Stoneworking Profession + Player Housing

Roneth · July 2014

I hope the developers add "Stoneworking" as a future profession for ESO. This profession allows players to harvest stones for the purpose of creating stone houses. Stone nodes will be located throughout Tamriel, much like ore. Players will use a workbench to carve out stone blocks using a chisel and a hammer. Stone blocks are required to construct buildings. There are several different designs for stone houses that range from small cottages to large manor houses. Players will need to collect blueprints, which are extremely rare. The time it takes to create a house is daunting as the amount of materials is insane. The skill line for this profession could look something like this...

Stoneworking Skill Line (passives):
Stonemasonry (Rank I): Players can use Rubble
Stonemasonry (Rank II): Players can use Cobble
Stonemasonry (Rank III): Players can use Sandstone
Stonemasonry (Rank IV): Players can use Limestone
Stonemasonry (Rank V): Players can use Granite
Stonemasonry (Rank VI): Players can use Marble

Construction (Rank I): Time required to create buildings is slightly reduced
Construction (Rank II): Time required to create buildings is moderately reduced

Quarrying (Rank I): Slightly increases the chance to extract more stone
Quarrying (Rank II): Moderately increases the chance to extract more stone

Architecture (Rank I): Players can use Cottage blueprints
Architecture (Rank II): Players can use Farmhouse blueprints
Architecture (Rank III): Players can use Plantation blueprints
Architecture (Rank IV): Players can use Manor House blueprints

Player housing can take the form of instanced neighborhoods, allowing for small communities to live and thrive. This profession would be unique in ESO allowing players to create entire worlds within themselves. On top of that, the Woodworking Profession could be used to create various pieces of furniture, you know that lovely couch you've always wanted.

One more point about instanced neighborhoods. Neighborhoods can be bought by players (or guilds) for 250k gold. The entrance would be located in major cities. There would be a common area (could be used for a guild hall) in the center of the instanced neighborhood with land lots available for purchase around it. Individual players can purchase or sell land lots on the open market by purchasing or selling the deed, respectively. Guilds would receive a small share every time a land lot is bought or sold.

I would love to hear peoples thoughts about this idea?

Ser Lobo · July 2014

I love this. I did have an interesting concept to add to player housing, though, after playing through some of the Aldmeri Dominion line in Greenshade.

It seems people exist in this time who are naturally gifted with the ability to create and shape land as they see fit. One woman made her own island, and a man melded with the soul of the land himself.

So having 'created' mini-settlements, going beyond a simple house into farming, fortresses, etc? This could open up an entirely new method of housing. Something on an ideal to be similar with what has been brought with Wildstar, but significantly superior in both design and asthetics.

Didn't mean to derail. I'm a huge proponent of player housing, myself. I'd honestly settle for an instanced apartment in an inn, if I could call the place my own.

MercyKilling · July 2014

Roneth wrote: »

I hope the developers add "Stoneworking" as a future profession for ESO. This profession allows players to harvest stones for the purpose of creating stone houses. Stone nodes will be located throughout Tamriel, much like ore. Players will use a workbench to carve out stone blocks using a chisel and a hammer. Stone blocks are required to construct buildings. There are several different designs for stone houses that range from small cottages to large manor houses. Players will need to collect blueprints, which are extremely rare. The time it takes to create a house is daunting as the amount of materials is insane. The skill line for this profession could look something like this...

Stoneworking Skill Line (passives):
Stonemasonry (Rank I): Players can use Rubble
Stonemasonry (Rank II): Players can use Cobble
Stonemasonry (Rank III): Players can use Sandstone
Stonemasonry (Rank IV): Players can use Limestone
Stonemasonry (Rank V): Players can use Granite
Stonemasonry (Rank VI): Players can use Marble

Construction (Rank I): Time required to create buildings is slightly reduced
Construction (Rank II): Time required to create buildings is moderately reduced

Quarrying (Rank I): Slightly increases the chance to extract more stone
Quarrying (Rank II): Moderately increases the chance to extract more stone

Architecture (Rank I): Players can use Cottage blueprints
Architecture (Rank II): Players can use Farmhouse blueprints
Architecture (Rank III): Players can use Plantation blueprints
Architecture (Rank IV): Players can use Manor House blueprints

Player housing can take the form of instanced neighborhoods, allowing for small communities to live and thrive. This profession would be unique in ESO allowing players to create entire worlds within themselves. On top of that, the Woodworking Profession could be used to create various pieces of furniture, you know that lovely couch you've always wanted.

One more point about instanced neighborhoods. Neighborhoods can be bought by players (or guilds) for 250k gold. The entrance would be located in major cities. There would be a common area (could be used for a guild hall) in the center of the instanced neighborhood with land lots available for purchase around it. Individual players can purchase or sell land lots on the open market by purchasing or selling the deed, respectively. Guilds would receive a small share every time a land lot is bought or sold.

I would love to hear peoples thoughts about this idea?

Everything about this post is well thought out. Kudos and congrats.

I do however, disagree with three things in it.
Tying it to guild membership. That's a big no for me. Do NOT require anything from players other than gold and time in order to own a house. Gold to buy things like plots and time to gather/build. That's it. Don't make players have to PvP for anything to do with housing, don't make players have to be a member of a guild for anything to do with housing, don't make players have to be anything other than dedicated to wanting/building a house.

Two: The instanced neighborhoods. Instanced housing, yes. Doorway entrances in the "real" world, yes. Neighborhoods, no. I don't want to have to "listen" to someone role playing in the house next door about unmentionable subjects or vampires/werewolves/catgirls/tentacles/whatever.

Three: Your proposal for "insane" costs and time. No. I can understand not wanting players to be able to build 30 room mansions overnight or even within a week of DEDICATED(and by dedicated I mean four hours a day, two or three days a week) play. But you have to be reasonable. One month of said play time for ANY size house/dwelling is reasonable.

Bleakraven · July 2014

Nice post. Agree with everything but tying neighbourhoods to guilds. Instead, I'd prefer if guilds can invest together into purchasing a guild hall on a big lot.
I like the idea of neighbourhoods, so long what is discussed inside the houses themselves is not audible from outside, that way we can prevent awkward chat coming from next door, like @MercyKilling‌ mentioned.

Professions being enhanced with being able to contribute to housing on top of a profession dedicated to building the houses themselves is wonderful. I can think of many things each profession could do to enhance the housing.

Housing would allow players to even be able to set up their own roleplay shop, tavern, blacksmith, secret cult hideout, etc.

In addition, I think we should not limit ourselves to only having furniture and other static items in the house, we should add more dynamic content, not just things that sit there and look pretty. Open for suggestions!

Oh and.... SITTABLE CHAIRS!

andre.roques.3b14_ESO · July 2014

I like the idea in general but I'm not sure I agree with the strict adherence to masonry. I would think the quality of construction material should be progressive in strength/sturdiness...think three little pigs: straw, sticks, bricks. Not only that, but the types of structures should be tied to races to some degree, like motifs. Bosmers, for example, grow their houses. So their improved structure quality would determine the nature and size of the structure. Bretons probably use the most standard middle age concept of buildings ranging from framed wooden structures to stone keeps. I'd almost suggest broadening the subskills into carpentry, masonry, etc. but with fewer levels (3-4) so that you can add a variety and also provide some forced choices or morphs so that not everyone can master all things. I'd rather like the idea of one person specializing in ornate wood carvings and tree houses while another in intricate clockwork (dwemer-ish) aesthetics.

Lynx7386 · July 2014

Woodworking to build furniture, clothing to create carpets, rugs, tapestries, window curtains, etc., and blacksmithing to create statues, decorative wall mounted weapons, etc.

Could also allow enchanting to create different types of interior lighting. Not sure how provisioning or alchemy would fit in though.

If course all the crafting professions should be able to create work stations to place in your home.

Welka · July 2014

This needs to be sent to Mr Zenimax himself right away. It's a brilliant idea, and pairing it with woodworking for furniture and black smithing for fixtures makes a lot of sense

I don't like the idea of extremely rare blueprints and awful lot of material though. It needs to be somehow accessible. Maybe buying a permit from the mayor first, then blueprints from a another NPC. The house must also be flexible to future upgrades

Caroloces · July 2014

Could also allow enchanting to create different types of interior lighting. Not sure how provisioning or alchemy would fit in though.

How about gardens? Flowers for alchemy; fruit and vegetables for provisioning.

andre.roques.3b14_ESO · July 2014

There are so many potential good ideas for player housing. Provisioning should allow for cooking areas (kitchen/bakery) that daily produce food similar to the hireling skills. Wouldn't it be nice to come to your player home to find a freshly baked purple food item, just waiting to be picked up.

Roneth · July 2014

There are a lot of good ideas in this thread. Keep them coming!

nerevarine1138 · July 2014

I approve, as long as there's a Stonecutters guild with a song.

dharbert · July 2014

There are some good ideas in this thread, however, it's going to be a very long time before we even see player housing implemented, if ever.

Bleakraven · July 2014

At least there is hope

It's definitely one of the things that makes me come back to MMOs and spend hours without actually, you know, levelling up or doing dungeons...

bertenburnyb16_ESO · July 2014

yes plz
(I would dare to expand this to Cyrodiil so players could create fully destructable towers/walls, hey even keeps)

Ninnghizhidda · July 2014

Great idea overall. This kind of thing would add a whole new dimension to this game, and it would also fit nicely to the whole background. Besides there has been "housing" in Elder Scrolls games before.

One further positive outcome will be to differentiate ESO even more from your typical "grind-fest" MMO, where essentially what you do for the X months or years is "hunt" the next shiny top gear that comes with the next content / area / dungeon.

And it would add more of a "role-play" feeling and possibly strengthen the RPG part in the MMORPG, which, in many cases, is little or missing in favour of the MMO.

It would certainly mean no harm, the feature would be there for those players who would like to use it and be involved.

The_Sadist · July 2014

I'm not against the concept of player housing.. But I am against the concept of houses in general being restricted to stone huts and general nonsense.

They could make an architecture motif-like items which allow a potential crafters to 'build' in that style... I really want my own Telvanni Tower.

Logan9a · July 2014

For OP - agree, nice post.

I just want two things out of buildings:

a) They must *do* something. Just a 'place to hang out' gets very old very fast and leads to a lot of abandoned buildings.

b) If they are customizable enough (they probably won't be - this isn't a sandbox game) the ability to go visit other people's buildings would be neat.

Maleficus · July 2014

Great idea...

AreoHotah · July 2014

Nice

B_lov3d · July 2014

I'm all for housing

. I love the idea of building/construction crafts but I would hope the blueprints for a decent looking house wouldn't be too rare and not one style like hut, cabin, or masonry. I had some ideas about the layout too, kind of an incorpation with some of Roneth's ideas.

I like the thought of instanced neighborhoods and I'd really like to see different landscaping and structures in each. After a long day of fort capping in Cyrodil and dredging through the sewers of Wayrest, I think home should be somewhere your battle hardened character can kick back. I really like the idea of having neighborhoods separated by a crafting support preference.
-For instance, if you like provisioning and alchemy, maybe you could live in the farmers city. A small room, porch area, or side plot could be reserved in each house to grow something random every few hours and you tend to the plants. (Plateau area with stone housing)
-People interested in getting ore or trait gems could be in the mining town. I think each house could have a small dirt floor cellar where you could pick gems and ore.
(Thriving, lush, organic ecosystem set in a caved in area with cottage type houses, little reds' granny's house in a cave lol)
-Woodworkers could be in a forested community along a river way. Maybe the houses could be like LoTR Desolation of Smaug lake houses and you could go below your home to get lumber delivered to you by waterway. (Open redwood forest feel leading up to river houses on stilts, fishing areas)
-Clothiers could grow light armor material plants and leather workers could maybe enter a neighborhood solo instance once a day that spawns a random number of easy beasties to kill. (Cabins in a lush forest clearing)
-For enchanters, each house could have a small room with a pedestal holding a liquid like the stuff in cold harbour. Its magical properties could transform base stones into rune stones with time. (some type of stone house maybe near a waterfall setting with hints of magic in the air)

I thought it would be cool to have it in a mountainside. So each community could be kind of staggered going up the mountain and the mining area would be set inside a sort of caved in area. The upper core of the mountain could be hollow and serve as a community interest area allowing light through crags in the peak. It could include a bank, stable, basic crafting areas, areas to post for builders or blueprints, and some possible future things mentioned in Quakecon like horse racing, games, dueling area etc. Can you tell I been thinking about housing? o_O

Roneth · July 2014

Maleficus wrote: »

Great idea...

Thanks!

ndantony · August 2014

I hope ability for player house and building will be available soon... but I wonder if there are millions (and counting) of players are playing, how would the space availability works out.... unless player house will be on another realm, like open up the book and such to enter the player house... I wonder how zos works that out.

Roneth · August 2014

I would imagine some form of instancing to make this work. Thoughts?

Bleakraven · August 2014

Instanced neighbourhood ftw! Talk to NPC to set your current neighbourhood from a list (like pvp campaigns). Once in a neighbourhood, there are several house plots you can buy.
Then just build the type of house and enjoy! And yes, you can hang out in neighbourhood with other people.

Sighlynce · August 2014

Great idea !

Beerbill · August 2014

I really look forward for player housing in ESO and i loved the ideas so far. Would be awesome to interact with chairs or beds this will definitely improve immersion.

Also be able to have companions in your house, at least housecarls just like Skyrim had. Be able to store your mounts or pets in stables would be great too.

Roneth · August 2014

Bleakraven wrote: »

Instanced neighbourhood ftw!

Roneth · August 2014

What are the chances a developer will see this?

bedlom · August 2014

The sooner they bring in player housing the better

gdawg311b14_ESO · August 2014

this is amazing! ... Roneth for Tradeskill Dev 2014!

j4k3s7a · August 2014

What about adding a vendor (for a price) to your building, allowing you to sell some items to other players. The larger the building, the more vendors you can have