Guild Housing
First I would like to say, that I have heard, read or talked about these things and can therefor not list a source for every point since they are not a all my own ideas.
I think we all agree, that Blizz can not just implement housing and be done with it. Just putting a house somewhere, so we can put stuff in it will just not do it.
So recently I talked and read a lot about housing and would like to share the ideas that came up. I would like to read your thoughts and ideas. Let it be epic.
I will jump directly to Guild Housing, since normal Player Housing will be a extra point.
Since there are multiple ideas for certain points, I will list my favorite as “a)”
The Start
So to be able to build a Guild City, you have to reach level 25. Most guilds are already there, and if Blizz wont come up with 5 extra level, I would just start there.
I am not sure if there should be a specific amount of gold needed to purchase a claim, but it could be an option. I personally would not like to have something like that, and prefer something around questing, doing scenarios and dungeons.
Where will my city be?
First thing is to make a claim in the world. There a some ways to do that.
a) You pick one of the existing cities, camps or villages. (Razor Hill, Crossroad, Raventusk Village, Bloodhoove Village etc). When a player who is not in you guild enters for example Razor Hill, there will be a small note at the minimap, that shows in which instance he is (standard wow[no change through a guild], guild a, guild b, etc)
The player can then choose to see one of the guild cities or the standard wow city. There could be an option in the interface menu to always go to the first guild city or the standard wow city. If the player chooses to see a different guild city he can phase to another one, via the minimap list. A small window would open, and the possible phases would be shown and the player can pick one (Phase of guild a, guild b, guild c etc)
The base you pick will determine what kind of style you will use (Razor Hill > Orc, Raventusk > Troll, Bloodhoove > Tauren, etc)
b) Another option is to just put special phaseable bases in the world. So Blizz creates an environment where you can build your base. That could work with phasing existing areas, like Barrens, Silverpine Forest etc. It would work mostly like explained in point a, but you would lose the “we build our own Crossroads” bonus, other players may only see you base if they choose to go to that specially phased area (most low level areas could be used and phased to max level for that)
That is mostly a copy of the Age of Conan system of guild housing. Where you build should determine what style you choose.
So after you have chosen you base (I will pretend to have chosen a) you have to hire 3 Peons (they will have random names, but keep them throughout your questline). That will cost gold, an amount of money acceptable for a normal sized guild.
After you have hired them, you will have to do a guild scenario. This scenario will be only for your guild and take place where you have your place. I will use Crossroads in the following examples.
So you will start at the outskirts of the scenario, and arrive right next to the peons and a caravan. (This scenario could be done in a single scenario, as the questchains of Dominance Offensive, or in a group of 3. Since it is a guild effort, I would like to pick the 3 player scenario, but, considering that there will be new players in a guild who might want to experience the guild housing quest chain from the start there should be an option to queue as single player and as a 3 player group. Also there should be an option to start from the start of that chain, or at the last point where you have stopped. Also it is required to be exalted with the guild.
Phase 1. (protect and accompany)
In the scenario you will have to protect the peons and accompany them to the main building. In Crossroads, an attack of Zentaurs, Harpies Quillboars or wild animals could happen. Arriving at the main building or in the town triggers phase 2.
Phase 2. (establish a perimeter)
you have to help the peons to establish work place as seen in the “A little Patience” Scenario.
Phase 3.(defend the base)
There will be a wave attack of the previously mentioned races with the last wave entering a Boss.
You get a Box with guild related currency (tokens, guild points, something like that)
The first scenarios is done, and now you are able to customize your Crossroads. For that you need materials. So the peons will give you quests taking place in scenarios. The peons will need a Mine for ore and a Lumber Camp. The phase 1 to phase 3 method will be repeated here in small scenarios to obtain LC and M. I wont go into detail, just a establish > defend > secure chain.
The Peons
for every station a peon is needed. So you need one for the mine, one in the lumber camp and one to build stuff in your base.
Now we have our base, a mine and a lumber camp. You have reached the point to build your first own part of the base.
You can order the peons to build a palisade around your base and a tower. The peons will ask you to protect them, since the attacks of the previously mentioned races will not stop. You will have to hire guards.
The Tower
It will require you to gather an amount of wood via your peons. A guard will be automatically hired. So it will be a combination of gold and wood. 1 day building time
The Palisade
It will require to gather an amount of wood and stone, also 4 guards will be automatically hired. Gold, wood and stone will be needed. 2 days building time.
The Guards
a) named > orcguard xy, trollguard xy etc
b) random npcs > you can't choose, there will be a random guard of every race possible
These guards require a place to sleep, weapons, and food. So you have to build a house for the guards, a Blacksmith and have to hire a hunter and a butcher.
The Guardhouse
Wood, Stone, 1 day building time
The Inn
Hunter and Butcher.
These random named npc will be hired and move into your main building.
The Butcher will be the innkeeper as well and will start a small garden for spices as the playerfarm at Halfhill Market, with 4 small spots.
The hunter will be seen in the inn constantly when not on the hunt and drink and talk with the guards off duty.
The Guild leader, and the players of the first rank below him, will be seen as Player Non Player Charactes s in the inn, maximum of 5 at the same time.
The Blacksmith.
Wood, Stone, Gold, 1 day building time.
The peons will build the smith, but you wont have to hire a blacksmith. The smith will be an npc, that is a copy of a player of your guild. It will be the one with the most recipes and the highest blacksmithing skill. So there is a “natural” change in that spot.
a) the “player npc (pnpc I have no better name for it) will be in the phase all the time, except the real player enters the guild phase. The anvil will work as a place to repair and sell, so non guild players who visit the guild phase can still repair and vendor items if there is no npc.
b)
the pnpc will be there all the time and disappear when the real player enters the game. No other change from a.
Every item the guild blacksmiths can craft will be available, and it will take a special amount of time to craft them, also, you have to bring the materials and pay a small fee which goes into the guild vault or currency. The item will be mailed to you after the time to craft is over. The higher the skill necessary, the longer it takes, and since you don't have the patience to wait, you have to buy it. The money is automatically converted to guild currency.
New daily quests will be available. Those are not scenarios. You can only do one quest per day, and not repeat the quest.
Hunter: accompany the hunter and his pet on a hunt around Crossroads
Guard: accompany the guard on a patrol around the perimeter.
Butcher: Help the butcher to plant and gather spices.
You can pick which quest you want to do first, but you have to complete all of them to finish the stage. Somethinkg special will happen while on those quests.
Now the tower (1 day) and the palisade (2days) are finished, a blacksmith is established, and there is some life in your base.
Remember: As on Isle of Thunder everyone has to complete the scenarios to get to the stages. The daily quests are not necessary at a later point. But there will be a gating as on IoT, it will require 10 guild members to do the 3 daily quests. (not acountwide)
a) the quest npc will be an appropriate level, matching that of the player
b) the players will be scaled down as in challenge mode and proving grounds,
so it is possible for new low level players to help while leveling.
Since your base will be much larger than the original (Crossroads) you have more space to build own buildings.
Possible Buildings:
Blacksmith: Weapons and Armor Bonus for NPC
the Inn, Butcher and Hunter: “Strenght”buff for NPC
Tower: Bonus on defense for NPC
newly available buildings for every profession ingame:
Craftingprofessions will all have their own building, with the PNPC
Gatheringprofessions: PNPCs will seen working in the mine, gathering herbs near the lumber camp, and skinning near the hunter.
Craftingprofession > gatheringprofession, so the PNPC will be a crafter if she/he is a crafter.
The Craftingprofessionbuildings will work as described in the blacksmith example.
Non Profession Buildings:
Stable, Peonhouse, Guardhouse, Tower.
Our base is quite finished, still, there is lots of stuff to do:
Peons complains:
Mine and Lumber Camp not safe. Hire guards. Build a Tower
Buy pack donkey / pack kodo plus guard to accompany it.
Guards:
We need Gates and 2 towers next to either side. (gates open automatically if clicked on door, not working for other faction of course)
We have found a gold mine on our patrols, secure it. Build a tower, hire peons.
Cashflow for the guild in a reasonable amount per day. Maybe in guild currency.
Crafting:
Bring us material for flags, standards, totems / fetishes, tabarb for guards. I am sure, there is a lot of stuff you can come up with.
When everything is finished, PNPCs and NPCs are happy, buildings are build, fortified and secured,
there will be upgrades.
Upgrade 1
It will require a special amount of wood, stone, gold and guild currency. There will be more daily quests, scenarios and quest chains that take you out of you guild base to secure it.
When the guild has upgraded
the buildings the style will change over time (palisade will be a stone wall), vanity items can be placed on special vanityspots (flag, fence,)
every profession will have a daily quest for guild currency
you can befriend the npcs (as seen with Nat Pagle and the Tillers), at friend (only one can be raised to best friend) you get a special quest with that NPC. (maybe even a npc “pet” of your best friend to follow you around)
There can be a water/spike ditch around your base.
Families will start to enter your base, they belong to the peons, guards and other NPCs. Build houses for them. There will be some buff or bonus as for every building. It will bring life to your village. (thats an option, not sure about that)
You can craft special guild items with the guild symbol on it. The crafters can unlock it via daylies.
You can have a guild fortress
The Guild Fortress
on a special spot near your base, or in your base, will be the Fortress. It will look like the mainbase as seen in Ashenvales Lumber Camp, Desolace or Burning Steppes. The Guild Master and Officers will relocate to the fortress. (I would like a new design, but to give you a example)
There will be a guild bank, a trophy room/cellar, a portal to your prefered major city.
To get to the upgrade there should be a gating, maybe a questchain, for at least a 5 man group, challenging, but in an normal mode difficulty.
Upgrade 2
There will be new 3 guild member heroic scenarios, also a new daily heroic scenario,
a 5 guild member quest chain, (everyone can reapeat if desired) (plus some of guild npcs)
a 10 man guild raid, (plus some of the guild npcs)
it is possible to be attacked by npc forces, attacking in waves and forcing you to defend it once per week (raidboss as in Thousand Winter and Tol Barad) Lord of The Rings Helms Deep style.
there will be a heroic quest, challenging, to get a guild skyship. This skyship can be stationed in every zone, so you can take a portal to it. The guild master can order it to that location, and it will fly over the zone as the skyship in Icecrown. So you can conviniently go to a special place. Takes a week to move the ship to another place (or depending how far it is, longer, shorter)
There will be some spots to show special items, acquired via bosskills (hammer of Ragnaros, Onyxias Head, etc) but only a limited number of spots. Guild cellar will have shrinked versions, to show every bosskill. (not sure if necessary, but hey, shrinkray!)
There will be a board for the guild achievements for everyone to see.
There can be a siege by npcs, once per month, but not sure if working with non guild players.
A ring or arena can be build, and everyone can fight the npcs of the town, even the PNPCs not sure if you can fight yourself.
Player Housing
Maybe it could be possible to establish a litte Hut, with a garden, somewhere on the perimeter, its an option, but I am not sure if there is need, or a point. Mabye a nice to have?
PvP Housing
Ah, here we are. There is a big opportunity for the so called world pvp. I take again some ideas from Age of Conan.
I would establish 2-3 PvP Guild Fortresses in the world and another 2-3 for every race of your faction, in a fitting land.
Those are captureable by the opposite faction, so they should not be too close to the capitals.
Speaking of capital, a new one should be created, specially for pvp. Could be something like IoT and Sunreaver Island (the one near the sunwell) with pvp quests around it, pvp is required.
There are 3-5 points that are captureabel, by defeating a pvp npc force. The capital leader will then be attackable, via world pvp siege.
But first the npc fortresses in the world have to be conquered. (close to the warhammer online system)
So, conquer npc pvp fortresses > attack pvp captial > conquer 3-5 points, > attack pvp Boss. It should be fixed in a way, that you have the weekend to attack the pvp capital.
When a faction has started to conquer the fortresses, new battlegrounds and arenas should become available. Just as long as this “event” is running, that can be every week, or only once a month, depending on your server.
Also there could be scenarios contributing to the siege, making it through a tunnel, a ditch or something. There more are done on the server or the battlegroup, the more bonus you get for the mainsiege.
Back to the Guild PvP Fortress. You have the same customization options and requirements as for a normal guild city, but the place is fixed.
There are a lot of details for alliances for siege events, siege weapons, and npcs, that can be acquired. When you conquer a Fortress, you have to rebuild, if you are not fast enough, there could be a hole in the wall.
So you see, I am more of a pve player, but I am sure, most of the pvp players can come up with more detail and ideas. I would also be happy to read your ideas and criticism about my ideas. Feel free to add stuff.