Withdrawn Harvest hall by Jeff

Jeffjunior77

Bookbinder
Hey everyone,

Here is my application for House Selmy of Harvest hall.

Jeff
 

Emoticone11

The Dark Lord Sauron
Staff member
Hey Jeff,

Nice to see this app, I'm glad to see this abandoned project finally getting some attention! I like the direction that your tests so far are headed as well.

I'm not too knowledgeable about the Dornish Marches canon or style, so I'll leave feedback on that to mods who are more involved in those discussions than I (cough AerioOndos Azulejo ).

However, I would like to see a little bit more development into the application itself. As was brought up in the redo appeal, Harvest Hall is a very large project -- nearly double the size of Horn Hill, which itself is considered an experienced project. I do think you have sufficient experience to go for the project, having successfully completed two moderately large and terra-heavy projects. But I do want to get a better idea of your plans before I would feel comfortable approving.

Here are my suggestions as to what you could include to strengthen the app:
  • A more detailed map, indicating the actual types and arrangement of agriculture and settlements rather than rough rectangles and circles. Also, a better visualization of terrain/topography would be helpful (even as a separate map if necesary). This is planning work that you'll need to do anyways, so better to do it in advance IMO. Doesn't need to be anything aesthetically fancy, just a bit more detailed.
  • A mini and style test for the castle.
  • A couple dioramas for some of the different terra in the project.
  • A more detailed description of your planned workflow, i.e. the order in which you plan to complete the project. We would want you to complete the project in sections rather than turning the entire area into red sand.
I believe that Aeks had some ideas regarding the terrain and castle location, so I would await his input before making any changes to the map.
 

Azulejo

Bloodmage
Staff member
Hey Jeff! We've talked before about the house style as you know, and overall I think you are on the right path. Some things might need to be polished, but those are minor details and proportion "issues" that can be solved in-game. There is no doubt Harvest Hall presents a challenge regarding its style, as it sits on the crossing of 3 regions with distinct characteristics. With this in mind, as well as the size of the project, have you thought of the possibility of having some sub-styles within yor lands?

Similarly to Darkdell, where the stone palette and some minor details change the more south (and up) you go, I can see Harvest Hall having a "lowland" style more influenced by the Reach and a "mountain/valley" style more influenced by the general Red Mountains style. These shouldn't be complete opposites, ofc, rather complement each other in the task of creating a "style gradient" going up the hills. I think the easiest approach is using palette changes. I'd say down at the lowlands and farmlands, closer to the Reach, plasters and whitewash as well as some timber framing, are more present, while going up in the mountain stone becomes the main material, and plasters and timber framing stop being as common.
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These are a series of pics of several towns in the interior of Spain that feature an intersting mix of styles. They were populated by Frankish settlers, which bringed with them a more French style of builidng houses. This little mix seems like a nice fit for an area between Dorne, the Reach and the Stormlands. I can see something on these lines being closer to the Reach.

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These house feature a stone based palette, which makes them a better fit for the upper reaches of the project. They also lack the French (Reach) influence of the ones above. I'm mostly using Spanish inspiration to ilustrate my points, but don't feel limited to using just it. There should also be some French references due to bordering the Reach, as well as style choices that call back to the Stormlands, despite the relative isolation that HH from the rest of the region.

You mention a town in your plans, how would it look? What will be its style? Would it sit on a hill, on flat land, near a river...? Are you following any inspiration? I think you can develop that idea more. Perhaps try doing a map for it (or develop more the main map, as Emot said) or a small street test, so we can see the vibes for it. Planning of towns is really important, a bad plan/layout can't be saved with good individual buildings. If you feel like it you could even start doing it at test world, as some have done before.

I could say the same about the castle, as Emot has pointed out. At least a mini and a full sized test of a part of it (a tower, a gate...) is needed, right now you have shown inspiration for it, which I think is a nice fit over all, but I can't grasp what your take for it is going to be.
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It would be interesting too to see fortified farmsteads on HH, it fits both the militaristic aspect of the Dornish Marches and the agricultural focus of this area. Also, although we agree on HH main economic focus being agriculture, don't leave livestock behind! In areas where war and tensions are commonplace, relying on livestock as a economic sustain is very common, and logical. One can move their cows, sheep or goats with them, something impossible with land to grow crops at. I can see sheep being prominent at the Dornish Marches, given their landscape and history. Darkdell is already going to represent one of the main canon aspects of the Dornish Marches (bow making) so perhaps HH can represent this other one. It could have a small wool industry. I definetly see transhumance being very prominent in the Dornish Marches too, perhaps consider adding summer camps for ranchers and their sheep up in the mountain pastures, as well as transhumance tracks.
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Example of a (partially abandoned) summer camp for transhumance pastors in Asturias. Notice the existance of pens for livestock as well as a small refuge for the ranchers. These summer hamlets can be very developed, as sometimes all the family moves with the cattle. In other cases, like in this picture, summer camps are very basic and only the pastor went up to them, while his family stayed at the lowland winter hamlet, which was the main one and their main residence. Transhumance is very prominent in most regions that the Stormlands draws inspiration from, so I think it is a very good fit. Given the time we are set at and how far south we are I'd say most summer camps would be at use, other than the highest of all.