MyknZgaming
MyknZgaming
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How Livable is Balmora? │ Urban Planning of Morrowind ep. 1
hey guys, wanna do a little deep dive into the quality of Balmora as a city?
I'm gonna be traveling all across Vvardenfell and reviewing the cities, giving them grades on their livability. Super fun right?
Please do subscribe to tag along, I hope to do other video games in the future so just comment where you want me to go next, Morrowind or otherwise!
I cited:
Alexander, Christopher, et al. A Pattern Language Towns, Buildings, Construction Christopher Alexander; Sara Ishikawa; Murray Silverstein. with Max Jacobson . Oxford Univ. Press, 1977.
America Walks. “Can We Fight Light Pollution and Provide Street Lighting? Absolutely -.” America Walks, 15 Feb. 2022, americawalks.org/light-pollution-...
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  • @DNA-i8q
    @DNA-i8q День назад

    This is such a fun idea, and I can't wait for the next episode. Congrats on a good job for a first video, btw!

  • @Tommysimonsen
    @Tommysimonsen День назад

    On the "Poor" side, about 30% of the people living there are in the CIA/Bladers.

  • @Tommysimonsen
    @Tommysimonsen День назад

    I think Balmora is the only city I newer was called the N word in. N'wah.

  • @RisingXAbove
    @RisingXAbove День назад

    Lmaoooo I love this.

  • @tylerkessler4021
    @tylerkessler4021 2 дня назад

    Cool to see women get passionate for Morrowind 👍🏼

  • @ErenMortel
    @ErenMortel 2 дня назад

    looking forward to this channel!

  • @WeNeverHadForever
    @WeNeverHadForever 2 дня назад

    a collab with AnyAustin when?!

  • @Sebastian_Niedermeier
    @Sebastian_Niedermeier 3 дня назад

    I like the idea, but I disagree with your methodology. Let me elaborate. Video game cities are represantative expressions of what they are not identical entities. Has Balmora 96 citiciesn (I'll trust you on the count without checking) - yes, but not literally. It's a vibrant local capital and seat of political power, that has proximity to the imperial mining town of Pelagiad, the agricutural Ascadian Isles regions, and support a mayor military installation with Fort Moonmoth - while maintaining trade. 96 people don't make sense for that because that's just litteral, they represant way morr and you can feel it. If you go literal: Vivec is a hole bunch of lonely people living in a way too large a superstructure, instead of an overcrowded capital city with a diverse populous and an seedy underbelly. Pelagiad is a fort and a hostel, instead of an important military town seated on a crossroad that provides stability for the hole region. Suran is a bikini bar and five traders, instead of a seedy moloch and trading hub for a quarter of Vvardenfell. And lastly Seyda Neen - it's not five shacks and a trader. It's a port city, connected by land and sea, with governmental border installations that handles mainland trade and migration, and also has a local fishing industry, as well as a more upper class central town with shopping aquaintances - so yeah that's the first proper city you ventured into. I think you should adjust this factor. Your qualitative arguments are very solid nonetheless. Just saying the hole could be better. Addendum: Regarding your diversity rating. There's really two possible stories that could have played out here and I'm not lore savvy enough to judge. In the first you have this powerful city with it's guilds, markets and political institutions that pushes the poor to the outskirts on the other side of the river. In the second you find a sleepy fishing and kwama egg mining town that was promoted to the state of regional capital by house Hlaalu taking up residence and attracting guilds and commerce on the other side of the river, without gentrifying the original poorer population on the opposite river bank and instead including them in the newly constructed town walls as full citicens. Well that's two almost contradictory outlooks on the city...

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 2 дня назад

      @Sebastian_Niedermeier Thanks for the comment! You are absolutely right in that these cities are abstract representations, which is something I was definitely aware of going into this. I talked about it at one point but may have cut most of that section where I discuss it explicitly. In any case, that fact does make certain assessments harder, but that goes hand in hand with all the aspects that make analyzing a video game city hard. For example, the people don't act like real people either and thus don't respond to spaces in the same way. In the end, I'm trying to strike a balance of what is physically there and what it represents. I tend to focus more on the former, because I personally find that more tangible and entertaining. Your addendum on the diversity section is awesome by the way, I love it! Those are super interesting interpretations that really add texture to Balmora whichever way you look at it. Great input, thanks for sharing!

    • @Sebastian_Niedermeier
      @Sebastian_Niedermeier 2 дня назад

      @myknZgaming No need to thank me, I literally jumped at the opportunity to Nerd out about Morrowind for a bit 😅. And since I've recently come to appreciate qualitative analysis way more than quantitative methods (they really tend to obscure more than they uncover and mislead into a false sense of objectivity), this comment was what resulted. PS: I'm perfectly convinced there is a "History of Balmora" book in-game that says exactly what it canonically is. But I find it more interesting to listen to what the design says. Funningly enough the point you raised about sadly all facades looking the same would also solve the question which side old-town is 😅

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 2 дня назад

      @@Sebastian_Niedermeier Ahh very cool! I know Morrowind has great lore material through books, but I've never actually been much of a lore person, so the design speaking for itself is kinda doing the heavy lifting for me here lol! Again, urban planning is so intertwined with history and politics that a person with a head for serious lore could really dig deep here. I'll keep an eye out for that book though, or ones on any other cities as I travel. Cheers!

    • @luisostasuc8135
      @luisostasuc8135 2 дня назад

      Tbf, the PC is a literal outlander who is unlikely to have read the book first. This video and its perspective reflects that, and reacting to what you physically see is the default. Slight tangent, there's a concept called "affordance theory" that says that we first encounter the world in how it "affords" us access, how objects can be manipulated, how safe a space feels for a certain activity, etc. I learned about the name of it recently, but it seems like your approach has a good understanding of that 🙂

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 2 дня назад

      @luisostasuc8135 Oh neat! I'm unfamiliar with that term but I'm gonna look it up now since it sounds right up my alley!

  • @nelsllendofan494
    @nelsllendofan494 3 дня назад

    Thank you for taking the time to make it. Such a joy.

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 3 дня назад

      @nelsllendofan494 omg thank you for watching it!

  • @monstrousmoss
    @monstrousmoss 3 дня назад

    this is the exact intersection of my somewhat-niche interests that I needed

  • @septimus9764
    @septimus9764 3 дня назад

    If you ever run out of cities for content get Tamriel Rebuilt and check out the upcoming Anvil mod. Seriously good job

  • @mechaknightdx5066
    @mechaknightdx5066 3 дня назад

    I feel like the magic that is available to the public could very well be a factor in terms of city design. (It definitely is for the Telvanni wizards) Knowing how to cast levitate, telekinesis, or night eye would go a long way in improving the daily life of it's practitioners but could unfortunately be required for some to get by.

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 3 дня назад

      @@mechaknightdx5066 Didn't consider, Night Eye, good point

  • @A.Odara.23
    @A.Odara.23 4 дня назад

    I love the morrowind lesbian fandom

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 4 дня назад

      @A.Odara.23 not a lesbian but agreed nonetheless!🙌❤️

  • @SheWhoHathCATS
    @SheWhoHathCATS 4 дня назад

    aw heck yeah i love morrowind

  • @Triads297
    @Triads297 4 дня назад

    Yay interesting i watch/listen to this while im working and it helps

  • @TheSpectralForce
    @TheSpectralForce 4 дня назад

    hey this was really cool

  • @Nikotheleepic
    @Nikotheleepic 4 дня назад

    >walkable cities 'hough

  • @Rasengangstarr
    @Rasengangstarr 4 дня назад

    Awesome concept and video, love how niche and nerdy this is! Instant sub.

  • @drewcummings2453
    @drewcummings2453 4 дня назад

    I decided to start playing Morrowind mostly on a whim on what seemingly was the very day this video was posted, and im so happy i have enough context to understand how absolutely hilarious this video is now

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 4 дня назад

      @@drewcummings2453 Great timing!

  • @Spacecoke
    @Spacecoke 4 дня назад

    I never knew walkability was even a word. Isn't it usually called accessibility?

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 4 дня назад

      @Spacecoke It's often used nowadays to describe how pedestrian friendly a neighborhood or city is! Since so many American cities are car-centric.

  • @8bitstargazer
    @8bitstargazer 4 дня назад

    God i cant wait till i can move out of the urban hell that is vivec.

  • @Superszyga
    @Superszyga 4 дня назад

    Thank you for great video!

  • @dogevanzandt2889
    @dogevanzandt2889 4 дня назад

    Really dislike people that look like you because you hate people like me.

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 4 дня назад

      @@dogevanzandt2889 Interesting!

  • @OptimalFBax
    @OptimalFBax 4 дня назад

    This is why the Internet was invented.

  • @gearfordragnavar1361
    @gearfordragnavar1361 5 дней назад

    Honestly I think you did a good job on this. There were a few things I disagree with, but overall I think you did a relatively well thought out review. I'm glad I clicked on it. Also, love your voice; it's so nice!

  • @AP2brolic
    @AP2brolic 5 дней назад

    Dope video

  • @arcanelore0
    @arcanelore0 5 дней назад

    it's fine clothier :) not clother. Sorry, seem to be feeling pedantic

  • @miajoy9937
    @miajoy9937 5 дней назад

    MORROWIND!!!! really specific Morrowind video!! This is even more fun than the analysis of Morrowind's rivers!! (Im so obsessed with this game)

  • @kritorys514
    @kritorys514 5 дней назад

    Oh my Almalexia, this is one of my favorite Morrowind analysis videos ever (and I've watched many). "Parkour" is the perfect way to describe traveling within Balmora. The juxtaposition of that modern terminology with Morrowind's Morrowindness is conceptual hhilarity. Kudos 👏

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 5 дней назад

      @kritorys514 Wow big praise thanks so much!!

  • @victoriaj2129
    @victoriaj2129 5 дней назад

    Instant subscribe

  • @SteinGauslaaStrindhaug
    @SteinGauslaaStrindhaug 5 дней назад

    Love this! Can't wait for more

  • @IonutzLOL
    @IonutzLOL 5 дней назад

    I don't know how the algoritm chose this, but it's exactly THE niche. Thank you!!

  • @jhonproctor6926
    @jhonproctor6926 5 дней назад

    What are you gay?

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 5 дней назад

      @@jhonproctor6926 oh yeah, urban planning is mega gay

  • @thanganbabp5570
    @thanganbabp5570 5 дней назад

    love to see you doing something fun as a way to learn

  • @LiniFox
    @LiniFox 5 дней назад

    This video is so nice and chill :3; more cities please ? From any of the games :3

  • @SupahTrunks7
    @SupahTrunks7 5 дней назад

    I absolutely love this concept! Subscribing to see more of morrowind examined. I think another thing to mention with the disability access is that a disabled person may still be versed in magic or alchemy that (or able to purchase scrolls and potions from vendors) that provide effects that allow for easier access such as levitation potions to reach services such as the silt strider with ease. especially since the height a silt strider stands at doesn’t make building a ramp a very easy infrastructure to implement when it would have to be either far too steep for a wheelchair user to ascend without a levitation potion to stop backsliding, or a very very long twisting ramp to allow a better incline for such a height. That being said I think the reason we don’t see much in the way of wheelchairs in morrowind is possibly that it is NOT the favored method of transportation for vardenfellians with mobility issues. Given how much the rugged terrain has influenced Dunmeri culture I can see them preferring use service animals like Guar and Aliit as mounts (perhaps with a chair like saddle that allows support). On earth we don’t have rideable domestic animals in the size range for city living that would be able to carry full grown adults so it’s not an option we have here but IS an option in Tamriel. Plus being bipedal animals would make the stairs much less of an issue since they wouldn’t have the issue of being able to go up but not down that many ungulates on earth have.

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 5 дней назад

      @@SupahTrunks7 Excellent points here! The mount idea is one I hadn't considered, I'll definitely be rethinking accessibility in the coming videos! Thanks for joining the ride❤️🙌

  • @Twisted_Logic
    @Twisted_Logic 5 дней назад

    City planning may not be a particular interest of mine, but I'm always interested in unique, niche Morrowind videos. Especially well-produced ones. Other than Vivec, obviously, I'm really interested in what you have to say about Sadrith Mora, especially with regards to accesssibility. It's probably the least accessible city on Vvardenfell, with even able-bodied people unable to get around if they're not skilled in alchemy or alteration magic.

  • @grevehans
    @grevehans 5 дней назад

    Love these videos. They work equally well wether you try to sleep or are active! Looking forward to discussions on accessibility of the Telvanni-cities 😆

  • @IchKomentiereNur123
    @IchKomentiereNur123 5 дней назад

    mobility impaired people probably use levitation or other magical solutions, which should be accounted for city design in Vvardenfell especially when you cover Telvanni towns

    • @Sebastian_Niedermeier
      @Sebastian_Niedermeier 3 дня назад

      I disagree. The magic teaching monopol of the Mages Guild and Telvanni makes this a completely classist issue. This is reflected in Telvanni architecture, which completely disregards non-magic-user as not worth of consideration to begin with. I believe this framing fits the Telvanni and Vvardenfell better than a meriocratic view where everybody could magic - they can't, folks in power don't care.

  • @adamhahn6634
    @adamhahn6634 5 дней назад

    I'm a Morrowind but case, so this might be a selfish request, but please grow your channel with a 'Major Cities of Morrowind' series!

    • @myknZgaming
      @myknZgaming 5 дней назад

      I'm planning on doing this with all the major towns!

  • @povilzem
    @povilzem 5 дней назад

    If higher alphabet letter means worse grade, I fully expect Vivec to get a V for mobility. Maybe even a V-.