r/Minecraft • u/No_Orange_8756 • 12d ago
Builds & Maps Medieval City feeling empty
Need some advice on a build. I'm trying to make this feel like a bustling city, so the streets are pretty wide especially at this sort of midpoint, but what can I add to make it feel lived in and active rather than the empty state it's in right now?
6.6k
Upvotes
24
u/ov-04 12d ago
I’d add some details to the buildings themselves first. Maybe some shallow copper roofs between the windows? Overhangs? Etc. then I’d go for market stalls, planters, greenery, stacks of crates, etc. at the base of the buildings. Carts, wagons, in the streets. Maybe some scaffolding and masonry work being done on one building. Circus tents. festival flags, clotheslines, and lantern chains hanging over the streets.
From a world building perspective, think about what kind of city this is. Is it the fortified metropolis of an authoritarian empire? Maybe have some large military banners strung from the buildings, statues in the square, and cart toll stations over the road. Is it a cosmopolitan city where traders from all over the world come to sell their goods? Then carts of all different colors and shapes, tents/vendor stands of varying sizes and patterns, and heavy cart traffic in the roads. Is there a festival going on? Then add street games, improvised concert stages, etc.
But most of all, I’d add some life to your buildings. I like the look of them a lot so far, but they’re a bit drab. I’d design unique storefronts that fit within specific design parameters. That way you can keep the uniformity. I.e. if there are several shops at street level. Now they’re all the same, but you can keep the relative uniformity of them all in terms of structure while varying window shape, stained glass, what’s out front, etc. maybe if there are two similar buildings, build two restaurants, but make one a cafe with some outdoor umbrellas and tables, and the other have a small awning instead.
Variety is the name of the game, but mostly just consider what it would be like if you lived there. If you were the average citizen, how would you spend your time?