Anduin Valley Revisited

[deathtopumpkins 43]

hmmm... maybe you would have better luck with ploppable water? I think if you left it with game water as you have it right now, your best chance at getting a good bridge would probably be to terraform some slightly raised abutments for it on each end closer to the water itself. Try that and see how it goes.

[Gayowulf 15]

I know how it is with the RL insanity... I've meant to start my own CJ for a good long time now... and it's taken me about three months just to assemble the opening post.

You're not using plop water for the stream? Good luck with that anyway... goodness knows it can be hard enough at times getting bridges over full stretches of water to cooperate.

[art128 4,622]

Wow ! John, this is superb, fantastic work for the choice of bridge !

Arthur

[Jawzz 0]

Fantastic update there John! the bridges fits very well there!

Johan

[jacqulina 162]

hiya john my friend,

im really enjoying your water and shoreline work,you are emaluating very well.beautifull work all round.its cold and rainy here.and very windy.i hope its not to harsh on your side of the pond.

i hope you have a wonderfull christmas and a great new year.

take care

jacky 

[Darmok 34]

Hi everyone

Just a small word to tell you that I've managed to play an hour or so this afternoon, here's a sample of what I've done upstream of the last bridge as seen on update 11 page 169 (for those who did not see it..) I've done the whole stream up to the border with Jeroni ploppable water, I've began the detailling process, and I think I've managed a credible transition between the ploppable water and the real one...

To see the full resolution picture 1600X1200

CLICK HERE

Bye for now

-John

P.S. Mail Call will be with update 12, hopefully next saturday.

[Gayowulf 15]

Um, yes it's a credible transition. But "credible" just seems like it's missing something... hmmmm... got it! INcredible! As always. I'm still looking at it, trying to find something wrong so I can give a "constructive criticism", but I'm drawing a blank.

[JanYpe 17]

That river is a lovely bit of nature.

[Twenty20 28]

The river's shores with flora are very nicely done and detailed. I'm really amazed, your work is perfect.

[Haljackey 17,385]

Full resolution eh? I like that

Your last update looks swell John, its very interesting to see how you placed those bridges.

All the best,

-Haljackey

[deathtopumpkins 43]

That transition looks great! And the detailing naturally too.

[art128 4,622]

splendid nature picture John

[Livin in Sim 83]

I have climbed highest mountains

I have run through the fields

Only to be with you

Only to be with you

I have run

I have crawled

I have scaled these city walls

These city walls

Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips

Felt the healing fingertips

It burned like a fire

This burning desire

I have spoke with a ton of angels

I have held the hand of a devil

It was warm in the night

I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come

When all the colors will bleed into one

Bleed into one

Well, yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds

And you loosened the chains

Carried the cross

Of all my shame

all my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

That's the larger than life masters of the alt rock anthem, Dublin, Ireland's U2, off the album, The Joshua Tree.  You're listening to KLIV FM, 94.3 on your radio dial, Anôrien's Evening Star.  We're heading into the early morning hours with temps around the minus 15 degree mark and dropping, brrr.  In late breaking news, a Malaysian man attempting to burglarize a house claims he was repeatedly stopped from leaving by a supernatural figure that shoved him to the ground.  The ghost forced him to remain in the house until he was discovered by the owners 3 days later, dehydrated and ill.  Talk about ghostbusters.. .

Hey, John, hope you finally found the right bridge.  They can be tricky with those small creeks.  I think I like the default covered bridge the best for that area; I always have been partial to it.  It would have been so great if they had made several versions with different textures.  I have Matt's bridge too, but what is up with those blue patches on both?!   The path for the stream down the mountainside looks like a natural flow, and you have achieved a nice transition from game to plop water in that teaser.

Those night beacons are quite classy looking.  Of course I'd like to see the marina in a night shot.  Yes, I love details like the worn path, so natural.

I've gotten all the ZZZ's I needed and more--I had a minor foot operation to remove a spur from my Achille's tendon, and the pain meds really do bring on the snores.  Now I will be four weeks non weight bearing on that foot, so no work.  I ventured out of the house on my crutches (with an escort) for a dressing change today and it was great to get out.  For around the house, I have a "knee walker", a four wheeled scooter with a handle and a basket, a wonderful invention worth every penny of the rental fee.  So now that I am off the pills, I imagine I will be getting in a little Sim time. 

Til Saturday, then, bye for now.

--Liv

[sobol 1]

Ooooooooh, nice look there.

I can honestly tell you John that we are getting major snow. I think we have more than 12" on the ground now if not more. So the vehicle thing will be resolved very soon I think.

I am curious to see what you do with this update.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Salut John. How are you doing? School was very stressful during the last couple of weeks, especially right before semester break. I'll have my semester finals soon, so I still don't have too much spare time, but at least I can choose when to study and when to take some time off. I enjoy it to have no fix schedule...

I hate those bridge dilemmas... I usually don't like to create bridges, because it rarely feels like they fit in. However, sometimes you're lucky . Your attempts don't look too bad though... And the river looks very nice too. I have to use ploppable water more often again, especially jeronij's transparent water looks really cool.

I'm looking forward to more.

And if I don't see you, Joyeux Noël!

- Phil

[dedgren 830]

John, I've been pounding out the STR (have you checked your email box lately, my friend) so missed a comment last week. I certainly looked, though, and was, as always, completely amazed. This week's transition is so natural- I can't wait to get back to doing that sort of stuff again.

Merry Christmas, and the very, very best to you and yours.

David

[wutscrakinyo! 0]

woah that river is lookin totally cool!

[dedgren 830]

Merry Christmas, John, from 3RR and Alaska to Anduin Valley and Quebec. My very, very best to you and yours.

David

[pagenotfound 53]

I am in love with a CJ

[dedgren 830]

Heh, how does it feel to be bookended, pagenotfound?

John, Happy New Year, my great friend. I stopped to celebrate it in AVR in your time zone (an hour before 3RR, and three before Alaska), got distracted and wandered off without leaving a post. This corrects that, and the world is steady and right once again.

My best wishes to you and yours for a great year ahead. 2009 will be a wonderful year to be a SC4 fan- Happy New Year!

David

[Darmok 34]

Tomasneto,

Sobol,

Deathtopumpkin,

Alafel,

art128,

Jawzz,

Jacky,

JanYpe,

Twenty20,

haljackey,

Liv,

Phil,

David,

wutscrakinyo!

pagenotfound.

Thanks to all of you for your comments, I really appreciate the continuing support you're still giving to ol' AVR, sorry that I can't answer you individually this time. I barely have the time to post these pics.

This is kind of an "in-between" update to keep you informed of how the river terraforming is going.

Here are several pictures, showing global and detailled views of the progress made. Remember that this is a work in progress some things may change.

So here goes....

Here you can see a global view, notice that the river bed is almost identical to the projected one...

Some details

for a full resolution click here

Now a mini-mosaic of the river bed (not finished)

For a full resolution pic click here

So again real sorry for the lack of personal responses, I hope to correct the situation in a near future, but I thought that you'd like to have pics in priority.

My best wishes to all of you for the year 2009, way it brings you health, peace and everything you are working hard to achieve!

Take care and enjoy life

-John

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Oh that's just gorgeous, John! It looks much better than I even expected, and I expected it to look great! I especially like the little swampy area, though don't care much for the Maxis water portion of the stream. The ploppable's just so much better.

[SirUnger 13]

That's amazing, such a beautiful landscape and nature! The river looks awesome!

I can't wait to see more.

[PhilsCafe 8]

No problem about the lack of personal responses, John. Great pictures though, I like that river a lot... also the detailing looks amazing, great use of the rocks for example, everything looks really pretty.

Bonne année!

- Phil

[art128 4,622]

this is just a wonderful river John !

I really like it.

Arthur.

[dfnva 34]

The transition between ploppable water and regular water looks great. Out of curiosity, Have you found a way to put bridges over ploppable water without the ploppable water textures becoming discontinuous?

-Dan

[jacqulina 162]

wow john beautifull work on the river there my friend,wonderfull scenery.excellent terraforming.wonderfull detail.

take care

happy new year

[packersfan 666]

Wow...just this page alone has put my rural work to shame. I love the nearly seemless transition between "Real" Maxis water and the ploppable water...I've done this to a rough extent in my journal, but nowhere near the care you have put into yours...

[Livin in Sim 83]

Well my temperature is rising got my feet on the floor

Crazy people rocking 'cause they want to go more

Let me in baby I don't know what you got

But you better take it easy 'cause this place is hot

And I'm so glad we made it, so glad we made it

You got to gimme some lovin', gimme gimme some lovin'

Well I feel so good, everything's going higher

You better take it easy 'cause the place is on fire

Been a hard day and I had so much to do

We made it, Baby, it happened to you

Well I feel so good, everything's going higher

You better take it easy 'cause the place is on fire

Been a hard day nothing went too good

Now we're gonna relax just like everybody should.

øøø

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

From the mountains of faith

To the river so deep

I must be lookin' for something

Something sacred I lost

But the river is wide

And it's too hard to cross

Even though I know the river is wide

I walk down every evening and stand on the shore

I try to cross to the opposite side

So I can finally find what I've been looking for

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the valley of fear

To a river so deep

I've been searching for something

Taken out of my soul

Something I'd never lose

Something somebody stole

I don't know why I go walking at night

But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore

I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life

Until I find what it is I've been looking for...

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the jungle of doubt

To the river so deep

I know I'm searching for something

Something so undefined

That it can only be seen

By the eyes of the blind

In the middle of the night

I’m not sure about a life after this

God knows I've never been a spiritual man

Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river

That is runnin' to the promised land...

...

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the desert of truth

To the river so deep

We all end in the ocean

We all start in the streams

We're all carried along

By the river of dreams

In the middle of the night.

Leading off that set with Little Stevie Winwood, just seventeen years old, singing whatever came to mind, with big brother Muff and Spencer Davis Group--then--fast forward from 1966 to the 90's and Billy Joel with the lyrical River of Dreams.  It is the middle of the night, folks, and hopefully you're not walkin' in your sleep, but even if you are, just stay tuned here with me on KLIV, Anôrien's Evening Star...I'll keep you safe...right here by the river...the river of dreams,  Speaking of dreams, mixed up dreams at that, here's a little group out of Liverpool, a song titled with Timothy Leary's campaign slogan...the campaign never got off the ground.   Wonder why?  It was a good thought...

John, nice work with the river.  You've detailed the banks using the full palette of available flora/geological formations, and I think you even used some of the Chris Adams paths(?) to trace the edge, good idea.  You've nestled it expertly into the lay of the land, too.  The only thing that might take it over the top would be a few rapids sections as it gets steeper at the beginning of the city border.  But then you said you hadn't finished yet, so who am I to be so bossy?  I really like your selection of trees for the mountainside, something I've been struggling with.  (Tree controllers, do you use mayor or God?)  The little town looks quite content in it's riverside valley.

I should've poked my head in to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, so will do so belatedly.  Hope your visit with family went well.  The heel is progressing nicely, and have been able to keep myself occupied so far.  I went on a couple of adventures with my crutches, and made it up and down a flight of 16 stairs...wooo.  Two more weeks to go.

Bye for now.

--Liv

[sobol 1]

Great update. It's looking real prime indeed.

Happy New Year John.