Hovels WIP
Well, not everyone can be rich, so it is time for me to whip up some poor people's houses just in case your party is chaotic evil and feels like beating up the disadvantaged. Everyone has been so helpful with my maps so far, so here are the hovels for critique and comments. For these, I am mostly wondering if there is anything 'missing' (objects, structural features, a particular 'look,' etc.)
They aren't doing too bad, looks like they actually have beds instead of cots or just sleeping on the floor. Does look pretty small though which seems about right. You might want to make the walls look a bit crappier with some gaps stuffed with straw or something but that's just going beyond. They look really great.
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Just the kind of tip I am looking for! Thanks Jax.
Any windows? Perhaps some sort of light/shadow on the floor to indicate them?
Maybe lose the colors on the on beds. Dye is for rich people. Also maybe add some holes or patches in the blankets. Maybe a small garden or something for subsistance. Nice otherwise
I usually imagine a hovel like this as having a single room, or maybe only a small pantry. The hearth is likely to be the only source of light and heat, so it is usually in the living area, and food prepared there rather than having a separate kitchen. The table would be used for food prep, eating, and evening tasks like mending. It's possible there might be a different room for sleeping, or possibly just a curtain to divide the room so Mom & Dad can have some privacy from the kids.
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Jax and Midgardsormr - I think you're right, these guys aren't really that bad-off, are they? Maybe I need to make another couple houses for the folks who are really, really poor.
Revells - took your advice and made the lighting a little more tangible.
Jax - I made the walls crappier, took the straw stuffing advice.
Xyll - added some mothholes.
Awesome advice, guys!
Where do they poop? (Maybe a shared outhouse?) They've also got a lot of space between buildings. Someplace to keep coats/jackets in the summer. Even if they can't afford more than one set of clothing, they'll have good weather gear they won't wear all year. Maybe a rag doll or wooden toy in a corner.
If it was good enough for the Romans, it's good enough for you.Originally Posted by rdanhenry
What time period / setting are you envisioning these houses?
Roman urban hovels would be vastly different from a medieval rural house. There's several things you'll want to ask yourself:
1: Rural / Urban (the former will probably mean the house is slightly larger, but also accommodates one or more farm animals).
2: Level of technology.
3: Availability of raw materials.
4: Cultural and environmental concerns.
For example, coastal countries in Western Europe would usually build all their buildings with a more-or-less east-west orientation. Why? The prevailing (and hardest) winds come from the west in those countries, so you don't want to have a broad side of your house facing that direction. Also, it could become cold, so you would want your animals in your house too... not only does it keep you from freezing, but it also keeps your animals from freezing. For this same winter-problem, you wouldn't see buildings with flat roofing much... snow tends to collapse those. You'll use trees and other plants as building materials, since they are plentiful. Of course, reality is a bit more complex, but just thinking in such a way.
Personal waste disposal could be dealt with on anything from a hole in the ground to an actual toilet, depending on how people consider hygiene.
For poor people, I think however, you'll want to limit the space inside a 'house' to just one room. Also, I fear rug-removal might be in order, especially rugs this intricate. Splatter a few buckets around (for getting water) some table-ware (probably a valuable asset for people of this economic class), and some sleeping places. Furniture is quite luxurious depending on the level of poverty you're trying to achieve.
I'm not entirely up to date on the situation some hundreds of years ago in South Korea, but I would guess natural materials are building materials. I might be slapping some preconceptions around here, but I'm going to dare and bet that rice might be quite an important food source. Remember, brickwork is for those filthy rich people... That's a rule almost anywhere...
Last edited by Meridius; 07-23-2010 at 08:52 PM.
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