Detailed Feedback on the Waking Flame Housing Update
TeruKisuke
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Okay, first off, let me just say THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. Many of the things on my must-have list were included in this new lineup, some of which I wasn’t even expecting! I’ll describe my thoughts on each one by one. I won’t be showing an incredible amount of images since I’m sure others will do them much better justice in showcasing them, since all I have is my crappy phone to take pics with.
Let’s start with the Mastercraft Furnishings.
Okay. Time for the most exciting part: the structures.
Housing Editor Additions
Conservatory
Courtyard
Miscellaneous
Vampiric New Furnishings
Undaunted Achievement Furnishings
Houses
Stuff We Did Not Get
That finishes up my thoughts. Comment below what you guys think of all the new furnishings and houses!
(Please do. I had to go through the tutorial quest, catalogue the furnishings, and took like 3 hours to type up and format this review. Lol)
Edited by TeruKisuke on July 14, 2021 3:35AM Let’s start with the Mastercraft Furnishings.
-Leyawiin Divider, Carved Starfish: I was actually wondering why we didn’t have this divider in the game yet since we had the Octopus one, and personally I like this one more. It has many beautiful golden designs of fish and discs on it. It might even be my favorite divider so far. Well done.
-Leyawiin Bowl, Squid Special: Pretty standard. This bowl looks similar to the Markarth Vegetable Soup asset. I’m not complaining though since the more we could put on our tables, the merrier.
-Deadlands Torture Rack: The one Deadlands item included in this dlc. I’m not particularly a Daedric style person, but if someone were to make a torture dungeon, this thing would have presence.
-Blackwood Cottage Painting, Unframed: Very cute painting. It’s very small though, and without a frame it might get unnoticed on a white wall. But there are uses for unframed paintings like adding designs to other assets, or resting on our *AHEM* currently nonexistent easels.
-Leyawiin Tapestry, Hunting Party: I recall a few requests on the forum for this big tapestry, so thank you for answering their request. I’m making an art gallery myself, so any “artwork” pieces are welcome.
-Leyawiin Hearth, Carved Wood: This is the one I was most excited for. As soon as I saw the asset in Water’s Edge, I knew I needed these in my homes. It’s fancy-looking with wood paneling, and it has a brick top and bottom, meaning it can be multipurpose.
-Leyawiin Lightpost, Ornate: I think I would have given the housing team an odd look if we DIDN’T get one of the most iconic Leyawiin assets from the streets. It was in high demand and we were wondering why it wasn’t included originally, and now we know why. At least it’s easier to get our hands on now.
-Leyawiin Bowl, Squid Special: Pretty standard. This bowl looks similar to the Markarth Vegetable Soup asset. I’m not complaining though since the more we could put on our tables, the merrier.
-Deadlands Torture Rack: The one Deadlands item included in this dlc. I’m not particularly a Daedric style person, but if someone were to make a torture dungeon, this thing would have presence.
-Blackwood Cottage Painting, Unframed: Very cute painting. It’s very small though, and without a frame it might get unnoticed on a white wall. But there are uses for unframed paintings like adding designs to other assets, or resting on our *AHEM* currently nonexistent easels.
-Leyawiin Tapestry, Hunting Party: I recall a few requests on the forum for this big tapestry, so thank you for answering their request. I’m making an art gallery myself, so any “artwork” pieces are welcome.
-Leyawiin Hearth, Carved Wood: This is the one I was most excited for. As soon as I saw the asset in Water’s Edge, I knew I needed these in my homes. It’s fancy-looking with wood paneling, and it has a brick top and bottom, meaning it can be multipurpose.
-Leyawiin Lightpost, Ornate: I think I would have given the housing team an odd look if we DIDN’T get one of the most iconic Leyawiin assets from the streets. It was in high demand and we were wondering why it wasn’t included originally, and now we know why. At least it’s easier to get our hands on now.
Okay. Time for the most exciting part: the structures.
-Leyawiin Door, Castle: It’s not as multipurpose as some of the other doors we’ve got, which tend to get a high grade from me, but for those castle-making enthusiasts out there, it works.
-Leyawiin Door, Wooden: Previously we just had the Solitude Door to work with and if we wanted a square door, we’d just turn it upside-down. As a result, it sometimes made doorways short, and to do doorways with an arch, it was rather difficult since there was no matching doorframe. BUT with this one we do have doorways now, which is very exciting!
-Leyawiin Doorway, Wooden Frame: Oh my. My jaw dropped when I saw it. An actual doorframe. And it even had the basic white plaster as I wanted. This will be perfect for mansion builds and many indoor structures as well. This is precisely what housing needed to spice things up.
-Leyawiin Gate, Wooden Garden: It’s a bit narrower and smaller than the Solitude Gate we currently have I believe, meant to work with the new archway we have. While the other gate could somewhat work for inside double doors, this one has more gaps between the planks, so this one’s definitely an outside piece. I wonder if it’d work over windows though.
-Leyawiin Stairway, Wooden: I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the patch notes mention this. When I saw what this actually was though, I was almost disappointed, since it had gaps between the steps, and I was wanting something a bit more indoorsy and solid. ALMOST disappointed. Because, PSA to all wooden stairs enthusiasts, you can layer two of these stairs to make the stairs of our dreams! The time has finally come!
This was done with four slots. Two stairways (one flipped) and two wall, wooden half.
-Leyawiin Turret, Castle: Similar to the Markarth Tower in its I-Can’t-Believe-We-Have-This factor, this will definitely be nice for those people who love making huge towering structures. My only lament is that it’s not hollow so that we can’t go inside.
-Leyawiin Wall, Wainscoted: I think I nearly died and went to heaven when I saw this. It’s beautiful, simple, and everything I wanted. It only has one attached wooden pillar in case the designer wants to put two together for a longer wall, AND it’s got the wooden finish. I’ve made several attempts at different mansion builds and I have always needed to throw a million slots at making my own wood finish. I think my ONLY critique is that the walls are somewhat short, but with an addition to another new arrival, that can be worked with...
-Leyawiin Wall, Wooden Half: It’s almost like the housing team read my post and knew that it was my birthday coming up soon. I even asked for the wood part of a white plaster wall in a previous post LOL. Wow. I can see these being used for bannisters, balcony railings, wall finishes, ramps, all kinds of things. It’s lovely.
-Leyawiin Alcove, Castle: This one’s one of the most interesting castle piece additions. While it’s not very deep, this could be possibly used as a third fireplace. It’s just odd enough of a piece that I could see it used for different things. Pretty cool.
-Leyawiin Archway, Garden: I knew this would be a furnishing from the moment I first saw it. It was just too obvious, so I didn’t feel the need to make a request post about it. In any case, it’s a bit more smooth and polished than the Solitude archway, so it’s a nice addition, and I used the Solitude arch for many things. I also felt like the Solitude arch could blend in too much against Solitude walls at times.
-Leyawiin Column, Castle: Also had a feeling this was coming. Follows the pattern of other releases. Still nice nonetheless.
-Leyawiin Hearth, Masonry: Nice kitcheny or log cabin type of fireplace, I like it. It’s a bit on the smaller side for those small spaces. Could possibly be used for a homey oven?
-Leyawiin Platform, Huge Square: It has a nice off-white brick texture on the sides and bottom, very Imperial. It’s really thick which can be a good or bad thing (good for space-filling, bad for when you want to use it as a wall.) It’s still nice though.
-Leyawiin Platform, Large Square: A small square platform, interesting for those I want-to-make-a-path-but-not-a-huge-one situations. Same textures as the Huge Square.
-Leyawiin Platform, Narrow Steps: Something interesting about the stairs of this update, but it’s almost like all of them are abruptly cut off at the top step of the asset, almost like they’re cakes and cut smoothly with a knife. I think I prefer the ones that have a bit of a platform to stand on at the top personally, but at least these steps are functional. Interestingly enough, both this and the wide stairs aren’t very steep or long.
-Leyawiin Platform, Wide Steps: It’s interesting that this one is a green item while the narrow one is a blue item. Usually when items are bigger, it’s the other way around. I am inclined to agree though; I do like narrower stairs, hence I find them more valuable. Is it sad that the narrower stairs will be slightly rarer? Yes, it is.
-Leyawiin Post, Stone Garden: Pretty standard looking, but a bit more natural than the other options we have access to. Interestingly, it is very short instead of tall.
-Leyawiin Wall, Castle Door Arch: Another doorway to go with the Castle Door instead. It’s great that we’re getting doorframes now instead of having to make awkward arches using the square walls we have.
-Leyawiin Wall, Curved Stone: A little bit taller than the Solitude short walls and a little bit shorter than Solitude standard walls. This piece is meant to be more outside and in the garden as dividers. I like the little bit of added height because often times I’d have to double-up on Alinor retaining walls or the Solitude short walls.
-Leyawiin Wall, Straight Garden: Very narrow. While it’s nice for smaller areas, gardens are often big, so it would’ve been nice to have a long version too.
-Leyawiin Wall, Windowed Castle: This one’s a strange one. While it’s nice that it has a window, it doesn’t have that same window on the other side, so it’s essentially a facade. I understand it must be meant for those situations where “what if the player just wants a plain wall, and not with this window attached?” I get it. It’s still an interesting choice. It would’ve been nice if there was a curved wall included that was much like this too.
-Leyawiin Door, Wooden: Previously we just had the Solitude Door to work with and if we wanted a square door, we’d just turn it upside-down. As a result, it sometimes made doorways short, and to do doorways with an arch, it was rather difficult since there was no matching doorframe. BUT with this one we do have doorways now, which is very exciting!
-Leyawiin Doorway, Wooden Frame: Oh my. My jaw dropped when I saw it. An actual doorframe. And it even had the basic white plaster as I wanted. This will be perfect for mansion builds and many indoor structures as well. This is precisely what housing needed to spice things up.
-Leyawiin Gate, Wooden Garden: It’s a bit narrower and smaller than the Solitude Gate we currently have I believe, meant to work with the new archway we have. While the other gate could somewhat work for inside double doors, this one has more gaps between the planks, so this one’s definitely an outside piece. I wonder if it’d work over windows though.
-Leyawiin Stairway, Wooden: I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the patch notes mention this. When I saw what this actually was though, I was almost disappointed, since it had gaps between the steps, and I was wanting something a bit more indoorsy and solid. ALMOST disappointed. Because, PSA to all wooden stairs enthusiasts, you can layer two of these stairs to make the stairs of our dreams! The time has finally come!
This was done with four slots. Two stairways (one flipped) and two wall, wooden half.
-Leyawiin Turret, Castle: Similar to the Markarth Tower in its I-Can’t-Believe-We-Have-This factor, this will definitely be nice for those people who love making huge towering structures. My only lament is that it’s not hollow so that we can’t go inside.
-Leyawiin Wall, Wainscoted: I think I nearly died and went to heaven when I saw this. It’s beautiful, simple, and everything I wanted. It only has one attached wooden pillar in case the designer wants to put two together for a longer wall, AND it’s got the wooden finish. I’ve made several attempts at different mansion builds and I have always needed to throw a million slots at making my own wood finish. I think my ONLY critique is that the walls are somewhat short, but with an addition to another new arrival, that can be worked with...
-Leyawiin Wall, Wooden Half: It’s almost like the housing team read my post and knew that it was my birthday coming up soon. I even asked for the wood part of a white plaster wall in a previous post LOL. Wow. I can see these being used for bannisters, balcony railings, wall finishes, ramps, all kinds of things. It’s lovely.
-Leyawiin Alcove, Castle: This one’s one of the most interesting castle piece additions. While it’s not very deep, this could be possibly used as a third fireplace. It’s just odd enough of a piece that I could see it used for different things. Pretty cool.
-Leyawiin Archway, Garden: I knew this would be a furnishing from the moment I first saw it. It was just too obvious, so I didn’t feel the need to make a request post about it. In any case, it’s a bit more smooth and polished than the Solitude archway, so it’s a nice addition, and I used the Solitude arch for many things. I also felt like the Solitude arch could blend in too much against Solitude walls at times.
-Leyawiin Column, Castle: Also had a feeling this was coming. Follows the pattern of other releases. Still nice nonetheless.
-Leyawiin Hearth, Masonry: Nice kitcheny or log cabin type of fireplace, I like it. It’s a bit on the smaller side for those small spaces. Could possibly be used for a homey oven?
-Leyawiin Platform, Huge Square: It has a nice off-white brick texture on the sides and bottom, very Imperial. It’s really thick which can be a good or bad thing (good for space-filling, bad for when you want to use it as a wall.) It’s still nice though.
-Leyawiin Platform, Large Square: A small square platform, interesting for those I want-to-make-a-path-but-not-a-huge-one situations. Same textures as the Huge Square.
-Leyawiin Platform, Narrow Steps: Something interesting about the stairs of this update, but it’s almost like all of them are abruptly cut off at the top step of the asset, almost like they’re cakes and cut smoothly with a knife. I think I prefer the ones that have a bit of a platform to stand on at the top personally, but at least these steps are functional. Interestingly enough, both this and the wide stairs aren’t very steep or long.
-Leyawiin Platform, Wide Steps: It’s interesting that this one is a green item while the narrow one is a blue item. Usually when items are bigger, it’s the other way around. I am inclined to agree though; I do like narrower stairs, hence I find them more valuable. Is it sad that the narrower stairs will be slightly rarer? Yes, it is.
-Leyawiin Post, Stone Garden: Pretty standard looking, but a bit more natural than the other options we have access to. Interestingly, it is very short instead of tall.
-Leyawiin Wall, Castle Door Arch: Another doorway to go with the Castle Door instead. It’s great that we’re getting doorframes now instead of having to make awkward arches using the square walls we have.
-Leyawiin Wall, Curved Stone: A little bit taller than the Solitude short walls and a little bit shorter than Solitude standard walls. This piece is meant to be more outside and in the garden as dividers. I like the little bit of added height because often times I’d have to double-up on Alinor retaining walls or the Solitude short walls.
-Leyawiin Wall, Straight Garden: Very narrow. While it’s nice for smaller areas, gardens are often big, so it would’ve been nice to have a long version too.
-Leyawiin Wall, Windowed Castle: This one’s a strange one. While it’s nice that it has a window, it doesn’t have that same window on the other side, so it’s essentially a facade. I understand it must be meant for those situations where “what if the player just wants a plain wall, and not with this window attached?” I get it. It’s still an interesting choice. It would’ve been nice if there was a curved wall included that was much like this too.
Housing Editor Additions
Conservatory
-Plant, White Flowered Lily Pads: It’s nice to finally have some lily pads. Very nice to go with some of the other additions.
-Bush, Low Greenleaf Cluster: I’ll admit, I’m not as hyped for this one. Whenever a “cluster” plant is included, they often are thin, sparse, and don’t have as much presence as I feel they should have. They pale in comparison to an Alinor hedge as far as filling up a courtyard or garden. This is why I’m really hoping for a flower hedge at some point, something that can fill space.
-Bush, Snow Lilies: Very nice. They look like they’ll be thick enough to add presence to a garden.
-Rock, Gabro Cluster: I don’t use rocks as often, but it has some nice texture to it.
-Rock, Gabbro Boulder Cluster: Hopefully these make for nice space fillers. I haven’t tested if they’re flat or see-through on the bottom. Would be nice if they were.
-Rock, Gabro Set: Pretty standard. I feel like the clusters with gaps between them are a bit harder to fill space with.
-Rock, Wide Gabbro Slab: Pretty standard as well. Hopefully it fills space nicely.
-Tree, Blackwood Beech: I’m not a tree connoisseur, but I like how it has a sapling branching off.
-Tree, Blackwood Beech Cluster: Bit more of a space-filler, I like it.
-Tree, Elder Blackwood Beech: I tend to prefer the bigger trees since they cover more ground and space which is often needed to keep things under the 700 slot limit.
-Vines, Snow Lily Climber: This and the other variant are what a lot of us wanted after seeing the vines in Water’s Edge.
-Vines, Snow Lilies Swath: Standard sizing, following after the Elsweyr vines.
-Bush, Low Greenleaf Cluster: I’ll admit, I’m not as hyped for this one. Whenever a “cluster” plant is included, they often are thin, sparse, and don’t have as much presence as I feel they should have. They pale in comparison to an Alinor hedge as far as filling up a courtyard or garden. This is why I’m really hoping for a flower hedge at some point, something that can fill space.
-Bush, Snow Lilies: Very nice. They look like they’ll be thick enough to add presence to a garden.
-Rock, Gabro Cluster: I don’t use rocks as often, but it has some nice texture to it.
-Rock, Gabbro Boulder Cluster: Hopefully these make for nice space fillers. I haven’t tested if they’re flat or see-through on the bottom. Would be nice if they were.
-Rock, Gabro Set: Pretty standard. I feel like the clusters with gaps between them are a bit harder to fill space with.
-Rock, Wide Gabbro Slab: Pretty standard as well. Hopefully it fills space nicely.
-Tree, Blackwood Beech: I’m not a tree connoisseur, but I like how it has a sapling branching off.
-Tree, Blackwood Beech Cluster: Bit more of a space-filler, I like it.
-Tree, Elder Blackwood Beech: I tend to prefer the bigger trees since they cover more ground and space which is often needed to keep things under the 700 slot limit.
-Vines, Snow Lily Climber: This and the other variant are what a lot of us wanted after seeing the vines in Water’s Edge.
-Vines, Snow Lilies Swath: Standard sizing, following after the Elsweyr vines.
Courtyard
-Leyawiin Fountain, Corner: I was taken off-guard when I saw new fountains in the editor. This corner piece fountain is precisely what I needed for one of my homes.
-Leyawiin Fountain, Round: Very nice stand-alone fountain. I can already see myself sinking it into walls just to get half of it as a wall piece, and even thought of trying to make custom fountains like it before. Fantastic.
-Leyawiin Fountain, Round Grand: Very nice big centerpiece Fountain, though honestly I would’ve liked it more if the central pillar was removeable to have just the basin, considering we also got a stand-alone pillar fountain. Still nice though.
-Leyawiin Fountain, Tall: Very tall and elegant. For those courtyards that need some pizazz.
-Statue, Saint Kaladas: I didn’t expect to get a new statue so soon. My knowledge of the lore, while I try to pay attention, is limited, so I don’t know who this figure is, but he looks like somebody who can appreciate some architecture, so I approve. Lol
-Leyawiin Fountain, Round: Very nice stand-alone fountain. I can already see myself sinking it into walls just to get half of it as a wall piece, and even thought of trying to make custom fountains like it before. Fantastic.
-Leyawiin Fountain, Round Grand: Very nice big centerpiece Fountain, though honestly I would’ve liked it more if the central pillar was removeable to have just the basin, considering we also got a stand-alone pillar fountain. Still nice though.
-Leyawiin Fountain, Tall: Very tall and elegant. For those courtyards that need some pizazz.
-Statue, Saint Kaladas: I didn’t expect to get a new statue so soon. My knowledge of the lore, while I try to pay attention, is limited, so I don’t know who this figure is, but he looks like somebody who can appreciate some architecture, so I approve. Lol
Miscellaneous
-Steam of Repose: A new effect, surprising to get one now. While a thicker steam texture which is really cool, I wish there was a bigger variant for wide areas along the lines of the Celestial Nimbus.
Vampiric New Furnishings
Out of all the new stuff, these took me off guard the most. Some of these were requested several patches ago. Some have plans attached while others seem to be crownstore only. I’m a little worried about how we’ll be able to acquire them and hope they’re easier to obtain than dungeon farming, because I love bottles!
Lights
-Vampiric Candlestick: Interestingly, this piece has a plan attached, but it doesn’t follow the naming convention of most over furnishings.
-Vampiric Lamp, Azure Triple: I know people who have been really wanting the blue versions of these lights. I’ve been using the triple lamp a lot on live for its nice glow, so I’ll have to see if this one has a nice feel too.
-Vampiric Sconce, Azure: Same as above, also has an accompanying plan.
-Vampiric Lightpost, Azure Double: Does not have a plan. Might be CS only.
-Vampiric Lightpost, Azure Single: Same as above.
Lab Equipment
-Vampiric Alchemy Rack, Tubes: Very nice little alchemy rack. Nice to have some more lab equipment stuff on the smaller side. Has a blue plan attached.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Large: I’ve always wanted some nice jars that could go in our houses. I will say though, I know people might make fun of it for its low res textures like on the label, but stick with me here: it makes me nostalgic because it looks like a milk bottle from Lon Lon Ranch straight out of Ocarina of Time. I love it. Also has a blue plan attached.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Red Gelatinous: Regardless of its dubious contents (it’s probably blood or guts in there), I still think it’s a cute little jar. Has a green plan attached. Also, judging by the mat list, it’s very cheap to make.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Small: So small and cute! I always want more things like jars and vials for my shelves. I really wish there was a cluster version of these bottles to really fill my shelves with. Has a green plan attached.
-Vampiric Container, Yellow Liquid: The glass is especially dingy on this one, but I’m happy to get any amount of lab stuff. This one’s a bit bigger. It’s a green item, though it does not have a plan attached. Might be CS only, unfortunately.
-Vampiric Container, Congealed Liquid: Nice little container, could possibly be sunken down to not have the leg stand. Doesn’t have a plan attached though.
-Vampiric Flask Stand, Double: Will be nice for filling up space on a desk or workbench. No plan attached.
Lights
-Vampiric Candlestick: Interestingly, this piece has a plan attached, but it doesn’t follow the naming convention of most over furnishings.
-Vampiric Lamp, Azure Triple: I know people who have been really wanting the blue versions of these lights. I’ve been using the triple lamp a lot on live for its nice glow, so I’ll have to see if this one has a nice feel too.
-Vampiric Sconce, Azure: Same as above, also has an accompanying plan.
-Vampiric Lightpost, Azure Double: Does not have a plan. Might be CS only.
-Vampiric Lightpost, Azure Single: Same as above.
Lab Equipment
-Vampiric Alchemy Rack, Tubes: Very nice little alchemy rack. Nice to have some more lab equipment stuff on the smaller side. Has a blue plan attached.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Large: I’ve always wanted some nice jars that could go in our houses. I will say though, I know people might make fun of it for its low res textures like on the label, but stick with me here: it makes me nostalgic because it looks like a milk bottle from Lon Lon Ranch straight out of Ocarina of Time. I love it. Also has a blue plan attached.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Red Gelatinous: Regardless of its dubious contents (it’s probably blood or guts in there), I still think it’s a cute little jar. Has a green plan attached. Also, judging by the mat list, it’s very cheap to make.
-Vampiric Lab Jar, Small: So small and cute! I always want more things like jars and vials for my shelves. I really wish there was a cluster version of these bottles to really fill my shelves with. Has a green plan attached.
-Vampiric Container, Yellow Liquid: The glass is especially dingy on this one, but I’m happy to get any amount of lab stuff. This one’s a bit bigger. It’s a green item, though it does not have a plan attached. Might be CS only, unfortunately.
-Vampiric Container, Congealed Liquid: Nice little container, could possibly be sunken down to not have the leg stand. Doesn’t have a plan attached though.
-Vampiric Flask Stand, Double: Will be nice for filling up space on a desk or workbench. No plan attached.
Undaunted Achievement Furnishings
-Agonymium Stone, Inert: Standard Daedric rock. Might be nice for custom stuff though.
-Silver Rose Banner: I’m not normally a banner person, but this one is really cool. Kinda effeminate while not leaning too too far.
-Silver Rose Banner: I’m not normally a banner person, but this one is really cool. Kinda effeminate while not leaning too too far.
Houses
-Sweetwater Cascades: At the end of my last post, I mentioned that it’d be cool if we got a large Leyawiin manor, with wood tile floors and an indoor wraparound balcony. I got my wish lol. I should’ve seen it coming honestly. But what I liked most about this house wasn’t even that. It was the presentation of the courtyards. The front pool with the fountains is GORGEOUS. It’s elegant and leaves just enough room for gardenscaping. The back pools are also a far more lush version of the previous courtyards that give us outdoor pools. This is my favorite part of this property.
The manor building itself: While very nice, it’s also very big, maybe even unnecessarily so, as if there’s one floor too many. The indoor layout is also somewhat confusing. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually, but it had me disoriented when there’s like four different balconies (with nice views by the way). I love the indoor wraparound balcony, which is something I really liked about Strident Springs. I feel like the rooms with the obvious doorways could’ve been given doors in the home without us having to place them ourselves and take an extra slot though. Maybe this will be a thought for future homes.
The back guard tower: While an interesting conclusion, I wonder if this back structure was necessary. I won’t complain about it, but I think this might be the main offender that causes people to exclaim “this house is way too big!” simply because there’s a second structure. I know we’re getting our money’s worth, but, goodness. At least it’s not very huge though. I like the set of stairs that lead into the water in the center.
The view of the aqueduct is very cool. I almost thought we’d be able to build off the edge, but sadly not. The pool that flows off the edge of the house is cool though. I’m not sure how utilized this back area will be though. There’s a tad bit of land to work off of but not much.
-Doomchar Plateau: I’m not sure as much of what to think of this one. It’s cool to see the daedra take a stroll outside, but there’s also no structure to speak of, and the land area isn’t big enough to make some kind of big home, though I’m assuming we’ll be getting some Deadlands specific structure stuff to build with. Maybe we could make a tower in the future? I was hoping, if we were to get a Deadlands house, we would get one of those fortress structures with the long hallways you’d expect of evil bad guys, but maybe we’ll still get one. On the other hand, this house might be good for making things besides homes, such as weapons of mass destruction or vehicles. It has potential, and it’ll likely be a free event home. We’ll see.
The manor building itself: While very nice, it’s also very big, maybe even unnecessarily so, as if there’s one floor too many. The indoor layout is also somewhat confusing. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually, but it had me disoriented when there’s like four different balconies (with nice views by the way). I love the indoor wraparound balcony, which is something I really liked about Strident Springs. I feel like the rooms with the obvious doorways could’ve been given doors in the home without us having to place them ourselves and take an extra slot though. Maybe this will be a thought for future homes.
The back guard tower: While an interesting conclusion, I wonder if this back structure was necessary. I won’t complain about it, but I think this might be the main offender that causes people to exclaim “this house is way too big!” simply because there’s a second structure. I know we’re getting our money’s worth, but, goodness. At least it’s not very huge though. I like the set of stairs that lead into the water in the center.
The view of the aqueduct is very cool. I almost thought we’d be able to build off the edge, but sadly not. The pool that flows off the edge of the house is cool though. I’m not sure how utilized this back area will be though. There’s a tad bit of land to work off of but not much.
-Doomchar Plateau: I’m not sure as much of what to think of this one. It’s cool to see the daedra take a stroll outside, but there’s also no structure to speak of, and the land area isn’t big enough to make some kind of big home, though I’m assuming we’ll be getting some Deadlands specific structure stuff to build with. Maybe we could make a tower in the future? I was hoping, if we were to get a Deadlands house, we would get one of those fortress structures with the long hallways you’d expect of evil bad guys, but maybe we’ll still get one. On the other hand, this house might be good for making things besides homes, such as weapons of mass destruction or vehicles. It has potential, and it’ll likely be a free event home. We’ll see.
Stuff We Did Not Get
-I’m a bit disappointed to see that we didn’t get the Leyawiin Wooden Tile Floors as a platform. They’re very beautiful, elegant and polished, and while the Solitude platforms have a nice wooden texture, these are a bit more lush. We only got outdoor thick platforms. I get it. You want us to have a reason to buy the homes that come with Blackwood. Well I was planning to get them anyways if I could, so I’m sad that I can’t build with the pieces as well. I’d prefer a floor that’s non-rustic but also non-marble. Ah well... Ballroom floors and marble tiles it is.
-No stand-alone wooden posts. These are hard to come by, especially in rich etched form, so it’s disappointing we can’t build with them. I love wood. Please give us more!
-Stand-alone Windows: Yet another DLC where we don’t have windows by themselves as a see-through pane of glass. We only have rectangular display cases, gigantic greenhouses, and facades to work with currently, but they’re not very convincing as realistic windows. For the most part I have to leave a gap and simply pretend that the glass is there. But “imagination” sometimes isn’t as fun or polished.
-Wooden Stairs: Up above I found a solution to this problem, but it would be nice not to have to compromise. It’s really funny that the housing team was SO CLOSE to “Wooden Stairs,” yet managed “Wooden Stairway” instead. Maybe this could be revisited but it sucks that I’m likely gonna have to wait another year for the full, polished stair asset without gaps and with its own attached railings, instead of having to make them. (Except these “railings” aren’t diamond-shaped, so, again, compromise.)
-Armory Items: It doesn’t make sense that we still don’t have anything like it when we’re adventurers. Maybe, hopefully, we’ll get some in the Deadlands zone DLC, because that would make sense, but we’re used to being snuffed in this aspect.
-Leyawiin Sheds or Stables: One of the many cool assets out there. We get a stables that comes with Pantherfang, but it would be cool to get as a furnishing too.
-Flower Hedges: It would be nice, as some of the new furnishings are garden-focused. Sometimes it’s hard to fill up a large garden otherwise in these big homes.
-No stand-alone wooden posts. These are hard to come by, especially in rich etched form, so it’s disappointing we can’t build with them. I love wood. Please give us more!
-Stand-alone Windows: Yet another DLC where we don’t have windows by themselves as a see-through pane of glass. We only have rectangular display cases, gigantic greenhouses, and facades to work with currently, but they’re not very convincing as realistic windows. For the most part I have to leave a gap and simply pretend that the glass is there. But “imagination” sometimes isn’t as fun or polished.
-Wooden Stairs: Up above I found a solution to this problem, but it would be nice not to have to compromise. It’s really funny that the housing team was SO CLOSE to “Wooden Stairs,” yet managed “Wooden Stairway” instead. Maybe this could be revisited but it sucks that I’m likely gonna have to wait another year for the full, polished stair asset without gaps and with its own attached railings, instead of having to make them. (Except these “railings” aren’t diamond-shaped, so, again, compromise.)
-Armory Items: It doesn’t make sense that we still don’t have anything like it when we’re adventurers. Maybe, hopefully, we’ll get some in the Deadlands zone DLC, because that would make sense, but we’re used to being snuffed in this aspect.
-Leyawiin Sheds or Stables: One of the many cool assets out there. We get a stables that comes with Pantherfang, but it would be cool to get as a furnishing too.
-Flower Hedges: It would be nice, as some of the new furnishings are garden-focused. Sometimes it’s hard to fill up a large garden otherwise in these big homes.
That finishes up my thoughts. Comment below what you guys think of all the new furnishings and houses!
(Please do. I had to go through the tutorial quest, catalogue the furnishings, and took like 3 hours to type up and format this review. Lol)
5
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SickleCider✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭You've done a good job of summarizing a lot of the reactions I had. 👍 I agree! I have a couple or few things to contribute:
1. I was disappointed that we don't seem to be getting roof pieces. The tower we're getting is a great asset, but we don't have a roof piece with the same rust colored shingles.
2. I love the wall with the wainscoting! I wish we had another piece of the stucco wall without the wainscoting, too, for versatility. Unless I missed it. . . Also, curved versions!
3. I was really hoping to get those giant trees with the red and orange foliage. A lot of the autumn trees we have access to are diminutive. I find myself having to use fabricant trees to fill in space and inject variety, but they're not the most natural looking.
4. Where are the cobble sidewalks?!
5. I had no reason to hope for this specifically, but I was hoping for more agricultural conservatory items. There are these lovely apple trees and grape vines I see everywhere, as well as the clusters of wheat in Arteaum. We have some lovely looking veggies (tomatoes, corn!) now, but trying to build a field of crops isn't very convincing or item efficient. I also want hay bales.
But overall I'm happy with the update! I can't wait to indulge in all my cottage core and castle dreams with these items. I'm elated especially with the wooden fireplace! 😱Edited by SickleCider on July 14, 2021 8:02AM✨🐦✨ Blackfeather Court Commission ✨🐦✨1 -
kind_hero✭✭✭✭✭
✭Things that are missing:
- wooden floor platform (interior)
- ceiling platform (or the wooden floor could have a ceiling texture underneath)
- roof structures, including triangular pieces
- wooden pillars
- armor racks
- windows/stained glass panels
- wooden railings (angled for stairs)
- more stair cases
This list isn't that long. With this patch we were very close to get a complete functional set of structures and items to create a Leyawiin house from scratch. That would have been really awesome. The wooden floor is the one I miss the most, because it is quite elegant and hi-res.
Devs, just think of the incredible buildings people could build if you give them the whole set.
On a positive note, I am very glad with this update.
[PC/EU] Tamriel Hero, Stormproof, Grand Master Crafter3 -
TeruKisuke✭✭✭✭@Versispellis It’s good to know that a lot of us are feeling the same way on this one. While there were some disappointments in previous patches, this one has brought about a lot of good things. But as far as more stuff we’re missing, I’ll go through your list.
1. I noticed the lack of roofing stuff too, which honestly with the castle structure pieces I’m not sure how we’re gonna roof it off. Making a structure a square with platforms is a bit... boring.
2. I would absolutely love more of this kind of wall, maybe even a version with different wallpaper variants. I complimented the plain white for its versatility but it also has potential to be expanded upon. Imagine if we had more stuff like this!
3. I do admit that I wish the big Alinor trees were red, and that the sapling is too little to not be in an accompanying planter. Plus, red is such a striking color.
4. I’ve been waiting for cobblestone since maybe forever haha. I make do, but sometimes I dream of medieval fantasy streets. It’s why I didn’t have the heart to completely cover up the cobblestone in my Gardner House’s courtyard.
5. I’m honestly expecting them to pepper us with this stuff through the lux vendor, given the Alinor Tree Farm items, the windmill, etc. We’ve come out with two farm-themed furnishing packs though, one for Elsweyr and one for Greymoor, and I wonder if we will get one for Leyawiin? Food for thought.0 -
TeruKisuke✭✭✭✭@kind_hero The lack of that beautiful wooden tile floor is a heavy loss, yes. Honestly I didn’t even get what my #1 item is either, which is wooden stairs; I had to improvise, which is a bit disappointing that this is year 3 of this cycle and I almost didn’t get wooden stairs lol.
I’ve honestly haven’t thought of it because I never thought they’d give us something so polished unless it was from an actual house, but you’re right; I’m used to cobbling my own ceilings. Maybe I should stop being complacent and ask for ceiling textures more often. That’s a really good idea and makes sense.
Honestly, regarding the list, that’s materials for making a house period. Exteriors weren’t so difficult but interiors definitely were. I’ve tried to make many mansions before and there are just some things you can’t easily replace. Things like wooden pillars, wooden arches, windows. Some things are way too hard to make convincing.
But, overall, yes, I’m overall happy with this update. This was a win for structures imo. We’re just always missing bits and pieces, and that list is just a bit smaller.1 -
KMarble✭✭✭✭✭Things that are missing:
- wooden floor platform (interior)
- ceiling platform (or the wooden floor could have a ceiling texture underneath)
- roof structures, including triangular pieces
- wooden pillars
- armor racks
- windows/stained glass panels
- wooden railings (angled for stairs)
- more stair cases
This list isn't that long. With this patch we were very close to get a complete functional set of structures and items to create a Leyawiin house from scratch. That would have been really awesome. The wooden floor is the one I miss the most, because it is quite elegant and hi-res.
Devs, just think of the incredible buildings people could build if you give them the whole set.
On a positive note, I am very glad with this update.
I'm hoping that there will be another batch of structural plans after the 2nd story DLC comes out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the devs will include some of the ones you mentioned.0 -
kind_hero✭✭✭✭✭
✭Things that are missing:
- wooden floor platform (interior)
- ceiling platform (or the wooden floor could have a ceiling texture underneath)
- roof structures, including triangular pieces
- wooden pillars
- armor racks
- windows/stained glass panels
- wooden railings (angled for stairs)
- more stair cases
This list isn't that long. With this patch we were very close to get a complete functional set of structures and items to create a Leyawiin house from scratch. That would have been really awesome. The wooden floor is the one I miss the most, because it is quite elegant and hi-res.
Devs, just think of the incredible buildings people could build if you give them the whole set.
On a positive note, I am very glad with this update.
I'm hoping that there will be another batch of structural plans after the 2nd story DLC comes out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the devs will include some of the ones you mentioned.
That would be great, however I am getting old and still don't have enough structural items to build how I would like to! These furnishing releases take so long that many housing enthusiasts simply quit. Besides it is sad that the older themes are not updated with new plans![PC/EU] Tamriel Hero, Stormproof, Grand Master Crafter2 -
NotaDaedraWorshipper✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭I'm happy that the stairs are simple and open. Makes them usable for more things. I just wish we had a narrow version of them.
Was a bit sad not seeing any new wooden pillars, railings, or floor, though. Nor more roof. We need more roof structures. Also, smaller and thinner versions of structure items, like : smaller pieces of platforms, walls that are just half the length of the other ones etc. Curved walls, curved platforms.Edited by NotaDaedraWorshipper on July 15, 2021 5:17PM[Lie] Of course! I don't even worship Daedra!1 -
TeruKisuke✭✭✭✭NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »I'm happy that the stairs are simple and open. Makes them usable for more things. I just wish we had a narrow version of them.
Was a bit sad not seeing any new wooden pillars, railings, or floor, though. Nor more roof. We need more roof structures. Also, smaller and thinner versions of structure items, like : smaller pieces of platforms, walls that are just half the length of the other ones etc. Curved walls, curved platforms.
I should address this, but in hindsight I shouldn’t have been so negative in my review in regards to the Wooden Stairway. I do like it, and it’ll be very good for outside and inside. It’s just that, to me, on first viewing, it looked more like porch steps when I really wanted something for my manors. I’ve seen several variants of these beautiful non-gap stairs in Leyawiin, with railings attached even, so I was just disappointed that we did not get them as well.
I also agree that a narrow version of stairs for tight spaces would’ve been neat. I definitely am seeing that, in my Luigi’s Mansion build where the house has a foyer and a pair of stairs on either side, I’m going to have to adjust the scale of the room so that the stairs won’t poke through all the walls. (Previously, I had to use Hlaalu Cabinets for the steps.)0 -
TeruKisuke✭✭✭✭
I'm hoping that there will be another batch of structural plans after the 2nd story DLC comes out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the devs will include some of the ones you mentioned.
That would be great, however I am getting old and still don't have enough structural items to build how I would like to! These furnishing releases take so long that many housing enthusiasts simply quit. Besides it is sad that the older themes are not updated with new plans!
I will say that, yes, it is very sad and harrowing that not only does it take so long to get structures, but we don’t even get that many, and structures are what we need most. While we have our 50th version of a chair, here we are getting our very first wooden steps, doorways, indoor walls, etc. and still many other necessities that aren’t in sight. I’m sure I don’t have to reiterate what’s missing now but there’s a very clear problem here.
At this rate, I would welcome an entire expansion that focuses solely on structure furnishings. The 21 that we get is too few for a full package, and there’s still so much we need in order to make a proper house. Again, many of the components were covered in many other threads already, but imagine if we got a mega-update to fill in all of the gaps that we were lacking before.
Even 50 at a time might’ve been enough, in order to cover all the variants of what we have: Curved walls, tall curved walls, narrow steps, stone walls and their sizes, wooden walls and their sizes, roof pieces, wood pillars, wood floors, brick walls, etc etc etc. Half to satisfy castle structures, half to satisfy manor-type homes.
And then, after Q4, we will have the Deadlands structures and repeat this process all over again. Some niche structures with too few of them to really work with.0