Aztecan

[Kyriakos]

Anyone here knowledgeable on Aztecan architecture?

I am trying to create my first ever native American set, and i chose that civilization, mostly because there is a lot of concept art around.

This is what i currently have:

I am wondering if i should make a third similar ziggurat-type building for the metropolis, or go for something else. Also i am not sure what aztec walls look like. I found some pics but they were rather boring.

 

[NovaKart]

The Aztecs weren't really around for that long, I think there's more Mayan architecture to use as an example.

 

[North King]

You could stand to use more color; the buildings on top of the temples would often be a little more interesting than that. Some more open space might be good as well -- whether a civic-type plaza or a marketplace. For some more interesting big buildings you should look at the stuff that was built at the base of the Templo Mayor -- there's a nifty gigantic rack of skulls, a ballcourt, and some interestingly shaped temples. Essentially, if I were gonna do an Aztec city set, I'd model the metropolis on the Sacred Precinct.

I might suggest using a ballcourt instead of the second ziggurat in the second city. Also, your existing ziggurats look a little too much like those at Teotihuacan, rather than the explicitly Aztec ones at Tenochtitlan.

As for walls... do you mean city walls, or walls of the buildings?

 

[Kyriakos]

Thank you both for the help,

I mean city walls, for the walled town

I will have a look at the Sacred Precinct.

 

[Kyriakos]

I think this looks a bit better:

And with more color:

 

[bombshoo]

I am not so sure on the roofs on houses. While the re-creations of the houses I've seen did have slightly hipped roofs, they don't seem to slope as much as yours do and they were usually made of or lined with straw. The houses you have now look almost a little too modern.

 

[Kyriakos]

Thank you for the suggestion Bombshoo I checked some pics and the roofs appear to be quite steep. Do you have other ones which show something different? If so please post them, they will be helpful.

Also, not sure if this looks more Aztecan but i think these textures give a more exotic tone to the set:

 

[bombshoo]

This one is closer to what I was thinking:

I suppose the slopes are pretty steep. Maybe it is jut the roofs are missing the area on top where they should be flat?

I like the new colors a lot better. It got rid of the "modernish" vibe I was getting from the houses.

 

[Kyriakos]

Thanks for the great pics

I will consider cutting off part of the roof of the houses. Here is what things look like after a couple more changes:

 

[General Pilates]

This may be a good model for the walls, at least partially.

 

[Kyriakos]

Hm, do you like this as the completed set? The white things are skulls

 

[bombshoo]

While I like the overall design a lot (and to be honest the colors as well, from a purely visual standpoint) but what do the green roofs represent? Painted roofs? From the pictures I've seen all the roofs were thatched so they should be brown or yellowish.

At a certain point visual appeal over historical realism does take prevalence (like with the skulls, which despite being pretty big in scale to the city are awesome) so if that's the case, I'd leave it.

Actually, another thought. Given Tenochtitlan was built on the water, maybe you should consider a version where the metropolis has canals? Is that too much? I think it would be cool. Alternatively, a Meso-American irrigation improvement with Chinampas would be a cool "add-on" for this set.

 

[Kyriakos]

Glad you liked it Bombshoo

I have a problem with native american sets, they never look good to me. Probably has to do with the entirely alien architecture...