I've always been fascinated by historical examples of centrally planned cities, and there's one in particular that already feels designed for a video game. It's well documented, thoroughly researched and a very reasonable size for a 1:1 scale recreation (2 km in diameter). I'm genuinely amazed that Assassin's Creed hasn't done this yet.
Let me introduce you to the Round City of Baghdad, constructed in 762-766 by the Abbasid Caliphate after overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyads conquered most of the Mediterranean and went as far east as modern day Pakistan, which resulted in a hugely multicultural Islamic empire under Arab leadership. The power structure was highly preferential towards Arabs, which played a key role in the revolution and this era of Baghdad.
The Abbasid Revolution represented a major power shift away from Arab-dominant rule, so Caliph Almansur wanted to move the capital away from Mecca. Baghdad had existed there for centuries as a market town (even mentioned by Hammurabi), was much closer to their power base in Persia and was a great trading hub for existing routes. The gates of the city are even named after the cities they lead to.
It was planned as a set of concentric circles with multiple defensive walls, layers of residential and commercial districts, and a huge palace grounds at the center. The city core acted as a cultural, religious and academic hub, and the city itself as the Caliph's seat of power.
The city grew rapidly, with enormous suburbs chopped up by a dense network of canals. The walls became obsolete and were taken down in less than a century, and the city likely exceeded a million inhabitants around 200 years after the Round City was built.
How could this be used in a game?
What are some cities you think would be amazing in games?
Let me introduce you to the Round City of Baghdad, constructed in 762-766 by the Abbasid Caliphate after overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyads conquered most of the Mediterranean and went as far east as modern day Pakistan, which resulted in a hugely multicultural Islamic empire under Arab leadership. The power structure was highly preferential towards Arabs, which played a key role in the revolution and this era of Baghdad.
The Abbasid Revolution represented a major power shift away from Arab-dominant rule, so Caliph Almansur wanted to move the capital away from Mecca. Baghdad had existed there for centuries as a market town (even mentioned by Hammurabi), was much closer to their power base in Persia and was a great trading hub for existing routes. The gates of the city are even named after the cities they lead to.
It was planned as a set of concentric circles with multiple defensive walls, layers of residential and commercial districts, and a huge palace grounds at the center. The city core acted as a cultural, religious and academic hub, and the city itself as the Caliph's seat of power.
The city grew rapidly, with enormous suburbs chopped up by a dense network of canals. The walls became obsolete and were taken down in less than a century, and the city likely exceeded a million inhabitants around 200 years after the Round City was built.
How could this be used in a game?
- It's would make an awesome hub: the size, layout and segmentation already feel a lot like an RPG or open world city, plus the cool almost fantastical design, and the historical context adds another layer to it
- It would make an awesome base: in terms of siege warfare, this is an absolutely fascinating (and extremely effective) defensive design for an RTS or Mount and Blade style game.
- The rapid growth/change has amazing design opportunities: besides offering designers more flexibility (e.g. in size and urban makeup), it would also be an incredible if an ambitious developer wanted to try making an evolving city
What are some cities you think would be amazing in games?
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