Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: Jase on March 04, 2013, 08:36:19 AM
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For my Zorro/Alamo/Old West/Mexico games I want to build a small village (skirmish size as I will most likely be using the Pulp Alley rules). However, I want my buildings to have a function rather than just table fillers. For that reason I'm compiling a list of buildings that can be found in a typical village:
- Church
- Cantina
- Barracks
- Prison
- Nobleman's House
- Market/Vendors (what kind of vendors?)
- Well
- Stables/Corral
- Cacti
- ?
But what else could be found in such a village? Granaries/Warehouses? I reckon that farmers would live outside the village on their farms near their fields and not in the village itself.
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Actual houses for people to live in.
Town well
Cemetary
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Cemetery is a good one.
What kind of people would live in such a village? I take it they have some sort of business there otherwise they wouldn't be living there, right?
Or shouldn't I bother with such trivialities and just build some houses :)
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with prison and barracks You are desribing a small town already or a lively garrisoned outpost.
Farmers would not live in the village/town, but outside, yes
as would the hacienda of a nobleman be
if You seriously want a "lived in" settlement and not a gaming "soundstage" some basic research into the social structure of the period and setting would be necessary.
Alternatively, watching "the magnificent seven" might also be a good approach
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Even in rural Mexico you might have a small post-office of such. I'm not sure how their system worked though. Perhaps a bridge over a dry river-bed (simply called as 'wash' in western-lingo).
The reality is that a small town would be just that - a very small town. You have already listed enough for a rather decent sized town. A vendor's market would be very suitable; the local farmers bringing in their goods etc.
Many towns would have sprung up around a resource - namely a crossroads, or a water source. A well would have been quite important. A garrison would have brought a number of local support buildings etc. If a garrison comes to town, you'd surely have a large cantina, etc.
Perhaps a small outpost to guard a vital river crossing or mountain pass entrance etc.
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Field trip: http://www.yelp.com/biz/colonial-spanish-village-st-augustine
Another: http://explorenm.blogspot.com/2010/07/spanish-colonial-village-el-rancho-de.html
http://www.golondrinas.org/
http://golondrinas.org/Museum_Info/Museum_Map/index.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-58878578/stock-photo-view-of-an-old-spanish-colonial-village-at-rancho-de-las-golondrinas-a-living-history-museum-at.html
A little modernised - http://www.adobenido.com/blog/2009/albuquerque/villanueva-nm-spanish-colonial-village-and-beautiful-setting-for-a-new-mexico-state-park/
Maybe something here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmperez/1105342828/in/set-72157601416754457/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_the_Indies
Scroll down to Artist Conception of Kuaua Pueblo in 1500 - http://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/parks/veterans-memorial-park/documents/COLONIALNEWMEXICO_Final.pdf
Historicpensacola.org has a PDF document "PlanC" that discusses Colonial Pensacola 1781-1821 that may contain information useful to your planning.
Somewhat depends on when/where you place you village as to the influences that would affect the "city plan map" of your games.
Gracias,
Glenn
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Awesome!!! :-*
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Here is a photo of my Zorro game from last years BLAM:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/12/86_05_03_13_11_12_55_0.jpg)
And a link to the thread with more pictures:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=47588.0
I think most of what is needed is there; church, cantina, merchants houses, peasant huts, governors palace etc.
You can mix in some thatched peasant jacales on the outskirts of town and perhaps a corral or two.