The Official City Journal Critics Thread Archive

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

thank you for the nice review rhf!!

[Kippis05 2]

very nice review RHF!

(Now if I could only relocate away from the railway barrier walls *hint, hint* )

[DioAngel 1]

I'm just curious.... where's mine? :-(

[NewEnglandGangsta511 1]

Dio pm a critic if you want a review, do not post about your review.

[NewEnglandGangsta511 1]

rushhour thanks for being helpful round here, i need to bookmark this for this name so i dont miss all this stuff.

[patriots_1228 51]

great review speced. o man your sn begs for me to call you SPED. but i won't. nice reviews guys good work lately.

[ilikehotdogsalot 311]

great review guys! i'm free for reviews tomorrow, if anyone wants a review, please PM me

[SpecialEddie 3]

Roselle by kippis05

Kippis05 has mentioned in his CJ that he is an artist. "Artist" is a pretty modest way to describe his creation in Roselle (which from the title one can assume it's his first CJ. "Genius" may fit Kippis05 better because his creation in Roselle is a colorful pallete for him to paint his imagination on. 

Roselle at first glance resembles a humble small town/suburban SC, but a closer look reveals a very detailed and realistic city, that hints of a slight Midwest influence. The first page showcases some impressive Main Street shots reminscent of American towns, and the reader is given hints of Kippis05's Photoshopping skills. 

And just like the American Midwest, of course there are tornadoes, which should please the action oriented CJ fan. The mix of RL images and SC screenies adds a realistic touch to the tornado sequence.

Though Roselle is made up of many small towns, the downtown is actually a sight to behold: midsized with a nice blend of STEX creations. The BAT's were well chosen, complimenting the skyline nicely. Outside the CBD, however, more suburban sprawl can be seen. Though the sprawl is pretty Simtropolis cliche, the photoshop effects add a nice unique touch to the images, establishing it apart from other suburban oriented journals.

And if you're on a BAT hunt, stop by Roselle, as Kippis05 provides a nice catalogue of some of the Custom Content he has discovered on the STEX. Worth a stop, as some of the BAT's shown the reader has probably ignored or not noticed. Seeing the content in Roselle definately means its worth the download. 

Great CJ.

[SpecialEddie 3]

If anyone needs a CJ reviewed, PM me.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

great review of roselle!

[Kippis05 2]

Wow, thanks for the great review! I'm so proud of myself

[Narya 14]

Lovely reviwies SpecialEddie and ilikehotdogsalot.

When I figure out why I cant send msgs I shall ask someoe to do my. Would be quite interesting to see what I am doing wrong, LOL.

[KingTitan 6]

Thanks so much for the updated review. I have felt that too. I was getting to technical. LOL I so appreciate your review friend. I will definately take everything into consideration, and promise to put more SC4 pics. Since all the pics so far are just something to give it a back story for what the REAL CJ will be, (Paragon) I wanted to give members something to look at. LOL Thanks again for the kind words and constructive criticism.

[patriots_1228 51]

shadow assasin- well you can!

Bourneid: that was my bad probs. the first week or so was pretty frantic if you remember that big list

[patriots_1228 51]

excellent follow up review, i think you chose a good one to followup since when i reviewed it it was so diff

[ilikehotdogsalot 311]

The Interstellar Paranassus of Paragon

by KingTitan

The story starts off with a dying planet, The year is 2020 and scientists are trying to find a way to reach The Paragon System, the closest galaxy at 26 lights years away. The updates continue with large explosions and an expertly written story that portrays the character's feelings and emotions along with witty comments, however, the story does get a bit long and complicated at some points.

 Most of the pictures are quite decent but don't really blow you away, There are plenty of futuristic cities, towns, and research labs, but in many updates, There are more real life pictures and lacks SimCity pictures, something many City Journal viewers look for. This changes somewhat as you make your way to Page 7.

Here is when the story starts to see some action as millions of Paranassians try to excape from a deadly comet about to collide with the planet. Once again however, There aren't enough Simcity pictures to make up for the fantastic writing King Titan creates.

In Conclusion,

The Interstellar Paranassus of Paragon is a great read and a page turner. There is plenty of futuristic action, drama, and humor. Although the story does get a bit confusing at times, King Titan has a fantastic ability to give his writing a great tone that is very desirable in many Journals. This Journal could use some improvement, but I highly recommend reading the story, You will not be dissapointed

[fledder200 5]

The Interstellar Paranassus of Paragon is one of the best cj's i follow!

The story is great and the pic's are awsome!

Good review hotdogs!....did you see my Sippy cup?

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Very nice reviews, guys. I didn't know we could get follow-up reviews, lol.

[bourneid 13]

I had sent a PM for a review when this thread was first started... I was wondering if the request was missplaced or not recieved?

[Hawkeye9 0]

Thankyou very, very, much for the great review connor_v.

[patriots_1228 51]

nice review connor!

[patriots_1228 51]

Yay! connor your back......

[ilikehotdogsalot 311]

oh, my apologies! i didn't know IPOP was already reviewed.

btw, great review connor!

[SpecialEddie 3]

The Nation of Pasicana

by david1314

During the Summer of 2006 a little CJ jewel was uncovered in the ever growing mines of the Simtropolis CJ section. It was called Pasicana (Grid? WTH is that?). Of course, the title definetely garnered a lot of page views to the journal itself, which was a marvel of curved roads, but not much else, as the city building was not what you'd call mindblowing. But just as the journal was showing potential, tragedy struck! The city was lost and a new one rose from its ashes: The Nation of Pasicana, a more formal name for a country, I may add. 

  

david1314 has improved on many of the flaws of his previous journal. The region view at first sight is quite impressive. From the sky, Pasicana appears to be a nice little Venice. The islands themselves are quite European and very pleasing. The buildings have been perfectly selected from the STEX blending in with each other to create an authentic European island city/town. david1314 has revolutionized the way of building on curved roads. Though it's obviously been done before, david1314 has perfected the craft of curved city building. Not a grid in sight!

The Nation of Pasicana is also denser than before. A nice little cluster of skyscrapers crowds a peninsula's tip. There's a perfect amount of high-rises at the tip. It's just right. Enough to make it look like a CBD, but not so much that it takes away from the small town feel. Apart from small Euro villages, some high tech villages can be seen clinging to the suburbs and farms stretch out into Pasicana's distance. 

There's even an airport in case you want to visit this nation, which you will, of course. There's no doubt about that. 

[connor_v 3]

Aqua Vista - a City Journal by seemurray2

Aqua Vista, the third City Journal published by seemurray2, is designed to have a rather mid-western feel to it. It is composed mainly of suburban residential, downtowns and commercial districts, much like the average real-life city.

Seemurray begins the the city journal in the quiet residential suburbs of Bradford Park just moments off the highway. This area is a mix of detached and semi-detached homes and small scale commercial developements. Lush foliage and strategically placed hills buffer the noise off the freeway, making this a very beautiful suburb. As he continues into other parts of the city, we begin to see more mid height buildings and a wide variety of hotels and chain stores. In every way he captures the architectural essence of the midwest....stripmalls.

The downtown centre sparkles at night, the glistening hub of the city. Amongst the towers and hotels lies Excelsior Park, a beautifully landscaped area with a fair sized pond that businessmen and residents alike can come to on a nice day. Speaking of parks, the cities river systems are absolutely amazing, with a variety of unique attributes and high points.

Some of the cities other attributes are massive sports stadiums, with ample parking. There are stores of all kinds for all kinds of people. Hotels are in abundance, and a full-size convention centre is ready for anyone that needs it.

Seemurray is a great host who is personable to every guest and also funny at times. His Bill Browsky stories can't help but make you laugh to yourself.

Overall, the CJ is a good mixture of things you would find in a real city, but sometimes the pictures of suburbs start to blend together into a homogenous mush. But aside from that this CJ is a work of wonder. I highly recommend you take a looksie at Aqua Vista today.

Review No. 8 - 01/15/07

[connor_v 3]

Coral Bay - A City Journal by Hawkeye9

Coral Bay,is built on a hand-terraformed 3x3 med square map. It was started in late 2006 and has been going strong since. Hawkeye is a great host that replies to every comment on a personal level.

Coral Bay is a great mixture of many things, from quaint suburban homes to sky-scraping highrises. Overall his suburban areas are beautifully planned, with a great deal of foliage and lightly rolling hills.

Coastal areas are planned proffesionally, with thier fair share of resorts and nightclubs. Further into the city, in the commercial centre, very well made sunken highways make thier way around a variety of office towers. This city truly has a little bit of everything!

One good feauture is that most of the larger buildings are not just Maxis cookie cutter buildings (Hospitals, schools, churches, cemetaries). This detail, often overlooked by the passerby, is a great feature that is shared with some of the finest city journals today.

There is some story, enough to create interest but not so much as too scare people away with ramblings. Story is put in as needed, and is effective when applied.

On the third page, Hawkeye announces his bid for the Simlympics, and displays detailed plans for the proposed Simlympic venues. I don't follow the Simlympics, but I wish the best of luck to his bid.

The rural areas are quite desolate, and the small towns on the crumbling state roads high in the mountains give a lonely, forgotten impression. Luckily, this is not the case, for the small towns have healthy business districts and some have a fertile agricultural base.

Overall the city journal is interesting, vibrant and a good read on the go. I would definetely suggest you take a look at Coral Bay.

Review No. 7 - 01/14/07

---

Newsflash!

I'd just like everyone to know I am open for any request! My to-do list is blank, and I would appreciate it if anyone would like thier City Journal reviewed by me. Thanks, Connor.

[mrbisonm 1,622]

I dont know if anyone wants to attack himself to review the longest lasting CJ on ST and talk about the never-ending-story of Nexis Of Genesis (

[fledder200 5]

Great reviews connor and specialeddie!!!

Keep it up!

[octaves 4]

Great reviews, guys!

[patriots_1228 51]

ever growing mines....you are so right dude. post in a journal and one hour later it will go from top of page 1 to middle of page 2.