Written by Awportals.com

Moonlight Heights is one of the older cities in AWTeen world - what was it that made you want to build a city, and how long ago was it?

[quote=AlexTheMartian]It was in 2001, April 7 to be exact. I was a fairly new citizen in the universe and I was getting to know some of the current town mayors in AWTeen. My first building in AWTeen to stay (even to this day, with AWTeen's GZ's edge just feet away from it) is in Blockville, a small town with most of it builds along one main street.

After building that house i decided to start my own town, I went to 500s 500w which is a 90 degree corner of a highway, and dragged a walk about 20 coordinates further south. That is how Blinkville, which is to later be known as Moonlight Heights, started.[/quote]

It has obviously grown a huge amount since then - how far would you say your city sprawls now?

[quote=AlexTheMartian]Well, I know the average distance across is 300 coordinates, but just recently i measured the town, and it is about 320 coordinates from the northern edge to the southern edge.

The western edge of the town is the only one that is not straight, and instead follows a curving highway, but still at its further length across it is about 350 coordinates from east to west.[/quote]

You have recently applied successfully to join the Scarabian Republic - better known as the collection of towns that SW City is a part of. What drew you towards joining the republic?

[quote=AlexTheMartian]I have been socializing with the SW City staff during most of the existence of Moonlight Heights, and Moonlight Heights even had have SW City administrative members come to the town at various times. The fist time SW City and Moonlight Heights were working together was back in 2002 with both myself and the SW City mayor building embassies in each other towns.

Yeti, the mayor of the former Scarabian Republic member town, Yeti City, and I eventually became real-life friends with, even to the point where both of us started at the same college and became roommates for a little over a year, and to this day I still keep contact with him.

Ferruccio from SW City is a good online friend of mine, and he even moved his mansion from New Capital City into moonlight Heights as the foundation for building the main mountain in Moonlight Heights. He also built the telescope inside of the Moonlight Heights Observatory under my PPW as I built the building at the same time.

Moonlight Heights even had a major team project with another former SR member town, New Arklay City, where I worked with their town to build a long expressway starting at Moonlight Heights and ending in New Arklay City, it is the Moonlight-Arklay Expressway. All of this has been done before Moonlight Heights even became a member of the Scarabian Republic, so our town's relationship with the republic goes far back.[/quote]

What changes do you think that your membership of SR will have upon Moonlight Heights?

[quote=AlexTheMartian]Well maybe it will make those in Alphaworld more willing to visit Moonlight Heights.

Sometimes people don’t go to AWTeen due to it being often filled with debating teens, but that is what I love about the world, that is what keeps the world constantly filled with activity, and that keeps Moonlight Heights active as well.

The main thing I hope joining the SR will bring to the town is more of a structure for how the town is maintained. Sometimes not many updates is made within the town because I never set up a decent city administrative structure, and usually I am the only one to update the town, as large as it is.

Now upon joining SR I modelled a charter after SW City’s that allows for administrative districts to be drawn up and new positions created, the heads of districts are District Directors, and they maintain their district by editing city-owned land which is under my name, and opening up lots of land for new builders to use within their district.

This is intended to keep a steady flow of activity throughout every part of the town now until years to come.[/quote]

Finally, most city managers are always looking for new members to join their communities. How can users set about joining Moonlight Heights?

[quote=AlexTheMartian]Well Moonlight Heights is entering a time where there is themed districts at different parts of the town.

There is the central district which has historic buildings (well, in the terms of Active Worlds, 3.x buildings) and smooth rolling hills.

The mountain district is where the highest parts of the city is, as with most town in real life, this is where the more prestigious homes exist - it consists of mountains terrain and lakes and rivers, along with a damn and observatory. It has some of the best landscape in the town, and the more advanced builders in AW love the area.

There is now newer areas forming on the other ends of the town, and we plan to have different theme for each, as the eastern district contains the neighbourhood named Capital City which is becoming a business district which hope to attract headquarters of Active Worlds organizations.

Another district that is being developed is Agrestic which will contain a more of a typical middle-class suburban neighbourhood, and it will be a district which hopes to bring a real sense of community and partnership which is built upon builders being able to socialize with their neighbours and hold neighbourhood events[/quote]

Thanks for talking to us today, good luck with your city and its development in the future.