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[meanieweenie]

brushyourteeth wrote...

It's Orlesian.

The whole thing needs to be lavish and over the top colorful. I don't need it game-wide, but I need it in Orlais!

Agreed. I happen to love grand colorful cathedral windows and feel it'd be very Orlisian. And the palace gardens are wonderful. (Side note: For some reason I imagined running from an assailant a la Shrek where that dude in the big head costume is running through the rope line.)

[brushyourteeth]

sjpelkessjpeler wrote...

brushyourteeth wrote...

It's Orlesian.

The whole thing needs to be lavish and over the top colorful. I don't need it game-wide, but I need it in Orlais!

Guess your comment was for me.

I understand what you mean. The colorful aspect can be done in the clothes of the Orlesians and in the drapery and in the curtains and so on. (or the hair; Leliana mentioned that a woman in Orlais had living birds in her hair)

To you this might sound weird but the basics like buildings and windows have to give it the setting that looks medieval. The whole Thedas worldbuilding would not make sense if it wasn't done like that.

My first picture of the chandeliers is over the top in that aspect; it's from the time of Louis XIV. But I love it.

Actually, it was for the_one since he's been giving me a hard time about color.

I completely get what you're saying about things sticking with the time period, though I'd argue that much of what we've already seen in the DA universe has already lead us into some Renaissance style, and also that it's a medieval-based fantasy, so i wouldn't get too disappointed if the devs choose to improvise on it a bit. Not that I'm stuck on the designs in the pictures I posted -- I mostly chose them for the gold tones and rich colors.

[brushyourteeth]

Here are some pictures of Spain. Could look something like Antiva?
Excuse the modern features - these are mostly photos from present day so you'll have to use your imagination.
http://t2.gstatic.co...GXXEBar4k75bc   http://t1.gstatic.co...Kh4cgJfhDZ4kY9A

http://t2.gstatic.co...lwWCv4NNaSx2    http://t2.gstatic.co..._MnFyuQTt3ddjQ 

Imagine it darker and dirtier. I think it sounds awesome.

[brushyourteeth]

And here's one of Venice at night. Just 'cause the DA wiki mentioned it as inspiration for Antiva too.

http://t3.gstatic.co...pDdEbZy_nqXs8SZ

[the_one_54321]

That keep in Spain makes me think so much about Ostagar.

[Das Tentakel]

the_one_54321 wrote...

That keep in Spain makes me think so much about Ostagar.

I think that's merely a bridge, actually. I'm not seeing any keep on those pictures.
But bridges across canyons are cool.

When it comes to an imperial Orlesian castle, Chambord might serve as a model. It's basically a Renaissance castle (royal hunting lodge), but with some modifications (mainly: being built-in, with the lower sections 'raised up'  and closing off many of the outward-facing windows, replacing them with arrowslits etc.) it could get a more medieval look.



It's still rather modest, I know, but it could serve as an Imperial hunting lodge, just like Chambord in our world.

As for gardens, I am slightly partial to the castle gardens of Arcen Castle. Arcen lies in the Netherlands, I know, but if the point is to have large, drop-dead gorgeous and above all varied gardens, it's an excellent choice (French formal gardens get boring real quick). And you can add in a zoo if you want (including a Darkspawn Broodmother, a pet dragon, some hapless Qunari etc.).





(map with overview. Chambord-ish castle plus gardens this size, and you've got yourself a very nice zone )

In practice, I might go with a combination of a beefed-up, more fortified Chambord and extensive, varied gardens like Arcen. Add in a zoo, artificial waterfalls, add in some outlying buildings ('regional pavilions', 'guesthouses', 'ice cellars' (with unusual meats hanging from hooks etc.), statues, hothouses with rare flowers and plants (from as far away as Par Vollen) and the lot.

As for the big Chantry in Val Royeaux, I would go for a slightly unexpected look. So, not a French cathedral (heck, Europe's got plenty of Gothic cathedrals and basilicas. Beautiful but for me and probably a lot of other Europeans: booooooring!) but something more singular, yet very impressive.

I am thinking of the Duomo of Milan. Italy has plenty of other churches and cathedrals for use in Antiva



As you can see by comparison with the human figures in the square, it's a biggish building. It also looks fairly distinctive, with its Romano-Gothic architectural style. Construction was begun in the 14th century, during the reign of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, first Duke of Milan.

Here's some pictures of the interior:

Modifié par Das Tentakel, 24 avril 2012 - 08:47 .

[the_one_54321]

Das Tentakel wrote...

the_one_54321 wrote...
That keep in Spain makes me think so much about Ostagar.

I think that's merely a bridge, actually. I'm not seeing any keep on those pictures.
But bridges across canyons are cool.

The keep is the middle-right pick.

[Das Tentakel]

the_one_54321 wrote...

Das Tentakel wrote...

the_one_54321 wrote...
That keep in Spain makes me think so much about Ostagar.

I think that's merely a bridge, actually. I'm not seeing any keep on those pictures.
But bridges across canyons are cool.

The keep is the middle-right pick.

I don't think that's a keep, I think we're looking at a curtain wall, possibly even a city wall but I would have to check.
The big tower may even be a gatetower, bricked-up and all.

A keep is what we continentals call a donjon, bergfried or berchvrede. Though the latter rarely if ever had a residential function.
Sorry for fussing about terminology, but one should take one's fortifications seriously.
It's what lies between you and ending up as Darkspawn dinner or your head decorating some dude's spear.

[the_one_54321]

Well, the curtain wall is part of castle architecture. The keep being the central structure.

[brushyourteeth]

the_one_54321 wrote...

That keep in Spain makes me think so much about Ostagar.

I agree! It is actually a keep. Built by the Moors. I wish I had more information but that's all I can remember from when I was picture hunting.

Das Tentakel, those pictures are amazing! Your European ideas about "modest" are fascinating - that palace is far grander than anything we have in the U.S.! We have a few castles built by the Spanish down in Florida and that's about it. I especially love the Cathedral you picked out. The Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux is supposed to be the crowning jewel of Thedas, and I'd say that will just about do the trick.

More pictures!

What about Tevinter? If Kirkwall was just an outpost I kind of imagine Minrathous being super cold and scary. Rich. Affluent. Maybe even artsy. But sinister. Do you guys know any places like that?

[Das Tentakel]

brushyourteeth wrote...

More pictures!

If people want a Spanish castle with a keep, here's one:
Penafiel Castle.



This one gives a good idea how it dominates the surrounding area:



Another Spanish castle is the Alcázar de Segovia:



Here's a good look at the actual Keep (donjon):



But one of the nicest pictures I could find of this castle was this one:



Just a room, with whitewashed walls, pretty glazed tiles (very similar to Dutch and Portuguese glazed tiles) and nicely decorated doorposts. It's the kind of 'cultural' detail that can help to distinguish, say, Anderfels folk from Fereldens.

Ooh, and before I forget: Olite, seat of the Kings of Navarre:





A little note regarding 'matching' real-world Europe with Thedas: Basically, Bioware will do what it likes, and any parallels will be discarded if and when they see fit. Sometimes for sensible reasons, and sometimes maybe not.
For instance, 'German' (German/Dutch/Scandinavian?) Anderfels overlaps in terms of latitude with Rivain, which seems to have a 'Spanish' (and I would even go as far as say 'southern Spanish') flavour. If they take geography and climate into consideration, we're not likely to end up with 'recognisably' German or Netherlandish medieval architecture.
And then again, maybe they will, and we'll get Bavarian cottages in the sweltering heat of the Anderfels steppe. Or maybe a sensible mix: 'German' architexture in cool upland areas, and something more sensibly 'Old Castilian' in the steppe.
Anyway, anything we fans come up with, no matter how cool or sensible, is just that: ideas, with no guarantee that anything that gets into actual DA will be even remotely like it.

Having said that, I would suggest that Segovia, Penafiel and Olite, or something like them, might be a good fit for Anderfels, specifically its steppe regions. Despite its 'German' connotations it should be a pretty warm place given its latitude; maybe even hotter than the plains of Old Castile and León. Antiva's Italian associations are pretty much well-established, and its climate probably somewhat matches real-world (mainland?) Italy. Rivain would be more like southern Spain, or Sicily.
More pics to follow

Modifié par Das Tentakel, 24 avril 2012 - 10:52 .

[Sejborg]

I have some ideas as well.

This is from Prague.


This is something that do not exist yet. It is on the drawing board. In reality it will be both a town gate at the harbor and a bridge. This could be inspiration for the mage tower perhaps.


This is from Normandy in France.


This is from Peru.


This is also from Peru.


I really just want alot of variety this time around though.

[brushyourteeth]

these pictures and ideas are amazing! Das Tentakel, I think you're right -- we could have all the amazing ideas in the world and the DA devs will just come up with something amazing to blow us out of the water. I can't wait for it! Your pictures are fantastic. I'm with you about the Anderfels. Too bad we'll probably have to wait till DAIV to get there.

Sejborg wrote...

I have some ideas as well.

This is something that do not exist yet. It is on the drawing board. In reality it will be both a town gate at the harbor and a bridge. This could be inspiration for the mage tower perhaps.


This is from Normandy in France.


 

That top one is amazing! You know, in DAIII we'll probably be stopping in Cumberland if I had to guess. It's where the college of Magi meet and the center of the mage revolution. Something like that could be awesome. I could also see the Tevinters having something unexpected like that - same shape, but brick or stone obviously, unless they made it with magic. Who knows -- they could have used the blood of hundreds of elves to put the thing together?

That bottom one looks almost EXACTLY the way I imagine Gwaren - the city in the southeastern corner of Fereldan that Loghain became Teyrn of. He and Maric hid out there during the revolt against Orlais and it's also where the Hawkes took ship to Kirkwall. It's surrounded by forest in the books and in the DAII cutscene it has domed roofs but the city and castle sound just like that picture. Great find!

This is off-topic, but I also really like this view and hope we see a lot of it in DAIII:

http://t3.gstatic.co...Kbff_RJioyrI8LA

Modifié par brushyourteeth, 24 avril 2012 - 11:34 .

[Ponendus]

Just some colour. It is all I ask!

[Sidney]

Orlais is fine but I don't want the cheestastic "French" accents we've seen on the orlesians thus far to be on everyone.

[brushyourteeth]

Sidney wrote...

Orlais is fine but I don't want the cheestastic "French" accents we've seen on the orlesians thus far to be on everyone.

You mean as opposed to the "cheestastic" Antivan accents we've had?

[brushyourteeth]

Ooooh, waterfalls.

I'm with one of the posters on page 1 (can't remember, sorry) - Arlathan would be awesome. Can't think how it would fit into the story but I bet the writers could!