Climate is *not* equal to Social Energy Type

[Romaq]

One thing that drives me crazy with SC4 is that so many lots have *palm trees*. Excuse me, I live in the world's *largest* temperate rainforest, the great North Wet. No palm trees here buddy! So the 'no palms' mod is among the first that I install for the local area. There are various textures to show climate in SC4, but it is difficult to peg climate using plug-ins. In fact, my region is so huge 'climate' is localized between the San Juans through the hills up to Mt. Baker. My development of the region will include separate plugin folders to cover areas that are ‘old mountain pine forests, no-maxis buildings’ for around Glacier, WA, and more typical Maxis buildings around the Bellingham area. But no palm trees growing.

Please consider ‘climate control’ as a part of the development of a city. If I’m building ‘local’, the buildings I plop should recognize palm trees are out, deciduous is in. Unless I’m up to Glacier, where it’s evergreen old forest. http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/biomes/list_biomes.htm is a good list. If the ‘default’ buildings were ‘biome friendly’ and we could simply provide a ‘setting’ for our city, and then be happy to see ‘biome appropriate’ flora, possibly fauna spring up within the context of the building and ‘social energy’. This would also have an effect upon weather and season, and we hope to see those effects within the city as well.

--Romaq

[Aushun]

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that certain societies will have lower environmental imprints as such, so there may be an element of climate control in the game.

[bosiydid]

I also recall something about developing a society in a tropical setting, if I'm not mistaken. As opposed to other environments.

[Romaq]

Hm... global climate vs. local climate. It's raining right now, and the year I arrived in Seattle they had rain every day for some 256 days, some measurable precipitation. I highly doubt the ‘green’ movement has had a measurable *local* impact. Concern has been expressed that global warming will make the ‘ski’ portion of the local Ski-To-Sea race simply impossible on Memorial Day, and in 2006 snow was an issue. That’s the problem that makes global warming such a pain: It’s global. But I’m curious to see how it will pan out in the game.

--Romaq

[Rubicon]

Climate has been a central feature of the Sierra/TM city building games since... forever. You won't find palm trees in Gaul or Pine trees in northern Africa. I'd be surprised if this didn't carry through to SCS.

[Romaq]

Thank you! I really would prefer not to break out 'no palms!'

--Romaq

[Azeem]

Yeah, I agree with the climate thing. I always thought it wierd that palm trees were everywhere. Not that I don't like palm tries (I actually kind a miss them since there's just pines here in Korea), but they just don't grow literally everywhere. ;)

[Marius]

But they grow here in Vancouver, BC, Canada...

... where there's a will... there's a palm tree.

[Romaq]

Perhaps, but they don't grow *naturally*. I see mixed leaf and pine outside the window in undeveloped foresty swamp. Vancouver? So you *know* where Bellingham is! Just curious, but can you get 10m digital elevation maps for Vancouver, BC? Do you have to pay a fee?

--Romaq

[Marius]

Perhaps, but they don't grow *naturally*. I see mixed leaf and pine outside the window in undeveloped foresty swamp. Vancouver? So you *know* where Bellingham is! Just curious, but can you get 10m digital elevation maps for Vancouver, BC? Do you have to pay a fee?

--Romaq

Wouldn't have a clue if the maps were free ... but google away to your hearts content.

Enjoy your day in Bellingham. :cool:

[Romaq]

I did attempt, but I couldn't locate anything really useful. Though mostly I stopped looking when I found the data I wanted for Whatcom County. If 30m (1 arc second) data is available world-wide, perhaps it's enough for decent gameplay. Presuming DEM data is even relevant to SC5.

--Romaq