Historical "fantasy" to help develop cities

[Bishop Odo]

Historical Fantasy maps, I know it’s a bit of an oxymoron, but has anyone ever approached a fantasy city mapping project using an urban devolvement, and time, as a starting point. For instance most fantasy settings have cities that are thousands of years old, In Shadow World there are active cites that are 10,000 years old, taking clue historical and archeological sources, there are a number of events that happens to most cities, fires, flood, wars, technology changes and failures and soil accumulation all have a tendency to change a city over time. Harn for example, is the only setting, where I have seen a harbor silted in and rendered unusable.

While, I have a tendency to over think things, and my skill set with CC3 is developing, I was curious if anyone has ever approached a project with that methodology. To a certain degree its fluff and background, yet there could be some unique qualities to map done in this way. From a gaming point of view, it’s the unique properties of a map that spark my imagination as a GM and player.

There is a TV show, and I forgot that name, that visited ancient underground sites. Roman Aqueducts, Istanbul cisterns, and London tube network talking about what was out there? I have also looked for various gaming resources to help, old White Dwarf issues have some good stuff, as well as a few Dragons. However, the current trend in RPG gaming is less history and bigger swords so I have been generally disappointed in finding more historic information.

So if anyone has any suggestion, I would appreciate it. Products like Magical Medieval Society, Cityscape and City works are quite generic and a good place to start ultimately you just have to take and educated guess.

While I’m still working on the CC3 tutorials, I have been thinking of reworking map of my favorite Shadow World city. Generally I’m looking for some type self imposed curriculum to advance my skills, by working on a few of favorite location.

A little food for thought.

[Kingbreaker]

Historical Fantasy maps, I know it’s a bit of an oxymoron, but has anyone ever approached a fantasy city mapping project using an urban devolvement, and time, as a starting point. For instance most fantasy settings have cities that are thousands of years old, In Shadow World there are active cites that are 10,000 years old, taking clue historical and archeological sources, there are a number of events that happens to most cities, fires, flood, wars, technology changes and failures and soil accumulation all have a tendency to change a city over time. Harn for example, is the only setting, where I have seen a harbor silted in and rendered unusable.

While, I have a tendency to over think things, and my skill set with CC3 is developing, I was curious if anyone has ever approached a project with that methodology. To a certain degree its fluff and background, yet there could be some unique qualities to map done in this way. From a gaming point of view, it’s the unique properties of a map that spark my imagination as a GM and player.

There is a TV show, and I forgot that name, that visited ancient underground sites. Roman Aqueducts, Istanbul cisterns, and London tube network talking about what was out there? I have also looked for various gaming resources to help, old White Dwarf issues have some good stuff, as well as a few Dragons. However, the current trend in RPG gaming is less history and bigger swords so I have been generally disappointed in finding more historic information.

So if anyone has any suggestion, I would appreciate it. Products like Magical Medieval Society, Cityscape and City works are quite generic and a good place to start ultimately you just have to take and educated guess.

While I’m still working on the CC3 tutorials, I have been thinking of reworking map of my favorite Shadow World city. Generally I’m looking for some type self imposed curriculum to advance my skills, by working on a few of favorite location.

A little food for thought.

I studied medieval history and art history for six years and taught history for seven, so I more-or-less always approach my fantasy stuff with that perspective in the forefront.

I am not sure exactly what your question is - are you looking for gaming materials or historical resources?

One gaming system that has a more historical flavor is Ars Magica (Set in medieval Europe, only with real magic) This system has several supplements that may help.

Then there's those kids' books by David MaCaulay - Castle and Cathedral - fictionalized but researched stories about how these buildings were created. Great stuff.

Also, the book Cities by John Reader may be a great place to get some food-for-thought. He examines urban history by looking at case studies of cities from Ur up until the present day. It's very interesting.

[Sigurd]

This is amazing stuff if you can produce or present it in on target in a digestible form. For me the problem is that you have to wade through 97% of the junk to reach the 3% that is useful.

If you can produce it from stuff that is past copyright or easily usable that's the golden ring!


I'm always looking for real layouts and city\town\building development trends.


Sigurd

[Joshua_101]

There is a TV show, and I forgot that name, that visited ancient underground sites. Roman Aqueducts, Istanbul cisterns, and London tube network talking about what was out there?

Are you thinking of Cities of the Underworld? Mondays at nine on the History Channel. Love it!

[Bishop Odo]

That is the show, Thanks, could not find it...