Ooc: This Bloody Road

[Ned Lud 1260]

((I'm making some headway in the construction of the road from the Cloud Temple to the War Uzg. I need some opinions though.

Desert Road A; this is my design and the one that I used for most of the roads around the War Uzg.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg560/scaled.php?server=560&filename=20120302113835.png&res=medium

Desert Road B; Mogroka started this one with stone brick and I actually didn't notice until I was half way done with the other one. I want to choose one or the other and I'm leaning more towards this one, which is why I filled the rest in with conglomerate.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg13/scaled.php?server=13&filename=20120302114227.png&res=medium

Grasslands Road; just for comparison of the style. I'm pretty content with this, although I still need to sprinkle some more random blocks in to make it look more natural. This cuts through the entire grassland and the style continues through the small patch of taiga, except that I added pillars in the taiga so that it can still be found once it snows over.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg39/scaled.php?server=39&filename=20120302114035.png&res=medium

The reason I'm leaning towards Desert Road B, is because it flows with the other roads. I still feel that something's missing though, or that it looks a little off. The stone clashes with the sand, so I need some opinions. What do y'all like, what should be sprinkled in to make it better.

Also, Jutra suggested that the roads be much more obscure/nonexistent and that we put pumpkins on spikes to simulate heads that you can follow to and from. The reason I'm keeping most of this road neutral is because it's on contested land and I want it to be longer lasting to be used by anyone that settles here. But maybe heads on spikes with no actual road is an option for land that we control. Also roads help to justify the transport of merchant wagons and war machines.

Let me know what you think. This is sort've an OOC project that the server needs, so I'm treating it as an OOC discussion for the sake of getting it done already. Players are still getting lost and starving to death, so I just want to throw this thing down.))

[Blawharag 277]

I support Jutra's idea for the entire length of the road. From an Orcish perspective, an Orc should know enough to be able to get around the wilderness without the comfort of a road, so heads on spikes serve as a guide and a warning both. Take over contested territory and remove those, well that gives us incentive to take it back. Wagon merchants? If you wish to trade with us, you had better be strong enough to get your goods to us without a road. War machines are traditionally built on sight, rarely are they actually transported from one location to the next, save for maybe the smaller weapons.

For the above reason, I also support Desert Road A, because it seems more natural and less road, which is what I think is good for the Orcs. But heck, this is just my opinion.

Also, it is very badass to have to follow corpses to have to find the Orc capital.

[Ned Lud 1260]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll leave this up for a few days and think it over.

[Noahjam325 53]

I basically agree with Blawharag. The corpses idea is really good, and I like the desert idea. I like Sandstone on the default Minecraft texture because it literally looks like we made the road just by traveling it so many times. Like how real roads started.

[Petyr 485]

Orcs obviously value honor, strength, and the art of war, but I feel like a whole road of pumpkin corpse heads would be a bit too cruel and bloody looking for my conception of the orcs. Sure, maybe put one or two at the beginning, but I think the road should be as Noahjam said, a path that has been worn in from the travels of other orcs.

[Noahjam325 53]

If it was possible (it might be?) I might even say just have it be a dirt block road through the grassy areas. I mean dirt blocks that don't have grass on them (and can't grow grass). Most of the area is grass-dirt so it would be pretty easy to make out, and give it that "old school" road feel. But I don't know if it is possible to stop a dirt block from growing grass.

[Petyr 485]

You could use farm land, perhaps.

[Austin 697]

(Just want to note, we have like 6 stacks of gravel, so we could always incorporate that. I like road B to.

[_pok_ 1768]

I personally would enjoy road B the most. However, I believe, like Gragarn said, that the road should definitely look as if it has been worn down by years of Orcs walking down the roads carrying heavy weapons, armor, and whatnot.

Although, the whole corpses and head on a stick deal works for me too.

[Austin 697]

I personally would enjoy road B the most. However, I believe, like Gragarn said, that the road should definitely look as if it has been worn down by years of Orcs walking down the roads carrying heavy weapons, armor, and whatnot.

Although, the whole corpses and head on a stick deal works for me too.

The corpse has to be a elf, distinctively says ELF

[_pok_ 1768]

The corpse has to be a elf, distinctively says ELF

Yup, who would waste Halfling meat on the road anyway?

[Blawharag 277]

Probably the "worn road" look and feel with the bodies on pikes lining along the road to act as a constant reminder. Perhaps every 100 or so blocks.

[_pok_ 1768]

Probably the "worn road" look and feel with the bodies on pikes lining along the road to act as a constant reminder. Perhaps every 100 or so blocks.

I like that a lot, I'd help build it too if needed. It would serve as a reminder that only the strong survive in the War Uzg and that if you are to survive, you better grow a pair.

[DecoLamb 959]

What about the old style feel of a worn path, via dirt, gravel, and cracked up or mossy stones. It should look mixed in some spots, like near where camps are, or ruins, and neutral areas.

Theres a couple new block types coming, id love to see them umplementes somehow as well. Maybe pillars of the carved stone that rply has orcish style 'cave' paintings to help point the way or serve as warnings to any weaklings that might be foolish enough to enter orc land.

[Ned Lud 1260]

Thanks for the feedback so far. One of the things I liked about the basic sandstone road was that it was low-impact and sort've blended with sand as a natural, worn path. I like the idea of the pumpkins, but don't think there need to be too many, at least not every 10 blocks or anything like that.

So for the desert portion, the rough consensus seems to be simple sandstone road with the occasional head on a spike, every 100 blocks or so, depending on how it looks when we actually throw it down.

As for the grasslands, I was limited on gravel at the time, but have since acquired a ton of it and recently found a lesser known are that I'll be able to get a ton more. Dirt is impossible to keep as dirt, unless you totally box it in from every side with another type of block. Farmland would look silly. Gravel would probably be the best bet for a natural looking wear and tear. I personally like the style that's there now, although maybe with a bit more conglomerate. It was styled after the road that ran north of Oren through the pine forest, which was always a favorite of mine. But maybe for the sake of simplicity and orcish theme, we just do the grasslands in gravel similar to the sandstone and pepper in some skulls there as well.

Thoughts? Trying to meet in the middle here. For now I'm gathering gravel.