Hello,
I am really not sure this is a good idea when I have Project Fenbury to finish. I have been mulling over an idea for a new world for a while. I did promise hubby I would take a bit of break from building but I do so want to do something with this idea. So I have started playing around in CAW.
I posted this in my Project Fenbury thread.
The county which has inspired the new world of Throxton Deverill is Wiltshire. Where I hear you ask. Well it is a land locked county in the south west of England. The top half skirts the Cotwolds and is a fairly bland mixture of rural and light industry. The bottom half includes a large area known as Salisbury Plain. Dotted around the edge of the Plain are a number of ancient monuments. It is some these I am seeking to represent in the new world.
Bearing in mind I am currently levelling ground and laying out road maps, here are some very early pics of what I have in mind.
The landscapes round these monuments is quite stark. It is believed this was done deliberately by the ancients, as the whole area would have been densely wooded when these monuments were constructed. It just goes to show that our ancestors had a lot more skills than we give them credit for. Up close then these monuments are awe inspiring. Little is really known about them.
The name Throxton Deverill does not exist. Deverill refers to places which are on the river in the Wyley valley. There is a Thruxton but that is in Hampshire. Hubby said I should think of a name which suggest age and history so here it is.
I no longer use Origin or My Page. You can find me on YouTube or Twitter as Bettyboop711000. You are welcome to contact me as I explore options for a PC sandbox life simulation game.
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Comments
I'm curious how it'll look when done.
I am going to adjust the scale of the mounds as I work on them. I had to look up mogots. The two sites I am basing the mounds on never had a residential function. The two smaller mounds are known as long barrows in the UK and these two were for burials. The largest mound which is the height of an Egyptian pyramid is the largest man made chalk mound in Europe. The actual function is not clear but the view from the top is stunning on a clear day
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Thank you Modelled on the Kennet and Avon. I won't be adding in the Caem Hill locks though, far too difficult for me to do Hope you ohave a good day working on your world.
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The canal feature, as anticipated, is proving the most difficult to sort out at the moment. At some point the road will have to cross the canal and I am really not sure how to achieve it yet. In the meantime I have been adding lots, like canal side houses and an inn. I am considering a footbridge but, again, I am not sure quite how to achieve it.
This area I am currently calling Church Square. It is usual for a lot of towns and villages to have squares similar to these. It might not look like much but it should be a bustling area when built and decorated, a mixture of community and residential lots.
Meanwhile back at the area which I am currently calling The Henge I have added a few more trees. These may be reduced in number once the buildings go in. The aim is not to detract from the stone circle. Also I have been playing around with fencing for the edge of the dual carriageway. There is the central reservation to decorate as well. In the distance I have put in a roadside diner.
The other side of the dual carriageway I have started planning out another major feature. I have decided to site a junk yard here because the town I am basing a lot of my ideas on has one very close to the dual carriageway. In real life it is no where near the village with the standing stones, anymore than the roadside diner is. At the moment it sounds worse than it will actually be when complete. The real life scrap yard is set back from the main road and is surrounded by trees and hedges.
I hope this is not too boring but I am finding the planning just as completing a project is not that visually exciting.
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If that canal continues to give you grief, I do have an idea. Sandy from Around the Sims has a canal in her Sandy Valley but it's split over three long lots. She wrote a tutorial here using items from her canal lock set, which is here. There's also pictures of the canal here. Finally, this page has further photos, one of which shows a footbridge over the canal. It might not be what you're looking for but it's the only thing I can think of right now that could help.
Thank you I will check out the info. What I have in mind is an elevated road bridge but my main problem seems to be masking the terrain in such a way as to protect the canal ditch underneath the bridge.
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The cottage I am basing this on has a huge amount of foliage at the front. I suspect it is to give the residents some privacy from the large number of tourists who visit each year. The odd thing is that villagers in the past were happy to build among the stones while Stonehenge remained in private hands until early in the 19th century and consequently wasn't built on.
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Thank you
I have been finishing off the external decoration this morning. My usual problem is I tend to overdo the planting but here it fits with the cottage I have based it on. I am going to call it Honeypot Cottage simply because I remember visiting an old lady who kept bees who lived in a nearby village.
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I will say I am not happy with the red brick. The colours are about right for the area but the brickwork should definitely look a lot more weathered. I shall no doubt keep coming back and fiddling with CASt for some time. I know I could probably find lots of good cc but if I am not including store content in this world then I can't really use cc either.
Otherwise it has been a day of research and reconsideration. I am thinking particularly of the canal. Pictures of the canal I am basing it on show long stretches where there are steep wooden canal banks. It would certainly add more interest to the build.
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Thank you I have quite a lot of digging out to do with the canal but I think I have found a way to take the road over the canal without using a bridge object.
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Now I must admit to feeling rather guilty. I have not worked on Fenbury all week, so if there is time this weekend I must get some more work done. I still have a great deal of planning to do for Throxton. The town I have in mind has a castle. It is rather pretty but trying to build it without using the Castle kit from the store is going to make it very difficult to do.
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Thank you
That's the one I couldn't find a way to do the brickwork justice and I have still to recolour the windows. Thank you for the kind comment
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It's amazing what having a couple of lots built on can do. It really helps me visualize the completed look, and, as mentioned, helps me with the perspective for Deverill Hill and the Barrows. It looks like both will have to be reduced in height otherwise another feature I have planned will be dwarfed.
Anyway, as also mentioned, I must return to working on Fenbury. I must admit I am not looking forward to doing the reworking before I even begin to tackle all the other jobs I have left. On the other hand I am determined to finish it, mainly because I want to play a game. I have the families ready which is more than can be said for Throxton. I have not even thought out the backstory yet
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It must be hard to share the attention between both worlds, but it would be a shame to leave Fenbury.