New SorGun

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Wonderful picture with snow.

[Fox 1,444]

Nice wintery picture.. very romantic.

 

The previous update was amazing, and I have to say I love that little ferry carrying the horses and carriages ..

 

Great to see how everywhere is expanding.

[Cob92 360]

This is probably the most captivating SC4 story that I have ever read, period. Intrigue, deceit, scandal, character development, it's all there, backed up by some of the most beautiful images to come out of the game. Keep up the good work!

[SimCoug 5,973]

@Aaron: Thanks - I think I'm slowly getting the hang of photoshop, but nowhere near the expertise of some members here.

@Fox:  Thank you!  That ferry was BATed by DocRorlach - unfortunately he was never able to upload it.  

@Cob92:  Thank you Cob!  When I started New SorGun I had no idea how much the storytelling aspect would evolve, but I enjoy writing it (much more now than back when I was a wee one in creative writing class).

 

 

Update 37

 

1880 Census – Fox & Hound

 

Spring 1880

 

 

 

Sheriff MacLachlan’s gut led Stevens and his group up into the foothills of SorGun.  Mr. Blankmore’s murderer was still on the loose, and the Sheriff was in pursuit.  Stevens could have taken the fork into the town of New SorGun, but Foxton was on his list, and he figured he might as well check it off sooner rather than later.   Plus, Stevens couldn’t lie… he was a little curious how this little adventure with the Sheriff would play out.

 

 

The sun was falling as the travelers found their way into Middleton.  This was Stevens first glance at the F&M Railway that connected New SorGun with Foxton.  Much had been said about Mr. Finch and Mr. Myers wild gamble, and it was clear to Stevens that the success of the little partnership was becoming a major thorn in the side of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  Stevens was curious to get Finch’s side of the story, but that was for a different day.  The Census crew had more pressing matters, like where were they going to sleep that night.

(1680x1050 – click for full)

 

 

The group of travelers made their way to the tiny shack of a station in the center of town.  After spending a few minutes talking up the station master, the sheriff returned to the group. 

“Th' varmint scum is gonnae fin' his grave at th' bottom ay a mine.”

Most of the group gave MacLachlan a quizzical look.

“He hopped th' lest train tae Foxton.  We’ll hae tae sleep haur an' catch th' first train next morn.  I’m wabbit ay trackin' th' wee scunner,” declared the Sheriff.

The motley crew did their best to get comfortable and get a bit of shut eye before the first train ran the next morning.

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Just before dawn, Stevens was awoken by the sound of hooves and hushed talking outside the station.  Curious, he cracked open the door and saw Sheriff MacLachlan speaking with a rider on horseback.

The Scotsman heard the creak of the hinges and noticed Stevens in the doorway and motioned for him to come out. 

“Things jist got a bit mair complicated,” said the Sheriff as he handed Stevens a note.

 

 

Stevens finished reading the note and glanced up. 

“Bit ye wished ye woods hae taken th' other fork,” chuckled MacLachlan.

“I count people for a living, Sheriff… Gangs and all,” smiled Stevens.

A breeze rustled through the pine trees, reminding the early risers how cold the spring air could feel. 

“Reminds me ay mornings back haem,” sighed the Sheriff.  “Heelain air is guid fur clearin' th' heed.”

(1600x872 – click for full)

 

 

Stevens was happy to be riding on the ol’ iron horse once again.  It was an early morning after a restless night’s sleep, but anything was better than riding for miles over bumpy terrain on horseback.  As the train wound deeper into the hills, Stevens sat back and admired how beautiful the back country was.

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The ride to Foxton was a breeze compared to his trek 10 years earlier.  The terrain was rough, but the engineers of the F&M railway somehow pulled it off.  Stevens was impressed by what the little railway was able to accomplish in just a few years.

 

 

The station in Foxton was quite lively.  It was immediately clear that the coal mines had breathed life into Foxton and hurled the tiny community into a respectable sized town in no time flat. 

“It looks like we have a bit of work to do,” said Stevens, as he stepped off the carriage.   

“Aye, sae dae Ah.  Mebbe uir paths will cross in th' future, until 'en …” said the sheriff as he glanced around to get his baring.

“I sincerely hope so my friend,” said Stevens as he shook MacLachlan’s hand.

(1680x1050 – click for full)

 

 

The makeshift group parted ways.  The Sheriff went digging for information around the seedier parts of town, while Stevens and his crew set up shop at a local Inn.  10 years ago, a town this size would have passed for a metropolis in the SorGun area, thought Stevens.   The coal had certainly brought civilization up into the hills, but one only had to look around at the surrounding forests and mountains to realize that nature still reigned. 

 

 

Foxton had slowly pushed back the evergreens, and given new life to the SorGun highlands.  Farms, stores and houses all jostled for position along the town’s dirt avenues.  Steven’s group began the task of tallying up the unlikely outpost and adding more miles to their already worn boots.

(1680x1050 – click for full)

 

 

Meanwhile, Sheriff MacLachlan visited the usual hangouts frequented by scum and villainy.  Shortly into his search he stopped in a bar near the trail that led to the mines. 

Two or three souls glanced up as the Sheriff strode in, his heavy boots thumped with each stride on the wooden floor.

“What’ll it be, my friend,” questioned the bartender, while scrubbing out a stain in the counter.

“Hae ye crossed paths wi' a stranger, he woods hae jist arrived lest nicht.  Th' laddie main hae bin tryin' tae fin' somebody,” asked MacLachlan.

The bartender gave a half laugh, “we get strangers passing through each day, sir.  Unfortunately nobody pays me to keep track of all ‘em.”

The Sheriff nodded and turned to walk out.

One of the patrons at the bar gave a cough.

“Kid was here last night, said he’d just hopped off the train.  Was lookin’ for a Granger boy,” grumbled the man.  “I don’t care for ‘em ruffians much, so I told him he’d best not get mixed up with that company.  But the kid was insistent.  Warren was his name. “

MacLachlan leaned up against the bar next to the man, waiting for him to continue.

“Well, I know Ned Granger works up at the mine, so I sent the boy up there,” the man said, while rolling his empty glass around on the table.

MacLachlan tossed a half dollar onto the bar next to the man and strolled out into the sunlight as the coin rolled around the counter.

The bartender gave a chuckle, “You’d say anything for a drink, Clyde…”

“I believe I would,” mumbled the informant as he slapped his hand on the dancing coin.

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MacLachlan borrowed a horse and took the trail up to the mines.  The path into the mountains is a hefty climb, but it was made easier with the recently laid rail tracks.   The main camp by the mines was dusty, dirty and smelled of coal and sweat.  The sheriff felt right at home as he walked about.   He noticed a man barking instructions to a group of workers.

(1680x1050 – click for full)

 

 

“What’s your business,” the boss said in a huff.

“Th’ Law, laddie,” retorted the Sheriff.  “I’m lookin' fur a wee a body by th' nam ay Warren.  A new arrival, he’d be.”

“Granger is in charge of all the new diggers,” said the boss.  “Check over by the new vertical shaft.”

“Thenk ye,” chimed MacLachlan, as the man spat down a wad of tobacco and turned away to find somebody else to yell at.

The Lawman walked his horse over toward the new shaft.  There were a few workers milling about.

“Onie ay ye men seen Warren,” hollered MacLachlan.

 

 

Just then, a man walking near the edge of camp dropped the load he was carrying and ran off into the woods.

“Raj basturt,” huffed the sheriff as he climbed back on his horse and gave a “hyaa.”

He rode into the woods in pursuit of the fleeing man.  The forest was dense, and his horse began to protest so MacLachlan slid off his mount and began tracking his man through the thick brush.

“I’m gettin' tay auld fur thes shite,” he cursed under his breath.

 

 

The Sheriff worked his way up the steep slopes and found himself on a high ridge.  Warren was running along the embankment away from MacLachlan, but within earshot. 

“Stop, ur I’ll shoot,” yelled the lawman.

Warren paused and turned.

“Ah ain’t haur tae kill ye son,” continued MacLachlan.  “I’m lookin' fur answers.  If ye cooperate, ye will be sure tae gie a lenient hearin' under a coort ay law.”

“The law is the least of my worries old man,” shot back Warren.

“Ye weren’t actin' aloyn laddie.  We can protect ye,” Shouted the Scotsman.

Warren let out a laugh and turned to continue his escape.

 

 

The loud crack of a gunshot rang out from the wilderness and Warren gasped in shock.  MacLachlan dropped to the ground searching for the source of the sound.  He looked back in Warren’s direction but his fugitive was gone.   He crouched and weaved hastily toward where Warren last stood.  He reached the embankment and looked down the steep cliff.  He could see nothing but rocks, brush and trees falling away towards the valley below.  No man could survive that fall, thought the Sheriff.

 

 

Later that evening MacLachlan walked into a tavern where Stevens and his crew were celebrating after a full day’s work.

“Sheriff,” called out Stevens.  “May we have the honor of your company?”

The Scotsman gave a nod and walked over to the group of census workers.  Stevens ordered his friend a drink and sat down with the united fellowship. 

“Can we drink to the successful apprehension of a potential murderer,” questioned Stevens.”

“Aye, th' sorry eejit paid fur his sin,” grumbled MacLachlan.

The group gave a cheer and a jumble of voices brought the tavern to life.  But as the night wore on, Stevens noticed the Sheriff was even more quite than his usual self. 

 

 

At one point, when Stevens had a moment alone with the Lawman, he brought his chair closer.

“Did the boy talk?” Stevens asked quietly.

MacLachlan shifted in his chair, his eyes never leaving the glass in front of him.  “Unfortunately, someain wanted 'at laddie silenced mair than ah wanted heem tae gab.”

A pause hovered between the two men as the din of the drunken revelry continued in the background.

Suddenly the Sheriff’s eyes caught Stevens.  “A flood is comin' tae SorGun … One 'at woods wash Noah himself awa'.” 

MacLachlan paused and looked back down at his empty glass.  “Th' railroad will stop at naethin' until everybody is under th' shadaw ay their boot.  Dark days ur aheid, Mr. Stevens.”

The Sheriff tilted his glass until a shadow ran across his fingers.  “Dark days…”

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Lovely work on the pictures once again. I wonderful when the town will turn in to a big city.

[SimCoug 5,973]

 
@Aaron:  Thanks for stopping by!


Next week...
The building boom has been running full tilt in New SorGun... Mr. Stevens is in for quite the shock.
(click for full)

[Benedict 3,119]

That dock scene is fantastic - looks like a scale model with all the people doing different jobs of constructing it.

[tshirt23 75]

You've done such an amazing job with laying out the natural scenes...It looks so beautiful and real, and peaceful.

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Lyhoko: Interesting... now what is happening down in New Sorgun?

[Schulmanator 5,787]

I sense intrigue coming up...

 

that's why I am intrigued!

[SimCoug 5,973]

@Ben: Thanks!  Krashspeed is working miracles with the BAT

@tshirt23:  Thank you!

@Lyhoko:  Fear not - New SorGun will have a super-sized update next week

@Shulmanator:  With all that lumber, I'm just glad it wasn't board-om... boredom... get it... *cricket chirps*  

 

 

I was hoping to have the next update out a few days ago, but I wasn't happy with the quality, so I'm going to spend another week on it.  So stay tuned for next week - it will be a supersized update.  

Here's something I was working on today...

 

"Trains coming boys - get these boxes on the platform asap"

(click for 1024 width)

[Benedict 3,119]

Great teaser as always.

[SimCoug 5,973]

Thanks Benedict

 

It was a little longer wait than usual between updates, so enjoy this supersized episode

 

Update 38

 

1880 Census – My Kind of Town

 

Spring 1880

 

 

Previously on New SorGun:  Sheriff MacLachlan was unsuccessful in his bid to capture the Warren boy and expose the Northern Pacific as complicit in the murder of Mr. Blankmore.  Nicholas J. Delin, the Founder of Porthaven, believes that the railroad needed Blankmore’s land in order to complete the docks and harbor that would finally allow the Northern Pacific to compete with New SorGun for control of the shipping export trade. 

 

 

The drama that was unfolding in the SorGun territory was weighing heavily on Fredric Stevens as and his crew of Census workers finished up the tally of Foxton.

(Click for full)

 

 

What would await Stevens in New SorGun?  It had been 10 years since he last visited the commercial heart of the region.  Much had happened since then, including the all-out assault by the railroad to control the wealth and development of the region.  Despite the efforts of the railroad to erase New SorGun from the map, the little town has been able to survive, and even prosper, thanks in large part to the ingenuity of individuals like Eastman Finch and Anthony Myers.  Stevens was especially looking forward to meeting the two gentlemen as he rode their railroad from Foxton to the dynamic town of New SorGun.

(Click for full)

 

 

The last stop before the town center rested on one of the main roads leading north, away from the harbor. 

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The area east of New SorGun was still mostly home to farmers and loggers.  As the timber was cleared, pastures for cattle, orchards and fields of crops slowly transformed the landscape. 

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The train finally left the station and began puffing though the forests once again.  Soon, the trees began to thin out and Stevens was able to catch a glance of the open water.  Finally, the train passed over a small creek and the outermost houses in New SorGun came into view. 

(Click for full)

 

 

The steam engine skirted the harbors edge, and the waves lapped up against the impressive seawalls.   Stevens could see more houses dotting the landscape, as well as some larger structures.  The train passed some corralled horses, and a few looked up with barely an interest in the chuffing locomotive. 

(Click for full)

 

 

 Suddenly the small houses gave way to larger 3 and four story tenements.   As the train weaved into the center of town Stevens glanced out the window and caught site of the station.  It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a sturdy little thing.  The squeal of the breaks could be heard as the carriages slowed and with one final jerk the train had stopped in the center of New SorGun. 

(Click for full)

 

 

Stevens and his crew hopped off and were greeted by some of the largest buildings they had seen since their work in the SorGun region had begun.  Across the street from the station stood a large ornate residence fit for a king – or perhaps a rail baron.  Next door stood the Fox Hotel, a massive building complete with elaborate landscaping and a beautiful statue to greet weary travelers.

(Click for full)

 

 

The Fox Hotel would make a fine base of operation, thought Stevens.  Of course, the rest of the census crew was just as excited about staying in such a fine establishment.  Miss Kitty Blake, the Hotel manager, greeted the travelers in the hotel lobby and assisted them in settling in. 

“Welcome to our little town,” said Miss Kitty.

“Thank you, and what a fine town it has become,” replied Stevens.

“I’m sure you and your associates have business to attend to, so I’ll let you get to it.  But please don’t hesitate to call on me if you need anything at all,” she said.

“Your hospitality is much appreciated, we will certainly be in touch,” Stevens replied.

While the rest of his team began planning how to tackle their job, Stevens took a stroll down Main St in order to reacquaint himself with the tiny town he remembered 10 years prior.

(Click for full)

 

 

That evening, Kitty arranged a meal for the new arrivals.  Some of the town big wigs attended, and Stevens and his co-workers had a marvelous time.  Stevens learned that Miss Kitty Blake still owned the saloon down by the Yarahi wharf, but she spent much of her time managing the Fox Hotel and entertaining important guests. 

“I don’t know how you do everything with only 24 hours in a day,” said Stevens.

“A girl’s got to stay busy,” replied Kitty.

“It seems like this town is changing by the day, I can imagine keeping busy is not a difficult proposition,” remarked Stevens.

“It certainly is changing, almost too quickly…” sighed Kitty.  “Less than a month ago, one of the last remaining houses from the original settlement was torn down to make way for the railroad.”

(Click for full)

 

 

“The railroad has certainly helped business around town, but New SorGun’s rise is not without costs,” she continued.  “The workers are barely receiving a decent wage, and the hardships and hazards that they endure on the job are abominable.”

Stevens nodded while Miss Blake continued.

“Mr. Finch and I have our differences, as you may have guessed.  However, I do not let it affect my professionalism.  I want you to know that his name was on the list of invited guests tonight, so I cannot speak to his absence.”

“I would never question your professionalism, ma’am,” interrupted Stevens. 

“Politics is one thing we can’t escape, even out here on the frontier,” groaned Kitty. 

“Indeed,” laughed Stevens.  “Death and politics are the only two certainties in this world.”

(Click for full)

 

 

The next morning Stevens woke up and opened his blinds.  He let out a whistle, as the magnificent view of SorGun Bay filled his window.  He was even more shocked by how much the New SorGun waterfront had grown.  Ship masts poked skyward in every direction, and he could see dock workers hurriedly moving about.

(Click for full)

 

 

It was enough to make Stevens forget his late night and head down to the docks for a morning stroll.  The sea air filled his nose as he walked along the harbor.  The amount of activity was impressive – the creaking of cranes and cargo carts filled the air along with the constant squawking of seagulls. 

(Click for full)

 

 

As he moved along the waterfront he noticed a well-dressed man giving instructions to a few workers.  Steven looked closer and recognized the man as Mr. Eastman T. Finch. 

Stevens walked up to the man, “Good morning, you may not recog…”

“Good morning Mr. Stevens,” interrupted Finch.  “My memory has suffered 10 years of wear, but it has not faded enough to forget you, sir.”

The two gentlemen reminisced while the dock workers moved busily about.

(Click for full)

 

 

Eastman invited Stevens and his team to dinner that evening.  Not one to pass up a free meal, Stevens accepted and the census guests were wined and dined at the Finch Mansion.  It was quite clear to Frederic Stevens that Finch’s coal railroad had been an enormous success.

(Click for full)

 

 

“Indeed, in business timing is everything,” said Finch.  “We were able to complete the railroad ahead of schedule and under budget – and in the two plus years that it has been in operation the demand for coal has never waned, quite the opposite in fact.”

“But you took quite a gamble on such an ambitious project,” said Stevens.

“My gambling days are behind me, my friend.  I simply saw the writing on the wall.  When I first moved out here, sailing ships and wagons ruled the day.  But with every new day, I saw more and more steam ships in the harbor, factories being built around the power of steam, and let’s not forget the mighty steam engine traveling from coast to coast,” declared Finch.

Stevens nodded while his host continued.  “No… the writing was on the wall – I just needed to find a way to fuel the revolution.  Fortunately the Foxton coal vein was larger than anybody could have imagined.” 

 

 

“Now, over 20% of all the coal on the pacific coast is passing through that harbor out there,” continued Finch, pointing out the window.  “The Northern Pacific Railroad tried to bury this town, but we grabbed a shovel and dug ourselves out.  Houses are being built by the day and the pastures have turned into neighborhoods.  New SorGun is thriving once again.”

(Click for full)

 

 

“Well, you’ve certainly thrown a wrench into the Northern Pacific’s plans,” laughed Stevens.

“They’ll be back,” finch said with a gruff.  “But we’ll be ready for them next time.  Industry, ingenuity and good old fashioned hard work will save this town.”

Stevens was reminded of what Miss Kitty told him the other night about abused laborers.

With a strange prescience, Eastman Finch continued.  “Some in town have other ideas,” he said with smile, “and why shouldn’t they… indeed, we are free to think independently in a democracy.  But fair pay and worker rights will not save this town from being wiped off the map by the Northern Pacific.”

 

 

“I’ve been around too many of their kind to know that the railroad bosses will stop at nothing until they own every inch of this land,” concluded Finch.

Stevens took the opportunity to tell Eastman about his trip through Porthaven and the suspected involvement of the Northern Pacific in the murder of Mr. Blankmore.

Finch was glued to every word.  “A fascinating story,” he replied once Stevens was through with his tale.  “I do not doubt the railroad would stoop to such crimes, but I am shocked all the same.” added Finch.  “I only wish others in town would realize the real danger we face, but instead they quibble amongst each other like school children.”

An awkward silence ensued.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to insult my fellow townsmen.  I just become frustrated that they don’t see the big picture,” Finch sighed.

 

 

Over the next few days, as Stevens and his crew canvased the various areas of New SorGun, he thought about the challenges of building a town while balancing the needs of those who live in it.  Walking though the muddy alleys of Indian Point, the reality of frontier poverty was plain as day.

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But whose responsibility was it to ensure for the welfare of the towns citizens?  Should businesses be required to pay high wages even for the simplest of labors?  Such practices could easily run the employer into bankruptcy.  Should the town government step up and help?  But how would it pay for the services?  It was times like these that Stevens was glad he wasn’t at the helm, making the tough decisions.  Conducting a census of each town was enough to keep him plenty busy.  After a few weeks, Stevens and his co-workers had wrapped up work in New SorGun and he was finally able to check off one more town on his list.

(Click for full)

 

[Snugies 91]

All the poor settlers arriving day after day from the East. This is exceptional it reminds me of red dead redemption (awesome game). Good documentation of the settlement of the pacific north west. Nice houses too I like the white one with that wrap around porch there was one just like that in SimCity societies. I'm not following the story too much i'm just looking at the great scenery but I caught some of the economic chit chat and that is cool. Yep a lot of these towns and people's lives are so much shaped by job and income, it is quite interesting the stories around different companies and different company owners interests really shaping development particularly in U.S. history. And then further how these people influence their local political scene to help their business interests. I guess 1880 this coal magnate will eventually move into power generation as a utility company providing power for streetcars. That's an interesting history when electricity comes in. I don't know for sure but I think the original street car owners were electricity companies which I think were originally coal people. Maybe your coal magnate will turn into a utility electricity streetcar tycoon. And have an export/ import industry bringing in Asian stuff to sell silk, teas etc. Other than that you may want to look up some Oregon economic history, I really have no idea about the pacific northwest. I think Vancouver here in Canada is a transportation and mining hub. And in Calgary we had streetcars back in 1920 or so...serving surrounding municipalities that are now separate neighbourhoods in the city. I will be excited to see your towns amalgamate and further towns grow over time.

 

Okay your from Spokane I see now that's your avatar, so you do know about pacific northwest development history. Cool.   

[Schulmanator 5,787]

AWESOMENESS! Looks cool and New Sorgun is firing on all cylinders!!

And I am delighted Miss Kitty has made her debut!!!

 

ROCK ON!!!

[Dazzyls 576]

I don't know what to say. Should I just click the 'vote this up +1' button?

[tshirt23 75]

Well done! I'm speechless!

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks great, looks like your slowly getting rid of the dirt roads and moving to the brick roads. Looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next. I hope to see the to grow to a city.

[Benedict 3,119]

Great update. The progress on the dock is amazing (must have taken you ages to get that done). I like how, as the town grows, there are more and more brick streets. Prosperous place!

[simlink 1,098]

Love how SorGun is growing, and changing. The storylines are absolutely amazing. You've done a fantastic job with the town itself, it captures the feel of the late 1800s amazingly. Thinking back to when you started... everything has come a long way. Keep it up!

 

And is NSG continues like this, I can picture the skyscrapers already! xD

[SimCoug 5,973]

@Snugies:  Thanks for the kind comment.  Coal will definitely play a large roll in the future development of the region.  Electricity is also on the horizon, but it will be a little while before it arrives here on the pacific coast.  

@Schulmanator:  You haven't seen the last of Miss Kitty yet

@Ultimate727:  Thanks!

@tshirt23:  Thank you!

@Aaron:  Glad to see you again, and thanks for the nice comment.

@Benedict:  Thanks!  The harbor did take some time, but it will be worth it when we can finally release the Historic Harbor set on the STEX.

@sim_link:  No joke - I look back at some of those early entries and cringe.  

 

Next time, Fredric Stevens and crew leave the big city behind and head up the Rannug River and get a taste of the rural side of New SorGun.

[vinlabsc3k 127]

Awesome shots and story!!

 

As always the lots and the scenery are speechless!!

[Benedict 3,119]

Looking forward to exploring nature away from town.

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Lyhoko: Nice! Lyhoko wonders what the area will look like once skyscrapers start appearing... And hopefully the town can survive the railroad baron's attacks.

[Fox 1,444]

Can't wait to see the rural farm lands .. should be quote a treat!

 

Loved Foxton and how much it has grown since we last visited.

 

OMG .. New SorGun ... I love how it has developed and grown and the dirt roads become paved and 3 to 4 story tenements!

 

Can't wait to see how it grows over the next 10years.

[rewright 804]

This is great stuff with some very interesting content. You spin a wonderful story line as well.

[GeometryMath Algebra 614]

Impressive CJ as always!

[SimCoug 5,973]

@vinlabsc3k:  Thank you for stopping by.

@Benedict:  Thanks - you'll be getting a whole lot of rural in the next couple updates.

@Lyhoko:  Skyscrapers will certainly change the landscape... not for a bit though.  Although some of the brick buildings of the early 19th century will start to creep skyward soon enough.  Thanks for the nice comment.

@Fox:  Thanks for the kind words - It's always nice to see you pop in here with a comment.

@rewright:  Thank you rewright, I consider that a huge compliment coming from such an experienced city builder such as yourself.

@GeometryMath Algebra:  Glad you liked it, and thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Show and Tell

 

What the heck, SimCoug?   It’s been almost a month and no new updates!?! 

 

Well, that’s what I was telling myself at least.  Unfortunately, this is what happens when RL responsibilities combine with some lotting/modding side projects.  Add a smidgen of writers block, and here we are a month later.

 

 

But I have some good news – I am nearly finished writing the next update, so that will be up next week (rain or shine, hopefully).  In the meantime, I wanted to show you some of the side projects that I have been working on (consider it a peace offering).

 

 

First up, I am nearly finished with my Diagonal W2W Tenements.  I am pretty happy how these turned out – but they require a bit of TLC (similar to my diagonal R$$ lots).  Basically, these are 1x1 medium/high density lots that you can grow along diagonal roads.  I’ve included R$ and R$$ versions (you will can tell which is which by the props that surround the lots) in order to give you a better chance of grown these suckers. 

All that really needs to happen is for me to finish the dirty details, like writing a readme, perhaps throw together a ‘how to’ guide and polish up some of the filler icons/descriptions.  Yeah… that boring (but necessary) stuff. 

 

 

Next, I’ve been working on a bunch of New SorGun churches to kick up the variety factor.  I’m not sure I will release these on the STEX, mainly because the Dependency list would be rather long (do to the variety of ‘Church’ models.  But I may put them up on my SimPeg lotting thread for folks who don’t mind the extra dependency hunting leg work. 

 

 

These PEG MPT Tenements will also fall under the ‘unreleased’ banner for a few reasons – the largest being the fact that I scaled down the original models by 70% since they appeared out of whack with the rest of the New SorGun theme.  Also, the dependency list would be tricky to track down, but again, perhaps with some convincing I may throw them up on my lotting thread on a future date. 

 

 

Can you smell that?  Cow pies!  Yep – my ongoing Farmhouse lotting project is nearing an end, at least for the R$ version.   These farmhouses will come in two size varieties – 3x5 and 5x5.  All you will need to do is zone the custom size lot and ta-da, instant farmhouse (most of the time, at least).  By the time I’ve finished, I should have 15 unique lots for each size, which means 30 total unique R$ farmhouse lots.  Plus, each of these lots includes liberal use of prop families, so even the same lot will look different each time it grows.  I’ve begun working on some R$$ farmhouse versions, so that will also become a STEX download in the near future.

 

 

 

Finally, I’ve begun working on a complete set of re-lotted Maxis R$$$ mansions.  These will be similar to my R$$ relots, in that they will spice up the Maxis mansion models with nicer lots, but keep most of the same lot sizes and statistics.  I’ve just begun this project, so it may take a while (especially considering that the lot sizes are quite a bit larger than the R$$ houses). 

 

 

Last, but certainly not least, the Historic Harbor project continues to hum along.  Feel free to take a look over at Krashspeed’s BAT thread if you are interested to see some of the latest developments.  This is a very exciting project and I am happy to be spending a good chuck of my free time playing around with all the new props and models.  I am currently piecing together a preliminary set of lots, but this is a constantly evolving animal, so there is no word yet on a release date.  

 

 

Well, hopefully that gives you something interesting to look at – don’t be surprised of you see some of these popping up in future installments of New SorGun.  Thanks for stopping by – see you next week.

[rewright 804]

Wow! Really nice work. I hope you will post the farm houses as plops, as they would add so much to my farm areas. Looking forward to your update...

[wwetom1 831]

Those tenements looks great! So does the seaport a few updates ago.