I’m primarily discussing the PvE side of this.
PvP bases are their own animal and building a sprawling village is not at all pragmatic. A statement to be certain, perhaps even a challenge, but not exactly sound base design… Unless it is a decoy…
But I have said too much on that matter.
Walls
Given the clarification about Walls, I have no gripes. It seems that a defensive wall that doesn’t significantly extend your land claim or include a massive lawn, it’s fine.
Enough open space for a garden (as in the functional grow aloe, lotus, ect, planters and compost heaps) seems to be compliant as I understand it.
London style gardens rather than Mid-Western U.S. style lawns.
Villages
As I understand it, if each of the buildings is a functional one, in that it has a crafting station in it, with perhaps a modest sleeping quarter for the worker above, it would be fine, so long as it isn’t exploded out so far that it claims a county. Be cozy with the neighbors. Given the large foot print of many advanced crafting stations, those could be moderate baseplate structures.
For taverns, bars, feast halls and the like, they probably would be expected to be modest. But that’s an unrealistic expectation. Brewing and Cooking stations are a thing. As is the thrall pot. Sadly, as we must use a furnace to make bread, and a campfire to cook many ingredients that then go onto the stove to make finished foods (to say nothing of grinders, dryers, and presses) these buildings can be expected to have larger foot prints if they intend to be fully functional. Adding to this, dinner and a movie is important for a healthy exile. Performers remove corruption. Another pragmatic function. Unfortunately, it seems I can no longer put my dancers atop my tables… So they must have at least some dance floor.
Making this building navigable and comprehensive will result in a fairly large footprint.
A Vault housing is going to be cluck off huge, because the Vault is cluck off huge, likewise any Temple or Wheel chambers. Are the chambers necessary? Depends, but in general, yes. In the Exiled Lands weather is a real issue, temperature and sand storms ect…
Then you’ll need a place for your bed (read:spawn point).
Another concern is how close you can place your thralls. If you have a garrison (and a garrison is wise if you expect a purge) you need space to place them and those spaces need to have some opportunities for the garrison to attack invaders. Given how… particular… Thrall archers are, this can involve some creative architecture. At least they don’t jump off walls anymore.
Regardless, in many cases, space can be efficiently used by building up as well, if not moreso, than out. Which is fairly historical for walled city(-state) lay outs. Moreso Middle Ages and Roman than Bronze Age, but still works.
TLDR; The Village is compliant if it isn’t a sprawling urban blight and the buildings are all commercial/residential hybrid rather than just residential is how I understand the matter.
Public Service Structures.
While all building claims land, some structures do so more efficiently. Roads and grand bridges are an issue because they are long claims that offer few public benefits. Let’s be honest, climbing, swimming and riding are fine means of locamotion. Few areas flat enough for roads actually benefit from them in game.
Bridges are another issue. If it’s a bridge high in the jungle connecting two tree house foundations with no pillars or ground based foundation, few are likely to know, much less do anything about it.
But the question of land claim verticality is important. What does this build block, both in terms of resources (and other spawns) as well as building spots? That seems to be the meat of the question.
Basically, is the road/bridge a foundation web with a different name? Even if it was not intended to be so, is it having the same impact?
Actual public service structures, such as Map Rooms don’t have a meandering land claim. They are fairly contained. Building some open to the public structures attached to them there, even a well, seems reasonable. Shelter matters because of previously mentioned issues of weather, temperature, and sandstorms. Having a modest shelter area is a service. Keyword being modest. Perhaps 3x3, possibly with an upper floor, should be plenty. Likewise, the small fountains or wells (not that monster hot tub) may be a good addition to the maproom baseplate.
But even if prima facie the public maproom is allowable, if it’s built in a vexatious location, it ceases to be a public amenity and becomes hostile development.
On this particular I would especially like guidance from our community minders to ensure I’ve got it about right.
