Inhuman Resources - Or Elven buildings.

[Doubtful]

A little off topic question for ya'll...


While out and about the other day I chanced upon a shop with a bunch of buildings done in a Warhammer High Elf style, prompting both the age old “Which is more embarrassing; being seen by your friends entering a Games Workshop, or an Adult Shop?” and some thoughts about elven buildings in general (not for anything specific, just wondering).

The LoTR elven buildings are pretty, but they're also depressingly human - Colonial Victorian mixed with a bit of Romanesque Revival and a touch of the Gothic noodled all over with lashings and lashings of Art Nouveau. It seems no more culturally distinct than the other settlements shown; A sort of Human but refined, although I guess that does sit well with the Hobbits Human but round. The High Elves of Warhammer fit into this mold although with less Victorianism and a lot more eagle.

Morrowind did a great job of setting the various elven buildings apart from human influence - the organic Telvanni towers were great, as were the chitinous buildings, overall Morrowind did a great job of giving the Dunmer a unique look to fit their culture. The other games tend to creep toward Elves=Art Nouveau, especially with the ruins. God knows what the Bosmer live in and I've not seen any of the high elf buildings.. The Ayleid ruins scattered around in Oblivion tend to fall into the same pit as the GW and Tolkien elven stuff – Lots of white stone blockwork with large arches detailed with organic style stuff.

WoW takes a slightly different tact, the Night Elf buildings are strongly influenced by Japanese and classical Greco-Roman styles mixed together with traditional Scandinavian designs

D&D.. Well. D&D makes things complicated with it's desperate attempts to include every variation on elfishness that's out with there some 20+ elf types, plus half-races, just for Faerun (and non-specific), but the style that really sticks out with the D&D stuff is the tree-houses, such as the one in Baldurs Gate (and the one in Arcanum for that matter).


Now, a point: There are a lot of different styles of architecture out there for elves, but what type does it for you? What would your ideal elven settlement look like?

[Saulus]

[Catastrophe]

I curse you Saulus, because with me being sick I was laughing so hard that I had a terrible coughing fit.

[Twisted-Indoctrine]

I like to think he's adding coal to that fire.

[Satoshi]

I'm a fan of the Art Nouveau, Victorian with more elegance and distinction. Elves, even as they are artistic, are not particularly creative or ambitious. They tend to refine and perfect specific craft rather than make something new, so taking human architecture (and dwarven metallurgy) and using the basis to work towards perfection seems to reflect that the best.

[Zoberraz]

I'm not exactly surprised by Saulus' open declaration of elven hate there. xD

I've two takes on elvish architecture.

the first is the one that blends in with nature. More organic, flowing, a testament of their ties with nature and their ability to be part of it while also matching the human player's expectations of what's necessary to have it still look civilized. I tend to think decorations and ornamentation would have a Celtic lean.

The other view is of an elf with more tools, more resources and less concern to blend with nature and more interest in using the 'best materials' in an artistic fashion that is then done to a very sweeping extent. Elves live long, have far longer than we do to work as artisans... and if they have that time then the minutiae of their work could almost been as overly artistic. A lot of time to start with the basics, then perfect it, and then out of pride try to work and make it stand out while also having it endure the passage of time.

Style? I think it depends on the elf, the setting in which he is, and his influences... and how far overblown the elf can manage to make it while having it look tasteful. Then take that, and the elf's next work, and try to have him do better. And better. For centuries.

And then consider what other elves coming after him would see in his work, and how they would think they can do in comparison - either out of comformistic approval, or in a desire to stand out themselves.

Ultimately a poor answer to the question... but all the references raised are 'human, real world' references and elves don't benefit from having a defined style of their own. All the takes mentioned work, but it's pretty much a matter of taste from the beholder too - some may seem inspired, others not. It depends on the vision behind it.

[Saulus]

I like to think he's adding coal to that fire.

It's a "controlled burn". No really.

[Tamha]

My favorite depiction of the living space for elves comes from ElfQuest in the form of the Father Tree. (Fan art of it's creation can be found here.)

For those not familiar with the series, one of the four primary groups of elves, the forest-dwelling Wolfriders, live in large magically-shaped hollows in trees. If you are interested in knowing more or reading their free online archives, you can find them at http://www.elfquest.com.

[Doubtful]

The elfquest stuff is a little fey for my tastes, though could be developed into something fun - A sort of communal bower bird on a ketamine trip.

Personally I find myself caught between something symbolically meaningful and decorative, Islamic and Moorish architectural styles being a great contender, or a truly eclectic individual style as Zoberazz says, where the houses reflect their occupants and their long lives - being a mish-mash of styles and influences that have been appealing at the time that particular thing was fashionable, rather than a consistent cultural style.

Of course whimsy is a nightmare when it comes to putting together a settlement.