The Official City Journal Critics Thread Archive

[SpecialEddie 3]

Vandals Fjella, Page 9 onwards

I*** is a censored and forbidden word [here], why you may ask? because it's swedish! quote>

The censored word? IKEA. So says Glenni concerning his CJ, Vandals Fjella, a Norwegian-inspired city. Vandals Fjella (Vandal Mountains) is a region heavily influenced by rural Scandinavia and urban Oslo, Norway. Norwegian landmarks such as the Royal Palace can even be seen in his cities.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_in_Oslo

Speaking of cities, Glenni's urban centers are crowded but modern wall-to-wall towns. His cities glimmer with glass and concrete BAT's (some custom) that blend quite well with older, more historical landmarks. Glenni's CJ is also one of the first to incorporate heavy use of diagonal BAT's. It works well enough, but doesn't fit in as well as other buildings. Sharp angles stick awkwardly into other structures and even into busy streets. A tad bit overused? Maybe.  

With the urban centers covered, we now move to the rural areas of Vandals Fjella. The small towns are gorgeous in the wooded, mountainous settings, and the scenic black lakes are crossed by long, brick bridges. Custom lot-editing really shine during these updates, as well. The use of curving paths are an excellent addition to the tiny villages, and tours of the lakes and fjords bring Scandinavia right to your computer screen. Boats and cruise ships sail the deep lakes alone, giving a sense of quiet isolation.

From lonely houses to small farms, wooded forest to glass and steel cities, Glenni's Vandals Fjella has it all. A realistic portrayal of Norway, Vandals Fjella is Scandinavian to the core...

...it just needs an IKEA.  

-Highly reccomended.

[SpecialEddie 3]

Originally posted by: Shingure Glenni does make a good point. Although Im not sure if the author put the implication of a Parisian style influence.quote>

 

He didn't put any implication at all. If it causes this much confusion, it shouldn't be there in the first place.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Originally posted by: SpecialEddie

I don't have the right to approve reviewers (that's patriots' job), but I really like the way you have CJ's of the Week in your sig. They're well written, too. Ever considered being a critic?

quote>

thankies, not really lol, but if you would like another reviewer, i would gladly join

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

I love Vandals fjella, nice review SpecialEddie!

[patriots_1228 51]

special eddie, we need a blond, since my hair has turned brown

[patriots_1228 51]

dont feel pressured to get reviews done rightaway, or go out looking for them. they come to you (lol)

[patriots_1228 51]

only if you want to twigs. special eddie is right, that signature is really well done.

[SpecialEddie 3]

Wh-when did THIS happen? 

Welcome to the Critics Thread, blondetwiggy.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

ok, ill keep that in mind lol, i put sth in my sig so people know lol, thanks

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

sure, I'll join, is there anythhing I need to know (that's not in the first post?)

[topcliff 1]

Thanks there RushHour! Don't worry, it'll expand (when I get home and have enough time to let the game start up, of course). Leonardo

[crazyyaya 4]

Thank you for the review. Although I am a little disappointed, I can understand your critisisms. My next update photos are already done, but in the future I will try to ease off the saturated photos, I was just playing around with Photo Shop. It is also hard to illistrate warfare in Simcity but I will be turning a little more towards city building and economic development in future stories.

-Amash Noj

P.S. How do you change topic titles?

[patriots_1228 51]

haha "wish you were here at the warzone".....nice work special eddie. good review.

[SpecialEddie 3]

Originally posted by: crazyyaya P.S. How do you change topic titles?quote>

 

Edit the first post of your CJ. There should be an option below the title to change the topic.

[SpecialEddie 3]

Post card from Aberni

crazyyaya's CJ, Post card from Aberni, is a city that relies too heavily on picture editing and not much else. Though there's an interesting storyline, oversaturated pictures really take away from the reading experience. The story, which tells of an all-out war between two religious groups mirrors the current situation in the Middle-East, but with weak visuals, doesn't really impact the reader as much as it should.

The title is somewhat confusing as well. The post cards don't even appear until the second page--and who would want to see post cards of heavily armed military bases? "Wish you were here at the Warzone." Right. 

But the CJ itself has its fair share of positives. The story is well-written. There are few grammatical errors, and it has the feel of a well-made political thriller. That narrative of Amash Noj (the main protoganist) is also one to take seriously and the unique storytelling device of using time to mark entries in a journal-esque style is an interesting one at that. 

Though the CJ is heavily reliant on Photoshop or other picture-editing softwares and the city-building itself looks weak and rushed, the story of Amash Noj is enough to keep any reader interested and hooked to crazyyaya's political thriller. 

That's all for now. Wish you were here. 

-SpecialEddie

[mencc1701 0]

Thanks for the review, Twiggy! I'll keep your suggestions in mind in the future, though I think it may be a while before my next update, due to my schedule being packed right now.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

The Republic of Kentworth – A CJ by mencc1701

“Nothing is impossible to the willing”

Mencc1701’s Ratislava-inspired CJ, The Republic of Kentworth, is a classic style journal that shows much potential.

He starts off with a peaceful region view of rivers winding through empty, broad plains, interrupted only by a farming settlement surrounding one of the rivers. His extensive history of the small, fishing-based cities is realistic and enjoyable. A later region shot shows significant growth; mencc has been busy building! His farms, though a bit square and predicable, are tasteful with a careful dose of trees and farm buildings.

By the second page, we see more industrial and manufacturing growth in Fulcrum, an obviously well-planned city at the mouth of one of the rivers. In other higher-density cities, he shows off a sleek mass transit system, complete with impressive subway/elevated rail maps.

Suggestions? Take advantage of the full 800x600 allowed in the forums (ctrl+shift+s for full-screen shots without having to cut out the menu), and incorporate more custom content to make the cities more attractive.

Strong points? Personally, I loved his extensive use of trees along the shorelines and the great-looking subway system map.

Bottom line: The Republic of Kentworth, a good read for the CJ history buff, is full of effective mass transit and solid citybuilding, but would benefit greatly from more use of custom content. 

--Twiggy

---

My first review!!  I hope I did okay. 

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Republic of Georgiapolis – A CJ by giorgos69

Giorgos69’s Republic of Georgiapolis, including Kypakos, Smyros, and Salonique, is a somewhat-unknown journal full of lavishly edited pictures and beautiful cities.

At times his pictures are almost real with a grayish tint, portraying a down-to-earth, gritty city, while at other times his colors are very bright and bold, which other readers might find unreasonably saturated, but I personally love.

Giorgos seems to be an expert in building nearly all types of cities: from midrise to towering skylines to gorgeous nature scenes, there isn’t anything he doesn’t do well.

Suggestions? I might just be weird about this, but I would love for the pictures to be the full 800x600 to perhaps show more details.

Strong points? Giorgos is excellent with Photoshop (or whatever editing program he uses) and the photos are always beautiful and crisp, sometimes bordering on real-life looking. The pictures are different and interesting, not all done in the same way. He incorporates custom content well and makes it all blend together in a wonderful style of CJing.

Bottom line: The Republic of Georgiapolis showcases Giorgos’s great citybuilding enhanced by photo editing.

[patriots_1228 51]

great debut twiggs! was awesome.

[griffen_star 0]

Wow some amazing reviews! Kentworth looks like a good read!

[patriots_1228 51]

GO saturation

lol nice review twiggs

[Sim_Air 2]

wow, giorgos69; you see? your CJ is one of the best that ever existed and you got yourself a pretty good review there!

BlondeTwiggy; good job!

[giorgos69 52]

Thanks for the review!

Iv always stuck with the greyish tiny but decided to be abit bold and different with the summer colours of Salonique.

Good to hear feedback about that!

[giorgos69 52]

Thanks Sim_Air,

Just as a side not about the suggestion, I don't think I will ever be using 800x600 pictures.

I find that 640x480 is the perfect format for my city and it makes the city look more realistic.

I could show a larger resolution by request though.

[Sim_Air 2]

that's a nice review. Well done BlondeTwiggy once again!

Sorry i am not familiar with the CJs anymore; that's because i was off last day. Anyway....BlondeTwiggy, keep it up!

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Sorry, its just a personal thing with me, but if 640x480 is better for you thats fine. 

Sim_Air & pat: thanks!

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Sorry for the double post, but I have a review

---

Bedevere, a city journal ahead of it’s time. – A CJ by Xperian

Bedevere: A city journal ahead of its time, set in 2050, predicts a gloomy forecast for the planet Earth.  Sea levels have risen ten meters, weather patterns are nonexistent, and anarchy is prevalent in the major metropolises of the world.  People flee for their lives to higher ground, particularly to Bedevere, a small, peaceful island in the Pacific.  Formed by two colliding tectonic plates, it is considered safe because of its constantly rising elevation.

With this background in mind, Xperian begins to spin his fabulous tale with the help of beautifully edited pictures—even one with animated rain!—and TS2 shots.  The many twists and puzzles delve deeper into the plot, leaving many questions unanswered.  Why are sea levels rising so rapidly?  Who nuked the city of Alistair?  Why is a random dude named Wolf accompanying Jane and Tom in their seemingly-pointless robbery missions?  All these, and more, will surely be answered in due time…

Suggestions?  Sometimes the story is a little hard to follow, but that may be because there are so many questions and plot twists.  It also may be because the reviewer is a dumb blonde

Strong points?  A gripping story is not the only thing this CJ has going for it.  Xperian’s pictures, realistically photoshopped to depict fog, rain, glaring lights, or general gloominess, are fitting to the story and showcase his well-built cities.

Bottom line: An interesting story, eyecandy pics, great cities—Bedevere has it all.

[SpecialEddie 3]

Urland a (mostly) rural coastline

Nardo69 is bringing the classics back--with a bang. His Trixie winning CJ, Urland a (mostly) rural coastline, is a cleverly crafted city and rural-building masterpiece. With the first updates dating back two years, it's a wonderful glimpse of how much Simcity and its custom content has changed over time. As the title indicates, Urland is not all rural (though a majority of it is). Little towns dot the farm-dominated landscape, which spreads across flat plains and sweep through hilled valleys.

The farms and small towns are quite rustic and cozy. Urland is best viewed with a hot cup of chocolate and the orange tinge of autumn flowing through your windows. Yes, it's that good, people. The farms are a wonderful blend of default Maxis lots and BSC customs, which blend beautifully in the setting--not easy to do! In the wrong hands, BSC farms can grow out of control into a mess of over-colorful agriculture. Fortunately, Nardo knows his stuff, and he's also willing to share his secrets (guides can be found on how he builds farms, too). 

With the farms covered, we now move on to the small towns. No glass skyscrapers here, folks, so if you were looking for some good urban jungles, you're in the wrong place.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't visit Urland, however.  Nardo's small towns are a joy to see. With little mom and pop stores in the street corners and tiny residential neighborhoods tightly packed, Urland's small towns make you feel right at home. 

Spanning 26 pages, it's easy to see why Urland rightfully deserves its Best Rural CJ Trixie. Be sure to have that cup of hot chocolate with you as well because Urland is a long CJ which makes for a great weekend read. It really takes you back--back to the good old days.

Similar CJ's:

Digby

Ralston Metro Area

Anduin River Valley

[patriots_1228 51]

twiggs you are working too hard another great review.

[patriots_1228 51]

i miss the good ole days....before "nice" was considered a lengthy comment

nice review SPed (lol). Nardo-you deserved such a great review, great work with your CJ.