Thistlewood

[RadioheadFan 1]

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE!

Last night in the Thistlewood area, there was mass arson targeted at agriculture. All farms in the Tri-Town area have been burned to the ground. Mr. Bentley and Mr. Johnson, the first 2 farmers in the area, have lost all their business and plant to start over again as a single company, BJ Agriculture. However, Mr. Nedal of Nedal Inc. still has his retail business in Westlake, and is planning to expand. He says that he will rebuild his farms, but not to the magnitude that they once were at.

In other, just as tragic news, town founder Barry Koblyanski died in a car crash on Route 35 last night. His Honda Accord collided with a Ford Expedition, and the larger SUV rolled over and crushed him. Funeral plans are being made in his hometown of MacArthur Rise. Meanwhile, Dabb Naval Parts has bought Overdale Building Supplies and the Huntington General Store, while Mr. Koblyanski's good friend Artemis Winchester has bought Sherry's Bar.

(For those of you who haven't already guessed, there's a reason for this mass agricultural arson. I just installed the BSC Farming EP and I want it to run smoothly so I've mass destroyed all existing farms to make way for the new ones. There is also a reason for Barry's death. I want the user-created characters to take center stage from now on, so I killed off Barry and combined the characters of Mr. Bentley and Mr. Johnson into one. I hope this will make Thistlewood even better, and an overview of Westlake should come later today, with the new farms installed.)

RHF

[SC4 meister 7]

Alright I am back with my first to comment posts. Woah! This is an interesting twist, I can't wait to see what happens now!  BTW,

           Welcome to Page Six!!!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Alright guys, I've got some problems. The update is postponed until further notice, because I'm having problems getting the Farming EP to work. I'll still have news that pops up because of Thistlewood's deals with other CJs,(Goldenrod Plains, Riviera Island) but no updates until I find out what's wrong.

As for the aforementioned news, Thistlewood has officially began trading with the country of Riviera, an island in the Indian Ocean. This is Mr. Nedal's hometown, and his cousin President Nedal of Riviera and Artemis have successfully negotiated a deal. The first products to be imported are exotic fruits for Mr. Nedal to sell at his Westlake store, the first to be exported are products from Dabb Naval Parts to be used in the construction of the new seaport being built in Riviera.

Sorry for the delay guys, with help from the BSC Team I can hopefully get this resolved. If not fixed in 1 week, I'll adapt the storyline to this development so that we don't miss a step. Stick around, and I promise to get this over with ASAP.

RHF

[rix10 0]

Wow! Very nice! Such a good storyline!!

[SC4 meister 7]

Hope you get your problems fixed soon. I love this CJ and can't wait for the next update.

YAY my 200th post!

[AfroThunda 1]

Uh-Oh I hope you get the farms working correctly. It took me a few days to get all the dependencies and everything so that they all worked right. I cant wait for the next update! Oh, and thanks for commenting in my CJ, it's nice to know someone likes what you do. Keep it up man!

  -Afro

[RadioheadFan 1]

FIXED!

Alright guys, I've got it working. Not sure what happened, but it kicked it. I'm going to download the GrampaAl mod that deleted all the Maxis farms, then release the next update, which will hopefully be late tonight, if not early tomorrow morning. Thanks for your concern, and welcome to page 6! I never thought Thistlewood would get this far, over 150 replies and over 3500 views, it's more than I could have ever hoped for. I hope you stick with me as Thistlewood grows.

RHF

[kingofsimcity 5,739]

This is getting better and better..

Whoa, I just noticed goldenrod Plains made it to page 4 in a week...

[RadioheadFan 1]

UPDATE TIME!

You guessed it, it's time for the next update! Today, we'll look at the smallest town in the region, Westlake, which if you remember, was founded by local reverend Angel Mills. I'll also address your latest comments, but no new news or an Artemis's Journal. That segment will resume after we're done touring the Tri-Town area.

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

Here's what Westlake looks like from overhead. It's changed a bit, but still maintains its very small town charm. Here's Westlake. Visible are the new BJ Agriculture Farm, Nedal's Fresh Produce, and the train depot.

The train depot, easily visible in every place in the Tri-Town area, is the same design as every other train depot. Nothing special here, but since Westlake has barely any attractions, it's important to show it.

Nedal's Fresh Produce was Mr. Nedal's only surviving asset after the great arson that targeted every single farm in Thistlewood. He has some new farms up in Huntington, and something else going on, but you'll find out about that later. Anyways, here's his familiar store, which has benefited greatly from the new trade agreement with Riviera, his homeland.

BJ Agricultural is now the combined effort of Mr. Bentley and Mr. Johnson. They've opened the first flower farm in Thistlewood, right here in Westlake. BJ Agricultural-Tulips produces-you guessed it-tulips, of every imaginable variety. Here, the tulips have just been harvested, so the farm looks relatively dead, but in a few months, the colourful flowers will spring up anew once again. Here's the farm after the harvest.

And, the same farm once the flowers have grown again. BJ has new operations, specifically in Huntington, but this is where most of their business comes from, as this is the only flower farm in the entire area.

Next update, we'll take a look at the largest town in Thistlewood, Huntington. Also, there'll be a lot of news, and stuff that usually comes with a Thistlewood update, with the exception being no Artemis's Journal until the update afterwards. Now, I'll address your comments.

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

bobinator: Thanks. The mansion didn't really grow, I use the RH Plop Mod by Ralph for eye-candy shots like that. After I take the picture, I delete them, because they usually dilapidate within 1 game year.

KOSC: Thanks for the comment. I'm surprised that I've been able to make these types of deals with other CJs...that's 2 now. Wonder if anybody else does this...

Nedal: My CJ is heavily inspired by Riviera, and the degree of co-operation between our 2 CJs has been astounding. Thanks for your always-kind words, and I look forward to working together even more in the future.

Mallow: Thanks. I hope so too! Glad you like the storyline so much!

SC4 Meister: Soon, you'll be abandoning me for good! Just kidding, but later is better than never right? At least you're commenting, this CJ has like 3500 views, so lots of people aren't. A big thank you to those who do!

sloppet: Thanks, glad you liked it.

dhoppeii: No, there aren't any garbage problems yet. When there is, I figure I'll stick the landfill in Overdale, since all the dirty industry's there and there'll never be any farms there. I'll post a garbage data view on Request Day, just to prove it.

rix10: Thanks for the compliment! Glad you like the storyline!

AfroThunda: I've got them working now! But thanks for your concern. And it's no problem commenting on Mercado Cruz, why wouldn't I want to comment on such a great CJ?

KOSC: That's some amazing growth, you'll pass me in a couple of days, I'm sure!

And that's all the comments you guys posted! If you posted more than one concerning the same topic or near the same topic, I disregarded it, but everybody who commented was mentioned at least once. Thanks for the requests, remember, there's still one request spot open, waiting to be filled! Anything you want to see, tell me and I'll get it done! Thanks for your continued support, and remember, comments are always appreciated.

Have a nice Easter Weekend,

RHF

[dhoppeii 12]

RHF, glad to see you got the farm problem fixed.

 

If you zone for alot of farms, you may want to watch how level the land is.  I found that there are some farms that will look really weird on uneven slopes, while there are some that look pretty cool if they are on uneven ground.  Of course if it becomes a problem, you can just bulldoze it and have a different one grow.

 

Looking forward to the next update and of course, I only asked about the trash because I was concerned for the health and well being of the citizens of Thistlewood.

 

[JayStimson 211]

Nice update RHF. I like pics with words. maybe I never outgrew the Dick and Jane books syndrome.
Other comments:
1. more farms please ... and some trees too
2. it must be pretty boring in westlake if the little local train station is the big attraction in town. like dullsville. zzzzzzzzz
3. where's the local bar ? every little town has one... cause they need one. see 2. above <chuckle>
4. adding on to 1. above ... plant some corn if you can. hicks love to listen to the corn grow.

[SC4 meister 7]

Looking great as always RHF! Jay, if you read this town's mayor is a pastor kinda doubt we will be seeing any bars here.  Keep up the great work RHF. Can't wait for the next update.

[nedal2001 285]

Indeed, the trade agreement between Thistlewood and Riviera has reaped benefits for both regions! I loved your updates, hopefully the fires didnt affect my business much.

[kingofsimcity 5,739]

Excellent as always. 

 

[RadioheadFan 1]

Alright, it's update time once again in Thistlewood!

Today, we're going to look at Huntington, the largest town in Thistlewood so far. Also, there's some news, and as usual, I'll address your comments. I'll get back to regular updating tomorrow, I promise. Anyways, here's the news!

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

Today, the stores owned by the late Barry Koblyanski were sold off to the highest bidder. Not surprisingly, some of Thistlewood's biggest players were part of the action, including the 3 richest men in the entire region.

Huntington General Store, the busiest store in the region, was sold off to Riviera's very own Mr. Nedal. Nedal, who has recently expanded both his agricultural and retail empires, is obviously planning to make the store better than it was under Barry's leadership, and no one but the mysterious man himself knows what he's planning to do with it.

Overdale Building Supplies, in Overdale, was sold to town founder Mark Dabb. This will bring about a major cash flow change for Mr. Dabb, who used to be the main customer. Now, he will be the one ordering the materials and selling them off, and considering how much money the store made before, it can only make more money now.

On a different note, Overdale is quickly becoming a haven for Thistlewood's limited population of middle-class. Most of the workers are low-income, however, with the opening of the new school in Overdale and the availability of managerial positions at Dabb Naval Parts, quite a few higher-level Sims have moved in.

Of course, the last property to be sold off was everyone's favorite hangout, Sherry's Bar. The richest man in Thistlewood himself, Tom Cao, bought the entire franchise. Supposedly, he is planing to revamp the entire Thistlewood location and to expand rapidly into Overdale. He would open a franchise in Westlake, but as the mayor is the famous Rev. Angel Mills, no such business will be moving into Thistlewood any time soon.

In other news, Rev. Mills is supposedly very close to landing a church for the area, which would undoubtedly be built in his hometown of Westlake. Presently, he is conducting his sermons in his very own house, but with this new church, more people would be exposed to the word of God, which can only bring about positive changes to Thistlewood.

And that's all the latest news!

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

Now, we'll look at Huntington. The first and largest town founded in the region, many of Thistlewood's few attractions are located here. Also, the bases of many important companies are located in Huntington or near the town, most notably the headquarters of Mr. Nedal and Mr. Cao. Anyways, here's Huntington during harvest season. Presently, the town's only crops are corn, flowers, and peanuts, but that is set to change relatively soon. Surprisingly, the agricultural business in the town has grown since the great arson spree, but I digress. Here's Huntington.

The founder of Thistlewood itself, Artemis Winchester, moved out of his van after his good friend Barry Koblyanski died in a car crash. He lives in a modest 2-story house on Whiskey Road, with a beautiful spruce tree in his front yard. As head of government for the Thistlewood area, he works quietly at home, making sure that all of us have the best life possible. Here's Artemis's house.

Koblyanski Park is a living reminder of the man we all knew and loved, whose life was tragically stolen from him on Route 35 only a short time ago. This beautiful park will always be around to help us celebrate the life of a man who we literally could not do without. Here's Koblyanski Memorial Park.

Huntington General Store, newly purchased by Mr. Nedal, is the busiest store in Thistlewood. Pretty much all of Thistlewood's residents buy their clothes, groceries, other miscellaneous items, mail their letters, etc. etc. from this very spot. Although all that will be put on hold soon enough, because Mr. Nedal has promised extensive renovations to make the old-school store become more consumer-friendly. Here's Huntington General Store.

Sherry's Bar, now owned by Tom Cao of Goldenrod Plains, is the place to be on Friday night in Thistlewood. All of the town's elite(and the not-so-elite)come here to knock back a few buds, watch ESPN, and socialize, with the occasional bar fight. However, extensive renovations here as well have been promised by Mr. Cao, and expansion to Overdale is planned in the near future. The bar is famous for it's open-air design. So, here's Sherry's Bar.

We'll close out our tour of Huntington with pictures of the 2 train depots in the area. Here's the train station on the east side, near the general store and Sherry's Bar.

This is the train station on the west side, closer to the newer peanut and corn plantations, owned by either new BJ Agriculture or that friendly juggernaut, Nedal Agriculture.

That concludes today's update. Next update...I'm not sure what we're going to do. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

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

Now, I'll address your comments.

dhoppeii: Of course you were...and about the farms, you're right, I've had problems with that many times before. Thanks for your suggestions and comments, they're always appreciated.

JS: Alright, I'll address these 1 by 1.

1: There are more farms in this update, also more trees, and when I get back to normally updating, there will be agricultural growth, so you'll get what you asked for.

2: That's Westlake for you. Last census, there were only 59 residents...how many towns with 59 people do you know that are interesting?

3: You really think that a town founded by a reverend would allow a bar in there? They can go to Huntington, or Overdale soon enough, if they want to have a little fun.

4: There's like 3 or 4 corn plantations in Huntington, and there should be soon enough in Westlake. Last update there, there was only one farm, and it wasn't planning on multitasking, so no corn there for a little while anyways.

Thanks for your constructive critiscism, it keeps me on my toes, hope you come back soon!

SC4 Meister: Thanks for backing me up, and for the nice words. Indeed, how many reverends do you know that would allow a bar in their town, founded by themselves? It's like Amishes buying DVD players.

Nedal: Nah, since the arsonists didn't burn down any of your stores, you're fine. Besides, you've got 3 or 4 farms up in Huntington and you're beating BJ Agriculture in the market,(55 to 45, I believe) so you're just fine.

KOSC: Thanks: But to your dismay, no churches like the new one I designed in Cedar Plains will be arriving anytime soon in Thistlewood. Sorry if that disappoints you.

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

Alright guys, thanks for your continued support. Nice to see that some people actually appreciate my work! But joking aside, I really appreciate your comments. This CJ has over 3500 views, so trolls, I know you're out there! I will get my troll-slaying equipment out and beat you all down with a sharp stick unless you comment! That sharp stick hurts, I poked myself with it once and almost bled to death, so get commenting!

Have a nice Easter holiday,

RHF

[bobinator 0]

Very nice! I like your train layout!

[Quack 0]

Nice job on your farms.. Do you have to delete the maxis farms to get them to grow or no?

[kingofsimcity 5,739]

Yes...I had fun at the bar, drinking beer with friends and partying all night long...lol

Cool Update! Can't wait for more!

[nedal2001 285]

Indeed, you werent the only one enjoying your Friday nights, Mr. Cao. Nothing better than a little Dewars 12 on the rocks to get me going.  You know, Im not so mysterious when Ive had a little of that in my system.  Ive been known to be quite the smooth talker...

[dhoppeii 12]

Glad to see that Artemis finally moved out of that van....

[Ddeathtoall 0]

Any more space for Jeremy Shanks? He wants to set up a new manafacturing plant! More jobs!

[SC4 meister 7]

I would say, wow great update, but I always say that. So ummm woah, cool update. I like having more farms keep it up!

[Chris M 406]

 Looks very nice, RHF keep it up

[gundamdude 0]

[comdude21 6]

A lot's gone on since I last posted here! Those farming towns are awesome. And inspiring. The attention to detail is great and so is the storyline. I usually don't follow storylines in CJs, but this one is definately worth following. Great job.

comdude

[RadioheadFan 1]

Alright, update should come either late tonight or tomorrow morning, probably the latter. Thanks for all your great comments, and ddeathtoall I'm guessing Jeremy Shanks is male, and an industrial tycoon? Done. Thanks for entering your character. The update tomorrow will be cool, but a lot has changed since the last census update, it will be very interesting. Lots of stuff has happened. See you around update time.

RHF

[SC4 meister 7]

*is not sure if he can take the suspense* Hmmm new palyer in town eh?  Dabb naval parts will still be the biggest and best right? Right? HEY! Are you paying attention to me? I said that Dabb naval will still be the biggest and the best right? RIGHT?!? Can't wait for the next update.

[kingofsimcity 5,739]

I can't wait for the new update!!!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Alrighty guys, update has been postponed, due to problems with not having all the right dependencies and adapting the storyline to fit our new character Jeremy Shanks. Hopefully out tomorrow when I get home from school...


RHF

[RadioheadFan 1]

Alrighty, sorry for the long wait, but it is update time once again! Before we start off the update, I'd like 2 moments of silence from readers of this CJ. First, for all the people that died and their families in the most recent Southeast Asian earthquake, may our thoughts be with you. And, another moment of silence for Banana Grove, one of the most promising CJs here closed today because of computer and gameplay problems plaguing the creator, Trixie Winner Mr. Vegetable. Note: This isn't a plug, I think that Banana Grove deserves to be mentioned, as it inspired me to do greater things with my terraforming skills and creativity. Thank you Mr. V. Well then, here's the news around Thistlewood!

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

Today, Dabb Naval Parts announced their new President of the Board of Directors, Jeremy Shanks. An industrial tycoon from out East, he'll also be heading up the Thistlewood Rail Corporation recently bought by Dabb Naval Parts.

On a more tragic note, we have news of serious injury of one of Thistlewood's pioneers. Angel Mills, the local reverend, was seriously injured in a train derailing on the way to Huntington for shopping. Strangely, nobody else was hurt, but this might be because the food car, occupied only by Mr. Mills at the time of the derailing, was flung across the countryside, while all the other cars simply tipped over. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Mills, founder and mayor of Thistlewood's western-most town Westlake.

Tom Cao announced his intention to donate a large sum to extend Route 21 south-bound. The planned extension would go down until it was 50 kilometres past Overdale, the southern-most settlement. Perhaps he is planning to start another town along the highway...although no industry would be located there. Cao is a firm opposition to the industry in Overdale, this is the main reason he went into the retail business in the first place. There is a possibility of agriculture, though, if he does indeed start a new town.

Also, in real-life news, the census update will be tomorrow and the request update Thursday, but will be on their normal times next week. We do have some requests, so I'll get those filled and we'll get on with out lives! Also, you'll be surprised with the census, there has been extensive growth. I think the population has more than quadrupled!

Now, we'll get to the pictures, where you can see for yourself the growth in all 3 towns.

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

We'll start with Overdale. The richest town in the region, Overdale has only grown a tiny bit, although numerous civic projects have taken place since we last visited. Here's Overdale from above. Maybe you can see the biggest change, of which there won't be pictures, due to the ugliness.

Anyways, the first big change is the new regional landfill. Located behind Dabb Naval Parts, it handles garbage from all three towns, transferred mostly by rail, but also by road. There will be no picture due to the aforementioned ugliness. Also, to specially service the landfill, a new train station was built, with holding areas for garbage and bigger cars to handle the extensive waste.

The first corporate offices in Thistlewood have now been built! Dabb Naval Parts' Corporate Division, headed up by new leader of the Board of Directors Jeremy Shank, is the first project from British architect Thom Yorke. The land was owned by Tom Cao, prompting many to think he had designed it, but he is very busy with current projects, therefore, he hired Mr. Yorke to design it for him. Mr. Shank loves his work, and has reportedly hired him for future projects, including some mysterious buildings that make it seem like DNP might be heading into retail. Anyways, here's The Rivello Building, a.k.a DNP's corporate offices.

Also, seeing how his fortune has skyrocketed, Mark Dabb has had a new mansion built in Overdale. Dabb Manor was also designed by Thom Yorke and is a 1940's style masterpiece, reportedly costing $1.2 million. Oh well, when you hold a monopoly on industry in a region, you can afford material crap like that. Insane. Here's Dabb Manor.

Now, we move to Huntington. Still the largest town in the region, it's been the area where the most jobs have been generated in the recent boom. The borders are now nearing Westlake, and if they get any closer, there has been talk of amalgamation. Wouldn't that be interesting? Here's Huntington for you.

Now that Sherry's Bar is owned by Tom Cao, he has remodeled the building and given it a Western theme. This building is only temporary, as he is trying to secure the services of Mr. Yorke for design. If he can't reach him, he has said he will design it himself. There's been a little bit of controversy as well, concerning the new park beside Sherry's. Tons of beer bottles have been found there, so Mayor Winchester is deciding whether or not to close the park. Many citizens are divided, stay tuned to find out his decision. Anyways, here's Sherry's Bar, at least for a little while.

And, there's been some new development. To cure traffic problems in this area, a new train station has been built by the Thistlewood Railway Corp., newly owned by DNP. Here's the new station.

Now, we move on to Westlake. Westlake has seen the most growth in population, eclipsing Overdale and nearing Huntington with every new home built. In fact, for every new house built in Overdale, there has been 3 built in Westlake. Here's the town, looking plenty different with all the new growth.

Also, Westlake has followed the lead of Overdale and built an elementary school. Westlake Elementary is where Westlake's future comes to learn about the world around them.

And finally, Westlake has finally gotten its long awaited church. Westlake United Church is where Rev. Mills held his sermons before his terrible train accident. Yet another landmark designed by Thom Yorke, the church has visitors from Huntington, and even far away Westlake. Here's Westlake United.

Alright, that's all the pictures for this update. Now, a new Artemis's Journal, the first one since last week I think...

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

Artemis's Journal

Chapter 2

Dear Journal...

I'm really impressed with the recent growth in Thistlewood. Westlake has grown, Huntington has grown, everywhere has grown. Heck, gopher populations have grown. However, even with all this newfound happiness, I still have a black hole deep inside of me, that was awakened with the death of Kobes. Like last week, I found myself staring longingly at the butcher knife on the kitchen counter. I have to keep under control, but when the black dog barks, I want to reach for my Colt 45. and end it all. End it all. End it all...I hope the the black dog goes to sleep. I don't want to end it all, but it doesn't look like I have a choice...

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

Now, I'll address your comments!

bobinator: Thanks! Nice to see such nice compliments concerning my train layout, when a month ago, I didn't even place them properly. Thanks again.

Quack: Sorry for forgetting to answer your question until now, I downloaded a mod by GrampaAl that blocks all the Maxis farms from growing so that I can fully utilize the BSC Farming EP. It should be in the modding files section, and thanks for commenting!

KOSC: Thanks, I hear there was quite a celebration when the new Sherry's opened, you guys probably drank more tequila than Artemis did on the way down!

Nedal: Yes, and I think the ladies like it better that way, lol. Thanks for the comment.

dhoppeii: Yeah, it was getting a little cramped. Besides, wouldn't you expect something a little more luxurious if you had built the entire place from scratch?

ddeathtoall: As you can see, Jeremy Shanks is a very important man in Thistlewood, and this fills up all the spots for characters, I want to thank those that applied!

SC4 Meister: Thanks, nice to see some variation eh? Just kidding, you can keep saying wow great update if you want. Glad you like the farms, but you should thank SimGoober, he's the one that designed them. Thanks for the great seasonal farms SimGoober if by chance you glance at Thistlewood!

DragonAnime: Thanks.

gundamdude: Thanks for the thumbs up.

comdude21: Thanks so much for your comment! Now, both your CJ and my signature have inspired me, and I'm glad you like the farms! Congratulations for your appointment to the Mapp Squad and for reaching page 20 with OP!

SC4 Meister: As you can see, Mr. Shanks and yourself are sharing biggest player titles, as you kinda have the same job!

KOSC: Thanks.

Thanks for your continued support guys, census update will be out tomorrow, and you'll be surprised...I think you'll like it.

Have a nice night,

RHF