Approved Update Application - District 36 "River Gate Square"

[starcat98]

Got the go ahead from Codd that we can start posting these, so here's my application for District 36.

District Description
District 36 is the River Gate Square. It is surrounded on all sides by inns, taverns, and a brothel to service the sailors, dock workers, and traders that come through the city by sea. There is also a small market hall (I believe that's what it is) and market stalls spread throughout the square.

New Canon
The only new canon has already been mentioned in the update app for District 35. The River Gate is large enough to fit elephants through it, as well as there being fountains in certain squares with fresh water.

District's Current State
Most of the district will simply be classified as orange, as the buildings in the area are still relatively up to snuff, only requiring D+W and interior updates. The only building I marked as red is a stable on the eastern side of the square, that I personally feel could use a little bit more work than an orange plot entails.

Update Plans
I plan to add a pubic fountain in the middle of the square, in accordance with Fire and Blood canon. The market stalls will remain relatively the same, though, with minor updates here and there. The gallows that is also present on the square will remain. The updating style will follow in accordance with the neighboring district.



I followed Cash's template, so I think I have everything needed. Please let me know if I've missed something or if separate tests are needed! Thank you!

 

[Ric]

New Canon
The only new canon has already been mentioned in the update app for District 35. The River Gate is large enough to fit elephants through it, as well as there being fountains in certain squares with fresh water.

Hey Star, just adding one thing. I can't quote on exact words as I don't have the book in english, but on Fire & Blood it's told that after the Dance the Hand of the King ordered for the gates to be more fortified both from the outside and from the inside.

Maybe it's more of a subjective thing, but I don't really think the River Gate is particulary fortified in any way from the inside of the city walls currently. Maybe you could have a small update in this direction in your plans too? I think a more defensible entrance to the interior part of the gate should sufice, no need to change the whole layout imo.

The chapter that has the quote I mean is "Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand."

 

[starcat98]

I could definitely work that in, especially if it's canon! I've got a few ideas now; perhaps a sort of inverse barbican, an additional gate, heck, maybe even a stone moat.

 

[CashBanks]

Hey Starcat, thanks for this, awesome that we’re seeing such a positive response and interest in the update.

Since we’re still in the early days of figuring out the updated KL styles, do you think you could do a facade test for one or two of the buildings in the square?

 

[starcat98]

Coincidentally, I was already in the process of reworking one of the taverns! This is "The Roaring Fire Tavern", named after the large hearth that serves as a center piece of the interior. Here's a picture of it so far:

Please disregard the net lanterns, that was just a fun little idea I was playing around with. I can post more pictures here if you'd like, but for reference, the test is on the ground layer of my plot! Feedback is welcome, and please let me know if the palette change or anything else is too drastic of a change. Thank you!

EDIT: New and updated test per feedback.

 

[DutchGuard]

I love the lanterns! And the timber framing... *chef's kiss*

 

[Nuggets - Shygirlstan]

Coincidentally, I was already in the process of reworking one of the taverns! This is "The Roaring Fire Tavern", named after the large hearth that serves as a center piece of the interior. Here's a picture of it so far:

Please disregard the net lanterns, that was just a fun little idea I was playing around with. I can post more pictures here if you'd like, but for reference, the test is on the ground layer of my plot! Feedback is welcome, and please let me know if the palette change or anything else is too drastic of a change. Thank you!

EDIT: New and updated test per feedback.

I like the overall update. I'd try to spice the wood pattern in the triangular part a bit. And make the windows a 3 wide window isntead of 3 separate ones. All in all it's a good change that keeps the character.

 

[thecoddfish]

Hey Star,

I like your plans. Let's make it happen.

Approved.

 

[Endymion]

Hey Starcat

You missed some canon in F&B on the square: "Roggerio, the youngest, opened an opulent Lysene pillow house called the Mermaid beside the River Gate, and filled it with parrots from the Summer Islands, monkeys from Sothoryos, and a hundred exotic girls (and boys) from every corner of the earth. Though their favors cost ten times as much as any other brothel dared to charge, Roggerio never lacked for customers. Great lords and common tradesmen alike spoke of the beauties and wonders to be found behind the Mermaid’s carved and painted doors…including, some said, an actual mermaid. (Almost all that we know of the myriad marvels of the Mermaid comes to us from Mushroom, who alone amongst our chroniclers is willing to confess to visiting the brothel himself on many occasions and partaking of its many pleasures in sumptuously appointed rooms.)"

Take this with a grain of salt since Mushrooms is an unreliable narrator.

 

[starcat98]

Thanks for finding that info endy! I'm open to suggestions on this one. I could certainly open up some space and build the Mermaid on the square if that's what is decided. If that's the direct quote, then it never states whether it is inside or outside of the River Gate, so it just becomes a placement issue. I may be splitting hairs here, but it states that it is "beside the River Gate", which could also indicate that it is nearby and not necessarily right on Fishmonger's Square. It could be right off the square on River Row, or outside the gate on the docks. I'd like to know everyone's thoughts on this, and as a side note I *may* be looking for someone to build an opulent brothel .

 

[Margaery_Tyrell]

Hey Starcat

You missed some canon in F&B on the square: "Roggerio, the youngest, opened an opulent Lysene pillow house called the Mermaid beside the River Gate, and filled it with parrots from the Summer Islands, monkeys from Sothoryos, and a hundred exotic girls (and boys) from every corner of the earth. Though their favors cost ten times as much as any other brothel dared to charge, Roggerio never lacked for customers. Great lords and common tradesmen alike spoke of the beauties and wonders to be found behind the Mermaid’s carved and painted doors…including, some said, an actual mermaid. (Almost all that we know of the myriad marvels of the Mermaid comes to us from Mushroom, who alone amongst our chroniclers is willing to confess to visiting the brothel himself on many occasions and partaking of its many pleasures in sumptuously appointed rooms.)"

Take this with a grain of salt since Mushrooms is an unreliable narrator.

Would the pillow house even exist considering the Rogares got btfo out of Westeros after their fall? Perhaps just the building but with alterations over the year.

 

[Endymion]

Would the pillow house even exist considering the Rogares got btfo out of Westeros after their fall? Perhaps just the building but with alterations over the year.

Imo the brothel would have changed hands and gone to a new owner. Not sure why they would demolish such a thing.

 

[starcat98]

The Mermaid plot has been placed to the right of the River Gate, just inside the gate. The plot is open for testing, so feel free to give it a shot!

 

[Emoticone11]

Hey starcat98 , hope you're doing well! I'd like to try to push this district to completion, given that it seems very nearly done. How much is left to do, and do you think you'll have time to work on it anytime soon?

Overall I think the square came out nicely; I can definitely envision it being a bustling fish market (+ other goods), and all the buildings look pretty good. I recall seeing some discussion about the market stall placement on the square a while back, has that been resolved?

Also, I'd like to see an updated ground mix for the square itself, rather than the previous random block mix used everywhere in KL. Some gradients between dirt and stone, and mud on the most trampled routes, could look pretty nice. The transitions from the square to roads of adjacent districts can be left as-is and updated when the roads of those districts are done.

See this thread for specific instructions on how to ready the district for Stage 1 completion. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

 

[starcat98]

Hey, sorry for taking a little bit to respond to this, it's been a while since I've been able to be really active here. Aside from addressing a few very minor outstanding issues with some of the buildings on the square, there isn't too much left to do. I can for sure update the ground mix of the square to something a bit more up to date. As for the square itself and the market stalls, I am happy with how it turned out, and I left a large feedback board if people had issues, concerns, or general feedback. That was a few months ago and I haven't seen any outstanding feedback aside from what was posted shortly after I made the board. If people still have outstanding concerns, it can certainly be discussed, but as of now I would call it resolved. The traffic paths in the square also seem fine to me, but if it is an issue, I could possibly push the stalls back a little bit to widen the pathways. I'll work on resolving some of the minor issues over the next few days.

 

[Emoticone11]

Just a heads up that I gave this district a final push and completed the road palette + finalized the houses. It should be ready for stage 2 now!

 

[starcat98]

I noticed the district has already been pasted into the production world, and with the road palette and houses done, I believe stage 2 is complete. I gave it the once over in-world and everything seems to be in place and finalized, so I'm assuming it's ready for post-approval (unless that's already happened)!

 

[Margaery_Tyrell]

Warp to it so we can run around and leave all the doors open?