Far Away and Long Ago

[mtbrocket 2]

Picture 153.1

Picture 153.2

Picture 153.7

Picture 153.8

Picture 153.9

Picture 153.10

Picture 153.11

Picture 153.12

The idea of expedition teams is starting to catch on in the usually unadventurous Pumbas. The cable cars are a safe way to flirt with risk. Of course if some kind-hearted BATer would make some great bats that can hang off the edge of the map Terry Pratchett style the Pumbas might be a little more audacious. Hint, hint.

Shadow_Assassin, yee of little faith, remember this is Pumba territory. You are thinking too small. A statue of the Grand Pumba would not fit into a standard roundabout. It would be really, really big. Unfortunately there are no BATs on the STEX that fit the bill for the Grand Pumba statue so I will have to fudge it (i.e. Photoshop it or something). Oh yeah, hint, hint kind-hearted BATers.

Good night and good luck.

-Dan

[sloppet 3]

holy cow!! breathtaking!!

[mtbrocket 2]

I have not posted a mosaic in a while so I’m going to break all the rules and do three, that’s right three mosaics in one update! Prepare to be awe inspired! Prepare a cushion on the floor for your dropping jaw! Prepare for lunch! That’s right, you are witnessing Simtropolis history! This has never been attempted before in a City Journal on Simtropolis! (Or at least not on this page of this one CJ.) And now for the grand mosaic show of the century you have all been salivating for!

Mosaic number one. 154.1

Mosaic number two. 154.2

Mosaic number three. 154.3

Tah-Dah! These are three art pieces from the Art Depository in Bitter Wood Inlet. Pumbas not only work hard but some are creative as well. When they are not working in the factories or playing ball athletics some Pumbas like to dabble in mosaics. Most of the mosaics are depictions of the plants and animals found in the jungle surrounding the Pumbas. The first one is a ferocious Jungle Blue Death Stripe. It mostly eats worms and is harmless to Pumbas. (To a worm it would be ferocious.) The second is called a Jungle Deer Hart. It is a parasite that sucks blood of wayward jungle animals or Pumbas. Note the big sucker in the middle. The third one is a man-eating tree called Timsasucker after the Pumba who discovered it, Tim Wednesdiddle. It was named by his companion Bobu, who was mourning the death of his companion, Tim.

The story goes that Tim owed Bobu a significant amount of favors and was in no position to return them. Bobu took Tim to a spot in the jungle where Bobu said he had discovered something of value and needed Tim’s help to get it back home. At their arrival Tim was told to pick up a rock. When he did so a rope-like vine rapped around his angle and flung him high into the air. Bobu believed that the Timsasucker uses a lasso type trap to capture its prey by flinging them high into the sky. Oddly enough few other Pumbas have come across an, obviously rare, Timsasucker tree except a few Pumbas who coincidentally had owed favors to Bobu. All of them have perished at the discovery of the tree so there are few facts known about the tree. The mosaic is an artist’s interpretation on what the tree might look like.

-Dan

[mtbrocket 2]

A short update on the exploration team’s progress. Here are two pictures of things seen on the way to the Feather Star crash site.

Picture 155.1

Picture 155.2

It has taken several months for the exploration team to make it this far. The distance is great and the jungle is unknown. Several times the exploration team had to stop and camp for days due to the rainy weather. The exploration team even climbed up a mountain to have a view of the surrounding area. Who knows what they will find?

Picture 155.3

-Dan

[mightygoose 92]

wow strange but humourous updates i like the route map though

[jacqulina 162]

excellent updates,yes i like the route map too,fantastic pics

[GMT 389]

great update on the mosaiks... lol

cool work.

and the map of the track is quite interesting.

waiting for more

[mtbrocket 2]

Another short update on the exploration team’s progress. They came to an unexpected find.

Picture 156.1

There is a line in the trees where past the line the trees are all knocked down.

Picture 156.2

The team had not seen anything like it. There were bare fallen tree trunks everywhere. The land was burned. Ash and broken, jagged rocks are everywhere.

Picture 156.3

Ratherhorn, the artist of the group, sketched some drawings of the devastation.

Picture 156.4

 

Picture 156.5

A small hot air balloon with a camera was sent up to see the lay of the landscape.

Picture 156.6

A terrible transformation happened to the land. There is a great depression cutting right across a low rise.

Picture 156.7

They were so shocked they were tempted to go back. The fearless leader rallied the expedition and the men marched on.

[sloppet 3]

great work mtbrocket!! it's just breathtaking!

[koffee 0]

Wow. Great updates, and great mosaics.

I hope you do a tutorial on them at some point. I know you could put it into terms we can all understand, even though you sometimes use technical terms like "hot" and "air" and "balloon". I've tried following the tutorials in other journals where they talk about cutting and pasting images, but I've already had to replace three keyboards because of all the glue.

And I was worried about the fate of the expedition team. Boy, was I glad when I saw they found all those dots to lead the way!

[mtbrocket 2]

Check out what I did using the new SC4Terraformer. Thanks a lot for all those who are working on it especially Wouanagaine. I wish I had it for the last two updates.

Picture 157.1

Let’s use some technical terms. I can’t leave my readers technologically uninformed of the Pumba ways.

Picture 157.2

Now this is the picture I needed an update ago.

Picture 157.3 Extra.

-Dan

[JoeMeister 1]

you thought about the techniques behind the camera very well.. I like it

Your landscapes looks great, so does your entire CJ! And those last mosaïcs! Everybody should include some of those in their CJ's !!

[jacqulina 162]

very nice updates nice landscapes and pics

[mayormommy 8]

Wow, those pumbas and their high tech aerial photography. And yet they couldn't see the meteor coming...

[purpledaddy 6]

WoW! I'm in for a visual treat every time I visit!

[mtbrocket 2]

A jump back to Endless Horizon Beach to see what is going on there while the exploration team is exploring. (While I figure out what to do next.) Who wants to look at a bunch of guys taking lots of samples of fauna and flora right? Right?

Endless Horizon Beach.

The number of barracks is expanding. Also trailer parks are showing up in Endless Horizon Beach.

Picture 158.1

A retaining wall and a new avenue were constructed to ease the movement of Pumbas and material around the town.

Picture 158.2

A few farms are also moving into the area. Still lots of tents around.

Picture 158.3

Let’s see what a statue of the Grand Pumba looks like Pumba style. This is the Great Golden Statue of the Grand Pumba’s Foresight into the Glorious Future.

Picture 158.4

What better action to do in a time of crisis than to boondoggle. Many Pumbas are struggling to over come the hardships brought on by the falling of the Feather Star so a sign was needed to show the Pumbas that everything is going to be ok. An absurdly massive statue of the Grand Pumba was just the ticket. (Note: this is in no way, shape, or form a reflection of what is going on in the real world in my country, none what so ever, nada, nope.) The Grand Pumba’s hands are positioned to show authority with one and compassion with the other. The Grand Pumba’s right hand is in a ready position to flash the Grand Pumba’s own Symbol of Power. (See older updates for reference.) To save weight the statue does not have the elaborate headgear normally worn by the Grand Pumba.

Picture 158.5

I am going to bed.

-Dan

[sloppet 3]

Great update mtb! I like those first pics here, interesting!

[collgab 10]

wow nice update, can't wait for more!!!

[GMT 389]

great new updates!

I like the exploration team.

waiting for more

[mtbrocket 2]

Recap.

A little Pumba history for your enjoyment. Far away and long ago a small group of people known as the Pumbas were planning to leave their home lands to escape from the perceived degradation of the surrounding society. Before they were ready a great cataclysm forced the Pumbas to flee prematurely on a long and taxing journey.

Picture 159.1

They found sanctuary on the islands of a river delta draining into the Harbor of Many Moons. Their choice of refuge was not ideal as from the boats the jungle looked hostile and foreboding but their supplies were limited and they were weary of life at sea. It was either build or perish. They landed in a place they called Safe Harbor.

Picture 159.2

The dense jungle surrounded them and was a continuing presence in their daily lives. It was forever growing and the Pumbas spent a great deal of their time and effort keeping it from overwhelming their small beachhead of civilization.

The founding Pumbas were a small group of people full of energy, determination, ideas and ideology. The destruction of the Pumba’s homeland by the cataclysm reinforced to idea that the Pumba way was the right way. (Not that the cataclysm was punishment but that the old society was simply unprepared.) Their experiences started the seeds of what was to be a Pumba.

Picture 159.3

The knowledge that the founders carried with them was a remnant, hastily gathered, of the great archives of a far more populous society. Over the generations knowledge that was little known or of no immediate practical use was lost and replaced by more localized knowledge of the jungle, animals, machines, and the emerging idiosyncratic cultural practices of the blossoming Pumba society. The history before the arrival was lost. Technological ideas that were related in the past were separated and used only for pragmatic applications. Concepts like astronomy and anthropology no longer exist.

Even with the loss of theoretical sciences the Pumbas are creative in finding solutions to problems. This has led to a strange juxtaposition of great factories full of fantastical machines but with no real experts on how they fundamentally work. The Pumbas are inventors without being true scientists. The small population and a limited surplus of food limit specialized experts.

Picture 159.4

Curiosity of the world outside the boundary of civilization is not a common trait among Pumbas. Despite having a seaport the Pumbas knew little of the rest of the world. The Pumbas focused inwards on themselves and their great works believing that they were the only civilization. All else was jungle.

Picture 159.5

Most people would say that the Pumbas were atheistic for they have no places of worship. No shrines, No temples. Some would argue that they worship only themselves and their great achievements over the jungle. Others would speculate it is the very jungle they worship. The concept of this debate would not even enter the mind of a Pumba. They don’t even have a word for god. Then again they don’t have a word for war either.

Before the crash the Feather Star was nothing more than a novelty, good for t-shirts and parties. Then it hit the jungle to the north and caused great harm. At the time of the Falling of the Feather Star the population of Pumbas is around 150 thousand so. A not insignificant percentage of population was killed out right or died later as a consequence of the crash. The Pumbas were lucky in that their society is very adept at absorbing this loss of life. Most civilizations would have given up but the Pumbas are, if nothing else, resilient.

Picture 159.6

When things began to stabilize Pumbas started to wonder what had happened. A thing that had not happened on a long time started to stir, the Pumbas became curious. What has happened? Was this like the great cataclysm? Will it happen again? What can we do to protect ourselves? The Grand Pumba felt the same stirrings as the rest of the population and so sent an exploration team to investigate the explosion. A Grand Pumba funded exploration team is exceedingly rare in Pumba history. As the team advanced through the harrowing jungle they sent back letters using homing pigeons. With great anticipation did the populous wait for each letter to be publishing in the newspapers. It was a rallying point from which the Pumbas could use as they rebuild their society.

Picture 159.7

Pumbas not only gained interest in the jungle but also in the sky. The leading conjecture is that the indentation in the land to the north was caused by the Feather Star, which also cased the earthquakes, fiery rain and all the rest of that terrible event. Some thought is was the cataclysm again issuing from the earth but most were in favor of the Feather Star falling from the sky. How could that be if the sky is fixed? Pumas formed a committee to come up with a solution of how to study the sky in greater detail.

Picture 159.8

So where are we so far? The exploration team is exploring the indentation in the land now called a crater. They named the area Zero Point to mark the center of the Feather Star event. The Pumbas are rebuilding their city and on top of that becoming curious about the sky and are planning to study it. Endless Horizon Beach is slowly changing as its purpose moves from a place for displaced Pumbas into a place for grandiose ideas.

So now we should be all caught up or all least I am.

-Dan

P.s. Recap, stuff I forgot.

To get a clear idea of what Pumba society is like imagine merging Victorian industrial England with its machines and cultural idiosyncrasies, a Shackleton expedition with its hostile, unforgiving environment and dauntless individuals, and a junior high with its influence peddling and dynamic group interactions.

The Puma government is unlike any other government. There is no stratified hierarchy. Appointment or elections do not determine rank but only by the amount of influence an individual Pumba has. For instance a Pumba with lots of influence is considered an Arch Pumba. Rank is also a self-catalyst for the higher the rank the more influence that can be obtained. However it is not fixed as an individual’s influence can wax and wane over time. Influence is not homogenous, as a Pumba can be influential with some groups of individuals but not with others. Pumbas have to work to keep their influence. Also Influence is not hereditary.

The Pumba with the highest influence is the Grand Pumba. With his own Symbol of Power the position of the Grand Pumba is more stable. Although the Grand Pumba has enough influence over the whole of Pumba society it is not absolute. The Grand Pumba has to compete with everyone else in the marketplace of ideas and great works.

Influence came be obtained in an alternative way to rank and that is through committees. Anyone can form a committee to pool the influence of its members. In fact more great works are achieved this way. It does help to gain the influence of a high-ranking Pumba though. Another practice that keeps the system from collapsing is noninterference on projects that have already started. Very few Pumbas try to stop projects once they start. The competitiveness is at its more volatile in the marketing stage. How this all works is just like any other society, the overwhelming majority of its members accept its mandate. It also helps that the Pumbas are unaware of other ways to govern. Just like any form of government the Pumba system is simply an aggregator, multiplier and enabler of intrinsic individual Pumba power. It is only as good as the Pumbas wish to make it.

[mtbrocket 2]

A quick exploration team update:

The exploration team has called for assistance in exploring the crater. More Pumbas are being sent to set up a base camp. I think they have found something important.

Picture 160.1

The recap was important for things to come.

Good night.

-Dan

P.s. All right two updates in a row!

P.p.s. I have not come up with anything humorous in a while. Shame on me. I have some CJ reading to do.

[sloppet 3]

Awesome work there my firend!! Keep it up!

[mtbrocket 2]

I am going on a two-week vacation so I will leave on a cliffhanger. The exploration team has found something near the crater that no Pumba would ever imagine. These statues are not built by Pumbas!

Picture 161.1

Picture 161.2

Good night.

-Dan

[sloppet 3]

Another great pic here mtbrocket!! Hope you have a great vacation!

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

 Funny updates! Both funny, entertaining, and interesting!

Can't wait for more!

EDIT: HAHAHAHAA  I just read a lot of pages of journal (wich I haven't done before...) and this so funny! I love this journal already!!! You really have this 'dry' sense of humour, I like it very much! Keep updating dude! NOW!

[jacqulina 162]

very good updates yes entertaining and interesting

[kant01 5]

really beautiful updates there! Your terrain shots are so lovely! I really like the mod you are using. I love that shot of that crater.

Keep up the good work!

[mtbrocket 2]

Root Delta. Rats! I’m still in Root Delta. Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back in the jungle. Instead I'm here in Root Delta. 

Dear Mum,

I am writing you to tell you that your son, Merlot, has got himself a new job as a skipper on the riverboat Apple Eclipse. Now I no longer need to rely on you and dad for my welfare. You would like the company I keep, as they are a hard working, focused group. Our task is to head up river to re-supply the exploration team. I am writing this journal as I don’t know when I will get a chance to contact you and I wish to keep a personal record of my journey. I have to go, as there is a lot of work to do.

Yours truly, Merlot.

Picture 162.1

Dear Mum,

We are making our way up the river. We have received news that the exploration team has not been heard of since we left. Soon we too will be out of continuous contact with the civilized world. The darkening of the jungle around us makes my heart thump with anticipation.

Yours truly, Merlot.

Picture 162.2

Dear Mum,

We are passing the last point of civilization; the northern Watchtower. The Apple Eclipse now will enter territory where little is known. The company of men on the boat is restless for they want to know what happened to the exploration team. They pass back and forth their walking staves from hand to hand. The last news we’ve had of the exploration team is that they had found something extraordinary. Then a few pictures of strange statues. Then nothing. The rumor has it that the fearless leader, whose name is Hertz, is plotting nefarious actions.

Yours truly, Merlot.

Picture 162.3

[Adley 0]

wow, quite the cj.

Liked that rail bridge and gondola wires in the sunset thin you did.

Humorous too.

[danza3343 1]

I really like what you have done, its really funny lol with the "mosaics" and how it is an adventure of discovery ;D

My guess is a large parfine fuelled hot air ballon crashed and exploded causing the creator and destruction.

I think maybe the exploration team are treding over old footsteps and that maybe they may fall to the same fate....

Just a guess