109 réponses à ce sujet

[Gegenlicht]

David Gaider wrote...

We don't deliberately pick names off a map, if that's what you're suggesting. Sometimes the names we come up with happen to coincide with an existing place-- really, when you're making stuff like this up it's bound to happen from time to time, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does.

As it is there's nothing to associate Kirkwall of the Far Reaches with the Scottish town beyond them sharing the name.

I'm generally very fine with working from a sort of mythic Europe background, as it cuts down on some of the silliness found in some fantasy worlds, where you have tribes of nomadic barbarians living right next door to a Rennaissance culture without there being any kind of cultural exchange. But there's Kassel in the Anderfels or Montfort in Orlais -both names referencing fortresses, interestingly- and so on. These are real places, and I quite frankly find it hard to believe that you just made these up in light of other places in the same geographic regions sounding far less idiomatic. This isn't really criticism because there's little wrong with it other than the questionable etymology of the place name Kirkwall relating explicity to a church.

So yes, I am suggesting you've picked some names deliberately. Whether picking cool sounding names from a map or picking these names knowing their background and connotations, I don't know. I realize I'm overblowing the entire Kirkwall etymology bit, but I'm a language guy by trade, history's just my hobby. Can't really help it. I bet numismatists can't handle spare change without their work brain kicking in either.

It's not criticism. I'd rather have Kassel, even though it's based on a Latin word (but then Latin might well have been the old language of the Tevinter Imperium, given the European basics of Thedas' cultures), with its implications than a place called Whitehead, which is iffy for anything than a snow-covered peak (which I assume it's meant to imply; a fortress set on a snow-covered peak) and even then uncharacteristic of German fortress names as they weren't usually named for geographical features. Again, a really minor quibble, but I can't help myself.

[Blastback]

Blacklash93 wrote...

I agree. The names we're hearing so far do sound a bit... uncreative and odd, but maybe it's just something you have to settle into over time in order to feel comfortable with.

I remeber some blogger complaining about Grey Wardens and Ferelden.

[wwwwowwww]

I hear Hawkes mothers name is Mary Jane, that really bothers me can we complain about that now?

[Ellestor]

Gegenlicht wrote...

(but then Latin might well have been the old language of the Tevinter Imperium, given the European basics of Thedas' cultures)

The sample Imperial phrases we got, very early-on, were not Latin by any means, but did seem occasionally influenced by it:

Ei vento nai mordoi deid. -- I don't want to kill you.
Ei laro and tshurbud. -- I am a cheeseburger.
Ei karfa nad falgards. -- I ate the dwarves.
Falgard! Karfeve deilud degituds! -- Dwarf! Eat your fingers!
Ei shazo barfoi! -- I have to vomit!

I understand they're not canon anymore, but that's what they were.

Modifié par Ellestor, 13 juillet 2010 - 01:47 .

[Demx]

Bioware should do another name poll like they did with Sonic Chronicles.

[JoltDealer]

Bryy_Miller wrote...

_-Greywolf-_ wrote...

Bryy_Miller wrote...

GI also revealed that you get to choose what exactly makes you Kirkwall's champion.

Really? I find that hard to believe.

Hawke "So here I am in Kirkwall, whats a man got to do to become champion round here?"

Villager "Well we got an army of Darkspawn ready to breach the north wall, you could deal with that however there is also a few other matters you could take care of"

Hawke "Like what"

Villager "Well our king is dying so I suppose you could go on a dangerous quest to find the cure or there is also the Jade Monkey Dragon that keeps harrasing our village and needs delt with, take your pick"

We'll see. I doubt it will be as lame as that.

Crimson Sound wrote...

I got it, we rename it to Kirkland so then that way in Dragon Age 2, Hawke is the Champion of Costco!

And they say evolution does not exist.

Bringing humanity closer to it evolutionary peak since 91.  Hell yeah.

[NightmarezAbound]

stevej713 wrote...

Personally, I would feel so awesome if the city in a game was named after my hometown. However, I doubt I would ever become the champion of Chicago in a game.

That's right you can't because I already am

[Ellestor]

Uh, yeah, I'll take Kirkwall.

[LPPrince]

Capt. Obvious wrote...

The City of Lost Heaven(from the first Mafia game)

Seriously, why can't people come up with names like these anymore?

I'd take Kirkwall over that, especially for this setting.

[twincast]

LPPrince wrote...

Capt. Obvious wrote...

The City of Lost Heaven(from the first Mafia game)

Seriously, why can't people come up with names like these anymore?

I'd take Kirkwall over that, especially for this setting.

Definitely. That "Lookee here! It's a bad place!" name is cringeworthily terrible.

I did immediately recognize Kirkwall as place name I'd heard before, but, my, so what?

Anderfels also shares at least Kassel with the real world at least twice, one of which arguably a much more important place than Kirkwall, and I don't think any of it beyond finding it slightly amusing.

The DA team did however change at least Arles to Orlais and Calabria to Antiva because of that. *shrug*

[Helena Tylena]

David Gaider wrote...

Gegenlicht wrote...
Pretty certain they picked a lot of the names from real maps or travel guides or whatever. The Anderfels contain names of a number of existing German towns and cities for example, Rialto, the capital of wherever Zevran's from again, is a city quarter of Venice and so on.

Edit: 
And mostly all of Thedas is inspired by the real world. Orlais is France, Ferelden is England, the Anderfels is Germany and so on. Hell, the history of the Elves bears striking resemblances to the history the Jewish people to some extent. Driven from their homeland, roaming the earth, ghettoized and generally treated as second class people.

We don't deliberately pick names off a map, if that's what you're suggesting. Sometimes the names we come up with happen to coincide with an existing place-- really, when you're making stuff like this up it's bound to happen from time to time, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does.

As it is there's nothing to associate Kirkwall of the Far Reaches with the Scottish town beyond them sharing the name.

Does that mean there'll be no Scottish accents?
Awww...

[Kalcalan]

twincast wrote...

LPPrince wrote...

Capt. Obvious wrote...

The City of Lost Heaven(from the first Mafia game)

Seriously, why can't people come up with names like these anymore?

I'd take Kirkwall over that, especially for this setting.

Definitely. That "Lookee here! It's a bad place!" name is cringeworthily terrible.

I did immediately recognize Kirkwall as place name I'd heard before, but, my, so what?

Anderfels also shares at least Kassel with the real world at least twice, one of which arguably a much more important place than Kirkwall, and I don't think any of it beyond finding it slightly amusing.

The DA team did however change at least Arles to Orlais and Calabria to Antiva because of that. *shrug*

I didn't think of Arles but now that you mention it the similarity is obvious. Every time I think Orlais my mind establishes a link with Orleans...

I once read a poster going on about Orlesians being Asians. I found it quite funny.

To be frank I think I can understand what the OP is saying here. If there was a place called Arles in the game I would have a hard time dissociating from the real world place (I already have the problem with Orlais/Orleans but to be frank since it's more a question of similar sounds at least as far as the first syllable is concerned it isn't such a big deal).

[Poubo]

On second thoughts, lets not go to Kirkwall, for it is a silly place...



Maybe they should've called the place Camelot...where the protagonist should be called Arthur and instead of being called a champion, he should be crowned King... and as part of the 10 year timeline you have to go around recruiting knights for your newly founded round table...

[Suron]

wow.and some claim -I'm- making a stretch with some of -my- complaints..good job OP!

[Helena Tylena]

Kalcalan wrote...

I didn't think of Arles but now that you mention it the similarity is obvious. Every time I think Orlais my mind establishes a link with Orleans...

I always assumed Orlais was a contraction of the two.

[They call me a SpaceCowboy]

David Gaider wrote...

Gegenlicht wrote...
Pretty certain they picked a lot of the names from real maps or travel guides or whatever. The Anderfels contain names of a number of existing German towns and cities for example, Rialto, the capital of wherever Zevran's from again, is a city quarter of Venice and so on.

Edit: 
And mostly all of Thedas is inspired by the real world. Orlais is France, Ferelden is England, the Anderfels is Germany and so on. Hell, the history of the Elves bears striking resemblances to the history the Jewish people to some extent. Driven from their homeland, roaming the earth, ghettoized and generally treated as second class people.

We don't deliberately pick names off a map, if that's what you're suggesting. Sometimes the names we come up with happen to coincide with an existing place-- really, when you're making stuff like this up it's bound to happen from time to time, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does.

As it is there's nothing to associate Kirkwall of the Far Reaches with the Scottish town beyond them sharing the name.

Far be it from little old me to correct the lead designer, but don't you mean Free Marches? 

[NightmarezAbound]

Shinian2 wrote...

David Gaider wrote...

Gegenlicht wrote...
Pretty certain they picked a lot of the names from real maps or travel guides or whatever. The Anderfels contain names of a number of existing German towns and cities for example, Rialto, the capital of wherever Zevran's from again, is a city quarter of Venice and so on.

Edit: 
And mostly all of Thedas is inspired by the real world. Orlais is France, Ferelden is England, the Anderfels is Germany and so on. Hell, the history of the Elves bears striking resemblances to the history the Jewish people to some extent. Driven from their homeland, roaming the earth, ghettoized and generally treated as second class people.

We don't deliberately pick names off a map, if that's what you're suggesting. Sometimes the names we come up with happen to coincide with an existing place-- really, when you're making stuff like this up it's bound to happen from time to time, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does.

As it is there's nothing to associate Kirkwall of the Far Reaches with the Scottish town beyond them sharing the name.

Far be it from little old me to correct the lead designer, but don't you mean Free Marches? 

Unless he just let something slip? hmmm?
 

[Ryllen Laerth Kriel]

How about this, you play as Kirkwall, the hero of Hawke! ...Um, yeah.

[David Gaider]

Shinian2 wrote...
Far be it from little old me to correct the lead designer, but don't you mean Free Marches? 

Damn. That's one of the things I'll do from time to time-- it's one of the place names that changed at some point (I forget why) and so I sometimes still call it by the old name. Far Reaches = Free Marches.

[dan107]

David Gaider wrote...
Damn. That's one of the things I'll do from time to time-- it's one of the place names that changed at some point (I forget why) and so I sometimes still call it by the old name. Far Reaches = Free Marches.

What happened? Gaider's 2nd Law of Naming Things wouldn't stick? 

[Ryllen Laerth Kriel]

Gaider must of shaven his beard and lost his powers of cognition.

[Bryy_Miller]

For some reason, now whenever I think of the Free Marches, I think of Innsmouth.

[LPPrince]

David Gaider wrote...

Shinian2 wrote...
Far be it from little old me to correct the lead designer, but don't you mean Free Marches? 

Damn. That's one of the things I'll do from time to time-- it's one of the place names that changed at some point (I forget why) and so I sometimes still call it by the old name. Far Reaches = Free Marches.

I'll say it.

OH NOES!

[KLUME777]

David Gaider wrote...

Gegenlicht wrote...
Pretty certain they picked a lot of the names from real maps or travel guides or whatever. The Anderfels contain names of a number of existing German towns and cities for example, Rialto, the capital of wherever Zevran's from again, is a city quarter of Venice and so on.

Edit: 
And mostly all of Thedas is inspired by the real world. Orlais is France, Ferelden is England, the Anderfels is Germany and so on. Hell, the history of the Elves bears striking resemblances to the history the Jewish people to some extent. Driven from their homeland, roaming the earth, ghettoized and generally treated as second class people.

We don't deliberately pick names off a map, if that's what you're suggesting. Sometimes the names we come up with happen to coincide with an existing place-- really, when you're making stuff like this up it's bound to happen from time to time, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does.

As it is there's nothing to associate Kirkwall of the Far Reaches with the Scottish town beyond them sharing the name.

How do you come up with a name like Orlais. You must have very talented place-name-thinker-upper-es!