Something about the Imperial City's layout has always bothered me on a subconscious level, but tonight I finally figred out what it is.

Wouldn't it make more sense if the Market District was near the main entrance of the city near Chestnut Handy stables? For the sake of any traders, who would have easier access to sell their wares? Those looking to buy or sell something don't have to walk across the entire city to do so?

Just imagine if the Talos Plaza district were switched with the Market District. Wouldn't this make more sense?

Instead, we enter the city thru the Talos Plaza district, which is mostly residential. I would imagine if the Talos Plaza were located where the Market District would be, this would actually make more sense, since the TP's nicer homes are kept out of the way of many commoners entering the city.

Anyways, 5 months, 3 weeks and some odd days to go until 11/11/11. Lol.

The Imperial City layout definitely irked me too, and I used to fast travel between districts because it was just so annoying getting from one part to the other.

As for the issue in question, I think building a city in a circular shape is just plain weird, so entering to anything besides some sort of "Weclome Area" or town center would be jarring. But what you say does make sense. Perhaps it was kept the way it is to make a good impression on first time visitors? :shrug:

I understand your logic, and if you have the market right around the gate it is much easier for merchants - but it requires that everyone else cut through the mess to get anywhere else. Historically it wasn't uncommon for open markets to be away from main gates - I suspect it was even the norm in most places.

Renee, I think you're right. That said, a couple tongue-in-cheek thoughts:

The game is all about you. You escape from prison, take a nice bath in the lake and head to the IC to sell yer loot - at the market, conveniently located inside the entrance near the prison.
The folks in any of the residential districts would never allow themselves to be located near the Imperial Prison like the market district is. They would all scream, "Not in my back yard!"

:tongue:

I think it would make more sense if the Market Distict was switched with the Temple District. Merchants will want to move goods in and out of the city efficiently. They'll be bringing goods in by ship so they'll want to be located as close to the Waterfront District as possible.

As far as why Talos is there in the first place I've always figured that upper-class citizens had the political leverage to grab the district nearest the main entrance before anyone else could call "dibs" on it.

Thanks, people. I'm glad it's not just me who sees a bit of logic here.



This assumes Earth's medieval world, though, which often had to be ready for an attack. The Imperial City, on the other hand, seems far from danger. I don't get a sense that I have anything to worry about, for instance, when I leave the city. Not for nearly a mile or so. :shrug:



True. Only problem is: where are the ships? :wink_smile: There's one pirate ship, and one schooner that mostly serves as a restaurant. But I see your point.

Yea, this is true. I forgot to type this earlier when i opened this thread. The market is obviousy located right above the sewers, so the gamer has somewhere to go to immediately get money/services.



True. But don't forget the city garrison or whatever (basically the headquarters of the guards) would be located right behind these nice houses, too.

I can't speak for anyone else but, thanks to Better Cities and a few other mods, in my game there are almost too many ships crowding the docks.

Actually, I played a "Supplier/Wholesaler" character once who had her own ship and supplied merchants in the Imperial City with goods. She'd sail to various provinces, gather exotic merchandise, and then sail back up the Niben and dock at the Waterfront. After unloading her cargo she'd carouse for awhile and then head back out again. That character didn't do a single quest. Very fun.

This post makes me want to play a modded Oblivion so much. :pinch:

I agree. It should have been closer to the Waterfront IMO. Any goods from ships now have to be unloaded and carried across the entire city to the Market.

City should have looked like https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jV-xGYWm8Xs/TX6fvPEtXaI/AAAAAAAAAA0/yFZImIE1fxs/s1600/TheImpeiralCity.jpg which is apparently the Lore-friendly map, with the Market having its own mini-dock.

Where did you get that?

I got that copy from the IB Timeline Blog Site. No idea where the Timeline picked it up from, but I've been told its Lore-accurate :shrug: Makes me look at what Beth gave us in OB with sheer contempt and longing.

Heh, I won't look at the IC the same again, then. Something tells me that the engine couldn't handle that though.

What's there to handle? It's just a different layout.

At first glance it didn't look walled. That sort of traffic in an unwalled area can't be good. Especially on computers that are a heap of junk like mine

I remember a game when I was a teenager , named Fairy Tale adventure II or something similair ...

I believe trough it was a 90's game so by now pretty old and out dated, the cities there were quit interesting specially the couple of large cities , did have homesteads before you entered the city it self ... It would sound pretty logical If the imperial city did have a couple of 'for cities' or 'slums' before the gates, even markets in Weir , except one inn and one farm, I know there a couple of mods who deal with it .... But it rather sound interesting ....

^It's amazing how many games I've never heard of.



Nice. Then it would actually make sense if the Market were where the Temple District is now. In the vanilla game, of course, the most foot traffic from other locales enters thru the Talos Plaza.




Neat!

looks rather cool with this channels, Venetia in TeS, a shame they never implented it .....

I agree with the OP. This is something that has always made me scratch my head. The Waterfront should have had its own market. The Market District in the game is really the, Posh Shops District.

I'd say that's the reason why. That map I posted looks like most of the sections aren't walled off, whereas the IC they gave us had conveniently walled off sections of the city.

As long as we're complaining about the IC... where the hell is 'Ye Olde Brothel House'!?!? Medieval 2 Total War taught us that no large settlement should be without their very own brothel. Between this and the market district placement fiasco I'd say the architect needs a good flogging.

Hear hear. My day is not complete without a visit to a house of ill-repute to tarnish my otherwise angelic image.

I think there are more guilds than we realize. I'm sure there is a tailor's guild and a cobbler's guild, etc.

When Buffy first got out of the Imperial Prison, she was lost and broke and just trying to get home to Bravil. She needed some gold to book passage on a ship.

She met Simplicia the Slow and asked her how to make some money. Simplicia started to suggest Buffy join the prosttutes Guild, but then looked again at the little elf with a towering longbow on her back. Simplicia suggested that Buffy join the Arena, assuring her it was safer.

Well, Buffy did exactly that and survived her one fight. She got paid enough gold to get home, but still wonders why Simplicia thought she would be better at killing men than sleeping with them?

So where was I? Oh yes. There is indeed a prosttutes Guild in Cyrodiil. ^_^