Monthly Challenge December 2014 - Complete The Interchange

[Hamish 1,370]

Monthly Challenge December 2014 

Complete The Interchange

  

 

 

 

This month we are starting a new type of challenge. We’re calling them monthly challenges, as they start at the beginning of each month and run until the end of the month. These will consist of specific things to do within the game, and will usually be accompanied by a region or city for you to build in. These challenges are more involved and require you to make more and submit more than you would for the weekly challenges. What you submit will be more tightly controlled, but this will make the competition fairer for everyone who submits. Winners will have a bigger reward, as well as an entry in the Hall Of Fame and an achievement they will be allowed to create the theme, and any regions or add-ons if they want, for the next round. Winners get a huge say in how they think these challenges should progress, its also a fun way of keeping these challenges different every month. So, with out further adieu we present the first monthly challenge.

 

 

 

We want you to complete the intersection. There is a region set up and waiting for you to dive in, check the download link below, which has four regional connections to different RHW setups.

 

 

 

These RHW stubs need to connect to each other in some way. How that happens is up to you, and it doesn’t have to be one interchange either, you can have multiple, so long as every highway connects to the others. There are a couple things you can’t do, and they are listed below in more detail, but essentially we don’t allow you to terraform the city. You can use slope mods, and minor terraforming, but part of the challenge is working with that terrain to complete the interchange. There is also an existing railway which we don’t want you to effect by too much. What we will allow is for you to change the rail tiles, just not where they are placed. So if you want to change part of the STR to normal rail thats fine, or if you want to tunnel under the rail and place a bridge thats fine too, just don’t move the railway from where it has been placed. You can use any mods you want, change the terrain textures, place trees and buildings, anything! Just complete the interchange!

 

 

Submission Requirements:

Now, heres where things get complicated. We are going to try out restricting the size of image submissions for a main image which will display the entire city tile or region along with any other addition images you may want to include. So that large images don’t have a visual advantage over smaller ones, in the interest of fairness we are going to restrict your image aspect ratio to 4/3, or multiples of 800 px wide by 600 px high. You can make the images at a higher resolution than this, 1600 x 1200 for instance would be acceptable, however we are restricting the aspect ratio so that the built-in ST image resizing will shrink the images to around one image per screen. We hope this will keep things fairer. Additional images or video can be of any other size, however these will be hidden inside a spoiler tag in the voting thread

So, an aspect of 4/3 or multiples of 800 by 600 will be accepted for one main image

We will only accept multiple images or videos, so long as the main image conforms to the requirements above.

 

• One view of the whole city tile or region and any other views of the interchange in a ratio of 4/3 or multiples of 800 by 600 for main image.
• Additional images or video can also be supplied of any size which will be hidden by a spoiler tag in the voting thread.

 

 

Building Rules:

• No major terraforming, minor alterations (like hole diggers) and slope mods are allowed
• Railway line must remain in the same position, but the tiles may change (for instance to overpasses or normal rail)
• RHW must start from the four stubs already existing although can go anywhere you want after that.
• You ca use any mods you want and use cheats any way you would like.

 

 

Required Mods:

NAM version 32 with RHW and STR installed

 

Submission Dates:

This thread will be open for submissions until midnight pacific time on the 31st of December. Voting will then be open for a week which will declare a winner. Following this the winner will have the month to create the rules and any appropriate files for the following months challenge. The winner of this month will create the challenge for February, the winner of January will create the challenge for March etc. I’ve already started the challenge for January which will give the winner enough time to get ready for the next month. If you don’t think you will be able to get time to set up a challenge for the following months, then try not to enter, however we will have some ready to go if unforeseen circumstances mean you can no longer help out.

 

 

Download The Region Here

 

 

Installation:

Really simple, most of you will know how to do this, but just a quick recap. Move the entire folder, which can be downloaded from the link above, into your regions folder. Thats My Documents/SimCity 4/Regions on windows and Documents/SimCity 4/ Regions on mac. Launch the game and load the region.

 

Let me know in this thread if there are any issues with either the download link or the challenge rules. This month is essentially a trial run for next year, so there are bound to be issues, with your help we can solve these early on in the process. And feel free to use this as some kind of journal thread, if you want to share what your working on as the month progresses feel free, although you will need to explicitly state on your final submission that it is your final submission. I will also post in here in the next few days showing examples of image sizes and how we imagine images would be combined in one file to adhere to image ratio rules.

 

Happy building mayors!

  Edited December 15, 2014 by Hamish  
Changed Submission Requirements and Submission Date Entries

[NielsC007 499]

I have a few questions.

 

1) I found the terrain to have quite a few jagged edges. Am I allow to make the edges smoother?

2) Am I allowed to make the Railway tunnels any longer? Since they're quite short and I find the slopes to be unrealistic.

 

I'm excited to do the challenge and I'm curious to see what others might submit!

[mrsmartman 200]

Nice idea!

[Hamish 1,370]

1) I found the terrain to have quite a few jagged edges. Am I allow to make the edges smoother?

Yeah, sure, smooth the terrain if you want. But try not to do huge terrain modifications like removing mountains etc.

2) Am I allowed to make the Railway tunnels any longer? Since they're quite short and I find the slopes to be unrealistic.

If you can extend the tunnels go for it, however the tunnels shouldn't extend outside of the current confines of the railway. I'll post a diagram of this if your unsure what I mean. Or if others think this is a big issue too, then I'll rewrite that rule.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Just took a look at the tile. All I have to say is... holy crap, that terrain will be an absolute nightmare to deal with.

 

Also, why the STR requirement? I don't see the role it plays in this challenge. Many of us don't even have it installed.

[Compdude787 916]

This is a neat competition, and I'm looking forward to participating in it! Will we be allowed to use Project Symphony (Maxis Highway override) in making this interchange if we want to?

[Hamish 1,370]

Just took a look at the tile. All I have to say is... holy crap, that terrain will be an absolute nightmare to deal with.

 

Well thats the point, its supposed to be a hard challenge. Thats why the submission period is four times longer than the weekly challenges. Although the image above seems to exaggerate the terrain somewhat, it doesn't seem as severe in-game.

 

 

Also, why the STR requirement? I don't see the role it plays in this challenge. Many of us don't even have it installed.

 

 

I can remove that if you don't think many people will have it installed. I included it as just something slightly different to the normal rail, as it was included in the NAM, I thought it wouldn't be too obscure for people use. A different object to cross while creating the highway. But if people want this removed I can take it out?

 

 

Will we be allowed to use Project Symphony (Maxis Highway override) in making this interchange if we want to?

 

 

Use anything you want, so long as it connects to the existing RHW stubs on the edges of the city tile.

[Compdude787 916]

 

Will we be allowed to use Project Symphony (Maxis Highway override) in making this interchange if we want to?

 

 

Use anything you want, so long as it connects to the existing RHW stubs on the edges of the city tile.

 

Okay, thanks. This is really going to be a new challenge for me. I'm starting to form an idea, but that may end up being tossed out the window when I open up that city tile in SC4 and see what the terrain is really like. Regardless, I'll have to resist the temptation to flatten everything!

[nas786 104]

cool idea.  I'm gonna be too busy this month, but hopefully these monthly challenges keep going, definitely wanna get down on one later on

[Thin White Duke 4,072]

This sounds like fun. I probably won't enter, though, since my skills with RHW are still very limited. I also lack the patience and confidence to do it.  

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

Gawh, half of the ideas I would use would have to use in-development content... I can't take part in this...

[Forsma7 1,325]

quick question: would it okay if I grow city in that tile? 

[Durfsurn 539]

Is there any point to beautifying the interchange? E.g. do interchanges with extra's like MMP's and signs get better votes?

 

I will definitely post mine when I'm done - in this thread I assume (I'm new to these challenges )

-Billy

[TekindusT 3,809]

For the ones talking about the terrain... I began yesterday, and it is really worse than it looks like. I have a slope mod installed and I'm going to have a bad time.

 

But well, this is why they call it "challenge" after all...

[NielsC007 499]

Gawh, half of the ideas I would use would have to use in-development content... I can't take part in this...

 

You just made me very jealous... 

[Hamish 1,370]

quick question: would it okay if I grow city in that tile? 

 

Sure, do what ever you like.

 

 

Is there any point to beautifying the interchange? E.g. do interchanges with extra's like MMP's and signs get better votes?

 

I will definitely post mine when I'm done - in this thread I assume (I'm new to these challenges )

-Billy

 

 

Well, they are voted on by the community, so it really depends on what they are looking for, but I would suggest that an interchange with trees, lights and a different terrain texture is going to beat a image that is just a standard interchange with none of these things.  And yes, post in here once your done. Just check the first post for how to set up your image before you submit.

 

 

For the ones talking about the terrain... I began yesterday, and it is really worse than it looks like. I have a slope mod installed and I'm going to have a bad time.

 

But well, this is why they call it "challenge" after all...

 

 

Well yeah, it is supposed to be a challenge I was able to get a highway down from the plateau when testing it, so I'm sure it is possible, but maybe I was using a less severe slope mod.

 

 

Try lots of different solutions, you've got plenty of time!

[Haljackey 17,398]

Giving this a shot... Pulling my hair out with the terrain...This is going to take a while.

 

[Forsma7 1,325]

also, is it possible to use NAM 31.2 in this challenge? as I use that version of NAM

[Compdude787 916]

also, is it possible to use NAM 31.2 in this challenge? as I use that version of NAM

Why haven't you updated to NAM 32?

And Haljackey, that looked quite fun! The RHW slope mod always seemed pretty smooth to me, sometimes too smooth going thru mountains like that. Now I'm using the Mountain version of the Ennedi slope mod; I'll have to see how that works out for me and whether I can go straight thru the mountains and have a 4-way interchange like I wanted to do.

[NielsC007 499]

I'm using the smoothest versions of Ennedi's slope mod. It has been VERY frustrating, although the slopes have turned out pretty good so far.

[Haljackey 17,398]

 

And Haljackey, that looked quite fun! The RHW slope mod always seemed pretty smooth to me, sometimes oo smooth going thru mountains like that. Now I'm using the Mountain version of the Ennedi slope mod; I'll have to see how that works out for me and whether I can go straight thru the mountains and have a 4-way interchange like I wanted to do.

 

I actually consider the RHW slope mod to be 'moderate', especially compared to the bullet train slope mod. It will be an interesting contrast between those who choose to use tunnels vs those who are going right through the terrain, around it, or, at least in my case, hugging it.

[MandelSoft 2,775]

My take on the challenge:
 

(It may still be processing)

 

Best,
Maarten

[odrzutowiec 5]

I also use Ennedi Smooth slope mod and spent almost 2 hours on getting that pass through the mountains! Extremely frustrating. And I think there is a problem with STR part of the quest. There is no way to cross diagonal str with RHW6 so that it won't turn into ordinary DTR (or is there something wrong with my plugins?). Maybe I can narrow the highway to RHW 4 and get it over, but this is a highway challenge, so STR limitations shouldn't limit our creativity, should they? 

[Hamish 1,370]

There is no way to cross diagonal str with RHW6 so that it won't turn into ordinary DTR (or is there something wrong with my plugins?). Maybe I can narrow the highway to RHW 4 and get it over, but this is a highway challenge, so STR limitations shouldn't limit our creativity, should they?

Exactly, that's why I included it, so that it's not just another rail crossing, but something that you'll have to think creatively to cross.

At those points you could widen the rail to DTR, or remove some highway lanes, or tunnel either the rail or the RHW, anything really. Just be creative and take your time, there is about 15 days left, plenty of time

[Samerton 833]

Thought I'd give this one a go. Just spent 2 hours streaming along with NielsC007, only to end up with a game freeze after not saving for a while . I'll upload the stream to Youtube at some point, I'll also stream future attempts at the challenge.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

Alright, I actually went ahead and tried the challenge myself, barring myself from using any new NAM 33 features, except for demostrating the Disconnector (tease tease). It doesn't do anything to gameplay except make it easier to bulldoze certain things. I'm hoping that's OK for the challenge.

 

And also, were there any restrictions on the bridge itself? Because...

 

 

(Video is uploading at time of posting; you may have to wait a bit to see it)

[Durfsurn 539]

Okay I will dump my set of photo's of the challenge. I have taken tons so I will put them in spoilers to not clog up the thread  .
 
Overview;

Day (no trees)

 

 

Night
 

 

Northern T Interchange;

No Trees

 

 

Trees

 

 

 

Northern Partial Y;

No Trees

 

 

Trees

 

 

Middle Diamond Interchange;

No Trees

 

 

Trees

 

 

Lower T Stack (Semi-Directional T thingy);

No Trees

 

 

Tree

 

 

Falcons Hwy Truck Stop, Falcons (town) & a small logging operation;

Truck Stop

 

 

Town

 

 

Logging area

 

 

The N/S highway is the Interstate 15, the highway that runs E/W under the mountain on the right is Interstate 2, it then duplexes along with the I-15 until the last interchange where the I-2 goes to the West and I-15 continues South. Falcons Hwy is State Hwy 14 and runs from the I-2 south, under the mountain and onto a main city west - passing a truck stop and a small township.

 

-Billy

[sanjiban 11]

Here is my take on this challenge. This is first time I am posting something in simtropolis. Please tell me if there is any difficulty in viewing images.

https://imgur.com/a/RWDQ7

[dafiden 11]

Were you expecting people to just create the roads, or were you expecting people to create a city/town/region and incidentally connecting the pre-fab roads?

[Hamish 1,370]

Were you expecting people to just create the roads, or were you expecting people to create a city/town/region and incidentally connecting the pre-fab roads?

 

The minimum is just the roads, but it would make for a stronger entry if you added other things, like trees or towns or farms or something. Its up to you.