The Lionburgh - fortress guarding the ancient city of Ostwyc

[Caenwyr]

thanks Adfor!

Okay, so I really can't help myself. I noticed the fortress popping out of the map left and right (an effect I actually like in itself), and started getting annoyed by the fact that some of those parts would actually be hidden away by houses - if I were to draw them. So that wasn't logical, right? I couldn't just leave off the houses, but show the stairs etc that they would cover.

So naturally (ahem) I widened the map again, forcing me to draw even more houses! Sometimes I think I subconsciously hate myself.

BUT! I found a way that really speeds things up, so it's no longer a tedious process. If you find yourself drawing 3D houses based on a ISO-ified ground plan and are curious about a quick(-ish) way to go about it, let me know.

Also, I added a top-down floorplan of the entire beast, showing pillars (a lot of them!) and inner walls. It also allows viewers to get a better view of the sections hidden behind higher structures on the 3D view below. I might decide to rotate the floorplan 90° CW, not sure about that one yet.

[QED42]

Looking really great so far!

[rdanhenry]

So naturally (ahem) I widened the map again, forcing me to draw even more houses! Sometimes I think I subconsciously hate myself.

If you can keep your self-loathing subconscious, you're doing better than many.

You have a tower that appears to be 11 stories tall. When the term "skyscraper" first appeared in the late 1800s, this would have qualified. It would need either modern steel-frame construction techniques or magic for support (assuming human-sized inhabitants). You may well have already considered this, but I thought I might as well comment on something about the map as long as I was posting.

[Lars]

This looks fantastic! I'm excited to see the finished result.

You have a tower that appears to be 11 stories tall. When the term "skyscraper" first appeared in the late 1800s, this would have qualified. It would need either modern steel-frame construction techniques or magic for support (assuming human-sized inhabitants). You may well have already considered this, but I thought I might as well comment on something about the map as long as I was posting.

Well, since 50 m+ fortified keeps (Château de Vincennes, Château de Coucy) and 150 m+ cathedral spires (Lincoln Cathedral) were built in Europe during the Middle Ages, I don't see why the tower could not have been built using good old masonry techniques.

[Caenwyr]

Thanks both of you guys for your helpful input! I must admit I hadn't paid much thought to the height of the keep, so I'm glad to learn Lars managed to find some precedents! I wouldn't have changed it anymore anyway, not at this stage. Glad to know it's acceptable to architectural historians too!

Since my last update I added the remaining houses, and I also did a fading effect on the houses (and not on the castle itself!), to give the impression of depth. I have a version without that effect too, but it's a bit too confusing to my poor eyes. If you want to see it, give me a yell.

I also added a shield (a somewhat cleaner redo from the one on the original Ostwyc map), rotated the floor plan and moved it to the left side, and I left a big spot on the right for the legend and all that other stuff.



I still gotta shade this beast too. I've been putting it off until now, but with the last of the houses done, I don't think I can postpone it any longer

[MapMappingMapped]

Impressive! I'll have to keep a hungry eye on this one.

[- JO -]

Maybe you hate yourself, but the result is really good ! Each WIP, the map looks better ! Good job !!!

[QED42]

Looking amazing. I might have missed it but is there a plan for windows on what I assume is the big church in the castle? It looks like it could do with some nice stained glass ones along the side.

[Caenwyr]

Impressive! I'll have to keep a hungry eye on this one.

Thanks MMM!

Maybe you hate yourself, but the result is really good ! Each WIP, the map looks better ! Good job !!!

Thanks Jo! It's slow progress, but at least it's me who's breathing down my neck

Looking amazing. I might have missed it but is there a plan for windows on what I assume is the big church in the castle? It looks like it could do with some nice stained glass ones along the side.

Dang, I was hoping nobody would notice, so I could quietly slip them in in my next update. I could make up a story about a religion all about worshiping the Darkness or the Lord of Night or something like that, but I'm afraid I simply forgot to draw them in... Keep an eye out for them in the update after this one.

For now, here's my almost-finished shading. Boy-ee, this is hard work with all these different heights and elevations! But I think I got most of it right. Or at least right-ish. Still gotta do the upper right corner, but I couldn't keep from posting an update any longer. I'm all giddy!



Ooh yeah, I moved around the top-down plan and the shield again - they're probably in their final positions now. I think

[Caenwyr]

OK, shading is done, and I threw in a bunch of windows in the chapel! Thanks for pointing that out, @QED42!



Next up is labelling!