City Development: Senchal

This is the official thread for the development of Senchal. All ideas are welcome as long as they are lore-friendly and possible within reason.

DOUBLE POSTING YAY!!!

My ideas for Senchal:

I would like the harbors alone to be at least a few times larger than the Imperial City's Waterfront in Oblivion. That is to insure that it is the largest southern port town. I believe the Black Keirgo District could be in the southern area near the port. I would like to have random junkies that attack you when you get so close within the district. This would add the realisim of Sugar-dens and junkies hanging out here. The city will sprawl over enough land to be ringed on three sides by the harbor. That doesn't mean it has to be as wide as the Quin'Rawl peninsula though. That would be a good large size, but unnecessary and could possibly could kill fps on systems.

Senshal is trying to have a "good reputation" since it became a resort. There should be a "main way" where tourists and merchants don't have to see the Black Keirgo District and parts of the cities that have not yet been reconstructed. With militia saying: "Don't go this way, citizen, it's dangerous!".
And as the greatest port of Tamriel, there should be ships (and pirates!) from the whole Tamriel: classic dunmer ships, nordic drakkars, imperial galleons, ships of magical cristal from Summerset (it's lore correct but I don't remember where I saw it), rafts of living trees from Black Marsh, etc...

Yes, the black keirgo will be out of the way. In the south of the city.

I'm thinking it's imperial style. Imperials would enhance trade and tourism. So it seems logical.

Stone buildings with a bit of wood?

I don't think Khajiits have allowed men to rebuild the city in imperial style. Instead, I think they have rebuilt the city in their own style to show the glory of the Khajiit civilisation to the rest of the world. I don't think Imperials are going to Senchal to see an imperial city. They probably want some sort of exotism.
Imperial style could be reserved to official buildings like a Census and Excise Office or the East Empire Company.

Who said the Imperials rebuilt it? It could have always been Imperial. I'm just saying that wood isn't good for a huge harbor. Some type of stone.

Elsweyr is a confederacy. Torval is the capital of Elsweyr but Senchal is the capital of Pellitine. It can't be an imperial city.
I think Souther Khajiits have cities with thick walls to protect them from the forest threats. And so they are living in urban communities. Instead of making individual houses we could make buildings where several families lives. Something like St. Olms in Vivec where you can find appartments.
Something like that:

I like your example in the pictures, that would work good, but to be honest, I hated Vivec. It has a very not well thought out layout, and is just weird. But what you are saying is still perfect.

I was hoping to do this as well. A multi-tier layout is perfect for the residential area. I was just saying that this city is NOT wood. This is 3rd era Elsweyr so I know it's a confederacy but the trade made me think Imperial. I know Imperial isn't the style. Just a suggestion of what we want. STONE!

I like the second one. The stairs would be inside right?

More than likely, yes.

Just a little picture to show how I think buildings could be. For those who don't understand what is it, there are three views: the first is the side, the second is the front and the third is the upper view.

This is for a common building. I wanted to give the feeling of a dense and urbanized population. Each appartment is the size of a standard house.
Stairs and halls could be in their own interior cell, and linking to each appartment, like the waistworks in Vivec.
But if the mesh is open, we can do halls with view of the outside. The facade can be separated by column and each section could be completed by a wall, a railing, a balcony or nothing. This way, you can make a skywalk between two buildings. All in exterior! You'll just have to add a door on each floor.
We can also make the stairs going to the rooftop. With buildings of different heights we can do a sort of "rooftop city".
We can also do a mix of the two. Open structures for homes and closed ones for inns, taverns and shops.

I rather like the idea of a multi-tiered city. The skywalk exterior idea is genius as we can have a nice visual effect to help with the experience. I like the idea of a multi-level city. With the extra level, the city's slum/residential area can be cut in half. With more levels...BOOM! Smart and realistic space saving. I'd think the richer folks could, if not own a nicer large home, own multiple levels of a building. Your idea on standard 2X3 cells is also great. It simulates the idea that there is a large population and actually delivers it too. Le Grimacier, you have a good brain for this.

I will try to fight lampost meshes, we HAVE to have those!

Yeah, I can make Morrowind themed ones with what came with the game but Elsweyr needs it's own! Hey Grimacier, What do you propose for the harbors?

Oh, we already have skywalks and some of the buildings can be safely stacked. Those are from the DAR though. So dune can have a nice residential area without much work. Senchal has jack squat yet. Poor Senchal...

@pROvAK: [ to fight lampost? ] We'll probably need at least two sorts of lamp. One sticked at the end of a post for the wide streets, gardens and plaza. And another hanging from a building for the narrower streets.
@Ruy Hayabusa: Do you mean you want to use Dune resources for Senchal?

I think the harbor could be a quarter by itself. Something like a large plaza surrounded by warehouses, markets and taverns, with two ways: one, dark and hidden between buildings and leading to the Black Keirgo. The other, clean and rich, leading to the rest of the city. For this way, a building could act as a gateway (like the Gateway of India) and this could be the Census and Excise Office or The East Empire Company Headquarter (or whatever else official). So, when boats come to Senchal, they have to pass by one of this two places to sell their goods in the city.

Well, we could very easily use some dune resources for Senchal. That's not what I meant but I imagine some elements of design are common in most Khajiit architecture. Your vision is exactly what we need. I was thinking this: Black Keirgo is in the very eastern area. Below is an improvised "map" of what I am suggesting.
Periods=regular city
Commas=Black Keirgo
Slashes=Harbor


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I think Black Keirgo will be better on the western side. Boats won't see it when they travel along the Topal Bay. And the main entrance of the city could be on the southern side. And there is the palace too. I think it sould be on the east side so it can be viewed from boats, like it was made to be shown. but it is hard to say without a map showing the cells where the city will be.

We haven't yet discussed about how the Black Keirgo looks like. I would like to see something like a "city in the city" with its own rules, its own economy and its own ruler (maybe a druglord?) And why is it called the Black Keirgo? Because is there no outdoor lights? Because is it blackened with dirt? Because are its streets so narrow they are always in shadow? Will it use standard buildings? So many questions... We could also have a new set of models and make it looks like a shantytown with a few common buildings and shacks.

I'm looking for a color sheme for the cities of Pellitine (excluding Torval). What do you think about a pink granit for common buildings and something red for the palace?

Black Keirgo could probably just be the old destroyed neighborhoods, "Revamped by the druggies". That'd keep the rest of the city for the commoners and such. Yes, now that you say it, west is smarter for the sea goers. BUT if we decide to say the Black Keirgo IS the busted neighborhoods, then it's likely that it was in the east. The flu started in Black Marsh so regardless, the east will have to be busted. That dang flu! I think your color scheme could work if it seems right for the sub-tropics. Matter of fact, far as I know, it should be almost perfect.

the claim piece is thirty cells. i would say the city should be about 14 of those cells. with the black dot about center. gate two cells west. And the cell piece on the SE shore outside the city. dunno. we will need to map it out. And yes, i think the city should be brown stone with off white stucco buildings. We will have to come up with lots of khajiit styled banners, rugs, and tapestries to help with the flavor. Red/browns, green, and turquoise wold probably make good color choices.

We have almost all of the things used in the Elsweyr mod for Oblivion here for Morrowind's Elsweyr. Our Elsweyr is largely different than Iliana's though. Especially the forest. Getting started on a map of the area...actually, I can't do it...I'm not skilled in that area...anyone?

Rattfink333, that would be a large ass town. Good.

her is a cs map i put together. looks like we have 24 cells to play with.