Sturgeon Bay - A Great Lakes Fishing Town --Feedback Wanted-- [WIP - Roads and Lots]

[Riptide651]

Blog Link: http://sturgeonbayworld.blogspot.com/

Trailer Song Poll: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=4f7cc10be4b057054fd316a6

Most Recent Update in Thread: Road Placement V.1 (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3838974#post3838974)

Design Document:

Sturgeon Bay

http://i.imgur.com/6cZYf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/D9Pd5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YJzxf.png

Theme: I envision a small coastal fishing town along the coast of the great lakes near a peninsula. Often shrouded in fog, the sun sometimes shines through the heavy cover of evergreens to reveal a small shore-side community surrounded by intimate country cabins and large colonial lakefront homes. Along the river delta, which carries freshwater into the massive lakes is a small port, controlled by a small underground crime syndicate operating off of an island in the delta. Off of the state park peninsula is an old abandoned lighthouse, resembling the Wagoushance Point Lighthouse. This sleepy little town has much to uncover within it's silty waters.

Note: Some of the lot sizes will be strange but for the most part they will be normal.

Recent Edits:

3/12/12: 3 New Lots added to accommodate SHT, and One removed.
Details:Lots 35-37 added. Lot 10 (Dance Club) converted into Private Venue

I have also realized how much maintenance this world will take even when it's finished, due to EA releasing a new expansion/stuff pack every 88 days. I plan to up to date version for each expansion alongside the pre-existing ones (once its finished and uploaded), for those players who are more for the gameplay and don't want to ruin the atmosphere by building their own lots.

Some Main Town lots re-arranged.
Details: Corporate Plaza moved from 10 to 19, Salon/Tattoo moved from 18 to 17, Market moved from 17 to 18

As of today, I have plans for 6 of the lots complete.
Details:
2 Residential: Lot 1 (Victorian - 3 Br, 2 Ba), Lot 3 (American Four Square - 4 BR, 5 BA)
All 3 Parks Complete: Park 2 - Corporate park, Park 3 - Promenade, Park 1 - Sculpture Garden/Art Square
Community: Lot 4 (Hospital - 2 stories, 13 patients room, 2 offices, a surgical ward, 3 atrium, and a sun room)

3/16/12: Resculpted Mainland Terrain, plan to work on slopes and ridge levels over the weekend.

3/17/12: As a break from sculpting, I worked on the weather of the town, which is mainly the Bridgeport weather with multiple tweaks.

As of now, I have 10 lot plans completed, of course these are only concepts, and although the buildings will look just like the concepts, there will be a few tweaks to allow for flowing traffic.

List of Completed Lots:
1. Residential Lot 1
2. Residential Lot 3
3. Corporate Park
4. Promenade
5. Art Square.
6. Hospital.
7. Dive Bar
8. Laundromat
9. Movie Theater.
10. Spa.

Note: I will not complete Lots 17-21 until I know the exact lot sizes of those because I have no knowledge of the road widths.

4/15/12: Terrain Done. Road and Lot Placement begun.
Lot sizes (37,17-21) changed.

4/21/12: Roads and Lot Placing In Progress. Residential Lot Designs 1-6 completed. 7-8 in progress.

Resources

EP's: WA, AMB, LN, GEN, PETS, SHT, FL
Store Content: None
CC: Rabbit Hole Rugs, CAW Ferryboats, CAW Road Signs, CAW Custom Mix/Match Bridges, CAW Criquette AIport (Sims 3), CAW Rowboat and Pier, CAW 2 Masted Sailboat, CAW Container Ship (http://tjstreaksnotsonaughtysims.blogspot.com/2011/11/container-ship.html), Game Framework Permanent Tents (For the Wagoushance Point campground)(Simsample), Foot bridge (Link (http://customsims3.com/forums/thread-441.html) ), Airplane (Link (http://customsims3.com/forums/thread-929.html) ), Ford Fiesta Store Set
Technical Challenges: Custom Distant terrain, Wagoushance Point Lighthouse, Weather, Water color.

Concepts:

Description: The town lies along the banks of the Great Lakes, which being so large, one cannot see the other shoreline. This will give the feeling of being on the ocean. The town and surrounding area will be very green, with the peninsula being quite low, flooded, and possible slightly swampy. There will be a River Delta running through the right side, which will leave a silt deposit along the banks. The coast is studded with beaches many of them private, and secluded due to the rock outlets from land. A lot of the area along the shoreline will be shallow, with a reef forming the Skillagagee Island (inaccessible). Out off of the peninsula is an old abandoned lighthouse, crumbling atop a massive rock tower, much like the sea forts of yore. The peninsula is generally swampy, and divided into 3 low lying islands: Temperance Island, Goose Island, and the furthest island, Wagoushance Island. Wagoushance point will be a small national park, studded with evergreens and trees. The residential area is generally on the lower area near the shore, with a little plateau just up above with a few houses. and baove that is a second plateau, which houses the town. The town has 2 main square: Promenade square and Capitol Square. The promenade has streets and shops on both side, while the Capitol square is more political building such as the police station and the town hall. below both is Main street, housing the market, the gym, and a dance club. off to the side is the Industrial-ish type area, with a fire department, a dive bar, and a laundromat. Off to the side even further are the ports, the hospital and the military base. Below on the residential plateau is Trade Square, an art district with an art gallery, a library, and a school. All will be custom built using the rugs. The main roads are asphalt, albeit in a slight state of disrepair, and the other rodas (most of them, actually) are dirt, leading to the houses and the parks and beaches. The right area of the map is generally the richer residential district. Skillagagee Island will contain the modern lighthouse.

Climate: Very grey, dense fog. occasionally there will be sunlight to give a realistic light hearted look to the area. If a weather expansion get released, I will update the world for snow and rain. A dramatic sunset if not foggy, and a wonderful view of the opposite peninsula, with the red sun setting over the abandoned lighthouse.

History: Known for it's vast amount of Sturgeon, Sturgeon bay was founded as a fishing town in 1814, with only a few residents living in a town of cottages right on the shorelines, fishing off of the old pier, the fishermen would gave at the steamships making their endless trek across the expansive lake. As shipping boomed in the great lakes, a business man came into the town and opened a port in the river delta, which unfortunately failed due to the shallow sea level around the bay, which had caused many ships to run aground on Skillagagee Reef. Before leaving the man had razed the old town and half-built a town on a plateau further inland. Colonists finished the unfinished town and restored the crumbling unfinished Victorian shops to their full glory. The area was designated a national park, and a lighthouse was installed on Skillagagee island, marking the old, Wagoushance Point Lighthouse obsolete. The government deemed the building unsafe and off-limits. The port is still accessible by small shipping boats, and it is said there is an underground crime ring planning on digging out the bay, to allow ships to pass through.

Inhabitants: Generally Fisherman, there will also be a few politicians, an old sea captain, rich folk wanting an adventure or a gorgeous view, a family whose goal is to modernize and reinvent the town, and a struggling artist.
EDIT: I also plan to add the Cracked.com columnists involved in the show After Hours (Soren Bowie, Michael Swaim, Daniel O'Brien, Katie Willert) you know, just as a tribute to the wonderful site and this wonderful and hilarious show. I'm thinking Michael and Soren will be roommates, the other two - I'll figure out later.

Motifs: The town is very quiet and calm, a fishing atmosphere to it, The captain tells his sea shanties at the dive bar, while a nice old lady runs the bookstore down the street. Very peaceful, and at times very foggy.

Sturgeon Bay FAQ

Q:What area does this represent?
A:The Great Lakes Area, more specifically one of the little bays at the top of Michigan, which is in reality called Sturgeon Bay. It is entirely a National Park, but I edited that for my purposes. Only the Peninsula is now a National Park, and I added the River on the Right Side to accommodate a port, it doesn't actually exist.

Q:Do you plan on releasing a Beta?
A:Yes, mainly for testing and brushing out all of the glitches and kinks. It should come out by Late Summer. And a final version in October. :) See.. I planned it out all too well.

Also, big thanks to kiwi-tea for letting me use his Design Document Format

Lot Information:

I don't know if you are able to tell, but all of the drawn out lots are numbered, residential and community lots separately. Parks are a separate category, because the parks in that category are town squares.

Community Lots (not counting parks): 37
Residential Lots: 17
Parks: 3
Grand Total: 57 lots

Residential Lots (by Number):

1. 30x30
2. 40x30
3. 30x20
4. 20x20
5. 20x20
6. 40x20
7. 40x30
8. 30x30
9. 30x20
10. 30x20
11. 30x20
12. 40x30
13. 40x30
14. 40x40
15. 40x40
16. 40x30
17. 40x30


Community Lots (by number; minus parks):

1. Cemetery (30x30)
2. Parking Lot/Small Park (20x10)
3. National Park/Small Park (30x20)
4. Hospital (40x30)
5. Dive bar (30x20)
6. Fire Station (30x30)
7. Laundromat (30x20)
8. Military Base (40x30)
9. Restaurant/Bistro (30x20)
10. Private Venue (30x20)
11. Cafe/Diner (30x20)
12. Book Store (40x20)
13. Movie Theater (40x20)
14. Spa (40x20)
15. Town Hall/ Small Park (40x30)
16. Police Station (30x20)
17. Salon/Tattoo Parlor (28x20)
18. Market (28x2)
19. Corporate Plaza (28x20)
20. Pet Store (28x20)
21. Gym (28x20)
22. Parking Lot/Small Park (20x10)
23. Art Gallery/Maritime Museum (30x20)
24. Library (30x20)
25. School (30x20)
26. Hangout/Overlook (30x30)
27. Parking Lot/Small Park (20x10)
28. Beach (50x20)
29. Overlook/Small Park (20x20)
30. Hidden Tomb/Hangout (30x20)
31. Criminal Hideout (30x30)
32. Junkyard/Port (20x20)
33. Small Park/Abandoned Lighthouse (20x20)
34. Small Park/Campground (30x20)
35. Coffee Shop (30x20)
36. Pet Park (40x20)
37. Small Venue (22x20)

Parks (Town Squares):

1. Trade Square (30x20)
2. Capitol Square (60x10)
3. Promenade Square (60x10)

Family Information

The families are listed by their corresponding residential lot numbers. The houses will be built to their accordances.
1. Willis (4 people, AM, AF, TF, CM)(Average Family)
2. de Cardi (2 people, EM, EF)(Retired, wealthy, immigrants, American Dream)
3. Abner (4 people, AM, AF, EF, TM)(Wealthy, artsy[TM], retired/naggy[EF])
4. Vacant Lot
5. Montag (2 people, YAM, YAF)(down on luck, married; reference Fahrenheit 451)
6. After Hours (YAF,YAM - roommates, 2 people) (humor, cool; reference After Hours webshow)
7. Vacant House
8. Bering (1 person, EM, old sea captain) (reference Vitus Bering)
9. Drake (1 person, YAM, adventurous) (reference Uncharted - but not necessarily look-alike)
10. White (1 person, YAF, Artsy, studio, poor)
11. Vacant House
12. Corleone (5 people, mobster, AM, YAM, YAM, AF, EM) (Cook[AF], mobster)
13. Agents of Cracked (2 people, YAM, YAM, roommates, humor-cool, reference Agents of Cracked webshow)
14. Sterling (4 people, businessman, athlete, bookie, event organiver, AM, TF, TF, AF)
15. Withering (3 people, EF, EM, CF, grandparents-granddaughter, calm, nice, sewing)
16. Vacant Lot
17. Vacant House

Misc. Information:

- I also plan to make a Cape Cod styled world after this Beta is released, hopefully in Late Summer, in time for my 2 year anniversary as an MTS member. I plan to release a Final Cut in October.
- When the Cape Cod world (with a cape and forests and colonial houses and such) goes into Beta, I will begin work on a very different kind of world called Utopia (no spoilers yet! :) ), which I should release Next Winter if all goes to plan.

[Lennon7777777]

Sounds like a great idea, and judging by your plans it should be!

[Riptide651]

Thanks :)

I would like someone to make DT for the world, If you'd like to volunteer, PM me. If not, I guess I'll just have to deal with making it myself.

I will post sculpted terrain pictures soon, I have the base of the map set up, I just need to sculpt the terrain itself.

[kiwi_tea]

It looks like you have the layout planned well, although you need to resize that HUGE image up there. A design document is usually a very wide-ranging statement of intent. You need to tell us what themes you're aiming for, what atmosphere, and what motifs you'd like to end up with. When I set up my design document templates for Port Piston and Grimschurch (in Open Office Writer) I looked at what usually goes into a games industry level-design document and stole a lot of headings that I thought were useful to me. Perhaps you'd like to take my format. You're welcome to it, and it would help both you and us to see what it is you're planning.

[Riptide651]

Format Fixed :) I hope its clearer now :)

[porkypine]

Kewl! I know what the real place looked like a la 1985-ish. I was up in Pointe Au Baril summer 1985ish, Is your place somewhat modeled on that area? What I remember is all the granite boulders just barely rising from the water. The little clapboard cottages here and there were propped up on rocks. YUMMIE blueberries! Of course the pine forests and the birches. Minnows in the sandy shallows... the sand had gold sparkles. Cattails and rushes in the shallows, Moose, and loons. :0) Lovely place.

[Riptide651]

A little bit, Pointe Au Baril is a bit to the East of What I had in Mind, but yes, the only difference is, that since Pointe Au Baril is more of a Delta with hundreds of tiny islands, Sturgeon Bay is more of a solid land mass. You know that tiny little bay tip on the the top left side of Michigan, that area... I an planning on including the boulders propping out of the water in the swamps , and there will be plenty of Pine Trees :) The campground on Wagoushance Island (the one at the very tip) will have a set of clapboard cottages all in a circle.

[porkypine]

I look forward to watching your progress and publication of this world. :0)

[armiel]

Could we get in-caw, or in-game pictures of your work with this world. As you know, we can't give you feed back based on text, and this is not a planning forum :)
You have good format on the first post, but you could hide a lot of -now- irrelevant info behind infobutton tags.
What comes to this line "I will need someone to make DT for the world, If you'd like to volunteer, PM me." - it's basically a request, and those are not allowed here. There is a tutorial on CAW tuts on making custom DT's, I'm sure you've seen it as you wouldn't be asking here otherwise, and our meshing forum is full of nice tuts and helpful people.

The plan looks nice, no doubt on that, but please post actual process pictures too.

[samuelg]

Just Another Update: I would have worked on it today but I spent a while figuring out how to bring it back from the dead after updating CAW, I managed, but I've lost heart for what may be 3 hours :)

Hehe.. It's alright. Some time great inspiration come from peaceful mind.
Anyway, keep up the good work! ;)

[Riptide651]

Eh I don't wanna put up another "big" update until I actually get some progress done. I already finished what I said previously, and completed the east shore of the river. I'll post some pics when I get the slope done before I do the detailing, and I also downloaded about 152 different textures to work with, but of course I wont use all of them :)

[Riptide651]

OK sorry about the double post but I have some "big" updates to show you guys:

I played with the weather to make it more like the weather in the Great Lakes with often storms and such using the Bridgeport files as a base. Heres the results:

Normal Weather
http://i.imgur.com/PPiyM.png

Sunny Weather
http://i.imgur.com/vqllT.png

Stormy Weather
http://i.imgur.com/VOtSC.png

The probability factors go as such:

Normal: 0.2
Sunny: 0.2
Stormy: 0.5

I have excluded the other 2 weather types because not only did this seem enough, but the other 2 emitted a weird purple glow and/or were TOO foggy.

Also the weather is set to be picked randomly based on probability every 10 hours opposed to the usual 8.

I wanted to have the stormy weather more often because of the unpredictable storm on the great lakes, plus if there is more stormy weather it will make those sunny days where you go to the beach oh so much sweeter.


Heres the progress on the terrain:

http://i.imgur.com/GJ2yp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yvnBc.jpg

I promise the images will be more breathtaking when theyre painted.

Just a little treat, here how the land looks in Insanely Stormy and custom, and you will see why I set the Probability of both to 0.0:

http://i.imgur.com/Usjb0.png
http://i.imgur.com/pTJSP.png

Those compared to normal Stormy:
http://i.imgur.com/subDZ.png


All of the clocks are set at exactly 12:21. I might actually consider keeping the insanely stormy weather and set its probability to 0.1 to resemble a freak storm that occurs once in a lifetime. I will replace the custom with the sunny file info and keep the prob at 0.0 so that the sunny occurs seldom for that file and sometimes for the original.

EDIT: Sorry about the large photos - fixed

[Riptide651]

Not an update but a nice little detail I just Noticed. If you look at the world at 6:00 PM when Its Sunny Weather You get one of the most gorgeous sunsets I have seen in the game:

http://i.imgur.com/UsIiq.png

Another view: http://i.imgur.com/58Nsh.png

[Lennon7777777]

It looks very nice, but I'd really suggest making the really stormy option appear-just with the lowest chance possible, because I, for example, live in Hilo (in the third rainiest city in the US), and we may just get regular weather like your sunny and stormy, but occasionally we get some storms that blow through and wreck up the place-just last month we had a cold front that lasted for about 2 weeks and it would do nothing but rain for that period (Causing me to play nothing but "when the levee breaks" by Led zeppelin all week), and back in November of 2000, we had the breakup of a tropical storm that caused us to have about 50 inches of rain a day for a week and a half (it tore up some roads and a water spout even came down!), but anyway-ramblings aside, I think you should really include the intensely stormy weather on an incredibly unusual basis. (Sorry for the probably quite boring lecture on how we get a bunch of storms here!)

[Riptide651]

Thanks, that lecture was quite interesting, and yeah, I've set the probability to 0.1, unless it should be lower.

I was going to replace custom with sunny, and I replaced the .ini files and then reopened CAW and was so confuzzled. Then while I was falling asleep I remembered I forgot to replace the Color Ramps -- Silly me.

[Riptide651]

Just another update, sry about the double posts... again...

I made another quick teaser. Basically shows I have the basic skills for photoshop :)

http://i.imgur.com/5qPmM.jpg

nonetheless, I think it looks pretty.

[Redhead Creations]

The weather looks pretty amazing, I still have yet to play around with that aspect of CAW manipulation. It looks like you've got it down!!


(PS: I think it's ok to bump when it's your own post and you're adding something to the update!) =)

[Riptide651]

its actually easier than it looks. I just picked the weather from the EA world which is most like what I'm envisioning (simsample managed to provide them all in the Sea, SKy and Lighting thread) and I tweak based on the instructions in the .ini files and import them alongside with the color ramps (which I have yet to change because im to lazy to download the photoshop dds plugin) into the.world file using S3PE.

I dont really think I need to edit the color ramps unless it for the custom weather.

[Riptide651]

Another little update about the weather. I played around with the night sky and stars setting and whatnot and heres what I got:

http://i.imgur.com/78JF3.png
I think the black blotched make up for the unnatural blue, and the stars are large because I don't plan for the world to be light-polluted, in fact its very empty and tree-filled.

[Lennon7777777]

That's quite nice-I like how it turned out, but I'd suggest making it a bit less blue.

[Riptide651]

Well I just played a few numbers to add black, IDk how to "remove" the blue

[Riptide651]

Wow! okay I'm bumping a ton, and I am totally on a roll with this and I worked a little on the main terrain. As you can see its much more hilly and according to my plans there will be a rise just like on the beach a bit more inland, and on top of that another, so something to looks forward too:

http://i.imgur.com/JWAaN.png

[Lennon7777777]

Well I just played a few numbers to add black, IDk how to "remove" the blue

Maybe you could ask dDefinder-he/she must know a bunch about that since he/she made such an excellent lighing mod!

[Riptide651]

The thing with the lighting mod is that is is a package that edits the default weathers, while in my case I'm directly changed the codes and colors in the overrides through S3PE, but I can sure ask.

But I actually kinda wanna keep it a bit blue because you know on those really bright nights how the sky is a bit blue because of the stars? Its noticeable if you live in a nonlight-polluted area or go camping often.

[Riptide651]

Another Update, I labelled the map with general names and areas. The map is so big though that when I zoom out fully, half of it becomes covered by a white screen so I'm asking simsample about that, same EIG too. So for your comfort I've dived it into 2 maps - coastline and mainland. Emmett is the main town and Art Square is part of it, just off to the side. the rest is residential other than Porthead. Wycamp is the high end community. Wagoushance Point is in Emmett National Forest (Wagoushance point includes - Temperance Island, Goose Island, Wagoushance Island, and the Wagoushance Light):

http://i.imgur.com/0UIK9.png

http://i.imgur.com/d6UIU.png

[Lennon7777777]

It's very nice, but I wonder what you plan on doing for distant terrain?

[Riptide651]

I will at some point after I place the road because that may alter the terrain, attempt it but I'm
Not generally a mesher so I may fail at it, so I may have to ask someone to do it, because none of the EA distant terrain fit the world.

[Lennon7777777]

There's always TJstreak's distant terrain kit! (Currently in the works.)
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/463910.page#6978788

[Riptide651]

I checked it out, the problem is its just a flat piece of land, and I need something that conforms to the terrain. I saw he said he was gonna build hills and all, but who knows by when, by the time I need them He may be only starting on this project, and even then what are the chance they are the same size and shape?

Sry I dont have an update yet, I should have one a bit later today.

Editors Note: I have 3 showtime lots in the world: coffeehouse, live venue, and private venue.

The live venue is a small rock club and the private venue, which I feel will be really unique and interesting, is going to be a big band club (for those of you who watch Family Guy - similar to the Cabana Club) with rows of basses drum, a piano and a microphone.

[Lennon7777777]

Wonderful-I love that club in the show and lament the demise of crooners!
The rock club doesn't sound bad, either!

[Riptide651]

Also, about the update - whoops, I lied no update. Its 9 PM and I have a science test tomorrow :/

I'll be on MTS anyway....

Funny thing. I got the idea from the Family guy episode where Stewie turns the Cabana Club into pLace

[Lennon7777777]

That's a pretty good episode-I wish you luck on your test!

[bradyseitz]

This is in reference to the custom terrain mentioned earlier. I looked through his blog and he does have several pieces available to download. You have to do a bit of scrolling to find them however. Good luck and love that Family Guy episode.

[simsample]

Well I just played a few numbers to add black, IDk how to "remove" the blue
Are you using colour ramps or editing RGB values?

[Riptide651]

I'm editing the RGB but not the color ramps. The Photoshop dds just wont download on my computer, it keeps interrupting, but I will edit them when I am able to probably from a different computer.

[simsample]

It will probably be easier to get the desired effect if you do use colour ramps; it's more visual than fiddling with the RGB values.

[Riptide651]

Well yes I personally agree. I don't seem to have too much good luck with color ramps though but I'll give it a try.

[simsample]

It's just a preference really, but also what I like to consider is the way that EA has done it. They have used colour ramps in all of their EP worlds and Lunar Lakes, so perhaps there is some performance advantage to doing it that way. Also if the EA worlds use colour ramps then we can be reasonably sure that they will not break this in later EPs, too.

If you're having trouble getting the DDS plugins to download you could try clearing your browser cache. Also if you are using a download manager, try without.

[Riptide651]

I will, just studying for history right now...

Also, a little update on the inhabitants section of the concept draft, feel free to check that out, its fully explained there.

[Riptide651]

Ok I havent had time to work with school overflowing my schedule with tests and whatnot, an I decided to take a break this weekend to play Sims, but I do have a little update:

I need help choosing from 3 different terrain paints. I want it to be dark, because its the great lakes, and there will be evergreens.

Here they are:

http://i.imgur.com/SgSDj.png

Option 1




http://i.imgur.com/gpRyx.png

Option 2




http://i.imgur.com/1Djbx.png

Option 3

If you feel these just simply don't work, feel free to suggest a texture.

[Skimmer55]

Option 3, most definitely :)

[simsample]

I like 1 and 3, but I think the second is a little too bright. Maybe you could use a combination of them to create shading under trees and in valleys?

[Riptide651]

I probably will. I feel like 3 for the base though, option 1 seems too brown, I will use it for the valleys though.

[Lennon7777777]

Yeah-I think 2 to accent hills, 3 for the base, and 1 for valleys-all blended well, of course!

[trench]

Since shadows are always darker than the original colour, I wouldn't use the option 1 as the colour of shades if you use the option 3 as your base colour. It'd have to be something darker and option 1 seems brighter rather than darker compared to option 3 at least in my opinion.

[Riptide651]

I'm sorry I haven't been able to make any updates lately because I have been busy all weekend and decided to take the week off to play the game itself and work on my Round 4 Foundations Entry. But I've been thinking so far ahead of myself. Since I have an approximate Idea of what the final version will look like (mainly due to the all the planning I have done), I have been even thinking about the trailers when I release the world. I wanna make 2, a slow one and a more energetic yet calm one, to show 2 different feelings in the world. I have narrowed down my incredibly vast song choice to 2 songs per video. Feel free to suggest some but here are my personal pics (you might disagree, because I'm sort of a rockabilly, so... Feel free to think anything of me).

For the slow song I really want to show the quiet and sleepy side of the world, possibly make it even a little gloomy. I haven't really planned the entire thing, but the one thing I know for sure is that I want the video to start in the dive bar, set on the stage where there is a piano player (because both songs are mainly piano) and the song will start for 5 seconds or so and it will pan out of the window and zoom out over the bay, in the beginning.

Here are the 2 slow songs:

1. Nobody Home - Pink Floyd [Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-1981 (Disc 2)]
2. Baby Grand - Billy Joel and Ray Charles (Greatest Hits Volume III)


For the more energetic song, I wanted something not too fast, a bit lighter, and with the sort of bridges where I can place alternating frames in between entire shots and phrases. I've definitely thought of the Slow one more, but The song choice, in my opinion, is pretty solid.

Here are the 2 energetic songs:

1. Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley (Elvis: 30 #1 Hits)
2. Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones [Forty Licks(Disc 1)]



Note: I was considering Livin for the city - Stevie Wonder, but Its not "technically" a city, so I thought it was better suited for Gabrymato's Los Angeles World (Which seems to be progressing much faster than manustyle's New York, so I suggested it for the L.A. world instead).


I apologize if it isn't exactly an update, I have just been swamped lately and needed some "R&R", but I will definitely work on it over Spring Break, which is in one week, but I wont post anything in that radius because I honestly doubt that I will have internet in Utah, even though it says there is a strong connection on the house rental description page. :/
Its right on the slope though so, lucky me....

[Riptide651]

Sorry I havent given a real update in a while, but I plan to get a lot done during break (ONE MORE WEEK!!!! :):):):):))

I have worked on terrain detail and made the first "real" ridge, I plan to work on detail on that today and do the top ridge tomorrow.

I don't know if its too visible, but It mostly on the ridge down to the beach:

http://i.imgur.com/Tmtq1l.png

[Riptide651]

Since I'm not getting too much feedback on the songs, other than a disagree, which if you disagree with, please make a suggestion, I made a poll - the link is on the first post and right here: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=4f7cc10be4b057054fd316a6

[Riptide651]

Sorry I havent had an update in a while, but I just finished the terrain sculpting. I was planning to work on it over the week but my laptop which I took on vacation didn't seem to run CAW smoothly. I managed to finish the work over the last two days and its complete other than the edits I will make for the roads and the flat town.

http://i.imgur.com/YJzxf.png

[Lennon7777777]

Looks great-now comes that tricky painting!

[Riptide651]

Thanks, well I'll lay out the roads first, I actually got a head start on the terrain smoothing for the town and the road slopes right after the post.

[Riptide651]

So I began placing the roads and lots, heres the progress:

The main city is laid out, an I am currently laying out the roads to the outskirts.
http://i.imgur.com/Syk9s.png

I am having this kind of problem though, any ideas?
http://i.imgur.com/eSBG7.png

Also, is the dirt dark enough? I feel it fine, but I would like another's opinion.

[Riptide651]

Okay, another little update today. I have placed a moderate amount of lots, and just as a break I got to work on the ambience of the DT on the water ans Skillagagee island.

Heres what I have done:

http://i.imgur.com/LjqSf.png

http://i.imgur.com/GvD9H.jpg

I have also added a CC container ship in the background, because after all it is the great lakes.

http://i.imgur.com/k5YmU.png


I tried painting the island, but for some reason this happens, any ideas? Its all choppy ans not smooth at all. You can see my opacity and falloff setting on the right.

http://i.imgur.com/j9FRP.jpg

The sidewalk isn't painted, its the sidewalk from the dirt roads. The island will be unroutable, but a shame isn't it, it turned out so nice. I'll import the F/X for the lighthouse tomorrow, and possibly even a train, we'll see.

I've also finished the painstaking ordeal of placing the mix-and match bridges. I really hope they work, it took forever.

http://i.imgur.com/bBWsQ.png

Thats all for today. Any ideas on the paint?

[Lennon7777777]

Riptide-if you try painting with a paint that's in the layer below the paint you're painting it on to, it gives that straight-edged look.

[Riptide651]

I'm sorry, I've been extremely lazy... playing GTA SA...

I will work on my world sooner or later.

News: I decided to go a little more on CC, so if that is not to your liking feel free to point that out.

[Lennon7777777]

That's alright-I love that game, I hold my PS2 copies of it, Vice city, and III very close to my heart. ;)
I think a little more on the cc is fine-I personally don't prefer much CC in my game, but It's perfectly fine for me knowing how well this world looks!

[Riptide651]

Well I'm currently working on a tiny island for a schoolg project, but for some reason the CC wont show up in EIG.

[bradyseitz]

Some content, such as Graham's bridges, need to also be placed in your Mods folders. That could be your problem but I'm sure you have already done that. Looking good so far.

[Riptide651]

I haven't thought of that, will do that

EDIT: I did that and I went back into the world, and now none of the metadata objects show up in EIG

You mean the mods folder in "The Sims 3"? because as far as I remember thats the only place I have one.

EDIT 2: Never mind, it works now.

[bradyseitz]

Glad you got it working. I wasn't completely specific in my response, trouble of replying on the go.

[scoopy_loopy]

That bridge looks fantastic, will it be given arches later?

[Riptide651]

If you mean the arches over the top, probably not, since the middle section is two parts, but possibly.
I'm also trying different ways to place struts into the water for realistic support, its just the normal ones aren't long enough to reach the river.

[Riptide651]

Double Post Alert!

I finished my project island and heres how it turned out:

http://i.imgur.com/WnreD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tHPAG.jpg

I realized this is a good chance to practice my terrain painting, plus make an estimate for how long it will take to finish my world and how tree heavy it will be. Just saying, there are almost 1000 trees on this small island so Sturgeon Bay will be REALLY tree-heavy.

I'm also considering adding a small run-down roadside bar, what do you think?

To see all the pics I took click here for the project page: http://www.wix.com/myampolsky97/cell-metaphor#!home|mainPage

[Lennon7777777]

It's very nice but I'd suggest adding some type of broadleafed tree to the palm forests to make them look more realistic.

[Riptide651]

Well I already turned it in, It does have a few normal sago palms though, and fan leafs. I won't upload though, since it just has too many problems.

[Riptide651]

He Guys,

I haven't given an update in a long time, plus recently my harddrive crashed, so it's rebuilding from the point I was at in March. This means that I'm back at the first ridge, technically square 1. I will still work on the project, but I will not post anything for about 3-4 weeks just so I can bring it back to the state it was this month. Hopefully, I'll use this as a chance to remake it better than before, preferably a bit less stair-like, but the beta release will be pushed back to September, and the final version to mid-February, at best.

[Prawler]

Aww, Riptide, I'm sorry about your hard Drive, is there no way to recover it, Sturgeon Bay is so amazing :) You can slack off on the Apocalypse project for a while and focus more on this if you want

[Riptide651]

Well it is currently at the point where it was in this post: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3823687#post3823687

But yeah, i will continue work on it, and i will slack of on the project for the meantime, that and MTA.

[Riptide651]

Bump* haha

Im reviving the project, updated my CC for CAW today, beginning work tomorrow.

[nibjam]

good luck, this looks really interesting!

[Riptide651]

Currently finishing up beta V.1 of Howland Island, Will return to this project eventually.