New solitude furniture had potential

Caelc

It had character. Love the scroll work, but then, they decided to make it look worn as if it was bought at a thrift shop after it was donated by a family of 15 after 50 years of use.

that is the noble furniture. purple. the noble mirror is broken... wth.

the blue stuff, mostly garbage, looks like what you would normally get in green.

but the rugs are the best.

why is it so hard for them not to have to make everything look worn

[Edit to remove bashing]

Tigerseye

I think it's good if they look like antiques, but at some point they get beyond that and need restoring.

FrancisCrawford

Tigerseye wrote: »

I think it's good if they look like antiques, but at some point they get beyond that and need restoring.

I think the idea of crafting ancient, "timeworn" things has been weird all along.

Tigerseye

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Tigerseye wrote: »

I think it's good if they look like antiques, but at some point they get beyond that and need restoring.

I think the idea of crafting ancient, "timeworn" things has been weird all along.

Yeah, I get your point from a logical point of view.

Although, people do sometimes, intentionally, distress brand new furniture to make it look vintage/antique.

SidraWillowsky

I took a look and... Do we really need this many ferns and piles of logs? They all look mostly the same anyway...

Cireous

I actually really like them, but I feel like we are missing a few key items like building blocks (did not see a single one) and furniture other than beds (such as chairs and a throne) which have furs thrown over them. Maybe they are saving some items for the (Reach) DLC this time? We complained so much about not getting any new recipes with Southern Elsweyr after all.

LadyNalcarya

Yeah, I don't mind antiquated look, but broken mirror is a bit too much.
Also, there's no building components... I wonder if they're planning to add them later on.

kind_hero

Nostalgia kicked in yesterday when I revisited Solitude!

I can't thank enough the devs for those moments. Revisiting Proudspire was another great moment.

I think they did a very good job with the architecture, I love the marbled floor, the walls, the ivy, the seamless blend between late gothic and romanesque, especially in the Bard's College and Blue Palace. They did an amazing job.

However I tend to agree regarding the nord furnishings. They aren't what I was hoping for. The furniture looks to cheap. I will buy the manor 100%, but I am not sure if I want the furniture. Alinor will look better, or maybe high end Breton, or Elsweyr.

I don't mind the broken mirror, unless they add a variant which is new. It's a nice touch, but not all mirrors in Western Skyrim should be broken, it's 7 years of bad luck

Also, I love the paintings... we got spoiled

To the devs... please please add building blocks with this chapter, even more than you did with Elsweyr! My hope is they will add some more Alinor blocks with the Summerset celebration. Hope dies last!

bluebird

Yeah, I agree, I think we have too many varieties of basic character-less 'rustic' wood furniture. The basic Nord and Breton ones already looked like that (basic wood stuff), so I think Greymoor overdid it a little.

I don't mind variety and I'm sure some people will like them, but considering that DLCs and Chapters probably have a furniture count budget that determines how many new items they add, I do agree most of these were really wasted on things that nobody - or barely anybody - will want to use.

Instead of the 'basic bench four ways' and 'basic chair copy but with wicker' we could have had some awesome gray stone structural items that are sorely lacking (we only get like 2 or 3 structurals and they're a fence). A total pity, because the Solitude wall and stone textures are absolutely gorgeous! There is an odd lack of structural furnishings this patch, especially compared to Elsweyr.

HelathAndrethi

Those worn, rustic furnishings scream nostalgia lol. They're just like the common furniture in Skyrim.

Maybe they're trying to keep it consistent with the Skyrim game but I'll give the green and blue stuff a pass.

Caelc

anyone laugh at the fact that there are 2 or 3 vampire style mirrors? um, hello Zos.

another positive, there are a lot of filled bookcases

redgreensunset

Tigerseye wrote: »

I think it's good if they look like antiques, but at some point they get beyond that and need restoring.

Suggestion, make two versions of furniture. One that looks new for those who want that and a timeworn version for those who like patina. Personally I'm getting very fed up with ZOS' need to make everything look broken even when it realistically shouldn't. If I were wearing a tinfoil hat I might think it was to cover up bad graphical design.

Jthomas56

Cireous wrote: »

I actually really like them, but I feel like we are missing a few key items like building blocks (did not see a single one) and furniture other than beds (such as chairs and a throne) which have furs thrown over them. Maybe they are saving some items for the (Reach) DLC this time? We complained so much about not getting any new recipes with Southern Elsweyr after all.

I really hope the solitude building blocks come with Q3’s DLC. The art team did an amazing job with solitude and it would be a tragedy if we don’t ever have the wall, floor, stairs, door, window, or roofs to play and build with.

The reason I would like these in Q3 is because the reach has Markarth, a dwemer ruin, that should be able to give us a whole new building block pallet! I really hope the don’t skip out on giving us these amazing textures already in game.

TheStarfighter

Hey all,

First on that :

Caelc wrote: »

anyone laugh at the fact that there are 2 or 3 vampire style mirrors? um, hello Zos.

The Vampire in the Elder Scroll Universe don't work like the vampire in other Fantasy/World that we are certain (Molag Bal affiliation) and we don't have a solid clue that in this universe they don't have a reflection in a mirror. So maybe they can see themselves in a mirror...

And for the rest of the subject I want to post what I wrote on another post about the same thing :

They said before that it's like in Europe for the old building that stay there for centuries.

Here in Europe it's very common for very ancient family to keep the furniture past generations (table, bed, or old "buffet" i live in Provence and it's an old practice ... ) and i find it feels well the nord mentality : building durable structure/furniture.

It seems the dev were going also with this in mind for the furniture. And for once I find it fits well

I'm fine with that because we have a bunch of new housing item including antiquities that are majestic

Sorry for any spelling mistake

P.S: source (http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Vampire)

EDIT 1 : Sorry @Caelc I have not see that it was your post and so that i was responding again to you

carly

I like the old look for the furnishings - it suites the time period in the game and my characters.

Erissime

It is interesting to see such opinions - which ultimately are a matter of ... taste. And if any of those bragging against the old looking textures of things would at least learn to respect taste, this conversation wouldn't even exist. But alas - this being the case - my 2 cents of thought - making time-worn textures is harder than providing "brand new" looking things ( which in a 3d environment actually risk to look cheaper than what you already got). This is not real world. You want "new looking" items? Go to Ikea or whatever else your pocket affords. But in a fantasy world, in which we are dealing with creatures older than we can possible imagine - I must fully congratulate the developers for the work they did, and the amazing attention to detail they are providing with every new set of furnishings. As for the two new styles - Solitude and Vampiric - I think the name says it all. One is for the humans, one is for the vampires. Thinking back in time - furniture was probably not exactly cheap or easy to acquire, and many of these items may have been passed on from one generation to another even ( the more ... worthy looking ones at least, such as those in the Jarl's palace) - this alone enables the "time-worn" look. As for the vampires - well... time is their thing. Judge for yourself - enjoy what is given , and leave the " new-shiny" stuff for your personal reality. This is fantasy!

CMDR_Un1k0rn

This is exactly why I love these items.

Sturmfaenger

I don't get why the solitude furniture looks worn yet the antiquities look new and shiny (in some cases artificially even) . A bit more worn by time would have been okay here, and a bit nicer with the solitude ones.
I'm also puzzled why there are no blackreach plants, rocks or gems etc (not even in crown furniture shop). With Summerset we got corals and such - here, nothing but a few trees and such. Will blackreach nature furniture ever be published?
I hope for the autumn dlc, but I fear all we will get there is some worn looking reachmen furniture.

Tigerseye

Having furnished Proudspire as an inn, with a mixture of styles (including Elsweyr, Redguard, Alinor, Khajiit and High Elf), but with mainly Solitude and Vampiric wooden furniture, I have found that the Solitude items look better well lit.

The rustic, lightwood stuff gets a nice, slightly pink, glow under the Solitude lights and the worn looking, darker stuff looks shinier under good lighting, rather than dull.

This is particularly the case with the table tops.

I'm British and the dark stained stuff reminds me of traditional pub furniture, here.

I have avoided most of the items with the silver ring shaped handles, as I find it a bit busy (even though the rings do go quite well with the rings on the Hlaalu Stove), but the stuff without any hardware on it looks quite nice to me, now it's placed.

Tigerseye

By the way, I wonder where the furry throws you see on the Solitude furniture out in the world are?

Will we ever gain access to them?

Tigerseye

Erissime wrote: »

It is interesting to see such opinions - which ultimately are a matter of ... taste. And if any of those bragging against the old looking textures of things would at least learn to respect taste, this conversation wouldn't even exist.

Hold on a minute.

I don't think it's as simple as antiques vs new furniture, here.

The specific issue people (even people who like antiques) are having with the Solitude stuff is not so much that it looks old, but that it looks - until well lit, anyway and even then, in some cases - dull and heavily worn.

I don't think most people have an issue with the aged look, as such, especially as pretty much all the furniture in the game looks old.

It just would have been nice if it had looked like it had been polished originally and that someone had got out a tin of beeswax polish, once in a while, since then...

Rather than painted with Creosote, and then ridden hard and put away wet, for decades (or longer).

Personally, I think some of the Vampiric looks a bit too new, shiny and pristine, if anything and many of the pieces are also rather too compact.

So, lumping the two styles in together, to try to make a point about people's lack of appreciation of good taste, doesn't really work, here, as they are chalk and cheese.

Supreme_Atromancer

Oh man, I LOVE the nordic-styled furnishings. They're beautiful, and the guys/girls that made this stuff have done a fantastic job. It speaks of the character of Skyrim - rustic, basic, and threadbare, evocative of the harsh landscape and people that populate it. Anyone who wants to create a home that feels like a nord lives there is going to love this.

I get that everyone has their views, and people are passionate about furnishings. Those of us invested in housing are a creative bunch, and we all want the tools to produce our visions. I wish there were more, too. But its poor form to build your case by making statements such as

bluebird wrote: »

I do agree most of these were really wasted on things that nobody - or barely anybody - will want to use.

because it reads like you're seeking to dismiss anyone who might dare to argue by saying opposing views are irrelevant. At best you have a poor sample of people who have opinions on the furnishings, but stating that sample is "everyone, or almost everyone".

SickleCider

IDK, I love the furniture. It's very wabi sabi. The carved Nord pieces look beautiful in the Enchanted Snowglobe and the rustic pieces were perfect for my Coven Cottage.

I wish the vampire stuff had more patina. I also wish we got more structural pieces and plants.

Tigerseye

Supreme_Atromancer wrote: »

Oh man, I LOVE the nordic-styled furnishings. They're beautiful, and the guys/girls that made this stuff have done a fantastic job. It speaks of the character of Skyrim - rustic, basic, and threadbare, evocative of the harsh landscape and people that populate it. Anyone who wants to create a home that feels like a nord lives there is going to love this.

I get that everyone has their views, and people are passionate about furnishings. Those of us invested in housing are a creative bunch, and we all want the tools to produce our visions. I wish there were more, too. But its poor form to build your case by making statements such as

bluebird wrote: »

I do agree most of these were really wasted on things that nobody - or barely anybody - will want to use.

because it reads like you're seeking to dismiss anyone who might dare to argue by saying opposing views are irrelevant. At best you have a poor sample of people who have opinions on the furnishings, but stating that sample is "everyone, or almost everyone".

I think, at worst, she was making an assumption.

I don't think she was seeking to be dismissive.

Tigerseye

bluebird wrote: »

Yeah, I agree, I think we have too many varieties of basic character-less 'rustic' wood furniture. The basic Nord and Breton ones already looked like that (basic wood stuff), so I think Greymoor overdid it a little.

I don't mind variety and I'm sure some people will like them, but considering that DLCs and Chapters probably have a furniture count budget that determines how many new items they add, I do agree most of these were really wasted on things that nobody - or barely anybody - will want to use.

Instead of the 'basic bench four ways' and 'basic chair copy but with wicker' we could have had some awesome gray stone structural items that are sorely lacking (we only get like 2 or 3 structurals and they're a fence). A total pity, because the Solitude wall and stone textures are absolutely gorgeous! There is an odd lack of structural furnishings this patch, especially compared to Elsweyr.

There are a lot of benches, but on the plus side, if you are making an inn, it's quite nice to put the higher one against the back wall and then the lower ones in the body of the room itself.

Adds a bit of variety and allows you to see over them, to other things, more easily.