Housing Has Added No Functional Value to ESO - A Daily Crafter's Critique

Fallen33 · February 2017

I was pretty excited for the new homestead update. Being able to customize houses (either via modding or official DLC) in previous Elder Scrolls games was a favorite pass time of mine and is a standard staple feature of the series. However, now after touring all of the homes and finding out what can actually be put in homes, all I can say is that this update just felt like a balance patch. The new "content" just isn't worth my time or gold (and ESPECIALLY my hard earned money to buy houses with crowns).

Hear me out ZoS.

I'm a daily crafter and can usually get some more dedicated playtime in on the weekends and that's it. My daily routine is login on my craft writ characters in Belkarth, craft whats needed, turn in writs, and sell rewards at my guild's traders. This way I can maintain membership in my trading guilds and have a steady income of gold to support my weekend playtime. I was hoping that Homestead would add the ability to move this routine to a home of my choosing to streamline the process, how awesome would that have been? But nope, housing just seems to be an aesthetic/roleplaying time/gold sink and that is it.

There is nothing wrong with adding roleplaying/cosmetic features, but there is no gameplay incentive for daily crafters to pursue customizing a house because: why even go there? Almost everything you need to complete that process can't be added to homes: craft writ boards to get quest, the writ turn in boxes, and a fully functional banker (not this half-ass banking assistant that you have pay real money for who doesn't provide 2 of the 3 services [guild trader/bank] that any standard banker in the game does). Coupled with the low drop rates of blueprints and crafting materials to make furnishings (and you are OUT OF YOUR MIND if you think the crowns needed to purchase furnished homes is a fair price), housing is just a huge waste of time and money.

So Homestead, IMO, has added no functional value to the game. My playing experience has not changed one bit, my characters will continue to stay parked in Belkarth. Sure Homestead has added aesthetic/roleplaying value, but even then the gold/time needed to make an empty house into a customized home is not worth the effort (and ESPECIALLY not worth the crown price to skip the inconvenience of crafting all of your decorations).

That's my 2 cents. I think you can do better ZoS. Give me a functional/gameplay reason to actually want player housing (and if you don't significantly discount the crown price of homes, at least make the furnished versions purchasable via in game gold).

Fallen33 · February 2017

Accidental double post.

disintegr8 · February 2017

Just because at face value it does not appear to provide anything for you does not mean that it is a"waste of time". There are all kinds or people playing this game and new content will not appeal to everyone. Plenty of people could not think of anything more tedious and boring that doing writs, farming and trading, but each to their own.

I am like you, I spend a lot of time doing writs, collecting surveys, stocking up my guild store items and I am hoping housing lifts the economy a little when people who want to furnish their homes start shopping for materials. Being on console, I won't get the patch for a couple of weeks yet, so don't know if this flow on effect will happen.

I am also looking forward to the master crafting writs and what I might be able to do with them. Whether they simply add a new potential reward for doing writs or end up being a pain, at least it is something new and different.

I'll go with it, try out a few houses and see how it goes. It I don't like it, I'll leave it alone, just like I did with TG and DB.

Dizeazed_MC · February 2017

Until they add a poker mini game where I can sit down with up to 9 of my guild members and play a round of Texas Hold'em, I share a similar sentiment as the original post(er).

Vez · February 2017

Dizeazed_MC wrote: »

Until they add a poker mini game where I can sit down with up to 9 of my guild members and play a round of Texas Hold'em, I share a similar sentiment as the original post(er).

You can gamble with Pacrooti. You just have to let him use his deck. And shuffle. And deal.

WolfgangArmadeus · February 2017

For realz.

ZOS is so far out of touch with this game.

Every time they add something it is for the sole purpose of re-invigorating the cash shop.

I have lost all respect for ZOS and ZeniMax in general.

All they care about is $$$

Im sure their next game will be a merger with Activision

Iron_Butterfly · February 2017

Zenimax just got 500 million in a court case ruling against Facebook (something to do with Oculus) so they could spend a little on ESO ;-)

ADarklore · February 2017

Iron_Butterfly wrote: »

Zenimax just got 500 million in a court case ruling against Facebook (something to do with Oculus) so they could spend a little on ESO ;-)

Except for the fact that this is still being held up upon appeal... so NO, they didn't "just get" anything.

ADarklore · February 2017

Fallen33 wrote: »

I was pretty excited for the new homestead update. Being able to customize houses (either via modding or official DLC) in previous Elder Scrolls games was a favorite pass time of mine and is a standard staple feature of the series. However, now after touring all of the homes and finding out what can actually be put in homes, all I can say is that this update just felt like a balance patch. The new "content" just isn't worth my time or gold (and ESPECIALLY my hard earned money to buy houses with crowns).

Hear me out ZoS.

I'm a daily crafter and can usually get some more dedicated playtime in on the weekends and that's it. My daily routine is login on my craft writ characters in Belkarth, craft whats needed, turn in writs, and sell rewards at my guild's traders. This way I can maintain membership in my trading guilds and have a steady income of gold to support my weekend playtime. I was hoping that Homestead would add the ability to move this routine to a home of my choosing to streamline the process, how awesome would that have been? But nope, housing just seems to be an aesthetic/roleplaying time/gold sink and that is it.

There is nothing wrong with adding roleplaying/cosmetic features, but there is no gameplay incentive for daily crafters to pursue customizing a house because: why even go there? Almost everything you need to complete that process can't be added to homes: craft writ boards to get quest, the writ turn in boxes, and a fully functional banker (not this half-ass banking assistant that you have pay real money for who doesn't provide 2 of the 3 services [guild trader/bank] that any standard banker in the game does). Coupled with the low drop rates of blueprints and crafting materials to make furnishings (and you are OUT OF YOUR MIND if you think the crowns needed to purchase furnished homes is a fair price), housing is just a huge waste of time and money.

So Homestead, IMO, has added no functional value to the game. My playing experience has not changed one bit, my characters will continue to stay parked in Belkarth. Sure Homestead has added aesthetic/roleplaying value, but even then the gold/time needed to make an empty house into a customized home is not worth the effort (and ESPECIALLY not worth the crown price to skip the inconvenience of crafting all of your decorations).

That's my 2 cents. I think you can do better ZoS. Give me a functional/gameplay reason to actually want player housing (and if you don't significantly discount the crown price of homes, at least make the furnished versions purchasable via in game gold).

I think the bolded is your problem, this is NOT "Skyrim 2.0" or "Skyrim with Friends".... this is an MMO and while similar, is also vastly different in many ways to a single-player game.

CombatPrayer · February 2017

Iron_Butterfly wrote: »

Zenimax just got 500 million in a court case ruling against Facebook (something to do with Oculus) so they could spend a little on ESO ;-)

Best post of the day! Where are the servers? They dont even run

Auricle · February 2017

I think housing wasn't for us. It was to get people who liked the same things you liked about previous Elder Scrolls games to come to ESO, get hooked and spend crowns. Like the dreaded Crown Crates, it's all about the money, Lebowski.

I bought a staple home with gold. I put a test dummy in it. I moved *** around for half an hour. I will probably go back there once and a while, but all my toons will stay parked in Belkarth as well. I hope that the housing system will evolve over time and provide more fun/incentive for crafters eventually, but my optimism is tinged with caution.

Then again, this update probably made a lot of RPers really, really happy, so that's awesome. A bit to grindy for my tastes, but there you go. I'll just be sitting in Belkarth, waiting for Battlegrounds and trying to figure out why you need so many ingredients to craft a wax carrot.

MLGProPlayer · February 2017

You get to role play as Martha Stewart. It's actually quite fun (if you have the gold).

mesmerizedish · February 2017

Games as big as MMOs don't need every aspect to be for everyone. It's clear that Homestead is not for you. That's okay.

I certainly wouldn't object to more functionality (fishing comes to mind as something that began as solely a downtime activity with some achievements but that acquired new purpose later), but I'm 100% alright with saying "I will just not participate in [insert activity here]."

I will probably never set foot in a battleground when Morrowind drops, but I'm not going to write a forum post about how they should make battlegrounds more appealing to me.

Bardif · February 2017

I agree that housing basically serves no purpose other than providing additional things to grind for, a gold sink, and a crown store purchase incentive. The sole exception is the crafting stations that you can attune, but you can basically teleport to the remote crafting station just as quickly as you can port to your house, so why bother?

Bardif · February 2017

Bardif wrote: »

I agree that housing basically serves no purpose other than providing additional things to grind for, a gold sink, and a crown store purchase incentive. The sole exception is the crafting stations that you can attune, but you can basically teleport to the remote crafting station just as quickly as you can port to your house, so why bother?

I wish it offered something else that made it worthwhile, like the things the original poster mentioned, extra storage space, etc.

jaye63 · February 2017

The only thing that would add value for me personally would be if we could style dropped gear.

MLGProPlayer · February 2017

Bardif wrote: »

I agree that housing basically serves no purpose other than providing additional things to grind for, a gold sink, and a crown store purchase incentive. The sole exception is the crafting stations that you can attune, but you can basically teleport to the remote crafting station just as quickly as you can port to your house, so why bother?

Decorating a virtual house is fun for some people.

I like interior design, so I'm having fun with the update. Lot's of people are also having fun designing things like jumping puzzles and dueling arenas.

Panda_iMunch · February 2017

The thing is ZoS couldn't really sell the update, so my guess is they had to treat it like PvP. They'll never directly work on it and occasionally add small features.

One quarter, they might add some type of storage system that is limited, next quarter they may add some type of armor racks, etc.

Housing is also kinda botched as the main utility that houses can have is in relation to crafting, which in itself has very little value end game beyond a few crafted sets.

Bardif · February 2017

MLGProPlayer wrote: »

Bardif wrote: »

I agree that housing basically serves no purpose other than providing additional things to grind for, a gold sink, and a crown store purchase incentive. The sole exception is the crafting stations that you can attune, but you can basically teleport to the remote crafting station just as quickly as you can port to your house, so why bother?

Decorating a virtual house is fun for some people.

I like interior design, so I'm having fun with the update. Lot's of people are also having fun designing things like jumping puzzles and dueling arenas.

Yeah but -- Matt Firor's most recent update was all about how ESO offers something for every type of player -- casual, daily, blah blah. The housing update offers very little unless you just wanna spend your time decorating.

Immortal_Dark410 · February 2017

MLGProPlayer wrote: »

You get to role play as Martha Stewart. It's actually quite fun (if you have the gold).

lol man to funny

but ya housing isnt for everyone, I mean i run a guild, i bought a guild house for members, Ya i know its gonna take for ever to farm or get Furnishings but i think its fun for me & Guild members to work together and sorta decorate A house and such. Gives you stuff to do in game besides the other things to do.

c0rp · February 2017

Iron_Butterfly wrote: »

Zenimax just got 500 million in a court case ruling against Facebook (something to do with Oculus) so they could spend a little on ESO ;-)

Except ZENIMAX MEDIA (the company you are referring to) is not ZENIMAX ONLINE STUDIOS (the company making ESO).

MLGProPlayer · February 2017

c0rp wrote: »

Iron_Butterfly wrote: »

Zenimax just got 500 million in a court case ruling against Facebook (something to do with Oculus) so they could spend a little on ESO ;-)

Except ZENIMAX MEDIA (the company you are referring to) is not ZENIMAX ONLINE STUDIOS (the company making ESO).

Except it is.

Will Zenimax allocate some of the money to developing ESO? Possibly.

TX12001rwb17_ESO · February 2017

FACT: I wont even buy houses in single player ES games and the most expensive place is only 25k, I wont even bother downloading House mods for FREE that make the Manors in ESO look like shanty shacks comparison and at least those downloadable houses and Houses in the base game actually had storage and were unique but I still don't bother with them.

Now why would I bother with a much more expensive house that doesn't even have storage in it that unlike the homes in single player games looks like every other building in the game..AKA the houses you see in ESO?, Simple answer I wouldn't so I am not buying a house I haven't even done the quest for the free one.

darvaria · February 2017

Bardif wrote: »

MLGProPlayer wrote: »

Bardif wrote: »

I agree that housing basically serves no purpose other than providing additional things to grind for, a gold sink, and a crown store purchase incentive. The sole exception is the crafting stations that you can attune, but you can basically teleport to the remote crafting station just as quickly as you can port to your house, so why bother?

Decorating a virtual house is fun for some people.

I like interior design, so I'm having fun with the update. Lot's of people are also having fun designing things like jumping puzzles and dueling arenas.

Yeah but -- Matt Firor's most recent update was all about how ESO offers something for every type of player -- casual, daily, blah blah. The housing update offers very little unless you just wanna spend your time decorating.

Yeah just look at The Simm's and that tells you how much some people enjoy "decorating". But does ESO have that many Simm's type players? LOL.

Don't overlook the key purpose of housing: Getting players to buy and spend crowns. The amount of crowns versus in game gold is pretty balanced. Spending $100 irl for entertainment isn't beyond the capabilities of a portion of the ESO player base. And it's not bringing on "pay to win" because there is nothing to win here. Good marketing strategy. Decent revenue generation for a very small amount of code and employee hours.