Friday, June 24, 2016

.: BUILDING BLOCKS :. Imperial City Library

With construction underway for a new library in Imperial City, we thought we'd bring you the construction images of the old library along with some final screen shots before it was torn down. Let's get to it!


The original concept of the Imperial City Library was to carve it from an existing mountain. Shapes and sides would be determined by the general shape of the mountain when all of the dirt was stripped off of it. Through this process, building-like structures would start to take shape and construction crews would have to make decisions of what was needed to stay and what to go away.

Once the mountain had been carved into a suitable shape, the exterior walls were then overlaid on top of the existing mountain. This allowed the building to be increased slightly in size and gave an easy surface to attach the exterior skin to.

Once the mountain had it's skin placed on it, demolition crews meticulously removed the mountain beneath using, for the most part, well placed TNT charges. With the mountain rock removed, floors could be added and the interior design work began.  


Three main rooms quickly took shape; the lobby, the library, and the map room. The lobby was a simple open layout with several chairs and tables, tellers to help check out books and a smoothie bar so you could have a snack while reading up on Minecraft Redstoning. The library room was an enormous area consisting of long reading tables and rows of bookshelves. Finally, the most used room was the map room. The centerpiece of this room was the world globe that could be viewed all around. Originally the world map was located in this room, but as more area was being explored and conquered, there began to be too many maps for the room to handle. Eventually the map wall was moved to an undisclosed location far in the snowy biomes of the east where it has remained and grown exponentially.


When demolition was underway, crews decided to save the world globe and it now sits at the top dome of the new library building.

We hope you have enjoyed this look at the rise and fall of the Imperial City Library. Please feel free to comment or to join our Google+ community here or check us out on Pinterest. Thank you for your support and ideas. Until next time, Happy Crafting!


~Talamer
















Friday, June 17, 2016

.: SPOTLIGHT :. Expo 1.10 Arrives



Hello Crafty Miners and welcome back to another edition of Spotlight. This week we spotlight Expo 1.10 to see all the new features that have been released. So let's get to it!




Several new blocks are now available to use. These include the Magma block, the bone block, the Structure block, Nether Wart Block and the Red Nether Brick.



Of note, the structure block can be used to take existing structures or buildings, copy them and then paste them anywhere in the world. Trans-hub has already utilized this new technology to copy their transportation station several times to various locations. Public works is also looking at using this block to create standard public structures that can be placed around the city, such as the teleportation booths.



Lastly, we say hello to a new animal that has been discovered; the Polar Bear. These creatures come from the frosty lands of snow and ice. This particular fellow is the first in the World of RAAR. Once this exposition is complete, he will be safely transported to a newly announced Animal Preserve that will be located in north Imperial City.



We hope you have enjoyed this brief look at the new 1.10 items. Please feel free to comment or check out the rest of our blog. If you are looking to get blog updates faster, join our World of RAAR Google+ community. Thanks for your support and until we meet again, Happy Crafting!

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

.: SNEAK PEEK :. Imperial City Expansion Updates





The Imperial City Council has approved three new major projects recently. The first was the Spleef arena, which broke ground last week. The other two was the approval to demolish the East City Stables and Library in order for a new library and horse parkade to be built in their place.

Spleef Arena Footprint - Surface to Bedrock

Stable Stripped Down to the Original Mountain Blocks

Library Demolition Has Begun

Saturday, May 7, 2016

.: SNEAK PEEK :. Imperial City Expansion



New plots of land have opened up for development in the new Temple District and the Holland Hills District.

New Retaining wall allows new plots of land to be leveled for development along Buffalo Bay

The Temple District has a perfect view of Buffalo Bay and Downtown Imperial City. The Perry Hotel exterior has also been completed.

Map showing the ever expanding Imperial City

Friday, March 18, 2016

::EXPO 1.9:: Finally Here




IT'S HERE!! After much anticipation and quite a long wait, 1.9 has finally been released! 



To celebrate this release, the Expo Center located in the Tri-C tower has been cleared out of all the Expo 1.8 exhibits and in its place is all the new items and blocks now available in 1.9. There is lots to see from this long coming event, even a highly guarded, highly unstable Ender crystal! (It will blow up and destroy everything... don't ask how I know)



Thanks for following Expo 1.9 over its entire course. We hope to bring you new updates as they develop for Expo 1.10!!

If you'd like to see everything released in 1.9, use the labels on the side of the blog to search for all articles related to Expo 1.9.





Friday, March 11, 2016

::SNEAK PEEK:: Space Race


A new ride is under construction at the TIELAND Amusement Park. From what we can tell it looks like it will be a space themed rollercoster!

What do you think?









Friday, March 4, 2016

::SPOTLIGHT:: Skywalk Bridge


Hello Crafty Miners! Welcome back to the World of RAAR. This week we check out the newest bridge to be built in Imperial City, so let's get to it!

Late in 2015, Imperial City council met to discuss the expansion to the north and east sides of the grand canal. In that meeting, it was decided a second bridge across the watery gap was needed in order for the expansion plans to move forward.
After several different designs were rejected, the one that met the qualifications and fit the area selected for construction was the Skywalk Bridge. The bridge utilizes a double entry point on the east shore which allows pedestrians easy access from the existing road while maintaining only a small easement on the existing land lot. The west shore of the bridge is a single entry which ties in nicely with the existing infrastructure. 


Tri-C Engineering was able to build the bridge quickly which helped city council begin the process of subdividing the lots for future construction projects.

We hope you have enjoyed this look at the Skywalk Bridge. Stay tuned for more builds coming your way on the World of RAAR Blog. Until we meet again, Happy Crafting! 









Friday, February 26, 2016

::SPOTLIGHT:: Ender Island




Hello Crafty Miners! Welcome to a new Spotlight post. 

This week we travel west from Imperial City to the mysterious Ender Island and explore its history within the World of RAAR. So let's get to it!

In the Age of Survival, Ender Island stood as a way point for Talamer as he traveled to explore new lands. However, at night the island would become home to a hoard of Endermen who would appear and disappear taking with them pieces of the island.



To secure his foothold on the island, Talamer built a small castle fortress and began driving the Endermen away. It was a hopeless task as the dark, lanky creatures from another realm would continuously return in great numbers.


As time wore on, the Age of Creative arrived and the fortress was incorporated into the transportation system which connected the kingdoms of The Imperial Empire to Jursammic Park and eventually to Trevoria and Riahtopiah. Since that time, not much has happened with the island although plans have been revealed by a historical society within the World of RAAR to preserve the island and the castle for future generations by incorporating a visitor center and museum.


For now Ender Island will stand as part of the western rail line perhaps finding new life in the hands of historians in the near future.


We hope you have enjoyed this look at another one of our historical builds. Stay tuned for more posts coming your way in weeks to come. We are grateful for all who support this site and contribute in the comments. Have a great week and Happy Crafting!



Wednesday, February 10, 2016

::RAAR News:: 2015 Wrap-Up



Welcome back to another edition of RAAR News. It's been quite some time since our last post and there are many construction updates since then... so let's get to it!



WHERE THE RAAR HAVE WE BEEN?

Just like the 1.9 update, we've been taking a long time to bring you a new post on our blog. Why is that you might ask? Since we last crafted with you, Talamer and Little Owl Girl have packed up their home in Canada and moved to the United States. It was a long process, but now that they have settled in a bit, we are able to get this blog back online. Hopefully the 1.9 update will follow suit.


SUSPENDED

The Packer Suspension Bridge has been completed. The new bridge now spans the gulf between the New World Village and the town of Whistlestop. This new transportation corridor opens up new paths from the northern lands to the south where expansion is rapidly taking place.  



3:10 TO WHISTLESTOP


The wild west town of Whistlestop now has a place to wet your whistle. The Whistlestop Saloon is now open for business. It aims to quench the thirsts of wayward wanderers who may be passing on through the small community. However, if trouble begins to brew, the local sheriff has set up shop right next door.







FEELING DRAINED?



Sam Co. Construction has done it again. In an effort to increase the landmass of a new project, Sam Co. has drained an entire lake. Utilizing the 1.8 technology of sponges, the lake was drained in a matter of hours. This stunning feat has showed the great potential of sponges in the terraforming process and has opened the door to reclaiming land beneath the sea.



CHATEAU CENTRAL

Three new chateau's have sprung forth to overlook the freshly drained lake. Built by Sam Co., the chateau's each have a distinctive look and feel. No other information on the site has been revealed as of yet.





LAST RESORT

Looking for a little getaway? Developer, Sammy Macman is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a new beach town aimed at giving world of RAAR residents a place to relax and lay under the square sun. 



NEW BUILDER?

Another builder may be opening up a new land in the World of RAAR. Late last year, lands to the north of Imperial City were granted to the new builder so that he may try his hand at building. In his first attempt, he built a large temple.

Hopes are high that this new builder will continue to create and we here at RAAR News will be ready to share his creative visions.





GLACIER ICE WALK

Stoney Mountain National Park is preparing to make available another area within it's realm; the Glacier Ice Walk. Once open, the Ice Walk will allow visitors to explore and journey over the Stoney Mountain Glacier via a network of wooden walkways and bridges. There will be many scenic points along the way. Pictures will be a must.






JUNGLE TEMPLE

Deep in the heart of the dark jungle south of Jursammic Park, a monumental structure has been discovered by a passing survey team. In order to learn more about this mysterious building, RAAR News has begun putting together an expeditionary force to investigate. We will bring you more as this news develops.   




PERRY HOTEL

Another skyscraper is on the rise in Imperial City. The Perry Hotel has started to take shape near the north corner of the canal. Tri-C Engineering has taken the lead on the design and construction of the project which aims to give tourists a place to stay while visiting the world of RAAR's largest city.

Construction crews haven't eluded to a date of completion but note that the building has so far gone ahead of schedule.



HONORING A FRIEND

In mid 2015, a dear friend of Mayor Talamer of Imperial City passed away suddenly. To honor the memory of this friend, the mayor proposed to rename the road that ascends to Holland Hills, Van den Berg Road. The measure passed unanimously and Van den Berg Road was adopted.



RAAR NEWS ARCHIVE 

Have you ever wanted to read past versions of RAAR News without having to scroll through the entire blog history? Well now you can! RAAR News is pleased to announce the launch of a new page on this blog; The RAAR News Archive. Readers can now explore all the headlines of the past. A simple click of the button will take you from the headlines to the full news post where you can read the complete in depth articles. Check it out here or look to the menu bar at the top of the page.


2016

We hope you have enjoyed this return edition of RAAR News. Be sure to stay tuned for more Spotlights, News and Sneak Peeks that will be coming your way shortly. We are grateful for your support of this blog and our YouTube channel. Until we meet again, Happy Crafting!

~RAAR News Team