Jade Bight 15: Nordholz
The Jade Bight 15:
Nordholz
Having toured the hideaway of the rich and reclusive in Greeseil for our last installment, we now travel southeast -- and once again, away from the sea. We will be spending a bit of time in the small and very prosperous village of Nordholz. The thriving hamlet is nestled in the smooth and fertile heart of the North German Plain mid-way between the bustling seaport of Emden on the west and the major maritime center of Wilhelmshaven on the east. Surrounded by all that industry and commerce, it is small wonder that Nordholz opted for more agrarian pursuits.
I have chosen another small map to work on this time. There will be one more small map to follow this one as I work my way around the edges of a medium map and a large map. Having decided to attempt working on a more "regional" approach, it is important that smaller surrounding maps be populated before attempting the medium and large ones. I'm working on the theory that the larger maps will be able to focus more on industry and commerce without having to take up too awful much space with residential zones. It may or may not work -- since smaller maps do not sport large populations, either. But we shall see when we reach installment #17.
NORDHOLZ: Overview
This is my second effort at a farming community -- and it has had mixed results. I don't have as much experience with farms as I have with other types of zones, so I figured a little practice would be in order. I downloaded and installed the BSC Fields material and found the results disappointing. The BSC farms grow quite readily, but the results are not nearly as impressive as the SPAM lots. I had to resort to heavy detailing and a good deal of filler lots to offset the difference. I did devote a bit more space to the farms in an effort to improve the scale aspect. Small farms are OK -- but I feel they are more realistic on a larger scale. I did extensive work with fences and invested heavily in MMP work to try and boost the realism. I find that I am drawn more to "livestock" farms than crops, and these will require even larger acreage to implement. I will soon be doing a medium sized map based on agriculture, and this one has been good practice, as well as providing ideas for the future.
POWER PLANT & TRASH DISPOSAL:
Nordholz is bordered on the east by Wilhelmshaven (a large map), and will be providing a power source and trash removal services for that major port city. I assume a single, medium-sized, Nuclear facility will be enough to supply the needs of Wilhelmshaven. But -- since it will be home to the bulk of the heavy units of the Imperial Fleet, as well as being a seaport and industrial center -- I have made arrangements for another "sister city" to be available as well. Wouldn't be too bright to build a gigantic military / industrial complex if you can't keep the lights on! (lol)
SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD:
A small and slightly upscale neighborhood in the southeast corner of the village. I still haven't managed to get away from the "grid patterns" of the game, but I do think I'm getting better at breaking it up a bit and disguising the grid to some degree.
CHURCH & PARK:
I do like those BSC parkways!! They are amazingly flexible and maintain a simplicity that is almost "minimalist beauty" in itself.
CITY CENTER:
I tried to keep the civic clutter down to a minimum and managed to concentrate it at the "hub" of the roads coming in from the four edges of the map -- much like real small towns. And you have to look closely in order to tell it's the main intersection.
CITY HALL:
I've been downloading a bunch of "City Halls" and "Council Chambers" (Matt325b makes some very good ones!) -- but I was between downloads when I needed one for Nordholz. I trotted out the small Maxis City Hall and dressed it up a bit. I never actually considered how many "City Halls" (or substitutes) you need to provide variety for a region.
TRAIN STATION:
You've got to have a good, dependable, train station to keep those commuters headed for Wilhelmshaven!!
WEST EDGE & PATH:
Nice little park on the west edge of town with a path leading through the woods to the local riding school.
RED RYDER ARABIANS:
I had such fun with a horse ranch on the last agriculture map -- I decided to expand on the theme a bit. This is "Red Ryder Arabians" -- an equestrian ranch of the first water. (And -- for you trivia buffs among us -- there's a Saturday matinee trivia question worth 50 points in that name !!) This is a combination farm, horse breeding ranch, boarding stable, and equestrian school -- all rolled into one! It's owned by a wealthy breeder named "Jay Rockyfeller" and he's not only amassed more than twice the acreage of my last effort, but his operation is quite extensive.
SCHOOL & STABLE:
The school is on the right with a parking lot and public entrance for the pupils and folks that pay to board their horses here (a select clientele). Just below that you find a paddock with two stables. And across the road are the hay barns, feed silos, etc, etc.
STABLE DETAIL:
Here's a close-up of the well kept stables. One crowd is gathered down by the horse trailers -- socializing (some folks ride -- some just come for the society). At the other end of the paddock, you see a small group at the hitching post -- mounting up and preparing to head for the bridal paths. All the while, some of "Jay's" prized Arabian Greys enjoy munching the clover, while others gather at the corner to watch the traffic. (I forgot to let the cars run before taking the picture!)
PASTURE DETAIL:
ROCKYFELLER HOME & FARM:
Here you see the "Rockyfeller" homestead. Jay thought about building a mansion -- but decided the paddock in front of the house could be put to better use. "Jay's" wife is partial to rhubarb pie -- that's what's growin' on the back twenty. They often invite the farmer from across the road to dinner -- G. Keilor -- rhubarb pie for desert is his favorite! (Another 50 trivia points up for grabs!)
RYE FARM:
This is Rye Farm -- a good size spread -- but a short name. But then again -- that's what he grows. G. Keilor is a man of few words, though elegantly simple. They say his humor is much like his crop. (If you haven't figured out the last trivia question -- this was another hint!)
KORNGOLD FARMS:
This is "Korngold Farms" -- pun intended -- 'cause he grows corn!! Erich Wolfgang Korngold's family has farmed this land since written records were first kept. Notice the two family dwellings. The smaller one belongs to Errol, his first born son, who will one day inherit the land and quite possibly go on to be the royal governor of the province. (The trivia question burried in there is worth 100 points! I saved the toughest one for last.)
We come again to the end of this week's journey. I hope you enjoyed it.
Please leave a comment and feel free to offer advice or criticism.
Next week we will spend a few pleasant moments in an outdoor cafe in the unlikely little village of --
-- Zetel
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