Raysfan16

<strong><img alt="" src="http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4396/bannerfi.jpg" /> Hi everyone. My name is Dion Brock. I have lived in the city of Moraine for all my life in a well-to-do neighborhood just southeast of downtown. I am currently 29 years old and plan on running for Mayor in the upcoming election. Follow my story of my experiences with the city's rise and fall. <img alt="" src="http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9135/stumorainee.jpg" /> Please excuse the low-quality image. There might be criminals on Simtropolis. Without further ado, let me introduce you to my city. <img alt="" src="http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/446/history.jpg" /></strong> <div style="text-align: center"><strong>I was born in 1980. The city was still much better off than it is here in late 2009. The downtown building stock was still there, the environment was still here and there, and the suburban communities weren't 110% unsustainable. My first memories of the city were when I was 5 years old. I will never forget the time my father and I were returning to Moraine on a flight and looked out the window at the gleaming city. From there, the plane was low enough to clearly see details, like the skyline and the cars zooming by on the highway. <img alt="" width="800" height="600" src="http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2964/firstnightregionview.jpg" /></strong></div> <div style="text-align: center"><strong>When I was little, I also always used to ask my grandmother what the city was like. I was fascinated to hear her stories from the 1930s and 1940s when the city was thriving. In the '30s and '40s, downtown was THE epicenter. It was THE place to be. Every person (that is, every person with an intent on style and quality) would shop downtown and not worry about being caught in the dark for there were many pedestrians and ample lighting and ways to get home. My grandmother was one of those people, and so were many other grandmothers and people who lived in that time. However, today is much different. Today, no grandmother wouldn't be caught dead walking around in downtown after the sun went down for the exact fear of being caught dead downtown the next morning. <span style="font-size: medium">I intend to change this. <font size="2">Gone will be the emphasis on suburbs. Gone will be the paving over of once-majestic buildings. Coming to a town near you, new buildings will rise, as majestic as the ones they replaced. Coming to a town near you, I will implement mass transit and new developments to make this great city compact, walkable, and sustainable. <span style="font-size: large"><span style="color: #003366">Are you ready?</span></span> </font></span></strong></div>

In case there were any holdouts... It's been a long time since I've even touched Moraine, much less provided some sort of update for it. So here's the story. SimCity and all of the custom content I've accumulated over the years outgrew my computer's capabilities, and with the nine minute load time accompanied with the high risk of crashes at any moment, it wasn't any fun making any real progress with the city. So I completely deleted my Plugins folder a while ago, and even started a new, smaller collection so I could build cool cities on other regions. But that's boring! I've pretty much stopped playing SC4 altogether, and Moraine is done for good. I can't access it anymore without it being an insane compendium of black boxes. It's not worth the time anymore, which I don't have either. Real life 1, Raysfan16 0. In other news, I've been accepted into the University of Illinois, and I'm going to be majoring in Urban Planning. Ain't that something, huh? And I've got to say, there's quite a possibility I wouldn't have known these career options without Simtropolis and the wonderful City Journals that have been published throughout the years. Without City Journals, I'd be either undecided or taking something I'm not really interested in, while SimCity would only be a fun little (Maxis-only) diversion from the drudgery of real life. So while this is only a lighthearted picture dumpster for some, it's helped me and my future. That being said, from me to the Simtropolis community, I'd like to thank everyone for the comments and compliments along the way (even if it was a "Nice work, can't wait to see more!"), whether it was during Skagit County, Loretto Valley, or Moraine. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be pulling my hair out studying Physics or something. Oh, and Dion Brock saves the city and Moraine turns into a global metropolis and success story for the world and suburban sprawl ends and everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

Been quite a long time since I last stopped by the forums, and it's good to see Wenzel is still progressing. The region view is really astonishing, and you pay close attention to detail in the close-ups. Frankly, I don't know how you do it! Looks like something from the Great Lakes/ Rust Belt. Keep up the good work, man! Oh, and that was a close game the other week, Packers vs. Bucs! I bet it scared you a lil bit when they got close, don't lie!

I rarely come to ST anymore, but wow! It amazes me how the story still continues to this day. I like the maps, they are as professional as ever. And your Millipedia articles are definitely wiki-like. Haha.

Snowy day in Moraine. I've never seen snow in my life so bear with me here.

Hey Dan, glad to hear that your views are quite equal to mine. I'm not trying to get across a meaage, but it seems like a realistic win for Brock. I wonder what politics are like up in Virginia, I know that even at my school in Florida stuff gets way too political to the point at thich it gets sickening. (I think it was 46 faculty members who have left since the new principal came in, soon it will be more) But real political stuff is pretty interesting as long as Rick Scott's not your governor. Nice to see you commenting in here still, and I hope you enjoy the first real update in a long time. Thanks, redrummage! Looks like you'll enjoy this update, as well as the next one. -------------------------------- Dion Brock's first order of business: rail. To increase mobility between the east and west ends of Moraine's metro area, Brock proposed a commuter rail, and a streetcar connecting the two downtown stations. The proposal was met with wide praise, and it rocketed through the planning stages. The streetcar system connected the station, a possible future station going northwards, the Moraine Arena, the central square, the baseball stadium, the convention center, and the central station. It would serve downtown workers as well as commuters who rode the train. Construction began immediately. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, fellow Simtropolians!

New York London Paris Tokyo Rome/Venice Los Angeles Athens Jerusalem/Mecca (religious significance) Hong Kong Some city known infamously (Pyongyang? Hiroshima? Baghdad?) Honorable mentions: Beijing Vancouver (most recent Olympics + big, livable city) Miami Rio de Janeiro Mexico City Sydney Berlin EDIT: Fixed. I forgot Hong Kong.

Wow, the Bitter Creek area has really been paved over quite nicely! I'd recommend CSGdesign's Basic Concrete Seawalls for a lower-wealth, gritty area like that but hey, that's just my opinion. My opinion also is that you are developing your new areas very realistically. And in response to your reply, I find the exact same problem with Moraine. It doesn't look like something in an aerial map so I assume something's wrong. Too bad I've already developed the inner city, cause suburbs are no fun to recreate.

This is quite possibly the coolest city I have ever seen. Not much on realism, but the uniqueness of it just brings it out. You make a combo of rock mods, rails, seasonal trees, and dense evergreen forests among sky-high mountains to make it astonishingly....awesome. The rails remind me of a roller coaster. Keep it up, I hope you do more updates once this city is exhausted!

nathanthemayor, they are pictures of Barry Melrose and Guy Boucher, one a former and one a current NHL hockey coach of the Tampa Bay lIghtning. Dan, thanks for the entusiasm and comment, but I can't really make a city journal without Brock winning. To Make a Long Story Short: Brock wins. When asked about the victory and hard-fought election, he said: "Politics is done with. Let's remake a city now."

chrissc94, I replied up there. Thanks for your comment. woodb3kmaster, yeah you were right. It's pretty obvious but is still hopefully an interesting race to watch. Thanks for the comment! Hey, Benedict. Thanks for dropping by again. Thanks for commenting, Dan (dfnva). Yeah, there's not much Brock can do about that, but it's nice to know he has that as a priority, right? Gld you noticed the 'no' thing. I was going for realism, not a biased message, I promise! ..... Great job, redrummage! You were right! I guess I forgot to photoshop the Bolts pin. Anyways, good job and thanks for commenting. Moraine remained divided by elections. There was no majority that was expected to win, and a Gallup poll even predicted a near-tie, with Brock recieving only 350 more votes more than Green. Geographically, there were major divisions within Moraine. The poorer neighborhoods tended to favor Brock, while the rich and the businessmen favored Green. Brock and the Democrats had more districts, but Green's conservatice strongholds were denser and had a higher tendency to vote. Both politicians and their action groups never stopped campaigning. The local news did a segment on why certain people liked him, and many answers were given. This resident said, "I like Brock. He seems like he is going to change the city for the better. I like his personality, a relentless man who will not stop until Moraine is the best it can be. Green seems like more of the same old, same old. I don't want that when my downtown office area is as dangerous as a war zone, y'know what I mean?" This is what another resident said: "I love Moraine, and you can tell Green does too. Wouldn't it be a shame if this city, from its pinnacle of 50 years ago, falls into all things but debt? I'd hate that. Green can lead us to where we want, without stupid reforms nobody likes." Moraine remained deadlocked. If I don't get back to y'all before Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Nice update again...I really liked the last pic. Back on the topic of rail, does Winchester have a train station? That might be a cool route once this is done-a rail route.

Good point. I added a little message at the end of my post after reading that.

Benedict, thanks for leaving a comment. You won't be disappointed by my return. Welcome to Moraine, kadado_to_save! Thanks for the kind comment, but I'm not sure what button you're talking about. I hope I do to, redrummage! Here is some more info on that! 2010 Moraine Mayoral Election After a relatively quick primary election, the election was limited to two major candidates. In the red corner....stood Joseph Green. Joseph Green ran on the Republican ticket. His message: "In a nation which is crumbling due to out-of control spending and reckless tax hikes, I plan to offer refreshing principles for the city. Gone will be the high taxes which attack spending power. Gone will be the radical plans to spend on transit which nobody wants. If people like the suburbs better than the city, let the county governments deal with them. They decide to live away from the city, and we cannot change that. Fiscal conservatism is the way to success, and there will be no shortage of that when I take office." Green campaigned in the conservative Irish district of Harahan heavily, which was one of his expected strongholds. He also campaigned in the rich district of Brooks Park, where Republican ideals were supported by businessmen and entrepreneurs. Though they did not have much of anything to do with Moraine, Green steadfastly asserted his views on certain national issues. Abortion: "Pro-Life" Gay Marriage: Against Health care reform: Against Economic stimulus: Against High speed rail earmarks: Against (money better spent on other improvements) Legalization of marijuana: Against Cap and trade: Against He also let voters know his views on Moraine issues. Port improvements: For Commuter rail: Against Light rail: Against Expansion of bus system: Against Incentives for urban infill: Against Education and health expansions: Against Tax cuts for rich (Bush tax cuts): For ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In the blue corner.....stood newcomer Dion Brock. Dion Brock ran on the Democratic ticket, though he was slightly moderate. His message: "Moraine is crumbling. People can't get from here to there. There is rampant crime all around, and poor public institutions which should be the foundation of success. Instead, the health sytem is in a coma and the educational system hasn't gotten 'gooder' in a matter of decades. This is not meant to scare. I plan to invest in the city. There would not be an urban center if Moraine wasn't here. Moraine is still at the epicenter, even though people don't stop there. Mass transit and reform are my primary objectives. The road will be tough, but with your help I can make Moraine the pride of the country." Brock's campaign took him to the Old Northwest neighborhood, where many people struggling to get by felt inspired by his message. He also campaigned in the old municipality of Tufton, which has also been stricken by poor economic conditions despite its place inside Moraine's city limits. As a response to Green's loud and clear stances, Brock answered the same qustions. Abortion: "Pro-Choice" Gay Marriage: For, but should be decided by state governments Health care reform: For Economic stimulus: For High speed rail earmarks: For Legalization of marijuana: Against Cap and trade: For He also let voters know his views on Moraine issues. Port improvements: For Commuter rail: For Light rail: For Expansion of bus system: For, but not top priority Incentives for urban infill: For Education and health expansions: For Tax cuts for rich (Bush tax cuts): Against (Instead, 1% sales tax hike to pay for infrastructure improvements) Who will Win? Green? OR Brock? NOTES: Bonus points to those who can tell me who those two people are in real life. Also, feel free to discuss your opinions on who you want to win. EDIT: This post is not designed to favor one political ideology over another. It was more of an attepmt to realistically portray what the two candidates would be like during 2010 in a city like Moraine. Those who want to cry foul because of a (future) liberal bias, I see where you are coming from, but this journal focuses on realism and I cannot fathom a conservative advocating sweeping reforms or an American political race of any sort NOT featuring a republican vs. a democrat. Just wanted to make that clear.

As one who enjoys the quirky "hobby" of exploring around with real life American aerial maps, the views I have seen here are just tremendous. A few more updates and this is definitely being bookmarked in my sig.

Phew, what an update! What I especially like about this update is how the signs get so chaotic when downtown comes up. No simple stack interchanges (Exit 148 is quite a MONSTER), just signs that confuse drivers going 70mph. The downtown looks majestic as always. I know this journal isn't much into storylines, but I see an improvement project around the road and rail to the right of where Dalton and Union meet. I'd love to ride Amtrak through that, as long as I had a seatbelt on. Anyways, I really hope you get back to updating, but as we all know, real life is a killer. Maybe I'll get to the Moraine mayoral election....one of these days.

I kinda miss CJing. I opened up Moraine today, and didn't do anything because my terrain mod is messed up, everything is such a hassle on this computer of mine. Nothing is seriously wrong, but if you don't have the willpower to do much, nothing much will get done. Meanwhile, I just wanted to share a few pics of some areas of Moraine that remain unseen. More development to come hopefully.

I kinda miss CJing. I opened up Moraine today, and didn't do anything because my terrain mod is messed up, everything is such a hassle on this computer of mine. Nothing is seriously wrong, but if you don't have the willpower to do much, nothing much will get done. Meanwhile, I just wanted to share a few pics of some areas of Moraine that remain unseen. More development to come hopefully.

Whoa. First of all that first Asbury Park picture is absolutely gorgeous. I especially love how everything gets placed by the creek and the silver L-shaped building. It's also nestled along farms and encroaching suburbs. And the downtown....WOW! It's exactly what a midwestern downtown would be like...with tall buildings but empty streets and surface parking lots...you made it dusty and boring very realistically. I can't wait to see the rest of the urban core and the areas surrounding Downtown.

Oh wow. Good thing I didn't miss this. I've been lurking around waiting for a development update, and you didn't disappoint! Coming from the suburbs myself, I know exactly what you are trying to build and accomplish with some of your stuff. Like the manmade ponds....I bet they have fountains with a silly name relating to nature.... lol. I'd like to see what you'll do with the Convention Center in downtown, but I won't get ahead of you and hopefully just enjoy some real(istic?) suburbs for now.

Please, Please, PLEASE do not judge all Floridians based on this one psycho and his followers. We're not a xenophobic, socially backwards state. We're a spray-tanned, xenophobic, politically backwards state. This is absolutely unacceptable and it's a shame I don't live closer to this place, cause I'd bring in a tub full of fire extiguishers (pretend they are Korans) and crash the event.

Kinda opposite to the moon one, maybe this tells you about where the journal is going. That is all I'm gonna tell you. Welcome back, VashTS240. You'll see roads-a-plenty soon, but probably mostly transit because, after all, Moraine's supposed to be improving, right? Hope your compooper gets better. Hey, lucky7. Glad to see you stop by. Come back again to see the good part! Wassup, GreekMan. I hope you see what's going on here too! You'll enjoy it! Thanks for the comment, Mayorm. Glad to see you're still stoping by, redrummage. You've been a loyal fan and the payoff is coming soon! British_Petroleum, if you clean up the oil I might put up a seawall. Thanks for the advice, Sirron Kcuhc. ALso, you have the coolest username EVER! Thanks for stopping by again, Benedict. Quick update. But, very important.

Kinda opposite to the moon one, maybe this tells you about where the journal is going. That is all I'm gonna tell you. Welcome back, VashTS240. You'll see roads-a-plenty soon, but probably mostly transit because, after all, Moraine's supposed to be improving, right? Hope your compooper gets better. Hey, lucky7. Glad to see you stop by. Come back again to see the good part! Wassup, GreekMan. I hope you see what's going on here too! You'll enjoy it! Thanks for the comment, Mayorm. Glad to see you're still stoping by, redrummage. You've been a loyal fan and the payoff is coming soon! British_Petroleum, if you clean up the oil I might put up a seawall. Thanks for the advice, Sirron Kcuhc. ALso, you have the coolest username EVER! Thanks for stopping by again, Benedict. Quick update. But, very important.

Kinda opposite to the moon one, maybe this tells you about where the journal is going. That is all I'm gonna tell you. Welcome back, VashTS240. You'll see roads-a-plenty soon, but probably mostly transit because, after all, Moraine's supposed to be improving, right? Hope your compooper gets better. Hey, lucky7. Glad to see you stop by. Come back again to see the good part! Wassup, GreekMan. I hope you see what's going on here too! You'll enjoy it! Thanks for the comment, Mayorm. Glad to see you're still stoping by, redrummage. You've been a loyal fan and the payoff is coming soon! British_Petroleum, if you clean up the oil I might put up a seawall. Thanks for the advice, Sirron Kcuhc. ALso, you have the coolest username EVER! Thanks for stopping by again, Benedict. Quick update. But, very important.

Kinda opposite to the moon one, maybe this tells you about where the journal is going. That is all I'm gonna tell you. Welcome back, VashTS240. You'll see roads-a-plenty soon, but probably mostly transit because, after all, Moraine's supposed to be improving, right? Hope your compooper gets better. Hey, lucky7. Glad to see you stop by. Come back again to see the good part! Wassup, GreekMan. I hope you see what's going on here too! You'll enjoy it! Thanks for the comment, Mayorm. Glad to see you're still stoping by, redrummage. You've been a loyal fan and the payoff is coming soon! British_Petroleum, if you clean up the oil I might put up a seawall. Thanks for the advice, Sirron Kcuhc. ALso, you have the coolest username EVER! Thanks for stopping by again, Benedict. Quick update. But, very important.