanner 19]

I've never given thought to a concept like this, nice work. By the way, great rural town.

[Shingure 56]

This is the best use of maxis I have ever seen! Simple light and gentle. And rural , It's just so...inventive, so....subtle *cries* so....Beautiful!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

More great work on Garamond! Love that small town feel.

[cjman 0]

This is truly a unique and very promising journal. The idea of using type styles presents both oppertunities and challenges that you have overcome and taken advantage of superbly in this city. I hope to see this level of work continue.

-Don-

[etherian 4]

Grotesque or Grotesk as a typeface is German in descendence, and is more usually a term used to describe a group sans-serif typefaces - including the well-known and much loved (or hated) Univers and Helvetica.

Being as it may, however, Grotesque is indeed a typeface all to its own. Its characters are fuller in width (as to fit better in a square than a rectangle) and its design quite minimalistic, it almost seems to have the philosophy that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line (but with adherence to the basic look of curvature based letters). This is especially apparent in the no frills appearance of its J, Q & R.

To note is the irony of the typeface to its uses in other areas of culture. Most surprising of which is that it is used to describe ugly and contorted forms more associated with the styles of gothic-era architecture (gargoyles and chimeras) and characters in literature complex in its interaction with "normal" people because of their appearance and/or personality. It is perhaps hard to induce irony into a city - without it being too obvious, but it is one of the end goals of the creation of Grotesque. As of this post, this has not been achieved as I have not even reached the amount of development I have expected of this city - but I have taken on the idea of "ugly beauty" as a basis to create an urban jungle that is hard to understand at first glance.

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Portside, its capacity more than capable of dealing with the influx of materials and goods from far away cities.

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Central terminus for the citywide rail network, built on the fringes of a dense residential and commercial area, it connects the citizens of Grotesque to the Port as well as its neighbouring cities and towns.

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The working middle class makes up the large majority of Grotesque citizens, these apartments were all commissioned by the local city council to accommodate its ever-growing population.

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Boundary Park located atop an important junction just on the outskirts of Grotesque's main hub of activity.

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The large capacity Berthold General Hospital is an important landmark to the city, developing skywards is a priority to allow efficient use of the land and its resources.

(H. Berthold AG is the type foundry that released Akzidenz-Grotesk in 1896 as Accidenz-Grotesk.)

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With the demand of residential areas continuing to sky rocket and the main residential and commercial hub on the west of Portside stretched to its limits, the mayor announces the new development of its eastern suburbs and its corresponding industrial sector.

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Twenty20: Thank you!

Sim_Air: Thanks for the support

Criquette: Thank you, and thank you again for some ver

[palin1388 0]

The city looks neat. I really love the train station.

[Amerikaner 42]

WOW what an interesting idea. I really like your past two updates, and although there are a few things you could work on, you have done an impressive job. I really liked the past update, and I am in total love with that font now. The mosaic in the past update struck me, you did quite a nice job on the seaport. The only thing that really nags me is the pic right below it. Something about that station and train. Anyway great work, can't wait to see what font comes up next.

[Benedict 3,119]

Again, this is a very creative idea. However, the execution of the idea is what elevates this CJ to one of note, in my opinion. I also love the presentation, especially the thin wide 'banner' you use at the start of every update - consistent, stylish, and beautiful. i hope to see many more fonts...er...cities in the future. Oh, and I *love* the idea of the TypeMap from your 1st organizational post - brilliant design concept.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Grotesque is maybe a little bit too Maxisy for my tastes, but the port is fantastically done.

[Kiwi n Grapes 2]

Nice port and train station

Cool tennis court "park"

nice approach to a cj and great job

[jacqulina 162]

very nice port there my friend excellent work and pics.

[Shingure 56]

I would need one. Anyway the hospital is so , monumental. Also it looks very nice.

[krbe 193]

Not the largest of the urban jungles, but the arrogant, yet organised feel of Helvetica is spared to later?

May I ask where you got that train station from/its name?

[etherian 4]

palin1388: Thanks!

Amerikaner: Thank you. When you talk about the station image - so you mean there's something wrong with the picture or actually something wrong with how that area is built?

Benedict: I'm such a design geek, and I'm really glad that people can appreciate it!

edmonton_stink: True about the Maxis content (I like some of them though!) - but I don't want to peak too early with the custom content, I'm saving some for cities that really need them to represent its respective typeface.

Kiwi n Grapes: Thank you for the kind words

jacqulina: Thanks for the continual support!

Shingure: It is, perhaps I have built it a little too early - but I was seriously getting bored of the Maxis one

krbe: Yes, I still find it hard to be patient for cities to grow, but this isn't the end of updates for Grotesque - in fact, I plan on revisiting them every now and again in between revealing new typefaces As for the train station, Urban Rail Station on STEX, its by r102 - I wish there was smaller (and larger) versions of it, I really like it.

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Just a general note I guess about the pace of updates and finding time that I can play SC4. I work part-time (3 days a week) but not a normal 8hr day! I've just finished a 12hr shift today and looking at a computer screen for more than a few minutes is not what I really have in mind after that.

Please do bear with me, because not only is there limited time in a week in which I can settle down and build the cities, I'm still learning quite a bit about the game and knowing how to make things just the way I want them to look. As much as I want this Journal to be successful, the goal of utmost importance is presenting quality creations that do justice to these typefaces!

[The Big Z 103]

Wow, that's an amazing use of roads! They way you use curved roads is very unique. Great work!

[Equilibria 16]

Great work. If you don't mind my asking, why the three curving roads right next to each other near the station (it's a cool look)?

[ky72x 13]

I have to say, I really like the concept and the way its being presented in this CJ. Nice use of PEG's recently released seaport set. Although most of the development in the city is Maxis, the unique road layouts, sidewalk mod, and well thought out placement of civic buildings really irons out any disregard to the vanilla buildings. Additionally, great job building that tennis court complex, it look very good! Keep it up, I'm looking forward to see more!

- Kyle

[Benedict 3,119]

Originally posted by: etherian Please do bear with me, because not only is there limited time in a week in which I can settle down and build the cities, I'm still learning quite a bit about the game and knowing how to make things just the way I want them to look. As much as I want this Journal to be successful, the goal of utmost importance is presenting quality creations that do justice to these typefaces!quote>

Please do take your time - I think you have a quality 'product' here, and quality always takes patience. Some of the best CJs here are the ones which are not rushed, the ones where each image is carefully chosen or edited for maximum effect.

PS I'm also intrigued by the 3 curved roads above (May 14, 33) - I was also wondering how they fit into the general roadscape of Groteque.

[waiyeap90 0]

Love those pics especially the neighbourhood. Has a very warm feeling in it. GREAT JOB!

[RJN 1]

Really nice update! I really like the pick of the station, and good port too! Great job!

[etherian 4]

Garamond is expanding at a reasonably steady pace, its agricultural pursuits has been put on hold in order to concentrate on its fledgling transportation network. Its railways have extended beyond the boundaries and Garamond's trades and businesses are now doing well with their intercity counterparts.Many civil buildings have sprung up with the expansion of the town, its commerce central has also been split apart to cater for its sparsely populated residents - however, the town centre remains both a symbolic and functional version of its old self.

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Expansion of the rail network with a functioning y-stack. (After looking through dedgren's Three Rivers Region, I realised Cycledogg had an update for all his props, don't these seasonal woods look much better with their new layer of pixels?)

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One of the new neighbourhoods, this development signals the creeping urban sprawl towards Lake Claude. (Garamond is named after punch-cutter Claude Garamond)

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The last farming establishments allowed before the renewal of focus on Garamond's growing transport needs.

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The brand new high school is situated near Garamond's newly zoned residential areas, its also within walking distance from the nearby train station.

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A scenic bike route that cuts through farmlands.

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Parklands to the east of the high school.

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One of the newest "suburbs" within Garamond, a majority of the residents travel to a close by neighbouring city for work.

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A reconfigured intersection, new retaining walls were built to keep a relatively consistent architectural style.

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A new out of town hospital was constructed along with its aged care facility. A small chapel has also been erected close by.

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The Big Z: Thanks, sometimes I get a little carried away though

Equilibria & Benedict: Thank you to both! That is actually an intersection/interchange between Grotesque's main arterial roads with the rural highway that connects to Garamond. Its right in between the shown rail station and Boundary Park. There will be some photos once it becomes more developed, as of now, it looks a little bare.

ky72x: Thank you, I'm glad that its strengths can outweigh its negatives! I do want to keep the residential and commercial developments as Maxis building for now - at least in Grotesque.

waiyeap90: Thank you!

RJN: Thanks, they are some of my favourite custom contents!

[art128 4,618]

wow very good pictures !

[Twenty20 28]

Really nice pics ! I like very much.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Yup, this is still quite good. I rather enjoyed your Garamond update. Those trees do indeed look amazing. I really understand about the uniqueness thing, but you really do seem up to the challenge. Great job!

[Benedict 3,119]

Nice to see more of Garamond - very beautiful. And is see you have a new square on your typemap... is that next?