So, I've been seeing a lot of castle creations on the forums recently. I've never made a castle in minecraft before, so today, after counting up how much cobblestone I had (over 80,000), I decided I would try making one.
Now, not being one to rush into a project blind, I spend a few hours designing a basic structure on graph paper, and sorted out a plan for how to build this monstrosity.
I would say I'm doing fairly well so far for a first castle.
Currently, I plan on have a large center building that will serve as, well, the center of the castle, with smaller building surrounding it designed for specific tasks. On top of the center building will be a tall watch tower (think Imperial City from Oblivion).
Update 1:
...Fill in the center with grass and cobble, taking into account walkways and the central spire. You can see where the center building will be.
In case you're wondering why there's a gap of water just inside the wall, that's because it's going to be a two part wall with lava flowing between them.
I don't know what I will be doing with the sphere until it's done. At the moment it exists to exist.
I might as well show a couple screenshots of it since it's so close to the castle.
you know what you need to fill that sphere with? Diamonds. Diamonds everywhere. now you may be saying "well diamonds are so hard to find how could i ever *insert whiny ass excuse here*" you got 80,000 cobblestone thats a ton of rocks boy. you can get a few thousand Diamonds. Mine craft is a no nonsense kick ass game, nut up or shut up. so fill that ***** with Diamonds. Notice how i capitalize the word Diamonds, that because they are more important than anything else in the world. If you build that sphere I will personally come to your house and give you a pet shark with lazers, why a shark? because that is the only pet badass enough for a ass kicking guy like you.
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Im not sure about you, But we are all going to die. I might as well make it worth something.
you know what you need to fill that sphere with? Diamonds. Diamonds everywhere. now you may be saying "well diamonds are so hard to find how could i ever *insert whiny ass excuse here*" you got 80,000 cobblestone thats a ton of rocks boy. you can get a few thousand Diamonds. Mine craft is a no nonsense kick ass game, nut up or shut up. so fill that ***** with Diamonds. Notice how i capitalize the word Diamonds, that because they are more important than anything else in the world. If you build that sphere I will personally come to your house and give you a pet shark with lazers, why a shark? because that is the only pet badass enough for a ass kicking guy like you.
Congrats! This thread is now x^4 awesome, where x represents how awesome it originally was.
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...(Notch) forged the all-powerful, unbreakable Adminium Blade, which he used to confront the beasts...
Yeah, the towers and bridge do look a little wrong. Once they get built up a bit they wont.
Anyways, at the time that I created the thread, I already had quite a bit of the filling in done, and I just got done. You can see where the center building will be.
I'm thinking I should make the cobble hexagon smaller to allow more room for buildings on the dirt.
In case you're wondering why there's a gap of water just inside the wall, that's because it's going to be a two part wall with lava flowing between them.
Next step:
...Build up the outer walls more and start building the center building.
Who cares if it looks phallic? This is awesome. I'm glad that it's not just some squarish looking plain old castle.
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"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. The loss of Liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad." - James Madison
that is pretty awesome man, can't wait to see it finished
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By the word of Notch, may Hell lay a curse on thou miner, upon which many creepers shall befall. Ghasts will terrorize thee and destroy thou's hard work.
-Chris The Mushroom
Is it just me or does that bridge look.... Phallic? In the cartographer image?
Nice start though.
Someone already made that joke, and I already said once it got built up it wouldn't.
YEAH MAN BACK OFF I GET TO MAKE THE PENIS JOKES 'ROUND HERE.
In other news, DarthRiko, the update is even more impressive. I think it's the size and how you didn't stick with the typical "cube" design that a lot of Minecrafters such as myself can't seem to break away from.
I have noticed that as well. And now since I am on another computer and I can't work on the castle, I will do a quick summary of what I have noticed about castle shapes.
From what I have seen, usually when people make a large structure, it is usually cubic. Probably because cubic is the easiest to work with. It's very functional, and you don't have to worry about weird corners or cramped places. However, its overuse has made cubic structures lose a few points for uninspired design.
Second most common I see is the type that conform to the landscape. I really can't comment much on this one, because it depends entirely on the eye of the creator. Done well, this method creates an epic building. Done bad, it's a huge eyesore.
Third most common I see is octagonal, or eight sides. This is one step up from cube, simply because it's just a cube with cut corners. Its non-cubic shape makes it less boring, while it's simplicity insures that internal organization is not too hectic. Essentially it's a fancy cube.
Third most common I see is several spheres and circles. These are a pain to work with, and really don't work out too well because the space inside is really weird. However they do look epic, and in the right hands, can make an astounding structure. While cube hold function over fancy, spheres are the opposite.
The two I don't see very often are hexagons and pentagons. I declined pentagon, because you can't make asymmetrical structures with them. So that left me with hexagon. a decent cross between look and function.
Essentially, I'm bumping my thread, but I don't like bumping without something to add.
Quick update to the castle.
I've been working a lot on the outer wall in the past day. I was the lava pocket to be 8 blocks high, so that's what I've been trying to get both parts of the outer wall up to.
Here's a screenshot of what I have so far. It's a ways from a uniform 8 blocks high, but it's getting there. I also managed to lead some grass from the nearby island into the castle, so now the grass is starting to grow there.
I know you are filling the empty space between the walls with lava, but won't you want to put blocks underneath that space? Even if you don't, the second you put lava in there the water is going to turn into cobblestone anyway....might as well go ahead and replace the water with cobblestone so you don't have the empty space to deal with.
EDIT: Ah, I see, the lava is not going to go down all the way to the water level.
Now, not being one to rush into a project blind, I spend a few hours designing a basic structure on graph paper, and sorted out a plan for how to build this monstrosity.
CURRENT OVERHEAD VIEW
CLICK
Original Post:
...Form the basic shape of the castle, and build a low outer wall.
...Create a bridge to the city, and start the entrance towers.
Overhead View
Cartographer
(for those of you wondering what the orb thing is, it's this)
I would say I'm doing fairly well so far for a first castle.
Currently, I plan on have a large center building that will serve as, well, the center of the castle, with smaller building surrounding it designed for specific tasks. On top of the center building will be a tall watch tower (think Imperial City from Oblivion).
Update 1:
...Fill in the center with grass and cobble, taking into account walkways and the central spire.
You can see where the center building will be.
In case you're wondering why there's a gap of water just inside the wall, that's because it's going to be a two part wall with lava flowing between them.
Update 2:
...Build up the outer walls more and start building the center building.
You can see the lava pockets very easily.
Update 3:
...Complete the outer wall and fill it with lava.
Day
Night
Update 4:
...Complete the towers and add detail to the bridge.
The entry towers from ground level.
View from the top of the towers during the day.
View from the towers at night.
The insides of the towers are mostly empty at the moment.
The outside view of the bridge. I don't know why, but I'm not quite satisfied with this bridge.
If anyone can suggest was to make it look better, I'm all ears.
Inside the bridge.
Image of the whole city at night. This was taken before I finished the bridge. I have some glass covering the lava now so people walking up on the wall don't accidentally fall in it.
Update 5:
...Added an arboretum dome.
...Lined the inside wall of the center chamber with obsidian and cloth.
Like I said above, I constructed an arboretum (tree farm) next to my castle. It currently houses 48 saplings, each with enough room and light to grow.
I spent several days mining out enough obsidian to line the center chamber walls with it, and wool.
And now for an overhead view of the whole place thus far.
Suggestions anyone? I would like a better name for the castle, but every time I see the shape I think of Stargate: Atlantis, plus it's on water...
I might as well show a couple screenshots of it since it's so close to the castle.
View from the bridge. (Most up-to-date screenshot)
View from sea level. (Not as done as the other screenshot)
Also, name it Aquas after the most frustrating stage in Starfox 64.
EDIT: That room in the middle looks like it's gonna be trippy...
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Congrats! This thread is now x^4 awesome, where x represents how awesome it originally was.
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Anyways, at the time that I created the thread, I already had quite a bit of the filling in done, and I just got done.
You can see where the center building will be.
I'm thinking I should make the cobble hexagon smaller to allow more room for buildings on the dirt.
In case you're wondering why there's a gap of water just inside the wall, that's because it's going to be a two part wall with lava flowing between them.
Next step:
...Build up the outer walls more and start building the center building.
Nice start though.
TAC: 1:3
"He who sees thy challenge shall be victorious."
Someone already made that joke, and I already said once it got built up it wouldn't.
By the word of Notch, may Hell lay a curse on thou miner, upon which many creepers shall befall. Ghasts will terrorize thee and destroy thou's hard work.
-Chris The Mushroom
YEAH MAN BACK OFF I GET TO MAKE THE PENIS JOKES 'ROUND HERE.
In other news, DarthRiko, the update is even more impressive. I think it's the size and how you didn't stick with the typical "cube" design that a lot of Minecrafters such as myself can't seem to break away from.
From what I have seen, usually when people make a large structure, it is usually cubic. Probably because cubic is the easiest to work with. It's very functional, and you don't have to worry about weird corners or cramped places. However, its overuse has made cubic structures lose a few points for uninspired design.
Second most common I see is the type that conform to the landscape. I really can't comment much on this one, because it depends entirely on the eye of the creator. Done well, this method creates an epic building. Done bad, it's a huge eyesore.
Third most common I see is octagonal, or eight sides. This is one step up from cube, simply because it's just a cube with cut corners. Its non-cubic shape makes it less boring, while it's simplicity insures that internal organization is not too hectic. Essentially it's a fancy cube.
Third most common I see is several spheres and circles. These are a pain to work with, and really don't work out too well because the space inside is really weird. However they do look epic, and in the right hands, can make an astounding structure. While cube hold function over fancy, spheres are the opposite.
The two I don't see very often are hexagons and pentagons. I declined pentagon, because you can't make asymmetrical structures with them. So that left me with hexagon. a decent cross between look and function.
Essentially, I'm bumping my thread, but I don't like bumping without something to add.
Quick update to the castle.
I've been working a lot on the outer wall in the past day. I was the lava pocket to be 8 blocks high, so that's what I've been trying to get both parts of the outer wall up to.
Here's a screenshot of what I have so far. It's a ways from a uniform 8 blocks high, but it's getting there. I also managed to lead some grass from the nearby island into the castle, so now the grass is starting to grow there.
EDIT: Ah, I see, the lava is not going to go down all the way to the water level.
Unless I seal it off with glass so it can light up the water underneath...