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[Gervaise]

Could be a bit of both, considering that Byzantium (Constantinople) was the capital of the eastern Empire and Rome was in the west.     Like the Roman Empire, Tevinter once covered a vast area (and is still very large) and likely absorbed a lot of cultural influences from the places they conquered and incorporated them into their own designs.    Considering that the Imperium was originally made up from three different tribal cultures, it would make sense that there would be subtle differences in the architecture the western Imperium (Minrathous) from the southern (Vyrantium) and the eastern (Qarinus).      However, the buildings illustrated in World of Thedas for Tevinter don't look Roman at all or Byzantine, particularly the old Tevinter building on Seheron, which is actually pretty unique and seems to incorporate several real world elements without actually resembling anything that I can positively identify as being from one particular region.

[nightscrawl]

Could be a bit of both, considering that Byzantium (Constantinople) was the capital of the eastern Empire and Rome was in the west.     Like the Roman Empire, Tevinter once covered a vast area (and is still very large) and likely absorbed a lot of cultural influences from the places they conquered and incorporated them into their own designs.    Considering that the Imperium was originally made up from three different tribal cultures, it would make sense that there would be subtle differences in the architecture the western Imperium (Minrathous) from the southern (Vyrantium) and the eastern (Qarinus).      However, the buildings illustrated in World of Thedas for Tevinter don't look Roman at all or Byzantine, particularly the old Tevinter building on Seheron, which is actually pretty unique and seems to incorporate several real world elements without actually resembling anything that I can positively identify as being from one particular region.

 

As much as I like it, and have used elements in my own writing, I think people get a bit too carried away with the Roman connection. Tevinter is inspired by Rome, particularly aspects of the culture, and not necessarily a direct analogue.

[raging_monkey]

As much as I like it, and have used elements in my own writing, I think people get a bit too carried away with the Roman connection. Tevinter is inspired by Rome, particularly aspects of the culture, and not necessarily a direct analogue.

this

[Mistic]

As much as I like it, and have used elements in my own writing, I think people get a bit too carried away with the Roman connection. Tevinter is inspired by Rome, particularly aspects of the culture, and not necessarily a direct analogue.

 

Can you blame them? Latin-sounding names and titles, similar political and class systems, slavery, roads, barbarian invasions, conversion to pseudo-christianity, religious schism, etc. But in the end, Tevinter is as Roman/Byzantine as Orlais is French.

 

As for architecture itself, it's difficult to say. An image from WoT 2 makes Tevinter look like it's been taken straight from the Sith Empire. A Circle tower seen in WoT looks like an eastern-looking pagoda complex, which makes sense once you read that Tevinter circles were built in the ruins of ancient temples to the Old Gods. Other styles are more difficult to pinpoint (at least for me), while the city of Qarinus in the comics looks like a small Constantinople. The only thing we can be sure about is that there will be dragons everywhere.

 

Also, we'll always have Dorian's words on what is typical Tevinter architecture

[vertigomez]

A lot of the concept art of Tevinter architecture just looks Gothic to me. I mean reeeaaally.

[nightscrawl]

The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition, which I highly recommend purchasing**, has sections for the various cultural aesthetics we come across in the game. The artists had a certain viewpoint for Orlais, the ancient elves, and Tevinter; color palettes, symbolism, all of that, and based their designs around them.

 

There are such lines as,

"We had the opportunity to uncover more of Tevinter culture through the ruins of their once-expansive empire in the south of Thedas. We started with the severe lines and razor-sharp edges of the slave city of Kirkwall as our guidepost."

"Once a world-spanning empire built on the backs of slaves, Tevinter built to dominate. They used strong horizontals and verticals, accentuated with high-contrast materials. As a culture that embraces magic, they would have no issue employing mages to draw massive pillars of stone out of the earth to act as foundations."

"We explored in great detail the 'dire opulence' of a culture built on slavery and blood magic."

"Tevinter's unique access to vast quantities of precious stones and metals, combined with their free use of magic, allowed us to explore very dramatic design languages."

"Once it was established that Adamant was a converted Tevinter ruin, we explored how the old Tevinters would have constructed the structure. Rather than build with the natural stone, they would have sought to subdue it. The stone would make way for their walls and towers, not the other way around."

"In Adamant's case, the sharp white walls, black borders, and organic red stone [of the surrounding rock face] gave the fortress a strong identity."

 

If you to go the Western Approach and closely examine all of the ruins there, which I have done, you will see a lot of draconic (and snake) elements; scales, claws, bony plates, and so on, which only add to the feel of "dire opulence" they were trying to project. Some of these elements are subtle, while others are not, having more overt representations of Old God draconic imagery.

 

I am completely enamored of the Tevinter aestheitc, and am really hoping that they keep with these same visual themes if we go there. However, I do expect them to be more grandiose than the outpost structures we see in DAI. Also, the Imperium is several millennia old, so there should be quite a range of styles all piled on top of one another, particularly in a location like Minrathous.

 

 

 

** You can get a physical version, or the Dark Horse digital version.

 

[edit]

Fixed quote typos.

Modifié par nightscrawl, 18 mars 2016 - 12:09 .

[vertigomez]

^ I love that book.

Rather than build with the natural stone, they would have sought to subdue it. The stone would make way for their walls and towers, not the other way around.

And that line is gold. Oh, Tevinter.

[The Baconer]

I wasn't very impressed with how Qarinus looked in first comic series. I think Magekiller does a much better job of portraying Tevinter's unique architecture:
 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

[nightscrawl]

I wasn't very impressed with how Qarinus looked in first comic series. I think Magekiller does a much better job of portraying Tevinter's unique architecture:
 
...

 
Do keep in mind that Qarinus was part of a separate kingdom before being folded into the Tevinter Imperium, so I'd imagine that they might have their own aesthetic. And too, Tevinter is very large, and very old; it makes sense that there would be a variety of styles depicted.
 
I wish we had been able to see even more of Minrathous. I would have loved a wider shot of the city, as we got with Qarinus.

[vertigomez]

There was a thread a while back asking what sort of HQ you'd like to have in the next game. Lots of requests for a shiny Minrathous mansion, haha.

What would be your ideal home in Tevinter? Their estates are easy enough to imagine (and I salivate at the thought of them, no lie). Have any of the comics showed areas of squalor? Is that where the Liberati live? Varania made it sound like being a free elf sucked pretty bad, but whether that had anything to do with her living conditions (including lack of food, clean water, etc.) I have no idea.

[Heimdall]

 
Do keep in mind that Qarinus was part of a separate kingdom before being folded into the Tevinter Imperium, so I'd imagine that they might have their own aesthetic. And too, Tevinter is very large, and very old; it makes sense that there would be a variety of styles depicted.
 
I wish we had been able to see even more of Minrathous. I would have loved a wider shot of the city, as we got with Qarinus.

Well, they've been part of the Imperium for 2000 years at this point?  I don't imagine it's be that different.

 

Am looking forward to large dragon statues everywhere 

[Mistic]

I wasn't very impressed with how Qarinus looked in first comic series. I think Magekiller does a much better job of portraying Tevinter's unique architecture:
 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

That does look more in line with what Tevinter architecture looks like in Inquisition.

 

Personally, I think the reason Qarinus doesn't look the same is that Bioware hadn't decided still about it, or at least not definitely, and the artist had to follow the "think of Rome/Byzantium" idea to draw it.

 

There was a thread a while back asking what sort of HQ you'd like to have in the next game. Lots of requests for a shiny Minrathous mansion, haha.

What would be your ideal home in Tevinter? Their estates are easy enough to imagine (and I salivate at the thought of them, no lie).

 

A mansion sounds right (Roman villas, anyone?). And it would follow a trend: in Awakening we had a castle. Nice. Then in DA2 a mansion. Ok. After that, an even better castle in DA:I. So DA4 should have an even better mansion, shouldn't it?

[The Ascendant]

Wasn't it in Assassin's Creed where we had restored an abandoned villa and a small town grew around it? I think that would be awesome. I imagine that there are many Tevinter villas, mansions, forts and even palaces that have fallen into disrepair over the centuries. Getting one of our own and restoring it as a base of operations, home, secret base and headquarters for our plans in Tevinter. Hopefully since a villa is smaller than a castle restoring it will be easier and more manageable than a castle. No public armies or other overt displays of power this time, but a select group of specialists uniquely suited for fighting Solas, the Qunari and Maker knows that else.

[Medhia_Nox]

HQ?  

I want mine to be a mix of Batiatus' ludus in Spartacus - and a sumptuous Roman villa replete with fishing ponds, heated floors, vast gardens and tons of slaves - for... umm... me to treat kindly.

[nightscrawl]

There was a thread a while back asking what sort of HQ you'd like to have in the next game. Lots of requests for a shiny Minrathous mansion, haha.

What would be your ideal home in Tevinter? Their estates are easy enough to imagine (and I salivate at the thought of them, no lie). Have any of the comics showed areas of squalor? Is that where the Liberati live? Varania made it sound like being a free elf sucked pretty bad, but whether that had anything to do with her living conditions (including lack of food, clean water, etc.) I have no idea.

 

This obviously depends on how they construct things story-wise, but I could see them having us use Dorian's (or Maevaris's) mansion in Minrathous as a base. While both of those are from Qarinus, I've no doubt that they have pads in Minrathous that they live in when the Imperial Senate is in session, just as our own congresspeople do in real life.

 

I hope they have some decent AI with servants and such roaming around.

[Sifr]

And that line is gold. Oh, Tevinter.

 

Really makes the story that the channel and harbour in Kirkwall were formed by Ancient Tevinters using heavy duty magic to part the cliffs and carve it into something they could use, definitely seem a lot more plausible.

 

Why find a natural harbour like a peasant, when you can show off how incredible you are by using insane earthbending powers to create one?

[The Ascendant]

Imagine it, steam baths, rooms for dining, mingling, magical parties Tevinter social life must be awesome. Combining the extravagance of Orlais with the ruthless magical aptitude of Tevinter. Like Rome on magical steroids.

[Medhia_Nox]

@The Ascendant:  Magical parties like...

 

Pin the firebolt on the slave!  

 

Curse of Mortality races (whoever's slave dies last wins!)  

 

Capture the elf (now with Crushing Prisons!).  

 

Five day orgies powered by creation magic (Grease, Mass Rejuvination, Heroic Aura!)

 

Slave Pinpball with Glyphs of Repulsion.  

[Heimdall]

This obviously depends on how they construct things story-wise, but I could see them having us use Dorian's (or Maevaris's) mansion in Minrathous as a base. While both of those are from Qarinus, I've no doubt that they have pads in Minrathous that they live in when the Imperial Senate is in session, just as our own congresspeople do in real life.

 

I hope they have some decent AI with servants and such roaming around.

That's my hope, though I've considered another option in the form of a mobile base in the form of a ship (Might be a bit much though...)

[vertigomez]

Imagine it, steam baths, rooms for dining, mingling, magical parties Tevinter social life must be awesome. Combining the extravagance of Orlais with the ruthless magical aptitude of Tevinter. Like Rome on magical steroids.

Unless you're the one scrubbing the floors, ofc. Dem bloodstains!

[vertigomez]

"Do you know that in Tevinter the Chantry receives a tithe for each slave sold?"

The moar you know. Fenris piped up with that one on our way to see the Grand Cleric.

[Addictress]

^ I believe the suggestion is that the new PC would do battle in the Proving Arena against the Archon and come into power in that way. One could also use the example of dueling Loghain in the Landsmeet.

I think it's a terrible idea. I also don't want my PC to heavily influence a sea change in Tevinter in any way. I wouldn't be averse to having the same influence as Anders had over the mage/templar war. He provided a spark (literally), but was not a leader and did not accomplish anything grand other than giving a push in a particular direction. For me, the next game would end with the stirrings of a rebellion or a slave revolt, with my PC having nothing to do with it.

I didn't even like the Landsmeet decision resting with my Warden, but I could look at that as an extreme case. The same can be said of the Orzammar decision.

I don't like chosen ones and power fantasies. That's why I loved DA2 , because Hawke and Anders provided critical sparks or played key *roles* in stories involving forces much larger than themselves. There are other characters around them who already have plans, and that makes the game infinitely more interesting to me.

[Mistic]

I don't like chosen ones and power fantasies. That's why I loved DA2 , because Hawke and Anders provided critical sparks or played key *roles* in stories involving forces much larger than themselves. There are other characters around them who already have plans, and that makes the game infinitely more interesting to me.

 

However, others complained that DA2 took all the initiative from the protagonist. And they didn't like it.

 

In my opinion, it was mostly a matter of making Hawke's actions useless by railroading them instead of allowing different alternatives, even if in the grand scheme of things they don't amount to anything. The best example is (and probably will be forever) Planescape: Torment. Give lots of freedom to the PC to decide their fate, but don't make the destiny of the world revolve around them. But it seems Bioware doesn't know how to give freedom to the PC without turning them into demigods.

 

And that's one of the reasons I'm glad that we'll likely see Tevinter from different eyes. Because even if every PC in DA (except Hawke) is a walking demigod, at least you know that they are not the only special snowflakes out there, and that they can't be everywhere everytime to solve everybody's problems. Ferelden has its hero, one city of the Free Marches has its champion, a new organization was born from yet another person, and whoever becomes famous in Tevinter will be different too.

[Master Warder Z_]

However, others complained that DA2 took all the initiative from the protagonist. And they didn't like it.

 

[Jaison1986]

There was a thread a while back asking what sort of HQ you'd like to have in the next game. Lots of requests for a shiny Minrathous mansion, haha.

What would be your ideal home in Tevinter? Their estates are easy enough to imagine (and I salivate at the thought of them, no lie). Have any of the comics showed areas of squalor? Is that where the Liberati live? Varania made it sound like being a free elf sucked pretty bad, but whether that had anything to do with her living conditions (including lack of food, clean water, etc.) I have no idea.

 

Any place would do, so long as it's functional. I don't care much since my hope is that Minrathous is reduced to ruble once the game is finished.