Housing Suggestion

SanderBuraas

This is my suggestion as to how housing would work in a game as beautiful as this. I have considered several options, such as specific areas for player and guild houses, which I can imagine would result in a ghost-town scenario where you would have a dead neighborhood. I believe the suggestion I am about to propose would work greatly in terms of aesthetic and quantity of houses.

How It Would Work:

In an online game that offers such great landscape and towns full of life, I believe we should use this to our advantage by allowing players to reside in houses amongst npc-populated ones. There would have to be introduced new houses or replaced old ones for the purpose of player housing. These houses are instanced to each and every player, and you would only be able to own one at a time. Inside, you are able to alter the appearance and placement of furniture, decoration, flooring, walls and more.

How to Purchase:

Once you have completed the storyline for the city you are looking to purchase property in, you may start a quest that is obtained by reading a poster in the local inn. The quest will request you gather x amount of woodworking materials based on the level of the area. If you wanted to purchase a lot in the starter city, for instance, you would have to obtain x amount of refined Maple. Once you have this, an npc will show up next to the purchasable house and provide you with the payment fee.

(This is only one example of how payment would work, there are countless other ways to do it.)

How Will Houses Be Social If They Are Instanced:

With this suggestion, players are able to own the same house and enter the same way - though they are instanced, similar to group dungeons. As group dungeons work, you will enter the same instance as the group leader - meaning if two friends own the same lot, the group leader of the two will be the house they enter. You have to be in group to enter someones house, and if you leave the group you will recieve a timer before you are automatically kicked from the instance, as with group dungeons.

Purpose of Housing:

Housing in online games is important, as it allows players to express their creativity and form a connection to the game on a different level. Players with a strong connection to a game are loyal, which is sought after in an MMO. You would also be able to purchase access to crafting stations for blacksmithing, woodworking, clothing, alchemy, enchanting and provisioning, so there would also technical use for the houses - though there would be a limit to how many stations you could have at a time. Player houses also allow players to roleplay and socialize inside a personal space. There are also many trophies in the game that currently have little use, but with houses you would be able to display trophies, fish and gear to show off or simply for the visual purpose.



Hopefully my suggestion will spark your excitement for player housing, and give you an idea as to how it could work. If you have anything to add, please feel free to share.

Heromofo

Very interesting idea mate +1

SanderBuraas

Heromofo wrote: »

Very interesting idea mate +1

Thank you! It's a basic concept but I feel it would work great in favour of the game.

Gidorick

I agree.... but I suggest (as I suggested in my own housing concept thread)

Gidorick wrote: »

Every player would use the same door to access the space. If a player doesn’t own the space they are sent to a public instance of the space that includes a bulletin board with the option to buy the property.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/145287/another-housing-suggestion-a-3-phase-release-plan

I also suggest homes in the wilderness but with the addition of material farms.

SanderBuraas

Gidorick wrote: »

I agree.... but I suggest (as I suggested in my own housing concept thread)

Gidorick wrote: »

Every player would use the same door to access the space. If a player doesn’t own the space they are sent to a public instance of the space that includes a bulletin board with the option to buy the property.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/145287/another-housing-suggestion-a-3-phase-release-plan

I also suggest homes in the wilderness but with the addition of material farms.

Indeed, then you would be able to see how it looks on the inside before purchasing. Homes outside of cities would also be great.

I'd also love to see personal gardens with alchemy ingredients, providing harvest every two days or so - though I'm not sure how it would work out.

Medivh50

I really like this idea. The only thing (and it is small), is if everyone shares the same house, we really do not get a sense of community (thinking of the LTRO model. However, it could lead to a lot of vacant houses). All and all, good idea

SanderBuraas

Medivh50 wrote: »

I really like this idea. The only thing (and it is small), is if everyone shares the same house, we really do not get a sense of community (thinking of the LTRO model. However, it could lead to a lot of vacant houses). All and all, good idea

Even though it was cool to have your own house and neighborhood in LOTRO, it resulted in a not so lively neighborhood after all. In eso it would not only result in the same thing, but also be very lore-breaking - as where would these houses take place?

MornaBaine

I agree that instanced housing is the way to go. However I want to be able to own homes like the At-Tura Estate in Stormhaven, places that have an outdoor area and are outside cities as well. It wouldn't be all that hard to do. For instance, right now you can literally ride your horse from one zone into another. I keep thinking of the ones where you ride over a bridge. As you begin you can SEE what's in the distance on the other side...then, brief loading screen, and you are there. So, each main city hub should have a similar bridge that actually just leads to your instanced housing. These would, of course, be the most expensive types of houses to own but they would be well worth the additional cost.

Know what else I'd love if it were at all possible? The ability to decide if it is day or night on your own property. This game has WAY TOO MUCH DAYLIGHT.

Taz

I admittedly don't want to see housing go the route of just an instanced doorway in town, because it takes away from any customization you could do on the outside; you don't have the option for a personalized yard really. That's why I prefer the Hearthfire houses (and even then they were pretty limited on customization) in Skyrim to your starter option of Breezehome. I'd also love to see a neighborhood like area, though with plots of land you can buy (prices vary by location) and then choose a house style for (racial, size, etc) and still have your neighbors.

If it's lore-breaking to add in a 'residential district' in various towns I'd say it's immersion breaking for a stream of random people to walk into your house and then not be there when you go in. I'd rather stretch my belief that there's a parcel of (instanced) land right by Riften or Wayrest that's ripe for adding houses and then is destroyed in a bandit raid several decades later. ZOS could even place NPC 'neighbors' in the neighborhoods that wander around and greet you on their way to make it more NPC-lively.

I definitely agree on the importance of housing, being able to bring friends in (maybe even set permissions for specific people/accounts/guild/etc) and putting a quest or quests associated with it!

SanderBuraas

Taz wrote: »

I admittedly don't want to see housing go the route of just an instanced doorway in town, because it takes away from any customization you could do on the outside; you don't have the option for a personalized yard really. That's why I prefer the Hearthfire houses (and even then they were pretty limited on customization) in Skyrim to your starter option of Breezehome. I'd also love to see a neighborhood like area, though with plots of land you can buy (prices vary by location) and then choose a house style for (racial, size, etc) and still have your neighbors.

If it's lore-breaking to add in a 'residential district' in various towns I'd say it's immersion breaking for a stream of random people to walk into your house and then not be there when you go in. I'd rather stretch my belief that there's a parcel of (instanced) land right by Riften or Wayrest that's ripe for adding houses and then is destroyed in a bandit raid several decades later. ZOS could even place NPC 'neighbors' in the neighborhoods that wander around and greet you on their way to make it more NPC-lively.

I definitely agree on the importance of housing, being able to bring friends in (maybe even set permissions for specific people/accounts/guild/etc) and putting a quest or quests associated with it!

Yes, it would be sort of immersion breaking with several people entering the same doorway. I'd honestly be fine with either instanced houses in cities as I have suggested or residential districts - though these would have to be made well. When there is a limited amount of houses, many people won't be able to purchase a home and definitely not one they want. This is the reason I would prefer instanced housing as you would be able to live in a city or area you like, and not be limited as to which house would already be taken.

Davadin

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

Medivh50

Smepic wrote: »

Taz wrote: »

I admittedly don't want to see housing go the route of just an instanced doorway in town, because it takes away from any customization you could do on the outside; you don't have the option for a personalized yard really. That's why I prefer the Hearthfire houses (and even then they were pretty limited on customization) in Skyrim to your starter option of Breezehome. I'd also love to see a neighborhood like area, though with plots of land you can buy (prices vary by location) and then choose a house style for (racial, size, etc) and still have your neighbors.

If it's lore-breaking to add in a 'residential district' in various towns I'd say it's immersion breaking for a stream of random people to walk into your house and then not be there when you go in. I'd rather stretch my belief that there's a parcel of (instanced) land right by Riften or Wayrest that's ripe for adding houses and then is destroyed in a bandit raid several decades later. ZOS could even place NPC 'neighbors' in the neighborhoods that wander around and greet you on their way to make it more NPC-lively.

I definitely agree on the importance of housing, being able to bring friends in (maybe even set permissions for specific people/accounts/guild/etc) and putting a quest or quests associated with it!

Yes, it would be sort of immersion breaking with several people entering the same doorway. I'd honestly be fine with either instanced houses in cities as I have suggested or residential districts - though these would have to be made well. When there is a limited amount of houses, many people won't be able to purchase a home and definitely not one they want. This is the reason I would prefer instanced housing as you would be able to live in a city or area you like, and not be limited as to which house would already be taken.

Just a thought. If we have residential district, maybe the homes that are vacant can have NPCs living in them until it is bought by a player. This way the community will populated at times. Just a though.

Medivh50

Davadin wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

This is pretty much the LOTRO model. I like it! But how do you deal with the ghost/dead town issue if no one is buying the houses in the neighborhood?

Davadin

Medivh50 wrote: »

Davadin wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

This is pretty much the LOTRO model. I like it! But how do you deal with the ghost/dead town issue if no one is buying the houses in the neighborhood?

limited release. starts with 3 instances (for example).

If - and only if - they're 80% full, then you open another instance.

If somebody sell/leave their house, then no new instances until 80% of what's already available is occupied.


Of course, some would argue that the opposite is better: starts with, say, 50 instances. Some people prefer to see whichever LEAST occupied and pick those. Small house, great value, no neighbour problem.

LOTRO was like this, and no one really have any issue with empty neighbourhood. Some complained, sure. But generally, people who want more crowds simply sell their house and move to more crowded 'hoods.

Yes, this would imply u need a "stat screen" on the entry gate... so you know how many people occupied etc.

People are STILL going to the towncenters/hub to do their guild stuff, banking, certain crafting/barters, etc... don't put all amenities inside the neighbourhood of course.

So I dunno. I don't see a ghost/dead town issue with this.

BigM

Like the idea but they need to fix a lot of other bugs and lag issues then after Imperial City they can start coming up with ways to do housing. I believe we would be a good year away once console releases before they even start thinking along housing and other things. Most important we need to hope the game makes a good profit so they are able to even think this far down the road.

SanderBuraas

Davadin wrote: »

Medivh50 wrote: »

Davadin wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

This is pretty much the LOTRO model. I like it! But how do you deal with the ghost/dead town issue if no one is buying the houses in the neighborhood?

limited release. starts with 3 instances (for example).

If - and only if - they're 80% full, then you open another instance.

If somebody sell/leave their house, then no new instances until 80% of what's already available is occupied.


Of course, some would argue that the opposite is better: starts with, say, 50 instances. Some people prefer to see whichever LEAST occupied and pick those. Small house, great value, no neighbour problem.

LOTRO was like this, and no one really have any issue with empty neighbourhood. Some complained, sure. But generally, people who want more crowds simply sell their house and move to more crowded 'hoods.

Yes, this would imply u need a "stat screen" on the entry gate... so you know how many people occupied etc.

People are STILL going to the towncenters/hub to do their guild stuff, banking, certain crafting/barters, etc... don't put all amenities inside the neighbourhood of course.

So I dunno. I don't see a ghost/dead town issue with this.

The instanced neighborhoods do not fit in the Elder Scrolls universe as it is such a bland mmo feature. Living amongst npcs and being able to select the house you prefer based on the appearance and surroundings is more fitting for the game.

MercyKilling

1) Instanced housing, yes.
2) Available to everyone by purchase through ingame gold ONLY.
3) Do not make anyone have to run a mission to get it. Ditto PvP. Ditto guild membership. The only requirement is ingame gold and materials.
4) FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE. Let the player choose every last detail about the house. This makes it personal.
5) The ability to invite people into your house to show it off or what have you. Also, let's be able to invite more than four people, hmm?

If these very important features are left out of housing...I won't bother with it.

Fartman

I loved Ultima Online's model for housing. In the beginning you could own as many houses as you wanted to, but they changed it to one per account, at one time I think I had about 4 houses on one character. But I loved wandering around the land, and seeing the houses, a lot had player vendors in them so you could buy things that you might need. Recall spells, potions, rare items for your house etc. I loved how Ultima ONine had rare items that were server spawns that people had for housing displays and stuff. I don't like the idea of having to go some place else to go to your house, where's the fun in that? There is so much 0pen land.

Davadin

Smepic wrote: »

Davadin wrote: »

Medivh50 wrote: »

Davadin wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

This is pretty much the LOTRO model. I like it! But how do you deal with the ghost/dead town issue if no one is buying the houses in the neighborhood?

limited release. starts with 3 instances (for example).

If - and only if - they're 80% full, then you open another instance.

If somebody sell/leave their house, then no new instances until 80% of what's already available is occupied.


Of course, some would argue that the opposite is better: starts with, say, 50 instances. Some people prefer to see whichever LEAST occupied and pick those. Small house, great value, no neighbour problem.

LOTRO was like this, and no one really have any issue with empty neighbourhood. Some complained, sure. But generally, people who want more crowds simply sell their house and move to more crowded 'hoods.

Yes, this would imply u need a "stat screen" on the entry gate... so you know how many people occupied etc.

People are STILL going to the towncenters/hub to do their guild stuff, banking, certain crafting/barters, etc... don't put all amenities inside the neighbourhood of course.

So I dunno. I don't see a ghost/dead town issue with this.

The instanced neighborhoods do not fit in the Elder Scrolls universe as it is such a bland mmo feature. Living amongst npcs and being able to select the house you prefer based on the appearance and surroundings is more fitting for the game.

hey man im just trying to meet them half-way lol... compromise in terms of resource availability.

THAT BEING SAID, the neighbourhood instance (not home) does everything you say... you have apperarance and surroundings and NPCs... like, these neighbourhoods are huge... like 20 small houses, 10 big, 5 guilds, with a "center town' where u find all the merchants and stuff....


the problem with non-instanced solution, is space management. Tamriel is a fixed space. It doesn't span.

It's not a whole planet like Star Wars Galaxies.

Without instances, in a few months, there will be housing from EastMarch to Deshaan.......

Plus, if anyone pick which one they want, you"ll introduce housing economics....... which is BAD... meaning wealthy players will buy out all the nice houses and re-sell them or monopolize a region or something stupid like that...

Davadin

MercyKilling wrote: »

1) Instanced housing, yes.
2) Available to everyone by purchase through ingame gold ONLY.
3) Do not make anyone have to run a mission to get it. Ditto PvP. Ditto guild membership. The only requirement is ingame gold and materials.
4) FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE. Let the player choose every last detail about the house. This makes it personal.
5) The ability to invite people into your house to show it off or what have you. Also, let's be able to invite more than four people, hmm?

If these very important features are left out of housing...I won't bother with it.

i'm with you.

but instanced neighbourhood instaed.

i dont want just the house. as soon as u step out, it's not the housing area anymore. zero immersion. zero interaction between neighbours. zero utilities tied to housing that can be shared.

like, u buy a house and ANYTIME ANYWHERE u can "port" to your house?

that would suck. so. bad.

(personally anyway)

Gandrhulf_Harbard

Medivh50 wrote: »

Davadin wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood. With max 5 guild halls and 20 houses. (5 large, 15 small?)

one in each zone, with each housing has a max of 20 instances? we should keep it limited so it doesn't break server performance. trust me on this.

If u pay for crown store, u can get instanced housing if u like. ur own Daedric dimension.

This is pretty much the LOTRO model. I like it! But how do you deal with the ghost/dead town issue if no one is buying the houses in the neighborhood?

Only open a 2nd "neighbourhood" up for sale when the first is full?

What I'd like to see is a "Guild Manor", with a Manor House (Guild Hall) and attendant farms and smaller dwellings (Guild Member Houses), maybe a Mine, Lumber Mill etc that the Guild Master can assign to a craft-centred character as "Overseer".

As a Manor grows and "ages" have NPCs that can lead to auto-generated quests - that affect the ongoing prosperity of the Manor.

Have 3 or 4 Manors as orbital settlements to the larger cities, smaller towns get one or two.

All The Best

Unlikely_Ghostbuster

Smepic wrote: »

This is my suggestion as to how housing would work in a game as beautiful as this. I have considered several options, such as specific areas for player and guild houses, which I can imagine would result in a ghost-town scenario where you would have a dead neighborhood. I believe the suggestion I am about to propose would work greatly in terms of aesthetic and quantity of houses.

HOW IT WOULD WORK:

In an online game that offers such great landscape and towns full of life, I believe we should use this to our advantage by allowing players to reside in houses amongst npc-populated ones. There would have to be introduced new houses or replaced old ones for the purpose of player housing. These houses are instanced to each and every player, and you would only be able to own one at a time. Inside, you are able to alter the appearance and placement of furniture, decoration, flooring, walls and more.

HOW TO PURCHASE:

Once you have completed the storyline for the city you are looking to purchase property in, you may start a quest that is obtained by reading a poster in the local inn. The quest will request you gather x amount of woodworking materials based on the level of the area. If you wanted to purchase a lot in the starter city, for instance, you would have to obtain x amount of refined Maple. Once you have this, an npc will show up next to the purchasable house and provide you with the payment fee.

(This is only one example of how payment would work, there are countless other ways to do it.)

HOW WILL HOUSES BE SOCIAL IF THEY ARE INSTANCED:

With this suggestion, players are able to own the same house and enter the same way - though they are instanced, similar to group dungeons. As group dungeons work, you will enter the same instance as the group leader - meaning if two friends own the same lot, the group leader of the two will be the house they enter. You have to be in group to enter someones house, and if you leave the group you will recieve a timer before you are automatically kicked from the instance, as with group dungeons.

PURPOSE OF HOUSING:

Housing in online games are important, as it allows players to express their creativity and form a connection to the game on a different level. Players with a strong connection to a game are loyal, which is sought after in an mmo. You would also be able to purchase access to crafting stations for blacksmithing, woodworking, clothing, alchemy, enchanting and provisioning, so there would also technical use for the houses - though there would be a limit to how many stations you could have at a time. Player houses also allow players to roleplay and socialize inside a personal space. There are also many trophies in the game that currently have little use, but with houses you would be able to display trophies, fish and gear to show off or simply for the visual purpose.



Hopefully my suggestion will spark your excitement for player housing, and give you an idea as to how it could work. If you have anything to add, please feel free to share.

This.

Although I will say "building" the house by grinding through a tedious farming quest is a bit much. I'd wager dollars to donuts there will be instanced houses, and I strongly agree they should be sharable instances so that other players can tour your house -- implementing it through the grouping mechanic is a great idea. If a group leader enters his/her house, then the members of that group can enter afterwards, too.

I fully expect housing to be behind the Crown Store paywall (as well as custom features/decor) as housing will essentially be a social/QoL addition to the game and will not dramatically alter how the game is played (just like the style parlor). However, I do think some things should be "standard" while others are options. Crafting stations should absolutely be standard with every house. Same with item storage -- it should come standard with the purchase of a house. While I sympathize with the idea that in-game gold should be used to purchase a house, now that we know the Style Parlor is behind a Crown Store paywall, we should absolutely expect housing to be the same.

A few other suggestions.

Gardens. It would be nice to grow Columbine instead of scouring the landscape or bleeding gold at a guild store for it. They don't have to be large; maybe 4-6 plants that mature at the same rate hireling emails arrive. This would fill that massive void left by the lack of an alchemy hireling.

Bathrooms. I haven't found one lavatory in all of Tamriel. It's unhygienic. My characters have been holding it since 2014 and they've *never* brushed their teeth, let alone showered.

Alternate characters as "roommates." It would be a fantastic feature if we were able to place our alternate characters (and our main, for that matter) in different rooms of the house, or simply having them following NPC scripts of our choosing to meander around the house. When I enter the house as one character, I can see all my other characters in the house as if they actually live there. Pets, too! Why not?

Mini-games and/or fun interactive content. Be creative with stuff! Surprise me.

A wall-map of the world. It can reflect all the places I've discovered like the regular map -- just put it on the wall.

A lore-book library. A place in the house where all the books I have discovered can be viewed. I admit the whole magic photographic recall mechanic is plausible, but it's not as aesthetically pleasing as a library.

A trophy room. Lots of collectibles, trophies, costumes, etc. etc. etc. that we pick up all over the place. As is the case with lore-books and a library, it would be nice to be able to keep/view them in my house and not just hidden away inside my magic Mary Poppins bag. It can look like the museum in Wrothgar (The House of Orsimer Glories).

These are just a few ideas off the top of my head that would really appeal to players, in my opinion.

BlackEar

Up voted because of the neat paragraphs. Also I think social and location aspects are spot on to what they are planning.
I would love to display my throphies inside!!!

Gwynara

Oh yes, I agree with all of the above! I'd LOVE to have a garden and a way to place all the collectables and trophies I have found in the world, like for example my Floral Vase. Then, if I don't want to fence the treasures that I find, I could simply bring them home and use as decoration if I wanted to.

starkerealm

._.

Yay, necropost.

Eshelmen

It costs me like 150 ruby ash to make a good bow. I can't imagine how much I'll need with making a house.
10k? lol

Lysette

I came across this video yesterday, which shows some of the locations for houses on the PTS - unfinished but pretty interesting, what is coming up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BOuIMMDKgQ

So it looks more like we are not building houses, but buy or rent estates instead.