-
Announcement
-
Simtropolis Returns! 05/26/2026
See here for details about our site recovery efforts.
-
Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'businesspeople'.
Found 22 results
-
Good morning or afternoon to all, This is a repost of my CJ entry #52, which unfortunatelly was also lost due to ST outage. Here it is again for you to reenjoy. The bad news is that I already overwrote the text file in which I stored the story that this episode presented. I am a little short on time and a little too disappointed to start over so if you don't mind, I'll just post pictures only and call it a day. So sorry... I can provide a quick recap and the highlights to help you understand the context of these pictures though. I will also appreciate if you could again cast your votes in the poll! - The Activator tribe is unable to sell most of their mining and industry products to the Altruists (their only contact so far) due to environmental laws that Altruists enforce - The Activator tribe reached out to the Businesspeople in order to ship such goods out - This new deal accelerated development in Industrious Hills and had positive impact in the form of establishment of Business Class. Both cities are now connected by an air-bridge - The garden city of Tanje governed by the Residents has a small Altruist minority - This minority was largely discriminated against by the elitist and isolationist Residents - The Altruist government embarked on an ambitious plan to establish a large city just outside Tanje, in order to incorporate this small minority into a robust and stable community, effectively, not leaving anyone behind - This new city (Charity Peak) is known for its fantastic natural features including monumental mountain, picturesque waterfront and cozy downtown, reminiscent of cities like Luxembourg or Liege Enjoy. SimCity:Tribalism is also back. This last picture doesn't fit to the current time of year but since it was a part of the original entry, I shall include it anyway.
- 1 Comment
-
- 6
-
-
- activators
- businesspeople
- (and 4 more)
-
Hello and welcome again Simtropolites. I'm sorry for being away for so long (again), but I was having something that in the Western cultures is referred to as "sabbatical". I needed some time off work and for my own development and somehow couldn't find time for SimCity... However criminal that sounds. I'm afraid that after such a long break, today's episode will not be very impressive or inspiring... Still, I hope you will appreciate it in one way or another. Cheers! While the Businesspeople gloat over the success of their new downtown and stabilize their market tickers, life in the North of New Udanani progresses slowly and mostly in accordance to natural rhytm. Although many people seek thrills and set ambitious goals, there are also those to whom lack of any surprises is a goal in itself. The agrarian life of the Localvores and the timid, respectful disposition of the Altruists, dominate this part of New Udanani. At present, the Localvores focus mostly on small adjustments to their capital and the neighboring Middlefield. The changes involve coastal areas, which are being reclaimed for use as new farms. In a case or two even the residential areas are removed to make room for new plantations. One has to admit that a "de-development" is generally a rare phenomenon in any city's life... Keeping in mind the environmental and tourist appeal that Greener Hills Nature Preserve garnered, the agrarian tribe decided to try the same form of natural development in Middlefield. This is why the Localvores, together with Altruist scientists, attempt to create a similar forested area with hiking paths on the town's hilly Southern edge. For now, the initiative goes well and the "wildening" process advances steadily. However, if you are more interested in actual city building efforts, you'll appreciate the news that the Altruists decided to build a new town, mid-way between their capital (Wellbeing) and their largest city up to date (Optimism). The town of Caring is the newest spot on the map of New Udanani. In many ways, it is a special place. It is a typical multi-purpose city and not just a "town". It fulfills numerous important roles that directly benefit its neighbor cities. As is evident from aerial shots, Caring is a granary for the local region. It features large farm fields which are more productive and better organized than small, family-owned businesses in Wellbeing or Serene Thoughts. The new farms specialize in staple foods with wheat and potatoes being the majority of produce. There is also some food processing industry present in the town, creating more "complex" food items like oils, flour, juices and... junk food too... Caring is also strategically important due to the presence of numerous transportation networks cutting through it. The town has local rail which serves passenger and cargo traffic coming from and going to Optimism and it also hosts high-speed rail infrastructure. The area in which all of these networks meet is affectionately called "The Crossroads of Altruism". A key transportation facility which stands out, is the Embrusso Brothers Municipal Airport - the first Altruist airport, named after Janso and Ellora Embrusso - Altruist cartographers and explorers from the 17th century. Obviously, small towns are popular as bedroom communities and Caring is no exception in this regard. It features an extensive residential area which is located on the coast of picturesque Lhomerta Bay offering lots of open terrain, a beach and nice views. North of the the high-speed railway, one can also find cheap social housing. While not very pretty, these low-wealth residential projects are better than most of the town in terms of commuting! They are located just a stone's throw away from most workplaces. Despite the small size of Caring, the political will is that the town is going to support the growth of the Altruist capital as well as that of Optimism in the near future. Indeed, both of these cities need new incentives and triggers to continue their development. Time will tell if an additional, multi-purpose town, wedged between two already developed cities, will be enough to satisfy these expectations... Interestingly, the sleepy and agrarian nature of Northern New Udanani has recently been reflected a bit in two venues on the Businesspeople soil. One of the key projects completed in this tribe's capital was the construction of a large grocery market, located in the Miriolam district of the Profit Hill metropolis. Do I need to remind that The Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension were the ones who decided on the matter? Anyway, here is the new addition to the city of finance... Apart from this interesting, tasty and healthy new feature, the Businesspeople city also finally saw the completion of the recreational park atop Profit Hill (which lends its name to the city itself). This landscaping project, which so far was banished into a development limbo, gained traction especially after the latest elections which saw some shifts of the power balance within the Businesspeople Tribal Assembly. One way or another, the Profit Hill Promenades Park is now complete and open to public. It offers beautiful views of the city and is one of the best spots from which to admire the mighty volcano cone located in the heart of the Businesspeople capital. That is all for today's episode. New locations and features pop up on the map of New Udanani all the time. Whether big or small, they will surely contribute to its future in some way and I hope you will stay tuned to witness it. Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - Yes, the Profit Hill downtown is terrific, isn't it? I also owe it to our BATters (some of whom no longer even visit the site...). There are some truly impressive and monumental buildings hidden deeper in the commercial sections of the site. I am very eager to keep my region running to gather enough demand to get them to grow and show them in one of the next episodes! @Tamijo - I can only hope that you like how it turned out! @EffTheGrid - Thanks @EffTheGrid! I must say that I often try to break the geometry of the square just like you do. Irregular park shapes are one of the ways to enforce it! @Honolulu - Thanks @Honolulu. I really enjoyed doing it, and seeing each of these skyscrapers grow was very rewarding.
- 5 Comments
-
- 12
-
-
- localvores
- altruists
- (and 5 more)
-
In the lives of people and societies, times often come in which the mistakes of the past seem to no longer count and become distant memories. In some cases, these memories bring about a resigned smile at one's past faults. In other situations, they evoke feelings of nostalgic wistfulness with which comes relief that a once serious predicament is finally gone. Such were probably the thoughts of the Businesspeople when they started to rebuild their capital after it endured a punishment at the hands of Sulka and the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension. The fact is, however, that the initial difficulties and challenges of the situation did not defeat the tribe and in the end it remerged stronger and wiser... The reconstruction of Profit Hill is now complete and the city, although much changed, is an example of an impressive transformation in the face of a disaster. All, made possible with resilience, hard work... and of course a little bit of a well-invested money! The full extent of the reconstruction efforts in Profit Hill can be clearly seen in the following comparison pictures. It is evident that the city underwent some major redevelopment, especially around the volcano crater and in the area in which the new Downtown rose (according to the victorious proposal #4)... To build up some suspense before we visit the new Downtown, we shall see other elements of the city where notable changes were introduced as a result of suggestions presented by two of the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension (@EffTheGrid, @Girafarig). These proposals met with keen interest of the city hall and so were implemented into the cityscape. As you can see, the portion of the city that was, no less, evaporated by the volcano, was indeed turned into an interesting park area in accordance with the above mentioned ideas. This green space now envelops the volcano cone in a half-circle of grass, trees and promenade paths. Here are a few more detailed close-ups of this new recreational space... North of the mountain, in a place where the former Downtown area would start, geologists discovered some hot springs that surfaced after the eruption. This natural peculiarity was incorporated into the park as a tourist attraction. Some visitors complain that the stench from the spring (which contains sulfur compounds and is significantly acidic) is overpowering. Still the place is a real draw for inquisitive individuals and school trips. Another idea that was inspired by the Revered Spirits' suggestions, was an overhaul of two major communication networks in Profit Hill - the beginning of the R1 highway and the expansion of the Silverstock Avenue located in the Southern part of the city. Presently, R1 highway indeed bypasses the city completely. It now cuts underneath Profit Hill and reemerges in the Sakvalan University District. Then, travelers can exit the highway by seamlessly driving onto Silverstock Avenue which leads directly to the new Downtown. The tunnel under Profit Hill was also featured in the "Engineering Illustrated" magazine last month. The former starting point of the R1 highway and its initial parts were completely dismantled as well, much to the relief of local citizens. After all, the fairly low number of commuters in this location did not warrant the continuous operation of a highway-grade route. It was downgraded to a 4-lane, narrow avenue which is just enough for local purposes. Southern Profit Hill underwent some redevelopment as well, just as the Spirits suggested. Instead of sparse, single-family housing, the area was rezoned into higher density neighborhood but with some reserved free space between apartment blocks. These efforts are of course just supporting elements to the key objective of the Businesspeople tribe - the reconstruction of the capital's downtown which you are about to see. An event that the local citizens and investors dreamt of for a very long time... Although initial reports raised concerns regarding the investors' willingness to return to Profit Hill, the companies actually clamored to resume their businesses in the city. New skyscrapers rose just next door to the government district and along the aptly named Renaissance Avenue. And thus, after months of planning, hard work and millions of New Udananian Mynts (NUM) invested, the tribe's efforts are crowned with a new, proud Downtown area that embodies their entrepreneurial spirit... * * Just a little "boast-note" - all buildings in the Downtown (except for rewards and parks of course) are growables, naturally developed in the course of the game. There are no skyscraper ploppables in Profit Hill at all. This swift recovery resulted in a very "bullish" market and prosperity not only for Profit Hill but also neighboring cities. A pool of skilled employees became quickly exhausted as companies raced to hire the best people possible. This in turn, provided incentive for developers to build new neighborhoods to accommodate citizens flocking to the Businesspeople lands. Population and customer numbers soared, just like the capital's skyline. The industry, which is otherwise hardly tolerated in the tribe's cities, became a little bit more acceptable too. After all, industrial products are necessary to build houses and offices. Bricks of cash can't replace regular bricks when it comes down to things... The economic and spiritual revival of the tribe had some other consequences as well. The government, recognizing the importance of the economic and societal ties of the three cities in the capital area, approved new administrative divisions. This is why the trio of cities including Profit Hill, Breadwinner Ponds and Dividend is now officially referred to as the "Profit Hill Metropolitan Area" (or, less officially, "ProHiMetA" in the civil service jargon). Here is a large mosaic which includes most of this area. There are two versions of it - one, with borders of individual districts and their prevalent character and another, without any annotations. Also, please take a special note of the area marked with green "x" in the Southwestern part of Miriolam district. If you can, please vote to determine its future purpose. These are quite large images, so it may take a while before they fully load. Your patience is appreciated. Enjoy. Despite the challenges of the past, the Businesspeople capital reemerged stronger and as prosperous as it ever was. The disaster cast doubt about the city's stability into many hearts but it seems to no longer be the case and the tribe's economic prowess was no doubt instrumental in saving Profit Hill. If, however, you are still in doubt whether to invest your money here, then perhaps some climatic, night shots will convince you to give it another chance... Comment replies: @Girafarig - Thank you. @Tamijo - All answers correct! @TogaMasterJohn - Happy to hear you like my nature, though sorry to hear you are so allergic. But did you know that New Udananian trees have non-allergizing pollen? @Karlito4 - Thank you for a very nice comment Karlito4! The fences you asked for come from this pack. Some of them are edited though, because I didn't want paths near most of them. @unaguayabita - Thank you!
- 4 Comments
-
- 10
-
-
- businesspeople
- cbd
- (and 4 more)
-
Time of reconstruction - Part 2
TheMurderousCricket posted a City Journal entry in SimCity: Tribalism
Once Dollar Grove, Cashflow and Newfoundwealth started to function normally, a time for the reconstruction of Profit Hill has come. For the Businesspeople tribe, returning their capital to its former glory was a matter of patriotic pride and as such it was treated as one of the government's top priorities. The top officials on both governmental and municipal level agreed that the shape and placement of the new downtown area, the capital's visiting card, is too important a task to be left to a handful of urban planners. This is why it was agreed to launch a contest in which architects, social groups, historians and business communities could put their own proposals forward for the new city center. In total, twenty-seven projects were submitted for the initial evaluation by the city hall. Although all of them had some interesting elements, only four were promoted to the final phase of the contest. The majority of the Businesspeople demanded that the final choice be made by the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension as many felt that asking for their opinion would be a chance to reconcile with divine tiers and erase the shame that weighed upon the tribe for its attempt at paving over one of the most important Sulkourbanist religious sites. It was also believed that this motion can improve intertribal relations, since many other tribes were unsure of the Businesspeople after their controversial actions that in some circles were considered as an apostasy... This is why today you can have your say and decide which of the projects below should give the way to rebuild Profit Hill's CBD. Take your time to carefully read the details of each of the proposals that made it into the final pool and then cast your vote once you have your verdict ready. This time, it is possible to vote for more than one proposal so if you think that more than one option deserves recognition, you can reflect that in your vote. Proposal #1 Submitted by: Profit Hill's Chamber of Commerce (business organization) CBD moves to the Eastern part of the city, replacing existing residential areas. R1 highway is then expanded towards Southern edge of Profit Hill. In this option, a large residential area which was damaged in the volcanic eruption is replaced with a long commercial strip. Most of the citizens living in the area were evacuated and resettled to Breadwinner Ponds and Dividend four years ago. Currently, only one-third of the pre-disaster population still lives in the remaining apartment blocks. In this concept, the R1 highway could also be expanded so that it runs through the middle of the new CBD and onwards. Pros: Water, hydronics and power infrastructure already available (if somewhat damaged.) Pairing up commercial zones and a highway might provide excellent financial gains. The "CBD+R1" (as the project is also called) may be a gateway for tribe's further expansion South, where a couple of vacation towns are planned for the future. Proximity of a busy commercial area might provide a chance to revive the "Profit Hill Park" project (a park area on the Profit Hill's Eastern slope) which lingers on for two decades now, without a clear plan or landscaping concept... Cons: The redevelopment involved in "CBD+R1" may erase the Eastern part of Small Business Society's shopping area. This is certain to increase the tensions between large companies and small, private entrepreneurs. Even tough the local area is largely depopulated, the project still involves resettlement of about 5100 citizens (for comparison, this is an approximate population size of Trigger Happy - home of Smileyface's Armacorp company.) Relatively high costs and complexity of the whole operation (resettlements, bulldozing large areas, rezoning, extensive roadwork.) Proposal #2 Submitted by: "Urbi et Tribu" Student Science Society (academic organization) CBD is scattered all over Profit Hill in many, small commercial "pockets". The second proposal is quite unorthodox and recommends creation of numerous small commercial "pockets" that would together constitute Profit Hill's CBD, only not geographically continuous. The proposal promotes the idea of compact, high-density, skyscraper zones. Such urban plan, which relies on condensing development, would potentially free up a lot of space, making it possible to use it for recreational and community purposes later. In general, the idea draws heavily from Le Corbusier's "Plan Voisin". Pros: Innovative approach. Creating compact, skyscraper, commercial zones frees up a lot of land that would otherwise have to be built over. Practically every part of the city will offer employment possibilities. Project encourages development of tram and subway lines to ensure connectivity between commercial areas. Cons: Project does not take local economic factors into account. Some of the "mini-CBDs" may not receive enough customers to grow while others will be receiving the bulk of commercial traffic, leading to uneven development. Project will involve considerable redevelopment in numerous parts of Profit Hill, making it a logistically, financially and organizationally challenging undertaking. Significant risk of diluting the commercial demand due to so many commercial zones, which may be a hindrance in the creation of anticipated skyscrapers. Profit Hill's citizen organizations panned the project and pointed out that it disregards community opinions. Many claim that proposal #2 is a "reckless experiment by a bunch of uni guys who want to get good grades by the end of the semester". Proposal #3 Submitted by: "Friends of Sirli Park" (community organization) Back to where it was. The third possibility on the table is to rebuild the Profit Hill's CBD in the exact same spot where it was before the disaster. It will of course involve significant terraforming and the removal of the volcanic cone that dominates the area but it is a viable option given the help that was offered by the Businesspeople's allies... Pros: Availability of highly-advanced engineering equipment provided by the Smileyfaces. This opportunity makes removal of the volcanic cone absolutely possible. A proven and true solution which brought significant riches to the city before. The area is located exactly in the center of the city tile, which in most cases is arguably the best spot for a CBD. Sentimental value and a matter of pride for Profit Hill's inhabitants. Cons: High costs of proposed terraforming, even with the use of Smileyface tools. Extensive damage to water pipes, wiring and other types of infrastructure has been reported in the area. Business community seems worried that a similar disaster may repeat in the future. These fears may badly influence investment dynamics in the area, at least for the first few years. Proposal #4 Submitted by: "Together for Profit Hill" (community organization) Co-working with the government. The fourth and final option involves rebuilding the capital's CBD in a partially unused area in the Eastern part of the city and along one of the main avenues there. Just a few blocks away from the original downtown and close to the governmental buildings located in the local area. Pros: Significant open area which is ready for development Proximity of important landmarks like the city hall, courthouse and sports stadium Decent transport infrastructure which involves two large avenues and a nearby tram line which can further be expanded Decent location which is relatively equidistant from all residential zones Relatively low costs involved Cons: Close proximity to the businesses owned by the Small Business Society which may cause antagonisms between private companies and large corporations. Relatively low traffic volumes in the local area, which is bad for business. Prognosis are unclear whether it will pick up once CBD starts running. Proximity of low density housing which may cause either CBD or the residential zones to look out of place. Now it is time for you to decide. What Profit Hill would you like to see in the future? Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - I have to say that I'm in love with these small, little gardens that you pointed out to in the last episode. They are simply terrific - they way they blend in parks, leisure or governmental areas is just stunning. There are some here too, in the fourth picture as you can see. @Tamijo - Thanks Tamijo.- 6 Comments
-
- 5
-
-
- businesspeople
- reconstructing
- (and 3 more)
-
Time of reconstruction - Part 1
TheMurderousCricket posted a City Journal entry in SimCity: Tribalism
After the dust from seismic cataclysms that plagued Businesspeople cities settled, a time for the reconstruction has come. When the tribe gathered financial and administrative resources necessary, plans were drawn to rebuild the cities and return them to their citizens. The humanitarian aid provided by the Altruists and the engineering machinery borrowed from the Smileyfaces secured existing homesteads and cleared away the ruins. Returning the damaged cities to their former state, however, was the Businesspeople's sole responsibility. All in all, four cities required intervention after the danger subsided. Developments in three of them will be presented today. The story about the reconstruction of Profit Hill - the Businesspeople capital - will be covered separately, two weeks from now. It goes without saying that the least successful settlements in a tribe usually need most attention in trying times. This is why the town of Dollar Grove and its stagnant economy was prioritized after the recent disasters. When the super fancy Sacred Pond Tourist Resort and Spa was wiped clean from New Udanani by two asteroid strikes, most entrepreneurs who invested there retreated to Dollar Grove. Faced with the prospect of swift bankruptcy, many of them begged the central government for a bailout. The help was indeed provided and the red tape required to provide new zoning opportunities for misfortunate investors was cleared. The firms which agreed to renew their operations in Dollar Grove got another chance to develop. What's interesting is that new commercial areas infused the city with new energy and life, improving the town's financial situation and stabilizing its economy a bit. Eventually, it turned out that the city's finances could have been rescued without trespassing into The Sacred Pond of Forces which angered New Udananian deities... When the Businesspeople noticed that a safer solution for Dollar Grove was seemingly available all the time, this realization caused an understandable outrage among many citizens. Large protests against several entrepreneurs and government were held in Profit Hill. As a result, some high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Economy were relieved of their duties. A few circles, including Sulkourbanist religious leaders, also demanded early elections to the Tribal Assembly to be held. The town of Dollar Grove, although finally in a better condition, also suffered from higher crime rate caused by angry citizens who sought revenge against politicians and businessmen who could have prevented the catastrophe but instead pressed ahead with the development plans. Among the cities which suffered more direct damage was Cashflow - the first of the Businesspeople cities built across the Bila An'anani River. An earthquake there damaged not only the city's industrial zone, but also cut the power to the entire city. This, of course, had terrible consequences for the people living there. The first action taken in the city after the disasters was the repair of the power infrastructure connecting it to the power plant. Apart from this, a new power line was also built off to the South, along the river. A lesson was learned, and the city officials determined that two power lines are a must. This way, in the event of any future problems, at least one line could continue to supply the city with electricity. Lack of power had tremendous impact on the city's inhabitants and businesses. Many decided to leave Cashflow altogether as living in the dark, even for a short period of time, was not their idea of fun. This lead to a considerable recycling of the urban tissue once the power was restored. The cityscape changed so much that in some places it became completely unrecognizable to the old inhabitants... When resettlement began, citizens returned to the city but new ones appeared as well. This led to the city's slow expansion towards Northeast where land prices were lower compared to the rest of Cashflow. People who moved in were also quite cautious and new zones were filled with low density dwellings rather than ambitious and expensive high-rise condos. But the important thing was that the city stood back up on its feet... Profit Hill, Dollar Grove and Cashflow lost considerable amount of demand and investments due to all the misfortunate events discussed. However, nature, as they say, abhors vacuum and it is right to assume that the people and money allocated in the aforementioned cities had to go somewhere. To a large extent, these resources were absorbed by Newfoundwealth and the city's name became more meaningful than ever... Newfoundwealth was struck by an earthquake as well but sustained minimal damage that was only limited to low-density shopping and service zones next to R-1. Repairs in these areas were completed very quickly. Shortly after the reconstruction efforts, the news of the city's good condition started to spread. What other cities lost, flowed right into Newfoundwealth, greatly accelerating the growth of its population and, most importantly, its neatly planned downtown. The city's advantageous position in the very middle of R-1 was also an important factor that contributed to this sudden economic boom. Growth of the city at large, also encouraged the expansion of lower density residential areas located farther away from the center, just like in Cashflow. Single-family housing zones providing relatively cheaper homes grew and spread throughout Northern and Southern parts of Newfoundwealth. All in all, the city gained a lot of prestige and carved out a fair share of workers, businesses and profits from other towns without particularly trying or wanting to do so. However, this unexpected boom greatly accelerated its development and became a source of pride for the local citizens and the city officials! The reconstruction efforts continue and the Businesspeople tribe slowly returns to a new, post-disaster normal. The Sacred Pond of Forces is still terribly scarred, though, and many fear it spells further trouble in a longer run. For now, however, the most pressing problems have been addressed and the question of Profit Hill's reconstruction will be featured in the next episode. Comment replies: @Tamijo - Thank you Tamijo. Always nice to see you here. @TogaMasterJohn - Hmm, good comparison! It does look like a military base with living quarters and all. I looked up "Eve of Destruction" and "Captain Trips"... boy, that's some crazy stuff... @Honolulu - If you see any interesting BATs in this episode too, do let me know.- 3 Comments
-
- 6
-
-
- businesspeople
- disaster relief
- (and 2 more)
-
Recent disasters on the Businesspeople territory made many New Udananian tribes more aware and cautious about what happens around them. Government officials understood that their respective societies are still in a nascent state and remain vulnerable in case of earthquakes, bolide impacts or challenges of the modern world. Because of this, many capitals took steps to better prepare their populations for the future. Various projects were initiated to create new tools and opportunities that could be used in times of crises or unexpected events. Today's episode explores some of these measures. We begin our journey in the Resident tribe, whose greatest weakness is its low population. The elitist social structure of the tribe allows only select few to be a part of it, which is in fact the very source of the problem. The Residents attempted to increase the population numbers by adding an attractive residential zone to Common Interest. The new neighborhood proved to be a success and lured 4000 new citizens to the town. The Businesspeople and Altruists who co-own the city, contributed to the project by adding shops and essential infrastructure to the town's newest zone. The circular residential zone in the town designed by the latter, expanded a bit as well. What comes as a veritable surprise is the fact that, compared to the other tribes, the Slackers embarked on one of the most ambitious resilience projects in New Udanani, owing perhaps to their sailing experience and maritime culture. First of all, the tribe made good on their promise to limit ties with their neighbors - taking advantage of the turmoil that engulfed the nearby Businesspeople towns, the Slackers performed a blitz landgrab and took control of a city tile East of their capital, making sure that the Businesspeople won't claim it for themselves in the future. The new town became an extension to neighboring Cape Careless, creating an almost seamless continuation of the capital's seaport and the working-class residential areas. As you can see, now, the entire Southern coast under Slacker control is a large seaport area through which countless goods are processed daily. The tribe is now able to dictate the shipping and customs fees as they wish. Behold, Lazy Bay and the Susprall Cargo Seaport. And just a small icing on the cake - the Slackers introduced tolls on their part of R-1 highway so now, Businesspeople visitors must pay their "respects" upon entering Cape Careless... Another ambitious infrastructural project was also completed on the other edge of New Udanani. Altruists, following the well-informed advice of the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension, built a high-speed railway to connect their largest city (Optimism) with their other towns off to the Southwest. The Altruist bullet train operates from two stations located in Optimism's commercial strips. The stations are placed close to the main residential area, so it takes just between 8 to 15 minutes to get to a station, depending whether one boards subway or a bus. Also, notice the safety fencing running along the ground-based railway. A mandatory feature sanctioned by the Altruist regulations, that aims to prevent animals and oblivious pedestrians from entering the tracks. But the Altruist railway project is not fully complete... The tribe would like to ask you one more follow up question regarding the new communication line. Namely, where the terminus for it should be built? Please acquaint yourself with the proposals below and cast your spiritually inspired vote... Moving on, it is time to take note of the changes that took place on the Smileyface territories. Innovation and science are one of the best ways to build resilience, so the tribe decided to expand their special "Future Technology Development and Special Economic Zone" (abbreviated as "FTDSEZ") in the town of Tralfamadore. The town expanded towards West and new plots of land dedicated to clean and futuristic industries were designated. Three new companies were also allowed to set up shop in the zone. Here are their short information sheets if you'd like to know them better. Due to the fact that the rules regarding running business in FTDSEZ are quite strict, the town is rather sleepy at the moment. However, Western Tralfamadore has an important natural gem - an extensive wetland and jungle forest area known as Cat-Nilam Bayou. The happiness-pursuing Smileyfaces already explore the swamps by the means of watersports. Two spontaneously (and semi-legally) built boat docks were constructed in the town. So far, the Smileyface authorities added a small Park Ranger station in the middle of the area to keep an eye on the tourists but the future protection of Cat-Nilam Bayou will have to be discussed in detail when population and tourist numbers rise. Last but not least, it should be mentioned that the Activators' recipe for building resilience did not change - expanding the size of their cities and mining ground to extract valuable resources is still the tribe's preferred way of gaining strength. However, the violation of The Sacred Pond of Forces which influences the harmony of the entire New Udanani, exacerbated ecological problems that Kuun Lan Plateau experiences due to mining activities. The hydrology of this area has always been rather fragile but the serious damage dealt to The Sacred Pond of Forces was the proverbial "last straw" and it spun the process of plateau's desertification out of control. Within last year, water table dropped so drastically that it turned the entire area into a desolate, wind-swept sand sea! Sadly, it occurred to me that I forgot to answer the comments that you submitted under Episodes 41 and 42. I'm so sorry about it! This is why today the comment replies section will be much longer than usual as I wish to reply to all the comments left under previous episodes. Here we go! Comment replies (#41) @tonyr - Hey tonyr and sorry for a belated reply to your question. If you mean the MMP grass, I use items in the BSC ALN RRP Pasture Flora 2.0 package. @TogaMasterJohn - Happy to hear you like rural towns with a little bit of nature. This is my preference as well! @Honolulu - I'm flattered. Thank you. @TakemeThere - Thank you for nice words @TakemeThere and for your vote! Comment replies (#42) @TogaMasterJohn - Thank you for a nice, analytical comment! There is a lot of nice stuff in these cities but long coastal areas sure have some of the greatest potential! @Tamijo - Bullet train it is! Thank you for your vote and comment. @TakemeThere - I understand your affinity for highways! To be honest, this was my first transportation choice as well but the Spirits decided differently. Comment replies (#43) @Tamijo - True! Crime deserves punishment. And the world that is too civilized is indeed not a good place to live! @TogaMasterJohn - I'm glad you like the plot twist! Recovery from the damages and diplomatic disillusion might indeed be an interesting follow up to this episode. @kschmidt - You got me intrigued... Is this story available somewhere here? It sounds very interesting but I'm afraid I never stumbled upon this CJ.
- 4 Comments
-
- 10
-
-
- resilience
- development
- (and 10 more)
-
The Sacred Pond of Forces is a revered site and a holy place in the New Udananian religion of Sulkourbanism. According to the ancient religious scriptures, surprisingly confirmed by the means of modern research, the site has unusual, positive properties that propagate throughout the entire land, assuring proper balance across the region and between the tribes. However, the Businesspeople tribe decided to turn this holy place into a tourist paradise, paving sacred forests over in hopes of quick profit. This antagonized some of the other Udananian tribes but, what is even worse, outraged many Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension including Sulka himself - the chief Udananian deity, The Beginning and End of All Cities. Ultimately, heavenly circles decided to punish the Businesspeople for their defiance - to the maximum possible extent - as the poll results show. The citizens of Dollar Grove heard a couple of frighteningly loud bangs early in the morning. As local police started to answer the first calls from concerned citizens, it became clear that something happened in the nearby "Sacred Pond Tourist Resort and Spa". As dark smoke rose into the sky from the nearby tourist complex, it became clear that Sulka, enraged with the Businesspeople's sacrilegious behavior, sent two meteorites towards the Pond to completely purge any man-made buildings from it. The drama continued into the noon as two, fairly weak but "well-placed" earthquakes shook some of the other Businesspeople towns, destroying key infrastructure installations and also cutting R1 highway into two pieces, severing communication and travel towards Dollar Grove. But the culmination of the Businesspeople's retribution for their sin came in the early afternoon as, completely out of the blue, a volcano erupted in the middle of their capital - Profit Hill! When the disaster dust finally settled, the damage across all four cities was assessed. The tourist resort and Profit Hill were struck hardest. Smoke from the burning forests and extensive loss of property were clearly visible in the ESA pictures taken from orbit. Miraculously, no loss of life was reported. This was partially possible due to the heat-resistant office furniture imported from the Smileyfaces which allowed all workers to use their desks and file cabinets to surf on the lava down to safety. In the aftermath of the destruction that Businesspeople cities suffered, an emergency meeting of the Coastal Summit was called in. The tribes involved in this organization (Altruists, Slackers, Gridlayers, Residents, Smileyfaces and Businesspeople) tried to discuss the situation and determine if there were any ways in which they could render aid to the misfortunate tribe. The representatives gathered, provided following statements... The widespread destruction in Profit Hill had some significant consequences for the Businesspeople. High numbers of internally displaced persons was the most significant problem as scores of people lost their homes. Even huge corporations lost their headquarters to the volcano and the ensuing blaze. In an attempt to manage the wave of homeless Udananians and provide unfortunate companies with new bases of operation, large areas North and Northeast of the capital were opened to development and handed over to the evacuees. These new areas were built without any particular order or plan in mind, apart from the basic Businesspeople city-building concept. Namely, priority to commercial development along busy roads. However, most of these new areas developed as a result of a pressing necessity rather than strategic planning or urban science. This tendency resulted in a dynamic development of low-density zones in Breadwinner Ponds and Northern Profit Hill. What is more, the town named Dividend was also established North of the Businesspeople capital. The main features of this new town are low density zoning, unintentionally mixed wealth levels and commercial "islands" located in the busiest areas. As mentioned previously, some of the evacuees were moved to Breadwinner Ponds - a city which was not affected by any catastrophic events. What is more, it sits on the R2 highway, it is co-owned by the technologically-advanced Smileyfaces and is a reception point for most of the disaster aid coming from the East. Due to these advantages, it proved much easier to accommodate disaster survivors in this city. The promised Smileyface technical assistance and advanced equipment allowed the evacuees to truly slingshot back to normal lives in the shortest possible time. The new city borough is far more advanced compared to Dividend. Artificial water canals, extension of Profit Hill's tram line, luxurious apartments and lots of green areas (including some still under construction) are the highlights of this new (if unplanned) neighborhood... One more impact of the recent events, though from a cultural and social standpoints, was a sudden rise in spiritual and religious awareness among some of the Businesspeople. In many cases, anger against Sulka and his punishment, accelerated secularization throughout some social groups. However, spirituality experienced a noticeable revival in those more interested in philosophy and religion. The tendency became so prominent that a new university specializing in humanities and theological studies was established in Breadwinner Ponds. Its academic value, beautiful surroundings and the vicinity of the city hall became a "visiting card" of the local area. Another significant, if a little mundane, gathering spot was established for those who wished to discuss matters of life, gods and morality in a carefree fashion with a pint in one hand and a cigar in the other. To that end, a Smileyface couple established a small pub on a road connecting both parts of the city - "The Mindless Philosopher Inn". A place "Where alcohol percentage is as heavy as a nihilist's mind". The troubles around The Sacred Pond of Forces had a sad and fairly shocking result. The controversial Businesspeople holiday resort was wiped clean from the face of New Udanani, giving way for the nature to take it back. The scars on the ground and in the cities remained, however, leaving a visible mark across the land. The only cure for the rather unpleasant memories of these events is probably to move on and focus on rebuilding tribal ties and the physical damage. Some people are hopeful and try to focus their minds on the process. Others, however, believe that with The Sacred Pond of Forces ailing, New Udanani's balance is still off.
- 3 Comments
-
- 12
-
-
-
-
- businesspeople
- smileyfaces
- (and 5 more)
-
In times of uncertainty, big cities can provide populations with a sense of enhanced security, belonging and safety from perceived or real dangers. As turmoil around The Sacred Pond of Forces continues, some of the New Udananian tribes - Altruists, Gridlayers and Slackers - ramp up their efforts to develop their largest population centers and provide safe environment for their citizens. Today, you can review the expansion that these cities have undergone. The tour begins in the Northeastern city of Optimism - so far the largest Altruist city. In the past few months, local authorities tried to address some of the city's most urgent problems to make it more resilient in the future. One of the issues improved was accessibility to green infrastructure. The ambitious Altruist plans for a large, populous city resulted in construction of many new buildings but left few natural spaces - something that directly contradicts the tribe's principles! This problem was solved with the removal of some buildings, increase of the residential densities and the creation of many "microparks" and artificially forested zones. The authorities also try to alleviate one of the young city's most burning issues which is unemployment. Although the job situation is not too dramatic, new industrial and commercial areas were added to the cityscape to appease new citizens looking for jobs. A lot of money is needed to further expand the city but most of the funds have already been consumed for the present needs. However, road infrastructure was put in place in the area where the city is expected to develop, offering a look into how Optimism may grow in the future. There are also plans to build a large seaport on the Southern coast, complete with a fitting rail terminal. Some empty gaps between Optimism's industrial zone are specifically reserved for this future infrastructure. Regardless of the efforts taken inside the city, economists agree that Optimism cannot exist on its own, separated from other towns. This is why the tribe would like to ask the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension about the best way to connect the city to the rest of the Altruist lands. See the poll at the top of the page to review possible voting options. Meanwhile, far away to the West, the Gridlayer-Slacker city of Quigley Beach is doing quite well. The combined experience of the two tribes who own it, allows for smooth and accurate management. It is economically stable with monthly income standing at around §300. Contrary to Optimism, the city does not currently invest in adjustments and problem-solving but simply builds out. This is visible in the continuing expansion of the city's industrial base. The ever-growing industrial area is located not far from the Eastern coast. According to the traditional, Gridlayer concept of the city, the zone is isolated from the rest of the town through the buffer of (equally dynamic) commercial area which may become a CBD one day. Communication needs in the growing city are, at least for now, satisfied through the use of rail and bus transportation. For the time being, the traditionalist Gridlayers reject the possibility of using any other type of transport, perhaps except the subway. Many visitors claim that the Slacker half of the town is more colorful and vibrant than the areas managed by their Gridlayer friends. Interesting street layout and leisure facilities tucked away here and there are probably what makes these districts more appealing. In fact, the Slackers were tasked by the city hall to develop a larger leisure zone, specifically dedicated for the entertainment of all citizens, regardless of their tribal allegiance. Eventually, a new district named Torrey Coast was built for this purpose. The biggest challenge was to create appropriate facilities that could accommodate entertainment needs of carefree Slackers and Gridlayers - whose tastes are more refined. It was ultimately decided that this new zone will host art galleries, different museums and an easy access to a beachside and picnique grounds, creating a good compromise between basic and sophisticated entertainment. The local chapter of the renowned "Atom" nightclub made it into the area as well, further adding to diverse leisure opportunities in Torrey Coast. In the previous episode, the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension were asked to decide about the future of Blossom - an agrarian, Localvore town which had lots of free, open spaces ready for further development. A decision was to be taken whether this space should be dedicated to farmlands or a large lake. As it often happens, both options received the same amount of votes. The Localvores decided to honor both answers. This is why Blossom will from now on, consist of both farmlands and a spacious lake which has a beach and is partially navigable for sailboats. Feel free to review the new developments in the town before you go! To sum up today's episode, Quigley Beach and Optimism are some of the largest cities around New Udanani and they are expected to continue to develop in the coming years. Potential for growth seems to be quite high for both municipalities. For the time being the largest city in the land is the Businesspeople's capital of Profit Hill. However, this tribe's defiance and their pursuit of money angered many Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension and the punishment for the tribe's violation of The Sacred Pond of Forces is almost inevitable at this point. Whether the shining, glass and concrete skyscrapers of Profit Hill withstand the holy wrath of higher beings is anyone's guess...
- 3 Comments
-
- 13
-
-
-
The weather in Cashflow was cold and rainy and the skies were cloudy and dark. Just like the minds of the Slacker delegates who met in the city to discuss a new Businesspeople idea. The problem with said "idea" was that Businesspeople wanted to start a tourist and hotel industry in... The Sacred Pond of Forces... The Businesspeople were trying to bail out their ailing town of Dollar Grove which neighbored the holy site. They believed that they could use The Sacred Pond of Forces' appeal and status as a draw for tourists and investments in order to uphold the town's budget. The overwhelming majority of Udananites consider The Pond to be the region's sacrosanct location. What is more, Sulkourbanist religious scriptures clearly indicate that it is forbidden to put any man-made structures within the area of this special place and the surrounding jungle. Having learned of their neighbor's intentions, the Slacker delegation was understandably shaken. It was already afternoon and the meeting was drawing to a close. Both teams were making one last attempt to influence their partners to change their minds. However, it seemed that both tribes were already entrenched in their individual convictions, refusing to reconsider their respective stances. With this statement, the meeting was closed and the delegates stormed out of the conference hall - angry, worried and agitated. The Businesspeople dignitaries returned to Profit Hill on the same evening and reported the fiasco of their talks to their government. However, since the tribe is a resilient and proactive bunch, the government officials have unilaterally decided to try and convince yet another tribe to join them, rather than give up the plan. Slackers are the most frequent visitors to The Sacred Pond of Forces and their extensive knowledge of the local topography and environment was considered to be valuable for any economic plans for the local area. However, since they didn't want to take part in the urban development of The Pond, the next tribe chosen for potential cooperation were the Smileyfaces. Many believed that these long-time allies of the Businesspeople will almost certainly join the project. When both tribes arranged for a conference, the Businesspeople delegation travelled East. This time, to the Smileyface capital of Laughterdale. But when the talks began, it turned out that the Smileyfaces are just as reluctant as Slackers to lend hand to the Businesspeople development plans. Despite excellent relations shared by both tribes, the new meeting turned out to be just as fruitless and disappointing for the authorities in Profit Hill... When both potential partners turned down offers for "promising" economic future, Businesspeople were left on their own when it came to urbanization efforts in The Sacred Pond of Forces. The pleas and warnings voiced by other tribes have fallen on deaf ears and the tribe decided to press on with construction, despite intertribal outcry. This way, first buildings appeared in the New Udananian holy site, including some major hotels and tourism infrastructure... What was once a place of reverence and casual picnic trips, turned into a "fashionable", commercialized venue, straight out of Insta-lifer's wet dream... All in all, many tribes were disappointed by the Businesspeople defiance towards cultural and religious rules of New Udanani. Many of them also fear about possible outcomes that the violation of The Pond may carry. Numerous people also predict some kind of a violent disaster or a divine punishment to strike New Udanani in the near future... Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - Oh, you intrigued me now - what cities did you have in mind and what area do you live in? (of course, if you feel comfortable sharing it with us?) @Tamijo - Nothing wrong with a little bet in roulette or snail-racing I guess. @Honolulu - Hey, thank you for your visit! Regional play is important and I feel that the highway systems give the incentive to put it into practice. I'm glad you like the hospital area. I guess it certainly makes it a little less stressful for the patients!
- 2 Comments
-
- 6
-
-
- businesspeople
- slackers
- (and 4 more)
-
Multitribalism - cities and compromises
TheMurderousCricket posted a City Journal entry in SimCity: Tribalism
The completion of the first three highways (or "rigdallir" in the local language) has been an important event in New Udanani. It opened up Southern and Central-Western New Udanani to new possibilities like scientific and economic exchange but also quick transfer of people and goods. Isolated cities became connected and previously long travel times, shortened. The strip around these fast throughways is referred to as "BRASS Belt" - an acronym deriving from the names of all tribes that have access to the highways (Businesspeople, Residents, Altruists, Smileyfaces and Slackers). Today, we shall take a look at two cities laying within BRASS Belt. What makes them special is that they are all run by more than one tribe. Some of the Readers may remember the momentous meeting between the Businesspeople and the Smileyfaces. The city of Breadwinner Ponds, the fruit of their alliance, remains a combination of commerce, advanced industry and various happiness-enhancing urban features. Recently, the Smileyfaces took a lead in further development of the city. A new, large neighborhood with a residential character was started, adding to the acreage and population of the city. Most of these new residential areas are occupied by both the Smileyfaces and the Businesspeople without any cross-tribal problems. Homes and houses belong to different wealth levels too and no citizens are excluded from this new community - one of the principles that the Smileyfaces follow in their city designs. The tribe has even managed to create a tiny public beach on one of the pond's shores. The new area is quite distant from both industrial and commercial workplaces. This is why Smileyfaces decided to transform some parts of the city in order to introduce a cool and fast way to commute from the new neighborhood - a monorail line that connects Northern part of the town to the city's downtown and industrial regions. It's an impressive project if one understands how tightly-packed the urban development is in the local area. As you can also see, some of the Businesspeople shop owners established new businesses around these new transit stations, anticipating increased customer traffic nearby. Some tensions and disappointments spark up in the new neighborhood nonetheless. Some Businesspeople officials notified the government that the Smileyfaces have introduced industrial areas into the new zone. Although very small and non-polluting, the place causes strong opposition from some policymakers... Not to mention the fact that monorail line reduces the car (and customer) traffic along downtown's busiest roads. Except, of course, those in direct vicinity of the fancy, modern stations... Due to the fact that Breadwinner Ponds economy matured and stabilized, it finally became possible to modernize the city's utility installations. Accordingly, water pumps underwent major maintenance work and the old-fashioned oil power plant was replaced with a powerful Smileyface-designed solar collector. As part of the so-called "critical infrastructure" it has been built next to the local military base for additional security. Before we move on, take a few last looks on Breadwinner Ponds. The following pictures show how Smileyface and Businesspeople building styles mix with each other (and prove that the city is not just a haphazard design of a nameless mayor!). Take a look at the relaxed, leisurely and somewhat "random" Smileyface neighborhoods. Then, compare it to the more organized and formal Businesspeople landscaping. Far away, on the other end of the BRASS Belt, an important new event takes place and many Udananites are closely following the developments there. An area previously known as the "Friendship Village" was turned into a new town. What makes it unique is that it is the first town in New Udanani owned not by two but by three different tribes! Common Interest is owned by Businesspeople, Residents and Altruists. Tribes involved in the construction of this town were chosen as a result of the poll offered in this episode (thank you for your votes!). Here is a bird's view picture of this new, unusual town. If you look closely you will notice that, just as in Breadwinner Ponds, it is easy to determine which neighborhoods are dominated by which tribe. Take a look at the pictures and a moment to analyze them. Can you see walls of trees, surrounding well-off housing projects? A landscaping which helps to maintain high land values and a general elitist homebuilding tendencies? Finally, lack of industry and bland, uninteresting farms which are considered to be no more than "necessary evil" for the town to grow. These neighborhoods are inhabited by the Residents. A little bit further to the East, you can see a lively conglomerate of various commercial and shopping areas. Note that they are strategically placed near the R-3 highway exit which guarantees large number of customers and travelers. Of course, this spot is governed by the hardworking Businesspeople. Last but not least, there is a well-developed residential area in the Southeast corner of the town. It has a distinct circular shape and all basic city services that people who live there may need. A few farms are also present in the area providing not only employment but also a soothing, aesthetically pleasing landscape... Without a trace of doubt, this is an area managed by the Altruists (and which the clever Businesspeople encroached upon slightly). As you can see, Udananian tribes are keen on finding common language with each other and cooperation experiments like Common Interest are bound to become more frequent. It may still take a few years before this trend yields more impressive results, but the process as such is quite fascinating. One of the key problems for these new towns are, of course, the finances... When tribes coexist in a single town, it becomes quite a headache to allocate sufficient funds to all who ask for money - an issue that has been hotly debated among the Businesspeople. One of the ideas to boost city income is to legalize gambling but, given the controversial side-effects of such measure, the tribes cooperating with the Businesspeople have requested you - The Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension - to determine what should be done about this issue. Gambling is one thing, but there are plans which seem to be even more disconcerting then potential rise in crime... In their never-ending chase after profits and money, the Businesspeople tribe wishes to add another brick to Udananian economy. The problem is that their plan is considered to be very controversial and involves development in a special, forbidden zone... Comment replies: @Tamijo - Yes, no school busses. Kids often eat candy and junk food so more exercise will circumvent diabetes, obesity and other health problems. It's a truly Altruist method! @lynchkyle - Thanks! @TogaMasterJohn - I'm happy you like Charity and yes - those are pedmalls. Old, ploppable versions of them (I didn't upgrade NAM). They work quite well connected to transit stops but can also act as shortcuts between parallel roads.- 3 Comments
-
- 6
-
-
- smileyfaces
- businesspeople
- (and 6 more)
-
Good morning or evening depending from where you are joining. I believe that due to my recent injury and hospital visit, some of the voting results on important matters regarding New Udanani have not been appropriately presented to you. This is why we shall now have a quick rundown of all relevant votes. Accordingly, be it known that: VIP Terrain Mod was chosen as a rock texture for New Udanani Water texture for New Udanani remains unchanged (Rivit Coastal Modd - Tropic) A second, narrative-oriented city journal on New Udanani will be launched, focusing on cultural and historical aspects of the region and the individual tribes. If you are a reader type, you will enjoy it. Activators shall export their surplus mining products to Altruists. And the latter point is where we start off today... The convoy of barges, loaded full with prime-quality limestone, marble and gravel moved silently up Jaland'di River. Respecting the decision of the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension, the Activators have sent a trade mission towards the area occupied by the Northern tribes, hoping to make good profit and new friends. Despite their advantageous geographical location, the Activators have not engaged in any politics yet. The captain of the convoy was enjoying his morning coffee, coordinating the movement of the fleet through the river. As he was taking the next sip of his favorite drink, the radio went on and a somewhat bored but simultaneously tense, military voice announced: - This is Altruist River Patrol corvette "Kingfisher" to approaching barge convoy. Set your transponder code to zero-five-eight-seven and state your business. The captain put his coffee aside, grabbed the microphone and quickly replied: - Setting transponder now... This is Activator merchant convoy, bringing industrial materials for trade or commercial exchange. Requesting permission to moor in Serene Thoughts. - Confirmed. On your way. The barges soon moved past the patrol boat and thrown anchor just outside Serene Thoughts. The government officials have been notified about the arrival of new guests from as yet undiscovered tribe. Two hours later, Activator officials and merchants were invited for a round of talks in the local town center. After the talks concluded, Altruists left the town center with mixed feelings... They were quite shocked to learn that Activators consider harmful dirty industry or sand-swept mining wastelands to be a form of development as good as forests and parks... Some of the delegates described the Activator style of city building as "sickening", pointing out that their cities are too congested and lacking clear boundaries between different developer types. The Activators were a bit more kind towards their new partners and quite impressed with the spatial planning of Altruist cities. Especially the capital of Wellbeing which had no empty spaces but, at the same time, was not a glass-and-concrete desert. All in all, the Altruists agreed for an exchange of ambassadors and also declared their willingness to purchase some of the mining materials brought to their shores. The Altruist Tribal Council planned to establish a new town in the near future and it was determined that quality construction goods might be really useful for their newest plan. But the idea of a new town in the rural Northern Udanani was dwarfed by the great city-building leaps that the Businesspeople have made. Due to the recent Coastline Summit and the business contacts made there, the tribe has gained a lot of new confidence and wealth. These gains made it possible to turn two, unassuming traveler service points on R-1 and R-3 highways into fully-grown towns. Developing new cities along busy communication networks is always good for business. Thus, Newfoundwealth and Dollar Grove have been established. Newfoundwealth is the more successful of the two. Wedged between the Businesspeople capital and the already grown Cashflow, Newfoundwealth is passed by thousands of travelers, tourists and businesspeople on a weekly basis. All of it began from the humble travel service points integrated into R-1. These, later developed into larger, low density area of shops and hotels which are heartily welcomed by automotorists passing by. After the town started to gain strength, some of the CEOs, entrepreneurs and other well-situated people began to move in. These privileged groups of pioneer citizens have established their homes on one of the prominent hills overlooking Newfoundwealth. A very fancy and stylish spot to live in... Eventually, the soaring number of travelers on R-1 stimulated the commercial growth so much, that a local downtown area started to emerge in the city. This is currently one of its most expensive parts. It also neighbors high-density residential blocks. Workforce and workplace numbers are in a good equilibrium so the city is as productive and balanced as possible in its current economic state. For its employees sake, Newfoundwealth has some nice recreational facilities too where office workers can calm their nerves down after work. Some of these include Township Square located in the area where initial urban developments took place. Nearby, one can also find relaxing Merchant Promenade. A highlight to this area is the agricultural market, located at the end of the promenade. The Smileyface and Resident farmers make up most of the traders certified here. A little bit closer to the downtown, one can also find the Profit Hill Gardens. A huge park complex named in honor of the Businesspeople capital city. At the Northeastern tip of the park, one can also visit Levrono Fort. Formerly a medieval dungeon, it was converted into a courtyard garden in the 17th century by the effort of the local noble family by the name Samanssito. All in all, the city of Newfoundwealth has a fitting name and the advantageous location surely contributes to its success. With many free spots being still available throughout the city tile, it is sure to grow even bigger in the future. Things are considerably more challenging in the Dollar Grove. The Businesspeople's first town built along the R-3 highway. R-3 does not receive the same amount of travelers as R-1. This communication network connects Central Udanani with the Resident-occupied areas to the North which are scantily populated. Therefore, although this town could be established without problem, it cannot spread its wings to the same effect as Newfoundwealth. As you can see, the town is rather simple and consists of several roads and low-income neighborhoods. All commercial developments are located along the busiest patch of the main road and lay close to the highway itself. Strategically, the zoning is good but the growth in this isolated patch of Udanani is woefully slow. In an effort to invigorate the town a bit, local government has even allowed some industry to develop West of the highway. The industrial zones bring in the much-needed money but are otherwise a testament to the town's current hardships. Some economists are concerned that the Businesspeople have simply overstretched their resources. However, the success of Dollar Grove is a matter of political ambition for the tribe and the government is ready to support the town for as long as required. While economic considerations are of no interest to them, the Slackers are concerned about the establishment of Dollar Grove for a different reason... According to a nearly forty-year old warning handed out to the Udananites by Sulka - their deity - it is forbidden to build anything it the immediate vicinity of The Sacred Pond of Forces. However, as Dollar Hill is right next to it, many Sulkourbanist believers are fearful of the possible consequences this act may have on the future of Udanani... Thank you for reading and watching through the episode and for your many comments and likes under the previous entry. Comment replies: @sc4baidu - You're most welcome. Same to you! @Tamijo - My choice as well. @Honolulu - Thank you! @JohanD - Thanks! I'm glad you like them! @kschmidt - Thank you for your kind comment. I'm happy you like it! MMPing this area was fun. @TG24 - It is always nice to see you on my pages @TG24. Feel free to drop back in anytime you want. Yes, I agree from my point of view as well - #35 is one of the best and most detailed episodes in this city journal.
- 7 Comments
-
- 11
-
-
-
- altruists
- businesspeople
- (and 9 more)
-
Good morning or afternoon to some! It's been a while since last update to my CJ. Unfortunately, I suffered a serious medical problem - an Achilles tendon rupture. It is a brutal injury which, essentially, makes one unable to walk and requires quick visit to an operating table... Thankfully, I am already past that stage and the operation was a success. Before rehabilitation starts, me and my leg will have to endure a cast - for thirty more days... Some people already call me "Master-Plaster"... I hope I have justified my absence from the forums and city journaling. I can only hope I will regain my life as quickly as possible. I always liked exercises, so starting the physiotherapy should be a welcome and pleasant experience once the cast comes off. I wish you a safe and healthy New Year and an interesting read through the next episode of SimCity: Tribalism. A previously distant and virtually unconnected tribe of the Residents has enjoyed a lucky and unusual series of coincidences recently. These, made it possible for them to make new friends and potential partnerships in a very short time... In Y.O.U.S 35 the construction of R-3 highway was completed and the Resident territories have been opened up to travels and exchanges with Southern Udanani. A joint Businesspeople-Smileyface delegation was sent down this new throughway, soon after the route was opened. This way, a new contact was made. At roughly same time, the Altruist diplomatic mission (who previously made contact with some other tribes) also arrived to Bedroom's shores aboard ATS "Ibis". As if this wasn't enough, it also turned out that a small delegation of Gridlayers has been visiting Slacker's town of Dolittle, just South of the Resident capital. Given the occasion, diplomats from this distant tribe have also decided to pay Residents a visit with so many possibilities of contact presenting themselves at once. As a result, the aristocratic and classy tribe has been blessed with four diplomatic connections within a short, 3 day span... All of the parties involved in this unexpected meeting were interested in establishing diplomatic relations and discussing various forms of cooperation in a peaceful, quiet setting. Lack of hotel rooms and appropriate conference facilities forced the Resident hosts to establish a new town that could accommodate foreign delegations. This is why as yet nameless, new town has been established East of Bedroom. Currently, the town consists of several luxury and low density accommodations for foreign diplomats as well as three fully equipped conference centers which can be used for conducting work groups in different formulas. Some of the Residents call it the "Friendship Village". As you can see, large amounts of the new settlement consist of green areas and lush vegetation. The Residents used this kind of intentional design in order to increase the land value of the new city right after establishment. Despite the fact that area looks quite wealthy, some urban planners have criticized the project for hasty design and chaotic layout, going even as far as to call it "amoeba" due to its peculiar shape. One way or another all the guests have been invited into the Friendship Village to conduct talks. The entire event has been formalized under the name "Coastline Summit 35" due to the fact that most of the tribes participating have access to seas surrounding New Udanani. Appropriate security has been provided for the event by the Resident police and self-defense forces and the summit has begun. Numerous topics were discussed during the meeting so it would be quite difficult to list them all out. The most important information is probably how all of the tribes reacted to each other. Especially towards previously undiscovered Gridlayers and Residents. The following infographics show the sentiment towards these tribes, complete with a short information on the issues and common grounds found. The "Coastline Summit" in Y.O.U.S 35 kickstarted a period of dynamic cooperation between many New Udananian tribes. In fact, it was decided that the areas surrounding the Friendship Village will become the first ever town to be controlled by three different tribes with the Residents, of course, being one of them. It has been decided, however, that the Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension shall indicate the ownership of the new town. If you would like to help with that decision, you are kindly invited to cast your vote in the poll at the top of the page. Some people say that isolationism is also a form of diplomacy and there's certainly one tribe that continues to put this idea into practice - the Localvores. For the last few years the tribe has focused on expanding their influence through creating natural environment. As a result "The Loneliest Neighborhood of New Udanani" has greatly expanded through the creation of new grasslands, mountain forests and deciduous woods. As you will see, the Localvore greening policies have had a very positive impact on the local region. Future development plans agreed for this piece of New Udanani assume further expansion of such areas. In spite of the Localvore autarchic ambitions, there is one interesting tidbit that many people pay significant attention to. The mountainous areas of Greener Hills contain deposits of water which has valuable elements beneficial to health. The Localvores have thus established an extraction and bottling facility to take advantage of this gift of nature. Believe it or not, the Localvores allowed for several Altruist employees to be hired for this new enterprise... As a result, this industrial facility is the first ever Localvore business to employ foreign workers. By the end of today's episode, have a look at some more shots of the newly developed natural areas of Greener Hills which you may find inspiring. Thank you, see you next time and best wishes for good HEALTH in 2024! Comment replies: @Tamijo - Noted. Thank you for voting! @Cortana - I'm sure you are doing well in your own regions. Sometimes it's just a matter of imagination and a good combination of custom plugins. @TogaMasterJohn - It's a fine joke, even if a "dad joke" type. I'm glad you liked the details. @sc4baidu - Hi @sc4baidu! Sorry for the late reply. As you can see, I had a health problem requiring immediate medical attention and was away from the page for at least two weeks... Regarding your question - I made the conveyor belt and crusher house myself through the objects available in "BSC MEGA Props - RT Vol04" plugin pack. I simply pieced them together in LE and saved them as custom ploppables.
-
Announcement! Due to a file handling mishap, pictures in some of my previous episodes have been deleted and lost from the CJ entries they were assigned to. This information is in case you are just joining us and would like to browse through other entries - some images may be missing. I will work on restoring the images lost as I have the backups of the content affected. Once the situation is solved, I will let you know. Meanwhile, enjoy the new entry below! The Businesspeople-Smileyface alliance had some important economic consequences. One of them was a crackdown against dirty industry. Despite numerous complaints of the I-D sector, the tribal governments were unwilling to hear out any pleas for leniency towards polluting industries. This, forced these companies to find new places where their businesses could operate. The areas occupied by the Slackers (with their low standards for practically anything including the environment) have proven to be a much friendlier environment for this kind of activity. New infrastructural developments like R-1 and R-2 were a godsend in this situation as these high-speed roads allowed dirty companies to pack their machinery and simply travel all the way West to Cape Careless in one, long haul. It was an undertaking on a great scale and happening more or less simultaneously throughout entire Southern Udanani. Because of that and due to the profile of the companies moving, the event was called "Dirty Dancing". The Businesspeople and the Smileyfaces were indifferent to the loss of dirty industrial sector. The Slackers, on the other hand, were welcoming towards new business moving into their capital. Eventually, the city's industrial sector swelled to almost twice of its previous size as a result. New workplaces also convinced many people to join the Slacker cause. This is why some worker class neighborhoods started to appear in the middle of the new industrial facilities. The quality and the architecture of these homes was often unpredictable but still, many newcomers considered such tenements to be "millennial-grade trendy"... Often, new homes were also built in the vicinity of the R-1 exit, located in the Eastern part of the city. Not coincidentally, this was also a preferred location to establish new factories - a strategic place for easy access to capable means of transport. However, the most important development of the Dirty Dancing period, was the construction of a large and technologically advanced container port in Southern Cape Careless. This exclusively cargo-oriented seaport became one of the most important freight hubs not only in the city but also entire Western Udanani. Dirty industry, in this case mining, remains one of the most profitable branches of economy in Central Udanani. The Activator tribe continues to exploit their huge quarry in Kuun Lan for resources and building materials. The activities in the mine have expanded recently and new mining posts have been added in at least two new locations. Unfortunately, the waterbed continues to drop and the dust continues to accumulate throughout the plateau... Regardless environmental impact, the excavated material enables the Activators to accelerate the development of their cities. New projects have been completed in Industrious Hills recently, almost filling up the entire administrative tile that the city sits in. The fruits of industrial labor collected in Kuun Lan, also allowed to expand the local cargo port. This way, the facility is able to accommodate the increased amount of resources processed through it on a daily basis. Even after satisfying the local needs, large amounts of goods still remain in the Activator holding bays. This is why the tribal council decided to prepare a large batch of resources to export them to the tribes that occupy the shores of the Jaland'di River. Two trade directions are available. First, is the Altruist tribe to the North. The other is the Smileyface tribe to the South. The latter trade possibility might be a difficult one, given the two tribes' long history of propaganda war... The Activator Tribal Council has decided to ask you to provide the answer to the question as to which tribe they should contact first. You are thus invited to cast a vote and help determine the course of action that the Activators should take. As Southern tribes routed most of the dirty industry from their territories, it is understandable to ask what other plans they might have on their minds as far as their economies go. The Smileyfaces have recently suggested that the Businesspeople should seek contact with the Residents. Laughterdale governmental advisors believe that this tribe might have smart, well-situated, upscale workforce that can fill key managerial and expert positions in the Businesspeople companies. It has thus been agreed that both tribes will attempt to make this contact and a new infrastructural project was started to achieve this objective - the R-3 highway, leading from Cashflow to Bedroom. What is more, the Businesspeople have concurrently began the construction of a twin project, parallel to this new road - an incredibly fast monorail track, constructed according to the blueprints provided by the Smileyface engineers. The line is intended to run along R-3 and has even received an official signage pattern, not unike Udananian highways. Comment replies: @Tamijo - Thank you. They really show building progress well, don't they? @Honolulu - Hahaha, you found your true self. As far as I'm concerned, I must be from an Altruist mother and a Smileyface father. @TogaMasterJohn - The Gridlayers are indeed quite far away from the mainland Udanani, but a different and significant interaction is going to take place soon! Stay tuned.
-
Welcome again. I hope you are having a nice weekend and are someplace cozy and warm. Some of you may remember that we are still in the middle of adjusting textures for New Udanani. As far as the rock texture goes, two options have again received the same number of votes and I have to determine a winner myself again. Apart from that, a water texture has to be chosen yet. By the end of today's episode, you will find options to choose from and I encourage you to cast your votes in the pool poll in order to resolve this question. The Altruists have set off on a mission to make contact with other tribes who live in New Udanani - an eventful adventure to say the least. As it is hard to focus on all details of this grand voyage, it is probably best to simply show some key excerpts from the captain's log of "ATS Ibis" - the yacht that the Altruist delegation uses for their travel... 30th April Mission day 5 - We have arrived to the areas occupied by the Smileyface tribe though not without "adventures". When we arrived in the vicinity of Laughterdale, it turned out that our ship trespassed into some top-secret military area that the locals call "Emo-G Site". As we entered the NEZ (naval exclusion zone) around it we were intercepted by an armed, modern-looking frigate, instructed to dock with the site, disembark and give our ship up! As we got off we were greeted by a group of well-built soldiers with typical dark-complexion specific to New Udananian Southerners. Their leader, a sergeant by the looks of it, informed us that we are under arrest and that our ship will be impounded. Our tribal leader (who is a part of our cruise) pleaded with the sergeant that this is just a misunderstanding and explained that we are members of a diplomatic mission. He then showed his ID card along with "The letter of intent" signed by our Tribal Council. The guards became visibly confused upon learning this and the sergeant, told us that he needs to consult with his command. After about two hours, he returned to us, smiling politely, and said that everything is in order adding "If you wanted to make contact, you couldn't have picked the worst place to land!" and chuckled. He then ordered two of his men to board our ship and pilot us out of the NEZ. We departed hastily, so that he doesn't change his mind... One hour later, we arrived to the capital city of Laughterdale and dispatched a delegation to the Smileyface Tribal Council. As I learned, it was actually difficult to get there as many parts of the city are in the middle of a significant redevelopment. The contact with Smileyfaces was made and our tribes seem to be on good terms with each other. Our new partners were delighted to learn about our tribe's care for the people's fulfilment. The fact that we keep our citizens and environment healthy at all costs impressed them as well. It turns out that the Smileyface priorities are very similar to our own, though some differences exist. For example, our new friends were visibly upset that we prefer concentric city models to irregular and "creatively whimsical" (actual wording) patterns that they use. They also suggested that truly happy and vibrant cities include balanced, diverse population with different wealth and knowledge levels interacting with each other. Equally smart and wealthy society is, as they said, quite boring... 2nd May Mission day 7 - We have departed Laughterdale. The Businesspeople town of Cashflow is our next stop. As part of a diplomatic agreement, we took two Smileyface representatives aboard. They offered to help us and introduce us to the next tribe as they already have diplomatic contacts there. Although I am not a politician, this might indeed be a good opportunity to hold a tri-party meeting and talks! 5th May Mission day 10 - From time to time I get really annoyed with my crew... It's true - us Altruists are not very proficient at sailing and navigation. But some of my men don't even know the basic seamanship concepts and jargon. Yesterday, I rounded them up for a mandatory course on marine terminology and navigation, much to their chagrin... The next day, I found this stupid joke-plaque adhered to my captain's chair! 13th May Mission day 18 - We have arrived to Cashflow and, by the help of Smileyface officials, we were introduced to some of the Businesspeople tribal leaders. The Businesspeople are a very resourceful tribe which likes to discuss trade, economy and the wellbeing of their already powerful commercial sector. In their society, everything happens as a result of a well-informed decision which relies on thorough cost-benefit analysis. It seems that they don't care about a peaceful life in the same sense as we do... They do care about their society like us but in a more calculated fashion - they are interested in maintaining a capable workforce and a healthy customer base and this is the main driving force behind their public services and social budget. Purely ethical reasons come second to these considerations. The Businesspeople architecture is also far more "ambitious" than ours... Skyscrapers and busy office spaces are a staple element of this tribe's cities and for us it is as interesting to watch as it is alien... 15th May Mission day 20 - Despite certain differences, after two days of talks our tribal leader opined that the Businesspeople might be good partners to stay in contact with. The reasoning is that this tribe can help ours balance the budget better because, in all honesty, we indeed spend a lot of money to maintain good condition of our population. Additional profits, or at least more accurate spending, might be a game changer for us. We now approach the beautiful Lagmi Shi Island, occupied by another tribe - the Slackers. Neither us nor our Smileyface companions have any contact with them, so it might be an interesting visit. 25th May Mission day 30 - It's been more than a week since we have arrived to the Slacker capital of Cape Careless and none of us wants to leave this place. The Slackers are a very receptive and friendly tribe and there is a lot of rapport between us and them. What worries us deeply, however, is that Slackers generally live in poor conditions - police coverage is spotty, as is healthcare. Most of the residents are uneducated and around half of the city is covered with dirty industrial zones which, sadly, continue to develop even in these modern times... Our Smileyface colleagues were completely distraught with the latter fact and left four days ago. They got on R1 and departed East in the direction of the Businesspeople's Cashflow - our previous stop. We are, unfortunately, not aware of how their negotiations with the Slackers went but it looks like they have ambivalent feelings towards this tribe. Despite certain shortcomings and careless approach towards future, the Slackers are actually really great people in our own opinion and, as far as we are concerned, we will try to help them as much as we can and "civilize" them a little bit. Tomorrow, we set off towards our last goal so far - the Resident town of Bedroom. But this is a story for another time! Before you go, here are the water texture options for New Udanani... Pick your preferred one! Thank you for your continued interest, likes and support! Appreciate it! Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - Just make sure to watch the pictures from four to five meters away like one should do with art. I hope you liked the next diplomacy-oriented episode. @kschmidt - I'm glad you like the storyline and I appreciate your input. These days I browse through all possible BATs, so you should see more variety when it comes to buildings and planning. Actually, if you take a look at the second picture of Profit Hill, you will already notice two custom-made CO gems that grew there.
- 3 Comments
-
- 7
-
-
- altruists
- smileyfaces
- (and 5 more)
-
In today's episode you will have a chance to take the first look on New Udanani with the "VIP Texture Mod" terrain applied to it. I hope you like it! If you missed the last SimCity: Tribalism episode, I would like to remind you that you still have some time left to vote on the rock texture that shall be used for the region. I encourage you to vote because two texture options are tied again! Your vote can be a decisive one! Don't make me flip the coin this time too! Today, we shall focus on selected bilateral relations that some of the Udananian tribes share. You will be given a chance to learn about new as well as already formed friendships (and "troubledships") across the land. One of the most anticipated contacts of the recent times was made last year between the Businesspeople and the Simleyfaces tribes. If one rewinds a little bit to the past, they can see that both tribes share the feeling that they can be allies with a good amount of social and political interoperability. The completion of the R-2 highway enabled the much anticipated physical contact to be made. The Smileyfaces treated this event seriously and sent a huge delegation of more than 20 officials to Profit Hill as soon as the highway opened - a record number for any foreign visit. The large showing allowed many workshops and discussions between the tribes to occur simultaneously in a short timeframe, which was welcomed by the Businesspeople since, as they say, "time is money"... As diplomatic activities proceeded, it soon turned out that the positive feelings the Smileyfaces have towards the Businesspeople are mutual. The former were fascinated with Profit Hill's diverse, energetic commercial sectors and the happiness that money can (at least in this case) buy. In turn, the Businesspeople were inspired with their Eastern neighbor's positive and vivid society which they also acknowledged as a potentially lucrative customer, tourist and workforce base... The two tribes then agreed to establish a small, mutually-run town, some distance away from Profit Hill, to further test possible fields for cooperation. The Businesspeople were especially happy due to the fact that they finally had a possibility to expel some of the industry out of their city... Former industrial areas, strategically placed next to one of the R-2 exits, were then quickly taken over by Small Business Society to create shops where, as the analysts claimed, the Smileyface visitors are likely to stop on their trips in the future. The industry indeed found a new home in Breadwinner Valley. However, the Smileyfaces categorically (and in an intimidating manner to be honest...) announced that "transplanting" any sad-looking, dirty industry into the town is completely out of question. Only hi-tech and reasonably maintained factories were allowed to move in. This way, dirty industry has essentially been left with completely no hopes of developing in the extended local area without becoming a bone of contention between the two tribes. In order to cement their relations, both tribes managing Breadwinner Valley also agreed to create a special economic zone and a hub where their knowledge could be shared. An area between two lakes laying within the city limits was designated to host this project and soon, experimental labs as well as an entire university campus came into existence. Ever since, the place offered a possibility to share and find interdisciplinary connections between the tribes' sciences and data, providing valuable insights to the students, researchers and economists. Clever Businesspeople planning also allowed to build most of the commercial zones along the busiest roads available. This gave their new partners a practical example on how successful enterprises usually develop... Thus, the Businesspeople - Smileyface cooperation started, allowing both communities to connect and network with each other and create a city that involves a mixture of whimsical joy and a solemn business attitude. Friendly relations continue between the Gridlayers and the Slackers, after the latter rescued the Gridlayer castaways in the vicinity of Cape Careless. Two years ago, the tribes decided to set up a mutually run town halfway between their capitals in order to see whether their distinct philosophies can coexist in an urban landscape. The Slackers were given control over one half of the town, located to the West of the city's main avenue while the Gridlayers retained control over the Eastern part. As you can clearly see, the traditional square-based neighborhoods are very different from the Slacker-held areas. Since the town's original settlers were predominantly Gridlayers, the Slackers were requested to follow certain rules regarding local development. Any non-standard city features like streets, fancy parks or pedmalls have been deemed "undesirable". Still enough, given the tribes' constructive relations, some innovations into the otherwise rigid urban model were tolerated nonetheless, creating a little more diverse landscaping in the town's Western part. The Slackers' low job requirements made it quite easy to provide employment for the town's mixed society. A huge industrial zone located in the Northern part of Quigley Beach provides all non-commercial job opportunities needed for the local blue-collared workers. The location of this zone happens to conform to another set of traditional Gridlayer rules - residential areas are separated from industrial sector with a buffer zone of commercial developments. A pattern which is well known from Port MacGavran-Wright too. Despite their sociable nature and apparent luck in terms of diplomatic achievements, the Slackers do share a rather troubled relationship with the Residents. This contact, made just a few years ago, proves to be rather challenging and exhausting from the Resident's point of view. The town of Dolittle, with it's low-cost but high pollution industry and the Slacker's relaxed approach to social norms continues to put the citizens of Bedroom on edge and anticipating neighborly problems to pile up and swell into uncontrollability. There are indeed a few stressors present in the local area which complicate the situation. One of them is a steady expansion of the Slacker's new town with industrial sector making the greatest progress... Although it provides desirable jobs to the Residents (who would never consider introducing factories onto their own turf) it brings in potentially serious problems like pollution, noise and, as some put it, space for concealed organized crime hideouts! Some of the Residents could not stand the uncertainty of this new situation and, rather than wait for the events to unfold, closed down their businesses and moved far away from Bedroom's Soutwestern edge... This, unfortunately, included farming estates of well-established plantator families, including the Flabimiris and Smi'taral. Both decided to wrap up their enterprises in the previously-held areas and move them to the Northern part of town - as far away from Dolittle as possible. The local housing market has sustained some minor turbulence too as some of the most aristocratic inhabitants just moved the hell out from the Resident capital... The Slacker's sheer presence turned out to be the only condition necessary for many to look for happiness and peace somewhere else. All of these events caused a strong and rather unpleasant tension in the local area... Last but not least, there is also the Altruists-Localvores pair. Despite the fact that both tribes made contact 18 years ago, Altruists still remain little more than their neighbor's garbage collectors, serving them with waste disposal services but receiving no further offers for intertribal cooperation... There are only two other projects which continue to be mutually conducted by the tribes. One of them are the experimental farms in Middlefield. The other is a large forestation project which is meant to reduce the environmental impact of the Serene Thought's W2E incinerator. Here's how they advanced over the course of years. The Altruists like to be helpful even when it brings them no tangible benefits. However, the tribe's top political circles have discussed possibilities to make some other contacts with the remaining tribes across New Udanani to seek for partners who are a bit more proactive and ready for cooperation. This is why, just like the Gridlayers, the Altruists have decided to launch a diplomatic mission along the coast of New Udanani, and establish diplomatic relations with any tribes that can be found along the way. Let's just hope that their mission does not end in a shipwreck too! Comment replies: @Honolulu - Thanks @Honolulu. I'm happy that you found my last entry informative and fun to read. Hmm! Interesting observation on the Caucasus bit - I appreciate your guess, you are a clever reader! To be honest, I like to consider New Udanani's location to be somewhat undetermined as it gives me more flexibility during writing. If I were to put it down on the map, it would probably be somewhere in Southern Europe or a broadly-understood Mediterranean basin. Oh, and this would still be on some alternate reality map! @TogaMasterJohn - Thank you. I'm glad you liked the (hi)story.
- 2 Comments
-
- 11
-
-
- slackers
- gridlayers
- (and 4 more)
-
Recently, an important event has taken place in New Udanani, as the R-1 highway has been completed. After the expansion of Udanani, the Businesspeople capital became isolated from all other cities and a "lifeline" that could save the tribe's economy was urgently needed. The next logical step, was to make a contact with The Slackers - the tribe on the other end of the highway. A delegation was chosen just for the purpose, but the moods of investors and the tribe overall were grim. The careless nature of The Slackers have always been considered to be at odds with the entrepreneurial spirits of The Businesspeople. Luckily, a clever contingency plan was devised in case the contact proves challenging. It has been decided that a new city is to be established midway between Profit Hill and Cape Careless. Thus, Cashflow has been built in the Bila An'anani River delta and the city was pressed into a role of a trading outpost and possible liaison between the tribes connected by R-1. Unsurprisingly, Cashflow prioritizes commercial wellness and most businesses have been strategically placed in the busy areas surrounding highway exits. Many hotels present in this area offer a good night's rest to business travelers as well. Of course, the city has quite an assortment of normal shopping centers and ample supply of food, press, clothing and other services supporting the needs of the permanent population... ...the population which has very good living conditions... Life in Cashflow, a city dramatized by the press as "The last friendly outpost to the West", is a little bit tense as many people are unsure of what to expect from the upcoming contact with the goodhearted but equally rowdy and lazy community of The Slackers... These fears have convinced The Businesspeople Tribal Council to assign a small detachment of Gendarmerie to Cashflow to look out for possible Slacker troublemakers coming from beyond the Western border... With the new town in place and a safe space to retreat to in case the visit going wrong, the Businesspeople delegation set off onto R-1 to seek their first contact with the children of Lagmi Shi Island... The Businesspeople delegation started their travel early in the morning. The journey through R-1 highway was smooth. At least for now, there was no westbound traffic on the roads beyond the exits leading to industrial area and the local power plant. It was not yet possible to simply seamlessly drive into Cape Careless as the highway ended abruptly as soon as it entered the Slacker territory. Any continuation or exit from the highway had to be built by the tribe in charge of a given city tile so the Businesspeople delegation had to stop the cars early... and walk to the city... The guests were a little surprised to see that no welcome committee was present. The buildings of Cape Careless were visible in the distance but a very out-of-place trio of smart-dressed men wading through knee-deep grassland East of the city limits did not catch anyone's attention. Eventually, The Businesspeople arrived to the nearby buildings, conceding that their suits didn't mix well with the meadowlands... The building they arrived to was a livery paint shop, located in the industrial zone they could see from afar. There were three local men sitting outside of it on a loading ramp, enjoying their lunch. The Businesspeople delegation approached the locals and officially introduced themselves. Then, the team leader asked for directions to the tribal council or any other Slacker of authority with whom they could speak. The oldest local of the three, a sixty-something gentleman with strong hands of a steelworker and a magnificent, pepper-colored beard replied: - Noice to meat you Businesspeepl! If ye need sum-one frum the guvermint ye needta go to the oiland ovar thar. Perhaps understandably, the only thing that The Businesspeople understood from this sentence was the moment when the steelworker said "ovar thar", pointing his finger to where they needed to go... Visibly confused, the guests looked at each other questioningly so the local man tried to repeat the sentence but The Businesspeople still didn't get it. The steelworker became really annoyed and started to repeat just one word as if it was a mantra: - The oiland! The oil-end!!! Luckily, the youngest of the three Slackers came forward to resolve the problem: - See, Rann here is trying to tell you that you need to go to Lagmi Shi Island... to contact our government. Or some other authority. - Oh... oh my gosh... - said the Businesspeople leader - Thank you... but why does he speak so strangely? Is he hurt or something...? Unfortunately, this blunder did not go down well with The Slackers and the young guy explained in a somewhat nonchalant manner: - For your information, Rann is using so-called "Bayspeak". It's the most popular dialect down here... If you want, we can give you a lift to the Tribal Council, if it fits you... In the West, "Bayspeak" was a widespread Udananian dialect that many people were proud of using. It was mainly spoken among the people who lived in the vicinity of The Pond of Forces. Although frequently (and incorrectly) compared to Cockney, "Bayspeak" was entirely different and had exclusively geographical rather than working class pedigree. To a large extent, it derived from the sailor's jargon too. The Businesspeople accepted the lift offer and they soon boarded a grey van that their hosts used. The Slackers boarded their car and started the engine but not before taking a good sip of beer - much to the horror of their guests. In spite of this, the 45 minute drive to Cape Careless City Hall went fine and the Businesspeople delegation soon arrived at their destination. The delegation entered the building, introduced themselves again and demanded to talk to a person of authority, explaining that their visit is diplomatic in nature. After a 40 minute wait, a young, soft-spoken aide reminiscent of Dawn Bellwether, came to greet the visitors and took them to Olie Charkinch - the Vice-President of The Slacker Tribal Council. The Vice-President has officially welcomed the Businesspeople delegation and acquaintances were struck. However, when guests expressed their interest in organizing a serious diplomatic meeting, right there and then, Charkinch chuckled and said: - Sure! But it's almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon - the workday is ovar! Come on! I need to show you around and we'll talk business tomorrow. - But sir - one of the Businespeople protested - we have important issues to discuss with your tribe. Time is money, business is waiting, economy needs action! - Oh, come on! Aren't you guys familiar with the word "tomorrow"? Because this is when we will get back to this discussion! Let's enjoy the afternoon, off we go! Said Charkinch and promptly rose from his chair directing his steps to the exit, the Businesspeople delegation standing dumbfounded in the middle of the room for some time. For the rest of the afternoon, instead of discussing details of mutual relations between the tribes, the Businesspeople were dragged from one entertainment spot to another. Although they tried to protest and talk about some practical issues, their Slacker guides were reluctant to discuss anything of note and tried to, unsuccessfully, get to know their guests from a more personal perspective. After a time long enough, both visitors and Mr. Charkinch's entourage became somewhat annoyed by the other side's unwillingness to take a step back in order to move forward... Shortly before 9 pm, the Businesspeople goodbyed their hosts and checked into the nearest hotel, the standard of which left a lot to be deserved (by their strict standards). The following morning, The Slackers organized something that loosely resembled a diplomatic meeting. Although the atmosphere of the discussion was a bit more formal, the delegations were far from seeing eye to eye with each other. Most of the Businesspeople's data and strategic offers fell on deaf ears. This, in part, was caused by a very basic education and needs that The Slacker representatives had. The Businesspeople's expectations from the meeting remained largely unmet as a result and overall, the visit has been quite chaotic, ill-prepared and left both sides confused and dissatisfied. The Businesspeople delegation departed Cape Careless later that day feeling very little was accomplished. Travelling back to their homes via R-1, the Businesspeople delegation caught the soothing sight of Cashflow's evening lights, feeling relieved that their mission was over. Upon entering a highway exit leading to the hotel district, the head of delegation sighed, saying: - If they only listened... It's gonna be harder than I thought... Before we finish our today's meeting, let it be known that New Udanani is to receive a little facelift as far as textures are concerned! Thus, for a start, all Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension are called upon to answer which beach texture will best fit New Udananian shorelines? Multiple choices are possible in the poll this time! Below, please find the pictures of the textures under vote. The images have been provided by @CorinaMarie - the Patroness of ground, water, sand and rock; Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - Good to hear you like quiet, tranquil places - I'm made from the same clay. They might be a bit boring, but are very healthy and comfortable to live in! Yes... I couldn't resist this Cornhub thing. Unbelievable nobody made this before! @sejr99999 - Thank you, I really like making these. I usually use .gif format to do before/after shots, but it is also possible to use .webp files on Simtropolis - it's a new image format which offers superb file compression without any detrimental effects to the image quality! Highly recommended for such uses!
- 3 Comments
-
- 10
-
-
-
- slackers
- businesspeople
- (and 3 more)
-
When Profit Hill was advertised in the past as the city of seemingly endless opportunities, the number of hopeful newcomers has been so great, that all companies were able to replenish their "human resources" in a matter of weeks. However, the stream of citizens who wanted to live in the Businesspeople's only city did not stop right there and then. Between 13 - 14 YOUS (Years of Udananian Settlement) this migrational influx has triggered the so-called "Expectations Crash" which caused a lot of residential zones to turn into a de facto social housing for the numerous unemployed people who could not support themselves due to the lack of promised jobs. After some emergency policies have been launched, the situation has again started to stabilize but many experts have, nonetheless, been calling for legislative measures to be taken as well. The Businesspeople economists have argued that another economically-volatile situation like "Expectations Crash" was still a possibility, despite the initial shock having dissipated. As a result, The Chief Executive Board of the Businesspeople Tribe have passed the so-called "Responsible Recruitment and Communication Bill" (RRCB) which forced all large employers to provide detailed information on how many vacancies a company is able to provide to potential job seekers. Apart from responsibilities the Bill has also offered some help to the employers in the form of modern recruitment questionnaires and checklists that help companies better determine who would indeed be a good fit with their firms. This has allowed to reduce the likelihood of the "perfect match" job candidates being rejected or overlooked during recruitment processes and ending up jobless in the "City of Possibilities". But the Bill has also introduced one important "micro-scale" change. Namely, it made it easier for average people to set up their own businesses... This seemingly slight change in regulations have been used with great success by those unfortunate enough to whom unemployment has been a sad fact of life. Rather then crawl under the blanket with a box of soft tissues and wait for better times, a certain group of Businesspeople have decided to take matters into their own hands, which is to be expected from the resourceful and entrepreneurial tribe like The Businesspeople. As a result, a new self-help foundation has been launched with a goal of finding earning opportunities for all who may need a stable employment. The name of this new initiative is "Small Business Society". Below, you can find the foundation's logo, mission and vision. SBS has, in fact, already had significant success in offering said alternative employment to the job-seekers. A few months ago, SBS representatives have struck a deal with the City Hall, in which they managed to reserve two Sirli Park-sized building parcels for the activities they have envisaged. During a five month crowdfunding campaign, the SBS has managed to accumulate enough donations to purchase two parcels from Profit Hill's City Hall. What is more, funding proved to be sufficient to support the establishment of the first few, new businesses. Small grocery shops, bars, electronic markets, accounting offices and pretty much any small businesses one can think of have started to come into existence almost overnight... ...in the Eastern parcel purchased by SBS as well as the one off to the West... ...both being located just slightly off towards North relative to the Downtown area. As you can see, the City Hall has also decided to support the project a little bit by granting one of the SBS' zones a tram connection and by adorning the new small-business zone with some aesthetical improvements. Thus, rewarding SBS' beneficiaries for their entrepreneurial spirit. Needless to say, many of the previously unemployed citizens have breathed a hearty sigh of relief and hopped aboard the SBS train, feeling that their prayers have finally been answered. In some cases, new shops have even started to show up in quite unusual places like... the slopes of Profit Hill... This has also caused the construction of the Profit Hill Park to resume - a project which has been put on hold even before "Expectations Crash" has begun. However, and quite unexpectedly, big businesses and CEOs of already existing firms have been rather unimpressed with the SBS initiative with some calling it a "threat to existing companies", "a scam" or even "a thin-veiled socialist utopia". It is said that, among other issues, large companies are disappointed with SBS and new, private companies taking away the human resources from already established businesses. Many of the companies along Main Avenue have recently expanded and enlarged their offices, hoping that they will be able to hire numerous new workers to further expand. As workers swarm into SBS-sponsored zones, this is obviously unlikely to happen soon. The spokesperson for the SBS, Mr. Aarskat Dalamahti have additionally denounced the criticisms, saying the following during his interview with "The Monetary" newspaper: "I don't understand why business moguls are so outraged at these great people. What other option did they have? Wait for corporate 'clemency' to finally be invited for a stupid job interview? How rude to even think that anyone should kneel down, pray and indefinitely wait for some HR team to call them up! It almost seems that now, companies like 'MerkaLonConsult' find privately-held pubs, bakeries and offices that SBS helped establish to be a competition to them... If that's the case, then it is probably 'MerkaLonConsult' itself who is having problems with its own business structure and solvency... We consider their comments to be quite unprofessional in terms of business ethics. In fact, their comments are generally out-of context too..." Interestingly, the conception of SBS has been coincidental with a similar movement away in the Northern Udanani, where The Altruists have created a whole neighborhood of small shops and markets in their town of Serene Thoughts. While a centrally-planned endeavor, The Altruists have nonetheless managed to develop a handsome, concentric commercial zone on the other side of the Jaland'di River. An action undertaken as a part of the plan of expanding Serene Thoughts westwards - closer to the Localvore-held areas. The Altruist leadership also hopes that in the future, a multitude of small businesses right next to the border may help facilitate trade exchanges with The Localvores. This is why the new circular neighborhood is "glued" to the Serene Thoughts - Farmington Road. Of course, it will take time before The Localvores warm up enough towards their neighbors to even appreciate the aforementioned possibility. But at least some operational essentials are already in place and used by The Altruists themselves for the time being. Although The Localvores are not too enthusiastic about socializing with The Altruists, both tribes continue to maintain a common exclusion zone around the W2E plant in Serene Thoughts. Meadow and tree planting efforts are ongoing, making the garbage deal between two tribes a relatively clean and balanced agreement. Small business and next-door shopping are definitely convenient and valuable things to have in a city. But Udananites have recently been troubled by other concerns... Many people have reported unusual murmurs and faint tremors underground. Citizens are unsure what to make out of this and many are worrying that these are telltale signs of an earthquake approaching... Comment replies: @TogaMasterJohn - Current wind conditions 5NM outward from the Flapjack's Stormalong Marina and Country Club; we are are having Northern winds of 3 to 4 in the area of your inquiry, which should allow you to approach the marina on a steady port tack beam wind or backstay. Within 1NM of Lagmi Shi Island we are currently experiencing a calm, so you might as well roll down your sails and use your engine... or rafting paddles, should you wish to moor. Let us know if we can be of any other service. Over. * @TG24 - Yep, pretty much...
- 4 Comments
-
- 10
-
-
- businesspeople
- altruists
- (and 4 more)
-
Hello, hello! Sorry for the long wait for another part of this CJ but there is a very good reason for that - I started a new job! From now on I work as an EU funds specialist (but only from the formal side, not the financial one - phew!). This should be an interesting time, though I need to learn a lot of things, and unfortunately take an exam this month... Scary... Keep your fingers crossed for me, please. Overall, I think this is a good opportunity and many of my expectations have actually been fulfilled, so other than exam, I guess I'm not complaining. I hope I justified myself a little bit! Let's jump into the next chapter of the Udananian chronicles then. As the Laughterdaelian Signal dissipated in the air, the life in Udanani have returned to the normal course. If you remember, The Activators have established a new town, not far from Buildmoar. We shall take a better look at this city today, though not before we pay a short visit to Profit Hill. Here's a quick shot on Industrious Hills, just to spark your interest... I think you will be interested in the recent events that took place in Profit Hill. Ironically, they invalidated some of The Businesspeople's current policies... But given the fact that the world of finance is always a slippery slope, it's no wonder that a crisis may take over occasionally. Another wave of unemployment has hit the city and although many steps have been taken to resolve the situation, the job market is still quite wobbly at the moment. Perhaps not surprisingly, it also has a broader social impact too. As it frequently happens elsewhere, the core issue in Profit Hill were people's and developers' expectations towards the city. Expectations that far exceeded the realistic approach to employment and housing demand. The competitive job market in Profit Hill, which has always been encouraged by the Chief Executive Board of the Businesspeople Tribe, have attracted numerous potential employees to the city, but the more people moved in, the less vacancies remained. Those that remained were either unattractive or simply too far away. Eventually, this has led to huge unemployment problems. The people who came into the city, lured by the prospects of well-paid jobs, have eventually found out that they came too late and were forced to jump into a frantic search for a job. Middle and low-income residents have been affected the most by these dynamics, creating whole blocks of jobless people. After a little bit more time, the wealthiest citizens have also started to feel the pinch, causing some of the most expensive residential projects to fail spectacularly. Inflated expectations and the developers' cunning advertisements have done more harm than good to the city. The Chief Executive Board of the Businesspeople Tribe has responded in a quick (if delayed) manner, trying to smooth some of the problems over by reducing commute times and providing more employment opportunities. As far as commuting is concerned, notice that the only route that goes directly to the main commercial zone (and onwards) comes through the Main Avenue. While this passageway still has plenty of capacity, it is not universally liked due to all the traffic lights ahead. This is why a quick roadwork project has been launched, upgrading the main avenue to a neat tram-in-avenue string, continued from an already existing network. The new route has been a huge success with the commuters. Additionally, the traffic light system for the tram vehicles is automated and, whenever possible, prioritizes rail vehicles attempting to cross intersections. Some of the commuters claim that it's possible to travel the entire length of Main Avenue without ever stooping on red lights! Another extension of the tram network has been stretched out East of Sirli Park. Unfortunately, this new, modern throughway doesn't mix well with all the buildings that have deteriorated as a result of all of the problems... As was stated before, apart from infrastructural changes, the obvious solutions have also been introduced and new workplaces have been set up. The Businesspeople have created two new areas that increased citizens' chances of landing a dream job. One of them is the new commercial district South of Sirli Park... ...while the other is an industrial zone East of Tiksest Strip - the Northern residential zone. Will these developments suffice to turn around the mechanics of economy in Profit Hill? The time will tell. If not, The Businesspeople may find themselves in the need of finally contacting the nearest neighbor as per "Ulysse & Toga Rating Agency" advice. Undoubtedly, the establishment of Industrious Hills is the more positive story for today. The Activators' starter town was getting a little crammed recently, so a decision to expand into neighboring lands (followed by the choice of the city tile, made by The Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension) has been taken. Industrious Hills is a linearly shaped town. Part of it, remains a continuation of the Buildmoar's composition. This part of the town can be found on the Eastern bank of the Cualescet River, part of which can be seen in the following picture. The West side of the river has a bit more relaxed character and less dense building composition. For the time being, it does contain most of the workplaces though. Both sides of Industrious Hills are connected by Designers Bridge - a three lane construction with pedestrian capacity. One end of the bridge is a little "wild" due to the rough terrain and thick bedrock underneath it. Although the town is rather small today, The Activators certainly won't stop there. As a matter of fact, one should pay close attention to the two unassuming, industrial compounds located on the Dal Xanth Hills overseeing the town... These two posts are actually seismic vibration stations that seek natural resources in the Dal Xanth Hills' mass. There has been a lot of speculation among The Activators' experts that the hills may contain coal, bauxite and granite deposits. Two companies - "Nadir Mining" and "Acti-UD ltd." have been tasked with confirming (or disproving) these theories and the stations you have seen are operated by them. It is quite possible that mining industry will move in to Industrious Hills. Regardless of what the truth is as far as the hills' contents are concerned, we will regularly come back to check on The Activators' new town. All this, would probably not be possible, without the support of The Activators' starter town - Buildmoar. To give you an interesting insight at the close ties that both of the towns have, take a look at the picture below. It demonstrates how (almost) seamlessly the territories of Buildmoar and Industrious Hills are connected. The relations between both of the towns are good and beneficial for both of the parties involved. Last but not least, during the last divination session, The Revered Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension have decided that: - Parcel 4-4 in Farmington should contain a large orchard or vineyard - Prosperity Hospital in Wellbeing should be relocated in order to generate monthly savings for the town Regarding Farmington, here's how parcel 4-4 looks like after the decision has been made. Something's not right here... The construction of the orchard / vineyard has begun but it looks like the pace of development is really slow. What could be stopping The Localvores from being more energetic? Comment replies: @11241036 - I'm happy that you enjoyed this last read. A good story really enhances the picture and I still have many ideas on my writing board! @TogaMasterJohn - I'm glad you enjoyed the reports. Hope it was fun! @Dreamcitybuilder - I like to make these small cameos in my work and I'm happy you noticed it! Good eyes! @whiteshark365 - I like your approach. Well, let's hope for the best and that the information gathered will be used in the spirit of goodwill!
-
Powerful societies don't grow overnight. In order for people to be successful, certain conditions have to be met. In recent times, it has become evidently clear that some dim-witted lawmakers consider layoffs, handouts and automation as ultimate solutions to employees' disenchantment and demands. The truth, however, is that it is possible to run successful businesses and keep employees satisfied as well! These solutions are just too numerous to count them all down. But since a picture is worth a thousand words, it is probably best to just show how they work in Udanani. If you pay yet another short visit to Profit Hill, you will see that the situation on the job market has been steadily improving. New investor incentives help companies and businesses grow and this, in turn, means more job opportunities on offer for every employee profile. Larger companies and friendly business climate are just as important to CEOs as they are to file employees (even if the latter don't fully realize it). New residents are still clamoring to settle in Profit Hill. Another residential area (a twin to Sirli Park) has been built in the Western part of the city, by the foot of Profit Hill (the eponymous geographical feature of The Businesspeople's city name). Pictured below, you can see Marou Square neighborhood. It turns out that the unemployment in Profit Hill has largely been caused due to the spotty public transport, which relied mainly on bus connections. Busses in Profit Hill are not bad, but not sufficient either given large quantities of cars on the city's main thoroughfares. One particular apartment block... ...seems to be especially affected by the challenging commute. This is why The Businesspeople have decided to develop another, quicker form of transport - the tramways. The starting point of the network has been located in the area most affected by unemployment and is being expanded from there, outwards. Some termini has also been built throughout the city and plans to extend them into new lines have already been approved. Ubiquitous public transport system will be a key to keep employees calm and sane during their commutes! Improving the minds of the future workforce is yet another objective for The Businesspeople. Profit Hill welcomes a new city college in the Downtown! Last but not least, The Businesspeople have started the construction of Bull Market Mound - a hike-park on the slopes of Profit Hill. This vast, topographically interesting area will be a draw to the citizens and will surely soothe the nerves of busy employers and employees alike. Before we move on, let's just take another brief look at Sirli Park. It keeps being redeveloped and has become a veritable testing bed for various gardening and residential configurations! The reinforcement of society is an important issue for the citizens of Wellbeing as well. The costs of various services and amenities in this city has been prohibitively expensive though, putting citizens' problem-solving skills (and their living standards) to a difficult test. In order to keep the healthcare, fire protection and other services well-funded and cost effective, it has been decided that Wellbeing should be reorganized a little bit. The results of the redevelopment and budget audit in Wellbeing have surpassed initial expectations. A monthly loss of $600 has been largely mitigated and reduced to a more acceptable level of $40 per month. This, of course, is much easier for the city budget to tackle and perhaps, Sulka willing, Wellbeing will even register some income in the near future. But what exactly has changed? First of all, Cornflower - the central residential area of Wellbeing, has been redeveloped and a central "service island" has been built within its limits. Cornflower has also been connected to the neighborhood of Papillon, because the time it took fire crews to reach Papillon was dangerously long. Here is the street, connecting the two, previously separated, areas. New citizens are eager to move in, feeling safe in the vicinity of a modern hospital and well-equipped emergency services (crime is still low or even disappearing in some areas.) As you can see, the residential densities have also been increased to provide more tax income. This way, services and residential projects supplement and support each other. The Altruists also continue to build up their concentrated, environment-friendly industry. The Red Spruce Facilities is a newly finished industrial area which specializes in software design, production of light, farming machinery (not to be confused with light farming machinery) and spare parts for recreational airplanes. Interestingly enough, in order to nurture the health and fitness among their citizens, The Altruists have introduced a little innovation into their cities - grass paths for pedestrian commuters. Citizens are encouraged to use these paths rather than their cars in order to reach their workplaces. This way, they can calm down on their way to and from work, enjoying the natural environment and feeling invigorated and hopeful, regardless of the duties they may face during the day. While the idea of "grass walks" seems to be gaining traction, the rail system did not really take off in Wellbeing. You may have noticed that the railway has, regrettably, been torn down... We approach the end of this entry. I hope you found this update interesting and fun to read! But before we conclude this part of the Udanani adventure, be it known that the Spirits of the St'ropoli Dimension have spoken! Respecting their will, The Localvores have decided to build a small village surrounded by farms on Alouni Basan Plains! The project is still underway, so be sure to check back on Farmington from time to time. Meanwhile, The Localvores thank Thee for your guidance! Thank you for your visit! But wait... It looks like some large-scale construction works are taking place at the "Emo-G" site perimeter... What are they up to...?
- 6 Comments
-
- 13
-
-
-
- businesspeople
- altruists
- (and 10 more)
-
The era of early development is both an exciting and challenging time. On the one hand, it is hard to accomplish something as a community all alone, with no nearby neighbors to render aid. On the other hand, however, the significant distances that separate individual tribes, allow them to develop a distinct character of their cities, before they interact with other (frequently contradicting) philosophies Important developments have taken place in Udanani since the last time you visited. Most of them can be seen in the Central and Northern Udanani. Sit back, relax and read on. The Businesspeople have recently focused their efforts on perfecting their business district, making sure that offices and shop owners have ideal conditions to grow. The business sector in Profit Hill did, in fact, become stronger and more competitive as the time went by. As is evident in the picture above, the main four-lane road has been upgraded to a classic avenue, because the numbers of customers and commuter traffic are staggering and call for higher capacity solutions… Good planning on The Businesspeople’s part! Profit Hill has also zoned for more commercial projects, like the one off to the south from The Downtown. A few months ago, the Quadra Tower project has been opened up for investors. There are also other new, commercial developments in the city. Suffice to say that the economy in Profit Hill is doing fairly well. Even the small services sector located between Revenue Road and Collier Street is doing fine and the shop owners keep investing in their nest egg - certain that the economy is on the right track You might also be interested to see that the residential neighborhood of Sirli Park has been definitively completed. A mix of various housing projects, now surround a green park with a central promenade. Fully grown vegetation is also a nice addition to the overall picture. Of course, Profit Hill continues to take care of its citizens and is doing its best to satisfy their basic needs. Or does it…? Unfortunately, as the time went by, The Businesspeople have overlooked a few things. Not so long ago, Profit Hill has struggled with a crime wave... The police did not keep up with the rapid development of the city and failed to react on time. Luckily, the issue has been largely resolved since then (and to everyone's relief). But the trouble that still persists is... the good living conditions in Profit Hill! Sounds paradoxical. But the drive of new citizens to live in this city is so high that the job market has become highly competitive. As a result, some unemployment is present in the city and not everybody can make a dime for themselves... In order to alleviate the situation a little bit, the Chief Executive Board of The Businesspeople Tribe have agreed to further expand the industrial base in the city. At least for now. For as long as another solution to unemployment is found. The city has gone through some problems up until this point but it goes without saying that it is doing fairly well and has the potential of becoming an important place on the map of Udanani. If you now warp to the Northern Udanani, you will see that similar developments, though smaller in scale, have taken place in The Residents' town of Bedroom. Just to remind you, The Residents scoff at the concept of introducing industry to their villa town and prefer to rely on commerce. As a result, their low-density shop district of Cloverfield has undergone a significant expansion. You may have also noticed that the orphaned football pitch has been developed into an attractive and cozy activity center. Perfect for kids and employees who want to stretch their legs after a hard day's work. The elitist nature of Bedroom shows through more and more. Luxurious housing and clean medium-wealth homes are on the rise. Some of the citizens prefer to migrate closer to the seashore, which will perhaps kickstart the creation of a new neighborhood... Bedroom doesn't have as many problems as Profit Hill because it develops slowly and The Residents keep a watchful eye on the forces that shape their environment. As you can clearly see, The Residents and The Businesspeople are currently focusing on building the grounds for a strong commercial sectors, though for different reasons. The Businesspeople, do it for profit and creative satisfaction. The Residents, do it because their elite citizens demand attractive jobs. But money is not all there is to life. Treasures of nature are just as important and if you take a look at what has been going on in Farmington, you'll understand just how important and beautiful they are. Say hello to Goldleaf Forest! The lands north of The Localvores' village were turned into woodlands, just as it had been planned. The research indicates that the overall fertility of the farms laying closest to the river have increased by 25% - the result of reduced soil erosion and larger amounts of organic sediments flowing downstream. Naturally, the yields from the farms have also increased, allowing The Localvores to earn more from their farming activities. And while an impressive forest has grown on the other side of the river, Farmington did not change that much. Some new neighborhoods have been created on the western edge of the village, but the rest of the town remains more or less the same. ...except, perhaps, for the new Village Hall. The Tribal Council has just ended their meeting and the representatives start to head back home, still discussing some of the points outside of the building. Some green infrastructure has also been tucked in, here and there, increasing the town's landscaping value. Goldleaf Forest is no reason for The Localvores to just rest on their laurels! The Localvores are happy with their new achievements and plan to expand the area of their positive influence even further out. The next portion of land that they wish to develop is located Northeast from Farmington. The area in question is located between the rivers of Sopronia and Casamassima and is known as Alouni Basan Plains but... there seems to be no consensus as to what should be there. Perhaps you wish to help The Localvores make up their mind...? If you do, head over to the pool poll!
- 1 Comment
-
- 14
-
-
-
- businesspeople
- residents
- (and 10 more)
-
The tour around Udanani continues with a visit to The Residents' and The Businesspeople's starter towns. Is there any common ground between these two tribes? Best to see for yourself. ______ "Home is where the heart is - join The Residents" Four walls and a roof is an important thing to have these days. But for The Residents, not just any walls or any roof will do. Bedroom is a town of good taste and comfort. Impressive, well-maintained and (if possible) expensive homes are a common sight here. Other homes in Bedroom, while not just as luxurious as the villas above, are very nice as well. Medium-wealth housing, pleasing to the eye, is abundant in this town. Some pockets of medium-density apartments are present in Bedroom as well, hidden further to the north. They don't really stand out and neither are they to last... The Residents prioritize single-family housing in their town but it is a challenge at times. The high-wealth and mid-wealth citizens who care about quality of their homes are picky and unlikely to settle in until several key requirements are met. Adequate employment is one of such requirements. This is why The Residents offer attractive jobs to potential upper-class citizens. Employment can be found either in this commercial park right here... ...or in agriculture at the nearby farms... Bedroom is one of the smallest and slowest developing towns in Udanani, but it also has a potential of becoming one of the prettiest and most orderly. Second only to The Altruists' starter town of Wellbeing. What does the future hold? The Residents wish to fill their entire city with villas and single-family housing so that Bedroom becomes an elitist living space. The Residents invest in some eye-pleasing surroundings to make their city more appealing to potential developers. Some small parks have already started to spring up here and there, increasing the overall land value - a thing The Residents are after as well. However, more ambitious "green" projects are already being reviewed by the City Council as well. The Residents will also attempt to redevelop and completely remove the low-wealth residential projects in the northern part of the town. Selfish as it sounds, cheap housing simply doesn't go well with their town's vision. What is more, Bedroom citizens have some kind of phobia against industry - any type of it, except for agriculture. The Residents are aware of the fact that commerce, services and agriculture simply don't generate as many jobs as a single industrial area could. However, they just can't stand a thought of allowing the industry into their luxury-home paradise! "Join The Businesspeople and reap the profits of your work" Located in the very heart of Udanani is The Businesspeople's town Profit Hill. It revolves around commerce and money. The town enjoys a good business climate and highly desirable land which is appropriate for entrepreneurs as well as small businesses. People who want to improve their lives or establish companies, flock to Profit Hill hoping to exploit the possibilities of the free market. Profit Hill boasts an interesting central commercial district, which has a rich mix of all types of business developments. Most of them are located along the town's main avenue named... hm... "Main Avenue". Smaller, service-based sector is located north of the main business district and closer to the residential areas. Speaking of which, the residential areas are just as important to The Businesspeople as the companies and corporations are. The Businesspeople understand that even the most visionary business cannot really take wings without employees - people who dedicate their time and health to do the work that CEOs would rather refrain from doing! This is why The Businesspeople do their best to provide adequate housing and living conditions to their workers and customers. One residential zone is located north and away from the downtown... ...while another is located right next to the town center and a green park. An area built in a truly Manhattan-esque fashion. It is a new neighborhood, so it isn't fully completed yet. Police protection is especially important in Profit Hill, because crime hurts both citizens and shops alike. Generally speaking, the residential population receives all services and amenities... that Profit Hill can afford. While The Businesspeople understand the need to keep their employees in good shape, they also understand how serious a continuous loss in the monthly budget can be. The Businesspeople try to balance the budget to keep their citizens happy and the city budget afloat. This is probably one of the major differences between them and The Altruists... A good example of such balance is the high school + hospital complex in Profit Hill. Again, The Businesspeople manage to adequately fund these services while still making sure that the city budget enjoys a positive cash flow. But there is also one problem area in Profit Hill that The Businesspeople aren't quite ready to resolve yet. The positive entrepreneurial atmosphere has given rise to several industrial areas apart from the commerce. Currently, there are two such zones in Profit Hill. The Businesspeople tolerate industry but are not especially fond of it either. The industrial areas in Profit Hill have been developed in the early years of the town's existence and out of pure necessity. Nowadays, they don't go quite well with The Businesspeople's vision of glass and concrete skyscraper town but they sure count as some form of business activity... What does the future hold? Not unlike The Activators, The Businesspeople wish to cover the entire area of their city with development. But not just any type of development. Profit Hill will be carefully planned from now on as to avoid eyesores and unconventional urban solutions. Commercial zones will be prioritized and supported by qualified police forces. Meanwhile, the shop patronage will be increased through constant improvements in the road infrastructure. Some communication routes will be favored over others to ensure that the shops and offices have maximum numbers of potential customers. Commercial interests will naturally be supported by new residential development. The density of these residential projects will also be gradually increased, pending the employment opportunities present in the town. The problematic question of industry will be addressed as well. It is yet to be decided whether it is still needed or not but if it is, it will probably be condensed to a single part of the town, or reduced to clean industries like hi-tech establishments or sustainable manufacturing houses. To be continued...
- 3 Comments
-
- 7
-
-
-
- businesspeople
- residents
- (and 7 more)
-
Welcome to the realm of Udanani
TheMurderousCricket posted a City Journal entry in SimCity: Tribalism
The ancient realm of Udanani is the home to seven tribes. Each of the tribes occupies different area of the region, has different mindsets and different sense of what is right and what is wrong. The Altruists want to make all people feel secure, healthy and fulfilled, regardless of how expensive it may be... The Activators don't like empty spaces. They love development. Any... type of development... Quality of their homes and, to a lesser extent , land value, is of concern to The Residents. The Smileyfaces want the entire world to smile with them, but back their words with futuristic weapons... The Businesspeople aim for a strong commercial sector and need reliable employees to run it. The Slackers don't care about what shall become of them. They spend most of their lives sunbathing or dozing off. Locally produced food and clean water is what The Localvores cherish most. They are very reluctant to share these goods though... Additionally, not far from the coast, lies the sacred Pond of Forces and the mysterious shrine of the ancient god - Sulka. Everyone is welcome to visit the temple and the pond. However, it is strictly forbidden to build or destroy anything in its immediate vicinity. By Sulka's command, Udanani is destined to become a megacity and a home to all of the tribes. It is up to them to unite and exchange ideas to make it happen. Is it possible for seven different mindsets to find a common language and cooperate in achieving this "magnum opus"? Or will it all crumble down in squabbles and arguments? Sulka and the revered spirits of the St'ropoli dimension smile upon Udanani, wondering how will this story unfold...- 4 Comments
-
- 18
-
-
-
- udanani
- activators
- (and 8 more)
