Bastion Sanguinaris; Good and Bad

Kittytravel

I was not active in the PTS stages of Greymoor and so I didn't get to this house until it released; I haven't seen many threads relating to this house outside the PTS cycle (atleast in this forum section) and I wanted to see what everyone else through. I will say I wish they had actually listened to some player feedback that has been given on many houses in the past and applied it to this one.

There is some good about it which I'll also supply here but the overall problems don't make me like the house and I have a feeling this will go for much of the community but I could be entirely wrong and maybe gothic vampiric structures really are all people need.

Outside: The garden itself is a good quality of the house as it feels "finished" with the stone; it doesn't need a lot help in making it feel finished and won't be a slot intensive part of the house despite how large it is. The one thing I adore is the windows pictured below that you can walk through; they act as almost natural doorways if you want to close off those spots and make them into tiny rooms outside or build a balcony.

I love this and hope this continues it's a great easy way to give us doorways to use without actually being real doorways; we can just block off the big empty wall and use those to walk through to custom make our rooms. I can't gush over that decision enough.

Bastion Fastness: We're met with a very large and tall room, this area alone could easily sport 400 items of the 700 the house will likely have; this first room alone is absolutely massive. Even using some of the largest furniture you can that will blend with the house (which isn't a lot unless you have crowns readily at your disposal) this will cause you quite a bit of misery. And thus begins the major problem with the house.

Bastion Withdrawing Room: A small room easily decorated with another vaulted ceiling that you can leave blank or put something into. This vaulted ceiling is more decorated than the ones in the Fastness so it's easier to let it sit as is.

Bastion Upper Chamber: You like this room? You don't like the Withdrawing Room? TOO BAD! You'll have to decorate both if you want to use this room another poor decision in forcing you to decorate a room you may not like.

Bastion Overlook: You like this area? Don't like the previous first three rooms? TOO BAD AGAIN! You'll need to decorate BOTH rooms before you get to this room because there is no other way up here.

Bastion Aerie: Hope you don't like this room; because if you do and didn't like the other four you have to use them anyway. Enjoy your 700 slot limit and the four rooms you have to decorate before you even get up here. Hope it doesn't throw a wrench in any of your plans or make the house seem absurdly empty.

BACK TO THE BASTION FASTNESS

Bastion Terrace: After exiting the Bastion Fastness from the other direction you end up on a nice terrace overlooking a lot of Blackreach. This would offer a beyond amazing build space if you didn't require the other room before it. I could naturally walk pretty far over into the blackreach caverns and it would have been great to build in that area if we could skip right to it.


Okay so you just want more furnishing slots?
NOPE!

This house needs to have portals to the different areas to allow buyers to either cover up the portals or cover up the door; even better would be portals with switches that could just be turned off/on to allow access to different parts of the house at whim directly from the courtyard to allow people to not use the parts of the house they don't want. A way to skip immediately to the back to utilize the blackreach caverns or all the way to the aerie to use the area up there and none of the lower interior. I'm understanding of the furnishing limitations; I'm not understanding of being given houses that are hard to decorate with those limitations and no options given to circumvent that problem.

Hall of the Lunar Champion was an amazing step forward; the option to turn off entire parts of the home was incredibly useful for the slot limit. Bastion Sanguinaris is one of the worst possible steps backwards from that and I hope it doesn't continue occurring.

I'd like to hear what other people think of course both of the redeeming qualities of this home that you think the housing team did well on and of the bad of the home that you think they need to be aware of making the same mistake on again in the future.

bluebird

Yeah, the layout is a bit wonky on that one. But the biggest issue that makes me really question whether I actually want the headache of buying and furnishing it, is the slot limit.

Looking at newly released houses should be exciting and fun, not an immediate eyeroll and frown, desperately trying to come up with ways to work around the limiting item slot cap and layout issues. It feels incredibly frustrating to look at homes and know how many corners you'll have to cut, how many areas you'll have to give up on, in order to make it work.

• Proudspire was very nice, with its 600 item limit.
• But Bastion is easily 3-4 times as large and has only 100 more, 700 slots???
• Or take Lucky Cat Landing even, which may be actually bigger than Proudspire and has less, 400 slots!

And yes, the layout of the house is as spread-out as possible, resulting in large swathes of unfurnishable areas. It's also somewhat odd that the 'main' body of the house is a chunky rectangle, but then it has a sequence of rooms and passageways branching out on one side only... I think it would have been nicer if it had those extra rooms spread out more evenly - like, in the entrance hall have a door on the left side too with one/some of the rooms, not just the one door on the right which leads to the rabbithole of 4 out of the 5 extra areas.

The only way to make this house modular is to cut off the backyard area which is mostly self-contained and won't have an impact on the other rooms. But since the other 4 areas are a consecutive branch, as you also said, that will be basically what every single player will have to include and furnish in some way (or give up on the Aerie which is arguably the most suitable for living quarters).

And let's not forget that the house is sold with 350 slots by default, for likely a large amount of Crowns, and needs a subscription to take it up to only 700 anyway. I already get anxiety just thinking about the slots, lol.

Tigerseye

I'm not really a fan of it.

It just seems like a series of broken up rooms with railings in them, to me.

Other than the view from outside these rooms, I don't see the attraction.

It's more like a small dungeon, or a delve, than it is a house.

Which may appeal to some, I guess.

Mithlas

I agree with the series-of-rooms objections. A house / castle has hallways, doors, and stairs. This would be much better than just a series of rooms directly connected. I doubt they will fix that this late in development, though.

There is another thing: the pillars with the faces in the first room of the fastness are horribly off-centre. I don't have OCD, but these things are triggering the perfectionist in me beyond all reason... If you watch the line on the floor leading from the huge door to the smaller door straight ahead (the one leading to the biggest room), then you'll notice that one pillar is much closer to this line than the other... this makes it nigh impossible to have a nice symmetrical lay-out in the centre of the room when decorating.

Kittytravel

Mithlas wrote: »

I agree with the series-of-rooms objections. A house / castle has hallways, doors, and stairs. This would be much better than just a series of rooms directly connected. I doubt they will fix that this late in development, though.

I didn't even notice the pillars but had to go recheck ew yeah.
I know they can't fix it this late in development layout wise; but I'm hoping they can add some sort of portal to get at least to the back area and aerie so that you aren't forced to utilize the front entrance hallways. We've seen them make portals that can be triggered in lunar champion so maybe they can do it as an addition here before fully releasing the house.

Sporvan

It's about the same size as Jode's Embrace and Potentate's Retreat. One is fully capable of decorating both fully if you don't resort to too many wild customization.

Yes the furniture limit sucks but I don't think this is exceptionally larger than other homes we've had.

Kittytravel

Sporvan wrote: »

It's about the same size as Jode's Embrace and Potentate's Retreat. One is fully capable of decorating both fully if you don't resort to too many wild customization.

Yes the furniture limit sucks but I don't think this is exceptionally larger than other homes we've had.

Potentates Retreat had a lot of water so I don't think it's a good equivocation. Large homes with a lot of water in the area makes it exceedingly easy to decorate. In addition if I didn't want to use the two side rooms in Potentates I could block them off with relative ease; the same goes for Jode's Embrace. But that doesn't exist in Bastion as I have no way of reaching any of the other rooms without walking through the house. In fact I know someone who completely blocked off the center part of Potentates with only 50 slots using Elsweyr Bridge, Masonry and stuffed a big statue in the middle. That left them 650 slots dedicated to the outside which is why they bought the house, but you can't do that in Bastion unless you aren't wanting any of the back rooms and that's the problem I'm outlining here.

Tigerseye

Mithlas wrote: »

I agree with the series-of-rooms objections. A house / castle has hallways, doors, and stairs. This would be much better than just a series of rooms directly connected. I doubt they will fix that this late in development, though.

There is another thing: the pillars with the faces in the first room of the fastness are horribly off-centre. I don't have OCD, but these things are triggering the perfectionist in me beyond all reason... If you watch the line on the floor leading from the huge door to the smaller door straight ahead (the one leading to the biggest room), then you'll notice that one pillar is much closer to this line than the other... this makes it nigh impossible to have a nice symmetrical lay-out in the centre of the room when decorating.

Yeah, they are often way off with the symmetry...

Proudspire is pretty good for that, especially when compared to the mess in a nice location that is Lucky Cat's Landing, so I'm just sticking with that for now.

I'm lucky in that I don't really want a Vampire house, I'm not a fan of Blackreach and I generally avoid the Manors, unless they mostly consist of outside areas (like Topal), anyway.

As, otherwise, they are invariably a nightmare furnishing slot-wise.

So, I am more than happy to pass and not have to worry if it will still be available in August, which is when I will get my next ESO+ Crown delivery (assuming I am still subbed).

I feel for people who wanted a Vampire house, though, as this is really not a house at all...

Could have been great - like a Victorian Gothic house.

With four floors:


1. A basement kitchen, with a storeroom off it (for crafting).

2. A hallway with 4 rooms off it, on the ground floor, two of which could have been available for decorating, the other two locked (not chained, just locked with a key), with a sweeping staircase leading up to...

3. A landing, with two corridors of bedrooms off it, upstairs. Eight bedrooms in total. Two of the rooms could have been open and available for decoration and the rest could have been locked (to ensure there were enough slots).

4. A small attic floor, with a corridor and a few small rooms off it, for the unfortunate staff. One of which could have been available to decorate, the rest of the doors could have been locked.


That would have been 7 available rooms, in total (plus a bit of outside space), which is the perfect number with 700 slots.

However, it would have felt like a far more sustantial house in general, than that, due to all the locked rooms.

But no, a dungeon pathway, with railings, it was...

katanagirl1

After playing through the Western Skyrim storyline, it seems to me that they used the Greymoor Keep template for the Bastion house.

There is that section with the rotted out planks and rope railing that leads to a tower in both of them. That part is fairly distinctive.

The Keep was also a series of rooms in a linear path, just like the house.

MornaBaine

I keep saying I honestly don't believe anyone on the housing team has ever looked at a floorplan or blueprint of any kind, historical or modern. The Bastion is nothing more than a horrible mishmash of disjointed rooms with no rhyme or reason to them. Please ZOS, buy your housing team The Sims and make them spend some time looking at the gallery of homes players have built and force them to start building their own. MAYBE they will learn something. I'm not even being sarcastic here.

goddess2015

With the new changes to the vampire, hubby and I decided to create baby vampires and check out the changes. I am the housing fan, but we were both looking forward to our new duo getting the new vampire castle coming available for sale. (I got Proudspire Manor in the meantime, which I love!) Well, I managed to unlock the Blackreach zone by running to all the wayshrines...so I just walked in the door of Bastion Sanguinaris (after fighting lots of mobs lurking around outside) and took a long look around. Not crazy about the fact that its so dark, but that would be nothing to a vampire couple. However, I was expecting some elegant, gothic, graceful castle to unfold before me. Something with symmetry and grace. Instead, I can't quite figure out what the rooms are actually for. I normally have so many ideas running though my head during a preview that I have a house half way decorated before I'm done with the preview. But this one, I just couldn't get a handle on how to make it a home. I'm okay with dark, gothic, spooky or whatever...but the outside looks huge, but once you are inside its just a procession of rooms all attached to each other. I like the last room across the bridge to be the vampire's bedchamber...hard to get to...put guardians of some sort on the bridge. But I wanted a gothic castle feel. I want the great room, kitchen, basement, dungeon, bedrooms,, library, living area or lounging area. But I just don't care for the layout. And going back to the bridge...why such a rickety bridge? But just a string of rooms in a row all connected does not a castle make. As for the outside, I was so disappointed over the inside that the outside just didn't matter...I like gothic but this was just weird as far as layout. Oh well. So, My little vampire decorated Proudspire to her liking and got attached to it and decided she didn't want that oddly built old building in Blackreach! She is staying put.**That being said...I dearly love the castle that you get to see during the quest line. I won't say more because I don't want to say anything that would be a spoiler. I will just say, I would have been extremely happy with that castle as a home instead of Bastion which I will not be buying. Would be wonderful if they put a copy of that castle up for sale!

goddess2015

I forgot to say, the building itself from the outside was very nicely done. It gave the impression of a gothic castle from the outside and looked as if it would be roomy and elegant, sort of the gothinc take on the psijic villa. Open entry floorplan with rooms leading off in different directions and stairs above. But no. The inside in no way reflected the impression the outside gave you. Kudos for the outside of the building...even though I enjoy symmetry and things are sort of off kilter. But the string of rooms in a row...not for me.

MornaBaine

goddess2015 wrote: »

With the new changes to the vampire, hubby and I decided to create baby vampires and check out the changes. I am the housing fan, but we were both looking forward to our new duo getting the new vampire castle coming available for sale. (I got Proudspire Manor in the meantime, which I love!) Well, I managed to unlock the Blackreach zone by running to all the wayshrines...so I just walked in the door of Bastion Sanguinaris (after fighting lots of mobs lurking around outside) and took a long look around. Not crazy about the fact that its so dark, but that would be nothing to a vampire couple. However, I was expecting some elegant, gothic, graceful castle to unfold before me. Something with symmetry and grace. Instead, I can't quite figure out what the rooms are actually for. I normally have so many ideas running though my head during a preview that I have a house half way decorated before I'm done with the preview. But this one, I just couldn't get a handle on how to make it a home. I'm okay with dark, gothic, spooky or whatever...but the outside looks huge, but once you are inside its just a procession of rooms all attached to each other. I like the last room across the bridge to be the vampire's bedchamber...hard to get to...put guardians of some sort on the bridge. But I wanted a gothic castle feel. I want the great room, kitchen, basement, dungeon, bedrooms,, library, living area or lounging area. But I just don't care for the layout. And going back to the bridge...why such a rickety bridge? But just a string of rooms in a row all connected does not a castle make. As for the outside, I was so disappointed over the inside that the outside just didn't matter...I like gothic but this was just weird as far as layout. Oh well. So, My little vampire decorated Proudspire to her liking and got attached to it and decided she didn't want that oddly built old building in Blackreach! She is staying put.**That being said...I dearly love the castle that you get to see during the quest line. I won't say more because I don't want to say anything that would be a spoiler. I will just say, I would have been extremely happy with that castle as a home instead of Bastion which I will not be buying. Would be wonderful if they put a copy of that castle up for sale!
I forgot to say, the building itself from the outside was very nicely done. It gave the impression of a gothic castle from the outside and looked as if it would be roomy and elegant, sort of the gothinc take on the psijic villa. Open entry floorplan with rooms leading off in different directions and stairs above. But no. The inside in no way reflected the impression the outside gave you. Kudos for the outside of the building...even though I enjoy symmetry and things are sort of off kilter. But the string of rooms in a row...not for me.

I, too, just genuinely wanted a Gothic castle with the whole of my soul. Something on the order of Daggerfall Overlook but in the Proudspire building materials. But noooo. I wanted a Gothic castle in Rivenspire...instead we got the insanely over the top travesty that is Wraithhome. And now we have the just insanely BAD Bastion. It makes my heart hurt. The disappointment is real...if expected.

Wildberryjack

Given the slot limit I really wish they'd stop putting out these HUGE houses. Smaller houses please and TYVM. I love the basic design and aesthetic of this house but it's just way too big. Can we have a smaller version please? And topside please.

Cameron991

I may be in the minority here but I quite love the house inside and out, I may be a bit biased since I’m in love with greymoor keep and bastion is a mini greymoor keep. I will say I wish the house had more rooms to decorate but my imagination ran free with this house so I have a lot of ideas with it. So the front is honestly quite decorated with its plants and such so not much slots need to be put there but that big room let’s you have some freedom with it for example you can make a giant ballroom, or a throne room, or an evil church/ritual area, or even a giant feast area. And also you can look at it as mini area to free build/make more levels, or make more rooms(Ik the slots will be a pain but it’s possible). Furthermore they have made a beautiful interior with gargoyles on the walls and vampire faves in the stones and very beautiful ceilings. I for one am very excited to let my imagination run wild with it!

Kittytravel

Cameron991 wrote: »

I may be in the minority here but I quite love the house inside and out, I may be a bit biased since I’m in love with greymoor keep and bastion is a mini greymoor keep. I will say I wish the house had more rooms to decorate but my imagination ran free with this house so I have a lot of ideas with it.

I wish you luck with it but it seems like you are using the exact parts of the house that aren't the issues I outlined with it; the parts that I agree they did very well in their design choices with and have no issue. The vaulted ceilings in the main room and its layout make it feel great and the only issue I have with the first room is the lack of matching structural materials.

I'm glad you look forward to it though and I hope it comes out great.

Cameron991

Kittytravel wrote: »

Cameron991 wrote: »

I may be in the minority here but I quite love the house inside and out, I may be a bit biased since I’m in love with greymoor keep and bastion is a mini greymoor keep. I will say I wish the house had more rooms to decorate but my imagination ran free with this house so I have a lot of ideas with it.

I wish you luck with it but it seems like you are using the exact parts of the house that aren't the issues I outlined with it; the parts that I agree they did very well in their design choices with and have no issue. The vaulted ceilings in the main room and its layout make it feel great and the only issue I have with the first room is the lack of matching structural materials.

I'm glad you look forward to it though and I hope it comes out great.

I do very much agree with that, they need to add vampiric structures like walls and stairs