Eastern Europe
Note:This page is currently being rewritten to a more truthful form. Content subject to change.Introduction
Eastern Europe is often defined as countries east of Poland and Hungary. However, in the sense important for the Half-Life series, it consists of nations formerly allied with the USSR, forming the Eastern Bloc. The (ideologically) Eastern Europe consisted of all countries east of (including): East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Architectural styles common in the area were a major source of inspiration for City 17.
Architecture
Roads
Although older roads, mainly in the central parts of towns or cities, are commonly made of cobblestone, almost all roads were modernised with asphalt many decades before the writing of this article. The width of a road often changes dramatically where it leads into an older part of the city. In the centre (e.g. of Prague), streets are often just wide enough for one car to pass through, with passers-by having to squeeze against walls to make space. Since Prague's central streets are near-always crowded with tourists, such a scene is very unlikely at least. Going back towards the edge of a city, roads tend to widen, however scenes like those of Berlin or Moscow with their seven-lane driveways are very rare. The most common are two-lane roads, but bear in mind that the more important the route is (connecting the capital and a large city compared to connecting the capital with smaller towns), the wider it will be.
Buildings
Before 19th century
Many buildings of this age share common design with only a few differences as centuries went by (specific styles to be added soon). Buildings of the Middle Ages were constructed mostly of stone, and the amount of brick buildings, common in the 17th-19th centuries, gradually increases with time. After the 17th century, sharper, more saturated colours became a thing and many buildings were painted in shades of light red and orangish yellow. White and brown ones were however built before, during, and after this breakthrough in the same numbers.
1900-1939
This is approximately the time when functionalism quickly arose as the dominant style of newly constructed buildings. Buildings from this era tend to be intended for public use. Concrete coated with a thin layer of mortar and/or tiled walls appeared in places such as cinemas, town halls and such. However, most builds from this time are usually sparse and drowned in more traditional architecture. Consider using them to attract the look of your players or to add more variety to your town.
1940-1945
In the time when most of Eastern Europe was under the control of Nazi Germany, building were meant mainly for public use as well, but the style harked back to a more traditional one, also commonly present in Germany.
1945-1950
It would be false to say that nothing was built before the revolutions of 1948, but if anything was, it followed a style similar to those before.
1950-1960
The first blocks of flats are raised in this time (see below), but the most common buildings are made using monumentalist architecture to celebrate and commemorate the victory of the working class.
1960-1980
The time of massive expansion of all cities. Every metropolis is surrounded by a ring of so-called "panel houses" made with a (sort of) modular architecture, in a style between constructivism and functionalism. Now follows a detailed description of their look, as these are crucial for any Eastern European city:
- The feeling one may get with the word "modular" is false. These are completely uniform and the "modules" are literally concrete panels with holes for doors or windows.
- They can be considered high-rise blocks of flats due to their extreme height (the tallest ones in Prague reach 13 storeys high).
- An important part of these are their elevator maintenance rooms at the top and a half-buried floor number -1.
- An important part of any building from this era is its cheap but strong look. Thin, rusted metal, wood and no decorations outside convey that feeling particularly well.
- These apartment buildings are often arranged into "blocks" that offer lots of space inside the squares they form, but little between the buildings themselves.
- Especially from inside the blocks, they look rather imposing.
- Inside a block is usually a small shopping building, a few playgrounds for children, or absolutely nothing except flat grass and extremely wide paved walkways to cross it.
Note:Any paragraphs below this note have not yet been edited, but most of their content is true.Environment
Eastern Europe is largely flat, with few mountain ranges. In fact, nations far from the coasts are almost entirely plains. Rolling hills do exist in this region, so they can be legitimately added. The region is generally lush, so forests and plains are more fitting than deserts and mud flats.
Towns tend to feel crowded, simply because streets are relatively thin and buildings relatively tall.
NPCs
Since this is a real-world location, no official NPC references can be provided. Consider City 17's NPC options when designing a level of this region.
