For December: Caledon Brigadoon, with copious, coveted shoreline and a lovely valley down the middle - a bit wilder and natural, and double prim of course. Every once in a raaare while, there will be something wonderful and mysterious appearing in the valley, just for a few hours a month.
Ms Martini Discovolante is the designer for this region - relatively unknown, but worth knowing about! Sad to say, if you aren't on the waiting list now, likely this one won't be accessible - but there is some hope for later, read on.A look back on 2007... Strong demand and rapid growth.
Caledon quickly hit first one million, then two million square meters in size. Tanglewood Forest, the Sky City, elegant Eyre and Regency, the five sim Firth of Caledon, Southern Duchys, and the theatrical town Penzance have had immense positive response, with waiting lists to get in running over 100 avatars long at times. Caledon's Victoria City downtown has been running at $L 40 to $L 50 a meter when avatars swap properties amongst each other for the past solid year. Not necessarily a good thing, but I'd offered it for $L 4/m last November - the residents have prospered. Some Caledon resident businesses have topped over a quarter million $L a month.
We've been mentioned in print in the Unofficial guide, effectively slammed into regional borders in our part of the grid, and the active community is several hundred avatars - and it's nearly impossible not to rapidly know people and make new friends. Some of our residents, either openly or living quietly on alts, are among the most notable people on the grid.
The Future.
Of course, anything could happen. But if economic conditions roughly remain the same, all things being equal, Caledon will be at maximum size in mid 2008. Yes, entirely completed, per a master plan I've been working with for months. Just seven more regions to go, six in 2008. Beyond that I *may* add one set of void sims, maybe, to link to some neighbours. Unless something very unforseen happens, Caledon is not moving from its location on the grid between IBM, Crucial Estates, Winterfell, and a number of smaller neighbours.
Next year in particular: the Golden Age.
In January, the northernmost Caledon region, Cape Wrath, will come online - a quaint seaside village. Caledon as seen through a soft lens: rounded, hobbity houses and a lovely ramshackle seaside quay, nestled between steep clifftop promontories on either side of the small waterfront. And hopefully, all seen through lovely Windlight skies should our service provider smile upon us.
Make no mistake though, 1/4 of Caledon Cape Wrath will be open ocean, mere minutes of sailing to the twilight shores of Winterfell to our north - itself about a million square meters of gothic fantasy, whispering shadows and dark Victoriana.
There will be two ferries linking the regions. A Caledon steamer with ports of call such as Kittiwick, Port Caledon, Caledon On Sea, Victoria City, Cape Wrath, Winterfell Absinthe and Winterfell proper, and likely points north. A Winterfell ship sailing under a Winterfell design and flag will have a similar route, and there will be a second Steamer servicing the Southern Province of Caledon.
Once Northern Caledon is completed (Caledon Brigadoon, Caledon Cape Wrath) the focus will return to the south. Regions Caledon CaerClannagh, Caledon Downs, Caledon SouthEnd and Caledon Windemere. Another region, Caledon Rocabrannagh will be added to the mix in there somewhere - a mysterious offshore island with a secret.
Finally, our rail line is being upgraded and expanded - expect dizzying numbers of sims to be connected via rail, so a casual tour of Caledon with a friend will be as simple as catching the train at Kittiwick (or any other spot) and gently rolling along as you see the countryside, duchys, cities and towns. The first of the upgraded routes looks to come on as soon as early 2008.
Friendly Allied MicroNations.
Seeing as Caledon is going to be 'done' in the near future, I have eased up greatly upon our 'no linking up to anyone' policy. This was necessary for Caledon's survival, because at one linkup request (if not several) per week, we would have been one region buried in... I don't know what, had this kept rolling.
Certainly it would have been a goldmine to anyone who did, but we'd not be the Caledon you see today. However, the focus has changed from just being Caledon, to making a fascinating and interesting world for years to come. A thirtyeight region Caledon standing at just under 2.5 million square meters is 'big enough'.
The following estates have been invited to share direct sea links with Caledon: Winterfell (Serra Anansi), Lovelace (Coyoteangel Dimsum), Wyre (Otenth Paderborn), and upon going private island, Neualtenburg (Kendra Bancroft) and Darkmere (Lucifer Baphomet). Winterfell as a significant nation in its own right may be adding a neighbour of its own - I believe the new region name will be Rustica.
There isn't quite enough space to have everyone nearby at this time. However, times change, and already regions have come and gone from Caledon's border areas. So expect good things!
Beyond Caledon.
Is this the end of the story, you ask? Ohhh no. In fact, one learns a few things, as time goes on, and the grid changes. Some things cannot be done in a mere few weeks, and need significant planning time.
So yes, if things go well, there will be a Crown Colony in 2009 (remember, I'm just the Guvnah, white lion Kamilah Hauptmann fills the role of our Vicereine, hence we can have Crown colonies). Designed from a master plan that is in existence now, and using every possible thing I've learned on all fronts in the preceding years.
Content and planning for the first of the colonies has already begun, and is deeply underway.
~ * ~ Happy Holidays ~ * ~
From everyone in Caledon
and Desmond Shang
