p_mcgough

[This is a work-based entry and will contain little new historical information. Thanks tons to anyone who read/replied to my last posting. Marek V is evolving, hopefully toward increased realism, but it's slow going and not much to see on a daily basis. I'm bulldozing and replacing features in the town centre and, although the changes may seem minor they are hard work [not least that pit-of-the stomach feeling that come with trying something new where it may have worked ok before] if proper relationships and vistas are maintained. Vistas are vital to the idea of Marek V. Like most beautiful cities, some of the best views are not those along formal avenues. I'm hoping that readers take the time when looking at the pictures to imagine the scope of what the average tourist or Friski would actually see fromn any particular vantage point. The domain area between the Old Palace and the lake is a good illustrator, with spacious, planned views between not only the Palace and its grounds, but also the Cathedral and the Library on one side and down toward the East Gate [now replaced] and St Villems in the West. Kwakelaar and jacqulina: Ta! Your encouragement is just great! Nardo69: Your comments about the railway fit definately into the 'constructive' category. I have had issues with that corner of town [mainly because I'm lazy around the shoreline] but agree with your comments on the rail bridge and will use the impetus to resolve it! In other words - the sort of comment I appreciate most! Also, I'm sure that I've presented too many high level shots recently, but while I move things around like I'm doing, the overview is still what matters most. http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5380/marekvidanov29may3641130351832.jpg align=baseline> Here's a good example. The square to the west of the Old Palace is 'finished'. Now I work out how the archictechure of the surrouds would relate to it best. The green/gold tone evident in the surrounding architecture hopefully signifies a sense of stylistic unity within the Royal district - visible here and on top of the hill at the New Palace. The Cathedral at the climax of the east road fits this theme, although I admit trouble in making it fit in smoothly. http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3892/marekvidanov30jul3731131046985.jpg align=baseline> The out-of-scale Pegusis statue has been replaced by the beautifully rendered Menin Gate model, serving here as an early 20thC replacement for whatever orignally appeared. http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7403/marekvidanov28jul3731131046793.jpg align=baseline> By demolishing the Cruise ship terminal that previously place-marked the presence of the Royal Yacht, I have created new problems where the fishing port in front of St Brunos used to fit seamlessly! http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7403/marekvidanov28jul3731131046793.jpg align=baseline> http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4710/marekvidanov27jul3731131046436.jpg align=baseline> Things that will hopefully be fixed by the next post: - The East Road [barely actually used by Sims within the game] will be single roads, surrounded by park and trees - Fixing the foreshore in front of St Brunos - Resolution of the are around the Cathedral and toward Royal Avenue [the bit formal strip linking the Palaces].}

Hi. Just found your city. Lovin' it, especially the grainy reality of the depiction. Keep going, please. P

{It's been a long while since I've been able to get back here to update Marek V. Too much real work and also the pace of development in Marek V is very slow since I work building to building, so there's not usually a lot to see week-to-week. I also took a month-long deviation to build further on the regional feeder cities, especially Ondra Seky, to ensure commerce and traffic flow remained high enough to support the town. Currently the population stands at around 310k, up almost 100k since last time. Thanks to the increasing quality of the buildings on offer from the building community, it's been possible to greatly increase the proportion of wall-to-wall buildings that actually serve the purpose they're meant to. Result: most of the population growth is hidden. All the same, the filling out of the 'boring' suburbs that every great city has has continued. This is more visible in the latest photos than it had been when I concentrated on the showy parts, but my plan is not to show too much until I have endless acres of terraces stretching realistically and depressingly toward the horizon. Minor point. The lake is meant to be esentially a tamed swamp. Unfortunately, I made my lake far too deep and it's taking ages to fill land in to make the South Side develop in the way I want - as a wannabe 19th century reflection of the old town that lacks its style. And another. I'm hoping that in these images you'll get what I'm trying to do with Marek V. Everything in Sim City is neccesarily regular and also compressed, as if it was a train set in HO scale or something similar. In a real city the avenues could stretch for miles and still maintain their character. Only the formal minority of my layout is straight-edge regular and everything else is as random as possible. Thanks to great buildings, I'm hoping to maintain the sense and regularity that such a fictional city would require, but with a varied architectural palette suitable to a 'real' place. As I've noted before, Marek V is meant to be the best tourist destination you never heard of - therefore it cannot be a homogenous array of magnificent vistas. } http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7673/marekvidanov12jul3501129314109.jpg align=baseline> {If you compare earlier posts, you'll see that the Old Palace was differently configured. I like to try things out, but believe the closed courtyard option is the more realistic. At the time of first poting, it was in the [now non-canon] open config that I liked because it opened up the courtyards toward the original pre-city orientation of roads. The very straight line through the park gardens will be softened shortly. This building is meant to be a fairly mediocre example of the Palladian fashion. As with Buckingham Palace, I like the idea that the city's central feature is actually very ordinary and modest. :-) } http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2859/marekvidanov13dec3481129220019.jpg align=baseline> {The Old Palace gates. Of course the Old Palace must always have looked like it does now; not the way it appears in all previous posts!] http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/4157/marekvidanov14jul3501129314311.jpg align=baseline> http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/2514/marekvidanov16feb3491129220895.jpg align=baseline> St George's; The Chapel Royal The Royal Chapel of St George most demostrates the urbanisation of the city over time. Like the Riky, it once sat in splendid isolation, sited along a parkway west from the Old Palace. For over 100 years now it has been surrounded by development. The 19thC Bishop's Palace just behind it forms a visual backdrop to the classical facade. Later buildings nearby dominate the skyline, but the chuch dome remains a landmark - and of course, the termination of the vista intended for the New Palace on the heights opposite. Despite the unusually high proportion of famous-looking churches that still adorn Marek Vidanov, it would be a mistake to consider the Vidanovs as a particularly god-fearing family. The Bishop's Palace has mostly been a hotbed of political, rather than religious fervour. Just one example: Archbishop Pekar was the Hapsburg appointed regent during that period of Friski history, serving 18 years as Prime Minister. His role, although obviously a neccessary step in controlling the province, did little to endear him - or the church in general - to the people. http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/2148/marekvidanov21jun3501129313377.jpg align=baseline> A view of the city facing south, looking across Sulik Station and St George's. A 19thC railway viaduct, known as the Long Bridge, spans the River Seky at this point. http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/3084/marekvidanov26jan3491129220659.jpg align=baseline> {This otherwise random image shows the view east of the Old Palace. In the other pictures posted the scars of recent redesigns are apparent where landscaping is clearly missing. I tend to try out a few ideas for each public space. In this view the layout of this square at least [although not the short street on the opposite side] is pretty much completed to my satisfaction at last!] http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7674/marekvidanov9nov3481129219684c.jpg align=baseline>

(Loking back half a year later, this following post seems to be about nothing much at all. Maybe showing off? Anyway, I'm not deleting my past, so it remains here. ) http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3334/ststationsth1jm.jpg align=baseline> Sandor Railway Station on the South Side. http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3456/marekgen24ku.jpg align=baseline> Marek Vidanov looking north acros Lake Kloski from the South Side. The Royal Stables are clearly visible centre left in the photo above. http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8614/nabokoveast5js.jpg align=baseline> Royal Avenue stretches from the Church of St George, official church of the Royal Family, past the Old Palace to the gates of the New. .To the right is Crux Square, centre of Friski bohemia. http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3866/marekgeb6hg.jpg align=baseline> The New Palace looks out across town from the summit of its hill. On the lake, the His Serene Highness' Royal Yacht, the Jorgov, awaits orders, accompanied as always by an RFN warship, in this case RFS Bolek.

Great stuff mate. I love Madrid [ok, and all of the little I've seen of Spain - it's the closest Europe gets to the Aussie lifestyle, but plus the magic of Spain's amazing history] and your layout is so happily true to life. In the near future, I hope that Simtropolis' BAT geniuses will get to work to deliver you a real P Real, Prado and King Carlos arch. But beautiful and atmospheric. Cheers, P

Hi people [of whatever inclination]. Nothing smart or funny to say, but very happy to help bump up the gay quotient on this thread. So, count me in.