Balmora - The City of Contrasts

From the gorgeous mansions of Hlaalu nobles from High Town and welcoming shops of Commercial District to the croocked streets of Labour Town and dirty sewer pipes below it, that local papeurs call their home - this is Balmora. Capital of House Hlaalu on Vvardenfell and its second biggest city. The city of commerce and crime where the trade happens in the shady alleys as well as shops. Of opulence and misery, where the rich and the poor are separated by the forces much stronger than the waters of river Odai. The City of Contrasts.

Description

This is a comprehensive overhaul of Balmora based on the best level design mods, such as Beautiful Cities of Morrowind, Dallara Balmora and Balmora Waterworks.

My main priority was Visual Storytelling and Emergent Gameplay. I wanted to, first of all, create interesting places with their own stories and inner logic with further possibilities for quests and interactive elements:

• []Shady alleys and dead ends, serving as sewer drains, are the places where Thieves Guild and Camonna Tong members can do their trade and are hidden from the plain sight.[/]

  []The walls are circling the city and the gates are monitored by the guards. Those who are not on the best terms with the law may need to find some other way in.[/]

  []High Town got it own walls and gates and only important people are let through the main entrance. [/]

• []Sewers got multiple new places of interest compared to the version from Balmora Waterworks.[/]

  The second priority, was to highlight the distinction between the districts of the city. Labour Town, Commercial District and High Town have their own personalities and stand in contrast to each other:

  []High Town is the place for the wealthiest of citizens. This district is separated from the others by a moat and a separate wall with its own gates so that simple commoners didn't bother the important people: Hlaalu nobles and rich traders who own mansions there. Ragged paupers are send away immediately, while more presentable looking citizens may have an opportunity to persuade the gate guard. There are multiple other ways to get inside, however. Be it through the servant door or through the sewers.[/]

  []Commercial District is the face of the city shown to the guests. It's welcoming and well maintained. Market Square is bustling with food stands trading in local and imported goods. The district is a home for middle and upper-middle class citizens. Most houses have two stores owned by the same person, usually a merchant, hosting a shop on the ground level. [/]

  [*]Labour Town is a place for less wealthy, simple labourers, low-middle class citizens. Housing here is more affordable. It's build in hight density, and different floors of a building are usually owned by different people. Its streets are crook