Welcome to the Isles of May.
Although mention of a lush island group in the North Pacific is to be found in the diaries of 18th century explorers, it wasn't until 1842 that the British landed and took possession of the islands, destroying an indigenous system of government along with the capital, Keomay (pron. Kee-oh-may).
At the time, the Mayans (not to be confused with the Mayans of the American continent) were a moderately developed culture which primarily engaged in fishing and farming. During the period of British colonialism, much of Mayan culture was lost as the locals blended with the colonists. Immigration was heaviest during the late 19th century, but stopped abruptly around 1910, because all farming land was taken and industrialisation bypassed the islands. The British founded many settlements on the islands, built the road infrastructure and organised the economy. They also brought in thousands of laborers from British India to work on the agricultural land.
During the 20th century, the Isles of May advanced faster than other British colonies, but the standard was still substantially lower than in the developed world. Following the wave of decolonisation with some delay, the Isles of May became independent on 1 January 1990, pursuant to an agreement with the United Kingdom, under which the Queen remains Head of State, represented by a Governor General (residing in Shipwreck Town, where the British first set foot on the islands). Legislative power is vested in the directly elected Senate, and executive power rests with the Council of May. Both the Senate and the Council meet in the Government Palace in Prince Albert.
The Isles of May have a population of around 230,000, more than half of which live on Main Island (the two biggest cities, Prince Albert and Christchurch, are located on Main Island). North Island is the second most populated, and its administrative and economic centre is Nelson. Hale Island in the northwest is third in population, and it is the region where Mayan culture is most preserved. George Island is the smallest of the four major islands, but the island town of Hilalane brings the number of populated islands to five. Additionally, there are dozens of unpopulated islands of various sizes.
This is an overview map of the country:
http://simutrans-germany.com/files/upload/islesofmay_overview.pngThe population of the Isles of May is primarily of British (55%), indigenous Mayan (35%) and Indian (10%) ancestry, but there is a common national and cultural identity best described by the term "May Islanders". Virtually the entire population speaks English, 15% are native in Mayan, while a further 20% claim to have some knowledge of the indigenous language.
It is now shortly after independence. The Council of May is putting forward, with consent of the Senate, a plan for rapid development of the country. You have been put in charge of a publicly funded transport company tasked with developing fast and efficient transport links within the entire country, in order to promote industrial development. The Council has given you the following
instructions:
- You may reclaim land, but you may not interfere with ocean currents for ecological reasons. (see
http://simutrans-germany.com/files/upload/islesofmay_currents.png)
- Churchill Bridge (between Hale Island and George Island) must be preserved for historical reasons.
- The Council will honour your request to modify Prince Albert International Airport to accommodate other modes of transport. (This is the only use of the public service player acceptable).
- Due to strong popular opposition, you may not join the island of Hilalane with Main Island by land reclamation.
- You have to keep the area between central Prince Albert, the Government Palace and Prince Albert Island free of any major modification (bridges, reclaimed land, industrial ports etc.)
- You are allowed to go bankrupt (the government will bail you out) but from January 1991, your monthly operational profit must always be positive.
- You are free to found new cities anywhere on the map, except Prince Albert Island.
Explanatory note:
Everyone plays Simutrans differently, it is often said in this forum. Myself, I do not find it particularly interesting to have an x number of cities on a monotonous map which you have to connect and start making big profit. Instead, I prefer to have a story behind my maps. I always spend a lot of time 'preparing' maps before I start playing them. I thought I would share this next scenario with whoever would like to try it as well. This scenario is very close to a sandbox game, there is no defined goal, and business performance is not crucial. Instead, try to develop the Isles of May into a highly urbanised and developed country.
DOWNLOAD HERE:
http://simutrans-germany.com/files/upload/Isles%20of%20May.sveThis save game was created using 102.1 and pak 128-829 with no addons,
but with station_coverage = 3.
I am looking forward to seeing your screenshots and save games! I will also try to post myself when the game develops.
Impressions from the Isles of May
Prince Albert, the largest city
Victoria, the biggest city on Hale Island:
Prince Albert International Airport:
Hilalane, an quaint old town not far from Prince Albert:
