Three Rivers Region

[sloppet 3]

great work so far! this is a very nice CJ you've got there!

[freedo50 1]

wow cool journal, you have inspired me to start *trying* to play again

[dedgren 830]

At last, the next update.  I'm going to start on the mods I've used and am using to build the Three Rivers Region ("3RR").

First, as always though, the mail.

jacqulina:  Thanks for stopping by again.  I look forward to creating an equine-friendly environment in 3RR's cities.

pickled pig:  Thanks for the encouragement and kind words.  I would very much want 3RR to "go somewhere," too, and hope that it lets me share some of what I think I've learned playing SC over the years.  That said, do you really want to know what the green stuff is in the rivers?  You aren't with the ST EPA, are you?  I didn't dump anything in there I shouldn't have, honest.  Must be runoff from all those BSC, CSX and other great farms we've seen come along since spring of '05.

Kidding aside, the answer's about three updates away if you want to wait for me to get around to it.  Or you could find a copy of a file jeronij uploaded with a post to the "Make Your Favorite Tree a Plopable" Forum thread

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=42&threadid=61052

called "WaterFlora-V1modijer."  Since the Forums moved, all the old links are broken (and I can't find it anyway) but I'll try to attach my copy of the file to this update (EDIT - apparently you can't upload files to the Forums right now.  I'll get back to you).  It puts a bunch of surface and underwater plants in your mayor mode (to include lily pads as big as cars- yikes!).  Green stuff in your water is just a plop-plop-plop away.

[jeronij- if you are out there and have any heartburn with me passing along files you've uploaded, let me know.  I'm new at this and learning the rules as I go along.]

fabiocb:  Welcome and thanks.  I really enjoy your CJ Sinop - Homeland of Waters. 

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=69212&enterthread=y

Consider yourself an honorary (and honored) resident here.  Oh, hey...whatcha do to your eye, man?  Does it hurt?

xmenkool:  I'm glad doublekiller worked out for you.  And no, I don't want to buy any extra of jeronij's yellow fences.  I've got four or five around here myself...

PhilsCafe, Fallon144 and Kwakelar:  Thanks again for the feedback.

mayormommy:  I appreciate you bearing with me- I just got really (really, really) focused on sorting things out.

Hey, sloppet, thanks for the encouragement.  Now I think I know what happened to fabiocb's eye...

fredo50:  That was a cool thing to say.  I'll try to live up to it.

On to mods... 

EDIT:  (8/17/06)  Moved pic to ImageShack.

[xmenkool 0]

wow thats alot of roads.. I was just woundering how long did it take you to plant all thosse water pads ect...
It just looks like a very duhanting task to complete

[S70 0]

I'm totally enjoying your CJ, dedgren. I really like hearing about your style of play, in addition to the great pics. Your description of your plug-in folder is very interesting, I'll be referring to it again as I explore the STEX and try to keep track of everything. Great job. It's funny you mention Alaska. I've only been into the NWT of Canada and haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting Alaska, but the Wind River pics you've shown remind me of northern scenery. "#8 - North shoreline" is beautiful.

And don't let any thread rating bother you, please! I figure of people that like to vote, some will always vote the highest number, some will always vote the lowest number, and some will always vote the mid-range numbers. I think it's so difficult to get a benchmark from which to compare a personal opinion that there are very few people that use any sort of objective criteria. I know I can't, and who am I to say one person's work is better than another, anyway? That's why I'm one of those "always votes the top number" voters.

Keep it up, can't wait to see more!

[tchaos713 5]

This is quite good (and informative). I like hearing from a long-time SimCity fanatic.

I also tried Doublekiller and it found only about 21MB of orphan files in my Plug-ins, but I did find that someone over at BSC has been attaching Maxis textures to their lots. Someday I'll get around to reinstalling ever single plug-in with a system similar to yours (maybe when I'm off for the summer).

Anyway, I look forward to more updates of your cities.

One other thing, if jeronij has provided the files on the STEX, then it's better to point your link there.

p.s. Where in Alaska?

[PhilsCafe 8]

Now I can see the pictures. Fantastic work there. I especially like the natural look of the landscape. Great use of ploppable water and Goldiva stuff. Beautiful pictures. Absoultely nothing to complain about, except maybe of one detail: Maybe you could turn off the U-Drive-it indicators (the blue icons above trains, police cars, etc.) next time when taking the screenshots and also the user interface (if not needed).

Otherwise great work . Keep it up.

- Phil

[dedgren 830]

The mail (cont'd)...

xmencool:  I'll be writing, at some point, about the unrealistically (but almost certainly "game-functionality" necessary) hign number of roads and highways needed to develop an area in accordance with the expectations of the SC4 simulation engine.

As far as planting stuff in the water, I usually spend about half a day or so (a few hour long sessions) doing pre-development terraforming, including tree planting and shoreline tweaking.  There's an update planned about that, too.

shizu00:  Good luck with your plugin folder.  My vision likely isn't perfect, be any means- it's having a plan and sticking to it that counts, plugins-wise.

We'll plan to see you in Alaska someday.  I'll admit the "north country" lake/river shorescapes are a source of inspiration for my SC4 city-building efforts.  If you liked the "North Shoreline" pic, there's more to come.

I noticed the sample size on 3RR's "star rating" was up to 13 or 14 folks now.  That makes me feel better, as one "5" or one "0" rating won't make, in the overall scheme of things, a big difference.  If the ST powers-that-be are going to implement rating systems (which I wish they wouldn't, but that's just my opinion), they should be implemented in such a way as to 1) prevent abuse and 2) promote accuracy.  I personally don't care what, at any particular time, number of stars my CJ has as long as I am somehow getting the feedback that allows me to continue to make it worth reading.

tchaos713:  Thanks for the encouragement.  You know, that's 21 meg of stuff the game engine doesn't have to trudge through on start-up, or as it updates the simulation during play.  Heck, we used to struggle to reduce uneccessary ounces of extra weight during my long-distance bike touring days.

I wish there was, with reference to the jeronij file, a clearly stated and readily accessible ST policy on such things.  I just posted an image of my downloads file on a thread concerning "ST Upgrade Casualties" on the STEX

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=42&threadid=74926#730471

If I have a file that the author has sent off into the public domain here on ST without any expectation of compensation other than receiving proper recognition as the author I would think it entirely appropriate that I would furnish a copy of the file to anyone else who would need it (the file, of course, should remain unmodified by me and should be passed along without any consideration being given, of course).  I would not do this to circumvent the STEX, but if the STEX is not available...

...anyway, I don't want to offend anyone or break any rules (written or unwritten- this is, after all, a community).  This issue should be taken up by those who deal with such things, and I'm perfectly happy to live with whatever they determine.

I live in a rural area not too far from Wasilla, Alaska.  Wasilla is a bedroom community about 40 miles north-northeast of Anchorage (which is, as far as I'm concerned, Des Moines, Iowa with mountains and a shoreline)(no offense intended, Des Moinesians- I grew up in the midwest and it's just my opinion that small cities like Anchorage and Des Moines...and Peoria and Fort Wayne, for that matter, are pretty much generic and interchangeable).

PhilsCafe:  Phil, thanks.  Now I'm going to admit something that is going to probably discredit everything I say from this point on.  I didn't know the darn things could be turned off.  I'll get right on it.

---------------------------------------

Mods used in 3RR

n.b:  The mods are now, as of 8-31-06, hotlinked by clicking on the mod name to where they can be downloaded from through Daeley along with a few others.  I've also corrected errors in the first list and have begun to add other mods I overlooked or have added since the post was made.  The date of the file, if available, is also provided after the mod name.  This hotlinking effort will be a work in progress over the next few days.  I've also added several new paragraphs of text immediately following down through "to be continued."

The term "mod" (or, alternatively, as it frequently appears on ST, "modd") has a very, very loose meaning as far as I'm concerned.  I consider most anything that is not a BATted or lotted structure of some sort that changes or adds to the "vanilla" game behavior to be a mod- this thus includes, for example, such things as cycledogg's ploppable trees and jeronij's cul-de-sacs.  ST adds to the confusion by putting some things that are clearly mods in the STEX, such as thorvin's asphalt highway textures mod.  So okay, none of us are purists here...

And mods, whatever they are technically, are a wonderful thing.  They provide any SC4 player with the ability to create "outside the box."

...limitations?  we don't need no stinkin' limitations...

As many have pointed out in posts around the forums, generally in response to the plea

I bought SC4 Deluxe yesterday- what mods should I use?quote>

ones choice of mods is not a cut-and-dried affair.  I may use mods in 3RR that another player has absolutely no use for.  Other mods out there may be really nifty, but don't add anything I want here, so I pass them by.  It's important, along this line, to remember that every addition you make to the "My Documents" SC4 plugins folder adds additional baggage that the game's engine has to deal with.  It's one thing to trade slower startup times, decreased game speed and rendering, and the (slight, in my experience) increased possibility of the dread random  "crash to desktop" for 37 or so additional features one feels to be essential.  Its quite another to make the same sort of trade when you have 104 mods in your plugins folder and don't use 67 of them.  So, pick the mods you know you will use and leave the rest to someone else.  Oh, and carefully organize that plugins folder- you will reduce load on the game engine and your chance of crashing.  I've made some suggestions as to how you might do this here.

Organizing the Plugins Folder [ linkie ]

So, back to the question, how do you decide which mods to use?  I suggest the following-

1.  Download and install the Network Add-on Mod (the "NAM").  This, IMHO, is the one "essential" SC4 mod.  If you don't use it, terrible things happen- your significant other will leave you, your dog will ignore you, the car will get repossessed, you'll get fungus under your toenails...  Far worse than any of those things, though, is that the game will just quickly become boring.  Transit networks and their functioning make up the life blood of SC4- otherwise, you just have a static collection of buildings on some terrain.  Using the NAM is like entering another dimension.  I'm still, several years after I first installed it, finding new functionality that it adds.  There's a great NAM thread at

NAM General Discussion Thread [ linkie ]

...to be continued...

I tried to make a list, by author, of all the mods in my plugins file and came up with this:

Andreas Roth/SFBT
   GLR Tram Mod 9/17/05 (self explanatory)
   Mayor Mode Trees 3/2/05 (adds additional mayor mode trees)
   City Hall Fix 8/8/05 (I dunno, but if Andreas thinks City Hall needs to be fixed...)

ardecila
   Forested Streets Mod 12/29/04 (self-explanatory)

ArkenbergeJoe
   Trees Mod 7/15/05 (self-explanatory)

bigredfish
   Tunnel and Slope Mod ("flattens" transport network grades)

bones1
   Less Pedriana Farms 4/30/06 (reduces game "stage 3" farm demand, thus the number of Pedriana Farms that get built)
   Less Abandonment 4/27/06 (reduces development demand in marginal areas, thus leading to less abandonment)
   Industry Doubler 7/10/06 (increases demand for industry along with other industry-related aspects over game default)

[n.b.- these are great examples of mods that are carefully thought through, like using an Exacto knife instead of a meat-axe to address the issue]

brtim2
   Surface Water - Edmonton 6/3/06 (a ploppable texture for creating surface water)

buggi
   Low Crime Mod 2/4/06 (self explanatory)

buster
   Subtle Zebra Crossing Mod 7/26/05 (adds more subtle "zebra" crossing stripes to road intersections)

cogeo
   Road Top Mass Transit 5/1/06 (puts various transit stops on streets, roads and avenues

cycledogg
   "Columbus" Mod (you'll never go back after you use it)

Daeley
   BSC Budget Tool 12/28/04 (not really a mod, but essential)
   BSC Daeley Regional Tracking Mod 1/26/06 (makes regional information available during gameplay)

Goldiva
   Mayor Tropical Tree Set 7/25/05 (adds additional mayor mode trees)
   Mayor Tropical Sea Set 7/25/05 (adds additional mayor mode shoreline stuff, to include Goldiva's rocks, which are essential)

jeronij
   Cycledogg's Columbus Terrain Snowcapped Mod 910/5/05 (puts snow in the highest mountains when Columbus terrain is used)
   DuskTrooper Trees One Plopable 4/19/06 (adds great new mayor mode trees created by DuskTrooper 
   Diagonal Dirty Streets Mod Extended 9/1/05 (a must for the rural player)
   Plopable Maxis Props 8/15/05 (adds additional mayor mode trees and rocks)
   Maxis Bushes (adds mayor mode bushes)

Joerg
   Bridge Height Mod 12/9/03 (allows 'flat' bridges)

morifari
   Zebra Crossing Mod 3/2/05 (well, what do you think it does?)

Pegasus
   Alternate Railway Mod (narrows dirt strip along tracks)
   Cop Car Mod (adds PEG cop cars)
   God Mode Pine Tree Mod (alters god mode brush to use PEG pines and other enhancements)
   Mayor Mode Pine Tree Mod (adds PEG pines to mayor mode menu)
   Rock Mod - Mossy Granite (changes game "chiseled mud" rock textures to beautiful PEG "chiseled mud" granite rock texture)
   Water Mod - Brigantine (realistic [n.b.- incredibly realistic] water surface texture)
   One Flag- Many Nations Mod (needed for various lots and BATs with flags)
   Red Brick Facelift Mod (makes red brick textures uniform with various PEG creations)

[n.b.- If PEG thinks you need some mod or another, you probably do]

Ralphaelninja
   Abandonment and Dilapidation Mod (tweaks to these issues)

redlotus
   News Filter (reduces clutter on news ticker)

slightlyslack
   Radius Doubler 9/22/05 (extends coverage area of civic facilities)

smoncrie
   Hole Digging Lots 7/14/04 (not really a mod, but hey...)
   Under Water Neighbor Connector 9/16/06 (Allows you to get trash off your islands)

[n.b.- as I've noted before, smoncrie has uploaded only one thing to the STEX (that's one more than me, btb), but  As for the hole digging lots- what an upload  It.  Is.  Essential.  UPDATE: (11-7-06)  Well, now smoncrie has two STEX uploads- movin' right alnog, I'd say.  Each is brilliant- I wonder what he will do for us in 2008?  Oh, and I now have stuff on the STEX as well.]

teirusu
   Extra Terrain Tools (adds god mode toolbar item - includes "Rain" Mod)
   New Mayor Trees (adds additional mayor mode trees)

TheJerseyDevil73
   Edmonton Transportation Map Mod (better display of transportation networks in region view)

The NAM Team
   Network Add-on Mod October 2005  (self explanatory)

thorvin
   Asphalt Highway Textures Mod ("asphalt" color on highways)

Timotheus
   "Edmonton" Water Color Mod (colors "game" water dark blue)

toroca
   Game Coding Errors Fix 10/21/03 (see Andreas's City Hall Fix, above)
   Opera House Fix 3/31/04 (converts opera house to video arcade [just checking to see if you're paying attention] acctually fixes game coding error with respect to opera house)
   Services Doubler 9/14/05 (see Industry Doubler, above- does the same for services)
   Toll Booth Boost 10/21/03 (increases toll revenue)
   Maxis Functional Landmarks Mod 3/16/2004 (makes Maxis landmarks...

...wait for it...

...functional)

Tropod
   Graph Mod 11/23/03 (graph enhancements)

uroncha
   Avenue Zebra Crossing Mod 12/13/05 (extends "zebra" crossing mod to avenues)

EDITS:
   (8/19/06)  Moved pic to ImageShack
   (8/30/06)  Began hotlinking, major additions to text, began correcting errors and adding  new and missd mods)
   (10/8/06)  Continue hotlinking, correcting errors and adding  new and missed mods)
   (11/7/06)  Continue continuing hotlinking, correcting errors and adding  new and missed mods)

[tlannister 1]

I absolutley love your landscaping.  This ishaping into a very beuatifully designed city and i can't wait to see more.

[bat 6]

Nice region

bat

[Darmok 34]

Hi David
I'm commenting while browsing your CJ.
Things I really like so far:
First pic, that train station setup..very credible
That (very) small shed behind the Newman Warehouse near the intersection. GREAT detail!
And to put that warehouse in a farming sector is just a as great, land is cheaper there than in the suburbs!
The use of dirt roads
The bridge pictures with all those rocks and water flora, GRAND!
SECOND UPDATE
Damn you! Seeing how you organized your plugin folder, gave me new ideas...
Now I'll have to redo it AGAIN
Well at least it'll be a good thing in the end.
Third
Those "virgin" nature shots, are simply beatiful.
The scenery is simply breathtaking, that is a superb map!
And about the sandbox way of playing, IMHO it's the best way of all.
After all, we're often forgetting that this is a GAME.
I know I do the same, and I kind of see SC4 like a LEGO set now.
Fourth update
Second pic, that bridge where you have to climb DOWN to it, reminds me of one we have near my hometown, it's very well done AND scenic.
My only gripes (and I apologize, cause it's more of a personnal preference)
would be the sometimes too similar sizes and "squareness" of some farms.
Great use of the ploppable water! I never had the hang of it, tried it but never came to a result I liked.
Especially the #7 pic "Rail embankment", simply BEAUTIFUL!
Again those rocky brook pics! SUPERB
I don't understand why you had problems with Firefox, your updates are showing correctly on my PC. (and Macintosh for that matter).
I do all my updates now in Firefox since the New Simtrop.
And they look OK (I sure hope so!)

So anyhaow, I'm really glad you commented in AVR, this way I discoverd Three Rivers, and don't mind if I "borrow" some ideas once in a while!

Can't wait for more
Take care!

[dedgren 830]

Well, ST is down again as this is written.  Sure wish I knew what I could do to help, but I'm sure Dirk and the admins have it under control.

 

I've started numbering the updates based on a comment left by Darmok of https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=59816&enterthread=y fame.  He referred in the comment to "first update," "second update" and the like.  I had one of those "palm-slaps-forehead" moments realizing that, if anyone wanted to refer to anything in particular that was posted a while ago once this CJ is 271 pages long, I'd better number my updates (this is especially timely noting that, when the ST5.0 Forums replaced the previous ones, the page numbers do not correspond).  So, thanks, Darmok, for saving me from disorganized hell at some point.  I'll address the rest of your comment in the next update when I do the mail.

 

This update will once again take a brief detour based on a comment made by PhilsCafe a bit ago.  Phil said

Absolutely nothing to complain about, except maybe of one detail: Maybe you could turn off the U-Drive-it indicators (the blue icons above trains, police cars, etc.) next time when taking the screenshots and also the user interface (if not needed).quote>

Hey, I ask for constructive advice, I get constructive advice.  I admitted in my last update (the last one that wasn't numbered) not having any idea how to turn the U Drive It stuff off.  I've never (stack of bibles never) touched the "My Sims" button and had no idea what it did.

Well, no more.  I've done research!  What follows is a brief tutorial on turning off the U Drive It indicators, as well as how to minimize your SC4 taskbar and panel (the "user interface" to which Phil refers).  I do this because I assume nothing.  If I just tell you that I turned them off or minimized the interface, there will be someone who, just like me, will have utterly no idea how it was done.

How to Turn Off the U Drive It Indicators

First, click on the "My Sims" button.

Next, click on the "U Drive It" button.

Finally, click on the "Mission Indicators On/Off" button.

That's it- they're gone.

How to Minimize the SC4 Toolbars and Control Panel

First, click on the little box in the bottom left corner of the screen.

 

That's it.  You're done.

So what can you do without the user interface (I like Paul's terminology better than the official name)?

Now, you are about to truly benefit from my (some would say anality, but who cares) research.  While I was undertaking it, I found the little book

you lost a few days after you bought and installed Rush Hour on your computer.

The back page

has all sorts of key combinations on it that let you make SC4 do about anything you can do with the user interface up.

UPDATE:  (8/19/06)  Here's a linkie to a post by johndg240 in MrCinatit's indispensible thread A Guide To Creating A City Journal that lays out all the keyboard shortcuts in an easily readable table.  The link opens in a new window.  Thanks, John, for doing this!

SC4 Keyboard Shortcuts

Like take pictures.  Simply press the [ CONTROL ][ SHIFT ]and [ S ] keys (yes, at the same time), and it's just like clicking on the little camera toolbar icon.  That's how you can get pictures without the user interface cluttering it up.

This is such a great find, as far as I'm concerned, that I'll spend the rest of this update posting some Pineshore eye-candy.  Here we go.

#1 - Channel Island.

#2 - Channel Island.

#3 - Channel Island.

#4 - Confluence of Grand River and Cold River.

#5 - East Pineshore.

#6 - East Pineshore.

#7 - High Point.

#8 - Industrial and Rural Development south of East Pineshore.

#9 - Industrial and Rural Development south of East Pineshore.

#10 - North Shore of Blaylock Island.

#11 - North Shore of Blaylock Island.

#12 - Oceanside Resort.

#13 - Pineshore Industrial Area.

#14 - Rural Scene.

#15 - Rural Scene.

#16 - Rural Scene.

#17 - Tower on East Long Mountain.

#18 - West Channel Ferry Crossing.

#19 - West End.

#20 - West End.

#21 - West End.

That's it for now.  Back to the mods in the next update, which is coming shortly.

EDIT:  (8/19/06)  Moved pics to ImageShack and added linkie to keyboard shorts table.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Hey David.

Amazing mod 'collection' there. That's actually the most useful mod list I've seen in a CJ so far. Great effort.

Now to update 7:

I think that small tutorial is very helpful for some people. I've seen a couple of people that seemed not to know that.

And the pictures look great. I love the eye-candy shots of the island and the shore. It's amazing how well the highway blends in with the landscape. Beautiful work.

And you convinced me of numbering my updates too...

- Phil

[Larsz 7]

Great CJ! Eye candy is great, but I really like the way you share your simming adventures Great tips about file organization as well.

[screamomatic 14]

I don't post often, but you were nice enough to do it for me... Nice Cj, I think might "borrow" some ideas from you

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Brilliantly done, dedgren. The city looks wonderful - it's got a small-town charm while having some elements of a large city. Keep it up.

[jacqulina 162]

you are doing some awesome things in your cj i love it

[rw0381c 2]

Great CJ. It is very well thought out, and I simply love how you're just putting everything out there for people to see.

I can't recount the amount of CJs that I love who have even bothered to list a few mods they use, yet you dedicated an entire post to that effect. I'll be downloading some of those mods soon!

Keep up the great work, and I'll be anxiously awaiting your next post.

[pickled_pig 7]

Wow.  Such cool looking agricultural areas; now I want to go on the STEX and make some farming areas.  I always thought the SC4 farms were too repetitive and simplistic.

On the other hand, I just can't stand the pics that have the agriculture right next to the downtown.  It just does not look right

[Darmok 34]

Hi David,
I won't comment on each pic this time.
Well OK I'll comment on one in particular
The #5 East Pineshore
It's a tad strange to see a church in such a unusual setup... BUT not in a bad way mind you! I like that! It reminds me of a scene in the movie "Three marriage and a funeral" where the funeral of one of the friends is done in a church situated in a quasi industrial zone.... Funny to find a similar setup in your CJ.
Now back to topic
I must say that I'm really impressed by the quality of your pics.
Each and everyone looks like they were carefully crafted.
You certainly put a lot of effort and time in your city and it shows.
I also like the Radio station, with the two big antennas nearby... good detail!
All in all, again a great update.
Can't wait for more

Take care

[Ron Swanson 1]

Hmm, a nice region which, as you've said yourself, has a lot of things from the stex to make it a unique region.Nice job...

[capitol1 1]

i love all the tree combinations their beatiful mixtures.. and i like the rail embankment my embankments are all half done because it takes me like twenty minutes to do something like a small road slope or something..
Great job

[dedgren 830]

Hey- it's the weekend (at least here in Alaska where most still adhere to the dominant Euro-American paradigm).  Call it what you want, it's time for an...UPDATE.

Well, this CJ started seven days ago- but this creator (no offense intended to the other, "Whatever you perceive him to be - hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin") doesn't intend to rest even a minute.

btw, pickled_pig, what were you doing up at zero-dark-fifty-nine in the morning, eh? 

Back raiding the fridge again?

Forty-Eight great posts in only a week, and some were even written by other folks than me...just kidding.  I watched the movie Splash last night after last having seen it in, oh, about 1985- John Candy is one of my all-time favorite comedy riffers- he's sadly missed in this corner.  So, OK...OK...I'll behave ("oh, behave") from this point.  More or less...

Maybe...

Anyway...

Can't get started without doing the mail.  So many great...wait a minute, I did that one.  Ahem, a significant number of esteemed Simtropians have seen fit to grace 3RR with generally upbeat and supportive musings formed after reviewing the content I have posted.  Better?

I thought not...

Anyway...

tlanister: Landscaping, as you will be seeing, is a huge part of the enjoyment of SC4 for me.  I note, in that regard, my ongoing thanks to cycledogg, who in one fell swoop in his "Columbus" set of mods addressed so many of the vanilla game's deficiencies and smoncrie for giving us the ability to dig proper holes (another great fun movie, but that's for somewhere else).

bat, thanks for flying by.  Your nic makes me wonder why there do not appear to be any cave-entrance BATs on the STEX.  'Course, once we got one, it'd have to be transit-enabled and...

Anyway...

Darmok:

[ n.b.- Shameless Promotion Time.  So many folks have great CJs and are too modest (or don't know how, but that's not Darmok's situation, I'm sure - I'll do a tutorial at some point) to refer to it in their sig.  I'm going to start, as I answer the comments of those who have CJs, to place a link after the commenters name so that you, my dear reader, can easily go and see what people who take the time to post on 3RR are doing themselves.  Way too many of us have our lights under the bushel that is page 5, or 8 or whatever of the CJ index page. I plan to do what I can to let other folks great efforts shine for all to see. ]

Again...Darmok: (Anduin Valley Revisited) What can I say in response to such kind words?  Thanks so much for taking the time to write out and post such a comprehensive review of 3RR to that point.  I'll address a few things you said here, but you can be sure I took everything to heart.

...That small shed behind the Newman Warehouse...quote>

That shed is one of mrbisonm's great small country-style utilites he posted on the STEX at the end of 2003. There are two sets called, appropriately:

Nexis Mini Utilities Set One, available at https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=1847,

and

Nexis Mini Utilities Set Two, available at https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=1850

The shed is in set two, and it is a power generating lot called Village Battery.

Once you put it in your plugins folder, you'll find the shed in the "Electric" submenu of the "Utilities" menu on the mayor taskbar.

The stats, as you can see, are on the menu.  It can power a nice-sized isolated area, such as here on Blaylock Island, in Pineshore.  The Village Battery is in the green diamond. 

There is nothing else providing power on the island, which is isolated from the rest of the city's grid.

The Village Battery comes with another advantage.  It provides a few jobs.

Well, quite a few here.  Wonder what all those folks are doing in there?  Usually it's like 10-20.

I use the Village Battery as I start out isolated areas in a city, as I only use these

fairly sparingly.  High-tension lines are a fairly common aspect of the landscape in the midwest of the U.S, where I grew up.  That said, you rarely see them in an urbanized area.  There is also, as far as I'm concerned, an annoying quirk in the game code- you can't preserve them over zoned land.  That means you have to carefully zone your farms, for example, around the power line route, as they (the lines) 

are otherwise erased by the zones as you lay them down.  The drawback to this approach is that the realism of having the field in question extend under the lines is lost.  Ahhh, the old SC4 art of compromise (hey, compromise, you out there anywhere?).

So here are a few shots of how I've used the Village Battery in 3RR.  I've used the same green diamond to locate it for you in the pic.

In Wind River, it powers the tower on the top of Long Mountain.

A closer shot.

In Pineshore, it also powers towers and a water structure, this time on the eastern side of Long Mountain.

As was noted, it powered the Newman Inc. Warehouse (thanks, citynut, for all the great Newman Inc. stuff- you'll get an update all to yourself some day).  It dates, in that case, from when the warehouse was the central shipping point for the farms along the east side of Grand River, and before East Pineshore grew out to place it, today, at the edge of the city limits.

Same can be said for the water pump and Newman Inc. Water Plant in the far northeast corner of Pineshore Township (I'll explain about townships at some point).

The pump was there first, along with the Village Battery.  There was no development for miles until the farms started moving in.  The northeast corner is still pretty much rural in character in a township with a total poulation of about 190,000.

UPDATE 7/18/06 - n.b:  Since this post was written, Fred (mrbisonm) has posted an updated version of the village battery here

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=16139

He explains

Asked for upload by Darmok. Nothing much, but maybe usable for some of you. I use it all the time in my CJ, it hides well and works very well. This is a 1x1 Powerlot that produces 4 times the amount of power as a windmill at about the half the cost of maintenance and plop. It does not need any roadconnection, therefore it can be used on top of mountains, in far away places, near rivers, in plein forests, small villages or wherever some power is needed without having a big power lot to plop.
I once had the original Nexis Village Battery lot on this site, but somehow it got lost I think .

Simple, effective and useful, nothing more. No dependencies of course. Make good use of it.quote>

No SC4 plugins file should be without this great lot.

So Darmok, where were we?  Dirt roads?  More about dirt roads to come.  As far as rocks and water flora, I am beginning to gather that this aspect of 3RR is a large part of its appeal to those who've commented.  A short time spent landscaping SC4 shorelines can make such a difference.  More about that later, too.

Thanks for remarks about "virgin" nature shots and scenery.  I lived during my last stint as a land use planner in St. Lawrence County in upstate New York.  SLC is the huge pie-wedge shaped county at the very top of the state along...

...you guessed it...

...the St. Lawrence River and Seaway.  It's the largest county east of the Mississippi and one of the largets in the country (there are some monsters in a few western states).    Despite its size, the county only had about 40 folks on average living per square mile of area.  By comparison, the entire state of New York has about 150 people per square mile.  Open space and associated values are very important to me.  I'd BAT conservation easement lots if I could BAT.

...Driving down to a bridge...quote>

. 

Oh, don't get me started.  Rivers, in my experience, tend to flow in valleys, a fact apparently not understood clearly by the folks at Maxis.  Joerg's Bridge Height Mod, which I can't find on the STEX to show a link to

UPDATE (7/18/06) which can be found on the STEX here

https://www.simtropolis.com/modding/index.cfm?p=details&id=314

is absolutely essential for realistic city designing.  More about this issue later.

...size and squareness of farms...quote>

. 

Hey, I grew up in the midwest.  Farms align to the township and range line system that dates back to the early 1800s when the land was settled.  So the squareness doesn't bother me.  I'll deal with size and other farm issues in a future update.

Ploppable water and embankments will also get their own updates at some point.

By the time I finished up your post, Darmok, you'd posted again, you rascal, you.  Oh well, this is getting posted now, and I'll return to the mail after a RL interlude later today or early tomorrow.

EDIT:
      (7/18/06)  Added link and information concerning mrbisonm's updated Village Battery lot and link to location of joerg's Bridge Height Mod.
      (8/19/06)  Moved pics to ImageShack.

[choco1 4]

Wow, this is really fantastic! You are really good! I can't believe I missed this.

The detail you have here is spectacular! The environment is superb, and I think it has really beautiful styles and additions. You do the Columbia mod justice!

I will go back over this CJ and read it closely, because this is really interesting.

You have such great building style, you're going to be the next big thing.

[metasmurf 705]

Looks good

[Fabiocb 1]

awesome update, some pics looks alive and the level of detail is really nice.

[dedgren 830]

Sometime this morning 3RR will fit 1,000 views thanks to your stopping by to visit.  Thanks so much.  Let's get through the rest of the mail.

PhilsCafe (https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=58638) Phil:  Thanks for the comments about the mods list.  My plan was to put a link to each one, so that folks could download what they read about readily.  ST5.0 doesn't have that function "available yet," so that will have to be a task for a day down the road.

...I think that small tutorial is very helpful for some people. I've seen a couple of people that seemed not to know that. ...quote>

I guess the style I'm presenting this CJ in will include, as the issues come up, mini-tutorials.  Or not.  I could post them over at the https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/index.cfm?FTVAR_SUBCAT=137&nocookies=y&subcatname=SimCity%204%20Omnibus, where there's a specific place for tutorials, and simply provide a link (i.e.: "If you don't know how..." or "if you want to see how to...").  I dunno.  Do folks find them distracting as an integrsal part of 3RR, or should I keep them here?  Readers, let me know.

Islands...I love islands.  The whole concept.  If my life had gone differently I woulda owned two or the.  I have to just settle for modeling them in SC4 (which ain't too bad a deal- real ones are hard to get to, generally hard to build on, present sewage and other waste disposal issues, and so on).

It's amazing how well the highway blends in with the landscapequote>

Highways either do (the "Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier Park, Montana, the Natchez Trace in the U.S. southeast, Interstate 70 through Loveland Canyon in Colorado) or they don't (the unlamented Embarcardero Freeway in San Francisco, California, the Cross-Bronx Expressway in New York City, and countless others).  Mine, if possible, will- whatever city they appear in.  I think roads and freeways are both essential and, if properly planned, generally a good thing.  But don't get me started.

Numbering updates is a good thing, too.  It makes them so...sequential...the whole "order from chaos" thing, and all that stuff.  Yeah.

Larsz:  Thanks for stopping by and for the nice words.  I'll take what you said about "simming adventures" as a vote for the current approach of 3RR.  I'm also accumulating some thoughts for a further discussion of file organization at some point.  My post actually made me go back and tinker with some things...

screamomatic (https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=74886&enterthread=y) Jasen:  I've been back to your CJ and really enjoyed the pics posted on Friday of the past week.  The third one down is like a postcard of a sleepy neighborhood awakening to a sunny day.  RL doesn't get any better...

I think might "borrow" some ideas from you quote>

Borrow away!  I couln't think of a better compliment.

Shadow_Assassin (https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=69717&enterthread=y) Shadow:  Those are some really encouraging words, coming from you.  The "small town charm" thing is a function both of what I like and because Pineshore and Wind River townships are only partially developed even in the areas where stuff is.  Part of what I will be doing in this CJ is to go back in and eliminate duplicate growable buildings right next to eachother (sometimes three or four- an annoying "game" issue), addings signs and other fine detail, and other cityscape stuff.  The townships look low density in their current state because, well, they pretty much are.  More about this later.  I'll be posting some maps that will help as well.

I'm working on a post for your CJ that addresses your approach to highways and, in particular, the issue of curves.  I think, since you've raised the issue of what is "brilliant," that "the interchange" is brilliant thinking outside of the box.  We have to figure out how to further transcend SC4's limitations.  This forum is a place for that to happen.

Jacqulina:  I'll just post a link to your CJ posts of a year ago on terraforming experiments, as it would seem you didn't intend for it to be a full-fledged journal.  It's very interesting, though, and I'll go back for some good ideas I see there

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=61762&enterthread=y

I sure appreciate seeing the horses every few days.  It's like getting a visit from friend each time.

All for now, RL is calling...

EDIT:  (8/19/06)  Moved pics to ImageShack.

[Darmok 34]

Hi David,
Well, first I must say that you broke the record for the longest answer that ever been adressed to me!
That tutorial on mrbisonm "Village battery" was really appreciated.
I've never noticed that LOT before, and rest assure that I'll download it very soon!
This lot is really a small jewel!
And I agree with you about it being a good lot to use in isolated areas.
Not only is it unobtrusive, but it blends right in with the surrounding buildings.
And about the St-Lawrence River, I grew up on its shore, really up north though!
Where I lived when I was a kid, the river was, and still is , about 60 miles wide! (ahh...memories!!)

Well, enough on memoriy lane, I really appreciate your work! And don't worry about my not appreciating the farms squareness, only a personnal preference!
Coun't me in for the rest of the ride!
Take care!
PS. I noticed the name "Blaylock Island" does it have any link to Jolene Blalock?

[dedgren 830]

Spring in Alaska today...nobody told whoever sent the six inches of new snow last night.

3RR passed 1,000 views yesterday on its one week anniversary- THANKS, EVERYONE!

I will finish the mail through now in this update.

rw0381c:

There's got to be a story behind that nic.  Or maybe you work for the National Security Administration.

As I had noted in the last continuation of this update to Phil(PhilsCafe), I had originally planned to put a link to each mod listed in the post.  I plan to go back when that section of ST is up and do this.  I also noticed I missed a few mods that I use, so I'll be posting those as well.  I hope that happens soon enough to help you find what you are looking for.

You don't need to be anxious, 3RR is here for the long haul.  I plan, once I get into the townships and cities themselves, to do one or two updates each week about them and the issues they raise and, if needed, an additional update to respond to comments.  Thanks for your support!

pickled_pig (https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=70970&enterthread=y):

You're back, and thanks for the "wow."  SC4 rural development has been an entity unto itself after the release of the great farming EPs just about a year ago.  If you want great farms to develop, download everything associated with farming since March of 2005 uploaded to the STEX by barbyw, JMyers, SimGoober, and Vlakhaas.  Pay close attention to the readmes.  Some older BATs and lots in your plugins may need to be removed.  The various farms also work together, if used in a city, to create rewards, so it is important to make sure the downloading from the STEX is thorough.

Vlakhaas started a Forum topic on the BSC Farming EP here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=109&threadid=61033&highlight_key=y&keyword1=farm

He's also started an BSC Farming EP "announcements" topic here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=109&threadid=61032&highlight_key=y&keyword1=farm

and a "wishlist" here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=109&threadid=61034&highlight_key=y&keyword1=farm

SimGoober started a "preview" topic for the BSC Farming EP here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=109&threadid=60711&highlight_key=y&keyword1=farm

I don't mean to gratuitously criticize Maxis, but the vanilla SC4 farms are repetitive and simplistic.

On the other hand, I just can't stand the pics that have the agriculture right next to the downtown.  It just does not look rightquote>

You are right, at least USA-wise.  In the 60s, when I was living in the western Chicago 'burbs (Downers Grove and Naperville) growth was happening so fast that many housing subdivisions and lower density "clean" industrial park development had farm fields on one or more sides.  Right up against the downtown, though, doesn't happen in the 'States, as far as I know.  I use agricultural lots in my cities as place - and space-holders.  I shouldn't, though, get so sloppy as to allow downtown development march all the way out to nearby fields without doing transitional development between them.  Good eye!

Way more about SC4 rural development and farming in a future update.

Darmok (Anduin Valley Revisited):  Hi again.

It's a tad strange to see a church in such a unusual setup... BUT not in a bad way mind you! I like that! It reminds me of a scene in the movie "Three marriage and a funeral" where the funeral of one of the friends is done in a church situated in a quasi industrial zone.... Funny to find a similar setup in your CJ. quote>

I'm going to dig out that great picture of the little church in New York City surrounded by all those towering skyscrapers.  I envision development like that happening when, say, the church would have already been there and a small hospital came along later on.  25 or 30 years of additions and new construction on the hospital results in the development anomoly we now see.  There's weird stuff all over the world like that.  Some of it in an SC4 city adds dimension and fun...too much and the city is just not credible.

...quality of your pics...quote>

Coming from the creator of AVR that's great praise.  I'll look forward to continuing to do this.  It's all to easy to sacrifice quality in order to get something posted NOW.  I promise never to do that.

Sc4_cewl (Katalla)  Cewl:  Thanks for coming by and the nice comment.  I went back and looked at Katalla again (I realized I'd lurked there last summer when I saw it).  In june, you posted

This concludes the two part series. I hope you all enjoy it and I hope to get this journal going on a regular basis.quote>

then nothing more.  What you did looked great.  I hope the hiatus from CJing is only temporary.

capitol1 (Reveska Valley):  Appreciate the comment about the trees and rail embankments.  The great variety of mayor mode trees these days will get an update here someday.  So will rail embankments and the great bridges that folks like JayStimson and Buddybud are creating for them.

Keep working at your CJ, capitol1.  Time and effort, over time, always pay off.

chocolatemax285 (Green Depra) (Chocotopia: An Experimental Scrapbook) Choco: Green Depra has been one of my favorite CJs ever.  I'm really honored you've stopped by.

You do the Columbia mod justice!quote>

I guess I see it the other way around.  I'm darned lucky cycledogg created the mod, because it sure makes regions where it is used look great.  Isaac Newton said something like, "I see far because I stand on the shoulders of giants." We are all fortunate there are so many giants uploading to Simtropolis.

I'll hopefully have some more content on 3RR before you do that close read- I'll do my best to be ready.

You have such great building style, you're going to be the next big thing.quote>

OH NO.  The dread "next big thing" designation.  Thanks so much, but I remember when Milli Vanilli was the next big thing...

metasmurf (Arques - European Countryside) (Metropolis - A cj by metasmurf):  Hey, thanks.  I'm headed to both your CJs to look at them closely later today.  The use of Goldiva's mayor mode reef plops in Metropolis may change my mind about them, to some degree (I called them "cowpies" in a recent post on GMT's Greater Columbia River CJ). 

Fabiocb (Rasec - em Pt, en Fr, in En):  Thanks for the continued nice things you've had to say about 3RR.  Look forward to your next visit.

Darmok (Anduin Valley Revisited):  And hi again, Darmok.

I agree, mrb's Village Battery is a great addition to any SC4 city creator's toolbox.

As an urban planner, I recalled after your post about "square" farms and in noticing where you had lived that there is a significantly different system of land division into lots in Quebec and elsewhere in the northeast regions of North America wherever originally settled by the French.  It results from the seigneurial system, and result in division of rural areas into what are called "long lots."  There's interesting info about this on the Web at

http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/long_lots.html

In the midwest, where I grew up, rural land was divided, as I noted, by the township and range system.  There's a Web article (caution- watch your "too much information" alarm while reading) here

http://www.newberry.org/k12maps/module_06/images/township_range.pdf

The real proof of the difference, though, is on Google Local

Here's a satellite shot along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec just east of Baie-St.-Paul.  The "long lots" look like narrow strips and are are particularly noticeable along PR362 and on the island at the bottom of the pic.

Here's a Google shot from a corresponding altitude in the vicinity of tiny El Paso, Illinois.  The 'square" lines just jump out at you.

So our preferences in this regard, like many other things, are a function of where we come from.  Thanks so much, Darmok, for giving me an opportunity to think about this sort of thing again.  It reveals depths in SC4 play I never imagined.

Don't know and never heard of Jolene Blalock.  Blaylock Island's name is pretty much a random thing.  I just start typing names for places as they come to mind.

That's it - all the mail through now.  Update No. 9 will return to Wind River and how I use bigredfish's tunnel and slope mod there.

EDIT:  (8/19/06)  Moved pics to ImageShack.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Hi David.

I agree with Darmok. That Village Battery is an amazing lot, very useful. Thanks for giving attention to it, I'd never have noticed that shed. It's totally low-key and can be used everywhere.

Originally posted by: dedgren

I guess the style I'm presenting this CJ in will include, as the issues come up, mini-tutorials. Or not. I could post them over at the Omnibus, where there's a specific place for tutorials, and simply provide a link (i.e.: "If you don't know how..." or "if you want to see how to..."). I dunno. Do folks find them distracting as an integrsal part of 3RR, or should I keep them here? Readers, let me know.</P>quote>

Some people might find tutorials within CJs distracting. I personally like to know how some things were done from time to time. And your CJ so far has that 'behind the scenes' theme where tutorials definitely fit in. But that's just my opinion.

Wow, I didn't know that farms can look that griddy. Great picture. I also prefer more irregular farms though. Nevertheless, your SC4 farming layout is interesting, very detailed with the pylons and all.

- Phil