1. #1

    Proof of player housing concept

    This is just a proof of concept to show how the Halfhill Farm could be expanded to player housing without "depopulating" the cities. I think the fact that Halfhill is often crowded is proof enough, but let's just give some examples anyway.

    --

    Upon reaching level 10 a player receives a quest to inherit a plot of land in Elwynn/Durotar. You begin with nothing but a shed of tools and a weed ridden spot of land with four plots of soil. Every 10 levels you will receive a quest to unlock two more, ending with 20 plots of soil. The quests gradually increase with difficulty. The first few just sending you to go run an errand in Mulgore or Westfall, but eventually you'll be gathering seed samples across Northrend or killing off mobs in the Overgrowth in the Barrens.

    From 10-30 You will get to choose from the following from a nearby farmer NPC:

    Unknown Seed - Common Old World Herbs (1 to 150 herbs)
    Medivh-weed Seed - Common Old World Enchanting (1 to 150 enchanting mats)
    Dragonsnap Seed - Common Old World Leather (1 to 150 leathers)
    Dwarven Potato Sprout - Common Old World Ore (1 to 150 ores)
    Cottonvine Seed - Common Old World Cloth (1 to 150 cloths)
    Tirisfal Pumpkin - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    When you reach level 30, you will unlock a quest to get a house. It will be automatically built to match your racial faction's style. If you are exalted with another faction, you will have the option of changing your house to that style for a very large sum of gold. Other players in your party, if you are party-leader, will be able to visit your farm.

    From 30-60 you will unlock the following from the farmer NPC:

    Mysterious Seed - Rare Old World Herbs (150 to 350 herbs)
    Highborn Daisy Seed - Rare Old World Enchanting (150 to 350 herbs)
    Carnivorous Overgrowth Seed - Rare Old World Leather (150 to 350 herbs)
    Silithidwhip Seed - Rare Old World Ore (150 to 350 herbs)
    Durotar Cactus Seed - Rare Old World Cloth (150 to 350 herbs)
    Darkspear Melon - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    (Note: All "Old World" seeds, drop 5-10 mats each time, from Outland onward, they become more sparse, closer to Pandaren-level material drops)

    Once you hit 60 you'll unlock a person in each of your faction's cities allowing you to unlock a few decorations once you reach "best friend" status with them. Each decoration having something to do with their race. You will also be able to invite them onto your farm. You will also unlock the option to buy a journal where you can set your hearth to your home (it would probably be around the range of 1,000 gold).

    Some examples could be a set of very large kegs from a dwarf, some very nice totems from a tauren, etc.

    From 60-70 you will unlock the following from the farmer NPC:

    Warpshifting Seed - Outland Herbs
    Nethervine Seed - Outland Enchanting
    Felwhip Seed - Outland Leather
    Terocone Sapling- Outland Ore
    Eco-Dome Mutant Seed- Outland Cloth
    Draebulb Seed - Outland Elemental Motes
    Zangarmarsh Shroomling - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    At 70 you will unlock a Achievement Decorations. A new category of achievements will reward trophies that can be mounted inside the house, or on the farm. Completing all the achievements in each category rewards the trophy. You might get the head of a Gnoll to mount once you've completed all of Redridge, Westfall, and killed Hogger, while hordeside they might get a Quilboar's head for doing an equivalent series of achievements.

    You will also be able to become friends with an Ethereal or an Arakkoa, but only one. Raising rep with one lowers the rep of the other. If you become best friends with the Ethereal you can invite him to live on the far corner of your farm where we will set up a little camp, and will offer void storage. The Arakkoa will set up a camp in the same spot the Ethereal would, and will offer you a daily quest that rewards a satchel with a few random level-equivalent potions.

    From 70-80 you will unlock the following from the farmer NPC:

    Ice-Encrusted Seed - Northrend Herbs
    Malygos' Tear Seed - Northrend Enchanting
    Drak'snare Seed - Northrend Leather
    Crystalbloom Seed - Northrend Ore
    Dalaranian Flax Seed - Northrend Cloth
    Saronvine Seed - Northrend Crystallized Elements (Random)
    Crystalsong Sapling - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    At 80 you will unlock a new NPC to raise to best friend. A Tuskarr who will give you a very long quest chain that will end with him installing a pond on your farm that drops random trash that sell for a few gold, and a very rare chance of dropping a battle pet.

    From 80 to 85 you will unlock the following from the farmer NPC:

    Overgrowth Seed - Cataclysm Herbs
    Neptubloom Seed- Cataclysm Enchanting
    Ramkahen Cactus - Cataclysm Leather
    Crystal of Twilight - Cataclysm Ore
    Enhanced Whiptail Seed - Cataclysm Cloth
    Raging Elemental Crystal - Cataclysm Volatile Elements (Random)
    Clipping of Teldrassil - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    Upon reaching 85, you will unlock an extra daily from another farmer nearby that rewards either cooking or fishing skill. Other than that, you will just unlock the following seeds:

    (including the fruit and vegetables):

    Enigma Seed - Pandaren Herbs
    Magebulb Seed - Pandaren Enchanting
    Raptorleaf Seed - Pandaren Leather
    Snakeroot Seed - Pandaren Ore
    Windshear Seed - Pandaren Cloth
    Songbell Seed - Pandaren Motes of Harmony
    Autumn, Spring, and Winter Blossom Saplings - Trinket/Decorative Plant

    Upon reaching 90, you'll be able to reach Best Friend status with the Tillers, and when you receive the gift on your Pandarian farm, you will also receive it on your farm near your faction city. You will also get the upgrades you buy to put on your pandaren farm, at your personal farm.

    Moving on to other expansions and beyond, more buildings could be unlocked, perhaps orchards or the ability to raise livestock for cooking materials. Maybe more NPCs that unlock more decorations.

    The point would be to provide a few materials, while also serving as decorations and a private place for players to go where they can expect privacy. Without depopulating the cities. It would never provide essentials like bank access, auctionhouses, reforging, etc. It would be a personal inn and a place to escape to privacy.
    The post that Blizzard banned me for:
    2014-11-28 19:55:26 [Trade - City] Potassiumgluconate: female dwarf butts are the best thing that this expansion has given us.
    Butts are a touchy subject.

  2. #2
    Blizzard has already express that they've tried player housing but it didn't work for them. It's not coming (anytime soon).

  3. #3
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Pebrocks The Warlock View Post
    Blizzard has already express that they've tried player housing but it didn't work for them. It's not coming (anytime soon).
    what he said.

    Don't post spam posts
    Last edited by Darsithis; 2013-04-20 at 08:14 PM.

  4. #4
    Your farm is somewhat like player housing, already. It basically fixes up your little shack/house thing as you progress, but it isn't true housing obviously. I could maybe see them adding a few things as time goes on to make it somewhat like it, but nothing major.

  5. #5
    I like the idea, but I think if they were ever to do player housing now there would have to be a massive graphics overhaul. I don't think I'd be happy with my own house when all the furniture is massively out of scale with my character.

  6. #6
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by sTyLnK View Post
    Your farm is somewhat like player housing, already. It basically fixes up your little shack/house thing as you progress, but it isn't true housing obviously. I could maybe see them adding a few things as time goes on to make it somewhat like it, but nothing major.
    Yea I agree

    Its on a tiny scale, its phased and hides all players from view. How many people are on their farms at the same time? For an small feature its a lot of players 'missing' from the world.

    Now imagine housing.

  7. #7
    Ya I think the blue post mentioned that lower casual guilds with bad progression will live in the ghetto/ marshes while progression guilds will love on the hills overlooking the valley lol.

    ---------- Post added 2013-04-20 at 07:58 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by scoobysnacks View Post
    I like the idea, but I think if they were ever to do player housing now there would have to be a massive graphics overhaul. I don't think I'd be happy with my own house when all the furniture is massively out of scale with my character.
    They have needed to redo their graphics engine forever but i think they are worried too many people play on POS computers. I myself would welcome a new engine and even more to it if possible. Titan will debut their new graphics engine which will get rid of a lot of wow players in the process unless they can buy new systems.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by clampy View Post
    Yea I agree

    Its on a tiny scale, its phased and hides all players from view. How many people are on their farms at the same time? For an small feature its a lot of players 'missing' from the world.

    Now imagine housing.
    I don't know what it's like on your server, but on mine, Valley of the Four Winds is a very noisy and busy place. Tons of people "Missing" on their farms are running in and out to the halfhill market, chatting in general, and joining Galleon raids. I recently saw someone say "So this is where Barrens Chat went".

    My point is that the players aren't "missing" at all. Blizzard's long stance of fearing it would depopulate the world and leave cities empty is completely false. Putting all the new content in Stormwind/Orgrimmar have done more to depopulate the other cities than anything else they've done. They could put player housing in Ironforge/Thunder Bluff only and watch how much life it brings to those areas.
    The post that Blizzard banned me for:
    2014-11-28 19:55:26 [Trade - City] Potassiumgluconate: female dwarf butts are the best thing that this expansion has given us.
    Butts are a touchy subject.

  9. #9
    What if the player housing thing was used via phasing as the hub for the next expansion. A hub you expand through the story but you can add to personally with trophies. You can see anyone on same hub stage as you. "Maybe trophies wont affect player phasing since they can just be pictures on wall etc"
    For the Alliance, and for Azeroth!

  10. #10
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    I don't think Blizzard has any objections against player housing - at least not anymore; if players want it, they will try to deliver.

    The problem is resources ...

    Creating a housing system plus the art assets required is a lot of work. I mean they can't even fix up Silvermoon.

    But I'm sure they are thinking of ways to squeeze it in some time in the future.

  11. #11
    housing was aborted during early wow development, whats the fun of having instanced houses....

  12. #12
    Deleted
    sure they started on housing before, then decided they dont want it in the game. i would love a guild house, would be cool, not much use in it though. i dont think and i hope player housing is never in the game.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by peggleftw View Post
    sure they started on housing before, then decided they dont want it in the game. i would love a guild house, would be cool, not much use in it though. i dont think and i hope player housing is never in the game.
    Incorrect. They WANTED housing in the game, but they didn't have the resources to make it happen. Tigole was the largest proponent of Player Housing, even saying in an interview just after BC launched that "Player Housing can take World of Warcraft to the next level" and stated they wanted to get it into a future patch or expansion.

    This was, of course, before he got shunted onto Titan (which is where I believe the Player Housing development was shifted onto...)

    ---------- Post added 2013-04-20 at 11:45 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Milerks View Post
    housing was aborted during early wow development, whats the fun of having instanced houses....
    Here's an idea - how about you ADD fun things to a player house? Dueling rings that keeps scores. Trophy rooms. Shopkeeper venders that auto-uplaod things onto the AH but you buy from a discount if you visit the shop (EQ2 has this, btw...). The ability to set up manequins and plaques showcasing your hard-earned armor and weapons. Have PVP village raids of horde and alliance attacking eachother. Hell man, the tillers ALONE shows you how "useful" something player housing can be...
    Last edited by mvaliz; 2013-04-20 at 11:46 PM.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by isadorr View Post
    Ya I think the blue post mentioned that lower casual guilds with bad progression will live in the ghetto/ marshes while progression guilds will love on the hills overlooking the valley lol
    Then my paladin will probably live in a crack house

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by mvallas View Post

    Here's an idea - how about you ADD fun things to a player house? Dueling rings that keeps scores. Trophy rooms. Shopkeeper venders that auto-uplaod things onto the AH but you buy from a discount if you visit the shop (EQ2 has this, btw...). The ability to set up manequins and plaques showcasing your hard-earned armor and weapons. Have PVP village raids of horde and alliance attacking eachother. Hell man, the tillers ALONE shows you how "useful" something player housing can be...


    and for example in L2 there are few castles guilds can fight for, if your guild has a castle you have an access to NPC buffs, portals etc.

    something like Wintergrasp fortress but for guilds, not faction
    Last edited by Milerks; 2013-04-21 at 12:34 AM.

  16. #16
    I foresee something like player housing being in their future MMO. Not sure if they are gonna be so inclined to do it on an aging game when the next one is around the corner.
    Cheese. Its amazing. Until your feet smell like it.

  17. #17
    Never understood the desire for player or guild housing. If you had to be within a certain distance to communicate with someone, then I could see where it would be beneficial to have your own little area. I'm sure that if player housing was ever introduced, it wouldn't be very long at all before the majority stopped ever using it in any way.
    But look at how soon we're all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of those applauding hands.

  18. #18
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Potassiumgluconate View Post
    I don't know what it's like on your server, but on mine, Valley of the Four Winds is a very noisy and busy place. Tons of people "Missing" on their farms are running in and out to the halfhill market, chatting in general, and joining Galleon raids. I recently saw someone say "So this is where Barrens Chat went".

    My point is that the players aren't "missing" at all. Blizzard's long stance of fearing it would depopulate the world and leave cities empty is completely false. Putting all the new content in Stormwind/Orgrimmar have done more to depopulate the other cities than anything else they've done. They could put player housing in Ironforge/Thunder Bluff only and watch how much life it brings to those areas.
    The chat might be full, but the characters aren't there on your screen.

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