While I can't discuss specifics I would love to hear anything you guys have to say about potential inclusions in this set. I frequent the wishlists often but let's jam some ideas here to keep things fresh

In addition to the obious walls, towers, gatehouse etc, I would love to see an updated Mainhouse and some more buildings (jail, Inn, etc) that can be used outside of CWU.

My biggest concern is simply that you keep the buildings from ending up as big boxes. Given the size of castle walls and such, it seems that paper model castles often wind up as simply being a handful of page-sized flat pieces glued together to make a bunch of connectable boxes. Such pieces REALLY show the limits of paper modeling, because they just look too darn flat.

So I'd suggest doing all you can to minimize "flatness." 3D decorations (such as heraldry shields and banners) for the walls and such are a definitely help, as would be having a 3D contour to the crenelations. Etc, etc, of course.

The other thing I'm really looking forward to is real modularity. Interior buildings (which there should be several of) should be designed with a modularity like Villageworks has. Oh, and specifically being designed to support IW C&K being built inside the buildings would be a plus.

As loathe as I am to link to the SCA, the website at: http://www.inlandregion.org/SCA/misc/castle-parts.html is a pretty solid list of castle elements that pretty much should definitely be included.

Also, to really help RPGers get into this set, I'd suggest adding some palatial elements, such as some real courtyard decorations.

Edit: Oh, and a working gatehouse would be a bonus, with both doors and portcullis. And a real lattice portcullis would be great.

45 degree Angled wall sections

Stair towers

Half towers for the walls (Towers that only have a front, facing ot, with no back,)

Kitchens

Hoardings (wooden additions to the tops of the walls and towers, as castle became home many of these became permanent.)

Watergate (sans Nixon)

Well

Chapel

Stables

Barbican

Bartizan (those small, overhanging turrets that stick out from the corners of some castles)

Cannon loops and emplacements for later period castles

Arrow loops for older castles.

Garderobe (Outhouse built into the wall of the castle, dropping down the wall.. Source of the word 'wardrobe', they used to think the smell kept moths away...)

Plinths. (The angled bits on the bottom of walls so that stones dropped down from the curtain walls bounce outward.)

Interior Works: Castles & Keeps compatibility.

The Auld Grump

Can I toss out a repeat of one thing TheAuldGrump said.

Hoardings!


With that said, a few other thoughts:

Variable wall heights are great...but the "default" height definately needs to match up with CastleWorks Classic...because that's the height the Siegeworks Siege Tower was built to. Siege tower should match up with castle wall.

If possible, smaller catapults and include a ballista. Not everyone's in the cannon age in their games.

A few things off the top of my head that I don't think I've mentioned yet:

Cauldrons for boiling oil.

Stacks of various weapons, especially missle weapons.

Damage transparencies ala The Maiden.

Sloped walls for cities on hills, and gradual ramps for streets and such. Of course, that means that you need the hills, too.

Rope ladders/knotted ropes.


Hmm. Had something else in my brain, but it flew away.

Everthing on previous posts, especially round or octagonal towers to vary the shape of the castle.

Variable height walls for multiple lines of defense like Carcassone and Constantinople.

Flat roofed interior buildings a la Krak des Chevaliers

Stiffer crenellations than on Castleworks, coloured on inside, perhaps folded double?

Stiffer walls, perhaps double thickness like Superquick model railway buildings in the U.K.

Wide bases for the walls to give them stability.

Some method of joining different elements temporarily to make a rigid structure.

Towers without preprinted doors plus separate doors and windows to stick wherever needed.

Arches for cloisters, etc.

Love your models! Great artwork, even on the early stuff.

Maiden is incredible! Not my period but just had to buy it anyway.

- Optional 3D crenellations, for the masochist modelers (we know you're out there!)

- Some Helm's Deep-like architectural features - seems to be a popular model for DIY model builders.

- Keep (or "donjon"), to be used as part of a larger concentric castle, or simple as a freestanding reinforced manor house.

- Optional roofs for the towers


And a few more that were already brought up, but bear repeating:

- Functional drawbridge and portcullis

- Round and octagonal towers

- Moat (perhaps with some transparency "water")

- Chapel with stained glass windows

- Towers and walls without preprinted windows, doors or arrow loops, plus stick-on versions of the windows, doors and arrow loops!

Nevermind my call for smaller catapults and ballista...it sounds like they're winding up in SiegeWorks after all (though a repeat of those elements might not hurt).


As for a Moat...I'm thrilled to see what Denny could cook up on this, but for those who might want something sooner, a SiegeWorks trench can be cut in half up the middle, and have your personal favorite variety of water inserted. My personal favorites:

1) Gothic "blue" sewer water. For a really "fancy" castle, just use the straight lines by themselves and never mind the trenches.

2) Arena "water match" water. Best for wide moats where you can use the full 7" wide section...just cut the half inch off of the top and bottom, and fit it to the 6" wide trench segment. A good "3d" feel.

3) SeaWorks: Skull Cove "sargasso" ocean tile. Great for your plant-overgrown moats with lots of "junk" in them.

4) SeaWorks: Maiden "open ocean" tile. Calm, rippling, pure water. What more can you ask for?

All incredible feedback you guys! I really appreciate it. I will be referring to this thread often in the next few weeks so PLEASE keep up the idea jam

I would have said all that except I got scared off by those big words.

I agree with the red leaf guy.

If we're really talking about CastleWorks "Ultimate" then at some point some of us will need a "mad scientist accessory pack" (Victorian through Sci Fi) for it. Its in the contract of nearly every successful evil genius to set up his/her lab in a castle, a facility which many aliens also find accommodating...

Ok...now I'm in for it...I'm opening the "big" can of worms.

If there's any way possible, I would like to see every aspect of CWU done in (at least) three different styles. I'm not too big on the "Elven" or "Dwarven" looks, as those would require entirely different designs...but I would like to see the same models with three different styles of stonework, woodwork, etc. mapped onto them.

A standard "normal" grey-stone castle.
A "archtypical good" white-washed good-guy castle.
A "archtypical evil" half-melted, skull-studded, dark evil-guy castle (think what the outside of DungeonWorks: Gothic would look like).

And, as previously mentioned, ruined versions thereof of all three.

And what about the moat? Dirty green water ala the sewers of Gothic Realms, the clear water with fish (pirannas, maybe) of Skull Cove, or something in between.