Arachanopolis

[Rochefort 13]

ARACHANOPOLIS

 

Welcome to my third attempt at posting a CJ. The first, Austerlitz, got to 4 pages before my PC died, wiping it out and the second, Azovia, I scrapped after a single post because quite frankly it was crap. I'd therefore like to apologise for wasting bandwidth with that one.

 

This time, I've commited myself to putting all my effort into producing something lasting and, hopefully, worth your time to view.

 

I decided to custom build a region for this unlike anything I've seen as yet in a CJ. I'm no PC wizz kid, so it's all been slogged out by hand using God and Mayor terraforming tools, a calculator, lots of patience and my favourite toy smoncrie's hole digger lot. I've used the same kind of method as in my tutorial Sharp as a Razor Rivers  and I can tell you now, it took me HOURS and HOURS and HOURS. I just hope it turns out to be worth it. The map has 9 large cities.

 

So, screenshot time, methinks.

 

First I drew my cities using roads...starting with the centre square and Capital of Arachanopolis, Alpha_1.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Drawing%20The%20Central%20City.JPG align=baseline>

 

I won't bore you with a city by city parade of pics, so here's the finished design.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Region%20Drawn.JPG align=baseline>

 

Ok, figured out why it's called Arachanopolis now? For those of you picky enough to be thinking it, I know it should be Arachnopolis but its not very phonetically pleasing so I added an a.

 

Next came the really time consuming part...digging out the canals and the shoreline. Again I'll just show Alpha_1 to save space.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha%201%20Dug%20Out.JPG align=baseline>

 

And here's the completed region, all dug out and waiting to be lowered.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Dug%20Out%20Region%201.JPG align=baseline>

 

Extra screenshot at this point so you can see the corner of the map above and the general overview below.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Dug%20Out%20Region%202.JPG align=baseline>

 

Next, it was time to lower the terrain, so here's the result.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha%201%20Complete.JPG align=baseline>

 

The coastline is actually deeper than the canals. I've set the canals at such a depth that they are traversable by both subways and waterpipes. I don't particularly like the water colour in the canals, but it's the depth that causes the problem. I'm using richblu02 by timotheus4, which I really like at a normal depth, but if anyone knows a different water texture that will help I'd be glad to hear about it.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Completed%20Region%201.JPG align=baseline>

 

Well I'm hoping to start some development tomorrow if I get time, so thanks for stopping by and please feel free to comment, good or bad.

 

Rochefort.

[Cjah 15]

This my friend is going to be very interesting indeed.I'm eager to see what is next as building goes and zoning,but don't deny your skills.If all else fails raise the water more for the seawalls and make room for bridges.The more effort you invest the more realistic and great your CJ will be....

Great region and interesting CJ thus far....

[Equilibria 16]

This looks like it will be an interesting and original region. I've read your tutorial and have always wanted to see it done on a grand scale.

By the way, you've given me the answer (in a way) to a question I posed in my CJ. I accidentally named a neighborhood after you. Where did your SN come from?

[vester_DK 477]

hmmm interesting... interesting start... looking forward to see what's next.

[LordoftheWise 0]

Very nice map you've got there!! Reminds me of one of the first downloaded maps I used; Atlantis. But yours looks much better! Look forward to seeing development start!

Greetz

Alexander

[Rochefort 13]

Cjah: Thanks, your support is always welcome as I am sure it is by many on the site. I appreciate you posting on each of the subjects I've put forward. I don't think enough thanks is given to such as you..its posts that keep CJs/subjects going and i can only apologise for not doing so as much myself..something I will definitely remedy this year.

Equilibria: SN comes from the fact that I like the name..nothing more...it's actually a type of French cheese, the name of a region in France and also a title...I think there used to be a Compte de Rochefort (Count of Rochefort)...but truth is I picked it because I'd read it somewhere on the day I registered and it seemed as good a name as any. I'll drop in on your CJ to see the question I unknowingly answered..I'm quite intrigued now.

 

vester: Thanks for dropping by and all the more for posting a comment.

 

LordoftheWise: Thanks also to you, if you'd like a copy of the map I'd be glad to oblige....once I've read the omnibus on how to post it I might even release it seeing as though I've never contributed to the STEX.

 

I've been playing around with development but its not quite ready yet for an update...I actually obliterated the city twice in fits of childish frustration (Alpha_1) but its going along ok now. Hopefully I'll be able to post some screenshots by the end of the week.

[jacqulina 162]

interesting start i look forward seeing the work you do on this region 

[Rochefort 13]

ARACHANOPOLIS

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Popluation.JPG align=baseline>

 

Hi, and welcome to my first update. As you can see, we have sims !

 

I have only worked on Alpha_1, so we have reached mid-rise stage.

 

Transport has been laid out using bus stops and subway as MT and avenues as the main arteries. The map design has sort of forced me into a grid based city which I don't normally like but after trying to lay the city out randomly I achieved nothing more than a personal record for the most times I've obliterated the same city, hence the long delay between introducing the CJ and posting the first update.

 

Also I need to apologise in advance for only being able to show the city from one zoom point. I just recently put in a new graphics card and now the game crashes everytime I zoom out. I've seen a thread on this I'm sure, so I'll check it out and see if I can solve the problem. Any help will be greeted with appreciation.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha_1%20Region%20View%20Tra.JPG align=baseline> 

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha_1%20Region%20View%20Sat.JPG align=baseline>

 

There's delapidation galore at present which wont fix itself until I zone more jobs and I seem to be getting quite an infestation of the same buildings in both res and com, but I'll fix that as time goes on.

 

There are inumerable BATs present and I will also produce a list of credits by the next update so please excuse me for not including everyone in this post. As you'll notice, I've lined the canals with marrasts embankment set and among others you'll notice work by simgoober, gascooker, siqueira_scb, barby, tonks, porkissimo etc.. as I said, I'll produce a proper credits list for next time.

 

So on with some screenshots.

 

Mayor Rochefort has settled in and been presented with an open cheque book by the founding fathers of Alpha_1 (cash cheat in other words). The city council are an impatient bunch and knowing their city would be going on display they refused to wait for natural progression. I am assured this will not always be the case in the region.

 

As befits a fat cat, Mayor Rochefort picked his spot early and now enjoys the scenery of I'm Alright Jack Island with his fellow city council members. In appreciation of the early promise shown, the council voted for a statue of their esteemed Mayor to be situated at the western entrance to the island, but following a rather heated exchange at home this was added to with a fetching statue of Mrs Mayor...no prizes for guessing who wears the trousers in this Mayor's mansion.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Mayor%20Island.JPG align=baseline> 

 

Meanwhile boardroom brown envelopes prevailed and in a deal which saw a new Daimler arrive on Mayor Rochefort's driveway, Alpha_1's university was renamed Bob Tuckett's Real Deal Discount Dishwashers University. Shameful, but the Daimler drives nicely and it's got a television in the back.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha_1%20University.JPG align=baseline> 

 

True to the self evident egotism of our Mayor, the city centre is dominated by Rochefort Square and yet another effigy of Arachanopolis's most bribed son. Probably the reason the development around it has been a little slow.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//City%20Centre%201.JPG align=baseline>

 

Commerce has certainly flourished, in fact I can't zone fast enough.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Mid%20Rise%20Commercial%20Island.JPG align=baseline>

 

Education is the means towards great things in Arachanopolis and we're hoping for a decent football team so maths, reading, writing and all that other useless stuff has been pushed down the curriculum and rightly so ! Skating seems to have taken off in a big way too, although it's no mistake that Alpha_1 General Hospital is less than a short ambulance ride away.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//St%20Marks%20High%20School.JPG align=baseline>

 

So there you have it, a short view of what's been happening over the last week or so.

 

I'll post some residential in the next update, once I solve some of the employment problems and get some variety in there.

 

Comments are always welcome, but keep em clean..this is a family show.

 

Bye for now.

 

Rochefort

 

 

 

[Mikeaut1 261]

Woah!! That is awesome!!! Can you put this map for download on the MEX? I would really like to use it in the future. It looks awesome!! This is going to be unique and interesting if you keep up with it!!

[Rochefort 13]

Thanks for the kind words mikeaut1 and I'd be more than happy to upload the map for you or anyone else that wants it. I've never uploaded a map and I wouldn't know where to start however. In fact I don't even know where to find the map on my pc to upload it at all !!! Now that's an admission of pc illiteracy.

I've just had a quick search in the forums, but quite frankly the threads just confused me all the more.

I've been into the region file and of course there's a config, but where's the damn map?

 

Apologies if I sound simple but we can't all be Bill Gates now can we?

[Rive85 1]

nice city . i know it will be beatiful. and nice canals. good idea about how to make them. ill keep a watch for more.

[Equilibria 16]

I like both the work and the tone of this City Journal, and the unabashed way you go about building a fantasy region. I also am reassured by the fact that you too have problems getting stuff to grow around large government plazas. I thought it was just a problem for me...

Edit: Oh, I see that I'm now a Dweller. Cool.

[Rochefort 13]

ARACHANOPOLIS

 

 

I had a lucky break with my zoom problem and managed to get some screen shots of Alpha_1 so here's a quick pic update.

 

Views around the city

 

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Main%20City%20View%202.JPG align=baseline>

 

The City Centre

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//City%20Centre.JPG align=baseline>

 

Little Hong Kong Island

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Little%20Hong%20Kong.JPG align=baseline>

 

I've managed to sort out most of the dilapidation on the north of Little Hong Kong Island. The yellow line is where the dilapidation begins and ends.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Little%20Hong%20Kong%20North.JPG align=baseline>

 

Just to the east of the city centre we're starting to get some major commercial development.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Financial%20District.JPG align=baseline>

 

Retail in Alpha_1

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Commerce%20on%20the%20Canal.JPG align=baseline>

 

Oh Look, there's my house

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//My%20House.JPG align=baseline>

 

Bob Tuckett's Real Deal Discount Dishwashers University

 

 

Alpha_1 General Hospital (Newman Inc hospital...I love that BAT)

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Alpha_1%20General%20Hospital.JPG align=baseline>

 

Alpha_1 Industry..dominated by the Somy building (love that BAT too!!). I don't actually like the in-game industry in SC4, I think it's incredibly unrealistic, but hopefully we've got some great new stuff coming on the STEX.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Industry%20+%20Somy.JPG align=baseline>

 

Well that's all folks. Just thought I'd share that as I don't know how often my graphics bug will allow me varying zoom shots.

 

Bye for now.

 

Rochefort

[coolotter88 2]

wow, i like this CJ. and when you say sorting out dilapidation, do you mean demolishing them or doing something else?

[LordoftheWise 0]

Nice updates; I like the use of the maps geography! I do recommend downloading the no dillipidation and 0-abondonement mod from the moddingfiles section. It makes sure you don't see any of those nasty abandonned or blackened buidlings. Keep it up; nice work!

 

Greetz

Alexander

[coolotter88 2]

aren't those mods dangerous because you can't tell when your sims have all moved away then bam you get hit with a huge deficit.

[Rochefort 13]

Hmm good point on the dilap mod, I'd like to know the answer to that myself as I've never used that particular mod.

I usually just play the game..i.e. I solve the dilapidation issue by finding out what's causing it and making the necessary adjustments.

 

In saying that, this is a CJ done with cheats already and its more about presentation rather than mechanics, so if the dilap mod works with no adverse effects then I'd like to use it for this CJ.

[LordoftheWise 0]

They aren't dangerous at all. If you known how to built a city that functions then you'll be fine. All cities that function prpermy have some blackened buildings simply because some areas change in desirability for R$, $$ or $$$ and so the sims move. Just keep basic service levels for the whole of the city and to my knowledge you will have no problems and a estetically pleasing look!

Greetz

Alexander