New Neighborhood: Winter Mountain

[TXSundown]

Snow covered ribbons snake along the peaks and high mountain regions of Winter Mountain, joining cabin to village; connecting mountaineer to their only link with the outside world.  Very few can survive the rugged slopes and harsh conditions of Winter Mountain.  Can you?


There is so much I must tell you about this terrain so please bear with me in this long post.

When I first started creating this terrain more than 3 weeks ago it was my intent to make something extreme... well, as extreme as I could get in Sims 2.   I wanted something that my adventurous Sims could sink their teeth into.  The result is attached to this thread.  This terrain was created specifically for use with the Seasons expansion pack and I created it to be a “year-round” winter landscape.  I’m not suggesting that you stick your Sims in hip-deep snow as I plan to do though.  I just wanted you to know what I was thinking when I made Winter Mountain.  Actually I hadn't planned on sharing this with the outside world but I thought, just maybe, there might be someone else out there who has adventurous Sims too.


Please note: This landscape was not created for those who do not use the Neighborhood Camera Mod.  ((http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=97642))  Although it will work with the small view, play will be difficult due to the elevation of the mountains and you will not see the entire scape... and there’s a lot to see. Unfortunately, Sims 2 doesn’t allow for the rugged peaks that Sim City 4 shows in the original landscape. (See photo for original screenshot)  But, hopefully, it shouldn’t matter once the snow starts to fly.


This neighborhood was created by me using Sim City 4 Deluxe with the Rush Hour EP installed.  I added a few trees across the mountain peaks but due to Sims 2 usually multiplying SC4 trees by at least 5-10, flora is sparse.  I have EP1 - 4 installed but am not sure you would need them to use this neighborhood (Sorry, I can’t test that theory though.)  I have tested this terrain in my game for the past two weeks and it works without error or problems.  There are more than 125 places to add lots however there are very few, if any, of those that will accommodate anything much larger than a 2x2 and many of those will not be level or be half-imbedded into the side of a mountain.  I did manage to find a spot that would take a 2x4 but those are going to be rare.  Afterall, this is a very mountainous region meaning mostly small cabins and other similar structures are all that’s going to fit.  There are also 3-4 areas that will allow 8 or more lots in close proximity... perfect for a small mountain village or town.  No guard rails though and you must supply your own 4x4s and snow tires.


This neighborhood is being uploaded only to Insimenator.net and is not to appear on any other website, pay or free.  Please honor that.


Enjoy Winter Mountain! (copyright 2007 - TXSundown, Inc.)


-Sundown



** I have added a revamped Winter Mountain down a few screens.  Please check there.  Thanks!

[kim]

Nice Job

[zukanob]

A very innovative terrain, thank you!

[XPTL297]

Looks really a difficult terrain to build up. Did you experiment some lots or are you waiting for the next EP. It must be really impossible to use your terrain without a special camera. I do not use any and when I enter a lot that is close to a mountain I have difficulties even to place any constructions on the ends of the lots.
I'm afraid to install special features that overwrite the original cause it was already a long story to have this camera we get now in the present status.
Anyway I boast your work too. I never got to anything with this Sim City 4.

[TXSundown]

I was supposed to go out and get Seasons today but I'm not feeling well so have stayed home.  Nothing better to do so I was playing with Winter Mountain and found a couple of spots that were not to my liking.  I'd read what XPTL297 had written and decided a small revision was in order.  I have revised the terrain but have not uploaded the revision because I'm not sure if anyone would want it.  The revision doesn't add any more roads or mountains but it does reroute a couple of the roads that did not allow a good view of cabins placed along them.

I'd had 14 cabins that were fully constructed and move-in ready on Winter Mountain, grandfathering them in before I got Seasons so they'd be settled when the expansion pack was installed.  6 of those were inhabited.  I kicked everyone out and brought in the revised terrain and have spent the last 2 hours placing lots across the entire scape, double checking to make sure that the lots could be seen and easily constructed on.  There are a couple of spots that I just could not get the lot turned around to my liking.. it would either not be possible due to Sim City 4 building restrictions or road restrictions.  I placed the largest size lot I could in the space available... this is the results of my placements of 125 lots:

2x2 = 47 ..... 3x1 = 10 ..... 3x2 = 32 ..... 5x3 = 7 ..... 5x5 = 3 ..... 2x4 = 6
5x2 = 7  ...... 3x3 = 6 ...... 5x4 = 3 ....... 5x6 = 2 ..... 4x3 = 2

Of course, you don't have to place the biggest lots you can as I did.  I was testing positioning and feasibility.  As I was placing them I realized this might make a fantastic terrain for farming since Sims 2 doesn't recognize mountain terrain (rocky) like Sim City 4 does. There are a lot of grassy slopes in this terrain that would work nicely for the farmer Sims among us.

So, hopefully, this answers any concerns XPTL297 has regarding construction.  I do use the neighborhood camera view mod from MTS2 however that is the only camera mod that I use and I switch that out for a regular view when I play my current main city, Veronaville.  Once I get to the lot, it's all Maxis-based views,.. no mods or hacks of any kind.  I, too,  sometimes have trouble when constructing if anything (house, hill, mountain) is close by because it raises my angle up to the point that I can't see.  That's why I tend to build from the top view.  It's easier for me and I don't get shifted up to angelic height by nearby obstructions.

If I can figure out how to upload this revision as a 2nd file and not destroy the first one, I will do that for those who are interested in a slightly tamer mountain.

My sincerest apologies to anyone who has suffered any inconvenience. :|



-Sundown

[kathy]

Nice job!

[jason7871]

WOW!!! Very nicely made,cool work,i have SimCity 4 Deluxe w/Rushhour and am experimenting myself,thanks for sharing this with us,again WOW!!!

[TXSundown]

This is a slightly revamped version of the original Winter Mountain, assuring that most of the lots are easily viewed
from the front.  I also added a few more lots when the mountain would let me. Due to the proximity of the mountain
to many of the lots, wide-angle or distance viewing from the backs of lots is usually restricted.

I am not adding an additional photo with this since the views and so similar.

This neighborhood was created by me using Sim City 4 Deluxe with the Rush Hour EP installed.

This neighborhood is being uploaded only to Insimenator.net and is not to appear on any other website, pay or free.  Please honor that.



Enjoy Winter Mountain II!



-Sundown



copyright 2007 - TXSundown Inc.

[Dusty101weir]

time for me to start building houses i guess

[-Little-CJ-]

Cool terrain I love it!
If you build houses on it, wont the terrain go down?
xx

[tophatdan]

holy hell man!

[JCSpencer]

Very cool and different neighborhood. This should be fun! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[verenaheu]

You´ve reached your goal, it really looks extrem! And a challenge to play, thanks!

[sheilab38]

Thanks so much.  Just what I was looking for.

[Radins]

Thank you so much
you dont know how long ive been looking for a mountain like this
this will be just perfect for
THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS dun dun dunnnnnn!!

Thanks again.