Another Update:
A unique part of high school football is that it generally doesnt get loads of money dumped into it (depending on where you are). The same is true in Vaughnland, where football teams share their field with the soccer team meaning that both sports have to line the field for their respective sports. Many schools also dont have the money to be wasteful with their field lining tools, giving some schools a very minimalistic look to their fields, which honestly, since this is a high school mod, makes all the difference in immersion.
Diamond Falls High School is one of many schools in the VIAA who shares thier athletic facilities.
The surrounding area is also an important aspect of immersion. With NFL and college stadiums, you often get a generic feel for any stadium unless you have been there yourself. The nice thing about high school sports is the stadiums are small, and dont block all of the views of the surrounding area. Often stadiums are built in a location that would give fans an idea of what life in any given town is like. For example:
Diamond Falls was initially founded as a mining town with many homes actually being built into the mountians. In recent years, many people have built more traditional homes outside of the mountians, but the hills that welcomed the first residents of the town are a beautiful backdrop for a football game. The school built the stadium with a view of the mountain range as a reminder for student athletes to never forget where they came from.
Port Boyerton North and Port Boyerton South have a unique relationship with the local professional football team, The Port Boyerton Bombers. The Professional Port Boyerton Bombers donate their unused equipment to the city schools for use, giving the athletes an advantage with cutting edge equipment. Origionally, Port Boyerton Only had one High School, whose athletic teams were known as the Bombers. When the school split in the late 90's due to overcrowding, the old high school became Port Boyerton North, and a new school was built on the south side of the city, where of course the Port Boyerton South Marauders now reside. Since the old school (now PB North) was already adorned with "Bomber" rally paintings in the hall and athletic gear, the school was allowed to keep the name. This was a calculated move, however, as the gear that PB North gets from the Professional team usually does not even need to be repainted! Usually it can just be recertified and put into game use. This is the reason that PB North Uses almost all the same logos, colors, etc. as the pro team.
Another benefit of having a friendly pro team in town is that the teams can share the stadium! Both High Schools, the pro team, and a college team all use the same field, but the sod is constantly kept playable by the amazing grounds crew.
From the Port Boyerton Field, you can see the towering skyscrapers of Port Boyerton looming nearby.
And just off the shore of Port Boyerton is the tiny Quiggle Island, home of the Quiggle Tech Rams. Quiggle Tech has one of the oldest football programs in the state, and though it is generally not regarded as a powerful program, it has a very rich history. The brick wall in the background has been encircling the field since the first youth football game took place on this field between the First Ward and Fourth Ward School in 1954. Looking beyond the brick wall, you can see the stretch of water, and then the skyline of Port Boyerton in the distance.
Also, check out the nice, simplified field art here... Nice plain numbers, no arrows pointing by the yard markers, thin sidelines, no lines showing how far sideline players can rove downfield. I think this may be my favorite field so far...
Making tpf mods and tpf mod accessories.
