I agree with the OP, this small change in textures would make the architecture a bit more high-elven.

This wouldn't do much to compensate for the extreme Europeanness of these buildings, which seems out of place in a supposedly tropical place, but it would be a bit better.

The buildings are actually gorgeous. I find them magnificent. And the people who created it have, undoubtedly, a real artistic skill. The problem is that... for Altmers, who are supposed to be so perfectionnist, so techno-magically advanced, so alien and unknowable... This remains too "classical european faerie" in my opinion.

This would have been a perfect architecture for some Breton city-states which would have had some Direnni influence (and it would have added a much welcome diversity in them). Frankly, if we were on the original ESO announcement day and if they showed this and said "This is the aptly-named Evermore in High Rock", I would have applauded enthusiastically and then rushed to the nearest video game shop to purchase the game. In fact, this could even be considered fitting for some cities on the Summerset Isle, say, for example, Dusk or Sunhold. But Cloudrest should definitely have a more diverse architecture, with Sload influence (hopefully there will be some in the underbelly of the city, that we haven't seen yet). And in my opinion, Alinor should definitely feel exotic and alien exuberantly scream "Magical power" at the face of any who would behold it.

I hope that the designers of the future games will feel free to diverge from ESO-Summerset and make it more subtropical and alien.

psychotrip wrote: »

VerboseQuips wrote: »

I agree with the OP, this small change in textures would make the architecture a bit more high-elven.

This wouldn't do much to compensate for the extreme Europeanness of these buildings, which seems out of place in a supposedly tropical place, but it would be a bit better.

The buildings are actually gorgeous. I find them magnificent. And the people who created it have, undoubtedly, a real artistic skill. The problem is that... for Altmers, who are supposed to be so perfectionnist, so techno-magically advanced, so alien and unknowable... This remains too "classical european faerie" in my opinion.

This would have been a perfect architecture for some Breton city-states which would have had some Direnni influence (and it would have added a much welcome diversity in them). Frankly, if we were on the original ESO announcement day and if they showed this and said "This is the aptly-named Evermore in High Rock", I would have applauded enthusiastically and then rushed to the nearest video game shop to purchase the game. In fact, this could even be considered fitting for some cities on the Summerset Isle, say, for example, Dusk or Sunhold. But Cloudrest should definitely have a more diverse architecture, with Sload influence (hopefully there will be some in the underbelly of the city, that we haven't seen yet). And in my opinion, Alinor should definitely feel exotic and alien exuberantly scream "Magical power" at the face of any who would behold it.

I hope that the designers of the future games will feel free to diverge from ESO-Summerset and make it more subtropical and alien.

After what Bethesda did to Cyrodiil I can almost guarantee you that this will be how they portray Summerset in future games. This is The Elder Scrolls now, dude.

Like how they turned house armor into basic plate, I feel they are trying to familiarize people with familiar looking things

VerboseQuips wrote: »

This would have been a perfect architecture for some Breton city-states which would have had some Direnni influence (and it would have added a much welcome diversity in them).

This so much.

Ran across this adventuring in Greenshade. They're Ayleid ruins, but this is more what I was expecting from the Altmer than what we got:

OtarTheMad wrote: »

The text referenced a lot in here, Pocket Guide to the Empire 1st Edition, was written in 2E 864 and this was after Summerset was invaded by Tiber Septim and the Brass God during the Tiber Wars which no doubt did some damage to the land, buildings etc.

Pedant hat on for a second: Tiber didn't conquer Summerset until 896, which is why the PGE1 speaks of the Dominion as an independent state rather than a province of the fledgling Empire.

Hmm... Maybe the Dominion underwent an era of fast-paced technological advancement after ESO's period, by using KINMUNE's knowledge of future magical technologies?

VerboseQuips wrote: »

Hmm... Maybe the Dominion underwent an era of fast-paced technological advancement after ESO's period, by using KINMUNE's knowledge of future magical technologies?

Nice try. Nope, this is The Elder Scrolls now. Generic, safe, seen-before.

OtarTheMad wrote: »

LadyNerevar wrote: »

OtarTheMad wrote: »

The text referenced a lot in here, Pocket Guide to the Empire 1st Edition, was written in 2E 864 and this was after Summerset was invaded by Tiber Septim and the Brass God during the Tiber Wars which no doubt did some damage to the land, buildings etc.

Pedant hat on for a second: Tiber didn't conquer Summerset until 896, which is why the PGE1 speaks of the Dominion as an independent state rather than a province of the fledgling Empire.

Ah yes, that is correct because that ended the Second Era. It's still a long time however and we all know Bethesda will change Summerset to fit their needs seeing as ESO is a MMO and Bethesda makes the single player games.

No, they won't. Bethesda and Zenimax have said numerous times that they coordinate on lore stuff like this. It's more likely that this is what Bethesda wanted for Summerset.

OtarTheMad wrote: »

psychotrip wrote: »

VerboseQuips wrote: »

Hmm... Maybe the Dominion underwent an era of fast-paced technological advancement after ESO's period, by using KINMUNE's knowledge of future magical technologies?

Nice try. Nope, this is The Elder Scrolls now. Generic, safe, seen-before.

OtarTheMad wrote: »

LadyNerevar wrote: »

OtarTheMad wrote: »

The text referenced a lot in here, Pocket Guide to the Empire 1st Edition, was written in 2E 864 and this was after Summerset was invaded by Tiber Septim and the Brass God during the Tiber Wars which no doubt did some damage to the land, buildings etc.

Pedant hat on for a second: Tiber didn't conquer Summerset until 896, which is why the PGE1 speaks of the Dominion as an independent state rather than a province of the fledgling Empire.

Ah yes, that is correct because that ended the Second Era. It's still a long time however and we all know Bethesda will change Summerset to fit their needs seeing as ESO is a MMO and Bethesda makes the single player games.

No, they won't. Bethesda and Zenimax have said numerous times that they coordinate on lore stuff like this. It's more likely that this is what Bethesda wanted for Summerset.

Maybe, or maybe not. If ZOS and Bethesda get together to talk about what is added then Bethesda okay'd Eastmarch and Windhelm at original launch which look completely different in ESO than they do the single player Skyrim game. You could also say the same about Mournhold and it's difference in TES 3 and this game. Two different kinds of game, two different needs need to be met and so therefore sometimes we get multiple versions of cities, towns, dungeons etc. depending on if it's the MMO or single player or whatever.

If anything, this just shows how little Bethesda cares about consistency anymore, and possibly that they're sloppy in their coordination. This doesn't change the fact that Bethesda saw this version of Summerset well before this expansion was in full development, and at the very least didn't complain.

A_Silverius wrote: »

someone posted a retextured picture on this thread that will really improve the look of alinor https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/402045/summerset-architecture/p9


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." What do you guys think?


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

I still hate the generic European castles, but I absolutely love the pearlescent gleam on those rooftops. Too bad we'll never see it in-game.

Well, we finally got our answer, folks:

Alarra: So kind of related to that, there's been a lot of talk among fans about how what we've seen of it doesn't really match, necessarily, how it's been described - like Alinor's buildings looking like insect wings? Is that a matter of just, it's hard to reflect that in the gameplay, or was that a deliberate design choice, or is it the unreliable narrator?

Matt Firor: Yeah, you mean picking certain lorebooks, cities looked a certain way, but they're not definitive, so, you know… I think Elder Scrolls is, at its heart – and Todd Howard says this all the time – if magic left Tamriel, no one would notice, because it's very mundane at its heart. It's like, there's poor Altmer pig farmers, like, it's not like the high elves are better than anyone else, they're just different, right? They’re not like the super race, or they would’ve been able to control all of Tamriel. They have their own thing going, and so they can't be that much more advanced than everyone else. It just doesn't make sense in the lore. So with that in mind, that’s how we came up with the architecture for them.

http://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Matt_Firor_&_Rich_Lambert_Summerset_Interview

It’s dead, Jim.

Rosveen wrote: »

I think Elder Scrolls is, at its heart – and Todd Howard says this all the time – if magic left Tamriel, no one would notice, because it's very mundane at its heart

What. I mean, what.

Yup. This is The Elder Scrolls now. As someone else said (I think it was @Faulgor), if Morrowind was made today the Tribunal wouldn't actually be gods, The Heart Of Lorkhan would be some sort of rock, Telvanni would live in egyptian pyramids, and the Temple at Mournhold would just be a gothic cathedral.

Maybe it's just me, but what exactly is the problem now? The rooftops aren't green? Because, to be honest, for me they are?



They're obviously not grass green or translucent, but they aren't just black either.

Rosveen wrote: »

I think Elder Scrolls is, at its heart – and Todd Howard says this all the time – if magic left Tamriel, no one would notice, because it's very mundane at its heart

What. I mean, what.

Don't take it word by word. There clearly is magic involved, there are people using spells daily, etc. but there are also many, many regular people and townfolk who simply can't use magic and possibly have never seen magic. I think what they tried to say is that there aren't magically floating houses or something like that on Summerset, because overall many things are quite mundane. And I think there's nothing wrong with that.

This doesn't mean there's no room for fantasy, magic, etc. as they've shown with other things such as last year's Morrowind.

As a comparison, just look at The Lord of the Rings. It's basically the grandfather of most modern fantasy settings. And it's also rather mundane. Of course there's magic, there are wizards, there a re powerful spells, otherworldly beings, etc. but even their elves live pretty normal lives with normal problems, no magic, etc.

And I think that's also something that's very important for a fantasy world to stay believable. Don't exaggerate and throw in magic everywhere. It won't work. Just a simple example from the base game: Camlorn has been overrun by pack of Werewolves. Why don't they use magic to banish them all without an fighting? Because they don't have the means to do so. Also it would pretty much negate most storytelling, because you don't need a hero if you can just snip with your fingers.