(Repost because I figured this was a more appropriate place. Sorry.)
Hello. So I'm throwing my hat into the ring of people asking for an instanced housing system to try and fix the current one. There are several problems with housing that are, frankly, antiquated, and damaging to potential long term health of some of 14's player base. I'll try to constructively break it down as to what issues could hopefully be addressed.
1. Scarcity: players can't get a house they want, or sometimes at all, due to the wards and their physical scarcity. Sizes are also scarce, and yards can still not be upgraded. If every player could get one, problem solved. Even better if they can pick and upgrade their size.
2. It frees up Wards for FCs: Players want houses, not everyone wants the neighborhood. Giving an option for private instanced housing fixes that, freeing up more spaces for FCs.
3. Lottery gates players potentially forever: The lottery might be *better* than the old as system, but not by much. People have the money. They want a house they want. It's a demoralizing step, putting yourself in the lottery, only to be told 'better luck next time.' Having a promised plot fixes that, keeps morale higher.
4. My biggest, and final reason I can think of; This goes against the lax message of 'take a break from the game if you need to': This is, right now, the only piece of the game that is so hard against that that most players can regularly do and care about. If you own a house, taking a break from the game is consigning to loss of the house, and then needing to reclaim all furniture, which could now be in the thousand range. That's not easy, and you can only get 240 at a time, and you have to get it all to reenter the housing market. I want to take breaks, recover in real life, or step back from this game giving a bad experience. This doesn't help, it's a bad experience losing a house you cared for. If you want players to take a break, recharge, and come back to the game with a freshed perspective, then fixing the housing to have private instanced lots that either don't get demolished or are easy to get fixes that.
So that is what issues I think it would resolve. As for execution, something akin to Island Sanctuary with limits I think is the model.
To explain, limits of one private house per server I think is fair, along with choosing between having an instanced house, or maintaining a ward house, but not both. I am not proposing the wards go away. Making it as well the house in instanced only exists if the owner is there is I think a fair price to pay, like Island Sanctuary. This means the house only needs to take up data when the owner is on. Keeping it private only as well is key because FCs might make this very messy. Might also have to restrict sharing, but this change means sharing is not needed for anything aside from Ward homes.
Overall, I'm of the mind this would be best for the game's overall feel and what they're trying to do. Tools to make this maybe work are also in place to maybe warrant giving the concept a proper look. Island Sanctuary lays the instanced places private to players. The upcoming Housing Interior changes lay the groundwork for buying small to start, upgrading as you get the funds. I'm confident if it could work, this would solve many problems all at once, and lead to a generally happier playerbase.
Continue reading...
Hello. So I'm throwing my hat into the ring of people asking for an instanced housing system to try and fix the current one. There are several problems with housing that are, frankly, antiquated, and damaging to potential long term health of some of 14's player base. I'll try to constructively break it down as to what issues could hopefully be addressed.
1. Scarcity: players can't get a house they want, or sometimes at all, due to the wards and their physical scarcity. Sizes are also scarce, and yards can still not be upgraded. If every player could get one, problem solved. Even better if they can pick and upgrade their size.
2. It frees up Wards for FCs: Players want houses, not everyone wants the neighborhood. Giving an option for private instanced housing fixes that, freeing up more spaces for FCs.
3. Lottery gates players potentially forever: The lottery might be *better* than the old as system, but not by much. People have the money. They want a house they want. It's a demoralizing step, putting yourself in the lottery, only to be told 'better luck next time.' Having a promised plot fixes that, keeps morale higher.
4. My biggest, and final reason I can think of; This goes against the lax message of 'take a break from the game if you need to': This is, right now, the only piece of the game that is so hard against that that most players can regularly do and care about. If you own a house, taking a break from the game is consigning to loss of the house, and then needing to reclaim all furniture, which could now be in the thousand range. That's not easy, and you can only get 240 at a time, and you have to get it all to reenter the housing market. I want to take breaks, recover in real life, or step back from this game giving a bad experience. This doesn't help, it's a bad experience losing a house you cared for. If you want players to take a break, recharge, and come back to the game with a freshed perspective, then fixing the housing to have private instanced lots that either don't get demolished or are easy to get fixes that.
So that is what issues I think it would resolve. As for execution, something akin to Island Sanctuary with limits I think is the model.
To explain, limits of one private house per server I think is fair, along with choosing between having an instanced house, or maintaining a ward house, but not both. I am not proposing the wards go away. Making it as well the house in instanced only exists if the owner is there is I think a fair price to pay, like Island Sanctuary. This means the house only needs to take up data when the owner is on. Keeping it private only as well is key because FCs might make this very messy. Might also have to restrict sharing, but this change means sharing is not needed for anything aside from Ward homes.
Overall, I'm of the mind this would be best for the game's overall feel and what they're trying to do. Tools to make this maybe work are also in place to maybe warrant giving the concept a proper look. Island Sanctuary lays the instanced places private to players. The upcoming Housing Interior changes lay the groundwork for buying small to start, upgrading as you get the funds. I'm confident if it could work, this would solve many problems all at once, and lead to a generally happier playerbase.
Continue reading...