Is housing still a thing in TESO ?
darkriketz
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Hello there !
Just a thought I've had these last few months (and these last years, actually) while enjoying my favorite only mmo. In TESO time, I think I'm rather an ancient being, I bought the game around 2015 and actually began playing at near the end of 2018 (finished the base game from August to September then every DLC during 2019/20 and upon release after that) and one thing I've always enjoyed was both housing and the fact that whoever is in charge was encouraging players to spend time on it.
The Impresario used to sell rare and limited-time furnishings during events, many achievements were rewarded with furnishings too (notably in Elsweyr, Greymoor and Blackwood, I still love the khajiiti tapestries, the Blackwood tapestry and the music box from Bards Academy), I think that some furnishings were even offered in the daily rewards calendar, not even mentioning the good old Zanil Theran and his weekly-yearly rare stuff.
An then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked when the Indriks showed up. Don't get me wrong, I have a Pure-Snow Indrik, it's gorgeous, it really matches well my Breton templar and her light-and-fire-magician vibe, but Indriks have settled the idea that you can have custom mounts when collecting (=buying from the Impresario and later the mount merchant) several required items. After the first Indriks, a pattern was created : a new event is coming ? Let's create new mounts and pets that players will be able to custom along the year with special items that the Impresario will sell every three or four months, a mechanic that will also ensure that players WILL HAVE TO come back to get every item with their precious events tickets because if they don't, the special berry/feather/whatever things will be lost forever.
Things have been happening the same way since then, during each event the Impresario sells four things : mounts, pets, consumables, and items to custom mounts and pets. The daily rewards calendar ? Consumables and currencies. New achievements ? Titles, mostly. Oh yeah, there's still the good old Zanil Theran and his furnishings, but one, it's not much, and two, they can be bought from players if you have missed them anyway. It's not new, it's not fresh.
To be honest, I really don't remember when was the last time I bought an item from the Impresario, cause I only remember her selling mounts, pets, consumables and items to custom mounts and pets. While I really love the various tamrielic cultures, especially the Bosmer, Altmer, Dunmer and Khajiit ones, I hate the mud-like Argonian houses. That beautiful Xanmeer-Mesoamerican pyramid house in Murkmire ? I have NEVER seen it on sale, or else I would have burnt all my gold to an ESO+ player to get it (all hail crowns sellers that allow us to get good things when we won't or can't use actual money for them).
So, here's my question, Zenimax : do you still care about housing ? Have you planned to reward players with furnishings ? Will crown houses be sold again, someday ? Is your business plan only made of mounts and pets now ? I know there was a recent housing event but ONE event doesn't erase or even compensate years of mounts-and-pets-bombing strategy. And really, I hate that. I hate that one of my favorite parts of the game isn't put in light and supported as it should be.
Just a thought I've had these last few months (and these last years, actually) while enjoying my favorite only mmo. In TESO time, I think I'm rather an ancient being, I bought the game around 2015 and actually began playing at near the end of 2018 (finished the base game from August to September then every DLC during 2019/20 and upon release after that) and one thing I've always enjoyed was both housing and the fact that whoever is in charge was encouraging players to spend time on it.
The Impresario used to sell rare and limited-time furnishings during events, many achievements were rewarded with furnishings too (notably in Elsweyr, Greymoor and Blackwood, I still love the khajiiti tapestries, the Blackwood tapestry and the music box from Bards Academy), I think that some furnishings were even offered in the daily rewards calendar, not even mentioning the good old Zanil Theran and his weekly-yearly rare stuff.
An then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked when the Indriks showed up. Don't get me wrong, I have a Pure-Snow Indrik, it's gorgeous, it really matches well my Breton templar and her light-and-fire-magician vibe, but Indriks have settled the idea that you can have custom mounts when collecting (=buying from the Impresario and later the mount merchant) several required items. After the first Indriks, a pattern was created : a new event is coming ? Let's create new mounts and pets that players will be able to custom along the year with special items that the Impresario will sell every three or four months, a mechanic that will also ensure that players WILL HAVE TO come back to get every item with their precious events tickets because if they don't, the special berry/feather/whatever things will be lost forever.
Things have been happening the same way since then, during each event the Impresario sells four things : mounts, pets, consumables, and items to custom mounts and pets. The daily rewards calendar ? Consumables and currencies. New achievements ? Titles, mostly. Oh yeah, there's still the good old Zanil Theran and his furnishings, but one, it's not much, and two, they can be bought from players if you have missed them anyway. It's not new, it's not fresh.
To be honest, I really don't remember when was the last time I bought an item from the Impresario, cause I only remember her selling mounts, pets, consumables and items to custom mounts and pets. While I really love the various tamrielic cultures, especially the Bosmer, Altmer, Dunmer and Khajiit ones, I hate the mud-like Argonian houses. That beautiful Xanmeer-Mesoamerican pyramid house in Murkmire ? I have NEVER seen it on sale, or else I would have burnt all my gold to an ESO+ player to get it (all hail crowns sellers that allow us to get good things when we won't or can't use actual money for them).
So, here's my question, Zenimax : do you still care about housing ? Have you planned to reward players with furnishings ? Will crown houses be sold again, someday ? Is your business plan only made of mounts and pets now ? I know there was a recent housing event but ONE event doesn't erase or even compensate years of mounts-and-pets-bombing strategy. And really, I hate that. I hate that one of my favorite parts of the game isn't put in light and supported as it should be.
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Northwold✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭If anything I'd say they've increased the attention paid to housing lately, including putting furnishings in daily rewards and awarding a house for completing a golden pursuit (and another as part of daily rewards). Plus home tours.
The infinitive archive sellers are also being used to sell a couple of rarer furnishing plans each week.
The Murkmire pyramid (can't remember what it's called) has been on sale multiple times. I do find it frustrating that houses are only on sale for two weeks and then disappear for a year plus, mind. I fundamentally dislike FOMO as a selling tactic.
And then there's the furnishing vault. Although as a sop to try to stave off the backlash to the odd season pass pricing structure versus ESO plus it is perhaps not ideal.
My own issue with housing is simply the failure to release full suites of structural furnishings in each style and the insufficient release of furnishings. One new item every week at the luxury furnisher plain isn't enough and there are obvious, poorly catered-for gaps in the furnishing offering (like glass and water) that still have barely been addressed or are offered as crown store items all these years after housing's introduction.
They are doing a much better job than they had previously of making housing feel like an integrated part of the game rather than a cash kitty afterthought. But there's still a way to go.Edited by Northwold on July 1, 2025 9:21AM6 -
Grizzbeorn✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭darkriketz wrote: »Hello there !
So, here's my question, Zenimax : do you still care about housing ?
This is a weird question, given that they continue to add new houses to the game with every content update, and haven't removed any.
ETA: (Plus all of the things Northwold mentioned.)
YES, Housing is still a thing.
Edited by Grizzbeorn on July 1, 2025 9:50AM5 -
darkriketz✭✭✭
My own issue with housing is simply the failure to release full suites of structural furnishings in each style and the insufficient release of furnishings. One new item every week at the luxury furnisher plain isn't enough and there are obvious, poorly catered-for gaps in the furnishing offering (like glass and water) that still have barely been addressed or are offered as crown store items all these years after housing's introduction.
Even in the Crown Store, one thing I dislike is that items packs seem to be temporary. To quote an example and be clearer, I love Azura and there's an stunning stone statue of Azura, sitting with a crown of flowers, that was sold years ago in a Daedra items pack, I think, I wasn't around at this time (I've taken many ESO breaks from time to time along the years, that's why I agree with your point on crowns houses and FOMO) and I've never seen it again since then.
It might be directly in the housing editor menu, I haven't had a look, to be honest, but the only Azura statue I have in one of my houses (the Grand Psijic Villa) is the achievement item, standing statue with sun and moon available in Wayrest.
I hate FOMO as a marketing strategy.1 -
darkriketz✭✭✭Grizzbeorn wrote: »darkriketz wrote: »Hello there !
So, here's my question, Zenimax : do you still care about housing ?
This is a weird question, given that they continue to add new houses to the game with every content update, and haven't removed any.
ETA: (Plus all of the things Northwold mentioned.)
YES, Housing is still a thing.
I was talking about furnishings, mostly, and I also said that some good houses were locked behind crowns sales, or even not sold at all (Earthtear Cavern, Linchal Grand Manor, Grand Topal Hideaway, Lakemire Xanmeer Manor, that's you I'm talking about).
Also, one thing I forgot to mention : along the years, I've often seen players complaining, here on the forums, about the items limits in most houses, especially the greater ones. I agree, 700 different items seem much for a house like the Grand Gallery of Tamriel, which I obtained in the recent Golden Pursuits event, but in reality the limit is easily reached.2 -
Grizzbeorn✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭darkriketz wrote: »Grizzbeorn wrote: »darkriketz wrote: »Hello there !
So, here's my question, Zenimax : do you still care about housing ?
This is a weird question, given that they continue to add new houses to the game with every content update, and haven't removed any.
ETA: (Plus all of the things Northwold mentioned.)
YES, Housing is still a thing.
I was talking about furnishings, mostly, and I also said that some good houses were locked behind crowns sales, or even not sold at all (Earthtear Cavern, Linchal Grand Manor, Grand Topal Hideaway, Lakemire Xanmeer Manor, that's you I'm talking about).
Also, one thing I forgot to mention : along the years, I've often seen players complaining, here on the forums, about the items limits in most houses, especially the greater ones. I agree, 700 different items seem much for a house like the Grand Gallery of Tamriel, which I obtained in the recent Golden Pursuits event, but in reality the limit is easily reached.
I agree on the limited availability that is attached to way too many of the houses -- I do absolutely hate that.1 -
Danikat✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭darkriketz wrote: »The Impresario used to sell rare and limited-time furnishings during events, many achievements were rewarded with furnishings too (notably in Elsweyr, Greymoor and Blackwood, I still love the khajiiti tapestries, the Blackwood tapestry and the music box from Bards Academy), I think that some furnishings were even offered in the daily rewards calendar, not even mentioning the good old Zanil Theran and his weekly-yearly rare stuff.
An then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked when the Indriks showed up. Don't get me wrong, I have a Pure-Snow Indrik, it's gorgeous, it really matches well my Breton templar and her light-and-fire-magician vibe, but Indriks have settled the idea that you can have custom mounts when collecting (=buying from the Impresario and later the mount merchant) several required items. After the first Indriks, a pattern was created : a new event is coming ? Let's create new mounts and pets that players will be able to custom along the year with special items that the Impresario will sell every three or four months, a mechanic that will also ensure that players WILL HAVE TO come back to get every item with their precious events tickets because if they don't, the special berry/feather/whatever things will be lost forever.
Things have been happening the same way since then, during each event the Impresario sells four things : mounts, pets, consumables, and items to custom mounts and pets. The daily rewards calendar ? Consumables and currencies. New achievements ? Titles, mostly. Oh yeah, there's still the good old Zanil Theran and his furnishings, but one, it's not much, and two, they can be bought from players if you have missed them anyway. It's not new, it's not fresh.
To be honest, I really don't remember when was the last time I bought an item from the Impresario, cause I only remember her selling mounts, pets, consumables and items to custom mounts and pets. While I really love the various tamrielic cultures, especially the Bosmer, Altmer, Dunmer and Khajiit ones, I hate the mud-like Argonian houses. That beautiful Xanmeer-Mesoamerican pyramid house in Murkmire ? I have NEVER seen it on sale, or else I would have burnt all my gold to an ESO+ player to get it (all hail crowns sellers that allow us to get good things when we won't or can't use actual money for them).
I'm sorry to have to tell you this but your memory of how the Impressario works is completely reversed and it seems you've managed to miss several free houses from events.
The indriks were the first rewards the Impressario sold, and for a long time the only ones. She was introduced for the 2018 Witches Festival and only offered the 4 feathers for the nascent indrik. In 2019 they started adding in berries to make the Dawnwood Indrik, and from the Jester's Festival onwards she also sold bound copies of the event style pages.
It wasn't until the 2019 Orsinium Celebration that she started offering anything else, and at first it was only a few orc furnishings, followed by Imperial ones for the Imperial City Celebration. They added other things in too like memento fragments and several following events had furnishings available (I'm not going to list them all).
For you the important change was in 2021 when she stopped offering indriks all together (those moved to an assistant in Belkarth) and instead started offering different items each quarter. In 2021 that was a skin, a personality, a mount and a house - Doomchar Plateau (which of course came with several furnishings).
That pattern continued in following years. In 2022 we got the Sacred Hourglass of Alkosh which allowed you to control the time in houses. 2023 was 'just' a personality, costume, mount and skin (but a lot of players seemed happy with those). 2024 brought us the Haven of the Five Companions house, which again came with furnishings (including the Table of the Five Companions which I think is unique to that house). There might well be a house in 2025 as well, but we don't know yet.
There's also been houses and furnishings available from other events, like the Grand Gallery of Tamriel and the Hero Statues from Golden Pursuits.
In addition there's the introduction of antiquities adding many unique furnishings (and more with each update) and of course new houses and furnishings in the crown store regularly. So yes, I think it's fair to say they do still support housing, but in order to benefit from that you need to keep an eye on what's available, even if the same type of event has previously included rewards you don't like.Edited by Danikat on July 2, 2025 10:06AMPC EU player | She/her/hers | PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!
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