The Royal Empire

[Royal Guard 0]

The Royal Empire

The National Flag of The Royal Empire. The Crown representing the monarchy and the two stars representing the two nations that first colonized the Empire (Britain and Spain).

This CJ is my first and will be retracing the steps of colonists in the three regions of the Empire. The northernmost region is the volcanic Haifon Archipelago. To the southeast is the Royal Islands, and to the southwest is Hadenbow.

The Royal Empire is a Democratic Monarchy. Meaning that the "king" is elected to a forty-year term and is succeed by his next-in-line if he is unable to maintain his rule until his term is up. The government includes a Parliament and a Supreme Court and functions similar to the American government. Residents of the Royal Empire are called Gracemerians (after the capital city) or Imperials. The economy of the Empire was based in agriculture and fishing until the 1890's when a huge commercial and industrial population began to grow. In modern times the Royal Empire is a prosperous modern nation with all the usual modern conviences. The population is generally conservative and the country is generally thought to be center-right politically. Although peaceful since the 1903 civil war, the Royal Empire places a great deal of importance on it's armed forces and joining the military is still considered one of the most honorable and important duties of citizens. Being mainly an island nation, ferries are one of the major transportation networks and even surpass automobile traffic in some cities. Gracemerians believe that a clean environment benefits all sectors of the economy and avoid unnecessary pollution.

Stats:

Population: 10,583,492 (2000 census)

Ethnicity: 42% English, 38% Spanish,  7% French, 5% Irish, 5% German, 2% Native Americans, 1% Other

Religion: 94% Christian (64% Catholic, 36% Protestant), 2% Jewish, 1% Athiest, 3% Other

GDP: $294,604,000,000.00 (28th largest)

Political Parties (Seats in Parliament): Imperial Party (53), Liberal Republican Party (18), Royal Socialists Party (10), Independent Party (, Communist Party (3), Green Party (1)

Independence Day: June 14, 1793

Capital: Gracemeria

Largest City (Pop.): San Christos

Leaders:

Representation to the UN: General Thomas Nedal

Head of State: Grand Admiral Daniel Archer

Defense Minister: Marine General Natalia Alexandre

Foreign Minister: Benito Garcia

Interior Minister: Jose Alvedraz

Minister of State Security: Admiral Joesph Merkel

now on to the CJ...

1705: A New World

The Town and Castle of New Hope

When English settlers first came ashore at the mouth of the Amur river, they founded the Empire's first permanent settlement, New Hope. The stone walls are all that remains of the original settlement. The castle walls were built to protect the settlers against Native Americans and Spanish forces who were also exploring the area. Today New Hope's famous beaches are a popular tourist attraction and rumor has it that it takes two years to get a reservation at the convention center located within the old castle.

Fort Resolute was built in 1874 at the mouth of the Amur river, during the civil war, Leeandran naval forces were prevented from entering the river and sailing all the way up to Gracemeria (which was only guarded by two regiments of local militia). The repulse of the 4th Leeandran marine battalion on the walls of the fort is regarded by many as the high point of the so called "Eastern Rebellion".

In the 1950's the New Hope Deep Core Well project was started. This deep well supplies most of the water needs for much of the East Coast of Hadenbow, as well as the electricity of the city.

Coming Soon: Halex City, Gateway to the South

Make Sure to Reply!

[Hawkeye9 0]

Wow, very nice start Royal Gaurd!!!

Welcome to simtropolis and good luck on this cj!!!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Welcome to the world of CJs. You have a nice looking city and a cool flag. I look forward to more of your work.

[Joetropian1 1]

The city looks nice and I see you have planned your regions history. This is a nice start! Keep it up!

JT1

[SounderBruce 173]

Good work

[Keep-Up 0]

thats a big intersection, alot of asphalt

[rklesc 0]

Looks like that acre of asphalt could become a new bumper car ride... didn't realize you could do 8 intersecting avenues... cool. Could be great vistas up the avenue. Looking forward to the next update.

[Lord Volker 0]

Looking good. I like the beaches and the red sidewalks.

Lol the capital is Gracemeria. I'm guessing you took the name from Ace Combat 6? I actually tried to make the city itself. I got my capture card out (used for machinima, or movie making, i can record video with it), played the game and was able to pull out a picture of the continent and the layout of the bay area of the city. I tried to copy it as best as i could, but i've never played long enough to establish a connection throught the entire region, so the city wasnt up that much, but it was out. I was able to get a few skycrapers in the central part of the penisula and the other downtown part towards the tip.

[jacqulina 162]

great start and intro my friend,very nice first pics.

[Royal Guard 0]

Update 1

Replies:

To Schulmanator, Joetropian1, ComputerGuy890100, and jacqulina: thanks for the positive feedback, hopefully you will continue to enjoy my city journal, Its a great encouragement to see the positive response to my Intro.

To Keep-Up and rklesc: This was the first time I really tried building a city around 8 intersecting avenues and it works similar to a roundabout just with asphault in the middle instead of grass (or whatever)

To Lord Volker: I have to admit that is where I got it from, I get inspiration for city names any place I can and some come out odder than others. I don't know if my city has any similarities to the ace combat city but when I get there you'll have to see.

1713: A Glory Denied

Capital Square in downtown Halex City

As the British colony grew and expanded, the settlers began to move inland. The British government saw the rapid growth and decided to began planning a capital to station a royal governor and colonial government to make the area into a part of the British Empire. Plans were drawn up for the city in 1713 and work began that year. The stone clocktower in the middle of capital square was originally the only stone section of the otherwise wooden governor's mansion. In 1715 Spainish and Native American forces raize the city to deter the British from moving any farther inland. Due to it's brick construction, the Governor's Clocktower is the only surviving structure from the original city.

The North-Eastern section of Halex City used to be a swamp until the swamp was filled in in the mid 1880's, creating one the most desireable neighborhoods in the Empire.

In the fall and spring tourists are often come to see the beautiful trees (credit to Cycledog). Annoying the locals to no end by blocking the narrow streets that run through the generally quiet neighborhood.

Once a large Industrial town that reached its peak in the 1940's, North Point is now regarded as a rundown suburb of Halex City. The canal that once was filled with barges carrying resources to the great industries of the city is now empty of boats. In modern day the town is attempting to make a comeback, new businesses are moving into previously abandoned buildings and high tech industries are attracted by North Point's low taxes and Halex City's large workforce. The elevated avenue (known as the downtown ring) was the site of the largest automobile accident in the country's history. The famous image of a station wagon that had veered off the avenue and crashed into the Brentian Insurance Building (credit to Ill Tonkso), led to massive traffic law and automobile industry reform. Survey's indicated that 98% of citizens in the country began to wear seatbelts following the accident.

Like North Point, Ithaca is now considered a suburb of both Corrino and Halex City. Once the main seaport in the region, Ithaca was forced to switch to tourism after completion of the Hadenbow International Seaport (The largest in the world at the time) in 1958. Now fishing boats and yachts dock where massive freighters once unloaded their cargo.

Coming Soon: Corrino and Altair: The Spanish Arrive

Keep the reply's coming!

[Bambam70 0]

Nice.

[balkair 6]

i like the castle, on that last pic! Very nice!

[N106 10]

Cool! I like hearing about the history.

[Lord Volker 0]

Looking good. So far the only thing that reall resembles the city is that fancy house on the island. There is a castle but its not on an island. Lets see some region shots.

[SounderBruce 173]

Great!

[Royal Guard 0]

Update 2

Replies:

To Bambam70, Balkair, N106, and ComputerGuy890100: Thanks for the comments and I'll try to keep you impressed!

To Lord Volker: You asked for it, so here is the regional shot of the cities covered so far:

Obviously, most of the region is still unfinished.

1715: The Spanish Cities

The Fortress Isabella in Corrino.

Built in 1715, the Fortress Isabella was the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Empire. The citadel was destroyed in the earthquake of 1808 and a cathedral was built in its place. Thousands of tourists visit the Fort every year taking passenger ferries from the mainland.

The Historic Old Spanish Quarter of Corrino.

The center of what the Spanish government hoped would be a new territory of their empire was based in this historic section of the city. The Cathedral and Governor's Mansion survived the years to remain one of the great historical attractions of the city. The Civil War began here when Grand Admiral Felipe Mesa was assassinated after attending Christmas Mass in the Cathedral by rebels.

The Museum District of Corrino.

In modern times Corrino is most well known as a center of learning and education throughout the world. Priceless books and art are displayed here and the famous Corrino University is considered to be as prestigious as the Royal Academy.

Downtown Altair.

Altair was founded by Spanish settlers who crossed the Hadenbow mountain range to avoid conflict with the British to the north. The city's large moat once surrounded farms and a citidel. Today, however, the city has outgrown the origional moat and has spread rapidly.

Avenue 84 east of downtown Altair.

Avenue 84 was once the major road linking the Spanish colonies of Altair and Corrino. Now, high speed trains rapidly move travelers through the country and Avenue 84 connects to Highway 4 which cuts through the mountains to the north into Archania.

The famous open air markets in Altair.

Altair is famous for its expansive plazas and markets. Tourists are greeted by festivals and performances that occur year-round.

Street Cars in Altair

A High school Football game in Altair

American Football is by far the most popular sport in Altair, a fact which regularly confuses the citizens of the rest of the Empire. It used to be said that when the first settlers crossed the mountains, the long journey left them uncivilized and led them to follow the American version of football, rather than the European.

Coming Soon: The Royal Islands: A Rebel State

Keep the Reply's coming!

[SounderBruce 173]

*jaw drops* Amazing...can't wait for the Royal Islands!

[antsel 841]

Great work wit your city. I really like the story behind the Royal Empire. Keep it up!

[Petrovar Ambassador 15]

the fortress is amazing, where'd you get it from?

[Lord Volker 0]

Lol, i like it in picture 3, looks like the ghetto. In picture 5 looks like a moat around the downtown, like, GET OUT OF OUR CITY!!!

If i were you i'd fill in some trees around the highway, you know, block out the traffic noise, if that even helps at all. And maybe some pine trees on that mountain in the last shot. Just for asthetic reasons.

Very nice, keep it up. Oh ya, heres what the layout of the actual city of Gracemeria looks like in Ace Combat 6. Go ahead if anyone wants to use it, its the right size for a single large city tile size and the most accurate. Just resize it back to 256x256 and pop it in somewhere in your region grescale image.

[jacqulina 162]

very nice work my friend,great use of pegs things,good looking castle too.

[De Ja Vu 117]

Looks really good! I like the density of your city. The GLR looks like a nice addition to you city. Keep up the good work!

[Royal Guard 0]

Update 3

Replies:

To ComputerGuy890100, Selles, Jacqulina, and De Ja Vu: Thanks for the compliments, I hope that I can continue to impress and surprise you all!

To Petrovar Ambassador: Thanks, it was actually quite easy to make and the wall set can be found here at the STEX at https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=16487 They are called the City Walls 1100 AD by Kwakelaar.

To Lord Volker: Very true, those rich people probably get annoyed all the time with hearing the cars go flying by. I've been telling myself to download highway walls for a while now but never really got around to it. The map looks interesting, almost like Manhattan Island.

1732: Paridise Found

A close up shot of the Goldiva Bay, playground for the wealthy of the Empire.

The town of San Lorenzo was founded in 1732 by a Spanish expedition which noticed the benefits of the large natural harbor. The island survived the Civil War in 1876 by siding with the Royal Capitol and Catalonia as a neutral island. After the war, tourists became attracted to the pristine reefs and beaches that existed on the island. Today, the city is the largest tourist attraction in the Empire, attracting an estimated 1.5 million people every year.

The Massive cruise ship R.S.S. Aurora next to the smaller R.S.S. Royal Artemis

San Lorenzo's protected bay is a popular stop for cruise liners. The water taxi's that carry passengers around the island are specially designed for taking people on and off of cruise ships. Scuba diving and boating are extremely popular. Somny Cruise Lines maintains several ports and docks for it's liners on Isla Bello, the site of the Burj Lorenzo Hotel and Resort.

The massive Neyorka Bay Resort and Casino are a major attraction in San Lorenzo.

The boardwalk that runs on the east and north ends of the town are also visible as well as a water taxi.

At the top of the photograph, the Royal Aquarium is visible. To the south is the former governor's mansion.

Beach houses on the north-west section of the island.

For the quieter people who don't like the crowds and the high-rise hotels, the north-west beaches have single family homes that are rented out for the summer season. A slightly colder current that moves south past these beaches helps to keep the big hotels toward the warmer south-eastern part of the island.

The Island of Rhodes.

Founded in 1741 by British settlers, Rhodes is famed for the rough landscape and numerous cliffs. Tunnels criss-cross the island and many locals make their living off of just driving tourists around the maze of roads. The lower levels of the island are accessable by a train that runs around the coast while the higher elevations are serviced by a bus system and roads.

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the City Hall.

The famous Mandarin Hotel was built in 1905 and continues to be the most famous location on the island. The Hotel and extensive balcony were the focal point of the hit movie Hostage and skydivers frequently jump off the balcony and attempt to land on boats in the ocean below. So far, over 140 people have jumped off the cliff, with 18 confirmed fatalities.

The famous Falls of Rhodes.

The Falls of Rhodes are the highest waterfall system in the entire Empire. Consisting of four falls and four lakes, nature viewers enjoy hiking along the many paths that encircle the lakes, although climbing the cliffs is very difficult. In 2003, the City of Rhodes decided to place wind turbines in the lower lake to test the windmills for a possible offshore system. With space on many of the Empire's islands running out, the project is seen as a great achievement for the city and perhaps a future solution to the Empire's energy needs.

The Rhodes Regional Airport.

Built in 1967, the Rhodes International Airport handles most of the travelers coming to and from Rhodes. The airport's single runway is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. It's altitiude means that crosswinds frequently pose a danger to landing and outgoing flights. Two major crashes have been caused by the conditions associated with this dangerous landing strip.

In the next couple of updates, the CJ will have a major change in pace. For the next couple of weeks the updates will be about one city in particular and it's change from a dirty slum (and a very vanilla one at that) into a shining metropolis. So without further to do,

Coming Soon: Leeandra: A City Forgotten

Thanks for all the support and keep the reply's coming!

[SounderBruce 173]

Great work! Where'd you get that city hall?

[fern244 1]

Very nice. I love the effort put into the history and politics. Very nice city as well. Really good work.

[rainyday 2]

I like the story behind your cj

[Lord Volker 0]

Seems kinda like a dangerous spot for an airport dont ya think. And ya, it almost looks like manhatten doesnt it.

Heres a link to the earth in the Ace Combat games. My large region is Anea, i had to scale everything down, way down to have it fit within my computers limitations.

http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Nations

[technicallydead 1]

I love the city! Good luck!

[metsfan1520 0]

San Lorenzo...is that based on the book Cat's Cradle by any chance?

[Royal Guard 0]

Update 4

Replies:

To Jonpaulosiglos, rainyday, and fern244: Thanks for the compliments and I hope you keep coming back for more.

To ComputerGuy890100: Thanks, and that city hall is actually a library, called the Brenntia National Library by Ill Tonkso, which can be found here https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=15468

To Lord Volker: I think that it would be very dangerous, especially at its altitude, but I thought that it would be humorous up there. Thanks for the map, I'll have to try it sometime.

1749: A City in Chaos

Rioters in Leeandra.

Leeandra was founded by British settlers in 1749. The city grew rapidly and was the largest city in the region for a time. However, in 1755 during the 7 Years' War, Spanish troops captured and sacked the city. The Spanish abandoned the town after destroying the city's citadel and fortress. This left the city mainly defenseless during the resulting American Revolution, when British troops left to fight in the American Colonies. The city was forced to form its own military units to protect itself from hostile Native Americans. The Leeandran military was one of the major contributors to the Imperial War of Succession that gave the Royal Empire its independence. Military service became mandatory for all able males of fighting age following the war. When the Imperial Constitution was drafted and the first Grand Admiral elected the following year, the people of Leeandra felt that the new Imperial government was too powerful. Tensions boiled over in 1903 when the Island of Greater Leeandra left the Empire to become the United Federation of Leeandra. The Royal Empire, under Grand Admiral Childress, declared war and promised to recapture the city and kill the rebels. Since most of the Imperial military's best officers had left to join Leeandra, the rebels gained several early victories. Compounding the Empire's difficulties was the declaration of nutrality by the islands of New Catalonia, San Lorenzo, and Westmoreland. The Empire was being split into three parts. However, the tide turned in 1905 and Leeandra was eventually recaptured. After the war, 78% of the city lay in ruins. Invading Royal forces specifically targeted civic buildings and government structures. The government then refused to rebuild the city, leaving it to be a slum for most of the 20th century.

Footage of police brutality during the 1998 riots.

Protesting the poor conditions of the city, riots erupted in 1998. The police reaction was violent and deadly, dozens of rioters and police were killed before the situation was brought back under control. Millions of dollars in damage was reported.

Yet more rioters and police.

After the destructive riots, Grand Admiral Archer decided that enough was enough. In 2000, the Leeandra Environment and Development committee (LEAD) was formed. Chaired by Interior Minister Jose Alvedraz, LEAD had these goals:

1. Clean up Pollution to acceptable levels.

2. Restore basic services to the citizens of Leeandra (Fire, Police, Health, Water, Power, etc.)

3. Eliminate 75% of Crime.

4. Create and Improve the Leeandra School District.

5. Attract businesses and Commerical offices to return to the city.

6. Build a modern seaport and transportation system.

7. Create parks and recreation areas.

8. Create respectable public housing projects.

9. Improve efficency of the city government and create a government district.

10. Restore Leeandra to one of the premier cities of both the Empire and the World.

Rumors also circulated about a secret 11th goal, which was not immediately released to the public: Host the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

Leeandra at the start of LEAD. (this will serve as the Before pic, once the project is completed there will be an After one)

South Leeandra, the worst neighborhood in the city.

LEAD was given the designation "Hero Project" which meant that the committee had direct access to both the national treasury, and the treasury of the city of Leeandra. they also had access to 3/4 of the military's engineers. They would be needed.

A pollution disperser in Leeandra.

Goal #1 of LEAD was finished first. Thanks to restrictions on industry, and pollution fighting structures such as the one above, the city was cleaned up rapidly.

One of the first new parks in Leeandra, notice the massive amounts of construction around the site.

Planned site of the new Leeandra City Hospital. This would replace the numerous clinics that dot the city and provide inadequate coverage.

And there you have it.

Coming Soon: Leeandra, The Improvements Continue