Sim City (4) Succession Session!

Ugh, this is going to take longer than I thought, I spent the last few hours lovingly pruning the city, placing railways everywhere and such and it's just crashed on me

I'll start again soon enough, but I need to regain my composure first...

As expected, crashes get more usual as city grows. Arent you using the launcher with the autosave feature?

Peck of Arabia said:

Ugh, this is going to take longer than I thought, I spent the last few hours lovingly pruning the city, placing railways everywhere and such and it's just crashed on me

I'll start again soon enough, but I need to regain my composure first...

Click to expand...

That sounds unfun.

Thorgalaeg said:

As expected, crashes get more usual as city grows. Arent you using the launcher with the autosave feature?

Click to expand...

What is that? Link?

Here: http://community.simtropolis.com/topic/54082-simcity-4-launcher-updated-140b-r7/

Mayor Peck's Accidental Administration

It came as a surprise to everybody to see Mayor Peck back so soon, even Mayor Peck. By a sheer stroke of luck he happened to be walking past the Mayoral Mansion when he noticed the "Help Wanted" sign in the window. Finding the key to the back door under that rock by the petunias, he let himself in, and headed to the Mayor's office.

"Thank You, Simkins, I'll take things from here" he said to a bewildered mayoral aide,
"My name's not 'Sim..." the aide was heard to reply as the door to the Mayor's office shut and Mayor Peck got down to business.

The "Accidental Administration" had begun, and had three clear aims:

1) Improve Rail Network coverage (of course)
2) Contain the Urban Sprawl and De-urbanise the area around Peck's "country" retreat
3) Raise funds to allow for the above

To that end a moratorium was declared on all new development zoned by METY



At the behest of the army the landfill near the Fort was decommissioned with the hope that an influx of recycling capacity would be a suitable alternative.





While heavy industry around the country club, was shut down...



... in some cases for the road users own safety



And with that, the rather handsome starting budget had been exhausted, by about the 3rd January


February saw under $2000 enter the treasury, this was not nearly enough for the railway construction and erm, careful pruning, that the administration had planned.

As the mayor and his team puzzled over this lack of money, a gold plated ambulance, followed by a top of the range school hover-bus was seen passing by on a nearby avenue. The heads of the departments of health and Education were speedily summoned to explain themselves and a budget was quickly passed where $6000 p/m savings were found

(In some alternative universe of my turn I also raised taxes by 1% across the board but this was disastrous, so I didn't try it again)

With the budget secure, Mayor Peck turned again to containing Urban Sprawl, especially around his retreat.

Housing was restricted to low-density, and an extensive beautification programme made the area a little garden of serenity amid the hustle and bustle of big city life (easily accessible to all by rail, naturally)



It was around this time that I found the Farmhouse Lutheran Church, though there was nothing that could be done to restore it's former glory, and despite search and rescue attempts, the remains of Quintillus' Orange Grove were nowhere to be found



The rest of the year was spend railway building, pruning unnecessary streets and saving up for the largest single purchase Mayor Peck had ever made, hopefully to be announced at the beginning of Year 71.


"Choking Brunhilde", the city's first power plant was over 70 years old and had not aged well; years of burning coal had caught up with her as she creaked, groaned and sputtered. Engineers insisted she could only be run safely at 36% capacity. Mayor Peck supposed others would be the same, accounting for insatiable demand for new power plants.



April '71 saw a brand new Hydrogen power plant commissioned and power supply centralised as 12 other power plants were subsequently decommissioned.


The rest of the year, as per usual, was spent railway building; quite a challenge given the terrain...



Between Summer and Autumn there were fears of an impeding recession and tax revenues fell sharply. Fears were allayed the economy stabilised by the end of the year.


Year 72 saw an acceleration of the pace of urban restructuring, as entire neighbourhoods were ripped out in the name of redesigning the underlying infrastructure.



Yet, despite this aggressive restructure, the city felt sluggish and stagnant as the sheer size of the city lent itself to a certain inertia. I'm sure succeeding mayors will feel the same impression of if not powerlessness then certainly weakness as Mayoral power, once enough to make or break the city, struggles against the unwieldy mass of humanity it has become.

Still, on the plus side the population of Fort Consternation has ballooned to over 300,000 people

the start of Year 73 saw population fall to under 300,000 again though this soon recovered.

Nothing much happened for much of the year until a meeting with the city's police chief revealed massive pockets in police coverage. That, and the airport and university were hotbeds of crime.

Crime fighting capacity was upgraded across the city, and since it was assumed the University was particularly high due to dangerously high levels of free thinking, a special branch of thought police were brought in to contain the situation.



and in July the city get's it's very first jail!




Social problems took up the rest of the term and a rapidly expanding population overwhelmed health and education providers




Questions were asked, too, about the affordability of living in Fort Consternation. Eastside, once abound with affordable housing, had been thoroughly Yuppified as high and medium wealth residents and businesses had elbowed themselves in and made themselves comfortable.



There was growth and prosperity abound in Fort Consternation, but the poor were largely excluded watching the working of this economic powerhouse with their noses pressed against the glass



This was beyond the capabilites of the Mayor, it was not in his nature to level the playing field from each according to their ability to each according to their needs (or in this case desires) besides, he wouldn't know where to be begin trying to achieve it.

Instead he finished up what he had promised the army (constant reports of Coup d'etats taking place on the island of Tropico persuaded the Mayor it was always an idea to keep the military on side) the landfill was decommissioned and the air detoxified so that soldiers stationed there were not at serious risk before even engaging with enemy combatants.



Finally, with no solid plan to deal with inequality, or indeed any major plans for the rest of his term the mayor saw fit to sit back and relax in his flourishing country retreat, fundamentally happy with what he was passing on to his successor



The image of the entire city has,unfortunately disappeared from the archives


Fort Consternation

Population: 302,491 (+15,348)
Funds: §234,646 (+§134,065 Yeaah!)
Mayoral Rating: 11/12 (Same Old, same old...)

Well then, it appears I have inherited quite the different city. I'll have to figure out what to do, now that nearly the entire area that's not-mountain has become urbanized. I may end up throwing in a disaster just to spice things up a little

I was tempted for a time and, at the risk of setting a precent, I say go for it

Actually I'm surprised nobody's done it sooner. Nobody's even taken out a massive loan on some vanity project to burden their successors! Aren't we a considerate bunch?

Yay, there's a farm again! Nothing like a relaxing drive in the country with cows grazing by the side of the road!

I'm glad someone eventually decided to take change of the old power plant situation. I was doubtful it would survive to my term (even if it wasn't bulldozed). Though if it did, I was tempted to let it blow up just for the free fireworks.

I was really expecting to see loans after the Beach Crusade left Fort Consternation with §297. And while I did consider loans so I could super-size my second-term development and third-term highways/subways, ultimately financial common sense won out. I'll never have a career in politics in the U.S.

I've still got ideas for projects in this city (if it's still around, should disaster strike). Like my last term, they may or may not result in increased population. But the ideas are there!

I am loving the location of my Stadium, looks almost realistic.

If a river ran between the downtown and industrial region then it would look nearly identical to the Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium.

The Disaster of the Second Mythmonster Administration
Cheery title, eh? Well, it about sums it up. Just to give you a preview of what is in this update, I present to you the final stats... now.

Final Stats
Population: 269,857 (-32,634)
Funds: $77,430 (-$157,216!)
Mayor Rating: 11/12 (-1)
Deficit is 15,031 per month

Myth was surprised when he was handed the rule of the city once more. Apparently he had been a good enough mayor that people wanted him again, so who was he to decline? Just like last time, as soon as he walked into his office, an advisor latched onto him, this time complaining about garbage and the storage thereof. Apparently the previous administration had trusted in the power of recycling a bit too much and removed the landfill near the army base.

The simple solution was to simply rezone the landfill near the army base. Not like they'd be complaining, after all. The next few months were spent adjusting the funding for schools, clinics, and the police to maximize effectiveness. At one point, though photo documentation was lost, Myth happened upon an elementary school that had all of... 4 students in it. It was promptly bulldozed and replaced with a library which may hopefully get more use. As part of this, a clinic was placed near the MMM Medical Centre, which had been overwhelmed with the amount of people in the area needing medical care.

In terms of expansion, there was a road near the highway that was empty, and so some commercial areas were zoned there. An avenue near the beach was suffering heavy traffic, so the subway system was expanded there, to some success. Myth was pleased that his little subway project had become so popular.

Amusingly, the International Airport had become a hotbed of crime, or so reported a certain undercover cop. To alleviate this, a police kiosk was placed near it and some new development, to serve as airport security. Sure, it only covered about a quarter of the airport, but a later examination showed it was 6 for 6 in arrests to crimes.

The first major frustration of the Second Myth Administration was that commercial areas were being extremely sluggish in expanding. In one case, an area had been zoned for over a year, but not a single burger stand had been constructed there. Demand was high across the board, and desirability in the area was good for at least low wealth commercial services. The businessmen just did not want to expand. High-tech industry, at least, boomed. Any new zoning would be filled in almost immediately.

Seriously, why wouldn't a location like this develop? It was near the power plant, but the desirability was adequate for all but high-wealth commercial offices. I figure at least some low-wealth stuff should have moved in there.

The next few months were rather dull. Money came in steadily, and the population had increased by about 20,000 from the beginning of the term. However, on a calm morning in the middle of Myth's forth year, a deep rumbling shook the ground beneath Fort Consternation. At first, an earthquake was feared, but then something much different happened. The ground on top of a mountain rose up into the sky, destroying a few office buildings from Myth's previous term, and the ground cracked open. A volcano had erupted, almost literally in the middle of the city!


Brave firefighters rushed to it, and policemen went around the city to keep the civilians calm. All were prepared for the worst, and as the lava spilled over the top, a collective breath was held for the devastation that would be wrought.

And then a single house caught on fire. One. Bloody. House.


A grand total of 8 buildings were affected by the volcano's eruption, 7 of which were destroyed by the alteration of the terrain. Total losses were estimated at an underwhelming $3,000. People everywhere shrugged and went about their business, until someone tried opening their taps. Nothing came out. All across the city, people tried to get to their water... and nothing happened.


Imagine this. All across the city. Yeah.

Somehow, the radius of the water lines had decreased to a single tile in most cases, very rarely expanding to two tiles. Over half of the city was now without water, and the true disaster began now. In a panic, Myth plopped down another water pump and frantically began laying down miles of water lines in order to avoid mass abandonment.


The water situation at the end of the term. As you can see, water is still there, it's just not getting to the buildings for some reason

But it was all for naught. High-wealth residents and businesses left en masse, sending the revenues of the city plummeting. The new water lines cost money, making expenses soar, even as water had not been restored to the entire city. And for some reason, the hill on which nearly all of Fort Consternation's industry resided, was getting next to no water, even with water lines placed.


The city bled money now, losing 15,000 a month without taxes. People left every day, driving the city deeper into its hole. Mayor Myth left his second term disgraced due to what had happened to the once prosperous city of Fort Consternation under his rule. One can only hope the next mayor will be able to get the city out of this crisis.


Yeah, the hill of industry is still without water. Most of the manufacturing on it is abandoned. Note the mass abandonment pretty much everywhere else.

Final Stats (Again)
Mayor: (I'm... honestly not sure. Either Quintillus or germanicus, depending on if the latter is able to play, I think.)
Population: 269,857 (-32,634)
Funds: $77,430 (-$157,216!)
Mayor Rating: 11/12 (-1)
Deficit is 15,031 per month

http://www.mediafire.com/?2tz2zykicl44l0q

So, uh, yeah. I seriously have no clue what on Earth caused this water problem to happen, but it's seriously screwed up this city. We'll need serious austerity measures if the city is not to go bankrupt soon. I thought I got off easy when the volcano turned out so weak, but that was obviously Not true.

Oh no! I thought about saying something along the lines of "I wouldn't object too much to a disaster as long as it isn't a volcano in the middle of the city", but decided maybe it was best not to give any ideas. I'm just glad it was in an undeveloped area.

But that H2O situation! That's pretty bad, especially with the defecit! I believe I'm the mayor as I think the current order is:

Peck of Arabia -> Mythmonster2 -> Quintillus -> MoreEpicThanYou -> germanicus12 -> Thorgalaeg

So I shall try to save the city from ruin. This is most strange though, I must say.

What part of "don't build subway stations on the line" do you people not understand?

I can't wait to see METN build some dirty industry on the volcano.

Omega124 said:

I can't wait to see METN build some dirty industry on the volcano.

Click to expand...

I have my work cut out for me, but I shall go on until industry caps all scenic hills!

Meanwhile in a six star hotel at Rio, ex-mayor Thorgalaeg was watching international news while relaxing in the jacuzzi along with his team of supermodel technical assesors, and being among so much effervescence an intriguing idea came to his mind: May lack of water and volcano be related?

Well that was exciting! The water situation is certainly puzzling, though at a guess I'd say there's a one tile, almost impercepitle break in the water pipes around the pump caused by the shifting of the land, but that's an awful lot of water shortage for a simple break in the pipe.

First thing I'm doing when my next term comes up is closing that landfill again. I've played enough Tropico to make me wary of coup d'etats from a disgruntled military

Quintillus said:

I believe I'm the mayor as I think the current order is:

Peck of Arabia -> Mythmonster2 -> Quintillus -> MoreEpicThanYou -> germanicus12 -> Thorgalaeg

So I shall try to save the city from ruin. This is most strange though, I must say.

Click to expand...

Yep, this arid husk of a city is all yours

The order it a bit of a strange one; as I understand, it goes:

Peck of Arabia -> Quintillus -> MoreEpicThanYou -> germanicus12 -> Thorgalaeg

and Mythmonster2 slots himself in at weekends, wherever they happen to land in the rota. Something like that, anyway.

The pipes around the pumps seemed fine to me when I checked them. As for a connection between the volcano and the water problem, it is very probably, but my Google Fu is turning up nothing.

I've played part of my term. The good news is, I found out why Fort Consternation was a desert, and the city isn't going to go broke (well, unless I go overboard on city projects). Although at one point the treasury was almost totally empty.

I haven't followed this entire thread, but do you guys have the trash recycling power plant? I forget the exact name. If you're filling landfills left and right plop one down next to your landfill. You can defund it to like 20% and it will still recycle the same amount of trash it just won't produce much power. It's a nice backup plant when you're at capacity but not ready to invest in a new plant yet. Just ratchet up the funding a bit, then bring it back down once you have a longer term solution.

We actually do happen to have one already, if you mean the incinerator (at least, I think that's what it's called). Didn't know about the funding thing, though.