Summerset architecture.

WhiteCoatSyndrome

@VerboseQuips Oh wow. And I can definitely see the Altmer having that level of patience!

SkillzMFG

psychotrip wrote: »

When will ES fans just call a retcon a retcon? I’ve been watching this song and dance go on for years.

Sure, everything in ES is open for interpretation. That doesn’t change the fact that Zenimax chose to go with the most boring interpretation possible.

The most magically advanced race in Tamriel, with the oldest continuous civilization, closest to the aldmer in every way possible....and it’s just a bunch of medieval castles. Jesus Christ.

I’m just sick of them throwing their most creative ideas in the garbage. Even ESO had some amazing ideas for altmer that they invented and then threw away.

Remember that awesome datamine about mainland Summerset when the game launched? Where are the varlines? The discarnates and aquiferi that tend the land? The giant orrery that powers the island?


Seeing them invent something so cool, then toss it all in favor of something derivative, within the span of the same game, is like a microcosm of everything wrong with this series.

I’ve just had enough if the bait and switch. They’re so unwilling to follow through with their ideas it’s infuriating. This is like Cyrodiil 2.0 for me, except at least I started with Oblivion so I had no idea what I was missing until years later.

Enslaved wrote: »

So, crystal tower is actually made of rock. What else will be off, I wonder.

This is actually hilarious to me, because it says so much about Zenimax’s design philosophy. When in doubt, make it gray stone. No. Matter. What.

Everstorm wrote: »

I'm a bit confused by the many broken pillars and other ruins I saw. If they cling so hard to the past and are such great artisans wouldn't they keep everything well maintained and repair asap when needed?

Because worldbuilding is hard, and it’s easy to make something look old and lived-in by making it look ruined. We need to stop trying to logic our way out of these situations with lore. There is no internal consistency in this series anymore.

Menelaos wrote: »

It's not only from a lore or ingame persepctive, mind you. It's also what ZOS feels the pinnacle of Elven culture on Nirn (at least in 2E 583) should look like. Rich said something like "Everything the do, they do best. Because they can and because they had the time to do it."

I think that's where folks find it over- or underwhelming. Something like 5.000 years (give and take) of evolving architecture looks like... this?

Can't blame folks who say "no" to it, although I find it okayish in most parts.

Yup. If this is the best they can possibly build their society, then I was an idiot to ever like the altmer. Turns out they’re just a bunch of incompetent hypocrites who are barely more advanced than the imperials.

You just perfectly described the Altmer race lol!

VerboseQuips

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

psychotrip wrote: »

grizzledcroc wrote: »

Whenever they do there lore question stream this should be asked heavily .

You and I both know they'll ignore us.

This very much, but it's worth trying anyway.

I wish they'd still be doing Loremaster's Archives.

WhiteCoatSyndrome

VerboseQuips wrote: »

I wish they'd still be doing Loremaster's Archives.

That makes two of us.

SexualCabbage

I think we just got catfished. Everyone wanted Summerset but we got Rivenspire with an instagram filter instead.

TelvanniWizard

XomRhoK wrote: »

Faulgor wrote: »

Thinking a bit more about it, I think the most fitting material for Altmer that has these shining, rainbow-like qualities is not glass or crystal or gold, but nacre/mother of pearl.
It's much more subdued, and fits the marine culture of the Altmer perfectly. Nacre mosaics are also pretty common in our world, so it shouldn't have been too strange for ZOS to think of.

To @Faulgor

This is really awesome!. Looks great, even with these european/altmer buildings. The best recolor I´ve seen here so far!

GrantTheGriffon

XomRhoK wrote: »

Faulgor wrote: »

Thinking a bit more about it, I think the most fitting material for Altmer that has these shining, rainbow-like qualities is not glass or crystal or gold, but nacre/mother of pearl.
It's much more subdued, and fits the marine culture of the Altmer perfectly. Nacre mosaics are also pretty common in our world, so it shouldn't have been too strange for ZOS to think of.

To @Faulgor

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_Lawrence_Schick these minor adjustments make huge leaps to improving the expectations we're all attempting to express and demonstrate. Please listen to all of the feedback, suggestions and proposed improvements in this thread.

The architecture of Alinor etc. is beautiful but at the very least minor changes/adjustments are desperately needed to meet players expectations of Summerset. Changing the roof tiles to a different texture or colour e.g. the opal like reflections demonstrated above helps to correlate the High Elves proximity to the sea (shells, coral etc.).

Given Summerset hasn't been opened up to much wider beta testing yet I truly think the art team or whoever is responsible needs to take all of this into consideration prior to Summersets release.

Could you please pass this feedback along to the art team and world builders?

crjs1

GrantTheGriffon wrote: »

XomRhoK wrote: »

Faulgor wrote: »

Thinking a bit more about it, I think the most fitting material for Altmer that has these shining, rainbow-like qualities is not glass or crystal or gold, but nacre/mother of pearl.
It's much more subdued, and fits the marine culture of the Altmer perfectly. Nacre mosaics are also pretty common in our world, so it shouldn't have been too strange for ZOS to think of.

To @Faulgor

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_Lawrence_Schick these minor adjustments make huge leaps to improving the expectations we're all attempting to express and demonstrate. Please listen to all of the feedback, suggestions and proposed improvements in this thread.

The architecture of Alinor etc. is beautiful but at the very least minor changes/adjustments are desperately needed to meet players expectations of Summerset. Changing the roof tiles to a different texture or colour e.g. the opal like reflections demonstrated above helps to correlate the High Elves proximity to the sea (shells, coral etc.).

Given Summerset hasn't been opened up to much wider beta testing yet I truly think the art team or whoever is responsible needs to take all of this into consideration prior to Summersets release.

Could you please pass this feedback along to the art team and world builders?

I second this. I have no idea how complex it would be to change the textures of the roofs but please consider it. I think summerset looks beautiful as it is but this change would really improve the Altmer feel.

psychotrip

TelvanniWizard wrote: »

It´s a weird mix up of imperial ruins and breton architecture... Why couldn´t we get something special, and elvish?

Because Zenimax has no ideas for the Altmer. They have no idea what to do with them.

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Faulgor wrote: »

Thinking a bit more about it, I think the most fitting material for Altmer that has these shining, rainbow-like qualities is not glass or crystal or gold, but nacre/mother of pearl.
It's much more subdued, and fits the marine culture of the Altmer perfectly. Nacre mosaics are also pretty common in our world, so it shouldn't have been too strange for ZOS to think of.

I was thinking enamel on the roof tiles at least, but I like that idea. They use seashell motifs, why not the actual shells?

As Morian explained, the High Elves strive for a simple elegance in their designs, in which flowing lines reflect graceful forms from the natural world. More-or-less abstract birds, flowers, and sea shells are common motifs, rendered in rich but muted colors. Armor will be tooled or embossed to represent scales or feathers, and even heavy cuirasses and helmets may sport stylized wings or beaks.

psychotrip wrote: »

Jesus Christ, even the coral is gray? This is actually just funny now.

My limited experience with real-life coral is that it does bleach out over time...not that that stopped Vivec's Antlers in Stonefalls. -_- That may be a research fail on my part though. Maybe only live coral has color? I'd need to look it up.

Yes, in real-life coral grays out when it dies. This fact is meaningless in a world where Vivec's Antlers exists, as you stated. If anything, this just shows you Zenimax's strange mindset when it comes to the Altmer vs. the Dunmer. Their first thought for the Altmer is to take something colorful and make it gray, even if we did do the something else for the Dunmer.

And someone else posted this but yeah, here's more evidence that Zenimax is contradicting even their own statements on the Altmer.

So, are we to believe that the same race that makes elven and glass armor makes these plain, low-tech, drab cities? Where are the abstract, organic shapes?

VerboseQuips wrote: »

XomRhoK wrote: »

There is no chance that 3D models of the building will be redone, but ZOS can change some textures. For example they can make roof tiles made of glass, that used in armor.
It can be only on major buildings:

Or at all buildings:

I think it's pretty easy to do, and it will add uniqueness to the Summerset towns and will fit lore: "made from glass or insect wings" and "a hypnotic swirl of ramparts and impossibly high towers, designed to catch the light of the sun and break it to its component colors, which lies draped across its stones until you are thankful for nightfall".

This is a very excellent idea, and it reminds me of one ceiling of the Belgian royal palace which was converted into an artwork named "Heaven of Delight" by Jan Fabre, who covered it with thousands of scarab wings.


(Which is also a severe stab at the argument that using chitin as a decorative material could only be "building out of poetry". )

"What is this sorcery? What alien race created such garish and unrealistic designs! Clearly this isn't grounded or realistic enough for Tamriel!" - Zenimax, probably.

VerboseQuips

Just pray for ESO to live much longer. When it turns 100, the tiered cake will be high enough to replace any lackluster Tower.

Spacemonkey

Vimora wrote: »

Romanticized notion of high elves we get in-game:

Thats actually spot on what I was imagining/hoping

TelvanniWizard

Spacemonkey wrote: »

Vimora wrote: »

Romanticized notion of high elves we get in-game:

Thats actually spot on what I was imagining/hoping

Yeah, me too. Suppose was too high for an expectation.

NewbieOKS

@ZOS_MattFiror

psychotrip

NewbieOKS wrote: »

@ZOS_MattFiror

Good luck with that, buddy.

TelvanniWizard

psychotrip wrote: »

NewbieOKS wrote: »

@ZOS_MattFiror

Good luck with that, buddy.

Hope never dies, for some people

psychotrip

TelvanniWizard wrote: »

psychotrip wrote: »

NewbieOKS wrote: »

@ZOS_MattFiror

Good luck with that, buddy.

Hope never dies, for some people

I'd give a lot to be proven wrong.

Ajaxandriel

To be honest, I dislike the "equatorial climate" trope for high elves, which fits better to Pyandonean. I prefer the mediterranean biome they've chosen.
But just one biome for the whole island ? Such a letdown...
No frost on Eton Nir ? ... Eton Nir name looks like "Nirn" so I was imagining a Roof of the World, remembering Everest or Fuji Yama, a tall spire covered in eternal snows...

About architecture... One style for all the cities is a shame. Not absurd, given the altmer rigid society, but still a shame.

The style itself is not bad regarding altmer psychology, it's all a matter of geometry and rationalisation. Organic shapes would fit sload remains, if they're even to be seen.
In my opinion the issue is the lack of colors.
The walls have to be flashy white, the windows and roofs have to be flashy rainbow.

XomRhoK wrote: »

Faulgor wrote: »

Thinking a bit more about it, I think the most fitting material for Altmer that has these shining, rainbow-like qualities is not glass or crystal or gold, but nacre/mother of pearl.
It's much more subdued, and fits the marine culture of the Altmer perfectly. Nacre mosaics are also pretty common in our world, so it shouldn't have been too strange for ZOS to think of.

To @Faulgor

YOU GOT IT
This is awesome.
The flashy-white roofs are nice. The iridescent glass is nice. Both white and iridescent is just perfect !

To explain what I was expecting - First,

Already in-game representation. Fits with Auridon but more impressive. Flashy white buildings. White roofs.Colorful landscape. Greenery and spires.

To go further,


Some concept arts from Lineage II, I couldn't find something more altmer to my eyes.

SexualCabbage

Introducing in the CROWN STORE, the new Sload race! (it's just a fat, palette swapped argonian) available for only 49.99 for a limited time only (oop, It just ended, guess you'll have to try to get it in future crown crates...)

But seriously, this really sucks for people whose favorite race was altmer. I realize it's too late to change anything significant now but that doesn't mean they can't make certain changes after the DLC is out, especially something as minor as roof tile color.

A_Silverius

XomRhoK wrote: »

To @Faulgor

[/quote]

This is perfect!

Aliyavana

A_Silverius wrote: »

XomRhoK wrote: »

To @Faulgor

This is perfect![/quote]

I think both that color and the glass color and viable options compared to the black we have now

XomRhoK

@aliyavana did you mean this screenshot and color?

NewbieOKS

Guys check out this link

https://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/89e1in/summerset_update_18_teaser_a_recap_of_last_weeks/?st=JFJRF712&sh=4be75fac

psychotrip

NewbieOKS wrote: »

Guys check out this link

https://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/89e1in/summerset_update_18_teaser_a_recap_of_last_weeks/?st=JFJRF712&sh=4be75fac

They’re saying the architecture and environment look amazing and fit the altmer, but we’ve already seen it and many of us disagree. They also admit the altmer were far from their favorite race.

I respect this person’s opinion but I don’t see how this changes anything.

Summerset is still low-tech, generic medieval europe with bland gray disneyland castles.

Aliyavana

psychotrip wrote: »

NewbieOKS wrote: »

Guys check out this link

https://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/89e1in/summerset_update_18_teaser_a_recap_of_last_weeks/?st=JFJRF712&sh=4be75fac

They’re saying the architecture and environment look amazing and fit the altmer, but we’ve already seen it and many of us disagree. They also admit the altmer were far from their favorite race.

I respect this person’s opinion but I don’t see how this changes anything.

Summerset is still low-tech, generic medieval europe with bland gray disneyland castles.

Agreed

Dracane

I've seen some new footage from Summerset in an interview and I must say, these big windows that shimmer blue in the light, greatly resemble what was told us in the lore stories. I must say, everything looks stunning. My fears that Summerset may be boring have been greatly reduced.



The 2nd pic looks a bit boring due to bad lightning. But look at how impossibly high these towers grow.

psychotrip

Dracane wrote: »

I've seen some new footage from Summerset in an interview and I must say, these big windows that shimmer blue in the light, greatly resemble what was told us in the lore stories. I must say, everything looks stunning. My fears that Summerset may be boring have been greatly reduced.



The 2nd pic looks a bit boring due to bad lightning. But look at how impossibly high these towers grow.

First one’s okay (but still way too humanish and has nothing indicating this is another species) while the second one looks almost indistinguishable from High Rock.

If anything, this is what High Rock should’ve looked like if they had bothered to give them more than one building style. Bretons are supposed to be the second most magical race in the world, yet their cities look like bland hovels.

A_Silverius

XomRhoK wrote: »

To @Faulgor


I really feel like this texture suites the narrative "designed to catch the light of the sun and break it to its component colors, which lies draped across its stones until you are thankful for nightfall."

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Pocket_Guide_to_the_Empire,_First_Edition:_Aldmeri_Dominion#Alinor

XomRhoK

What a relief! Buildings made of glass confirmed!

red_emu

XomRhoK wrote: »

What a relief! Buildings made of glass confirmed!

This must be the Crystal Like Law. I am in awe ZOS! It's just like I imagined it! So beautiful, so magnificent, so big!

moonio

Kevduit's video shows Summerset exploration including architecture and some of the creatures that inhabit the island

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO THERE!!!!!! Its soo beautiful!!! I love the buildings!!!!


https://youtu.be/LVIGinD_7x8