Mycenian Cities: Preview and Question

I started making a single era city style for Mycenian Cities (= early greek cities). This was primarily suggested for use in mythological or historical scenarios about bronze age with one (ore more) civilization(s) situated at eastern mediterran sea. For example in any "Troian War" scenario.

But there seems to be (may be?) a little "problem": The cites look walled, even they aren't. This is becouse Mycenian Cities without that cyclopic walls never will look mycenian. Well, what do you think, will this be a problem for you if playing such a mod, or will it be fine as long the walled version will look different?

Preview shows unwalled versions in size 1-3.

As long as size one looks unwalled it should be ok, I think.
I think they looks good.

Very good work !!!!!

Finish it asap

These absolutely RULE!!!

Oh man...
These are just wonderful

I agree; these look wonderful.

Although the cyclopean walls look too much like they came out of that old sci-fi french cartoon Ulysse

The walls look good on the city. Perhaps you could change the upgrade from "Walls" to "Gates." Walls were pretty standard on Mycenaean towns, but special, elaborate gates (like the famous Lion Gate at Mycenae or the mythical Scaean Gate at Troy) would be a good upgrade. The Lion Gate at Mycenae is not only visually impressive, it is also a great defensive position. It includes a turn so that anyone approaching the gate is flanked on three sides from the walls above.

One should note that in Greece and Rome the wall is what defines the city. A place is nothing without walls in the Greek or Roman conception (at least early on). Villages do not have walls, but an independent polis (city state) does. Romulus killed his brother Remus for jumping over the unfinished walls of Rome because it insulted the city - not because it insulted him. The walls of the Athenian Acropolis were derived from the old Mycenaean walls (Athens was one of the few Mycenaean cities to survive unconquered through the Greek Dark Ages). The Athenians derived great pride in this fact that their walls had never been conquered - which is why it was so meaningful when they left Athens in 480 BC and when to the island of Salamis - putting their trust in the "wall of wood" (their triremes) instead of their city walls.

In his commentaries, Pausanias, an ancient traveler and writer, notes that "Of Babylon that was the greatest city of its time under the sun nothing remains but the wall. The case of Tiryns in the Argolid is the same. These places have been reduced by heaven to nothing." The city lived on even though it was uninhabited - because the walls represent the city.

So, I think that all but the most humble Mycenaean "towns" should have walls. If you want an upgrade - make it city gates.

charlesolmsted said:

So, I think that all but the most humble Mycenaean "towns" should have walls. If you want an upgrade - make it city gates.

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Well, I wanted to use the gates for the "walled" version. Actually I'm not sure, if I should use the smallest size for walled city or the second one. The first size with walls may looking not different enough from - technical - unwalled second version. The second size city with additional walls and gate may look to ... big, I'm afraid.

Finaly it's a little hard to make the gates recognisable in that scale and this Civ-style. Making it in "Civ-style" means not, make looking things real, it means making it looking clear and "typical". The gates themself are nearly impossible to make identifiable - they are only a hole in the wall. So I may have to add some parts of the flanking walls. Not sure how/if this will work.

charlesolmsted said:

Although the cyclopean walls look too much like they came out of that old sci-fi french cartoon Ulysse

Click to expand...

Do they? I don't know that french cartoon, so I don't know if it is good or bad. But isn't Ulysse french for Odysseus? If so, then it is fine to me, becouse Odysseus was mykenian, like some classical scholars say.

Your cities look top notch Arne !


btw Ulysse 31 was one of the best cartoons ever !
I didn't know he was on Greek Tv too

Yes it was, it was one of my favourites! i grew up with such stuff... Oh the nostalgia...

Certainly his cities are very impressive

I realize that I forgot to add that I think these cities look great as well. I studied Classical History in college, so the culture of the Homeric Era is something I know a decent amount about. Not only do they look good as Civilization cities, they also look like miniature versions of Homeric towns (as reconstructed by archaeologists. If they look like something from a cartoon, it is only because the drawers of the cartoon knew what they should look like. Keep up the good work.

Do people want cities to have buildings seen from different perspectives? (spelling?) Since Arne's cities really do look wonderfull, i was wondering if using only the typical civ3 perspective is pretty much a dead idea (since that is what i use in my graphics)

varwnos said:

Do people want cities to have buildings seen from different perspectives? (spelling?) Since Arne's cities really do look wonderfull, i was wondering if using only the typical civ3 perspective is pretty much a dead idea (since that is what i use in my graphics)

Click to expand...

When I posted my british cities, quite everybody told me the perspective was strange. After seing it in game ( I posted a picture ), some of them said it was a good idea. Well... "les goûts et les couleurs"...

Beautifully done, Arne!! They are clearly bronze age cities even at a brief glance. Great job!

Thank you all for commenting this.

varwnos said:

Do people want cities to have buildings seen from different perspectives? (spelling?) Since Arne's cities really do look wonderfull, i was wondering if using only the typical civ3 perspective is pretty much a dead idea (since that is what i use in my graphics)

Click to expand...

Well... what exactly do you mean with different perspective? My cities are basically in Civs perspective, I think. The angles inside the gfx (especaly the angle of the wall) are/is different, but it is not the angle of view, it's the angle of the walls inside the city. This is becouse rectangular walls never will look mycenian. So it may look like different perspektive?

I always try to make them that way, so anyone can mix this city styles with all original or edited styles he like. This is also one reason for taking the original civ city style for some kind of "standard" for use at all city styles made Gfx makers. That way it is much easyer to use edited and original styles in one scenario without goin looking strange. But thats only my opinion.


However I made a walled version now. Please look at attachement. Colour corrections and such aren't done jet, but you will get the ponit.

What do you think now? I think, this walled version is looking again more "mycenian" that the "older" cities. So I'm not sure, if this nice version should "only" be used for walled versions... I would prefere using this for unwalled syle and make another walled. But then I don't know, how walled version should look like. Need ideas, please.

I think it looks good, and I think that the angle is correct...

Looks very nice.

Arne can you tell me where to get those trees?

And is that a Ivory resource there in the trees? Pretty nice, I'd like to know where I could find that....


Oh, and the cities look cool too