Hiya! This might be a simple question but I was just wondering. When building older rustic looking houses and cabins, does symmetry matter a whole lot? I’m basing my building off of a photo and to make it look more realistic, I’ve decided to rotate some parts a little to give it a more run down feel. Will it make my building too shabby or will it be better?
These are three screenshots of the building. It’s nowhere near finished (I haven’t even done the roof yet lol) but I wanted to find out before I completed it just in case it wasn’t right. Also, if you have any tips on how to improve this building I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for reading!
P.S - This is my first topic that I have posted. I’m sorry if I have messed something up or not done something right. I’m pretty nervous to upload this but I would love to get some advice.
I don’t think that symmetry matters when making old buildings, if it’s old, it would be run down and look rustic as you said, they would look broken like so:
(Sorry for watermark)
Old building wouldn’t have symmetry.
EDIT: you also asked for advice, maybe make some parts look as they have fallen off the building? Maybe make some parts rusty with the material? Make something look broken? Also, when I think of old and rusty, I think if scary, maybe add some scary thing? Chasing the background, trees etc. Not trying to sponsor myself, but I asked a question, how to make my map look eerie. The post is here. Maybe if you do concider trying to make it look scary, you can read people’s comments? Good luck on your build! (and yes my build I made in that post is bad, but for a reason)
Buildings have always been symmetric throughout history as there have always been systems of measurement as well as a general school of architecture. For castles, palaces, pyramids, churches, etc., there will no doubt be symmetry. But for medieval houses that were built by peasants without such access to those systems of measurement, there would only be a semblance of symmetry. Although I doubt a peasant would care much about external symmetry when safety is the primary concern.
The best way to discern what you feel is most realistic is by putting yourself in the shoes of whoever – or whatever – would have made your place if it were not created in Roblox. I imagine my rustic, underground burrow as being built by anthropomorphs cats, so I’ve purposely made some bricks disjointed, and some doorways small and uneven. But humans would likely not allow for uneven doors.
In conclusion, therefore, you should go with the purpose of your build. If that is a medieval house, would its builders be concerned about having every aspect of the facades to be symmetrical? Probably not. Would they want beams, columns, and other infrastructural objects to be symmetrical? Yes, or else the building would collapse.
Edit: I just considered this. If you were also referring to beams and walls being straight then they probably wouldn’t be. For all of my medieval builds, I have made walls and wooden beams have a slight curve and that has always made it more realistic. The same goes for steps and stairs which become worn with age, as well as floors. Curviness and ruggedness is very appealing. Picture example – notice the curves in wood, etc.
When you look at images of old builds, of any sorts, they are quite often (although not always) asymmetrical. I personally think that there is an incredible beauty in the shape and structure of old buildings. I have always thought that the lack of symmetry is a great visual asset of older constructions.
Thanks so much for the advice! I’ve checked out your post and I’ve bookmarked so I can go back to it and look at the comments while building to get some tips. Again thanks!
Yeah, I love looking at pictures of really old buildings, they are absolutely beautiful. That’s probably why I mainly build older looking buildings lol. Thanks!
I mean, It also depends on the building type. If it’s Victorian, I think you could get away with a non-symmetrical style. It also depends the use of the building. If it’s gonna be a more commercial style building, it should be symmetrical, but it is a single family cottage you can get away with non-symmetrical. I think the style you are using looks great.
I agree with a lot of the other posts here. It’s important to build like you’re trying to get symmetry but just can’t achieve it. Gravity & time are your two biggest factors to take under consideration when building in this kind of style.
On top of slightly rotating or positioning parts out of place, it’s also important to add ware and fatigue to objects by recoloring them. The Color3 system makes this extremely easy. Take your base color and then lighten and darken random parts just a touch. This’ll help create the worn feel and make your builds a little more realistic and interesting.
Now symmetry makes everything look fine and all, but building something that’s too symmetric makes the build start looking unrealistically symmetrical. Personally, I don’t like anything symmetrical, but I don’t need it curved either.
Saying this, here are a few points you should acknowledge:
A build doesn’t have to be too symmetrical
Try new building styles until you find the best one
Make space for changes
If you follow those steps, you should be good. I highly recommend you read this post on how to organize your builds.
Just remember:
I’m not telling you to purposely move a pillar by .2 studs for no reason or extend the roof by .2 studs. I’m telling you it’s always good to try new things.
The style also matters though. Depending on your style, symmetry may or may not be required.
Example
Hope this helped, and good luck on your adventure.
I think those houses you made look great, and I believe it is all up to personal preference if you want to have them symmetrical or not. However, if you are wanting the houses to be “old” and “abandoned” then I would definitely say if it is all symmetrical then you would just be defeating the point!
The term “old” is much too broad. Something you could have done was organize all the themes/sub-categories of old (e.x.: vintage, Victorian, etc.). While I am reading this topic, I have seen a wide variety of opinions regarding this topic.
Run-down old example:
Old does not necessarily mean “run-down.” Old architecture can still be preserved. Of course, if any form of architecture is run-down, it is obviously asymmetric.
There are tons of more examples when it comes to “old,” but I think this is your best solution:
I also recommend you experimenting yourself, one build with symmetry, and one build with asymmetry.
One thing I can assure you is that you should not purposely make asymmetrical architecture (in this context):
If you still need help, start from the base and work your way up. Basically what I am saying is, start with a default and symmetric build, then customize the detail to your preference:
It ties into preference as well, bu depending on the category of “old” there are different opinions. I personally would experiment with new methods of detail, but I would not make odd asymmetry.
Sorry for replying to the wrong person, it won’t let me reply to the topic.
I’ve checked out your post and I’ve bookmarked so I can go back to it and look at the comments while building to get some tips. Again thanks!
