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SupportedCity Journals
Our community City Journals
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Entry 7: Let's all catcha bus to Perrin Head!
Replies: kschmidt: Lol, yer it does. Luckily there's no damn to flood in the city so we should be safe. Though on the plus side, if it flooded it might put the fires out!
Entry 7: Let's all catch a bus to Perrin Head! So, welcome back to Rokton where we've had a few problems, some new buses and several new settlements springing up like daisy's! Let's start by getting the boring bits out of the way with a look at several improvements to Roktons transport system and network with a couple of interchange upgrades being done. Firstly with this one, where as you can see a bonfire gone wrong ground the area to a complete standstill resulting in a slight decrease to the trees and farm buildings in the area.
Deciding that we needed to prevent this in the future we gave the junction some slip lanes. These did precisely nothing in helping out with the traffic which is when some clever soul suggested improving the roundabout on the Henning Bay side. Thankfully this seems to have cleared it up completely which is useful when bonfires inevitably go wrong.
Meanwhile in Rokton, the interchange was still giving us issues so we needed a solution for it fast. Luckily some tunnelling seems to have solved the problem of traffic trying to cross each-other and causing congestion. Its beginning to look a bit chaotic though.
Speaking of Rokton though, we saw the tip of the peninsula that used to house the wind turbines until we built the WTEP (Waste To Energy Plant) be renovated with sea walls and some piers. No real word on what's going here yet but it looks like something's planned!
Something else that was evidently planned had to be Henning's Bay new 'I want what my neighbour has!' craze where everyone has built pretty much identical houses across the board. Oh well, as long as their happy and paying taxes I suppose......
So, your probably wondering where Perrin head is given that its in the title (ok, your not, but I needed a segway into this so were rolling with it). Its this small town that's begun to develop on the coast down from Henning Bay, I assume by people that wanted a quieter life.
And, for people who wanted a even quieter life than that we have Riverbend and Cliffside which have developed inland from the rest of the settlements.
And, for the other part of the title being a bus ride the city finally has a actual bus line. Well it has several lines (one for each of the three centres of population and then a regional line that visits every settlement (except Cliffside but their tiny anyway). Here's the lovely new bus terminal, right next to the fire heli depot which in turn, is right next to the WTEP (yes, it probably won't to shiny for too long).
So, because I like abrupt endings to entries here's a current overview with all the lovely new towns and villages that have popped up over the last couple of entries. No idea what we'll be doing in the next entry but I'm sure it'll be interesting as always (don't laugh!).
Till next time!- Read More
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Entry 3: Cemetery Shores / University of Opportunity
On the edge of the river lies the somewhat secluded, high end communities of Cemetary Shores and the University of Opportunity. This amazing little neighborhood has everything you need to live, and thrive in Opportunity. With parks, recreation, the Botanical Gardens and amazing shoreline views from one of the many tall residential buildings - this little community has it all! Opportunity is somewhat known for hosting some of the finest doctors in the world and the University Hospital is no exception. As home to Dr. Robert Wishinghouse, the worlds leading doctor on removing those disgusting blackheads you see in YouTube videos, the University Hospital receives a TON of visitors with huge pimples to pop. The residents of Opportunity LOVE their trees. They have a saying around these parts: "If its not a building, its a tree" and that is a motto they've kept with them for generations. City planners have been militant - if there is no building, a tree should be planted. You will see a LOT of green space in Opportunity!- Read More
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Latest Entry
Bad News...
SO. My game caught a virus (I have no idea what from) but I had to reinstall my game, delete all assets, all of that stuff. My game plays perfectly now, except for one teeny issue. The lower half of the screen is totally blurry. And it gets worse as you zoom in more. First person camera mods do not help. So goodbye. I am currently trying to do something with it but up to now nada. It was nice while it lasted. MAW- Read More
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Latest Entry
Expanding of farms
Some progress on the the actual farming around the little town and a bit more residential development -
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Latest Entry
River Bow - First Look
River Bow First Look From the humble beginnings with just a small gas station pit stop for wear travelers, be they truckers or tourists, River Bow has become a nice pit stop on the way between Point A and Point B. Now a small town, the city is mainly gas stations and restaurants, but as you can see to the left, a small brick factory has popped up. Main Street greets visitors with a variety of typical fast food restaurants, gas stations, repair shops, and an Auto Zone. Shady Oaks Trailer Park Not farm from main street, Shady Oaks Trailer Park boasts a convenient walk to work as well as inexpensive living. I'll let the pictures do the talking. I hope you've enjoyed this first look at River Bow. Feel free to like, comment, rate, and all that jazz.- Read More
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Latest Entry
San Joaquin Beach
This is a preview of my new CJ, it has a lot of sprawling to come, but here are a few shots... The Pacific Circle In the heart of Pacific Bay, a census designated area in south San Joaqin Beach, lies the Pacific Circle and plaza. The intersection and surrounding town was founded in 1918 and has become host to annual events such as "The International Food Festival" the first weekend in May, as well as the "Harvest Festival & Oktoberfest" in September. All six streets are blocked off for each event and local restaurants cook outdoors. Most of the businesses in and around the circle are restaurants; health food, gastropub, pizza, mexican food, and diners. At Christmas, lights are strung from building to palm tree and palm tree to building. Many of the buildings around the circle have been deemed local landmarks, and the old overgrown trees have plenty of hearts with initials scratched in their bark. Pacific Bay is a close-knit community, and the circle is the meeting point. Canary Palm Estates Upscale neighborhood in north Pacific Bay. Median home price: §1.5M San Joaquin Beach Civic Center & City Hall The center for city management and administration. Some events are held here like the annual Taste of Los Reyes, the 4th of July City Block Party & BBQ, and the April 20th Smokeout for Freedom and Date Shake Festival. Further down is Grizzly Bear Park, packed on the weekends with kids sports. Little Manila An area of Serrano with with highest population of Philippine-born residents in the US Old Spanish Station At Picante St. and Los Reyes Rd. Pacific Bay and San Joaquin Beach Lots of drunk drivers on the 101 freeway... The Circle from another angle For more like this, check out my last CJ California 2: Thanks -
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Entry 1 - The Vast Desert
Under the desert sun and endless dusty wastes, thin ribbons of civilization begin to cut through the sand and a beacon of humanity begins to rise.
Freeways 64 and 55 as they meet in the desert, and depart their separate ways into the wastelands.
The sandy hills give way to little more than dust and the occasional cactus as vehicles cling to the narrow highways. A mighty structure rises above the Crystal Canyon, the Crystal Canyon Bridge.
Two thousand feet to the bottom. (This is a testament to the incredible power of the move-it mod.)
As the sun sets, the scorching oppression of the desert heat begins to loss it's grip.
Crystal Canyon Bridge at night.
Human ingenuity brings water and life to a barren expanse.
Even the desert isn't immune to the grip of industry. - 5
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Abrupt ending
It's a sad moment. :(( hard drive failure. no backups. everything lost - 4
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Update 4.9 - Current Projects
It's been a little while since my last update, and I still as of yet do not have a full update. My time is now going to be divided between this journal and my Crystal Junction project, which I am really eager to start on. In the meantime here are some pics of various regions of Frontier City that are currently under development.
Starting work on the car dealership section of the city. Once finished, will have 4 large car dealerships and associated repair shops. Most large towns and major cities have large stretches of major roads lined with multiple car dealerships that in some extreme cases can stretch for dozens of blocks.
North Frontier City under development. Still working on the strip malls along Mountain Side Avenue, and need to do some major detailing surrounding the stores and restaurants.
Lake View Apartments and the northern-most sections of North Frontier City. Some fast food joints, and a high school in the background. With the exception of Blue Gill Cove (A future Planned suburb), there is little development north of here.
Freeway 10/ Flyer Bypass intersection. This is the only major highway intersection in the city. Freeway 10 in the foreground, and the Flyer Bypass jetting off to the right. Was an interesting intersection to design considering I had to lay the roads around an existing railroad, power lines and steep terrain. More pics of this intersection in the "Show us your Interchanges" section of the C:SL forums on page 19.
Bird's Eye view of the entire city looking towards the east.
Satellite view of Frontier City (Population 20,100). As you can see, I have finally finished the Flyer Bypass (Highway on the north side of the city). - 23
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Downtown Railyard
Been working on a new, more modern downtown. First off is the main railyard: View from the other side: Maintenance halls: One during the dark hours: More shots from the "actual" downtown is coming up shortly! Stay tuned! - 6
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The M
The Metro, or M, is Alexandria's subway system. With 4 lines and 30 stations, and a light rail line with 23 stations, it's unusually comprehensive for such a small city, particularly in the United States. Today it serves more than 150,000 riders each day. Each line is named after the color as it appears on the map, except for the Brookline Shuttle, which is orange, and the Capital Connect, which is lavender. Every line is subway and elevated rail, apart from the Black Line, which is light rail. Black Line stops are marked with dashes, but stop at the regular stations as well. Sanders used to be called Pullman Street, State House used to be called Central Station, and Capitol Commons used to be called State House (I know, it's confusing). The Madison Black Line Stop is actually nearly directly in front of Sanders Station, but for realism purposes and aesthetic reasons it made more sense for the Blue Line to continue straight west. History of the M Starting in the late 19th century, Alexandria had a network of rail lines running across town. From the west, lines ran from southern Yorktown and the Industrial District, in what is now Kensington. These converged roughly where Sanders Station is today and rose up onto a viaduct. This continued east, stopping at a Chapman Avenue station, and crossed the Seneca River. The Yorktown line then headed northeast before curving east to College Park, while the Industrial District line turned south, descending to ground level. It had two branches: one to Industrial Park, where Acton Park is now, and one to Brownsville, via Hartford and Burlington. The tracks were extended beyond College Park on the first line to Brownsville in 1908, closely following the present alignment of the Blue and Purple Lines. The Halifax line, some of which is still in operation, ran from Halifax to Central Station, near the State House. It passed under Chapman Avenue and ran along the same route as the Capital Connect does today. This line is still in operation. Additionally, two streetcars ran through Alexandria: the downtown Chapman Streetcar, opened in 1908, and the East Side's Brown Streetcar, opened in 1912. All of these were privately owned and operated. By the late 1940s, ridership on the train lines was declining, in part due to the rise of the automobile as the dominant form of transportation. When I-85 was completed in 1956, the lines' fate was effectively sealed, and they closed in 1959. However, with Alexandria growing and congestion increasing, it became clear that Alexandrians needed another way to get around. Studies commenced in 1963, and in 1964 recommended the construction of a rapid transit system. The plan was finalized in 1966, calling for purchasing the old rail right of way and rebuilding viaducts on the East Side with a tunnel under I-85 as well as elevated rail in Seneca and subways downtown. The Blue and Purple Lines would take the same route and stations as the old rail lines on the East Side, but would dive underground to cross the Seneca River. They would stop at Mattapan Square, then diverge. The Purple Line would stop at Camsden Square, the State House, and Central Station. The Blue Line would stop at the planned Robert B. Reich Convention Center, Pullman Street, Ellis Street, and Wellesley Hill. The Red Line, starting at the State House, would head north, stopping at the Convention Center station, continuing north into Seneca with an eastward curve through Kensington. The Chapman and Brown Streetcars would be converted into modern light rail, with their own rights of way and a tube under the Seneca River connecting the two. Construction began on January 25, 1967. Halifax wanted its own line, and the Green Line was added to the plan in 1968. The lines opened in phases, with the Blue Line from Brownsville to College Hill first, then the Red Line from Fisher Street to Kensington, then the Green Line from West Halifax to Yorktown, and then the Purple Line from Burlington to MacArthur. The Black Line opened next, followed by the underground section from Brownsville to Burlington, and finally the downtown subway. The system opened with the full Green Line, the Purple Line from Brownsville to Central Station (which has since been renamed State House), the Blue Line from Brownsville to Wellesley Hill, the Red Line from Fisher Street to State House (which has since been renamed Capitol Commons), and the Black Line from Hartford to Madison. The system has expanded several times since then. The Red Line was extended from Capitol Commons to Hartford as part of the Acton Park redevelopment in 1992; The Black Line was extended to Warren Street in 1998; the Purple Line between State House and Sanders and the Brookline Shuttle was built as part of the Capital Connect in 2015; and the Black Line branch to Newton was built in 2016. Today, 157,000 riders take the M each day, or 38% of all trips made within the city. Alexandria has the fourth-highest transit ridership of any U.S. city. However, problems still remain: the system's proved too popular and the network is over capacity, particularly on the Red Line. The Alexandria Transit Authority is considering options to address this, but no plans have gained traction. A Blue Line train leaving College Hill. The original brown-brick viaducts were restored in 1968. A Black Line train on Brown Street. A Green Line train. Yorktown residents refused a concrete viaduct, so the tracks were placed on an embankment. - 7
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XXXVII
この物語はここに終わり。 Major announcement at the bottom of this entry. Please read it, thank you. ---
There’s a weird feeling when the journey has reached its end. In the beginning, you start out small and careful, thinking of the great things that you could do someday. However, as you move forward towards your dream, that bright light of the future begins to dim. Like a flow of a river, the once raging currents slow into a meander. What now could be of use now that we have almost reached the end? Will the journey continue across the vast oceans?
I thought I would have to share this story about my friend who had reached his end about a week or two ago. I don't know what exactly happened with him, but I could still not believe that he is gone. I feel the urge to move on, but I can't seem to do so without him. With all my strength I must tell it to you. Would you mind hearing me out for a couple of minutes? "Yes," Rairen responds. "I feel bad that we are about to lose Shigetomo this sudden. There is much adventure that he had going for him." He turned his head toward the Buddha and started to chant the nembutsu. Naotaka looked on as Rairen begins his ritual, eventually joining him in prayer. As the two finished their prayers, Naotaka turned towards Rairen to tell his story. "A few weeks ago..."
*UPDATE SONG* http://picosong.com/rqAj *UPDATE SONG* ---
“So where are we exactly?” replied Shigetomo, looking left and right to the various building geometries in an intersection. An electronic screen billboard that was left on by the signage advertising agency caught him with its flashing white lights, displaying the mysterious message “WILD WILD WILD” to him. Below this electronic billboard is a dimly lighted entrance of a train station. Shigetomo initially did not agree to come with him at the station, since he was still finishing his work at the Ministry of Transport. After his co-worker insisted him to come, Shigetomo agreed to excuse himself from work and told the new Minister for transport that he will be away for a little bit to become a chaperon for his friend. They got on a limited express train bound for Kanaizawa at the Okami terminal but stopped immediately at a station located west of the city.
“Kanda,” replied a co-worker with a smug on his face. His hands are placed in his suit pocket and had been touching something. Shigetomo thought that the person is a little perplexed, and his hands were visibly trembling inside his pocket. He believed that since this was a new area unfamiliar with them, it is natural for him to be a little frightened on what would happen to them. Shigetomo asked if he is alright, but the coworker smiled and asked if he could sit down beside the station's ticket machine. It took more than five minutes before his coworker came out of the washroom. "There you are," Shigetomo uttered with an increasingly impatient look.
"So (redacted name), what brings us to Kanda today?" Shigetomo inquired. The coworker seemed to have reacted differently with a frightening glance. Shigetomo then noticed something strange about the area. The canopy had been built, but there are no stores open. What should have been a busy shopping area (Kanda is usually teeming with shoppers during the day) is replaced by people who he may not want to talk to. Quite spontaneously, Shigetomo notices that something is not right.
On the other end of Kanda lies a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect. As the priests and monks of the temple prepare for their Shojin Ryouri (Vegetarian Dinner) for the evening, an ominous bang was heard throughout the temple. At first, the monks were mesmerized to see what had happened but 3, 4, 5, and many more bangs later, they realized what had going on. Chaos had descended just before the sun sets in the background.
("I don't know what to say, Rairen," replied Naotaka. "You need to hang on. I know it's difficult but I am all here for you," Rairen answered.)
At Kanda, things were as grim as the overcast skies that were above Okami that day. A major gang battle had gone between two rival factions that I myself do not know the details of. The two were hit in the crossfire. The coworker was hit in the head and was laying unconscious in the tiled alleyway with his head bleeding. Shigetomo was hit in the stomach but was still able to leave the area in horror. He ran towards the temple seeking for help, not knowing that he was mortally wounded. Soon, he became dizzy and eventually lose consciousness in front of the temple. Before he lost his consciousness he uttered "Nao-taka," and that was when the Tendai priests took his mobile phone and called the emergency contact.
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"Now, the government had asked me to be a liaison for Shigetomo while they are in charge of his health. However, doctors have told me that he would not be able to survive it since it damaged his liver and one of the bullets had lodged in his spine," Naotaka mentioned to Rairen while tears are flowing. "In a way, I would not be able to see him anymore." Rairen comforts Naotaka and provides him solace while they wait for the news.
The news came at around six o'clock in the afternoon.
Honda Shigetomo is dead.
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Naotaka had a difficult time digesting the grim news, but in the end they managed to compose themselves and take the body for its immediate burial at the temple in Okami. It was a disappointing end to his short adventures around Okaiken, and Naotaka is left alone in the middle of the journey. A few days later, Naotaka had lost most of his motivation, asking the public school that he is working at for a leave of absence so that he could attend Shigetomo's burial.
He boards a train bound for Kanda.
Skies continued to be grim during that day. As the train passed over a road, Naotaka noticed that it had been mostly desolate, with only one to two cars traversing the avenue. It feels like something was not right in the district at all, as if the people suddenly disappears.
At a nearby temple in Igawara (Kotai-ji), where Shigetomo's lifeless body is interred, a monk prepares to embalm his body when he noticed that there is something that is unusual. He found a functioning watch that he kept in back pocket. In the watch, the clock is set at 4:29 in the afternoon, which is unusual since it is already close to seven o'clock in the afternoon. The priest corrects the time to the usual time and suddenly, Shigetomo's body seemed to disappear out of nowhere.
At the edge of Kanda on an AirBNB stay, Naotaka was informed about the timepiece according to the priest. He advised the priest to keep it under the temple's ownership as he was not named as the beneficiary of Shigetomo. He had been thinking if he should even pick up his body for burial, but he knows that as his best friend, Shigetomo would not be happy in the end when they reach The Pure Land.
The grim days continued for Naotaka. By Saturday, he had been always seeking his sect for emotional help. He had considered suicide but he remembered from Ichijoudani not to kill himself as he promised Shigetomo that he is going to live in a future without him. He returned to Shigetomo's Okami apartment to gather Shigetomo's personal belongings. At first he did not know it due to the rows of houses that dominate over the area. However, seeing this exercise before he managed to find his apartment. The landlord had given him keys for 3 days so he can package and send Shigetomo's belongings to either him or Rairen. Naotaka complied and began to one by one sort through his belongings.
While unpacking a box that contained Shigetomo's work at the ministry, Naotaka found a small gear on the timepiece. It seemed to have fit into one of the missing gears on the timepiece. On another box that came from their souvenir trip at Onjuku, he found another one that would have completed the timepiece. Naotaka was in awe and decided to call the temple if he can have Shigetomo's timepiece. The temple agreed, and Naotaka bolted out of the apartment building and towards the temple.
Naotaka's feelings began to improve. He called Rairen in order for them to meet at the Tendai-sect temple. Kanda, however, was still in a state of trauma after the battle, and many streets were lacking people.
The temple was on sight.
However, in a wicked twist of fate, they found the temple surrounded by yellow tape. "Why is it surrounded by police?" Naotaka asked the policeman who was guarding the property. "The police is currently investigating the head monk of the temple as the instigator of a gambling ring that may have caused two gang factions to fight," muttered the police. Naotaka seemed to have lost hope into recovering the timepiece. In tears, he kept the gears onto his chest and prayed for the safe passage of Shigetomo.
Rairen never heard of Naotaka again after the incident. He had regret not helping Naotaka recover from his depression, and he may have believed that he had died. In truth, no one knows what happened to him until I met him at Ninohe. I had recently checked the school that he works on and he's not there anymore. They said that he had moved to Chino, a rural village near his hometown of Ichijoudani to work at the prefectural office.
At Chino, locals said that Shigetomo had left the town after three years work at the town office. According to officials, Naotaka said that he moved to Ninohe to work as a tourism promoter of the area, but they were not sure if he is still employed there.
It was a chance that I would finally see him at Ninohe.
I finally met him at a ramen-ya. He seemed to have fully adopted a normal, happy life with his new wife and his young boy that he called "Tomo" when we sat down together. When we settled down I told him that I work at the Nikkan Shinbun. He seems surprised that I had determined where he lives as he did not really tell anyone, even his friend, about his whereabouts. I told him "I was here as part of an investigation about corruption at the City of Okami," and asked, "do you know this timepiece?" I showed him the device and he was stunned to see it. He frantically searched for the two gears and then found them in a small, locked wooden case. "May I borrow that?" he said. He ran towards the jewelry shop across the street with his family and asked the man to quickly repair the watch. After he fixed it he told his wife and child about the timepiece and then gave it to me. He seemed to have finally be settled in peace.
After the interview to him was finished, he told me to keep the timepiece and discover the meaning of life through it. I was intrigued to try it so I am going to do it tonight.
"The train rolled by as I began to wind the timepiece on its correct time. And then he disappeared," Naotaka states. "Thank you, Shigetomo, for bringing me to a life that I am happy with. It may not be the pure land, but it's a start of a new life that I am happy with. I will fight on without you!" Naotaka shed tears as he remembers his adventures with Shigetomo. It is time to move on and cheer.
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Shigetomo had woken up back in an army camp near the Ichijoudani River. It was just before the Seige of the Castle begins but could not determine if they had won or not. He looked at the reflection of himself into the river and saw that he had been wounded and had bandages around his stomach. "My lord, you are still not healed yet," replied one of his assistants. "We found you in front of the castle by yourself trying to make negotiations with Naotaka but then you were shot. I thought that you were about to die so we sent our forces to retake the castle."
"Naotaka, where's Naotaka?" Shigetomo asked in panic.
"Hotta Muneshige had captured him. He awaits your orders." Immediately after that, even in pain, he ran towards Muneshige's camp at Mount Hiei.
There he found a group of farmer's houses. It was becoming increasingly foggy as the elevation becomes higher but Shigetomo, even in utmost pain, climbed towards the house. As he reached it, he asked for both Hotta, who was about to finish his breakfast, and Naotaka, who is still tied up. "Naotaka."
Naotaka did not respond as if his spirit was taken away from him. "Muneshige, taking his sword, suddenly took his sword and...
Shigetomo watched in horror of what had happened. He can be heard screaming Muneshige on top of his lungs. He then slumped to the floor.
A sailor from an Insular navy had just landed in the Mitoyagi Islands setting his sights into new opportunities in Okaiken regarding diplomacy. He had hoped that a new deal with his nation would materialize with the new bakufu government at Okami. Dignitaries from the bakufu had already boarded the vessel for exchange of information about shipbuilding. Initially, the captain refused but eventually accepted.
"We want you to sign a deal collaborating with other sovereign nations of the world," said the captain. "We agree," responded by the dignitaries on the ship.
As the sailor walked through Kanda, he saw two heads that were displayed on the gate of the temple. He did not know the two but they seemed to have a high status of power because of their hairstyle or the helmets. A black helmet adorned with deer antlers can be seen to the left of one head; the other, a red helmet with tall yellow horns can be seen to the right of the other head. The citizens were seemingly interested with the beheaded officials. Most of them kept mum, some were in tears.
At one of the temples, they were seemingly busy with burning the bodies in order for them to turn it to ashes. A lot of people were also near the area, curious about what is going on inside the temple. The sailor asked to himself "If the new bakufu government is installed, that means that those two were part of the previous bakufu?"
The sailor continued to travel around the district to see the disappointed faces of the majority as the new shogun of Mitoyagi takes over. Streets were becoming emptier as soldiers begin to secure the city against supporters of the previous shogunate.
Evening fell, and the sailor closed his eyes in one of the local ryokans that are dominant in ancient Okami.
---
At Ichijoudani, the head priest begin to chant the nembutsu. It's the start of the Futarigyo Festival where the priests mourn the dead of the past and celebrate the future. The river continues to flow through the town and its contents spilled over to the vast oceans.
Here lies a spot where the pain ends and an optimistic future begins. Even though the two's journey had been cut short, It gave us the time to reflect on what is possible and what is not. It was the graves of Ii "Bizen no Kami" Naotaka and Honda "Izumo no Kami" Shigetomo.
"Thank you for hearing out our stories," said Rairen.
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Thank you for reading the update! I hope that you enjoy the journey that we had today regarding our main characters. I know it's a little bit depressing to see their fates sealed in a small timepiece that had distorted time it was also great seeing their adventure unfold over the past two years. It had been my passion to see the characters and the storytelling and the city building grow into complete fruition. It had been my mouthpiece when I am interested in a topic or become interested in things that I want to have a say on. It was fun to interact with friends and viewers of the journal to see what could be done and what was done better. I would like to give you my gratitude for being there with me.
And now, time for the sad news.
I have decided to shut down Okaiken.
While it may seem fun at first, recent events in my real life mean that my time in this journal has passed and it is time for me to move on into other endeavours. It feels like for me, I had been travelling alone for too long and I had lost a lot of friends like what you saw in the journal update later. It feels like if I keep straddling the same road I won't be able to recover anything. I must take a different road now.
When I last did a farewell message in 2011 I was optimistic with what would happen next. I got what I had wanted back then, I managed to put Okaiken in USNW while participating in Queensferry's Wars; A Thousand Words was published after 20-some chapters and it got solved; finally, The Times of Troix remained open as a functioning community newspaper that it even won a Trixie! My heartfelt thanks to all of you guys! Okaiken took me to the craziest of places, introduced me to my Japanese friends and the Japanese language and my passion with landscape architecture and city planning as well as even Asian history. Without it, I could have wondered where I may ended up...
Anyway, time for the final replies of the journal! @JP Schriefer Thank you for being a regular visitor of the journal. I hope you enjoyed the last 5 years of it. Happy New Year to You! @raynev1 Thank you so much for visiting the journal and supporting it along the way. That film with the boxer was although non-understandable was about fulfilling dreams. Once again, thank you so much and I hope to see you around! @MeMyself&I Thank you for the compliments! And yes, I can answer that question for you. The composer is Toshiyuki Watanabe. He had composed great, original soundtracks and classical music pieces in Japan. Didn't know if he's that big elsewhere but he's capable of conducting really beautiful music for anime, TV shows and movies. There's Joe Hisaishi (if you want Ghibli soundtracks), Yoko Kanno (composer that did this beautiful update music), Takayuki Hattori, Akira Senju, Kenji Kawai, Tomita Isao, Shinichiro Ikebe, etc. Lots LOL @Ln X You have been such a wonderful regular of this journal, and I would like to thank you for your support! See you around at some time @slickbg56 Welcome back, before you went MIA you were a great contributor and a regular of this journal! Happy new year and enjoy your new endeavours. @_Michael thanks for being a great regular to the journal! (PS please PM me if you have question about you know... ) @kschmidt Thank you very much! Happy new year to you as well.
@Ln X I hope you enjoyed that last update! @raynev1 thanks for tuning in! @jmsepe Thanks for being a great rival to the journal, you have been a good critic (Waiting for your CJ to come soon HAHAHAHA). @kschmidt Thanks! @123deoliveira4 Thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed the main update as well! @kingofsimcity Thanks for being a regular visitor! I hope to see you around sometime soon.
@CorinaMarie Thank you very much for the input and the visit! I hope to see you at the staff room @CT14 thank you! I hope you enjoyed this journal during its run and I hope to see you again around the site. @JP Schrieferthanks! @kschmidt thanks! @raynev1 yeah, working with a wide range of Japanese music sometimes lead to an interesting update LOL, but I won't go truly Initial D on that one @korver thanks for visiting! Sorry to close this CJ at this time, but you are so awesome at stuff. Hope you can recreate Japanese scenes for us next time lol @_Michael thanks! @Takingyouthere Thanks for being a regular visitor. Hope to see you again on site and keep up the good work! @jmsepe so it comes down to you. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Final word of thanks to the team: @jmsepe, @__A, @NielsC007, @jayguum, @TowerDude, Aran, and SimEmirate
Thanks to the former USNW members for their input, my Japanese friends and teachers for culture notes, my professors for those critiques. They are essential to the very blood of this journal. I leave you now with this clip from NTV (Nippon Television/NNN). Good Night, and I'll see you along the way... - 56
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One Last Drive Through Harbor Country
Hello Everyone! It's been far, far too long. I hope life is treating each of you very well! I'm happy to present this entry, but it feels a little bittersweet. Today we will take one last drive through the Little Traverse Bay harbor country. This city has been nearly three years in the making! I never anticipated that it would take this long, but real life always seems to pop up. That being said, I feel like this is the most complete city I have ever made. I'm pretty happy with the direction that the build has taken over the years. On to some photos! US 31 winds its way around Little Traverse Bay, and we find ourselves starting at the southern most end of the city. This is where we find the vacation getaway that is Bay Harbor. The village boasts a gas station, county sheriff's office, volunteer fire station, and a few small shops. Bay Shore's population jumps up in the summer as vacationers arrive at their cottages. The premium attraction is the Grand Traverse Resort & Conference Center. There is a large golf course that is quite popular! Here is a closer look at the cottages that cover the bluffs. Further east along US 31 we arrive in Petoskey. The city has seen some changes, the biggest change being the water front. A better tour is available in the previous city Journal that highlights the town. This is the updated water front. The dock space organization is much better. I also wanted to highlight the water front's industrial heritage. Gentrification has swept through the heavy industries. Many of the working class homes have also been converted into more modern living spaces. The downtown area is still a bright spot in the region! East of Petoskey are the hills that surround Walloon Lake. The countryside is filled with wineries, dairy farms, and many staple crops. Bay shore, not to be confused with Bay Harbor, is visible at the bottom of the photo. This is the heart of Walloon Lake. The village is home to the regions agriculture. The railway station is over a hundred years old! The large rail trestle is a popular spot for photographers. A man made channel connects the two portions of the spring fed lake. This area is popular with kayak and boating enthusiasts, as well as fishermen. Farms, a church, a winery, and a few small homes dot the countryside south of Walloon Lake. Back on US 31, the highway winds northward along the coast line. We see the forests, dunes, hills, and the North Branch of Walloon Lake that make up Petosaga State Park. Whoa, watch the road... More farms, more coast line. We've arrived at Menonaqua, just outside of Harbor Springs. The main point of interest here is the Traverse Bay Regional Airport. Menonaqua also hosts the region's fuel depot, wind farms, recycling waste center, and a train station. Three highways connect in this small town. We'll continue west on US 31 from here. Fortunately there is good signage to point travelers in the right direction. Hey, check out this wind farms. Logging is still taking place here as well. We've nearly reached Harbor Springs. This farm stands overlooking the Pere Marquette Railway line as it approaches the town. We've arrived in downtown Harbor Springs. This small town is a famous vacation destination in the north country. The town has a strong tourist and industrial past. It is situated on the northwest corner of Little Traverse Bay, making a nearly perfect natural harbor. And here's that harbor. This photo is looking northward. The Iron Horse Hotel is still in operation both as a hotel and a train station. There are many tourist activities available along the boardwalk area. People are clearly enjoying the day. The western edge of downtown is the industrial area. Manufacturing in the area has changed over the years, but Northern Lumber and Acme Boiler continue to be profitable. Harbor Mill Works closed two decades ago, but it has been revitalized as a centerpiece for the downtown. It now houses shops, restaurants, and apartments. US 31 winds north at Harbor Springs, but this photo is taken looking towards the south, back towards the Bay. The land formation is Stafford's Point, an homage to the family that settled here in the early 1800's. The point is now home to multi-millionaires. At the bottom of the photo is Harbor Springs School and the Point West neighborhood. The Harbor Springs Union Hall and the industrial area can also be seen. Well, we've come to the final photo, and it pretty much sums up life in this corner of the word. We see people of all backgrounds lining the pier. Some are fishing, some are boat watching, others swim or just enjoy the day. A sharp looking speed boat is returning from a cruise on the bay... That's all from Harbor Country! Thank you all for reading over the past few years! It has been a lot of fun making this project and sharing it with all of you! I hope life continues to treat each of you very well. - 19
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The Crown building, bonus the seaport is done
This si how the new Crown Building fits in my Bayou district Also i've finished building the base for the seaport. it spreads over 5 large city tiles and a general view of the region ================ @JP Schriefer - thank you @raynev1 - Miami doesn't seem to mind In the next entry i think i'll do some work on the airport and after that i'll come back with some pics from Bayou because there are a lot of stuff i want to show you in Bayou - 7
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Latest Entry
Overview
I wanted to post a bit of an overview of my city (very much under construction of course), to give a taste of where I hope this journal can go. Below I have included a "starter set" of overview images, complete with a Cimtographer OSM map. As I mentioned, much of the city is incomplete. There are massive sections that do not yet exist in any way (such as an international airport, country club, solar array, and lots and lots more suburbs, complete with functioning puiblic transit), and those sections that do are in various stages of completion, with most of it needing more refinements and detailing. That being said, here's a few overview shots of the city as a whole. Enjoy!
Overview of the Business district, Capitol hill, and shore-line apartments. University is to the right, Highway 10 to the left, and the central park + new developments at the top.
The central park and newer city center, from above. Older apartments around the original park on the left mix with with newer construction to the right. The main road bisects the two (disregard the Opera House just off camera to the right, as it is simply a placeholder for a proper asset). The sunken highway runs across the top of the image.
The central park of the city, looking north. An older cathedral sits just off of the park, amongst the much newer apartment buildings.
The office district, south of central park. The rear of Capitol Hill sits on the left of the image.
The newly-minted university, situated in a small space between the main highway (Highway 10) over the mountain pass and the shore of the lake. An old lighthouse sits on a rocky outcropping to the right (yes, it's a lake, so no, there are no large ships. Just roll with it).
The Central Transit Station, located just behind the university (you can see it in the background of the photo above). With the launch of the Metro Overhaul Mod, I've been in the process of rebuilding my transit system from scratch. This older station sill services the old tracking, but will soon be updated to house the newer metro system. Because having two systems necessitates multiple points of transit between inter-city rail and the local metro, this station will become one of two transit hubs, the other located on the west end of the city. Also, don't mind the wobbly highway to the left. That's getting rebuilt too (I built that before I had the newer version of Road Anarchy as well as Move It! installed).
Business Ave, running east from Capitol Hill (this shot looks west towards the Capitol). An athletic field from the university is just visible in the lower right of the shot.
Rt. 101 (the offshoot from Highway 10 that cuts around the north shore of the lake. Will eventually be the main route to the airport, once I build that). The sunken highway was done to try and keep views open across the route, but the larger apartments still block much of the shoreline from the western suburb here. The center of the shot features the newly minted Inter-Transit Station West (or IT West by the locals), serving as a transit point between the inter-city rail and the local metro system. Due to the release of the Metro Overhaul Mod, massive infrastructure changes are needed to introduce the system completely, although doing so will also allow for the city to introduce it's first subway system, something that has been sorely needed to alleviate traffic in the center of town. This station here represents the first step in this process.
The beginning of northern suburbs. Because of the transit system running to the left of Rt. 101, a more "experimental" entrance/exit system was required (thanks to the Move It! mod for making this possible). The International Airport is planned to sit in the space at the top of the image, along the edge of the lake.
With MOM now being a thing, I can finally have over-road metro systems, and I am loving it. Looks gritty and haphazard, and I love it.
Overview of the brunt of the city, with spaghetti junction in the lower left.
The newer suburbs to the south. Some future planning is visible off to the left.
The city from atop Shelnutt Park, a federally owned and protected park just outside of the city. A nice get-away for the city's residents.
A (slightly outdated) Cimtographer OSM export, showing most of the city. For some reason the lake itself did not export, but it should be clear where it is (the large gap at the top).
Cheers,
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1900 AD - A New Century!
Welcome back to Winton, ready to begin the new 20th century? I can't wait to see the technological ideals arising, and to rise. Maybe more trains, and transportation, heck even maybe horses made of gears! It'll help out at the corral that's for sure. We do as the new year begins for us, have a new landmark for our little town. Welcome back, we see the general store and such at night lit up along Goodwin St. People gathering at the courthouse for a New Years celebration. Inside a band will be playing, food, and all in the first floor! Square Dancing, and so much more. All is welcomed! Free of charge! The neighborhoods are quiet, people are gathering at the courthouse, to see the quiet small streets like Broadmoor street here in its fine beauty. The school is also planting a small community garden, wish them luck in our climate; but it teaches the kids about real outdoorsy skills, and them not stuck inside on their washboards and guitars. This is the future, all of us outside, having a fun time! Now for the big landmark we were talking about! Which is named the, Alan Coleman Gazebo, after Doctor Alan Coleman, who was the town doctor till 1899 when he died at the age of 74. A great doctor he was, we miss him much in our town. We'll see you all in 1903.- Read More
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Various views of the city
Photos of different areas in New Alexandria city- Read More
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I mean it!
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We're Going Downtown
Welcome Back to New Cardiff! Hey, it hasn't been long, but I wanted to post a short progress report on New Cardiff. After finishing the highway, I set to work on the downtown area. I began by downloading a couple of diagonal assets and scattering them about the area. After about an hour of tinkering, this is the result: This is just a barebones setup, I need to go and find several diagonal park assets and such to really fill out the space. Any suggestions? Replies @Urban Constanta Thanks so much! And I've fixed the link. Thanks for the sub! @MeMyself&I Again, thanks for subbing! Thanks for the love on the Funkychange, it's my first try at something so unique. Shameless Plug Section Here's a nice 6-ish minute video of me building all this. If you like my work please check out my YouTube channel. I'm currently building my city of Harinsburg, as well as New Cardiff, which is meant to capture the look of a Midwestern industrial river town. If you really like Harinsburg and want too see still images, written descriptions, etc, check out my other City Journal of Harinsburg: - 2
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A long awaited update
The last time I updated this CJ was a teaser and was many months ago. I haven't touched Simtropolis much since then but I still play Simcity 4 albeit not regularly. Not only that I'm more preoccupied with university life, actual urban planning (or at least studying it) is way more fun than I thought it would be and possibly more fun than playing this game. Well, moving on to the city journal itself, here's what the picture in the aforementioned 'teaser' has come to: It is the center of the old town, or the old town that used to exist here when the place was still the fertile, agricultural village it used to be before tall office buildings took over. The 'Alun - Alun', one of the few remaining remnants of the old village, is where people used to and still do congregate for various events and festivals. It has since been renovated and renewed into that of a modern park rather than the flat, open grass area it used to be. Additionally, the government of the region is still based here, like it used to be many many years ago. More remnants of the former old town; some slums as well as the old commercial center and market. This part of town is protected from commercial encroachment as a heritage to the city's simple past. Needless to say, it's a seedy place with much prostitution and many of the richer populace, as well as some hard-line local Islamists want the place to no longer demolished. Also in picture is the central train station, that services an hourly commuter rail service. It also serves to link the city with Jakarta to the north and Bandung to the east. The CBD extends itself to the north; development is less dense with many high end stores catering to the more well-off people of the city as well as a cinema. Well, that closes out this update, keep following this CJ for the next update, I promise it won't be long! - 5
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Total City Journals3,961
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That's a lot of industry! Im curious, where are the commercial zones in the city? I couldn't spot them. -
By ilikehotdogsalot · Posted:
Lovely airport! Nice to see Pan Am made a comeback in your city! -
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By Tyberius06 · Posted:
Very cool images and nicely designed airport! Great work! -
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those patterns are really cool! You're a patient planner. congrats!
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Can't remember what I voted last time. I think it was a few farms. Anyway I'll go with SAND DUNES today. -
By justforfun · Posted:
Ploppable textures would amazing! Meanwhile I also made a small set of S3D fillers. Of course they don't work so well on slopes, haha.
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