August/September 2017 Challenge: Darkwood Harbour

[XCali]

Its all coming on really well, Omri

I assume you are just using the same building as a placeholder to give a general idea of how the port will be laid out? I'd love to see a few more different buildings there - I have a feeling this is probably going to be your best map yet

I think it was you that said the mapping challenges are about learning new things, or something in that line. Well, it sure does that. And while doing it, it is fun. Thank you.

This is the list of structures I have so far. It might give you(or anyone listening in ) a better idea of my options in that regard, at least so far. (It takes a while to draw proper buildings.)

If I look to what I think would be my biggest challenge regarding this map, then it would be to figure out how to place my buildings properly.

[Mouse]

Buildings are often built to fulfil a particular role, but over time that role may change and the building may be altered slightly, or even quite a lot to adapt it to its new role. For that reason you cannot define a building as 'a bakery' or 'a shoe shop' just because it is built a certain way, because the two can be interchanged over time. So it is less important to have set types of building than it is to have an interesting and varied set of architectural forms. For example different window patterns, roof angles - the presence or absence of dormer windows. The number of chimneys and how tall they are.

I was reading a thread about city design over at the Profantasy Forum this morning, and came across a comment I think HadrianVI made (if memory serves me right), about how he would start by imagining how the city started off life - the reason why a group of people got together and started building houses right next door to each other in that particular spot, and why it stayed important enough that it drew an ever increasing number of other people to want to live there, so that eventually shops, places of worship and eventually government buildings became necessary.

It was a very organic way of designing a city - to sow the seed and watch it grow in the imagination, and I could see how it might closely imitate the growth of real cities (which is probably why Hadrian is so good at mapping cities)

Following that principle, maybe it would be good to start off by deciding if your settlement is... for example... at the lowest crossing point of a river (as was the reason for many of the Roman aged settlements in the UK - including London), or if it stands at an important junction of transport ways. Perhaps it grew up as a port, or started life as a fishing village? Maybe it holds a strategic position and started life as a fort.

However it started out, that reason for existing will have been really important to the people living there, and will most likely lie at the heart of the settlement.

Having established that heart, the rest grows outwards from it - and that will be you making up the story of the settlement as you walk around it in your imagination through the imaginary centuries it took to evolve into what it is in the 'now' of your map.

I hope that helps some way

[XCali]

Buildings are often built to fulfil a particular role, but over time that role may change and the building may be altered slightly, or even quite a lot to adapt it to its new role. For that reason you cannot define a building as 'a bakery' or 'a shoe shop' just because it is built a certain way, because the two can be interchanged over time. So it is less important to have set types of building than it is to have an interesting and varied set of architectural forms. For example different window patterns, roof angles - the presence or absence of dormer windows. The number of chimneys and how tall they are.

I was reading a thread about city design over at the Profantasy Forum this morning, and came across a comment I think HadrianVI made (if memory serves me right), about how he would start by imagining how the city started off life - the reason why a group of people got together and started building houses right next door to each other in that particular spot, and why it stayed important enough that it drew an ever increasing number of other people to want to live there, so that eventually shops, places of worship and eventually government buildings became necessary.

It was a very organic way of designing a city - to sow the seed and watch it grow in the imagination, and I could see how it might closely imitate the growth of real cities (which is probably why Hadrian is so good at mapping cities)

Following that principle, maybe it would be good to start off by deciding if your settlement is... for example... at the lowest crossing point of a river (as was the reason for many of the Roman aged settlements in the UK - including London), or if it stands at an important junction of transport ways. Perhaps it grew up as a port, or started life as a fishing village? Maybe it holds a strategic position and started life as a fort.

However it started out, that reason for existing will have been really important to the people living there, and will most likely lie at the heart of the settlement.

Having established that heart, the rest grows outwards from it - and that will be you making up the story of the settlement as you walk around it in your imagination through the imaginary centuries it took to evolve into what it is in the 'now' of your map.

I hope that helps some way

It does. Thanks Sue.

The growing from the one point is not a bad idea. I'll see where the origin was in my city.

With time, I can expand my buildings list and with it, it would make for a more interesting Harbour City.

[Mouse]

If the harbour is the reason this settlement exists, then the centre will be by the harbour, and the oldest and most characterful buildings would most likely be crowded around it (unless the local government has at one time or other decided to redevelop the central area). There would also need to be some kind of market (I imagine) - either a fish market (if the port was primarily a fishing port), or a more general market (if the port was more of an arrival or departure point on a major route across the sea). If that last case is true, then you will also need some fairly major roads out of the city to the hinterland - to continue the transport of goods in and out of the port to the rest of the region.

The city on the terrace might be a newer expansion of the settlement, with more gardens and less crowded buildings - places where only the wealthiest of merchants might afford to live above the noise and stench of the busy harbour area.

These are just ideas I'm throwing out while I wait for my dinner to bake, Omri. They are not instructions. However the city is built, it should be built the way you imagine it

[Meshon]

I really like the illustrative style going on, and the detail is great.

I know you're still working on the buildings but one things I noticed is that they are sort of floating. Maybe a few bits and bobs lying around that connect the buildings to the ground around them? For example a wagon wheel that rests on the ground and against the building, or a woodpile stacked beside, or even just some grass growing at the corners.

[XCali]

@Mouse:
I will see what hook lands me on the right origin for the city. But thanks for the brainstorming ideas.

@ Meshon,
It is definitely one of my plans of action later on. For now, I need to figure out how to place the buildings before I can start thinking on how to blend them into the map better.

[XCali]

Hi everyone!

I was busy elsewhere the last view days. But today, I got time for the map again.

Here is my progress with the buildings so far. Tell me what you think.

(Note: I left the road framework visible again.)

(Note 2: I will tackle the floatiness of the buildings after I finished placing them all. )

(Note 3: I'm also thinking about using multiply later on, to darken the buildings a tad. )

### Latest WIP ###

[Mouse]

Looking good, Omri

Don't forget that you can add variety to buildings by adding things like chimneys and dormer windows in different places on a couple of them here and there (never in the same place on the same type of building )

I think the levitating buildings might land quite nicely once you get to the stage of adding the shadows

[XCali]

Looking good, Omri

Don't forget that you can add variety to buildings by adding things like chimneys and dormer windows in different places on a couple of them here and there (never in the same place on the same type of building )

I think the levitating buildings might land quite nicely once you get to the stage of adding the shadows

Huhuhu.
Thanks Sue, your message sent me on a dormer windows hunt and I'm quite happy so far. The chimneys are proving a bit harder to draw accurately for some reason. But, I'll see what happens forward. Anyhoo, thanks a bunch. It helped.

[XCali]

Hi everyone!

This version I tried to incorporate dormer windows over the map. And also, I started with more different types of windows, for diversity.
There is also a new type of building and my first wells. As I ended up not placing any wells on my Nessa'Mor map, this marks my first go at them.

The city is coming on good.(I still feel I need change the color of the walls, but I'll see about it. )

I was also thinking of having the more rural area to the left. So any feedback is welcome.
Have a wonderful day!

### Latest WIP ###