Silent Hill Community • View topic - Toluca Lake from the Observation Deck:

Did anyone track down the location where the original photo came from? I'm curious to know if it's ever been figured out.

I know I've always wondered if it's a picture of South Vale or the North Side.

Obviously it's meant to be overlooking the lake from the south side. I'm just wondering where the photo was taken in real life.

If I am right, I think the Toluca Lake was inspired by the eponymous lake in Los Angeles? So maybe that is where the picture was taken.

omg its Toluca Lake!!!o.o

siha wrote:If I am right, I think the Toluca Lake was inspired by the eponymous lake in Los Angeles? So maybe that is where the picture was taken.

Negative. Toluca Lake in LA is a district and not an actual lake. Besides, you can tell by the picture with the church in it that it's not likely to be from anywhere near LA.

Hmmm ok. I just remember seeing a picture of a lake (maybe tinier than I imagined) in this LA district. I'm trying to find it again but I guess you're right!

I just googled it and there is a lake in Toluca Lake but it's surrounded by private property and only rich people live there. There's a few pics of the lake and it looks kinda similar but I dunno, looks too small. A few early SH devs are on twitter and facebook, maybe try and msg one of them and see what they say.

It's true actually. There IS a Toluca Lake in California.

And how is it so obvious that it's the North Side in the picture? o.O It looks like it could be either one.

WhiteClaudia wrote:And how is it so obvious that it's the North Side in the picture? o.O It looks like it could be either one.

Look at the thread title. Have you even played SH2? If it's been a while, you might want to start up a new game.

Okay, for one, yes it has been a while since I've played. Which is why I wasn't clear where the "Observation Deck" was.

Which is why two, there's no reason for you to be rude. It WAS just a question after all. If it is the North Side, all you could have said was, "It is an image of the North Side."

I'd suggest to take more kindly to those who are a little rusty as a lot of people here haven't played in a while. Especially when it comes to minor details such as this one. Sorry about that.

Claudia, you're totally right! FBX, don't forget also that if this picture is what drew your attention, maybe it's not the case for everyone. I played SH2 for the hundredth time just 2 weeks ago and honestly, I don't even remember that picture. I wasn"t even sure you were talking of an in-game picture at first :mrgreen:

smoke wrote:I just googled it and there is a lake in Toluca Lake but it's surrounded by private property and only rich people live there. There's a few pics of the lake and it looks kinda similar but I dunno, looks too small. A few early SH devs are on twitter and facebook, maybe try and msg one of them and see what they say.

Yes, that's what I was talking about. I finally found it as well and the setting/ surroundings kind of look similar but yea, the lake in CA is way smaller.

Yet, after all, we're not even sure this picture of the lake from the game really exists. They might have photo-shopped it to what they had in mind.

1. I wasn't being rude, just more shocked at how something like this passes for subtle. It's right there in your face at the very start of the game. James looks out over the water on the deck, and that picture fills the entire screen. I hardly call that as something I just happened to catch that nobody else did. Now if I wanted to be rude, I could have done a lot worse; trust me on that.

2. The picture I posted is the reconstructed version. In the game, they had to do some clever splicing and editing to make it more panoramic, indicating the picture is in fact a real photo.

Rangeley Lake, Main. Looks like some people see many similarities between the Toluca Lake (shape, localization of the small island, the bridge) and even Silent Hill itself (lakeside resort town, some roads, localization of the Rosewater Park,...)

That's definitely a good candidate! I'm browsing the images now to see if I can spot some specific features that match the photo.

Okay, and as I said, it has been a long time since I've played the game. Like Siha, I didn't even remember seeing this picture in the game. I remember seeing it in other games though, but in those other games it never states what part of Silent Hill or "Observation Deck". As I said, I'm sorry about that. I remember the game itself, larger details, but small ones like this.

It's no biggy. If anything I was making too many assumptions of everyone being die-hard fanatics that know every detail. I guess it's part of my obsessive nature after playing so many years of chess in my lifetime.

Anyway, Rangelely lake is very very close, but I'm not quite sure it's the actual lake. Definitely in the right area of the country though. Here's comparison of the two lakes:

Ha, I was the one who made the comparison between Rangeley and Toluca years ago. I didn't think anyone paid attention!

I can definitely see a huge similarity between the two! Only major difference is that in the Silent Hill one, the hills are a lot closer than in Rangeley. If that was changed, they could be almost exact.

Here's the same picture in Sinner Reward:

More color
And:

I noticed at the bottom it says designed by Nikromant? Maybe that can help you in the search?

Nikromant merely did the same thing I did, which was to take the texture fragments from the game and re-assemble them into the original photo source. That person's year given of 2006 also gives it away as being several years after the original texture release of around 2000 (possibly 1999)

Toluca Lake from the Observation Deck:

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