Iconic Areas and Constructive Feedback

Bozrah

ZoS said that constructive feedback is welcome and wanted, so i thought id share something that i feel would make ESO even more enjoyable for myself. (These are my opinions and am in no way speaking for anyone else).
This has to do partly with world design but more on iconic buildings/cities from past Elderscrolls games.
Through my short journey in ESO, I've come across some very beautiful places. Ive also come across some very familiar places as well, but some were not as recognizable as i remember them. I've done some digging around looking for possible explanations for some of the more extensive changes to these areas but have come up short handed.

Example : Gottlesfont Chapel with farm house in background (Oblivion Elderscrolls 4)



Example : Gottlesfont Chapel with farm house but has been moved further back
(Elderscrolls Online Cryodiil)



Gottlesfont Chapel from both Oblivion and Elderscrolls online in the above photos seemed to be very similar in design with some minor changes ie (Size increase to the chapel, first photo has 1 door to the entrance and the 2nd seems to have double doors. Also the interior seems to be much larger in the 2nd photo and has a basement, while the chapel in the first photo is smaller and only has a single floor).
Either way the similarities are VERY close and little seems to have changed in the 800 to 1000 year difference between the 2 games.



Example : Tribunal Temple, (Morrowind Elderscrolls 3)

Mournhold map/ Temple city (Morrowind Elderscrolls 3)


Example: Tribunal Temple, (Elderscrolls Online)

Mournhold map/ no city (Elderscrolls Online)


The photos above showing the Tribunal Temples from both Elderscrolls 3 and Elderscrolls Online look VERY similar (ESO temple obviously looking much more detailed and much grander) but one cant deny how much they look alike.
The other 2 photos showing the maps of both games have NO similarities at ALL.
Elderscrolls 3 city of Mournhold is just wonderful. So many fond memories of this particular place and all the mysteries it held. Godsreach, Temple Couryard, Great Bazaar, the Plaza Brindisi Dorom and of course the things that lurked under this wonderful temple city.
Upon reaching Mournhold in Elderscrolls Online, i didn't recognize anything except the spires which rose above the cities walls (if thats what you'd call them).
Everything seems to be missing from Mournhold except the Tribunal Temple, which seems to sit on a hill the size of a Mountain.

My point here is that while the Gottlesfont Chapels in both games seemed to have stayed true to Elderscrolls, the most important of the 2 ( Mournhold "the city of light and magic") seems to be completely void in Elderscrolls online and what" was" in Elderscrolls 3.

I personally think that incorporating areas that were known in previous Elderscrolls games and keeping them true to there original counterparts is very important to me. If this breaks lore then it is understandable but ive been told by certain people in the Elderscrolls community that things have changed soo drastically because of the 1000 year time difference. The above photos are JUST an example that, that just isn't true.

According to this source : http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Almalexia_(City)
This city predates the dunmer themselves and calls the city "Ancient"
Eldercrolls online, Mournhold doesn't feel like a God of the Tribunal truly inhabits its city walls.

I know ZoS development team has an incredibly large task at hand, trying to tackle a game of this magnitude. Perhaps there team plans on using this one area (among others) as a place holder for a time until things are more under rap but i truly hope they plan to change certain areas such as the mentioned above.

Thank you for listening

BBSooner

Something to keep in mind. Tiber Septim sacks Mournhold in the late 2nd Era. This could warrant the cities redesign from a more naturally flowing city design of growth, to one more planned out and precise - with inner walls and quarters.


Edit to add:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Biography_of_Queen_Barenziah

Volume I, first paragraph:

... Trusting to their vaunted magic, the Dark Elves impudently refused until Tiber Septim's army was on the borders. An Armistice was hastily signed by the now-eager Dunmer, but not before there were several battles, one of which laid waste to Mournhold, now called Almalexia.

Bozrah

BBSooner wrote: »

Something to keep in mind. Tiber Septim sacks Mournhold in the late 2nd Era. This could warrant the cities redesign from a more naturally flowing city design of growth, to one more planned out and precise - with inner walls and quarters.


Edit to add:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Biography_of_Queen_Barenziah

Volume I, first paragraph:

... Trusting to their vaunted magic, the Dark Elves impudently refused until Tiber Septim's army was on the borders. An Armistice was hastily signed by the now-eager Dunmer, but not before there were several battles, one of which laid waste to Mournhold, now called Almalexia.

Thank you for the link I was obviously unaware.

BBSooner

Bozrah wrote: »

BBSooner wrote: »

Something to keep in mind. Tiber Septim sacks Mournhold in the late 2nd Era. This could warrant the cities redesign from a more naturally flowing city design of growth, to one more planned out and precise - with inner walls and quarters.


Edit to add:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Biography_of_Queen_Barenziah

Volume I, first paragraph:

... Trusting to their vaunted magic, the Dark Elves impudently refused until Tiber Septim's army was on the borders. An Armistice was hastily signed by the now-eager Dunmer, but not before there were several battles, one of which laid waste to Mournhold, now called Almalexia.

Thank you for the link I was obviously unaware.

No problem! I'm glad you enjoyed Morrowind enough to remember details like that. It was probably my fave in the series.

Bozrah

BBSooner wrote: »

Bozrah wrote: »

BBSooner wrote: »

Something to keep in mind. Tiber Septim sacks Mournhold in the late 2nd Era. This could warrant the cities redesign from a more naturally flowing city design of growth, to one more planned out and precise - with inner walls and quarters.


Edit to add:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Biography_of_Queen_Barenziah

Volume I, first paragraph:

... Trusting to their vaunted magic, the Dark Elves impudently refused until Tiber Septim's army was on the borders. An Armistice was hastily signed by the now-eager Dunmer, but not before there were several battles, one of which laid waste to Mournhold, now called Almalexia.

Thank you for the link I was obviously unaware.

No problem! I'm glad you enjoyed Morrowind enough to remember details like that. It was probably my fave in the series.

Agreed Well if what you posted is true, i sure hope we see Mournhold in its entirety sometime in the life of this game.

Gidorick

Awesome post! I was thinking as I was reading that the time between the two games (thousands of years) could be the explanation for their difference. Cities grow and change.

IGN did a comparison of Riften about a year ago. It was pretty cool to see. I would love to see a side by side of all the areas of the game. Would be cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae2K7iqx4sk

Bozrah

Thanks for the video Gidorick ^

TheShadowScout

Over 800 years between ESO and the rest of TES games... considering that, its more of a wonder how much remained similar I'd say...

Just look how cities in the real world changed in 800 years. Some a lot, others more... some got destroyed and rebuilt seveal times, others managed to mostly keep their core intact and just added and grew... others were not destroyed, but for some reason became less important and shrunk, some even turned into ghost towns, and eventually vanished until some archeologist dug up their foundations...

Personally I like how ESO keps the style, but has things a little different. And some things, just the same with other tappings...

As for Morrowind... oh, I hope someday they'll make a Vvardenfell DLC, I would dearly love to see my favorite TES area in this ESO age...