Orothos: The City of the Herons, the City on Stilts

[Sular]

I've done some moderate updating, changed the style of the block-color layers, and put in more roads and a small but growing number of docks, moorings, and similar items.

I'm trying to go with a vaguely 18th and/or 19th century city maps, several of which I have hanging on my wall. Nothing like convenient inspiration.

[Larb]

This is starting to really come along now. I can't wait to see it when it is finished. They style you have chosen to go with looks really nice.

[Sular]

Thanks Larb.

By the way, does any one know of a good way of bending text to the shape of the roads and the like in photoshop? I know that it can be done in something like illustrator but if and how to do that in photoshop eludes me.

[Sular]

I've been working on getting the streets in and well as fixing the canal system and adding a few names.

I do have a question about coloring. Should I leave it with the color variation between the districts of the city, or should I go for a uniform color?

[cjs0216]

I like the way this is turning out...keep it up!

[rdanhenry]

This is looking nice. Keep the colors.

[Sular]

Here is the current working draft of the over-all map , canals and all. As you can see, I'm apparently bent on driving myself loony with roads, canals, market squares, and so forth. Still, I plan on enjoying this even if it takes a good long while to finish.

[cereth]

This is looking very cool. I can't wait to see it finished! The muted colors are very nice.

[lostatsea]

I really like this map alot. I will watch to see how it comes out..
It seems rather organic for a totally "ARTIFICIAL" Construct. By that I mean when building on land including Islands ; natural obstructions influence shapes rivers meander ; islands are irregular ; it is easier to follow the flow of the land than dig a straight path through it for a road. Thus constructions tend to be constructed to compensate and grow around these obstructions. You can force the shapes you want especially with modern technologies but it is usually cheaper and easier to go with the flow. On a totally artificial construction things would tend to be more artificial. Roads/canals would be straight and parallel . Buildings would be more uniform with right angles and equal spacing. It would be simpler and more time and effort efficient. That being said only special Buildings would be constructed outside the norm with organic and artistic shapes. How ever if the submarine floor had natural obstruction such as rock outcroppings and terraces. These would have to be built around and that might explain the more organic feel of your city !! There are several ancient examples of floating garden and cities to be Googled. I really like how yours is going though. Venice by the way is built in part over 117 Islands which helps gives it a "Organic" feel to it . Don't change the city ; Maybe update the background ?Or not !! Don't let the opinion of one "crank" Spoil a really good thing

[Sular]

The main reason for the lack of regularity (other than my distaste for grids and the weird notion of having the city's final shape resemble a murex shell) is that the city is quite old and grew in an unplanned fashion with new pilings being driven into the estuary floor as needed. Certainly the marine topography would have influenced things as there are a number of submerged reefs, shifting sandbars, depth changes, and channels in the area (indeed that was part of the historic reason for the selection of the site).

As to the artificiality of the construction itself, a lot of that has to do with the history and philosophy of the city builders. Land, to them, is not capable of being owned as it is not the product of artifice or craft. One can own a house, but not the land on which it stands and so forth. By essentially constructing their whole city, it can be viewed more as a collection of ownable buildings rather than a tract of land. No doubt counter arguments have been raised concerning the estuary floor, the reefs, and so on which exist below the foundations (probably there is a long history of deeply confusing legal battles to be considered here).