I can't watch the video but the screenshot looks amazing!
Summerset - which to my eye is Disney Princess ghastly. Looks more generic asian fantasy mmo human than elven. So disappointing.
I don't really get that, personally.
Clearly, they both derive from the same, or similar, real life (European) inspiration, but Disney architecture is (generally) far more cartoony, curvy and cutesy than Alinor.
Some Alinor is a little too angular and spiky, if anything.
I live in the UK - there are buildings that actually look like Alinor architecture here in Europe.
Maybe that is why I see the similarity to real architecture first?
Both Ayleid and Altmer are High Elves (heartland and island) so they are the closest relatives among elven races. Imperial culture was formed under the heavy influence of high elven culture so the similarities are not surprising.That said, when visiting the luxury vendor recently I noticed the loading screen depicts a building in the Hollow City which has a sharp and pointy Alinor style look. Same for Gold Coast. So maybe what they were aiming for with Summerset was something more Imperial / Alyeid looking with the idea being that that style evolved out of Summerset's.
Though that doesn't really work since of the two distinct Alinor styles, it's the newer one which is sharp and pointy and similar. So it would have to be the Altmer copying the Imperial / Ayleid style. Which would be strange.
Unfortunately. Summerset architecture is not as beautiful as it could be.Not that I'm a lore buff but Alinor is supposed to be incredibly beautiful. And the crystal tower indescribably so. I had high expectations on both counts. But they gave us not-elven looking architecture and a lazy, "Nah it's just a regular tower that has a crystal in it."