Player Housing and Cities: Your Thoughts?

[Polackio]

This comes up in every major MMO.

 

Simple answer: No. These kinds of games don't allow for housing nor do they need it.

 

Not a very good answer, nor a well-informed one.

 

The first MMO, Ultima Online, had player housing and ever since then people have asked for it in other games. I think you have to consider why UO had it and why people ask for it before you completely write it off.

 

In UO, housing made a lot of sense. The world was less quest-driven and much more of a sandbox. Players did more than build houses (or castles) for themselves, they built towns and commercial centers for the player-driven economy (there was no auction house, you hired NPC vendors and set them up on your property to sell your goods). Guilds staked out territory and defended it from other guilds as part of the game's early PvP system (now changed sadly). After an hours long dungeon crawl, we'd all recall to a player's house and hang out chatting, while our avatars got drunk at the player's bar (complete with alcohol vendors). Housing in UO was a focus of commerce, PvP and social activity and it was actually pretty cool.

 

There were problems too. Houses cluttered up pretty much available scrap of landscape such that just walking around the world was annoying (and laggy in the early days). Houses belonging to deactivated accounts just sit there, abandoned and unusable, taking up limited real estate, making it nearly impossible for new players to get a house outside of ebay. As cool as player housing was, it ultimately caused many of the problems that ended up killing UO's player base.

 

Not many MMOs have tried housing since then and you can see why. What purpose would it serve in TOR? Would you and your guildies hang out in your rumpus room after an operation? Would you use your house as an extended bank vault? Would you decorate it? What would you do with housing in TOR? It makes little sense except as a vanity item, and with mounts and moddable gear (which we need more of btw) is it really needed even in that context?

 

And more to the point, anything they could do with housing, they could just as easily do with ships. In fact, if I were to get housing in this game I'd want it to be implemented as an extension to the ship. Let me customize it, get a different ship, use my ship as my home.

 

I don't really care if they do anything like that personally. I've had player housing (once had a castle... good times). I don't think it adds any real value to a game that's structured the way TOR is. I can see player-controlled locations making more sense in EVE or other sandbox MMOs, but in quest-driven games like this one it seems like a waste of developer resources that could be better spent on delivering more content or fixing balance issues.

[BrettUltimus]

Apartment building on Coruscant with view to the city. Would also actually give a purpose to that planet.

 

They must also allow us to drop every object of the game in our house and move/rotate it anywhere like in Galaxies.

 

That's a great thought... all the planets have instanced living areas, with windows that show the landscape of where you are at... the apartment in coruscant/nar shaddaa, or even an isolated house in Hoth, with the background being the snowy landscape.

 

I see a lot of potential with this idea...and might actually see all the planets get some visitors/love.

[Derfmiolleh]

I liked player housing in early SWG. We took over Rori and flat out owned the planet for the Empire but that was an entirely different game. It was fun having cities, venors, mayors and military bases all run by the community. Times have changed.

[_Ender__Wiggin_]

Please reference EverQuest 2 housing. Imitate. Rinse. Repeat.

 

Massive guild houses, tons of trophies and commendations, paintings, etc.

 

Why there isn't a Star Destroyer that can be used as a guild hall is bemusing. Why there isn't an ability for one to display commendations or awards from in game on one's ship is a little stale.

 

Purple sheets in my Phantom? Who decorated this place? Freddie Mercury?

[BrettUltimus]

Not a very good answer, nor a well-informed one.

 

The first MMO, Ultima Online, had player housing and ever since then people have asked for it in other games. I think you have to consider why UO had it and why people ask for it before you completely write it off.

 

In UO, housing made a lot of sense. The world was less quest-driven and much more of a sandbox. Players did more than build houses (or castles) for themselves, they built towns and commercial centers for the player-driven economy (there was no auction house, you hired NPC vendors and set them up on your property to sell your goods). Guilds staked out territory and defended it from other guilds as part of the game's early PvP system (now changed sadly). After an hours long dungeon crawl, we'd all recall to a player's house and hang out chatting, while our avatars got drunk at the player's bar (complete with alcohol vendors). Housing in UO was a focus of commerce, PvP and social activity and it was actually pretty cool.

 

There were problems too. Houses cluttered up pretty much available scrap of landscape such that just walking around the world was annoying (and laggy in the early days). Houses belonging to deactivated accounts just sit there, abandoned and unusable, taking up limited real estate, making it nearly impossible for new players to get a house outside of ebay. As cool as player housing was, it ultimately caused many of the problems that ended up killing UO's player base.

 

Not many MMOs have tried housing since then and you can see why. What purpose would it serve in TOR? Would you and your guildies hang out in your rumpus room after an operation? Would you use your house as an extended bank vault? Would you decorate it? What would you do with housing in TOR? It makes little sense except as a vanity item, and with mounts and moddable gear (which we need more of btw) is it really needed even in that context?

 

And more to the point, anything they could do with housing, they could just as easily do with ships. In fact, if I were to get housing in this game I'd want it to be implemented as an extension to the ship. Let me customize it, get a different ship, use my ship as my home.

 

I don't really care if they do anything like that personally. I've had player housing (once had a castle... good times). I don't think it adds any real value to a game that's structured the way TOR is. I can see player-controlled locations making more sense in EVE or other sandbox MMOs, but in quest-driven games like this one it seems like a waste of developer resources that could be better spent on delivering more content or fixing balance issues.

 

Thanks for the well formulated response, as well as bringing up some vital facts to stand behind.

 

With the concern of housing cluttering (which it shouldn't, since some people think it wouldn't be popular), a lot of people just have it so that certain areas aka empty plots of lands, would only be used for player housing.

 

And this question comes up a lot, "What is the point of player housing?". And to that end, it just comes to something very simple...something to do! I have various friends who focused long periods of time in crafting and acquiring vanity items for their housing. You could say the same thing about vanity pets as well, while it doesn't hold a purpose, people enjoy collecting them. This is just something else players can do at end game when taking a break from PVE/PVP content.

 

However, if you wanted to add something game mechanic wise...what about a place to land from space? Your house gives you rested exp when there, you can be summoned to your house, some legacy abilities (such as extra exp, etc) can be linked... a mail box, vendors, etc...extra bells and whistles that can enhance your playing experience, but without making it this thing that you HAVE to maintain if you want to be the best at end game content.

 

With ships though, right on the money... I see this being able to be customized in the future, and serve the purpose of a player housing, all for the same reason... and I do hope in the future this does happen.

[Thargrim]

It will probably just be Imperial Fleets for Imperial Guilds, and Republic Fleets for republic guilds, realistically.

 

But customization is always awesome in my opinion

 

Yeah, but that would suck real bad for Mandalorian roleplay/Smuggler roleplay or grey jedi guilds, guilds that would prefer to have their own thing going on. I personally find both the Republic and Imperials quite distasteful.

[BrettUltimus]

Please reference EverQuest 2 housing. Imitate. Rinse. Repeat.

 

Massive guild houses, tons of trophies and commendations, paintings, etc.

 

Why there isn't a Star Destroyer that can be used as a guild hall is bemusing. Why there isn't an ability for one to display commendations or awards from in game on one's ship is a little stale.

 

Purple sheets in my Phantom? Who decorated this place? Freddie Mercury?

 

 

Haha, I never had a chance to experience it, but I did see a guild castle in everquest 2 on a friend's character...the idea seemed marvelous! Just like those purple sheets

[LaManoNera]

Never going to happen.

 

BW simply doesn't have the experience or desire to add player generated content like customizeable housing and cities to the game and have them actually work and be fun.

[PibbyPib]

Everyone's kind of ignoring what the OP said, and it was a great idea, IMHO. Since your ship is your housing in this game, why not make it somewhat customizable? I think that sounds awesome.

 

Instanced housing that doesn't feel like a glued on suburb. Very cool.

[LordRelyks]

I demand a house where I can go yiff some wookiees - I mean, what?

[BrettUltimus]

Yeah, but that would suck real bad for Mandalorian roleplay/Smuggler roleplay or grey jedi guilds, guilds that would prefer to have their own thing going on. I personally find both the Republic and Imperials quite distasteful.

 

Oh, I agree. I mean, I just see that is what happening.

 

What would be nice is if you are able to change the coloring of the walls, introduce some sort of Guild Icon, and have that as flags all around your fleet.

[BrettUltimus]

Everyone's kind of ignoring what the OP said, and it was a great idea, IMHO. Since your ship is your housing in this game, why not make it somewhat customizable? I think that sounds awesome.

 

Instanced housing that doesn't feel like a glued on suburb. Very cool.

 

Thanks for understanding the idea of the post. I see player housing IN SPACE as a real possibility!

[BrettUltimus]

I demand a house where I can go yiff some wookiees - I mean, what?

 

O_O

 

Housing used for the dark side indeed...

 

...that is all.

[westraz]

ohhh come on, how can we have roomers of Guild owned Cap ships and you all saying "housing wont happen"??!! what is a guild owned Cap ship if not a guild HOUSE??!!!

[Taomist]

I loved the housing SO much in SWG, it was so well done! I do not see what the problems would be with it ingame.

 

The player-created cities, the architects creating the housing, the guild halls, the fantastic customization abilities outside and the virtually limitless customizations inside...it was a big part of the game, and I'm always amazed at people who want to play an MMO being so against something that brings so much to the roleplaying aspect. It's just...amazing.

 

Even if TOR went the EQ2 route, rather than the sandbox abilities of SWG...it would still go a LONG way toward both immersion and bringing something to the game, an investment above and beyond levelling and PvP.

 

People STAY with games that let you customize; running a rail next to a thousand other people running the same rail gets boring much faster than the ability to create your own space.

 

That's my 2 credits, anyway.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Taomist

[BrettUltimus]

I loved the housing SO much in SWG, it was so well done! I do not see what the problems would be with it ingame.

 

The player-created cities, the architects creating the housing, the guild halls, the fantastic customization abilities outside and the virtually limitless customizations inside...it was a big part of the game, and I'm always amazed at people who want to play an MMO being so against something that brings so much to the roleplaying aspect. It's just...amazing.

 

Even if TOR went the EQ2 route, rather than the sandbox abilities of SWG...it would still go a LONG way toward both immersion and bringing something to the game, an investment above and beyond levelling and PvP.

 

People STAY with games that let you customize; running a rail next to a thousand other people running the same rail gets boring much faster than the ability to create your own space.

 

That's my 2 credits, anyway.

 

I agree, just something else to do during/at end game. Maybe player housing was more for the MMOs where a max level player was extremely rare.

 

I'm just saying it would be nice to put the MMO...and well I guess RPG back in MMORPG. We need more player run things, such as cities/economies/etc.

[Ashirae]

I would love to have our ships expanded upon, to be customizable and have reasons for asking people over. It could be just like the Sims Social, give daily quests to raise affection with actual players. It would be a very fun way to raise social points.

[BrettUltimus]

I would love to have our ships expanded upon, to be customizable and have reasons for asking people over. It could be just like the Sims Social, give daily quests to raise affection with actual players. It would be a very fun way to raise social points.

 

I kind of like where this is going...maybe not in this exact direction, but to expand how one earns social points (making friends, visiting ships, contributing, etc) tied in with some sort of player ship housing wouldn't be a bad idea

[zthen]

I really don't mind if they added this feature but let that happen on a future xpac. They need to concentrate on fixing the game first.

[DevonDs]

I honestly don't care about housing at all. I like having a ship, but decorating isn't important too me. I respect that it is for some folks but for me, not even on my radar.

[Rhymez]

If this game had housing doesnt mean it should b compared to swg.

 

If its OPTIONAL, then it doesnt effect the people who arent interested in it.

It works with Space combat.

Many MMO's seem to ignore the OPTIONAL idea.

[BrettUltimus]

If this game had housing doesnt mean it should b compared to swg.

 

If its OPTIONAL, then it doesnt effect the people who arent interested in it.

It works with Space combat.

Many MMO's seem to ignore the OPTIONAL idea.

 

 

Exactly the point I am making. Optional things answers the dilemma of 'nothing to do endgame'.

[jarjarloves]

Please reference EverQuest 2 housing. Imitate. Rinse. Repeat.

 

Massive guild houses, tons of trophies and commendations, paintings, etc.

 

Why there isn't a Star Destroyer that can be used as a guild hall is bemusing. Why there isn't an ability for one to display commendations or awards from in game on one's ship is a little stale.

 

Purple sheets in my Phantom? Who decorated this place? Freddie Mercury?

because that stuff all comes in future content updates.

[BrettUltimus]

because that stuff all comes in future content updates.

 

Can't expect daily patches, now can we?

[AliceKaye]

I am 100% for player housing in some form.