What were the civil engineers thinking when they designed the Imperial City?

[Onyx Oblivion]

They were thinking of a circular, layered design.

 

[reg42]

They though "Hey, what happens if this gets used in a video game? Let's make it pretty but impractical!"

 

[Xorghul]

Surely a more important question is why is the richest, largest and most powerful city in the entire world smaller than almost every other city in every other game?

Yes! It's to fucking small. I mean, it can't possibly hold more than 1000 people at most. I hate things like that. Makes me murderous.

 

[TheZapper]

Reason 1 seems the most obvious, plus it also makes the city easier to defend if fighting began from within as you could just seal off that particular area.

 

[Axolotl]

OK, I'm just going to have to give up and say you're wrong.
-Oblivion is not a bad game

Entirely subjective I would strongly disagree.

-It's not a bad setting

It's a dull setting which given the nature of the game mkaes it at least a highly unsuitable setting.

-There are fantastical sights, just not in the imperial city... actually no, fuck that, that tower in the middle of it is pretty fantastical.

A tower. That's you're idea of fantasy a tower? Do you have any imagination at all? And what else does Oblivion have? Faux medieval hamlets and buggy fields. Oh and the occasinal generic hellscape.

-The map's a piece of shit in vivec, it was most useful when using the boots of blinding speed so I could see a rough outline of the path ahead as I walked

So no you didn't use the map then.

-It's not bland, if you think a field or a forest is bland you don't get out enough, don't make me sing "colours of the wind" from pocahontas!

I get out plenty, that's why I find those things bland, the problem is the ones in Oblivion are bland even by generic field and woodland standards. It's visully dull.

-It is interesting.

What is? The endless copypaste fields of glitchyness? The randomly generated linear tubefests they call dungeons? The faux-feudal hamlets they call cities?

Out of interest, how'd it look in Arena? I was just wondering...

Endless randomly generated landscape.

 

[Daveman]

OK, I'm just going to have to give up and say you're wrong.
-Oblivion is not a bad game

Entirely subjective I would strongly disagree.

I don't get how you can criticise ME for being subjective. That was basically why I said I give up. And if we go by general consensus and professional reviews then yes, oblivion is a good game. Don't say it's subjective because that's the nearest thing to objectivity we can have when reviewing. I'not saying you're wrong I'm just saying that the majority of people and professional opinion disagrees with you. ;-)

-It's not a bad setting

It's a dull setting which given the nature of the game makes it at least a highly unsuitable setting.

you mean YOU found it dull, looks who's being subjective NOW! Anyway, I'm done pointing out how many different sights there are in the game, I don't get how it's any different in terms sight-seeing-spots generally speaking.

-There are fantastical sights, just not in the imperial city... actually no, fuck that, that tower in the middle of it is pretty fantastical.

A tower. That's you're idea of fantasy, a tower? Do you have any imagination at all? And what else does Oblivion have? Faux medieval hamlets and buggy fields. Oh and the occasinal generic hellscape.

"A city made out of a shell. That's your idea of fantasy, a shell?" That's not an argument. That's just acting superior. Generic landscape... well I'm sorry that there aren't giant mushrooms everywhere... oh no wait, there are in the shivering isles, because people like you couldn't stop whining about it.

-The map's a piece of shit in vivec, it was most useful when using the boots of blinding speed so I could see a rough outline of the path ahead as I walked

So no, you didn't use the map then.

how else would I know that the map is a piece of shit if I didn't use it? How does that comeback of yours work?

-It's not bland, if you think a field or a forest is bland you don't get out enough, don't make me sing "colours of the wind" from pocahontas!

I get out plenty, that's why I find those things bland, the problem is the ones in Oblivion are bland even by generic field and woodland standards. It's visually dull.

I still don't get how you're defining "bland" and "dull". If by that you mean it has normal plants and animals then I wouldn't use it as criticism. If you're saying that everywhere looks the same, I'd say buy new glasses and try exploring the map. There's plenty of variation.

-It is interesting.

What is? The endless copypaste fields of glitchyness? The randomly generated linear tubefests they call dungeons? The faux-feudal hamlets they call cities?

COPY PASTE?? that's a bit rich when the entirety of morrowind can be coloured with about 3 different textures! And as for glitches, got none with my game, ever. Now THAT's subjective!

 

[Liberaliter]

The Imperial City never felt impressive to me, it was supposed to be the capital of the Imperials, the centre of the Empire. But it was pathetic compared to Vivec.

 

[beefpelican]

So that it looked like a wheel from above. Dragons are afraid of wheels, as they make air dragonback travel obsolete. Luckily they don't think of attacking wheels, but of placating them.

If this isn't the right answer, it damn well should be. Thank you for your time.

 

[Wicky_42]

...
But also recall that most cities were not really designed, they just slowly grew, and as such do not always follow a completely logical design. Hell, you should see the way New Orleans' streets are laid out. It's like they were designed by M.C. Esher.

Lol, if you think New Orleans' streets are fun have a look at pretty much any European city. Barring the ones that were smashed in the war, every city has more history than the US can even dream of. Look at London on google maps and tell me that New Orleans doesn't look rigid and orderly in comparison!

Morrowind has fantastical swamps and wastes unlike the real world with cities built by inhuman arcitects. Oblivion is just buggy green fields. Art direction trumps mere technological power.

As an architecture student I take offence to the 'inhuman arcitects [sic]' quip Architects are human, but I'd be the first to criticise the last few decades of urban design theory and practice.

Personally I'd like to see architects and urban designers involved in the creation of game cities - it could add a nice touch of realism to these places, as well as aiding the art direction. Just an idea...