connor_v

I've just arrived to find that I've been labeled "inactive". Well, I should have seen it coming. You know how life is. I'm going to try and find a little time this week-end to write up a new City Journals piece, something I've been meaning to do for a long time. -Connor

Oooh, jeez, I've been gone awhile. Anyways, I'm back. Has some one been taking care of the new CJ's every Friday thing I had started way back when? Because if not, I'd be happy to continue that. -Connor

New Alton - a City Journal by Dalton Dalton's first CJ is an excellent portrayal of rural and oil boom towns. His realistic city building leads to excellent results at the end of the day. His boom town update portrays a typical boom town, full of oil workers and thier money. The town is put together very well, with absolutely no repeating grid patterns. Dalton's refinery is very well done aswell, utilizing Maxis buildings and a wide variety of resources off of the STEX. But, this area had to be abandoned in later updates due to it's large size. Dalton starts off his tour of the rural Cornwall area with one of the largest mosaics i've ever seen. There is a subtle beauty in the way his townships are laid out, and every one is unique. The town is also a very realistic rural hamlet, situated off the highway with a rough downtown core that has seen better days. Later on we get to see the forests, which I believe are made with Jeronij's Seasonal Woods. Overall, I think Dalton's first CJ is a success, it is above the normal "first CJ" level and I hope it will continue it's success for a long time coming. The only thing I don't like is Jeronij's Street Tress, but Dalton uses them well, utilizing other trees of the same type to make it work well. Reader Review : All of Dalton's readers like the CJ for it's rural feel. Visit New Alton Today! Review No. 11 - 03/25/07

A Whole New Section on Up-and-Coming City Journals! This week in Journals: Preston by Patriots 03/18/2007 Patriots fifth City Journal, inspired by "Lloyd, Ontario" and "Schulmania", is looking bright. Preston, a fictitious Californian city, is a metropolitan masterpiece with colours that feel like Sim City 3000. I'd definetely check this one out. Gibson Lake, Ontario by CrUnChBiTe 03/18/2007 Based on a Northern Ontario mining town founded in the forties, Crunchbite has started a walk through the history of the town. I can't see the pictures, but maybe you can. Check it out. Sorry to cut this short, but my computer is making me angry. I can't see any new pictures. I will post a better one on Friday the 30th. Sorry.

Laurie : a City Journal by Shanna Laurie is a breathtaking CJ with picturesque nature shots, serene farmland, and beautifully terraformed hills and cliffs. Shanna starts her CJ with amazing shots of wilderness that Laurie encompasses. Utilizing various mods of the STEX, Shanna brings together a marvelous masterpiece with serene valleys, rocky brooks, cliffs with wildflowers clinging to thier bases, and forests that look as if every tree was given it's own individual attention. And this is only the start. I have watched this CJ from the start, and not once has it ceased to amaze me. Water plop mods are used very well, snaking through the very forests I just wrote about. Fishing villages are simple but detailed, and very pleasing to the eye. Agricultural areas are very realistic, with fences, barns, stables and divided field, a look that cannot be achieved easily. As always, these places just take your breath away. Another thing I liked were the windmills, a very nice addition. As for the Saint Felicity's Crypt update, I have to say "evocative" does sum it up. The forest path mod is used very well here. The vinyards are equally amazing. Modelled in a Mediterranean style, the areas bright coloured buildings and surroundings are done very well, and as always, there is a beautiful amount of detail on every street corners and in every field. Laurie is, as I have said before, breathtaking in the least and a great read. Shanna is a kind host, who replies to every comment so personnably. The CJ is going strong, and it is my hope that it will continue to go on strong for a long time coming. Buona fortuna Shanna, grazie per portare alla Comunità così giornale bello della città. Good luck Shanna, thank you for bringing the community such a beautiful City Journal. Reader Review : All of the readers enjoy the CJ, and like the author Shanna. I can only assume there are no negative comments. Review No. 10 - 03/19/07 On an unrelated note, To the critics of the OCJC, and to patriots, I was thinking that it would be great if I could publish a weekly section on new city journals every friday. I think it would be great to get new CJ's names out amongst a larger crowd, and to help showcase budding new masterpieces. Tell me if you like the idea, or if you have any suggestions. Thanks, Connor.

The City of Texca - a City Journal by Jesusnavidad The City of Texca is the capitol city of the United Cities region. It is built with a large amount of Maxis supplied buildings, with a strong central core and vast surrounding suburbs. Jesusnavidad takes you on a tour of the city, pointing out major landmarks. Overall, the pictures are good, but photo finishing and titles are done, presumably, with the Paint program, leading to a somewhat fuzzy look. At the centre of the city sits a ridiculously large tower, modeled after the "Burj Dubai" tower in Dubai, UAE. Surrounding that are the droves of towers and offices. Other than the tower, the city centre has no real interesting parts, so I will move on. As in any CJ, Jesusnavidad needs to eliminate brown boxes. I believe he does later on, but I am not sure. The suburban areas are vast and impressive, but have little detail. In a later update, the author starts to get some sort of story going by using a tornado warning, and later a tornado (of all things). In the end, I think the Cj has potential. Jesusnavidad is a capable city builder, and with fine tuning, his cities could be vast, breathtaking city scapes. Some advice I'd like to give to Jesusnavidad is to add more unique details to smaller parts of the city and the countryside, and to add more backstory to buildings and neighborhoods. I believe this CJ will get better, and will be a good one to watch in the future. Thank you for your request as well, Jesusnavidad, you're actually the first person to ask for critiqueing by me. Good luck in the future. New! Reader Review : Readers and followers of Jesusnavidads CJ like the skyline, and have posted positive remarks across the board. Review No. 9 - 03/19/07

Coral Bay - A City Journal by Hawkeye9 Coral Bay,is built on a hand-terraformed 3x3 med square map. It was started in late 2006 and has been going strong since. Hawkeye is a great host that replies to every comment on a personal level. Coral Bay is a great mixture of many things, from quaint suburban homes to sky-scraping highrises. Overall his suburban areas are beautifully planned, with a great deal of foliage and lightly rolling hills. Coastal areas are planned proffesionally, with thier fair share of resorts and nightclubs. Further into the city, in the commercial centre, very well made sunken highways make thier way around a variety of office towers. This city truly has a little bit of everything! One good feauture is that most of the larger buildings are not just Maxis cookie cutter buildings (Hospitals, schools, churches, cemetaries). This detail, often overlooked by the passerby, is a great feature that is shared with some of the finest city journals today. There is some story, enough to create interest but not so much as too scare people away with ramblings. Story is put in as needed, and is effective when applied. On the third page, Hawkeye announces his bid for the Simlympics, and displays detailed plans for the proposed Simlympic venues. I don't follow the Simlympics, but I wish the best of luck to his bid. The rural areas are quite desolate, and the small towns on the crumbling state roads high in the mountains give a lonely, forgotten impression. Luckily, this is not the case, for the small towns have healthy business districts and some have a fertile agricultural base. Overall the city journal is interesting, vibrant and a good read on the go. I would definetely suggest you take a look at Coral Bay. Review No. 7 - 01/14/07 Newsflash!I'd just like everyone to know I am open for any request! My to-do list is blank, and I would appreciate it if anyone would like thier City Journal reviewed by me. Thanks, Connor.

Aqua Vista - a City Journal by seemurray2 Aqua Vista, the third City Journal published by seemurray2, is designed to have a rather mid-western feel to it. It is composed mainly of suburban residential, downtowns and commercial districts, much like the average real-life city. Seemurray begins the the city journal in the quiet residential suburbs of Bradford Park just moments off the highway. This area is a mix of detached and semi-detached homes and small scale commercial developements. Lush foliage and strategically placed hills buffer the noise off the freeway, making this a very beautiful suburb. As he continues into other parts of the city, we begin to see more mid height buildings and a wide variety of hotels and chain stores. In every way he captures the architectural essence of the midwest....stripmalls. The downtown centre sparkles at night, the glistening hub of the city. Amongst the towers and hotels lies Excelsior Park, a beautifully landscaped area with a fair sized pond that businessmen and residents alike can come to on a nice day. Speaking of parks, the cities river systems are absolutely amazing, with a variety of unique attributes and high points. Some of the cities other attributes are massive sports stadiums, with ample parking. There are stores of all kinds for all kinds of people. Hotels are in abundance, and a full-size convention centre is ready for anyone that needs it. Seemurray is a great host who is personable to every guest and also funny at times. His Bill Browsky stories can't help but make you laugh to yourself. Overall, the CJ is a good mixture of things you would find in a real city, but sometimes the pictures of suburbs start to blend together into a homogenous mush. But aside from that this CJ is a work of wonder. I highly recommend you take a looksie at Aqua Vista today. Review No. 8 - 01/15/07

Sorry I didn't put any reviews in the other day, but I was at a Christmas party and didn't have the time for going on the internet. I will review next Friday!

Ralston Metro Area - A City Journal by Meinhosen It was a cold, snowy night. Cheez Whiz chilled on fresh cut apples. A bored Connor_v sits with nothing better to do but write another review! Ralston, Kentucky, is situated on the southern shore of the Ohio River. It is meant to resemble an aging, midwestern United States industrial city (The likes of Louisville, Kentucky). The journal starts with several different views of the Ralston area. The downtown is very well developed, with mid-rise buildings lining the avenues. This update also highlights the industrial areas and railroads. The areas agricultural areas are magnificent, with power lines lining the country roads, and small farmhouses built alongside barns and stables. Field mods are used well, reflecting the crops that are realistically grown in the mid-west. Many small, one horse towns are scattered across the countryside, giving it a very welcoming feel. In areas closer to the downtown core, public housing and decrepid factories display the decline of inner city areas. Slums are within sight from any angle off the highway from Indiana. In the downtown areas, many of the small storefront shops are being replaced by big box stores. A great deal of historic urban housing exists, and arguments are raised in the city about the value of such houses. The city is a mix of older styles and modern developements. The downtown core is the pinnacle of urban developement, with towering commercial developements dwarfing smaller, older buildings. Fine churches are scattered throughout the centre, keeping with them thier history, untouched by new developement. There are many monuments commemorating the many fine people who lived within the cities reaches. In the suburbs, sprawling neighborhoods give way to picturesque countryside, with beautiful use of water and creek mods, as well as wonderful landscaping and roadways. Unfortunately, many of the updates in the middle of the journal I was unable to view at the time. I was able to see the pictures starting with the update when the journal was started again. Meinhosen highlighted any new developements he made, including filling in countryside with farms and lots he modified for his cities needs. Some low-wealth areas were redone into ritzier, upper crust areas such as art and theatre districts. Also, some fascinating railroad interchanges were built. The next update featured a picturesque drive through the Kentucky countryside. The drive started in Blaineville, at the large Blaiinville Elevator. Further down the road, the leaves are turning crimson on the trees, a beautiful autumn shot. The road crosses the wonderful Redstone Creek, which later joins the Cherokee River. In the town of Redstone, three bars serve 150 residents, reminiscing about the days of state-highway travellers stopping by for a drink. The town of Charles Centre is kept alive by Interstate travellers. The town is beautiful, definetely a worthwhile stop. The trip ends at the Claywell Bourbon Distillery. A former bootlegging centre during prohibition, the building now produces fine drinks and serves as a prohibition museaum as well. Overall, Ralston is a beautiful area, a realistic approach to city-journaling and a worthwile stop for the city-journal reader. I'd definetely stop by soon if I were you. Visit Ralston Today! And to patriots, thanks for the thought but I just couldn't help myself. I had to review. And I didn't eat turkey yesterday, it was manicotti for me, and a long day at the high school. I had thanksgiving last month. Thanks for the thought though, again. I have today off though (score!). Review No. 6 - 11/24/06

Wow, this is great! A total of twenty-eight reviews and many more to come!

South Ahmerst - A City Journal by Patriots_1228 South Ahmerst is a vibrant city of politics, culture, scenery and skyscrapers. It is a fictuous city on the east coast built on a Baltimore map downloaded from the STEX. In the first update, we can see the cities sports influence at the South Ahmerst Megadome, a large indoor football field. The downtown core uses a large amount of custom towers, giving it a very colourful and individual look. The cities fishing docks are very well done. Condominium towers dot the skyline, many of them middle class, and a small number high-wealth. The Tower-Life building is a beautiful example of the many well used BATS in the CJ. In the most recent update, we can see that the residential profile is constantly changing, with waves of new developements. A beautiful church is built near the downtown. Overall, the city is very well done, and a good city-journal format is just beginning to be utilized now. The cities flag is rough, but the seal is magnificent, displaying Patriots good photoshop abilities. Patriots is a gracious host, who looks forward to comments. I highly recommend you visit the journal. Visit South Ahmerst Today! Look for a follow up review on February 1st, 2007 Review No. 5 - 11/18/06 P.S. Sorry patriots that I couldn't PM you to tell you about the review, but I couldn't seem to find a way to PM you at the time. I tried your profile, and the link on the front page, but nothing seemed to work. P.S.S. After a long run of five reviews, I've decided to take a short break, if that's okay. See you then! - Connor

Hausburg, Opusland - A City Journal by Opuspup722 Opuspup's City Journal, Hausburg, OL, is based on various South-eastern United States cities. The journal follows the Jackson family from thier poor beginnings in colonial Opusland to thier rich descendants of the 21st century. In the first update, Opuspup highlights the early eighteenth century history of Hausburg and colonial developements of the late 1700's. Hausburg is a producer of tobacco, with many large plantations. Abraham Jackson (A character loosely based on George Washington) and his wife homesteaded the area in 1755, not anticipating the impact thier family would have on the area for generations. Abraham died in the great freeze of 1792, but was survived by his living son and his nine children. Abrahams first son was hanged until death during the Hausburg revolution for independence. That is the story as of today, but there will be many more updates to come. I would highly recommend you support this very well done historical City Journal. Visit Hausburg Today! Look for a follow-up review on March 18th, 2007 Review No. 4 - 11/18/06

Greater Columbia River - A City Journal by GMT GMT's Greater Columbia River city journal is based on the, you guessed it, Greater Columbia River Region. It is based on the geographical characteristics of the region, not it's man made communities. The first update is on the Santa Monica area.The CJ starts well, with well thought out piers and many colourful residential buildings lining the coastline. The area utilizes a lot of custom-made hotels and commercial towers, creating a very unique look. In Verona beach, tall hotels line the wide boulevards, catering to the needs of the wealthy. The Atom Blue nightclub tears through the sky, the tallest structure in the area. Many wealthy manors cover the suburbs of the area, with large parkland divisions. The areas modern buildings are very interesting. The Saint Francis Fault also runs through a developed area of nearby Venice Beach. The Saint Francis Harbour area is a very well developed industrial core. But it also is a bustling commercial and educational centre. The Saint Francis City Centre is much larger though, with a 150 000+ population! Dense skyscrapers and apartment buildings pack the core, while calmer suburbs cover the metropolitan area. A beautiful cathedral also graces the skyline of the outskirts. The area also boasts a higher-tech industry area, attracting many wealthy investors. This area has a very large sports stadium, and also supplies water to the city. A large amount of older towers dot the skyline as well. The Saint Francis International Airport is airport realism at it's best. A wide variety of terminals cater to any aircrafts needs. The sheer volume of the airport is reflected in the large hangar area. The airport is powered fully by solar power. At the Saguenay River Mouth, suburban areas are of huge scale, encompassing mid- and high-wealth housing. A large scale elevated rail services the area and it's many historic apartment complexes. The welath of this area is clearly reflected in it's downtown towers, a wide variety of modern and traditional buildings. SRM is also very densely populated towards the centre, leading to the construction of some buildings of astonishing height. The Saguenay River area to the south has a much more dominant low density. Chullack Forest is a very well preserved forest, with beautiful meadows and treed areas. Wnding roads allow drivers to view wonderful rock formations and stunning pine meadows. Nearby Cristal Lake is a fine low-density suburb, with beautiful views of Cristal Lake. The small farm community of Pine Bluff displays the agricultural side of the region. Many staples are grown there such as rice and barley, and meats are produces such as beef and pork. Halifax Grove displays GMT's city planning skills. Many a suburban home dot the roads, but a large glass dome breaks up the grid nicely. Far to the north in Rockshore, the shores are rocky. Huh, I didn't even guess. This is a very well done area, with fine resort hotels and residential developements. Well done park systems are also a highlight. In Newport, government buildings and roundabouts sprout with abundance. Some very fine buildings are also in the area. It is also home to the famous Diner-Mile, a whole quarter mile of diners with buzzing neon signs and old waitresses with red lipstick and cat eye glasses. There are also fine marinas, nightclubs, a Jacky's Kabin™, some amazing piers, natural shorelines, and seaside villages. Overall, Greater Columbia River is one that I would recommend reading. It has it's flaws, but those are all overcome by fine work in the end. The areas flags and seals show fine artistry and detail, and GMT is a very personable host. In the last update, we were able to see the statue of Columbia, I am sure that this will lead to many great updates in the future. Visit Greater Columbia River Today! Review No. 3 - 11/18/06

Rochelle County - A City Journal By Natuurzoon Rochelle County, Natuurzoon's first CJ, takes place in the city of Jacksonville. The city is located on the east coast, with a temperate climate. The city has a large urban core, with a sprawling suburban surround. Suburban areas are well planned, with many tree lined, meandering streets. He displays a very good use of parking lot mods in the suburban shopping areas, as pointed out by fans of the CJ. In the rocky outskirts of the city, a stunning array of beautiful flora is complemented by sheer rock faces with slight violet tones. Farm roads are picturesque, with stackwood fences and felled trees lining the edges. Wealthy residents beach homes line the slate blue river, with rocky beaches flanking it. Piers are outstanding, and give a real feel of an ocean community. Jacksonville's city centre is launched into excellency with Natuurzoon's skilled photoshop skill. Modern buildings with very angular designs flank ocean ports where cruise ships are ready to set off to sea. The city has a variety of night time hotspots, with colourful neon displays and modern, sleek designs. The Jacksonville International Airport is a benchmark in airport planning. Elevated Rail tracks connest with the fairly sizeable terminal that gets passengers on to thier flights that will be taking off from multiple runways. The Chinatown area is very beautiful, implementing various mods for chinatown style apartment and neighborhood buildings. The entire area is riddled with an extensive canal system, and many pedestrian footpaths twist behind buildings. The high-classed Rochelle area of the city has a wide variety of extensive parks and beautiful historic buildings and churches. Although there is a wide variety of modern architecture, it fits in well with it's historic surroundings. The Jacksonville University has a wide variety of sports and leisure facilities with ultra-modern campus buildings. But all is not pretty. Low wealth apartment blocks, dirty industry and freeways flank the area. The Hudson area, on the incredibly beautiful Hudson River, has a large suburban area but also retains a lot of it's natural charm. Rocky pine forests and lush, evergreen forests are abundant. Stunning waterfalls rage beneath swaying rope bridges, which is a very pretty sight. The waterfront is one of the best i've seen yet. The Port of Jacksonville is very industrialized. Use of many cranes recently uploaded to the stex and canals flowing deep into the industrial area gives it a very realistic look. Overall, Jacksonville is a beautifully planned city, with a wonderful array of buildings and Bats, creating a very unique feel that is hard to capture in a CJ. But slow computers beware, the high detail pictures can sometimes take a great deal of time to load. Updates are usually close together, but are not always punctual. Visit Rochelle County today! P.S. It's my first review, so please tell me if there is anything I should improve on or stop doing. Thanks, Connor. Review No.1 - 11/13/06