CG's November Mapping Challenge: Survive! VeterHaven Fort (WIP)
LadieStorm
🖼️ 50 images Surveyor
This month for the mapping challenge, we are supposed to create a map of a place someone would use to survive a zombie invation (or any other monster for that matter). It can be of any genre, or of any time period. We just have to map a place where a hand full of humanity can survive. I've barely started my journey, but I thought I would post it so people can give their opinions as i map it. 
Mine is more dark Ages than any other genre. Without further adieu, here is what I have so far:
Mine is more dark Ages than any other genre. Without further adieu, here is what I have so far: 
Comments
And I've started my village. Now this is going to be a relatively small village, so it's over halfway complete, just as it is. The only thing besides a few more houses, is possibly a small pub/tavern that may double up as a very small inn. This is going to be a very small farming community inside these walls because, let's face it, if you are going to try to survive a zombie invasion, you have to be able to produce your own food! So let's see what we have here!
Your village needs a crematorium.
Anyway, here's my progress, and I'm hoping someone will look at it and start making suggestions/asking questions that will help bring clarity to my own thoughts!
Since you suggested we ask questions I'm going to start by asking the one pain in the butt question that I always ask. LOL
What is the scale of this map?
How wide is the moat? How wide is the wall and how big are the towers? Now, how big are those buildings in the upper left of the town? Compare that to that building in the upper right with all of those dormers on the roof. How big are those dormers and does the comparative size of all of these elements make sense?
I'm not saying that things are scaled wrong, but the size differences of the buildings and the drastic differences in building design take away from the sense of continuity. In most small villages building tend to be made from the same or at least similar materials because that is what is closest to hand. Would a small farming village have terracotta roof tiles available and if so, would they have enough of them to shingle massive buildings?
These are just some things to ponder as you work. Yes, these are the sorts of things I think about when I map, which is why I am so slow at creating city and dungeon maps.Hehe.
First off, the moat - mostly man made, which is why it's so wide and so deep. The area is actually in a low water basin, that floods alot. The nobleman (a Count or Duke, I have to go back and check my notes) that saw a low hill in a small lake, and realized the possibilities. So he built his estate on this hill... after leveling it out a bit. He brought his people here, settled them, and the village started to grow around his estate.
This leads into your question about the roofs - If you notice, the only buildings besides the businesses (wainwright, butcher, baker, smithy, stables, and the 'King's Farms, or in this case, the Duke's Farm) is in the expensive tile roofs. The Duke built those building for his faithful subjects. The garrison as well, because his army must be well cared for to protect him.
The rest of the buildings, are built out of what can be found...thatch and wood shingles.
As for the scaling... everything is scaled to size 1, except for the garrison which was STILL too big, so it's actually scaled to .5, and a few of the small houses which were still too small, and were scaled to 1.5
The outer walls of the fort, are taller than the Duke's Castle... as it stands right now... but I'm wondering if that's too tall. The rest of the scaling, I'm still messing with to get it right.
I took Lorelei's suggestion, and changed the wall fill. It's not the same as the cracked asphalt of my floors, but it's close, because it's the asphalt fill. I have to admit, it does look a lot more natural this way. I've also added a bit more by way of the farm, or farms, actually. I have to add the food source, of course! At this point, I'm a little more than half way finished, and I have 6 days to complete it. No pressure!
Ironic that the "asphalt fill" looks "more natural."
How does the water flow out through the wall and into the moat? That seems to be a troubling vulnerability, especially given the scale of the water flow. Assuming it's water, of course.
But believe me, that vulnerability will work itself out, I'm sure
I do still have a few things to do, labeling, setting up my tower defenses, map border and title... but I can get that done fairly quickly. So here's Fort VeterHaven at this point:
It looks great, and I will certainly vote for it.