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Thread: towns/cities vs castles

  1. #1

    Default towns/cities vs castles

    I'm having some trouble when it comes to labeling my map. Basically, my confusion comes down to using 'city/town icons' vs. 'castle icons'.
    Like, in situations where a settlement is either around a castle/fort, or else they're close enough that they'd occupy roughly the same spot on the map. For example, I wanna put down your typical castle-town somewhere. Or say it's a sizable city instead, perhaps the capital or a trade hub, and the ruler's castle is on a nearbye hill overlooking the city.
    I guess maybe with the castle-towns, a 'castle icon' would be more appropiate? But what about larger settlements? If I use a 'city icon', how would I indicate that there's also an adjacent fortification without trying to smush the two icons next to each other?

    On a related note, just how common were "urban" castles, those near or within settlements?

  2. #2
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor - Max -'s Avatar
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    Make a third icon for fortified town?

  3. #3
    Publisher Mark Oliva's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hikki-Jin View Post
    just how common were "urban" castles, those near or within settlements?
    Very common. Isolated fortresses and castles usually belonged only to robber knights.
    Mark Oliva
    The Vintyri (TM) Project

  4. #4
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor - Max -'s Avatar
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    I have to disagree with that. The cathar castles (south France), previously built to protect the boundary from Kingdom of Aragon ( in Spain), are some isolated ones that belongs to local lords that welcomed the cathars who sought refuge there.
    Last edited by - Max -; 07-07-2013 at 04:15 AM.

  5. #5
    Guild Journeyer Chlodowech's Avatar
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    Isolated fortresses and castles usually belonged only to robber knights.
    Isolated castles existed at strategic locations (near borders, trade routes, straits, etc.), or just when the owner could not provide a location next to the castle where a town could survive economically (other towns were too close, or there was no possibility for sufficient supply with goods, or no trade route existed)

    A village was often established next to the castle, but when there already existed some rural structures, the castle was often built at a place which was easy to defend (even when there was no possibility to found a village nearby)


    'city/town icons' vs. 'castle icons'.
    Castle icons were usually the icons of the owners' families. Those icons were subdivided into a part of the lords' family's icon, and another part of the icon of the lady.
    Cities were granted special icons by their owners when they reached a certain degree of independence. Those icons were not subdivided (at least not because of a marriage ), but showed a single symbol (like a town wall, a tower, or sometimes the sign of a saint which was related to the town).

  6. #6

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    The poster was referring to map icons, not crests. Furthermore, I would go with what Max said. Make more icons.

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