will_silver00

Yeah, I think you should just sort out your map issues and carry on. (No-one will ever know....) Especially if you edit those early pics too. A little tip: have a look for the Region Census program. It's a small thing that lets you look at your city outside of the actual game. It shows a full region view, and a traffic view, and RCI stats if you need them, but it gives you the whole region as one picture so after a bit of resizing you can post it on here. The link is posted in the Edmonton thread somewhere, but its on some other site, maybe Simcity Central. If you want, I can email the program to you? Will EDIT: Can you tell me where I can get the farming quadrupaler and the 'roadunderbridge' mod. Never heard of that last one but it sounds useful...

I was just looking through the CJs forum and came across this thread. Have you stopped it? If you haven't, then I feel well bad no-one ever replied!! So let me be the first person to say I think you're doing really well! That London map is very tricky, especially around the river and you'll need to do some terraforming to get it looking good. Some tips: Try and get all the highways to link up into some kind of network - it always looks a lot better. I'm refering to those over in Fulham and Westpoint btw. Check out the stuff on this site, like BATs, custom lots and buildings etc, cos they can make your cities really come alive. I can't see any in your screenshots, but they're well worth it! Experiment with some non-grid designs. You are on a London map after all, and my capital ain't just grids!! Seriously, even if you're not trying to make a 'real' city, diagonals and so on can look a lot better. Have a look at TheJerseyDevil's Edmonton CJ for some awesome non-griddy roads. More parks! But get some custom lots so they'll look sweet. Cheats! Sneaky and dirty, but it makes the game much better if you wanna make a really big and cool city. I always cheat and I'm proud of it. Try some of the cheat mods from here too, like the super powerplants etc. Lastly, more updates, and close-ups of the bits you're really proud of! Keep up the good work!! Will EDIT: Also, your pics can only be 800x600, so you'll have to edit them down otherwise they'll be removed by a moderator.

Some shots of the new developments in Otranto. I'm developing the port area! More detail to come. Will

Thanks for the comments/suggestions guys! dhoppeii: Weeelll, I'm quite enjoying it really, so I'll keep it going a bit longer. phath3: Thanks man! I had a good long look at Coral Condos in the screenie above and I kinda know what you mean... EnigmaticUK: Lol This poster has gone up around the city in the last couple of days.

That looks superb!! I agree with AfroThunda, make a CJ out of it. Begin on this thread - with an attention-grabbing title like that you'll get loads of hits! Btw, its an honour to post in a thread of yours after you do such great work posting in everyone else's! I always see a Jacqulina post in every CJ i look at. Will

Whoa, quite a few comments to answer. Iknowu: Thanks, I think, although you know that credit for the buildings goes entirely to their creators - largely Xannepan, Porkissimo, JEC, Vanderaap, Frogface etc etc etc. Cheers for the 3!!! Fox: Thanks a lot man, PEG did wonders with that water texture , I think its the best yet. DragonAnime: Thanks dude! tinnyboy_gummi: Thanks for the comment! garfiedude: That certainly is a windmill! I forget where I got it, maybe Simcity Central or InSims.de or something. Not here tho. I think it was actually one of Pooty's but I'm not 100% sure. Also, thanks too for being extra helpful in this CJ and getting some links together, I really appreciate it. Dr. Neitchskrimfrauwnmoya: Good to see you again so soon! Extra point for identifying the hi-tech industry posing as a museum. (Link below btw.) On your suggestions: 1.) I've been umm-ing and arr-ing about no-palm mod. I thought the palms would look ok because Barcelona has so many palms and that was a major inspiration for this CJ. Although, I agree it might look better if it were all 'northern' European trees, as I haven't actually used any in open play as it were, i.e. all the palms are on ready built lots. If as you say this mod converts them to normal trees then I'll use it. Testing to come... 2.) I'm on it asap. Thanks loads for the feedback and suggestions - always welcome! pnorrell: Thanks very much! Now, the BATs. As garfiedude has been so helpful I only gotta tell you two. 2.) Otranto Ethnological Museum 4.) Archaeological Museum (actually some hi-tech industry but anyway. ) I-will-crush-u: GOODNESS ME - 2nd best!!! I'm happy with top 50 given some of the beauties on this site, but 2nd best???? Makes it all worthwhile, thanks dude! petriknl: Thanks for the comment, hope you saw garfiedude's answer! pikatchoum: Thanks a lot!! bojach: Thanks, but credit for the region goes entirely to Jensen for his superb (and hand-drawn!) Copenhagen map . The OFC Museum is available here . Thanks to everyone again, please keep those comments/questions/suggestions etc coming. Will

Oooooo, I'm anticipating a tale of mystery and adventure already. Should I be looking for clues in the painting? As your first reply, I wish you all the best with this! Great start, looking forward to more.

I remember that pier, its great! I'm sure I used to have it but I don't know where it went? Marrast, is there any chance you could do one without the beach texture underneath? Maybe make it tie in more with the brown brick texture of your seawalls instead? That would be sweet. (Of course, I could stop being lazy and change it myself in the LE... ) I've just had a re-read through the journal, and gained some fresh inspiration as always. There's something about the way you present it that makes your cities look not only very professional, but extra realistic. Maybe its the resolution you play at, or do you sharpen up the images or something? I can't get my pictures looking that good. Ah well, an Eladremme challenge, and another raising of the CJ bar. Cheers and keep up the great work (hopefully an update too soon?! )

Well I decided to do a last update with some pictures, before I take a break from Simcity for a little while. marrast: Thanks so much man, that means a lot coming from such a great city builder as yourself! Eladremme is such an inspiration!! Glad you like the Square... you know, I heard Scott was planning on building a new power plant in Otranto's Industrial District , hopefully it'll be done soon, cause the planner's have got a site all prepared and everything!?! Lol. Personally, I think your Battersea will be the best BAT ever. Btw - the avenue is most definitely based on the Ramblas. AfroThunda: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!! Thanks Motina, the squares were my favourite bit to do in the LE, but 'as charming as any real European city'? That's praise indeed! Thanks! Dr. Neitchskrimfrauwnmoya: Thanks loads, you're very kind! :: U P D A T E 3 :: Right, now some pictures for you guys... We begin with a BIG VIEW of the islands of Corcovado and Lodona, looking East towards Embankment and Anaheim beyond: Next, a close in on Anaheim itself, with its Amsterdam Station, Opera House, Conference Complex and Festival Halls. Now we're gonna close in on Thomas Aquinas Square, on Corcovado Island. It sits between the Palais d'Art European on the right, and the Otranto Palladium on the left. A look at North Park now. The port to the north-east is on the site of the original Roman fishing port, and this important ancestory is commemorated at the site. We'll move in a bit closer in the next pic. Otranto's city government initiated the redevelopment of North Park's wharf area in the early 1980s, demolishing its derelict industrial buildings. In its place, the city heritage committee secured millions in corporate and national sponsorship to fund the building of two museums dedicated to Otranto's early history, and its place in European cultural heritage. The result was the impressive Museum of Roman Life, with its award-winning, state-of-the-art, interactive port exhibition, and the smaller, but equally important Otranto Ethnological Museum, exploring European culture and ethnicity from the pre-historic to the 20th century. The 1980s saw much interest in the tourist potential of Otranto's heritage. The Citadel was already a much visited attraction, but the city government reinforced its appeal with commercial investment in modern infrastructure. The contract for a large exhibition hall was won by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, who designed the Oriental-inspired pavilion, that houses the Citadel Experience, a multimedia presentation of 16th Otranto, including its role in the Thirty Years War. In addition, the ultra-modern Archaeological Museum to the right contains many of the finds recovered from the Citadel site. To the left, the 4* Citadel Hotel caters for more affluent tourists. Some sport now... North of Anaheim we have the commercial complex of Otranto's football team, (the aptly-named) Otranto FC. The team badge. A closer look at Otranto FC's complex. The last couple of pictures illustrate the locations in the popular children's nursery rhyme:Cannon & Ball. It commemorates the Hundred Years War and Otranto's experience of hostilities. Literary historians may note the similarites between this and the English dity Oranges and Lemons . Cannon and ball, ring the bells of St Paul... We'll march on your castle, ring the bells of St Astle We'll steal all your gold, the Otranto Bell tolled A grand chevauch

Haven't checked this out in a while, didn't expect so many comments! King_SMO: Cheers! Actually, the vast majority of my buildings are not grown. I'm a very impatient player, and would rather place lots and make it look bang-on immediately instead of waiting years for the right building. Needless to say... my menus are extremely big. (Ooo er , lol) nooneatall: Thanks dude!! Blimey, I'm not sure my city is quite that good, given the quality of CJs on this site - for example, yours for a start! your_adress_here and sloppet, thanks for your comments guys. Btw, sloppet, that is one awesome avatar - how long does that animation last?!? bernie: Wow, thanks! I think you need to check out some more of the CJs on here first though - no way is mine worthy of that accolade! One link... Edmonton . Btw, on behalf of the 60k + members here, welcome to Simtropolis! Kaze Progressa: 'An emerging classic' - blimey, thanks! bienefeldt: Thanks for your comment! (Phew ) Well, no update today. Or for a while I'm afraid, as I just can't find the time to play this flipping game at the moment. It just takes too much time up to play it, and I'm way too busy with other stuff. I might get back to it in a bit, and shoot some more screenshots for you guys... We'll see, hope you all understand! Thanks again for all the comments, Will

Thanks for your comments hello_SC4, and a link to a map of the real Otranto. :: U P D A T E 2 :: The Black Death reached Otranto in 1348. In Florence, Boccaccio wrote of its symptoms: The first signs of the plague were lumps in the groin or armpits. After this, livid black spots appeared on the arms and thighs and other parts of the body. Few recovered. Almost all died within three days, usually without any fever. The growing and prosperous population of medieval Otranto was decimated by the disease. In the 1350s, it's effects seem to have prompted a considerable undertaking for a settlement of its stature and importance: Otranto's population decided to move the town inland, onto a series of islands shown in the map below. It was sited near to the original Celtic settlements in the region, and seems to have not just been about leaving the plague-ridden port behind. Defence was evidently a key factor, and the islands provided a safe and secure situation for the construction of a new urban environment, in the shadow of the 100 Years War . ^ A wider angle of the Old Town, so you can place the Avenue and Copenhagen Park in context. ^ ^ Lodona Island. ^ ^ Corcovado in the foreground, the Embankment in the rear. ^ ^ Lodona's Giles Gilbert Scott Square. ^

EnigmaticUK: I take your point on the 'scrapers. Maybe there are a few too many, I'll see what I can do about it. I like the idea of just modern ones, but I'll have to hunt for some nice ones, cos most of them are pretty ugly (and also fairly fanciful ). Glad you like the parks , and yeah I made the Avenue lots. Dannato: Yep, the Avenue is pretty much straight out of Barcelona , although mine is wider with 2 sets of trees. I think the Ramblas would probably only be a single tile if scaled to SC4, maybe two. And, mine does use the Copacabana texture so you're very observant! chunky_monkey_14: Thanks! Now, do you mean the Paris ones? Or the Madrid (red-roofed) ones? Well they're both customs buildings sets, or combinations of BATs that you can find on the Exchange here at Simtropolis. The Paris ones are largely by Xannepan, and also Porkissimo, so run a search for those names (there's quite a few). The Madrid ones are by JEC. Also I've redone a lot of their lots so they won't look the same as the ones you download. Hope that helps! PhilsCafe and superchad, thank you both for your comments! I'm pleased the Avenue is going done well! EDIT: Kaze Progressa: You know I thought of Frankfurt when this discussion came up. I'll have to find some information on it and see how they managed to 'go up' in a medieval city. Thanks for that!

dhoppeii: Thanks for the comments about the links! I was a bit concerned the history might put people off, so the links seemed a good way to get some interaction. I did History at university, so its a bit of a hobby, even if this is somewhat fictional. Shadow_Assasin, erka and Colijn, thanks for the thoughts and information on real-life Otranto's Latinate name. 'Watercity of the Romans' has quite a nice ring to it! I hope I'm not doing a disservice to the real Italian town with this CJ! Also erka thanks for the tips on making a European city. I wanted to keep the central islands in that style, using Xannepan and Porkissimo's Parisian tileset, JEC's Madrid style, and Vanderaap's Amsterdam buildings. I think a few taller buildings are justified in the centre, as you can see examples of that at Barcelona and London. Although apart from the Montparnasse tower and the landmarks, Paris does seem pretty uniformly 7-8 stories. The rest of the city is a bit of a concern though. I don't want to build it all out of these tilesets because generally European cities aren't like that. (What I really need is Gascooker's hopefully-soon-to-be-released Georgian and Victorian terraces...) I've included skyscrapers in the Financial District across the river, but not in the city centre, because I want it to echo London's City and Paris' Defense. For the majority of the inner-city areas I have to use the standard tilesets, which aren't really appropriate the majority of the time. Certainly medium density is the way to go, but I would really like to try and avoid the Maxis' look, largely because its rarely wall-to-wall. However, at the moment there seems little I can do about it... On a positive note, the outer-city suburbs will be much easier, particularly as I will follow London's 1930s style.

Date: 3/12/2005 6:46:40 AM Author: erka Very nice city! btw The Roman name for the real Otranto, in southern Italy, was: Hydruntum dei Romaniquote> I wondered how long before someone brought up the real Otranto in Italy! Of course, this city has no resemblance to it, and I didn't realise there was an actual place when I started this. I got the name from Walpole's Castle of Otranto, which, looking back, really should have told me it was a real place! Hydruntum dei Romani - d'you know what the English translation of that, erka? Thanks for your comments your_adress_here and jacqulina! Dezz, I made that castle months ago, but now I think Marrast's sea-walls would've look much better and given it the correct 17th Century bastion look. Ah well... Thanks guys

bienefeldt: Thanks for your comments! I really wanted the city centre to be 'low-rise' like the majority of European cities. When I visited Barcelona, most of the city was only about 8 stories high and the Cathedral and churches stood out as a result. I've still got tall buildings in the modern Financial District though, which I'll show more of another time. garfiedude: Yeah its a single lot I made in the Lot Editor. Its name is an aside to the region map I'm using which is Jensen's excellent (and hand-drawn!) Copenhagen . Thanks for all your feedback so far guys!

What a great CJ!! I like how its presented, the BATs that you're using, and the lots you've made to go with them! And the storyline, and the humour, and the pictures of German beer... Excellent job!!

Really nice city!! I like the fact that you're terraforming as you go - it gives you lots of freedom! It has a good open plan feel to it, and I like how you've grouped different types of residential buildings together. Makes them look like estates or projects. Excellent job, keep up the good work!! Will

bobinator: Thanks for the encouragement! More pics coming right up... ExiL3: Thanks for your comments, I definitely agree with you on the farms! I'm going to expand the city quite a bit (see the pic below), and will be adding farming areas to the west. phath3: Thanks man, and yes, European cities are really great! Especially now we got the BATs to do them properly. Keep an eye out for much more culture... :: U P D A T E 1 :: Roman rule in Otranto lasted until around 450 AD, when the region suffered repeatedly at the hands of Barbarian invaders. After several years of campaigns, the Huns were able to force out the Roman garrison and laid waste to the settlement of Otrantorium. The Roman abandonment of Otrantorium signalled a swift decline in the fortunes of the surrounding area, as the administrative core of the community was cut right out. Otranto in the Middle Ages seems to have been a small village based around the old Roman fort site, although modern archaeology has as yet been unable to pinpoint its exact location. It fell within the Frankish Empire and, from local literary records, historians have been able to suggest that it was Christianised at about 503 AD, six years after Clovis I accepted Christianity as the faith of the Empire as a whole. Beyond that there is no firm record of Otranto until 1096-7, when the townspeople are recorded as having contributed with ships, money and weaponry to the First Crusade . ^ Otranto's Central Districts. ^ ^ The Gothic Quarter of Otranto's Old Town ^ ^ The Avenue, which runs through the middle of the Old Town. It's the life and soul of Otranto's night life. TimeOut Otranto said: ...The Avenue is where the locals come out and strut their stuff. Look for chic bars, trendy nightclubs, but beware pickpockets. It compares very favourably with Barcelona's Las Ramblas... ^ ^ Copenhagen Park sits at the bottom of The Avenue, and forms a majestic central point for the Old Town. ^ ^ Future Development will see Otranto expand ever outwards. ^ Comments/questions greatly appreciated...

MAN is your journal an inspiration Marrast. Its so clever, and look so, so, so, realistic. Lol, at the glitches - glad mine has never done anything so dramatic! I remember at the beginning of this, when you said the landscape was 'gonna get eaten by urbanisation', but I never imagined it would be so carefully and beautifully done. Such a great CJ, well done!