You sure it's based on Novgodord and not the actual city Novigrad in Croatia? Novigrad in Croatia was also an independently-ruled trading hub, although not as large as Amsterdam. I just looked up a map of the real-world Novigrad and even the shape of the city and the location of the harbor is almost 100% identical.
Real-life Novigrad in Croatia:
TW3 Novigrad:
I believe the developers have said Novigrad is based on Amsterdam, even though it has cognate names with Veliky Novgorod and Novigrad of Istria.
The Nilfgaardian Empire can be equated with any of several real-world empires, including the Western Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and Nazi Germany. I find the Holy Roman Empire less persuasive, as the Nilfgaard Wars don't equate well to the Northern Crusades. The actions of the Flaming Rose are to me a better match for the Teutonic Knights and the Northern Crusades.
The Nilfgaardian claim that the invasion is to bring the benefits of advanced culture to the North is as hollow as the ancient claims of the Romans. The undisguised purpose of all imperial expansion, including that of Nilfgaard, is to acquire valuable land and settle it with loyal nobles, while displacing, subjugating, or exterminating the indigenous people as necessary to this end.
There is no moral high ground to be had in this conflict. None.
The Nilfgaardian Empire can be equated with any of several real-world empires, including the Western Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and Nazi Germany. I find the Holy Roman Empire less persuasive, as the Nilfgaard Wars don't equate well to the Northern Crusades. The actions of the Flaming Rose are to me a better match for the Teutonic Knights and the Northern Crusades.
The Nilfgaardian claim that the invasion is to bring the benefits of advanced culture to the North is as hollow as the ancient claims of the Romans. The undisguised purpose of all imperial expansion, including that of Nilfgaard, is to acquire valuable land and settle it with loyal nobles, while displacing, subjugating, or exterminating the indigenous people as necessary to this end.
There is no moral high ground to be had in this conflict. None.
Same here, if i had the option, i'll slaughter the northerners. For the empire!
I would rather see Redania under Radovid as Nazi Germany, bringing Kaedwen "heim ins Reich", systematically killing first the mages then the nonhumans and having your own security force in form of the witch hunters
If you played entire series, then you would realize there is no "good country" out there... Temerians were butchering nonhuman in W1, same as Kaedweni. And Redanians are not any different or worse than them. Nilfgard attacking north, is actually good punishment for their behavior.. especially Radovid's.. whole invasion only happened because of his hatred towards the Lodge. first Nilfgard invasion was stopped by the 32 mages joining arms to stop them in battle, and having lodge dismantled was main goal of Nilfgard in Witcher 2 game..
I don't particularly dislike Nilfgaard. But it's obvious from even playing the Witcher 2 why Nilfgaard is considered rather dangerous. They directly influence the events in the Witcher 2 that cause the somewhat unstable but still lasting alliances amongst the Northern Realms to shatter, resulting in bloody conflict after bloody conflict, so much life is lost as a direct result of the Nilfgaardian interference that it's very hard to portray them as anything but evil.