"Martian Cities/Ruins: How Would YOU Imagine Them???" Topic

A twist on an older topic . . .

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QUESTION:

IF we sent humans to Mars and found remnants of cities, what do you think those cities would have looked like in their prime?

Would it be anything like this?

picture

Or . . . how do you imagine their ruins would look like?

CC

I always liked Frazetta's view of Mars:
io.com.ua/58098p
io.com.ua/58043

I always envision Martian dwellings as more utilitarian. Given it's a desert environment, I'm thinking cliffside dwellings, like the Pueblo. They don't have much rain, but do have to protect against sand. Roofs sloped to catch water, few if any windows. Walls in front of doorways (like public restrooms in rest stops) to help keep the wind from blowing in sand.

More advanced Martians might construct large ziggurats or other buildings designed to house a number of people and businesses under a single sand-free roof.

I would look at Egyptian ruins.

I have always thought of them as decrepit desert dwellings much akin to North African or Mexican adobe ruins. I can envision 8 story estates with once higher towers crumbling into the harsh red sands.

I have to go with the adobes too – but in red though.

No matter how I invision them in My mind they never end up looking that way when I'm done constructing them.

Perhaps like the Palaces and walled cites of the Magul princes and kings of India?

I sort of picture them as a collection of large domes, albeit with a circular hole in the top similiar to igloos.
Helps retain the thinner atmosphere and reduce moisture loss like the small plastic terrariums and planters in the pet stores.

It should also allow water collection via condensation along the inside of the dome and routed to drip tubes for collection. (no idea if it would work, that's just how I picture them)

The individual houses and building might be domes or rounded huts. I just can't imagine straight walls anywhere and picture them using round walls and arcs for increased strength and resistance to sand storms.

I'm pretty sure I posted these a while ago but here's what I ended up with for Marian buildings.

link

Dang, Skrapwelder! Nice stuff!

To Scrapwelder

Thank you for the link,the scenario sounds great fun and the table looks fantastic.

Well done.

Tony
dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com

Moondragon do some circular buildings which come in interchangeable sections. I use them as Orc village houses, but they might work for humanoid Martians.

Depends,

Here is a picture of a modern desert city:

picture

I would expect the martian culture to have peaked before the disappearnce of surface water on Mars. So I would not expect to see all the ruined cities having features designed to maximize water conservation or minimize the effects desert conditions.

Careful, Terrement. Someone will be along to remind us that it's not real any minute now… :-)

That's ok, I've got a brace of my most skilled padwars lying in wait, their radium pistols cocked and loaded and swords at hand.

Perhaps structures built into the sides of narrow valleys like Mesa Verde, or carved into cliffs like Petra; I prefer the Frazzeta style domes & towers with aerial walkways, though.

Personally, I always liked Gil Kane's artwork in the old Marvel Comics version of John Carter…which also look a lot like his ruined buildings from Starhawks…and those look a lot like his ruined buildings in Green Lantern and the Atom…and none of them look very terrestrial to me.

Failing that, Carmine Infantino drew some very nice alien cityscapes (ruined and otherwise) in Adam Strange.

Skrapwelder,

Nice stuff; I've got a few questions if you will.

First, how did you make the adobe buildings? I'm thinking foamcore or corrigated cardboard with a with durham's water putty for texture.

Second, I'm doing some miniature picture/illustrations for my Role Playing Game: Dead Earth Saga (it's been mentioned on the site several times) and I'm using photos and a few paintings of mine to provide a visual world to the people who download it (it is free and will stay that way.) Basically I'm asking permission to use your photos and to photoshop them to enhance them. I will, of course provide a link to your site. PM me if you don't want to answer here. No response, I'll take as a no.

M.

keithbvaughn@yahoo.com

Thanks guys. The buildings are resin cast wall sections from Arnica Montana adobe buildings. I just sanded a slight pitch into the walls and made a few odd roof pieces.

Mugwump, I sent you an e-mail about pics and such.

Thanks again,

Mike

Here are acouple of preliminary buildings I made for a 15mm martian game I made a few more but tabled the project do to a lack of intrest by my gaming chums. I picture martian architecture to be all round and ovals with towers and domes
link Check out my base catalogue while you are there.

I agree with TheMackster.

I see Martian cites built out of giant fossil corals.

Search for Cydonia Enterprise mission its thought provoking at a minimum.