L.A. My Way

[Glenni 1,447]

that looks pretty good!

[RoddyC 0]

I have to apologise for not updating yesterday as I had hoped. Things were actually going pretty well, but last night I had a fatal crash (of the SC4 kind) which wiped out most of the day's progress. I was very annoyed at the time, but today I spent a couple of hours redoing most of that work. To make up for it, I'm hoping to have two updates today. This will be the first update, much earlier than normal. But first, let me address some of the great comments.

 

yaptszwai - Thanks, I'm trying to make this CJ as realistic as possible. As for creating something colossal - I don't think it's colossal in terms of greatness, but it should be colossal in terms of size by the time I'm done.

 

jacqulina, GLENNI - Thank you both for stopping by again.

 

oroen - Thank you for your great reply! I'm glad you've been following the progress here. I could spend hours replying to you, but I'll try to keep it short since I need to leave some room for the pictures.

 

The cluster of skyscrapers in Hollywood is something I'm proud of. I attempted a similar cluster-style downtown in several of the other cities in this region, but they failed to the develop in the way I had hoped. Hollywood taught me that a downtown cluster needs to have a central point from which it radiates outwards. In this city's case, that central point is the freeway onramp. If instead of the freeway, I used many road connections to the downtown area, then the cluster effect would be lost. Well anyway, I'm glad you like it.

 

And as for forcing freeway usage - I still try to put my freeways in realistic places (since the freeways show up so prominently on the region view). I just try to force... or rather... to encourage Sims to use the freeways by making sure that roads are always a less direct route. I don't like to place roads realistically (realistic for Los Angeles would be a flat boring grid), because Sims generally take the straightest route to their destination and not the fastest route (which in itself is not realistic). Plus it just looks cool to see your freeways overflowing with traffic at rush hour.

 

deejayc - Thanks for your reply! I would highly recommend starting an experimental city. I have done so several times. When I first started playing SC4, I attempted to have a San Francisco CJ but I was never really happy with the way it was developing. I then took some time off, eventually came back to SC4, spent weeks studying other CJs and learning new techniques, and now I am very happy with what I have created so far.

 

And regarding realism - that's exactly why I wanted to do L.A. my way - because the real L.A. is so boring. I did briefly attempt a realistic Los Angeles, but I quickly realised that 80% of the city uses the same boring grid layout. Most of the city consists of low-density housing too. Only downtown and the hillside communities are actually interesting. So if I were in charge of Los Angeles, then what you see here is what I would create.

 

mteach2000 - Thanks for your comments! I'm glad to have kept you glued to your monitor for so long. You're actually in luck - as I mentioned at the beginning of this update, I did a lot of work yesterday and then lost it. One of the things I did was to develop the central hill in the city of Hollywood. In doing so, I used a lot of walls and trees - and yep, now I have to do it again. That's the next area I intend to work on, so I'll try to make a tutorial (or at least a play-by-play) out of it. I expect it to take several hours (that's how long it took the first time), so look for that update later today.

 

So thanks again to everyone who left feedback, and to all those who didn't. Now it's time for the update...

 

Los Angeles

Update 25

 

Regional population: 853,234

Hollywood: 314,091

 

Hollywood's population has increased by almost 100,000 since the last update. There have been a number of significant developments. Before we take a look at those, let's take a look at the region view. One change to note is the way that Hollywood now blends with Los Angeles to the North, thanks to some new low-density housing on the hillside in Hollywood.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_01.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And the transit view shows how Hollywood is gradually spreading across the city tile.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_02.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Now let's see an overview of the city. New areas to note are the low-density housing in the North-East, some new high-density apartments in the South-West, and the gap between downtown Hollywood and the residential district has now been filled.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_03.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

A closer look at downtown Hollywood. Most of the skyscrapers from the previous update are still here. The downtown area now appears to merge into the residential area, thanks to some awesome BAT apartment towers. Also note the new major league stadium. In many large cities, it is common to find a stadium in the transitional area between commercial and residential districts.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_04.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And another angle of the downtown core shows the density of the area.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_05.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Yet another angle. I don't want anything to be hidden.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_06.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

This shot focuses on the area of recent development, between downtown and the residential sector. 

 

 

 

Some of the tallest towers here are actually residential. And I just love that major league stadium. I hope it has enough parking though.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_08.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And this is the new low-density corner. No doubt these houses have some excellent views of downtown Hollywood.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_09.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

The next image shows the main reason for Hollywood's population boom in this update. In this shot alone, we see accomodation for around 60,000 Sims.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_10.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And this is where Hollywood's sporting fame began. Before the major league moved into town, this was the only stadium. Unfortunately ticket sales are low, because local residents can watch the games for free from their windows.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_11.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And finally, Hollywood just wouldn't be Hollywood without a movie studio.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_25_12.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Well that's the end of this update. As I mentioned, I'm going to start work on developing the Hollywood Hills. I'll try to make a tutorial-style update out of that, so expect to see that update later today.

 

Thanks to everyone who is following this CJ!  Check back soon.

[simcitymichi 0]

very good work!! nice downtown. [:0]

[Traffic_Jam 0]

Awesome downtown!

[RoddyC 0]

simcitymichi and Traffic_Jam - Thanks! I'm glad you like downtown Hollywood as much as I do.

 

Anyway, as promised here is the second update of the day.

 

Los Angeles

Update 26

 

Regional population: 866,975

Hollywood: 327,832

 

Earlier, I mentioned that I would make a tutorial-style update focusing on the hillside residential development in Hollywood. Well here it is. I'll try not to make it too long. And because the region views show the finished product, I will save them until the end of the update.

 

So let's begin with an overview of Hollywood, showing the region of proposed development. Because of the unevenness of the land, this area is only suitable for low-density housing, much like that seen in the North-West corner of the city. As you can see from the size of the area, this is a large project. It could take a while.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_01.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

In order to provide a close-up look at the techniques involved, I have selected this corner of the hillside as a focal point. Each stage of the development will first be applied to this corner, before being applied to the entire hillside. At the bottom of this picture you can already see some of the street tiles used for levelling the terrain.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_02.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

This technique of using street tiles will be carried out across the entire area of development. Single tiles are used to flatten sections of land, and straight sections can be used to create gentle slopes. This stage of the process is pretty random. The aim is just to create a layered effect, while ensuring that none of the slopes look too steep.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_03.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And the following shot shows the entire hillside after the terraforming. It's almost beautiful in a way, but obviously these street tiles will need to be removed.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_04.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Here's another view after terraforming. In case anyone is questioning this technique - streets are basically the cheapest and easiest way to sculpt the land. The game's terraforming tools are too awkward for precise jobs like this one. And to anyone wanting to attempt a similar project - this stage is the hardest part. This is the stage where things can potentially end up looking bad. It's just a case of working with the lines of the terrain. Of course, you need a lot of patience too.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_05.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And one final shot of this stage. Here we can see how the Hollywood sign finds itself in the middle of the development zone.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_06.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Okay, now let's move on. Everything starts to look better after the first stage of terraforming. With such a large project, it can be hard to know what to do next. The next logical step was to start constructing the walls. First, the straight sections.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_07.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Then add some corners. It's already starting to look good.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_08.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And now an overview of the situation. All walls have been placed at this point, but as you can see, the streets have yet to be removed.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_09.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

The time has come to get rid of those ugly street tiles. With the streets gone, this is where you really get to appreciate your landscaping.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_10.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And once again, an overview. It may seem like a mammoth task to remove all those little street tiles, but a couple of sweeps with the dezoning tool is all it takes. You can sweep over everything and only zones and streets will be removed. This is too easy!

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_11.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Another angle, walls complete, streets removed. In this shot you can see how the natural shape of the hill has been largely maintained.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_12.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

By this point, you can either cover the area with trees or you can attempt to squeeze in some housing. This basically depends on how much flat land you are left with. Because the slopes of this hill were not too severe, the result is a decent amount of flat land on each level. So with the intention of using the hillside for housing, the next logical step is to construct a road network, seen here in our corner of focus.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_13.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And with the roads in place, it's time to do some zoning. Not every tile is zoned - gaps have been left to allow for trees and other green space.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_14.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Now a look at the entire area, with roads and zones in place.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_15.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Don't worry, we're almost done. The next stage is to fill out the remaining empty tiles with trees, parks, bus stops, etc. Services such as police, fire, health and schools have been added in the appropriate places. First, a close look at that familiar corner.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_16.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And now the overview. Pretty much everything is done. All that remains is to click the button.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_17.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

But before the click, I'm going to show a few more shots of the completed layout. Also note that I flattened some land near the freeway to make space for new office buildings.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_18.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Another view. And this used to be a barren hillside.

 

 

 

Now here is our corner of interest again. I allowed the game to run for several minutes, to let all the zones develop. This is the result.

 

 

 

And once again, an overview of the whole area. I think the lightly populated hillside contrasts the busy downtown really well. I'm definitely happy with the outcome.

 

 

 

Here's another view, looking down the length of the hill. I just love how this new area looks, surrounded by all those skyscrapers.

 

 

 

We return to Hollywood's most famous landmark, now in it's final state. Take a look at Mayor Currie's new residence. Also note where the monorail disappears into the hillside. I love this city.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_23.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

Now let's finish up with those region views. As you can see, Hollywood is almost complete.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_24.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

And of course, the transit view.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//roddyc_la_26_25.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

That's it, all done. The whole project took most of the day to complete. I would only recommend doing something on this scale if you have a day off work or something (which thankfully, I did).

 

Anyway, I hope this update wasn't too long and I hope some people may be inspired in some way by this. I'll be back tomorrow with the next update, and probably the conclusion of Hollywood. As always, feedback is welcome.

[yaptszwai 1]

Surely, you're a genius!

I've tried n times (n tends to infinity) to make something like these, but failed. And now you've given me a much better idea on this...Thanks a lot

Also I love the skyscrapers in Hollywood, and the monorail line. Nice layout...

Can't believe that Hollywood grows so fast! How many hrs you use everyday in SC4?

[jacqulina 162]

fantastic update looking good,great pics

[toxicpiano 125]

very, very nice! how will you deal with transport in hollywood? will it be buses or trains? Looks fantastic!

[Edit] I retract my question because i saw the caption...

[sloppet 3]

nice cj, very good pictures !

[Deathtoall 28]

nice work roddyc sorry i missed sooooooooooooooo much and i have soooooooooooo little time but your city is really taking shape, it looks really good and i can't wait to see more!

[____----____ 37]

i know how much time terracing like that takes

and you did a great job

 

ALek

[Mikeaut1 261]

Wow roddy, AMAZING WORK on Hollywood!! I love the layering style again... and also the mayors house (i believe) in one of your pictures. AWESOME work!!! Genius!!

[Cjah 15]

Yeah that is some nice land!I know you spent a few hours doing that hill so you most certainly earned the great hillside area that is now in your city.I'm going to have to keep an eye out for this C.J.

[kingofsimcity 5,740]

Hollywood is beautiful. I love the suburban sprawl and the terrace views. Also...the before the clcik scene is very good.

[GMT 389]

hey!

i just took the time to check this cj out.
its quite amazing.
u put in some really cool ideas.
u make good use of the terrain as well as u use all the fine plugins. i like it.
but there some things i wanted to ask u.
well, first: what u think about a bigger airport? such a great-looking region has earned a better airport than just those boring standard-ones.
ehm... second: i now that this is all just a re-interpretation of the city of angels, but what u think if u put in some more original details of LA than just the Hollywood sign and the CR Building? I'm thinkin of things like Library Tower, the old sewers and such things.
don't understand this as some sort of critics. its far away from that. its just some ideas i got as i browsed ur great cj.
anyways, i hope u can keep this great work on the level it has now cause this is really a great thing and it would be sad if this run out of ideas...


EDIT: just checked the latest region views again and i found something that i can't find on your great closeups.
im talking about this here marked yellow:

looks to me like some sort of building or park-like thing or mountain-castle.
what is it?

[Dutchdragon 74]

Wow, I think this L.A. is even better and more beautiful than the real L.A., cause its non-grid and very detailed. That hillside development also worked out very good! Keep this up man!

[deejayc 0]

This was and still is my favourite CJ - anything more Roddy?

Chris

[GMT 389]

hey!

is this cj still in progress or is it abandoned?
if latter is true, its very sad cause this was on a great way of developping...

[Micah 16]

Wow, that was a tremendous update! That must have taken a long time to do all that...

[metasmurf 705]

I hope there will be further update to this. According to me, this is was/still is one of the best CJ's on Simtropolis. Inspired me alot .

[deejayc 0]

Date: 10/29/2005 7:40:02 PM
Author: metasmurf
I hope there will be further update to this. According to me, this is was/still is one of the best CJ's on Simtropolis. Inspired me alot .

quote>

Totally agreed Metasmurf. This is my favourite CJ on Simtrop. Just hope Roddy gets back from RL and can fit in a small update

[RoddyC 0]

Well, it's been a few months but I think I'm going to resurrect Los Angeles. Real-life has a funny way of changing unexpectedly, but I've got some free time again so we'll see what happens. I also recently bought a new computer with considerably more RAM and processing power - good for big cities. I'm unsure whether to continue with the current city or start over (thoughts?). If people want to see more of the current L.A., then I'm hoping I rescued all of the right files from the old computer. I'll install the game later today to find out.

 

Anyway, I apologise for the long period of inactivity. And I appreciate the kind comments that my CJ received even long after the updates stopped.

 

Stay tuned.