Author Topic: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!  (Read 19783 times)

stiletto2

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I am pleased to announce the availability of the "Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island" scenery enhancement.   Look under "H" in the RTMM scenery section for Hollis Harbor.  To quote one of the beta testers, "... this is one of the most immersive sceneries out there".   

The Hollis Harbor scenery enhancement package is about 8 MB in size with the scenery enhancements spread out over 200 square miles, centering on Hollis, Alaska, in 4 different seasons.   It features a 16 page User Guide, a number of maps and charts and provides optional Floatplane and Boat AI files without having to load any additional scenery packages.

The Eagle Air brothers have moved their headquarters from Ketchikan Harbor to Hollis, Alaska.  Eagle Air is now transporting customers (and some cargo), who arrive in Hollis by ferry from the mainland, as well as locals to different places on Prince of Wales Island.  The most common destinations are the seaplane bases at Craig, Hydaburg, Port Alexander and Coffman Cove.  Of course, Eagle Air does make trips to Ketchikan also.  Business is so good that Eagle Air now has its own "Eagle Air Network Map" (included in the scenery package) and is contracting with locals to do extra floatplane trips each day. All of the nearby towns shown on the Eagle Air Network Map are "photoreal" areas created by the Tongass Fjords FSX scenery.  A floatplane trip from Hollis to these little towns makes for a great scenic flight.  (Note: These trips can also be flown for vNAC credit at Chris Losh's Virtual Northern Air Charters (vNAC) website at this link: http://vnac.org/vnacmain/index.php/.  Eagle Air Charters (EAC) is now available on the vNAC website and Hollis SPB is now a hub that makes a great central location for floatplane fliers.

This enhancement requires FSX with Acceleration, ORBX PFJ, Tongass Fjords FSX and the RTMM Object Libraries.  It will work with or without ORBX PAKT installed.  Hollis Harbor is the first RTMM scenery to offer Full Seasonal Immersion (FSI) using the updated RTMM Season Switcher v3.3 which is now available just by clicking on Scenery at the main RTMM site.   

So, what does FSI provide?  When the season changes, via the RTMM Season Switcher (v3.3), so does a lot more than just foliage, including just about anything that would normally change in real life.  The numbers, types and locations of boats, floatplanes, cars, people, boxes, dead tree branches, crates, pallets etc. all change with each season. This is the first scenery enhancement that builds a temporary dirt airfield in the summer and then washes it away again in the very rainy fall.  Seagull sounds are heard in the Ferry Dock area most of the year but are noticeably absent in the winter.

The seasonal changes are consistent with the Hollis weather: cool winter (moderate snow, low activity), damp spring (snow melt off and some rain, a lot more activity), fairly dry cool summer (not much rain, most activity), very, very wet and cool fall (40+ inches of rain, more activity than winter but less than spring).

Note:  Ice will also appear in the water in the colder months, even changing to slushy ice as the weather gets warmer. 

Hollis Harbor features a detailed storyline that inspires little seasonal adventures where the user can visit various locations in the Hollis, Alaska area.  Hollis Harbor is a floatplane fliers paradise featuring one of the neatest little floatplane harbors in the RTMM flying area as well as boating on the Karta "River Run", a road trip up to an abandoned mine and some interesting places to try and land a floatplane.  AI is very active in this scenery with seasonally scheduled (a time schedule is available in the User Guide) AI ferry, fishing boat and floatplane departures.

The repeatability and fun factor for this scenery is very high and yet the scenery maintains a very good realism factor.   The best way to find out just how immersive FSI can be is to download the Hollis Harbor package and try it out.

I would like to thank the Hollis Harbor Team, including Rob Abernathy, Dieter Linde, Doug Linn, Guy "Spud" Maricich & Dexter Thomas for all of their help in getting this scenery package out the door.
 
I have posted a number of pictures below to give you a sense of this unique scenery experience.  (The pictures may blur a bit when you zoom since I used low resolution to allow for faster loading on this site)

Rod Jackson
Lead Developer - Hollis Harbor



One of the detailed maps included with Hollis Harbor



Hollis Harbor in the winter



The Eagle Air hub location in the Spring



An Eagle Air AI Floatplane before it departs in the winter



Hollis Island in the Summer as a couple of AI floatplanes taxi out to depart



The Hollis Ferry Dock is pretty busy in the Summer



The Hollis Ferry Dock and fishing dock look pretty quiet in the Fall



The Harris River & Falls at lower water level in the Summer



The Harris River & Falls at higher water level in the rainy Fall



A temporary dirt airfield is leveled a bit and cleared for the summer



The temporary dirt airfield washing away in the rainy Fall



Brads Bait & BBQ in summer near where the Karta River empties into Twelvemile Arm



On the way out to the Lucky Nell Mine but drifting snow in the winter can be a problem



Looks like the timber rafting station is in its full Spring swing



Ferry in the dock at PAKT SP1



Ferry leaving dock in Ketchikan PFJ (no PAKT SP1 installed)



Wolf Creek Falls in the summer



Wolf Creek Boathouse in the dry summer at low tide



The emergency medivac Helipad is right behind the Volunteer Fire Department



Hollis, Alaska in the Spring from the fire tower



One of the cabins on the Karta River in the Summer



The Hollis Fed Ex drop off/pick up



An Eagle Air AI floatplane returns late on a Fall afternoon



Doug

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2012, 11:15:24 AM »
All ... DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!   This is an exceptionally professional piece of work, if you want to see what Hollis "really" looks like, here's your chance. As you'll see from Rod's post here, when you look at the map of the area, you'll see there are MANY things to do and see. It has Air Traffic, Boat Traffic, flattens, River Runs, Scenery Switcher (even for the boats), (Meaning he did all of the locations FIVE times, one "regular" and one for each season!) ... and I'm probably leaving out a lot more. It is under "H" on the Scenery Page. Read the instructions carefully to get all the features in this one working properly. Rod did an amazing job on this one. These are the kinds of things RTMM is bring you FREE ... and it is equally as good as many things you will PAY for. Enjoy ... and a special thanks to Rod for an excellent and VERY professional addition.

Doug
« Last Edit: May 24, 2012, 11:17:30 AM by Doug »

stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2012, 11:42:00 AM »
Thanks, Doug for those kind words.  It has been a lot of fun.  I will be anxious to hear what everyone's opinion is of Full Seasonal Immersion (FSI) once they have actually used the scenery.  It takes a lot of work but if the users like it ....... we will do it again!

Rod

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2012, 03:00:07 PM »
I know where I am flying tonight after work. :)

stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2012, 03:00:54 PM »
Me too!  :)

Rod

spud

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2012, 03:12:17 PM »
Wow! that was quick guys.  I had just posted at BushPounders to look for this tomorrow or Sat. and Chris posted right after saying it was on the download page already.
Having tested for Rod's excellent work I will say it is worth the effort installing the files and the new switcher program.  Just take your time and read and follow the directions to the letter and like I told the guys at BP, "Like Mountain Dew, It'll Tickle yer innerds!"
 8)
Later,

Spud

stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2012, 03:50:24 PM »
Yahoo!  Put a little Hollis Harbor in your life!  Thanks, Spud.

Rod

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2012, 04:27:54 PM »
Super scenery Rod!  The Full Season Immersion has really raised the bar, again!   Thanks again for letting me help in a small way.  I learned a lot.   I hope the folks over at ORBX are paying attention to the FSI way of doing things.
Rob Abernathy
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Doug

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2012, 05:01:45 PM »
Super scenery Rod!  The Full Season Immersion has really raised the bar, again!   Thanks again for letting me help in a small way.  I learned a lot.   I hope the folks over at ORBX are paying attention to the FSI way of doing things.

... and the FREE and SHARING way of doing things!

D

stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2012, 05:34:00 PM »
Super scenery Rod!  The Full Season Immersion has really raised the bar, again!   

Thanks Rob and thanks for your help in getting this baby out the door.   

Rod

corbu1

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2012, 05:54:06 PM »
Wow, Rod this is really fantastic stuff!!!!
Many many thanks for your hard work! Everybody should download Hollis Harbor scenery and give it a try. It`s worth every second being up in the virtual skies there!.....There`s so much to discover!!!

Many thanks for the helipads.... :)

PS:
TEMSCO was ordered to ferry their Bell212 Fire to support Firefighters in this area for the summer season to Hollis Harbor........... ;)

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« Last Edit: May 24, 2012, 06:02:30 PM by corbu1 »


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stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2012, 06:14:58 PM »
Hi Klaus,

Thanks so much!  You are the first one to download the release package, install it an post a pic!  Great!  It is a short hope from the firestation up to the helipad by the fire tower so you can do a quick drop off in that part of the area.  And then there is the tiny little hunting helipad at the edge of Wolf Lake...occupado in one season but other than that....you can do a drop off there if you can manage to get the skids on the platform.

Rod

Fishbone

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2012, 01:09:38 AM »
Hello Rod,

I say WOW !
Many thanks for this GREAT and BEAUTIFUL scenery, with all those new improvements.
Thanks for the hundreds of hours ( I'm pretty sure), you and Rob, Dieter,  Doug, Spud and Dex have dedicated to this project.
Thanks also for your very well done documentation.

Xavier

Handie

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2012, 06:59:07 AM »
Hello,

I downloaded Hollis Harbor and I started to install everything.
It's not easy when you do not speak English (or so little), but Google translation is a great friend.
It's almost finish, so I'll soon be able to visit these beautiful landscapes  8)
A big thank you to Rod and all those who have participated in this great work  :)
At soon for screens  ;)
Nadine
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stiletto2

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Re: Hollis Harbor - Gateway to Prince of Wales Island - Now Available!
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2012, 07:05:29 AM »
Hi Xavier,

Thanks!  Twas a few hours....   It was a lot of fun too!   Thank you for your early guidance on using SBX and later on for helping me understand more on creating custom texutres. 

Rod