Vitruvius

Some of you may be interested to read this lengthy blog post I wrote, analysing why I have enjoyed playing SmCity for the past decade. My blog i primarily read by an audience interested in architecture and design but unfamiliar with SimCity, so I do a lot of explaining that might seem quite basic to many of you. It also contains a couple of links to some other things I've written about SC. Anyway, enjoy. (Resumes lurking.)

He talks about how SC was inspired by architecture, and the interaction between architecture and computer games. It's new, and quite interesting. http://www.iconeye.com/articles/20080122

TEP: Holding down "Ctrl" while dragging out a lot with prevent the game subdividing it into smaller lots. You might also want to experiment with pressing "alt" while zoning - it brings up a different configuration.

Amazing, amazing stuff. Your maps are beautiful.

I'm with Tonkso on this one. My plans for new cities from scratch will always focus on ensuring there's a good central havy rail network with two or three big central stations, and lines radiating out in all directions, occasionally branching and linking to regional centres that act as secondary hubs. Like this: Subways, buses and light rail can then fill in the gaps. This arrangement seems to wwrok very well - my rail networks are always very busy, and my transit departments are always net contributors to the city budget - I earn more from fares than I pay out in maintenance. Plus, I think really busy rail junctions look cool:

Responses: Sloppet: Thanks pal! Jacqulina: Thank you again. I should make some "honorary citizenship" certificates - you'd certainly be first in the queue. wouanagaine: Thank you! dale_bel: Thank you! yoder7652: Thank You! Any, it's been too long, so here's an update. Update 7: The Harbour Crossing Troy is built around a harbour at the confluence of the Simois and Scamander rivers. In recent years land was reclaimed from the harbour to give room for commerical interests to expand. However, These artificial islands didn't get any passing traffic and weren't really big enough to be big successes. So, I embarked on a hugely ambitious (c. $2,000,000) project to build a series of bridges across the harbour, linking up and expanding the reclaimed islands, and reclaiming more land behind them to better integrate them with the city centre. It was enormous fun. I love huge projects like this. I never much liked the way this beach looked, right next to he Grand Canal, so it was the first thing to go. Here it is all filled in ... And zoned ... And with development starting ... Now for the hard part: the harbour crossing. It starts over here, just south of a wealthy inner suburb, as what used to be the terminus of one of the roads to the airport, the avenue to the left. A new tongue of land must be reclaimed without damaging either the ferry port or the fishing harbour. And here, preparing the ground on the opposite side of the Simois river: The first phase completed, with the beautiful new bridge: Linking the bridge into the road network: This is the site of the next phase. The spit with the lighthouse on it will be expanded to take a motorway, and more river-front land will be reclaimed to building offices along the new shoreline and avenue. After works: Landscaping around the new Harbour Bridge: This is where the final connection will be built. All that dirty industry is to be demolished, and the shoreline embanked. More of the harbour will be reclaimed. Harbour reclamation - you can see the former shoreline: And an overview of the completed project, spanning the harbour and connecting up the islands: And in this view, the brighter areas are the ones worked on:

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Oxford vs Cambridge. Their rivalry dates back almost 700 years, and has frequently been violent. Cambridge Uni. was set up by disgruntled students from Oxford. After Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were burned, it was said "Cambridge produces martyrs; Oxford burns them". Oxford was Royalist in the Civil War - Cambridge went with Cromwell. To Oxford, Cambridge is: - Cold - Small - Bleak - Haughty - Not as old as Oxford - Not as beautiful as Oxford - Far past its prime as a university. To Cambridge, Oxford is: - arrogant and lazy - crowded and dirty - expensive - in decline - Not as distinguished as Cambridge - Not as beautiful as Cambridge - Far past its prime as a university. However, because of the internal rivalries between the townsfolk and the universities, there is occasionally inverted competition - Oxford townsmen supporting Cmabridge in the boat race, for instance. I feel qualified to expound on this because I grew up in Oxford but studied in Cambridge, and love both cities!

I think the OCAD building is extremely beautiful. I interviewed Will Alsop not long after its completion on the nature of beauty, indeed. He said: "I think that’s an important distinction to make, that beauty comes from taking your eye off the ball. Now it’s a very difficult thing to define, what is beautiful, because we all have different attitudes towards that. But it’s important to try and make some definition towards of what beauty is. “I think certainly in the urban context and in the architectural context it’s the ability to make a place or a space that you feel comfortable in when doing nothing. I think that’s a fair definition in much the same way that you can go into, say, somewhere like cathedrals, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you have any religious conviction, but to actually sit in those places is a very satisfying experience. It obviously touches the soul in some way or another. And I’m interested in that and I think it’s possible to do that even in the centre of rather busy and bustling cities.” I tend to agree. And I like the Corbusier Ville Savoye and Ronchamps buildings, also. Much nicer than dreary, polite postmodern formality.

I might as well update again today since I've been neglectful for so long and have time on my hands. Some of these pics "aren't quite perfect", in the sense that they contain a bit of dilapidation, some unzoned areas that should be zoned, some terraforming in progress and other such ugliness, but I think they look OK on the whole. Update 6: The New Parliament & surroundings This is the old parliament we saw in the last update: Those blue towers are residential skyscrapers nearby - probably popular with politicians. The pagoda-style building is a hospitality complex built in 1904 to mark the 650th anniversary of the birt of Marco Polo - A large conference with delegates from Europe and Asia was held there to celebrate Troy's links with East and West. As I said above, the New Parliament was a controversial slab of modernism: The centra arch, dominating the avenue from the Old Parliament, is the Assembly Building itself. The four blue low-rise buildings are the offices of the four chambers of the Trojan tercameral system. The area known as the "Secretariat", comprising ministries and offices, is visible on the left, above the rail station. Another view: Close-up on the Assembly Building: A different angle: The far side of the Assembly Buildings is where the Gardens of Fabius begin, with two beautiful pavilions used for public speaking and protests. The gardens stretch into the next city, Troy Occident, and we'll see the rest another time. Troy is proud to be an EU member: This is the monorail station, part of Troy's City Circuit monorail system. The TCC was absurdly expensive (I'll do an update following its route in the future), because of the city's somewhat mountainous hinterlands. You'll see here that the station is in a pit - that's because the line has to go underground for most of its time in central Troy. In game terms, this link cost a simply astronomical amount of money - I think something like $2,000,000. And that's taxpayers' money backed up with loans, I'm not using cheats. That was just for this one city - the TCC passes through six of the 14 game cities that make up Greater Troy. The Court of the Oracle, the government's spiritual wing, which advises on faith and ethics. You can see the monorail underneath. The office of the Protector, and its gardens. That deconstructivist building on the lower right is the Trojan National Broadcasting HQ. The blue glass tower is the Directorate for Commerce, Industry and Economic Development. A view of Hadrian Square, heart of the Secretariat: Another view: And another: And a last one. Note the landscaped railway line in the background: On the other side of the complex, the National Stadium (please forgive the undeveloped land and visible terraforming): Another view of the National Stadium (The sail-shaped light blue building is a hotel): And to finish, an overview of the area so you can see how it all fits together:

Great presentation! This looks great.

Update 5 It's becoming something of a habit to start every update with an apology for not updating more regularly. I get married in two months and to complicate things I lost my job last month, so things have been a bit busy. On top of that I have a health problem and after the honeymoon have to go into hospital for a while! Nothing serious, but it's all so stressful I think they should fit me with a special jacket and hurl me into a nice padded room for good measure. Anyway, I have been able to work on Troy a bit. This update will be more about the Trojan government though. Here's a conception of what the real Troy might have looked like: And my (rather liberal) interpretation of that: Other than the water, not too bad I thought - and I'm planning to explain more about the geography of the Scamander estuary later. Anyway, thanks all for commenting. Bongoswimp: Thanks. I like a nice triumphal avenue. If you liked that one, wait until you see the Mall in the Capitol complex ... Fabiocb: Thanks mate, nice to see you here again! I'll have to allocate Rasec an embassy soon I think ... PhilsCafe: Thanks Phil, nice to see you again too. Plenty more canals to come when we have a look at the Upper Canal District and the Museums complex. mayormommy: Traffic around the old city isn't too bad at the moment, but commuter traffic between the main business areas is a nightmare despite one of the most overblown freeway and heavy rail networks I have ever built. cityhawk: Thank you! Please stay tuned! jacqulina: Thank you! Sisu: Thanks you! Sloppet: Thanks! dedgren: Those ferry landings work OK for me: ... however I think they have to be absolutely level with the water and connected into the road network, so keep trying. Nardo69: Thanks! I've now got the modular cemetery pack, but I don't want to rebuild the National Cemetery just yet ... Maybe later. I think I'm all backed up - But I'll rough it on Troy without NAM and install it once it's finished/I tire of it/it crashes. DaMaster_architect: Thank you sir! wouanagaine: Thanks mate! Genesus gave me some great inspiration for the suburbs I'm now building. jacqulina: Two lovely comments on one update! rewright: Thank you, I admit it's a bit of a hodgepodge - I hope to post an overview soon so you can see how it all fits together. Update 5: Affairs of State (and some random bonus pics) National Flag of the Perpetual Republic of Troy: Troy became a republic during the succession crises brought on by the decline of Rome after 300AD. What had been intended as a temporary protectorate to keep the Throne of Hector and Priam warm - the Temporary Republic - soon crystallised into the so-called Perpetual Republic. Additions and reforms to that system soon mutated it into its present rather odd form. The Perpetual Republic is a "tercameral" system, meaning consisting of four chambers rather than the more commonplace "bicameral" two-chamber system (such as Britain's Commons and Lords, the USA's Senate and Congress, etc.) The four chambers are these: 1. The People's Congress, directly elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation. 2. The National Congress, directly elected by universal suffrage, with prefects representing individual prefectures (districts). 3. The Perpetual Senate. Filled by appointees nominated by any part of the system, as long as they receive the approval of three out of four chambers. Senators hold office for life, unless they resign, are impreached, or convicted of a crime. This is the linchpin of the system, where most power rests. 4. The Courts Temporal and Sublime: Consists of the secular Supreme Court and the multi-faith Court of the Oracle. Justices nominated from within the legal system and from the Council of the Trojan Church; must be approved by the Perpetual Senate and one of the two congresses. Above all this is the head of state, the rather grandly named Protector of the Hectorian Throne. The Protector is mainly a figurehead but has powers of veto over legislation produced by the chambers. He or she serves a single eight-year term, may could conceivably to reappointed. Governments must be pieced together from the congresses and can be censured or even dismissed by the Perpetual Senate. Phew! That's the theory. Now, let's take an example. Imagine I am a loyal Trojan citizen in, say, the prefecture of Hellespontus. In general elections, I would vote vote a political party, not an individual - let's say I voted Civic Democrat because I like the leader's toga. My vote would be added to the national total of those who vote - and let's say that nationally CivDems get 27% of the vote - that means they get 27% of the seats in the People's Congress, the top 27% of names on the party list. (#1 would be the leader, #2 deputy leader, etc.) When the national elections come around two years later, however, I am voting for an individual who will represent my prefecture - so local issues affect my choice more. So I vote Social League, because they increased school funding. And if their candidate gets a clear majority in my prefecture, he or she goes and sits in the National Congress. Coalition governments are then cobbled together with the results. Meanwhile, the Perpetual Senate and the sprawling Civil Service quietly get on with running the country. Overall, the system promotes continuity, consensus, stability and moderation - but also stasis, apathy and bureaucracy. The Old Parliament is the embodiment of the system in stone. Four chambers facing a central courtyard, on a ridge overlooking the ancient city, but removed from it. But as modernity crept on, and government became a more and more elborate business. Before the end of the 19th century, the parliament could not conceivably contain all the offices it required, and spilled out into a vast and unplanned complex called the Secretariat. Parks and gardenswere overrun - the calm governmental campus imagined by the original planners was becoming as crowded as the old city. By the 1970s, the area was not only confusing - it was aging, expensive to maintain, and totally unsuited to the demands placed upon it. Drastic action was required. In 1985, legislation was enacted for the construction of a new parliamentary complex. The design restraints were these: 1. The complex should be adjacent to the existing parliament and share its historic axis. 2. The complex should echo the four-square design of the existing parliament and the Trojan system. 3. The complex should include a surfeit of modern office space for all four chambers. 4. The complex should be built around a mall on the historic axis and replace the parks and public space lost in recent years. 5. The complex should include a new monorail station, linked with the existing rail station, on the route of the Ring Monorail then inching its way around the city. Out of hundreds of designs produced, one stood out. Its boldness was breathtaking, and its uncompromising modernity scandalised the public and the press, dominating debate for months. Extraordinarily, it was approved and built, at ghastly expense. We'll tour it in the next update. A couple of random pics: A new neighbourhood exploding on the banks of the Simois river. It is, surprise surprise, now rather grotty. When things accidentally go right, part one. This pic was taken when I was developing the area around the central airport (it has changed utterly now to accommodate the Ring Monorail). Those straight pedestrian plazas double as bus stops - and the game has, entirely unintentionally, set up a airport bus service between the station and the terminal! I love it when the AI surprises you in little ways like that. And here's historic Market Street in the Harbour District - all skyscrapers now, sadly. More soon I hope - there's a lot of lovely stuff built, I'm just fiddling with details.

A Chaumontian "Orange Revolution"! Aux Armes, citoyens! Liberte, Egalite, Simcite! This is the only show in town right now.

Fabulous, fabulous stuff. Raising the bar again. The Perpetual Republic of Troy expresses its concern for Chaumont's stability and has ordered the recall of all Trojan visitors to the capital for the time being. We trust that this terrible matter can be settled swiftly and without further bloodshed.

Really, really beautiful stuff - bravo! This is certainly a CJ to watch. The steps in the pedestrian area are brilliant. Where did you get the "aristocratic French homes" we can see by the Botanical Gardens, and by the cathedral?

Fabulous update - Chaumont continues to set the standard for CJs. The Perpetual Republic of the Hectorian Throne congratulates Chaumont on its independent space programme, a remarkable achievement for any country. As an EU member, Troy launches its espion weather satellites on ESA Arianes out of French Guyana. I'm sure Trojan National Broadcasting will add INN to its channels swiftly. Beautiful BAT work, the attention to detail is stunning.