Jade Bight 2: Explanation
The Jade Bight 2
EXPLANATION:
First, let me welcome back those who have chosen to drop by and see what is going on. I am gratified that you were interested enough to return. Thank you.
Next: Thank you for all the help getting my picture-taking skills up to speed and ridding me of the dreaded UDI's!! You ever notice how they seem to follow you around the map? No matter where you choose to work, one of those blasted things will get in the way!
In the first installment of "The Jade Bight Saga", I explained what I had been doing in Sc4 and how I came to be interested in a more "realistic and natural feel" in my regions. I had (or have) developed a passion for the "realism aspects" of the game and wish to design cities that more closely resemble real-world cities. I want to get away from the "cartoonish" representation of industries, ports, business districts, and neighborhoods that are portrayed by 6x6 lots jammed in on top of one another. That, naturally, required an entirely new region to use as my painter's pallet.
Why the Jade Bight?
Well you may ask. As a younger man. I spent several years in The Federal Republic of Germany and found the people to be friendly and their country absolutely beautiful. I cannot decide which I find more inspiring -- the Bavarian Alps or the coast of The North Sea -- but that is another story, and far too long to tell.
I have also studied military history since the age of 9, and I have always been especially drawn to the naval history. Germany has, of course, played a large part in the naval history of the last century, and I find THE most interesting to be the "Imperial Period" during Wilhelm II's reign. The High Sea Fleet of the Kaiserliche Marine was the second most powerful navy in the world, and we do find ourselves in the middle of the 100th Anniversary of The Great War. Next year -- May 31st, 2016 -- will be the Centennial of The Battle Of Jutland -- the largest clash of dreadnoughts the world has ever seen. I have a fascination for the big-gun battleships of the 20th Century -- hence my forum name; "Dreadnought". So "The German Bight", as the region is known, has been much on my mind.
Looking at the pictures, you will see that it has a haunting, almost desolate sort of beauty all it's own. And the flat shingle beaches look a lot like the ones in my game! Looking at the map, you will see that the German Bight encompasses the entire North Sea coastline of Germany from the Ems Estuary and the port of Emden, all the way north to the Island Of Sylt. It is a low, flat terrain with sand dunes, storm dikes, and tidal creeks and rivers. Perfect for small ports, large harbors, and big cities. (No mountains -- I hate mountains!)
Smack in the "crooked elbow" of the shoreline you will find "The Jade Bight". Originally created by storm floods, the bight (or bay) was actually an estuary and is sometimes still called that by historians. But over the centuries, much dike building and land reclamation reduced the flow of fresh water reaching the sea to the point that is was reclassified as a bay. The North Sea, however, has a a strong tidal action due to the extreme shallowness of the sea over most of it's area. The strong tidal flow through the neck of the bight caused a scouring action that created a fine natural harbor and the deepest entrance channel on the entire coastline.
In 1853, the Kingdom of Prussia wisely purchased a large tract of land on the western shore of the bay to be developed as a trade port and naval base. This would eventually grow into the major shipping hub of Wilhelmshaven. Here, the Imperial Dockyards would provide a secure base for "The Hochseeflotte" -- the main battle fleet of Imperial Germany. Since 1945, the entire region of the bight has been developed into a massive complex of ports and industry that compares favorably with any other region in the world. It also just happens to be the major entry point for Germany's oil imports. Well -- so much for the travelogue!
So what's not to like?
It's on the ocean -- I like oceans and seaports. It's a pretty green country -- no brown landscapes. It's almost at sea level -- mostly flat -- I hate mountains. It's perfect for building seaports, industry, and sprawling cities. It has a historical connection with a period I like reading about. It's a perfect place to drop a ton of Debussyman's beautiful neo-classical buildings. It's just crying out to have it's own Navy. And -- no mountains! (Did I mention hating mountains?)
The only problem I see is that I will have to move inland considerably before I can raise some terrain high enough to put in mines. Some of them are designed to be stuck on the sides of mountains (yech!) and don't look very good on flat ground. Plus -- I can find no reference to coal mines near the coast.
REFERENCE, YOU SAY?
Yes -- reference. All my regions must have some sort of connection with a real country or previous empire. It's some kind of glitch in my brain. Even when I play wargames I can't play "fantasy" countries. I even had German or British cities when I played "Civilization". One of my Sc4 regions was named "Streltzau" -- but that's a province in the mythical Kingdom of Ruritania (Prisoner Of Zenda). My historical connection there was Ronald Coleman -- he fought in WW I. I know -- it's very convoluted reasoning -- but that's why it's called The Jade Bight Region.
REGIONAL MAP -- so far:
Here is a regional map of what I'll be working on. It should help you get your bearings in the new region.
After the long explanation about the Jade Bight, you may be disappointed to note that it does not really conform to the geographical map -- but it's kinda close. Or it will be when more of it is filled in. I would like to point out, however, that I may take a little "license" with the geography. The Island of Sylt, for example, instead of being far north, may wind up out west somewhere. But -- as MGB once wisely said -- "Go for the ESSENCE of the thing".
Remember, this is my first region after wanting to move into "realism" and I'm still finding it very hard to break old habits. With my old style of gaming, you filled as much water as possible -- or just enough to still get a marina or a cruise ship. You wound up with sqaure islands, etc, etc. So I'm trying to break out of the old "formula terrain" into a more natural looking shoreline -- but it ain't all that easy. The human brain is it's own worst enemy. It wants too many things at once, and they usually conflict with one another.
I'm also having trouble working the new concept versus the need to have a decent sized population. I have no idea how many people will actually fit into one of my cities without causing all the crowding problems. How many homes do I build before I destroy my own creation?
Another problem I'm having is balancing the industrial sprawl against the other needs of the city. But that is kind of "the name of the game" isn't it? The good news there is that I think I'm on the right track with the city I'm working on right now. But you'll see some of these mistakes as we go along. And these are some of the issues I hope to get comments on. Advice is always welcome.
Anyhow --
We have the cities of Wangerooge Island, Schillig Roads, Harlesiel, and Wittmund. The two smaller cities are, more or less, finished. There is only so much room to work with and growth will be limited no matter what you do. Plus -- I use the smaller map cities as power providers and trash removal facilities. (I know -- it's a horrible thing to do -- but you know what they say...."Somebody's got to do it!" (lol-lol)
The two larger cities are works-in-progress. There are only 4 cities in the region, so far, and the growth rate is pretty slow. I use the tried and true method of moving to another map and starting a new city so I can raise the levels in the region. Hopefully, this will give everyone a boost and I can come back to the older cities in the future and bring them up to standards.
Okay --
This time I gave you a few pictures, and a lot of words of explanation. Sorry for being boring, but I wanted all of you to know that I HATE mountains!
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Wangerooge Island -- with a mess of pictures and just enough description to let you know what the basic idea was.
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