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Transportation across a cliff

jediusjedius Traveler
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
Hi,

I am working with a fairly large cliff/escarpment and I want to create a pair of cities at the top and bottom plateaus, connected by some sort of device/mechanism for transporting people and goods up and down the cliff. (I imagine this would be big business!). Some ideas I had are some sort of slide/flume (works downwards only really) or some sort of cable car or other elevating type mechanism.

I'm curious if a) anyone has other ideas, and b) how would I go about creating something like a cable car connecting the two cities, considering there are probably not likely to be many symbols that fit my use case?

Thanks in advance!
jedius
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Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    edited July 2019
    Considering that your recent atlas request, I am guessing this is for the Alarius map? If so, I would probably be looking into something magical, as that cliffside is HUGE given it turns up on a continent map. Another question here would be if something like this would really turn up at the scale that your map is in, my initial thoughts is that a feature like that would probably only be visible on a more zoomed in map, perhaps one zoomed in to the area around the two cities. Would probably be easier to represent something at that scale too.
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  • jediusjedius Traveler
    Well you guessed it :) Interesting point. I had imagined something quite large that's worth depicting at the scale of my map (figuring that it would probably a major speedup for commerce, vs. having to go around the cliff). I'm perfectly happy with something magical too, but I presume the magic would at least operate the energy required for some otherwise physical thing. Still leaves me unsure though as to how I might depict something like that.
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Its a city scale thing.

    If you want to map the cities at city scale, then a funicular arrangement would be the easiest way to sort it out.

    A funicular 'railway' works by gravity. There are two carriages (or trucks, or whatever container you have for the load), each of which has a water tank underneath it. They are joined by a very long continuous cable, and operate as each other's counterweight. The carriage at the top has water added to its water tank until it is heavier than the loaded carriage waiting at the bottom, and eventually pulls the loaded carriage up the slope. Using gravity as the 'power' all you need then are brakes.

    The water is discharged at the bottom of the slope once the carriage has arrived, is locked in place, and reloaded for the return journey. It might sound like a modern arrangement, but I'm pretty sure its not.
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  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Keep in mind that no matter how massive this system it, it won't be big enough to show up on a 1000x650 map, so I suggest finding a good symbol to represent the feature, and don't try to accurately depict it. In cases like this, the symbol is used because of the importance of the feature, and not because of the size.
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  • jediusjedius Traveler
    edited July 2019
    Would something like the attached picture make sense? (very zoomed in). Found a rope bridge symbol in CSUAC.
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    It would help to see the rest of the map so we can get a feel for the general scale of things :)
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  • jediusjedius Traveler
    edited July 2019
    Of course :)
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    That looks like its coming along very nicely :)

    Now that I've seen it, I would be tempted to suggest that a simple line might be enough.

    If you are particularly keen on mapping the detail of the cities, that should really be done at city scale, where symbols are proportioned more realistically.
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  • 6 days later
  • leosuthleosuth
    Been a while since I chipped in :)

    Personally, on that scale I would maybe have used a series of ramped tunnels, perhaps. There is also the option of having a lift mechanism dangling over the edge - if there was plenty of wind, it could have windmills to power it? Also unless there is a need for the two cities to be directly connected, there could be a Top station and a Bottom station linked by road to their respective cities (option of extracting tolls springs to mind ;) )

    Just thinking out loud, is all :D

    Oooh, airships!
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