Castle Plans

[Turgenev]

When I'm not designing dungeons, I like to toy around with castle plans. Here is a design that is a work in process. It is inspired by Restormel Castle in Cornwall, England. This is the ground level. The upper level will contain the living area but I haven't finished it yet.

Edit: I've adjusted the saturation levels on the grass & ground.

Click on the image for the larger version:


The Legend for the castle is as follows:
1 Drawbridge
2 Gate (with portcullis & reinforced doors)
3 Open Courtyard
3A Starirwell (Down)
3B Stairwell (Up)
4 Well
5 Kitchen
6 Storage / Pantry
7 Temple
8 Storage
9 Stable
10 Armoury
11 Barracks

Now to work on the 2nd level.

[ravells]

Very nice design - I hope you don't mind a couple of suggestions:

Try the map with the saturation of the colours toned down to about half what they are now.

You could make the castle walls more interesting, by putting in slit windows, buttresses and columns etc.

There is useful reference material on the site

here: reference material
here: stunning castle plans - all done in Microsoft paint!!

It's worth having a root around the reference material bit of the site, there's quite a bit on castles there.

[Torq]

Turgenev, I hope you dont mind but I messed with your castle plan a bit. I was just experimenting with a few textures in the Gimp.

Torq

[Valarian]

3A & 3B Stairwell

Is A down and B up? If not, I'd check the rotation of the stairwells.

[ravells]

Something to do with the person fighting down the stairs having more room to manuoevre his sword arm, isn't it? So if you're going up the stairs it turns right making it more difficult to use your sword.

Nice makeover Torq, about time you posted a tutorial with that technique of the rocks and grass.

[RPMiller]

I think it is the other way around, and there is no "up" and "down" on stairs unless they move on their own accord.

The idea is that the defender is higher and can use the center of the spiral along with a shield to have overwhelming defense while having the larger arc of the outside wall to swing a sword and maneuver a longer weapon such as a short spear.

Of course if you are left handed things don't work out quite right.

[torstan]

Yep - used to tour guide in a castle. If B is upstairs and A is downstairs it is correct. Stairs rise clockwise.

[Turgenev]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Love what you did with the map, Torq. I'll be definately giving that a try. As for windows/slits... that will be on the 2nd level. Ground level was suppose to be just solid walls. At least that was my plan. As for the stairs, to be honest I didn't even think about it. My original idea was they both went up but now I have something to think about. I think I will go with torstan's comment and have B = upstairs and A = downstairs. Thanks again for the links and suggestions.

[Sigurd]

Very nice, classic design. I love maps where I can believe they would actually be built. Fantastic, improbable elements, have their place but believability wins out in the end IMHO. A good design makes me think "Castles like this would exist" - makes presenting them, much, much easier.


I actually prefer Turgenev's version where all the elements have the same treatment. To do the outside without showing kindness to the inside of the tower creates an odd sense of imbalance.

SO, I added a tiny touch to the inside of the tower. A pattern and a complimentary drop shadow - to match the outside.

Torg's mod of Turg's map modded by someone whose name doesn't start with "T"

[Redrobes]

Clockwise going down...



(BTW - nice castle map !)