The city of Almalexia is one such example. It was built years ago in an earlier era of the project, and has since awaited detailing for use in our Map 3 release. While the city in its current incarnation captures some of the grandeur inherent in the capital of Morrowind, it also has many flaws. It boasts an inelegant design, linearly arranged around an awkward lake, and squeezed into an unnatural grid lay-out. Further more, it shows some of the omnipresent pitfalls of choosing quantity and size over quality and detail.
For these, and many other reasons, we have decided to redesign Almalexia. Let it be clear straightaway that we do not simply intend to patch up some of the flaws of the original. This would not be sufficient, and would not bring us closer to the goal. The plan is to start with a blank canvas, to design the city of Almalexia from scratch, this time working upwards from the ideas, rather than giving meaning to an established city design afterwards. This does not mean that we will not be salvaging some of the better interiors, for example, but we will not be using them or any other part of the old design as a starting point.
This is where all of you come in. Almalexia is beyond compare the most important -and biggest- city in Morrowind. This is a lot of white canvas to fill, and by that we don't just mean the physical space. In this thread, all of you get the chance to make lore, because that is something everyone can do. However, you are not just going to make suggestions. Instead, we will be collaborating to build the story behind Almalexia in various ways. Read below for more information.
Almalexia: A collaborative world-building effort
Some time in the near future, TR will begin building Almalexia, the capital city of Morrowind. This is a massive undertaking and we need everyone's help to make sure the city becomes every inch as magnificent as it is meant to be: full of life and meaning. You can participate in various ways:
- Make a picture of what Almalexia looks like. Draw a specific street, square, location, citizen, scene etc. Tell us what there is to see in Almalexia. Don't occupy yourself with drawing complete city lay-outs; this is not what we're after (unless said lay-out carries a very deliberate meaning somehow). You are free to (and encouraged) to build upon ideas introduced by other people. Above all: make stuff up.
- Write a short piece of text (100-400 words) in which a denizen of/visitor to Almalexia describes the city (not necessarily in a direct way). Every piece should include at least one open reference. An open reference is a reference to an idea, person, location, event, etc. that a writer knows to be currently meaningless, so that someone else can elaborate upon it later. You are free to (and encouraged) to build upon ideas introduced by other people. Above all: make stuff up.
Suggestions for people (feel free to make someone else up) are:
- - Irapal-Du Ahhasibael, guar caravaner on his way back home along the Mamsu trail
- Hloros Indavel, pauper at Tadur Gate
- Serjo Indoril Serani Orophas, being carried through the street on a palanquin
- Rosphat Oresmis, Imperial diplomat
- Ulane Menaran, corkbulb seller at the floating market
Be forewarned, however, that none of the provided concepts will necessarily make it into the mod. Obviously, not all things can even be displayed in gameplay terms. The idea is rather to build a corpus of inspirational material upon which to base the city.
Come on, folks, show the world you can rock.
. Esp included for lulz, somewhat smaller than the full file.
