WalrusBehindYou
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Here is my application for House Lightfoot, hope y'all enjoy. 
Approved House Lightfoot - Walrus
- Thread starter WalrusBehindYou
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The Spring 2023 edition of The Rookery is now out! Take a look to see the latest builds, guides, progress and development updates on the upcoming 1.18.2 switch. You can read it here:
https://indd.adobe.com/view/f943da18-ed77-4d55-845d-fee9bfa14247
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Love it! Especially the insp! We need more solid tower houses. Main thing I'd go for though is extending the yard size, or at least creating an extra, perhaps lower yard that includes the weirwood, rather than having it in the centre of the functional space.
WalrusBehindYou
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Thank you Aerio, over the next few days I'll start work on a proper castle test. I'll definitely implement a lower yard, love that idea, just I only have one worry that it will be too similar to Wells.
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If you're worried about it being too similar, just make the main yard bigger and have the weirwood slightly out of the way. So it's an interesting visual but should not be blocking sightlines from the buildings or getting in the way of functional design imo.
WalrusBehindYou
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Rexstop15
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luvly app walrus! good luck with the project!
WalrusBehindYou
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Update #1
- Built the walls and towers with wool
- Plotted the castle structures and made a placeholder weir wood
- Constructed the main keep, although right now it is also only made out of wool.
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What about having the entrance at the middle point as access to both yards, like Castle Urquhart?
WalrusBehindYou
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That would be cool, however I'm imagining that the lower yard was a later extension to the castle and I also really like the winding path that goes up the hill.
WalrusBehindYou
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I was actually thinking about making the towers in the lower yard wood, kinda like small watch towers seen in Oxcross. I did kinda want the palisades to look a bit poorly made, however I will definitely try them out with log blocks. Also one more thing, the wood pile will be covered, I just got distracted while building them hahah.I think this so far this is good.
It might be better to think about the towers on the lower ward a bit more - should they be made of stone, or timber? Have a think about that.
I also think the palisade looks a bit clustered at the minute like bits of random timber thrown together - maybe use log blocks instead?
The interior layout of the tower is pretty good and feels claustrophobic like a real tower house; the walls are rooms and vice versa.
The wood pile should really be covered too, to keep it dry. The stairs next to that pile also could be a bit cleaner imo.
Hey Walrus,
Thanks for being patient, I've just gotten a chance to go through the app in more detail. Your plans and tests look very nice, and this seems like a great choice for a first project. I don't have any major qualms so I'm happy to approve at this point!
I do have some feedback to give about the overall castle layout, but it's something that'd be easier to go through in-game. Please remind me when you catch me online.
My other suggestion would be to have some isolated crofts throughout the highlands area. Maybe you already planned this, since I see you mentioned livestock in the highlands, though I didn't see any on the map.
Thanks for being patient, I've just gotten a chance to go through the app in more detail. Your plans and tests look very nice, and this seems like a great choice for a first project. I don't have any major qualms so I'm happy to approve at this point!
I do have some feedback to give about the overall castle layout, but it's something that'd be easier to go through in-game. Please remind me when you catch me online.
My other suggestion would be to have some isolated crofts throughout the highlands area. Maybe you already planned this, since I see you mentioned livestock in the highlands, though I didn't see any on the map.
WalrusBehindYou
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Hey Emot,
I'm really glad you liked the app. I'm also not completely happy with the castle layout so I'm looking forward to your input, cya in game. Also I really like the croft ideas, I can't believe I didn't think about that.
Thank you, Walrus
WalrusBehindYou
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Update #2
- Main keep is pretty much finished, although I am not completely happy with the cellars and dungeons below.
- Weirwood has been moved to the inner yard, with the path up to the tower keep wrapping around the tree.
- Finally, the inner yard has been replotted, with the walls expanded and heightened, massive thanks to Wurst for his work there.
Hi Walrus,
Echoing the other notes in this thread that your application's looking great and glad to see you applying for a project.
I'll be happy to jump on as an approving mod. Before greenlighting I was just wondering if you could give an indication as to how much major terra work you expect will be needed. Aside from perhaps detailing the forest areas a bit more, were you planning on doing anything like changing the shape of the hills/swamps etc? I haven't had a chance to take a good look at the area's current terra yet, so not at all saying you should/would need to, just curious about what you think might be needed so I can assist if needed.
Echoing the other notes in this thread that your application's looking great and glad to see you applying for a project.
I'll be happy to jump on as an approving mod. Before greenlighting I was just wondering if you could give an indication as to how much major terra work you expect will be needed. Aside from perhaps detailing the forest areas a bit more, were you planning on doing anything like changing the shape of the hills/swamps etc? I haven't had a chance to take a good look at the area's current terra yet, so not at all saying you should/would need to, just curious about what you think might be needed so I can assist if needed.
WalrusBehindYou
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Hey Cash
Thanks, I'm glad you like it.
Currently I don't plan to do any terra work but that may change when I get around to plotting the hamlets, villages and crofts Emot mentioned. But if there is terra work I will definitely ask you since I have absolutely zero terra experience haha.
Thanks, I'm glad you like it.
Currently I don't plan to do any terra work but that may change when I get around to plotting the hamlets, villages and crofts Emot mentioned. But if there is terra work I will definitely ask you since I have absolutely zero terra experience haha.
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Hopefully you're able to access this link but having old nature-overtaken ruins without the usual exposed stone would be good if you were planning to have some wrecked stuff around.
Just was doomscrolling and thought these pics would fit the barrowlands
Just was doomscrolling and thought these pics would fit the barrowlands
Thanks that's good to hear. Yep if you do want to do some terra work down the track then feel free to give me a heads up and we can work out a plan.
Since Emote's approved as well you're good to go! Valar Dohaeris!
WalrusBehindYou
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Nice these are amazing. These would definitely fit the project, especially like you said fitting the barrowlands theme. Thank you for sharing these.
WalrusBehindYou
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Update #3
- Pasted in Lightfoot castle into the main world, still working on the lower yard but upper yard is essentially finished. Might still tweak the shape of the walls tho.
- Have started to plan the main village, still deciding on a couple of plans and have no doubt I will make more haha.
- Roughly drew most of the paths across the lightfoot lands as well as marked where the other settlements will be.
- Finally built the style guide, ofc this may change down the track but right now I'm pretty happy with it.
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My main feedback is to make bigger "shortcuts". I'll edit this message to include pics of what I mean. The paths on Cape Kraken are really good example of how basically people wander without much restriction in the north due to the scale of the landscape.
Basically the road feels very forced and linear with right angles in places where they wouldn't be. Think about the settlement in layers. What came first, first houses, roads, later houses, outbuildings etc. Kinda like layers in Adobe illustrator or Photoshop.
The newer details form around the older, or deliberately change them.
What we've talked about already of making the village more like a collection of buildings for each household would be good. Each household having more or less a living space, granary and long term food store, any necessary work space and fuel shed (peat is an option not just wood). Also coverings for work spaces is important since the cold rain isa to cross and people. More so than autumn snows.
EDIT:
As I've sent in DMs, the issue is a matter of scale. Northern travellers if they're trying to go SE to the causeway would just walk around the village or E then N to the kingsroad would pass under the castle pretty much. They're taking as direct a route as possible because the scale of the landscape is enormous. Think about these paths less as "roads" and more as hiking trails. They're where the most direct path is, rather than a planned and maintained route. Sometimes that'll be maintained by people who have interest in it (traders, merchants and lords) but v v little of the total network is looked after.
Another big thing is to make sure you bring the path to high points enough of the time. Your southern road keeps on going through these low points which, while its easy to walk it doesn't give bearings easily. Imo what would happen a lot is that travellers would be walking, want to check their heading and walk to the closest high point. So have the road come near the crest of the hill then re-direct from there with the new bearing towards the intended destination.
So it almost looks like the hills are pivots/angles on the route
Basically the road feels very forced and linear with right angles in places where they wouldn't be. Think about the settlement in layers. What came first, first houses, roads, later houses, outbuildings etc. Kinda like layers in Adobe illustrator or Photoshop.
The newer details form around the older, or deliberately change them.
What we've talked about already of making the village more like a collection of buildings for each household would be good. Each household having more or less a living space, granary and long term food store, any necessary work space and fuel shed (peat is an option not just wood). Also coverings for work spaces is important since the cold rain isa to cross and people. More so than autumn snows.
EDIT:
As I've sent in DMs, the issue is a matter of scale. Northern travellers if they're trying to go SE to the causeway would just walk around the village or E then N to the kingsroad would pass under the castle pretty much. They're taking as direct a route as possible because the scale of the landscape is enormous. Think about these paths less as "roads" and more as hiking trails. They're where the most direct path is, rather than a planned and maintained route. Sometimes that'll be maintained by people who have interest in it (traders, merchants and lords) but v v little of the total network is looked after.
Another big thing is to make sure you bring the path to high points enough of the time. Your southern road keeps on going through these low points which, while its easy to walk it doesn't give bearings easily. Imo what would happen a lot is that travellers would be walking, want to check their heading and walk to the closest high point. So have the road come near the crest of the hill then re-direct from there with the new bearing towards the intended destination.
So it almost looks like the hills are pivots/angles on the route
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