Approved Lonely Hills Terra Project

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Hi gang! I'm back with another sadistic terra project. I plan to update the Lonely hills terrain as it is currently worldpainter or similar quality, and needs to be brought up to scratch to fit with Carci's beautiful work in the area. Below is a map showing the planned topography, and historical glacial action that formed the hills. The Terra update will include fixing the hydrology and making sure a smooth transition from snowy north to regular north is implemented. The main inspiration for the lonely hills is the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. They obviously will be covered in snow, but just in terms of height and formation.

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TESTS

https://imgur.com/a/tAUTQf9

 

[otty]

Show. Me. The tests.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Show. Me. The tests.

There are no tests *mwahaha*.
You guys know I can do terra competently, and the area is snowy, so there's not much to show really.

 

[Azulejo]

We all know you can do terra, but tests are still needed in any kind of app. They show us how the inspiration and ideas unravel ingame. They also let the rest of the community grasp what the objectives behind the project are.

Spoiler: This is just an advice

 

[Margaery_Tyrell]

I expect you to take into account soil alkaline levels and erosions in your tests or you will be beaten

 

[Rob1987]

I expect you to take into account soil alkaline levels and erosions in your tests or you will be beaten

Oof

 

[Bovine]

how snowy is this area? there was a forum post discussing how far south the snow is at the time of our server but I can not seem to find it.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Hey all, sorry for the long wait lol! In me burns the passion to do mountains again. Here's an idea of what the snow transition and mountains themselves will look like. The transition is something I did for Scub a couple of years ago, and I feel it holds up well enough to only require some minor edits in situ.

With regards to providing a workflow, here's my plan

1. Change the terrain to white wool so as not to create a red splodge on the dynamap
2. Mark out the ridges path roughly above the terrain
3. Work on the shaping and use placeholder blocks until I'm ready to texture
4. Texturing! This will be where the snow transition work comes in, grass mixes for the non-snowy bits, and any pebble landslides and striations I want to include.

I plan to start with the main central valley (with the river in it) and then move to the other smaller valleys, seeing as they will largely hinge on the completion of the main valley.

 

[Bovine]

View attachment 16790

The transition phase looks great! I almost wish it was more common in the north to represent summer snows and perhaps extended further than what you have shown.

I recognize this is a terra project, but do you imagine the hills as being populated? Not saying you should plan settlements but how do you imagine the hills working with umber/bolton lands? the main valley seems to be mostly Bolton, however, accessing it seems to be quite the journey from the Dreadfort and may be hard to defend. Perhaps there could be a shortcut through the hills via a steep hill path, closer to the Dreadfort? I guess this is for whoever wishes to take up the Dreadfort to figure out, but if you have any ideas I would love to here them!

On the note of snowfall, I noticed in Chetts prologue chapter his plans to desert are foiled by the snowfall. This is by the fist of the firstmen and I do not recall it mentioning any other snow tho I could be wrong. While it is far enough from the lonely hills not to matter, it is worth noting that the snowfall north of the wall may not be as severe as we have it. Is it possible that at the time of the server, the snows are even less serious? Would like to here others' opinions on this!

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Hey Bov!

Always happy to hear someone's input! I, myself was wondering if the valley would be populated. I reckon some small shepherd's huts and unmarked grazing lands could add a bit of flavour to the area - but that'd be down the line that those would be worked on (perhaps in-between steps 3 and 4). As for their allegiance, it could go either way. However, if they're just small houses here and there, then their allegiance won't really matter or be of any consequence to the passing guest. Depending on what the mods say, populating the valley could be my responsibility or as you say, whoever takes up the Dreadfort. But I definitely like the idea of some treacherous shepherding paths in the hills that eventually get to Bolton or Umber lands.

As for the snowfall, I plan on definitely making the lowlands less snowy, so there will be some improvement on that front. However, snow patterns can depend on a variety of things (elevation, wind patterns etc), and so I think having snow *at least* towards the top of the hills is on the table.

 

[AerioOndos]

The first mention of snow we get is after the execution of Gared, and we get more on Jon's trip towards the wall.
We also know that southerners are still not great with the deeply snowy conditions and chett, while a man of the nights watch, was a steward who always tried to get the cushiest jobs. He'd be hampered by even a little snowfall (by northern standards).

On the matter of people, there should be a pretty big presence or only recent abandonment of shepherding. The Northern mountains and lonely hills are the umbers summer grazing lands. Bolton's are more sedentary and I think Jon's recommendations to Stannis are the best source of how far Bolton influence spreads.

 

[Bovine]

The first mention of snow we get is after the execution of Gared, and we get more on Jon's trip towards the wall.
We also know that southerners are still not great with the deeply snowy conditions and chett, while a man of the nights watch, was a steward who always tried to get the cushiest jobs. He'd be hampered by even a little snowfall (by northern standards).

the only thing is that the snowfall is only a problem for them because their tracks would be easily followed. now I'm not sure if that implies there was no snow beforehand or not. Maybe we can think that the old snow became icy or something and only the recent fresh snow would leave imprints? idk even then they could prob be tracked in hard icy snowfall.

on the topic of summer snows, I always thought of them like some snows we have where i live. In between the winter months, a cold below zero night is not uncommon. And if it snows whatever is left begins melting in the morning sun or at least during the week. Sometimes a lot of snow can melt away completely really quickly if the day is warm. Thats how i see summer snows, a nighttime snowfall that melts away in the following days as it is still technically summer. That is why I really like Jake's test and Frost terra, it seems more realistic to me and looks like recent snow in the process of melting or being blown around into clumps.

on that topic I know the canon snowfall was debated previously. I agree that it would be wise to consider the elevation of an area as well as potential wind patterns when assigning snowy areas not just how north it is.

 

[AerioOndos]

The last idea is what I'd like as well, except for Brandon's Gift, which should be snowy regardless of altitude. The New Gift can definitely have some patches on its eastern half with summer snow patches

Completely agreed on the summer snow. We know that there's a drift of knee deep snow within half a days ride near Winterfell in the first chapters of the series then the second book has no snow around Winterfell during the harvest festival. So we've got big changes over a year's time. Even Jon on the way to the wall goes through from snowy stuff on the kingsroad to not so snowy hills (the flint Hills quote makes me think theyre not covered in snow, though perhaps dustings in shaded places would be good).

Imo, because the northern mountains and Last River + White K river help separate the gift from Winterfell + long lake, they could be less snowy and form one large patchy snow area, while in the east the lonely hills and Weeping Water watershed forms that barrier but further south.

I think I've discussed that with Jake before, that the northern slopes should be snowier than the southern ones.

 

[AerioOndos]

Other high points which should have patchy snow imo are Highpoint and the Sheepshead hills. Highpoint because it gives the impression of altitude and Sheepshead because it helps develop a salient into the snowier dreadfort lands. Plus, a light dusting under logs, in forest clearings and exposed rocks would be enough. Not snow on trees.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

So if I’m understanding correctly, are we saying there should only be patchy snow on and around the peaks and the rest should be grassy? Also the northern faces of the mountains being snowier sounds like a cool detail, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Would you like to see some house tests for shepherd huts as well?

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

Here's a quick and dirty example of what it could look like transitioning from snowy to heathlands

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

OG Post updated with an imgur album of terra and house tests

 

[inactive]

So if I’m understanding correctly, are we saying there should only be patchy snow on and around the peaks and the rest should be grassy? Also the northern faces of the mountains being snowier sounds like a cool detail, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Would you like to see some house tests for shepherd huts as well?

I think the shepherd huts would be really neat if they were bothies/shielings - impermanent shelters for them that are really cobbled together; super small as well.

 

[Jakethesnake8_8]

I think the shepherd huts would be really neat if they were bothies/shielings - impermanent shelters for them that are really cobbled together; super small as well.

Could you provide images? After searching both of these up I get solid stone housing. These would not work in the area, as I find the style of building often looks anachronistic and out of place. I feel that partially dug-in houses based on Anglo-Saxon and Iron Age settlements are more the way to go.

 

[inactive]

Could you provide images? After searching both of these up I get solid stone housing. These would not work in the area, as I find the style of building often looks anachronistic and out of place. I feel that partially dug-in houses based on Anglo-Saxon and Iron Age settlements are more the way to go.

https://imgur.com/a/kygHFNC

Would've been covered in turf too, this type of structure is fairly old (there are prehistoric examples afaik).

Structures like bothies are a bit anachronistic tbf, but are what the shieling developed into much later on.