My suggestion is that each of the Kingdom (and possibly Empire) factions has graphics specific to their backstory / gameplay.
Here're some ideas for each of the Kingdom factions:-
- Altar - Either low class housing (ie. the current slums but individual buildings instead) or a kleptomaniacal mix of all the other faction's buildings (random chance of having any of the other faction's buildings).
- Capitar - I don't know, truly. Something gothic, maybe? What shouts "diplomat" in terms of building style? Victorian era buildings?
- Gilden - Merchant-like. Clean white marble walls inset with gold. Professional and clean cut lines. Kind of like this.
- New Pariden - Typical high fantasy type buildings. Turreted towers, clean streets, lovely houses etc. Even Pariden's slums should look pretty. Example of a German castle in this style.
- Tarth - Viking-esque buildings. Longhouses, wattle and daub, thatched roofs. Harbors and fishing huts should have a definite increase in amount of detail given to them in Tarth. Examples: 1, 2, 3
And some for the Empire races:-
- Urxen - Small, cramped huts. Downtrodded workers should live in huts even when they've got estates or whatever. Possibly hill buildings? (I.E. underground.) Similar to Hobbits in design, but more Mordor in terrain?
- Trog - Similar to Urxen in style but larger. Have a hint of viking (as seen above) in the architecture, maybe? Large huts, Warcraft-esque orcish warfortresses? Example from Warcraft.
- Wraiths - Similar to Gilden / Capitar in style, maybe? These are the ones I have the least information on. Going to guess their building style should be close to a stereotypical human style.
- Quendar - New Pariden but "dark". Black, craggy stone buildings, massive towers with flickering flames running down them. Should put the player in mind of Sauron's tower in Mordor. Example.
- Men of Kraxis - Not certain. Similar to the Easterlings from the LotR movie, perhaps? No idea.
That's all for now, I think. I can't imagine making these would be too difficult (unless they're lacking in models, but I'd think it'd be possible to do, an example, Tarth just using the Inn buildings), after seeing how robust the modding tool is.
Anyone else got any ideas / can fill in my blanks?
