Storyboarding Using Simcity 4 Regions
"A storyboard is a graphic organizer in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence."
In the region view above is a simple linear storyboard. Regions may be made up of 3 sizes of rectangular tiles and several elevations. SC4 space is scaled in 3-dimensions, technically referred to as 'trimetric' projection. Text can be entered as region, city, and mayor names, and text can be written directly on the tiles or as signs placed on the tile.
Worlds on the Edge
There are 6 large city tiles, one is used twice. Each city represents a condition of the world. All conditions are considered to exist simultaneously at any time. The story is arranged so that neither the past nor future are conclusive, but between each condition exists the possibility of either worsening or bettering condition, looping back or forward in time. Its a world in constant danger and great hope.
On January 26, 2017, the Doomsday Clock maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists was moved to 2.5 minutes to midnight, the closest its been since 1953, so we begin our journey with a view of our fractured futures...
I. Fractured Futures
II. Past Paradises
III. Transitional Cultures
IV. Civil Foundations
V. Industrial Crisis
VI. Utopian Skies
VII. Engineering Imperatives
This CJ entry does require a concluding commentary, and I've been writing and re-writing, attempting to grasp the complex of images and ideas I've presented. Storyboards are supposed to be concise and brief, giving only an outline of a story and a sense of its meaning and purpose. Art came long before science, culture, civil structure, industry and technology, the first order, and no other being than human beings that we know or can imagine, does make art. Robots can be programmed to make art, but true art comes from a deeper place than machine, animals can dance and sing, exhibiting great passion and character, but true art comes from a higher place than matter.
So its 2.5 minutes to midnight in a world of great conflict and crisis on every level, from the beginning, all through, and to so far. Before the technicians, engineers, managers, and performers can do their thing to resolve the conflicts and crises, the artists must do their thing. The science department has informed the arts department we are down to a 2.5 minute warning before the end of the show and there is no further data. In the entire universe we may even be the only ones that made it this far.
My first question in assuming responsibility and pulling artistic license is "How many time-outs do we get?" I've got 10 billion lines of code to process...