Crystal Junction - Reborn (C:SL in 4K)

History:

It's been almost 12 years, since my old city journal of Crystal Junction went dark. At the time, Sim City 4 was still relatively new, Simtropolis was just a few years old, and the newest NAM feature to come out were individual on-ramps for highways. I know that's been a while, but at the time I had one of most popular city journals on here, with nearly 738 replies (combination posts/ comments) and 60,000 views. Crystal Junction: a vast desert metropolis straddling a deep rugged canyon. People who joined this site in the early days likely remember it, mostly due to the city's vast urban sprawl across the desert landscape.  My last official post was April 19, 2005 when I had to make the sad and unfortunate decision to end to journal due to various life issues at the time.

Thinking of a Rebirth and Game Switch:

After close to 7 years of being out of the city building world, back in October of 2016, I made the decision to get back into this universe. The unfortunate part was Sim City 4 went so far ahead with BAT, NAM, and countless other mods that I felt overwhelmed, thinking I could not catch up to everything. Maybe it was time to try a new city simulator. The first obvious choice was to try out Sim City 2013; however, after reading reviews, watching youtube videos and seeing pics of the game, I was sadly unimpressed. (No offense intended towards any SC2013 players). Then just by chance i happened to come across a youtube video of Cities: Skylines, and was just blown away from the level of detail the game had.  I ended up buying Cities: Skylines and trying it out, and just feel in love with it.

(Sim City 4 fans, please don't misinterpret me, I still and thinking of at some point reinstalling SC4 and trying to play catch up, just not yet.)

I started my Frontier City Journal back in November, and it has turned into a detailing frenzy, and currently is my pride and glory on here. Frontier City is also a prototype to see what this game can do, and how far I can take it. At the start of 2017, I started thinking. Maybe I should lookup old projects and see if they could be redone. Then it clicked, I should redo Crystal Junction in Cities: Skylines, and see how I can revitalize a long dead legend. Now because of the game shift, some might be disappointed and I do apologize. At the same time however, a new decade, a new take.

Filling a big pair of shoes:

Redoing Crystal Junction in Cities Skylines is not going to be no easy task. I am going to be trying to fill a really big pair of old shoes. Like any city building endeavor I take, I prefer to create every part of the city from scratch (minus buildings of course, I have no 3D modeling skills). First will be the map, and then utilities, and onward. C:SL has big maps to work with, but the map may not be big enough for this journal, and I am contemplating creating 2, possibly three separate maps for the city. Still thinking about how to merge them as far as pictures go. The other option will be a single map and just using the map space as best I can. (Any input would be appreciated on these ideas). I will be redoing the city entirely, but trying to keep key elements of the original city's landscape.

The other issue I have to contend with it C:SL's absolutely horrible development simulator, which is going to make this a real challenge. With SC4, cities develop based off of total population, urban center, and other more lifelike factors. C:SL on the otherhand wants to turn every house into a high tech ugly condo and every office into a tower. Natural city growth will be difficult, and I may end up just having to build the city from the center onward as if I was putting a puzzle together, instead of raising a puppy as it grows into a full grown dog.

For the time being I will be focused on a single map and terraforming it into a desert landscape with a vast deep canyon running through the middle, as was the case with the original journal. After the map is finished, Crystal Junction will be a side project, until most of the Frontier City journal is complete. Since Frontier City is planned on a long term journal, Crystal Junction updates will be slow at first, so please be patient.

Comments:

As always I appreciate any comments, input, etc.... Feel free to tell me your thoughts on this, even give suggestions. Like the old Crystal Junction, this new one will have a large degree of interactivity, where people reading can help put ideas forth for developing the city. If anyone has any ideas on how to best keep a multiple map city journal in C:SL, please let me know.

Below is just a blank slate for the map, representing just about 10 minutes of map editing. There is a lot of work to do. BTW: I am using @Fluxtrance's Arrowhead Valley map theme, and @Strictoaster,s Arrowhead Valley LUT on this, since both seem to be perfect for desert-type maps.

As always, any thoughts, let me know.

Thanks.