[Book spoilers] Winning or losing on locations?

[Northern Soul]

I'm trying to figure out if we're getting a good deal or short-changed on seeing the fortresses/castles of the great castles.

Seeing Pyke, both on the credits map and the exterior during the episode was awesome. Looked perfect.

Harrenhal also looked great, much creepy than I imagined from the books; who'd want that as their seat? (Also, I noticed Harrenhal didn't really 'move' on the credits map - is this to emphasize how moribund the place is?)

But on other areas we're missing out. There's been no external establishing shots of Dragonstone, which seems bizarre as it seems to get described in book world as arguably the most imaginative castle in the story so far, not just another holdfast.

Also, have Riverrun and Storm's End basically been cut out of the show completely? I feel these locations are important not just to convey to the audience where characters are - e.g, Riverrun = rivers = ahh, yes Robb is somewhere around the riverlands - but also for plot reasons. E.g why is Stannis at Stirm's End if there's no Storm's End?

I understand there are visual effect limitations, but if we're going to see places we really should get externals for context?

[sarahstitcher]

I agree that it's beginning to be a little confusing... The opening credits have done a *great* job in the past, at showing us the overall landscape, and where the specific places shown in the story are, in relation to each other. There has been enough of a match between the opening sequence and the look of the sites in the actual scenes, to have some idea of "oh, this is where we are now". But more recently, it does seem like they've omitted places from the opening sequence that it would be nice to get a better sense of... especially since there are multiple army-encampments, and the establishing shots in the scenes don't tell you at first glance which one it is. No big banners or color schemes to make a quick ID.

I hope I'm not out of line posting to this early-episode thread, after watching up to episode 7. It seems like in this last episode and the one before, I've had more than one "which camp is this? and where abouts is it?" moments.