Environment Ideas for a Future Game

I quite like the vibe of this image. But even setting aside the underwater environment, I like the idea of huge, but non-hostile/neutral unless provoked wildlife. Something that might curiously approach the party for a bit.




And while on the topic of "big", I like the idea of an absolutely massive Eluvian. And like this, one that is "on" so you can see... wherever it leads from way off in the distance.

I must admit I feel the giant spider threat has been done to death. How about ants or beetles if they must have creepy crawlies? Or giant ticks and lice with the blood sucking aspect as a definite threat? Giant fleas that can really jump! The possibilities are endless.

 

Giant ant hill: what is coming out of that?                                      Would you really want to meet this in a dark place?

I think there are some definitely some of those monsters we are going to see in the next game.

Not sure about fighting something fluffy. How about a "Convert Spiders to Templars" option?

I think the prettiest gate of this sort I've seen was in the Chinese fantasy movie Monkey King 3 (2018) in which it lead to the hidden kingdom of Western Liang. One side of the gate was located on a barren and treeless skerry to have even more contrast between the two locations.

Like in the picture you posted, usually games and movies like to have these kinds of portals located on top of a hill, a mountain, or something similar, but having one on a flat surface could also work: I came across this aerial picture of the capital of United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is built on an atoll and its tallest building Fairmont Marina Abu Dhabi hotel stands out extremely well since it is located at the very edge of the island and since it towers over all other structures.
Given that both destructive fires and spiderwebs have been part of DA games from the very beginning, I'm surprised Bio hasn't made use of its existing game resources by having us encounter soot webs, the black-coloured cousins of spiderwebs which can occur after there has been a fire. I guess there's also no reason why the silk of fantasy spiders should always be white in colour. The largest spider silk item ever made is golden in colour, so I could easily accept a species of Thedas spider that spins golden-coloured silk. 
Moving on, I've been searching pictures of the kind of details I'd like to see featured in Thedas's stone architecture, and below are my personal favourites which could be used above pillars and columns or alternatively to border windows. I think they would look nice even without added colours.


I also like these columns that resemble a string of circle pearls in these Southeast Asian buildings and would be happy if some Thedosian culture used them in their architecture.

For more ancient feel, these carved stone slabs decorating the walls of the megalithic Gavrinis tomb are similar in style to those Korcari(?) statues we saw in DA:O, so it would be nice if we could come across this kind of art also in the future. 

Some good examples! And it would be most effective if they contrasted day/night between the two.

That's true. The blackened webbing is pretty intimidating if it's working in contrast to the right background like it is here. And golden web - who'd have thought...?

Ran across this one yesterday, and there's a number of design elements I like in this house.
- It has a number of interesting shapes and levels at work. I like the mix of rounded rooms and arches.
- Curtained off doors, windows, and awnings.
- Interesting tower design.
- A tad more welcoming marsh setting than the Fallow Mire.

I want this place from the Gamescom concept art (I think it's Minrathous?) to be in DA4, exactly as it's pictured.



Literally same level design, architecture and lighting. Don't change a thing haha. Imagine how beautiful this would look in Frostbite. This would be an instabuy for me.

Another thing that'd be nice to see are groups on the move - caravans, Dalish clans, dwarven traders, soldiers, animal herds, and so on.

My first thought was "hey, we're going to Hogwart" 

That would be nice. I just hope that, in case we'd get quests from them, they're better marked than Miner in Forbidden Oasis. Or not marked at all. She could get me sooo confused with her marker.