Cities And Housing Archive

I have always felt that cities in SWG are to spread out. You do not feel like you are in a city and it does not contribute to a star wars feel. For example:

Market squares are just open areas of nothing. Market squares should have a game functionality and carry a Star Wars theme: Here is a classic example of a city and a market square:

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsbountyhunter/images/concepts/2.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsbountyhunter/images/concepts/16.jpg


Cities should carry a massive flow that is Star wars- Here are examples:

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/22.jpg

http://www.nlgaming.com/games/1453/jk02.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/19.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/18.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/14.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/9.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/8.jpg

http://www.bioware.com/_global/images/gallery/kotorpc_screens_1/4_small.jpg

http://www.bioware.com/_global/images/gallery/kotorpc_screens_1/7_small.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/31.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/30.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/10.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/2.jpg




Space stations:
http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/13.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords/images/concept_art/6.jpg

http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/images/concepts/25.jpg

Message Edited by Ablon on 09-07-2005 06:24 PM

Message Edited by Ablon on 09-07-2005 06:53 PM

/signed

Blame the variety of player city structures and the associated footprints.

The only 'market' type outdoor structures are the vendor tents, and their footprint is pretty large for such a small structure.

It's hard to cluster them around an outdoor area and make them look anything like a market or square,

This is to prevent abuses, but does nothing to help city designers.

There was a bug where you could pick up certain gungunn market stands, but you could not place them outside - only inside.

The whole concept of structures, as innovative as it may be, is still very limiting as far as indoor/outdoor spaces and transparency.

You cannot place anything on roofs or balconies because of the way structures have been designed these areas are considered 'outside'. And only certain items may be placed outside.

Just look at the player theatres.

If these areas had been designed as an additional floor on the structure with transparent walls, even if they would not update when you traveled past them, while inside the structure you could decorate,view,and use these areas.

Likewise, if an entire structure had transparent walls, like some of the huts on Kashyyyk, we could have decorated open-air market type structures in player cities. And with smaller footprints we could arrange such structures in close groupings to create market squares and other clustered arrangements which would add so much to city design.

We could still have the room to walk between them, but maybe not drive between them.

This would not contribute to the dreadful abuses, but would still allow decent placement.

Message Edited by progman63 on 09-08-2005 12:34 AM

Therefore we sacrifice true star wars feel for.....? And good game design for....?