Spotlight on Design 15 – Docks

Docks and ports are not set buildings in Stronghold; the only way that they can be created is by pure manipulation of the editor functions. They can be very admirable pieces of eye candy and are an excellent addition to any coastal scene. Below are various screenshots of harbours from small piers to grand ports:


The hidden away dock area in Smugglers Cove by Sulis is made from a mixture of lowered walls and the stockpile. Using the stockpile as a docking area is a common way of having docks, implying that the goods on the stockpile came by boat. The dock created by Sulis is made more effective by using different height levels of stockpile and walls but also by using rocks and stones to give his harbour a very natural feel.


UnikUnok has come up with a much more fixed dock setup with his map, The Cumberland Downs. As with Sulis however he uses lowered stone walls with stockpiles and a beautifully crafted boat is anchored in the dock; a grand staircase leads the way from dock to castle.


In Conquest V by NAT this coastal village has been sheltered by a sea wall to keep winter storms at bay! This addition to the coastline is a realistic depiction and is just another option to explore when developing your own docks.


The next three screenshots are all from Scourge of Darkness Chapter I and Chapter II by Warlord Designs. They show amazing creativity with the editor tools to make fantastic looking docks and harbours, big and small.

This screenshot shows a more modest little dock with a boat pulled up alongside it but this dock is still very effective especially with the addition of wood as well as stone. Here the stone walls have been lowered all the way to the ground which makes them sit perfectly alongside the surrounding rocks.


This is a lovely scene showing a coastal wall and small harbour made from palistone walls (both wood and stone). This is a fabulous effect and blends in perfectly with the sea and countryside.


Again Warlord Designs shows how a harbour wall can be turned into something much more glamorous, the huge palistone towers look amazing guarding the harbour from any intruders.


The final screenshot is an incredible scene from the LOTR map pack. It just shows how advanced and intricate docks can be made to look if one puts their mind to it!


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~NAT