Thread: My Housing Neighborhood revamp proposal

I think alot can be done with housing neighborhoods using mostly existing tech or small tweaks.

First, I think most players would like to see exising houses that are not being used, be put back into the market. The tech is already there to do this. I think since the housing market is so mature the best way to start out would be for houses that have been in delinquency longer then 12 months. These should be treated as abandoned and go back on the market. To prevent this from being exploitable as a use of extra storage, once your items go into escrow, you can only pull them out all at once using the same tech as when you complete a quest. For example, if there are 5 quest rewards given and you don't have 5 inventory spaces available, you can't complete and finish that quest. This prevents players from pulling items out 1 at a time and using the escrow as free storage. And to free up space all items in escrow longer then a year could be deleted. The game is free to play now, there is no reason why someone can't log into the game over the course of 18 months to take care of their items.

Second, Neighborhoods should have the same functionality as Kins. There should be neighborhood mailings and we should be able to decorate our neighborhoods and make modifications. Once you have lived in a neighborhood for longer then a year you would be granted the ability to generate neighborhood mailings for events or neighborhood revamps.

Third, which ties into the Second. Every neighborhood should have dedicated spaces that can be upgraded. For example, since there are an abundant number of Kin spaces, they can be converted to a park areas, statues, theatres or any number of premade structures that can be put in its place. This will give each neighborhood its own unique feel. Using the same tech from Asheron's Call 2, when you would add say 1000 pieces of wood to a forge, the structure would change. It would become an improved forge and provide better benefits to crafters. So if you apply the same idea, if you have statues in neighborhoods, then every 100,000 pieces of ore donated take it up an extra tier.

Fourth, players should be able to buy and sell existing houses through the Auction House. Create a section in the Auction House for houses listing neighborhood and location. Once the house is sold, all items immediately transfer into the seller's escrow account. All the existing tech with minor tweaks is there to to do this.

I think by implement some of these ideas or others from the community, we can make neighborhoods an important part of the game again. Housing and neighborhoods is one part of the game that has a lot of fun content that is being completely underused, and can be improved substantially with very effecient and existing dev time.

Originally Posted by Odysses

I think most players would like to see exising houses that are not being used, be put back into the market.

Well, what is most? Are you including all those players that currently don't have a voice here? How do you know which houses aren't being used?

Originally Posted by Odysses

These should be treated as abandoned and go back on the market.

Why?

Originally Posted by Odysses

once your items go into escrow, you can only pull them out all at once

What about if people have all full chests at the time of the housing theft? No space to put every single item all at once in their bags? No room in the bank?

Originally Posted by Odysses

there is no reason why someone can't log into the game over the course of 18 months

Oh? How are you so sure?

Originally Posted by Odysses

Neighborhoods should have the same functionality as Kins. There should be neighborhood mailings and we should be able to decorate our neighborhoods and make modifications. Once you have lived in a neighborhood for longer then a year you would be granted the ability to generate neighborhood mailings for events or neighborhood revamps.

No way that is way to intrusive, I don't want other players deciding how the area around my house will look, we already have neighbors with obnoxious lawn decorations, and I do not want to be part of some pretentious "housing community." I was the first if not only one of the first to buy a house in my neighborhood, does that give me seniority? Can I veto all attempts at neighborhood mailing and changes to the landscape?

Originally Posted by Odysses

Every neighborhood should have dedicated spaces that can be upgraded. For example, since there are an abundant number of Kin spaces, they can be converted to a park areas, statues, theatres or any number of premade structures that can be put in its place.

I agree it is true there are too many kin houses that just will never get used, but I don't like the idea of having players changing these buildings into what you propose, they should just let you have more than one kin house.

Originally Posted by Odysses

players should be able to buy and sell existing houses through the Auction House. Create a section in the Auction House for houses

Yes, I think lots would agree that this would be a well used feature. Though I am pretty sure this was brought up long ago and not entertained by the development.

Originally Posted by Odysses

I think by implement some of these ideas or others from the community, we can make neighborhoods an important part of the game again. Housing and neighborhoods is one part of the game that has a lot of fun content that is being completely underused, and can be improved substantially with very effecient and existing dev time.

When was it an important part of the game? I don't remember this. How is it underused? The whole point was to give players a personal space where they could store things and display their sense of housing style. Housing was not meant to be a community theme park. Was it?