Topic

Housing Revamp

So I mentioned this in another thread, but didn't want to hijack that thread, so I'm starting my own.  I really think the houses need to be revamped, because you can tell that a bunch of different houses were created at different types and the whole thing does not feel cohesive.  I picture housing to be more like, a bunch of different style homes each with a benefit based on the area its in.  

For instance, Groddle Forest homes would have more patches than other areas because it is located in the forest; as well as Groddle Meadow having more crop plots than others because its in a meadow; Groddle Heights perhaps having a metal rock that respawns a couple times a day; if they were ever to add houses (they have mentioned adding some to Ilmenskie) that would have a beryl rock that respawns; if they add houses in Ix they could be in the clouds and you could have bubbles that randomly spawn at your house (similar to fireflies in Firebogs); etc.

This way it makes choosing a home a much more strategic decisions, and allows for players to really specialize in what they need from a house.  It would also help get rid of the "hodge podge" feeling the houses have now.

Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • Aren't there already some locational benefits? I don't have a dark patch in my house in Onto Parada, but there are some in houses in Groddle Heights, for instance, and while I can grow the heck out of some herb(s), I don't have the ability to grow crops. If I wanna grow trees, I've gotta move.

    I'm in hopes that the upper-level housing gets a bit of variety, personally. I know it's just cosmetic, but every time I look through the Realty pages and come across what look like storefronts from a strip-mall, I scratch my head: why let the cheaper houses have all the character, and the expensive ones look like insurance offices?
    Posted 16 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hey - I like the modern look.  I have the same reaction you do from the Alakol/Kajuu/Salatu style homes, Djabriil.  I'd prefer some more modern options at cheaper price points as well.

    I agree that those who prefer the Meadow, Heights, or Forest styles should have some high-end housing, though.  
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want a fancy-pants bog house, myself. And I don't mean the Brutalist luxury stuff oughtta get excised, but just varied a little- there are people who like 'em, like jasbo, and people who don't so much, like me... it'd be nice to have options, especially at the higher end of the spectrum.
    Posted 16 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Exactly - which was why the second part of my post read: I agree that those who prefer the Meadow, Heights, or Forest styles should have some high-end housing, though.  

    I do not want to try my hand at being forum police, but my initial reaction to your OP was that those of us who prefer minimalist (it's a stretch to say Brutalist) essentially have the taste of someone who designs insurance offices for strip malls.  I think it was an unnecessary shot. I don't like the Meadow house styles.  They're too bright for my taste.  But I don't feel it necessary to insult anyone in the expression of my own preference.
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There are some Djabriil but I really think it should be pushed further.  I think when flipping through the realty page its easy to see which houses are outdated (ie designed first) and see in comparison which are newer.  They don't all mesh well.  I think they should be specialized further and have a range of prices for each.

    So pretend we were starting housing from scrap,  I would take the groddle forest houses (tree houses) and limit them only to forest zones, and then I would make more tree houses that have much better features at a much higher price all the way up to 50k (like Alakol).  The 50 k treehouse could have 8 tree patches, a ton of layers, a dark patch (since forests naturally have dark areas), a ton of crop plots, etc etc.

    Then I would move onto groddle heights, and make more houses in the heights with varying prices all the way up to a 50k.  It would have a rock that respawn only one or two times a day (so its not too overpowered),  dark and light patches, a lot of garden plots maybe including one or two herb plots.

    Then move to the firebogs and make 50 k there.  On and on.  I like that there are so many different housing options available, but I think it needs to be pushed further.  Instead of just choosing the house for aesthetic purposes, why not make it so that we choose houses based on what we need in the game, and make it more of a strategic decision 
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Laurali, I agree - but I also think that the aesthetic choices should be a factor as well.  If you love growing eggs and harvesting fireflies but prefer Scandinavian design and color schemes, maybe there should be a tension there.  
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • it already is a strategic decision with some aesthetic flexibility.

    your non-alakol 50k house descriptions are crazy though. freeholder with 8 tree patches, a dark plot and a ton of crop plots? that's better than alakol at the same price.

    I don't think every area should have equally expensive housing. expense doesn't equate to being better in glitch as it is.

    I have had over 50k in worth for the majority of the test and owned a 50k alakol from the first day they came out.

    I've also "slummed it" by living in tree houses and now in a 10k shimla mirch house. each of threse houses were better than the 50k alakol for my purposes.

    not every region
    needs a 50k option, and some of your suggestions look
    rather overpowered considering they have significantly more stuff than alakol 50ks, plus the unique advantages their regions already provide.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yea Stri, I was just firing off examples off the top of my head without really scaling them appropriately, and I know there is already specialization, but I think it should taken further.  I don't like how if you want to live in the heights you only have a few options, same with the forest.  I also don't like how if you want to live in the lap of luxury you only have a few options as well and the style is not varied between the houses.

    I know the devs have talked about being able to upgrade houses in the future, so will really help create a variety of benefits for particular houses, but I think that also is another way to add in the ability to specialize the houses further.  I think at this point where you live isn't really a strategy as much as it is just what you prefer aesthetically *(for the most part)*, and I like the idea of having a set of pros and cons to each area based on their surroundings
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ jasbo - it wasn't a "shot", it was an opinion. If you like them, great! Fantastic. I don't happen to, and disagreeing with you doesn't mean *I* have bad taste, it just means I have different tastes. Calling them "Brutalist" isn't an attack on you, no matter how you slice it.
    Posted 16 months ago by Djabriil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Look at the world map. There are tons of unknown zones. Plenty of space for new house designs! We shouldn't ask for everything from the few areas already in the game. I mean, why should Groddle Forest have all the possible forest-type houses in the world, when there will surely be other areas with forests?
    Posted 16 months ago by Ximenez Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good point Ximenez!  I just noticed that a lot of the old houses are being mass produced in new areas, and figured there weren't plans to create a new type of housing any time soon.
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Laurali, I really hope there are plans for new house designs!
    Posted 16 months ago by Ximenez Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree, but I think they should stick to making houses that are tailored to their zone a bit more than they already are now.

    I also think the forest areas need something that makes them special -- meadows have a lot of patches and plots, caves have dark and light patches, firebogs have herb plots, alakol has an overflow of just about everything, but the forests are a little sad in comparison!
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • they shouldn't do much of anything with houses.

    we should be getting the ability to customize our own houses soon. i'm interested in that, not more prefabricated homes.

    forests homes are awesome! best possible location if you are a dedicated miner, inside the highest density area for harvestable trees, groddle forest. decent space for farm animals, decent space for crop garden. tree houses are AWESOME and are arguably even better than the most expensive meadow houses at a fraction of the price.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the Scandinavian look houses! Just wish they came in the 50k varieties with the same features.  
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Stri, with teleport tokens and Teleporation V, location itself is not a major determining factor in my decisions, and for other players unless they really prefer the look of the tree house it would be easy enough for them to move for not much more money and get way more features in the meadows.  Currants are so easy to get also that price (apart from the 50k) is only a determining factor for a player if they need a starter home, but after a few levels could easily upgrade.  And also like I said earlier, the option to upgrade your house would be even more interesting if they made it possible to further specialize the housing
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wasn't so much the "brutalist" comment (I think they're more on the modernist spectrum - and having spent way too much time inside Boston City Hall, there seems to be too much light to be considered brutalist).  It was the "insurance office in a strip mall" comment (which - brutalist insurance offices in strip malls?  That just seems weird).  That sounded pretty insulting.  If it wasn't meant to be, then I apologize for taking offense.

    But if you read what I actually wrote above I never said that disagreement in and of itself was insulting.  
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I do think that it's too.....um, shiny, for my taste, but it doesn't look *that* plain. I mean, there's book shelves and artwork and everything in a 50K house. I do think that if the Firebogs had 50K housing with a ton of herb gardens, barnies, peatbogs, fireflies and patches, I would totally move there. The only reason why I'm in a 50K house is because of all the patches and dirt piles nearby. I TP to the Forests and the Meadows to gather cherries and stuff, do gardening and animal raising, some cooking, and ultimately, blockmaking. All the patches are good of digging.
    Posted 16 months ago by KitkatCat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would rather have it where you buy a plot and then buy the house an amenities you want. That way you could have the house you want in the area you want it and still be able to do what you want there...garden, herb garden, have trees and dark patches, and fireflies and rocks. You just have to pay for each thing you want.
    Posted 16 months ago by Kyinda Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I just bought a house in Vuos Bosca Quarter. I haven't had a lot of time to explore it, but I love what I see so far. It's cave-like inside, so I can have fireflies in there if I felt like it. There's a patch inside the house - I have planted an eggplant tree there. And then there's this ladder...I didn't realize it when I bought it.... I was on a bit of a time crunch, what with all the End-of-the-World Parties going on and such. Anyway, up the ladder takes you to a grassy area with two more patches - wood tree and spice tree. Also, up on the roof are crop plots... I've forgotten how many - something like eight. Add to that the chicken, two piggies and two butterflies that came with it, and it's nearly perfect! All I need are a few herb plots, and it WOULD be perfect.

    Maybe we could add things to our existing homes "a la carte"?
    Posted 16 months ago by CoffeeSnob Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I disagree with the idea that every region should allow every amenity.  I really like separating the fireflies/jellisacs/egg trees and the garden crops/cherries/beans. 

    The Vuos Bosca house sounds like it is a nice compromise (basement + roof garden).
    Posted 16 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @WindBorn -- I like the idea that each region should allow one benefit, not every region allowing every amenity.

    @Kyinda -- I love that idea, and listed it on another thread I started about skills!

    "*Housebuilding? -- instead of being given a house, depending on which style house you want to buy you need to get certain ingredients and contribute them to the house, or it could work if you want to upgrade a house you have to get the skill then the required ingredients then "build" the upgrades"
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I had one of those Vuos Bosca houses. I moved only because of a quest. Got a bigger house, but I miss my egg tree. :( 
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink