[Request] A New "Readables" Furnishing Category in Housing.

thechef209 · July 25

I know, I know, yet another "More Furnishing Slots" post. Right now, there are 495 Readable Book Furnishings in ESO. I'm trying to build the most comprehensive Lore Library with all 495 Books in Shalidor's Shrouded Realm but also decorate in a way that would fit the great Archmage Shalidor.

Really hard to do with only 700 Furnishing Slots available. Don't suppose Readables could get their own Category considering each book is considered a "Tiny House Item" or even bumping the cap up to, say, 850 or 1000?

My book hoarding heart would be extremely happy! (Edit: Currently I have 406 placed in my house which is only 82% of the available books. Unacceptable. I need ALL the books.)

Thanks!

thechef209 · July 25

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_Kevin

Is this even possible within the current framework of the game? I understand 700 was chosen as a "Happy Medium" to accommodate lower spec systems to optimize performance.

However. Look at this screenshot from my house. How is the giant Infinite Archive Index, Replica and the A Feast Among the Dead, Chapter III on the ground next to it equal in terms of impact on performance? They're both categorized as Traditional Furnishings which is a bit perplexing.

Malkorga · July 25

I agree a new category would be convenient; I also remember an idea floating around about a bookshelf that can be "loaded" similar to the new master crafting stations. These shelves could hold a certain amount of book so a library would need only a few to accommodate all of the readable books in game.

i myself have all but 5 i believe and it has been quite the ordeal getting them all set up.

thechef209 · July 25

Malkorga wrote: »

I agree a new category would be convenient; I also remember an idea floating around about a bookshelf that can be "loaded" similar to the new master crafting stations. These shelves could hold a certain amount of book so a library would need only a few to accommodate all of the readable books in game.

i myself have all but 5 i believe and it has been quite the ordeal getting them all set up.

The only issue I see with that solution is the fact that, technically, if people want to read every book in the game from a menu they can just go to Journal > Lore Library > Eidetic Memory and/or Shalidor's Library. Personally, physically being able to target each book is far superior than reading from a menu. Plus, the non-mages guild books do count as Eidetic Memory book discoveries.

I think a new furnishing category called "Readables" would be the simplest to implement with a limit of 750 (there are 500ish Readable Book Furnishings at the moment). It's not like the book Furnishings take up much space in the 3D Game World and less than a dozen have any sort of animation or special graphical effects.

@ZOS_Kevin thoughts?

freespirit · July 25

I've often said that maybe as a starting point remove the categories, that would make a 700 slot house a 830 slot house.

Whilst not the extra spaces we would ideally like, it would be a start.

At one point there was an argument that special furnishings were limited due to their typically more flashy graphical effects but that seem to be less the case these days with many traditional furnishings now also being quite heavily animated.

I rarely use the 110 collectable furnishing slots, surely books are no more taxing than trophies?

Must admit I would love to be able to add more guests, mounts and pets too!

@ZOS_Kevin is there a reason this cannot be a starting point?

thechef209 · July 25

freespirit wrote: »

I've often said that maybe as a starting point remove the categories, that would make a 700 slot house a 830 slot house.

Whilst not the extra spaces we would ideally like, it would be a start.

At one point there was an argument that special furnishings were limited due to their typically more flashy graphical effects but that seem to be less the case these days with many traditional furnishings now also being quite heavily animated.

I rarely use the 110 collectable furnishing slots, surely books are no more taxing than trophies?

@ZOS_Kevin is there a reason this cannot be a starting point?

That is actually absolutely brilliant. You're right, 110 collectible furnishings seems a bit excessive and even right now I'm using 19/100. That right there would actually solve my issue because I'm trying to figure out how to shave 76 traditional furnishings to accommodate the rest of the books I'm missing....

ZOS_Kevin · July 25

Thanks for bringing this up! We shared this thread with the housing folks. This is something they are thinking about, because of course we want you to have all of the books. But admittedly, this is still in the idea/see what is possible phase of things. So we will see what ideation and testing brings back, to see if something is possible and the impact on performance overall.

But it is on the team's radar and they have this thread for a reference point.

Edit: Also wanted to add that this will take awhile. Didn't want to set expectations that you will see anything around this in the immediate future.

freespirit · July 25

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Thanks for bringing this up! We shared this thread with the housing folks. This is something they are thinking about, because of course we want you to have all of the books. But admittedly, this is still in the idea/see what is possible phase of things. So we will see what ideation and testing brings back, to see if something is possible and the impact on performance overall.

But it is on the team's radar and they have this thread for a reference point.

Thank you @ZoS_Kevin you are awesome!

Djennku · July 25

I am counting 512 books (missing 2, so 514 total), so yeah, definitely need something for that. It would be cool to have a furnishing vault-type thing or something like the Grandmaster Crafting Stations, but for readable books. Could look like a podium with a large book on it (think OG atlases or encyclopedias, and allow you to place all your book furnishings in it and just activate it to read them from your home.

Juat realized I never posted this. XD

@ZOS_Kevin poking you again here in case this idea might be helpful!

BahometZ · July 25

What if the book collections (the category the book was under, eg. Eastmarch Lore) were furnishings that you could interact with, and when you selected them in house it showed you the menu to choose which to read.

They could be represented by a row of books. It would reduce the slots significantly. From ten to one in many cases.

This could be an option in addition to the current system, so you could choose to display some books in their collection, or some displayed individually.

spartaxoxo · July 25

I'm happy to hear this is something they're thinking about because books seem like they'd be low impact items that can potentially have something done about them. And they are so many of them.

LunaFlora · July 25

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Thanks for bringing this up! We shared this thread with the housing folks. This is something they are thinking about, because of course we want you to have all of the books. But admittedly, this is still in the idea/see what is possible phase of things. So we will see what ideation and testing brings back, to see if something is possible and the impact on performance overall.

But it is on the team's radar and they have this thread for a reference point.

Edit: Also wanted to add that this will take awhile. Didn't want to set expectations that you will see anything around this in the immediate future.

that is good! good luck to the Housing devs

DenverRalphy · July 25

I'm relative confident that it's not a graphics/animations/effects issue that holds them to the 700 (and other) item limits.

More likely it's simply a game engine design issue where regardless how many polygons, effects, textures, etc.. each unique furnishing object has, they all have the same impact on system performance outside of gpu performance. So a simple spoon furnishing could consume the same amount of memory/resources as a giant statue of Dibella as far as the core game engine is concerned.

That's just speculation on my part. But then I'm not really been a fan of the proprietary pseudo homebuilt engine ESO is built around, because it wasn't designed to evolve or scale when needed.

karthrag_inak · July 25

Khajiit would love it if the existing bookcase furniture could ba set up to hold some number of books, say 40 to 50 per bookcase that could then be interacted with to access the various books, kind of like how grand Master crafting stations get fed sets and then provide access to them via a ui.

MafiaCat115 · July 25

I'd also love to see a bookcase furnishing, or a new furnishing category! Much of my guild hall's furnishing slots are dedicated to having a copy of all the books that can drop as loot from IA, Bastion Nymics, and the like. It would be great to have a way to handle those slots, especially if it is via "Grand Librarian Bookshelves". They could have a few variants like the Storage Chests and Storage Coffers so you could have all the books divided as you see fit.

zsquared8080 · July 25

This makes me so happy, as someone who is one away from having what I thought was all the books! I have 482, so I need to figure out which 13 I'm missing from my collection...

And then make 13 more slots available in my library.

But I'll hold out hope for the chance of a new solution!

Djennku · July 26

Thinking back, I might have miscounted my books. I have 512 "readables" categorized under the library furnishings. I'll have to double-check if flip books, scribing book replicas, and other side things are included. For example: Kunzari's tablets, the velothi podium, companion notes, the alinor monument, books solely obtainable in crown furnishing packs, etc. I may be forgetting one or two things though.

EDIT: I'm only missing the books from 'the Ayleids' and 'trappings of mephala' furnishing packs. Hoping they pop up again soon, as it's been a long while..

thechef209 · July 26

Djennku wrote: »

Thinking back, I might have miscounted my books. I have 512 "readables" categorized under the library furnishings. I'll have to double-check if flip books, scribing book replicas, and other side things are included. For example: Kunzari's tablets, the velothi podium, companion notes, the alinor monument, books solely obtainable in crown furnishing packs, etc. I may be forgetting one or two things though.

EDIT: I'm only missing the books from 'the Ayleids' and 'trappings of mephala' furnishing packs. Hoping they pop up again soon, as it's been a long while..

So, currently I have 406 Books in my Lore Library. I'm missing: 2 from Bastion Nymics, 16 from Scrivener's Hall, 14 from Furnishing Packs, and 57 from the IA Vendor. That's 495 Books. Now, that doesn't include things like Letters from Companions when certain quests and Rapport is high enough or the 4 Tablets for Hall of the Lunar Champion. Earlier in the thread, I suggested a 700 limit for Readables to also accommodate future books added with new content.

Djennku · July 26

thechef209 wrote: »

Djennku wrote: »

Thinking back, I might have miscounted my books. I have 512 "readables" categorized under the library furnishings. I'll have to double-check if flip books, scribing book replicas, and other side things are included. For example: Kunzari's tablets, the velothi podium, companion notes, the alinor monument, books solely obtainable in crown furnishing packs, etc. I may be forgetting one or two things though.

EDIT: I'm only missing the books from 'the Ayleids' and 'trappings of mephala' furnishing packs. Hoping they pop up again soon, as it's been a long while..

So, currently I have 406 Books in my Lore Library. I'm missing: 2 from Bastion Nymics, 16 from Scrivener's Hall, 14 from Furnishing Packs, and 57 from the IA Vendor. That's 495 Books. Now, that doesn't include things like Letters from Companions when certain quests and Rapport is high enough or the 4 Tablets for Hall of the Lunar Champion. Earlier in the thread, I suggested a 700 limit for Readables to also accommodate future books added with new content.

Yup. I offered a suggestion of a Grandmaster Crafting Station type system for all readables, which I would hope if they decide to go that route, could mean the 500+ spaces potentially get reduced to 1, especially if they have plans to release more readable furnishings in the future.

What do you think though?

thechef209 · July 26

Djennku wrote: »

thechef209 wrote: »

Djennku wrote: »

Thinking back, I might have miscounted my books. I have 512 "readables" categorized under the library furnishings. I'll have to double-check if flip books, scribing book replicas, and other side things are included. For example: Kunzari's tablets, the velothi podium, companion notes, the alinor monument, books solely obtainable in crown furnishing packs, etc. I may be forgetting one or two things though.

EDIT: I'm only missing the books from 'the Ayleids' and 'trappings of mephala' furnishing packs. Hoping they pop up again soon, as it's been a long while..

So, currently I have 406 Books in my Lore Library. I'm missing: 2 from Bastion Nymics, 16 from Scrivener's Hall, 14 from Furnishing Packs, and 57 from the IA Vendor. That's 495 Books. Now, that doesn't include things like Letters from Companions when certain quests and Rapport is high enough or the 4 Tablets for Hall of the Lunar Champion. Earlier in the thread, I suggested a 700 limit for Readables to also accommodate future books added with new content.

Yup. I offered a suggestion of a Grandmaster Crafting Station type system for all readables, which I would hope if they decide to go that route, could mean the 500+ spaces potentially get reduced to 1, especially if they have plans to release more readable furnishings in the future.

What do you think though?

I'm in favor of a recategorization of Readables or combining traditional furnishings with the 100 collectible furnishings. Technically, anyone can go into Journal > Lore Library > Eidetic Memory/Shalidor's Library and then read everything from a menu. Call me old fashioned, the physical books have a special something when read from a placed furnishing copy.

Djennku · July 26

@thechef209 true. As far as I have found, shelving those individual books is a herculean task, of which I would love a simpler solution to put together, and no, I do not use EHT at all, nor would I want to.
I think it would be nice though to be able to have something you can pop the books in which would add them to a collection, whether a bookcase or even a mini library or something (heck, even if they made a library house with specific slots designed to 'display' and access those lorebooks once you've added them would be awesome!) so that you could save space but also have that immersion of a physical library. I know Skyrim had this sort of feature, but it would be cool.

Going even further into this idea, why not have mannequins (one for each racial body type, so 3 total) you can place in your house that copy and display your current seletced outfit?

DenverRalphy · July 26

Djennku wrote: »

As far as I have found, shelving those individual books is a herculean task, of which I would love a simpler solution to put together, and no, I do not use EHT at all, nor would I want to.

Stack your books on the ground, link them, then place the entire stack on a bookshelf. Much easier that way.