Completed Application Thread: House Varner Redo by Jakethesnake

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Greetings moderators! I'd like to apply for my first canon project, the fostering of House Varner. Attached is the application document with the details of the foster.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

oop here's the updated app with my resume and pictures of the test

 

[Endymion]

Hey Jake
Good to see that you want to pick up a project. Your first project is often a great learning experience. It was for me at least. The inspiration looks very promising. Knowing Wrmd and Alex helped on it, it will surely be a stellar castle.

I went through your app and I do have to say I found it quite lacking. I would encourage you to go back to the drawing board and take some more time laying out your vision for the project. I would ask you to include the following things in your app:
- A resumé with your mini’s.You have to have done at least 2 mini’s to be able to start a project.
- You are doing a foster, so please include a segment on the state of the project. How much of it is completed? In what state are the houses? Does it need any updating?Are there any issues you see in the layout of the old project that you’ll seek to amend?
- A good map that has roads, rivers, forests, fields, pastures etc on it.
- Descriptions of the settlements.
- A segment that describesthe local economy of the project. Are there any trade routes that would benefit the project or is it mostly self sufficient?
- A segment that describes the terrain you want to make + and the necessary terra. You already have this, but I’d like to see it a little bit more worked out.
- Pictures of the house tests and castle test.

Don’t worry, this is your first app. Having it a bit more thoroughly laid-out will benefit both you, while you do the project and us mods to approve/ over see it.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Ah some of the above is put in the second updated app I posted shortly after, but I'll get right on the stuff that's missing. ty for the speedy reply

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Here is an updated map for the lands in detail w roads and mini's and plot diagrams

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Here's the updated document with the things you mentioned above, Endy

 

[Kulmen]

Just to follow up, I'd like to volunteer as editor for this project. Good hydrology awaits!

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Haha, the rivers i mapped out probably aren't accurate bc the terrain is relatively hilly so they may go up at points, but hopefully I'll pick some stuff up from ya!

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

*bump*

 

[_Simbaa]

*bump*

Be patient, we usually bump after a week without response!

 

[Ramen]

Be patient, we usually bump after a week without response!

He’s got some rollover minutes from his Ferren hamlet app.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

if you're actually angry by me bumping too early, I'm sorry about that. misunderstanding on my part. if not this is the kinda thing idk if i should take seriously or not, so it stresses me out and gets to my head, and makes me think that people hate me. extreme, ik, but i'm working on it.
- Jake

 

[Veggie]

Hi Jake,

Don't feel anxious about bumping things-- I know how eager people can be to get started on projects! Sometimes tone is difficult to get across on the forums, or any online space so don't take anything personally.

Approved but with a caveat and some advice;

1. Under clause 1c of the No-Redo rule, this would constitute a redo rather than a foster. This is an important distinction in ensuring future fosters are just that, fosters, rather than extensive redos.

2. There are elements of your castle plan which need addressing;

• I think the externals of the feast hall need to look more defensive. You have these sturdy baileys, and then the upper bailey feels betrayed by what would be an easy to access great hall from the outside. It could be possible to move the great hall within the main keep, and change this to something else.
• I think some of your diagonal towers are diagonal for the sake of being diagonal, especially with the diagonal walls themselves. Contrast is key. I think this is particularly highlighted in the large tower with the wooden hoardings, which to me evokes the stormlands more than the Reach. I also don't like the tower with the huge open arches-- this is very much something we did back in the day but now recognise that they aren't appropriate in defensive castles.

Approved, but be sure to take a second look at the castle once it's in situ-- reworking things is a natural part of any project!

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

So, i've been exploring the area's around varner, and marge brought up to me that I could push the border further north to the westerlands border. I believe the settlements that are in between the current border I proposed and the new suggested one are owned by varner in any case.

 

[DutchGuard]

Yes I did think of mentioning that previously. There is a watchtower at /warp greyalms bearing the colours of House Varner. It would be great if you could include that as part of the foster.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

also, simba brought up a good point that around the outer walls I could add a moat. this makes sense because I can have it connect to the pond/lake thing that varner is on the bank of

 

[Emoticone11]

Hey Jake,

Sorry about the hold-up. I agree that you could push north a little bit, as long as you're willing to take on that extra work. Also, about the moat, IMO you should add the outer moat like Simb suggested, and nix the inner moat you have currently.

Given all the same caveats that Veggie mentioned, you have my approval as well!

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

I hear you! I've already worked on applying Veggie's feedback about the feast hall and upper bailey buildings. So instead of the inner moat, should I just extend the lower bailey and get rid of the wall that's parallel to the upper bailey? Also, I think I may want to redo the forest, and kick that down the road so that I can plan out locations more efficiently.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Dearest mods,
I made a massive mistake by jumping right into plotting and all that, I should have done the terraforming properly instead of going balls deep into half-assed terraining and plotting. As such, I plan to essentially nuke what's already at Varner, with your permission of course, as of now and focus more on the terrain aspect of Varner. Some of the aspects of Varner that need fixing are the yards. I have not given enough space for builders to adequately make sufficient houses. So, I hope to get back to you with more thought out terrain and better planning.

 

[Emoticone11]

Hi Jake,

Please don't nuke the things that people have worked on, like the town, but rather copy/paste it floating high above where it is currently. Then you can focus on redoing the terraforming. Later, you can re-use the houses that people have built after replanning the town.

Overall, I agree that you should focus on terraforming. I usually don't plot anything until the terra in that location is in a semi-final state (i.e., the sculpting is done, and placing schems/painting placeholders remains). Also, last I flew over Varner I saw a lot of terrain that wasn't completely cleared, with lots of holes, floating blocks, random stuff mixed into the green wool, etc. You should make sure to properly reduce the terrain to a "blank slate" consisting of only smooth green wool; it'll make the terraforming a lot easier.