Player housing, will Blizzard ever get the message?

[lostdrewid]

So yeah. That's the front page. Of all the other things that seemed mildly interesting to start a topic on, this is the only thing that really stuck a thorn in my side. I honestly don't think Blizzard gets the point of player housing. Or they do, but they are being completely oblivious as to why it's been something sought after for ages in this game. An instanced, phased or otherwise personalized chunk of the world is exactly what I personally would want. Having all the creative and decorative tools at my disposal I would work a masterpiece and when I was ready and done, I'd show it off to all my friends by inviting them to my group and allowing them to join my "phase" or "instance.

So I decided that I would open this thread (Considering doing a brief scan of the last couple of days and finding no similar threads) as to what the people of mmo-champ would like player housing for! My example being that I want privacy in my work and a perfect location and I am willing to give up seeing it in the world for being able to have artistic control over it. Conversation, go!

Edit: I forgot to mention that is very strange that my rp character has existed in the world of warcraft for 9 years now and still has no house. I just find it odd I have to make him sit in an inn if wants to sleep. Then again, the rp limitations of this game are enormous.

What part of Blizzard's stance suggests they don't understand you. They understand perfectly, they've said explicitly that what you want is not interesting to them and not worth development time. It needs to be something more, something larger, to be a viable option for their time.

As for RP, I don't understand your problems. I can RP just fine with a pencil, paper, dice and friends sitting around a table. Why do you need your own bed to be able to roleplay? ... wait, don't answer that, I already know.

[checking facts]

and you don't gain rested XP and can't set it as a hearthstone location.

nah, those wouldn't make sense. we rest at our homes, after all

but I doubt anyone refrains from going out in the world to build rested XP. just forbid queueing at home and everything will be fine. it's like real life: most people have to leave their homes to go to work lol

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Honestly? I'd prefer guild housing. I don't see why they can't make guild housing fun, get an important gameplay addition. They could make events where your guild house gets attacked by NPCs or even other guilds (depending on the type of server) and this could offer rewards to the winner.

I feel like something like that would be possible, and obviously the players want it.

[Sliske]

Yeah, no player housing is a stupid idea, it's not interesting and adds no interesting gameplay whatsoever. I absolutely can not see why anyone would want player housing at the expense of something meaningful like, let's say, interesting end game content?

Agreed, and they've got this message. So to the OP: Yes, the have got the message, the reasonable one.

[Pandamists]

Because we would never see people in the world anymore, theyd just be chilling in their houses, and yes it would take away from meaningful content, theyre arnt going to hire more people to work on housing

Are you implying we still see the world? top lel

[Erolian]

The only way instanced housing/guild housing could/would work and have it be interesting is basically what Runescape already did. Basically you have a skill that allows you to go farm materials, maybe we could finally cut a tree down for planks or whatever. You then use these things you farmed to build your home. These materials could be stone/wood/whatever and actually give a reason to explore the world. Inside of your home you can use it for trophies and possibly a few portals or the like and maybe include a farm or a blacksmith anvil or whatever then for guilds you'd just upscale all of that and possibly introduce guild custom arenas etc to be built where you can have a community driven pvp tournament or guild only or whatever. It could easily increase peoples want and need to be in the world while also promoting being social. Make the guild housing in channels and privacy settings where it could be open to the public and instead of saying its taking people out of the world you could say they're making their own worlds. Its basically whatever they want it to be

[yuca247]

So yeah. That's the front page. Of all the other things that seemed mildly interesting to start a topic on, this is the only thing that really stuck a thorn in my side. I honestly don't think Blizzard gets the point of player housing. Or they do, but they are being completely oblivious as to why it's been something sought after for ages in this game. An instanced, phased or otherwise personalized chunk of the world is exactly what I personally would want. Having all the creative and decorative tools at my disposal I would work a masterpiece and when I was ready and done, I'd show it off to all my friends by inviting them to my group and allowing them to join my "phase" or "instance.

And we would go up to it and say "cool" and then move on. It just doesn't add anything dynamic or interesting specially in terms of gameplay elements.

So when they measure the amount of input it would take to implement something like this to the output they would get they feel it's not worth it and I agree.

[jbombard]

I don't think it has anything to do with quality, they simply don't want to do it and they are making excuses.

Honestly though, when I look at another feature that was constantly requested and suggested, the appearance tab, and see their terrible implementation of that in Transmog, I'm not sure they could get something as complex as housing right.

[sandspally]

Your concept is the same as mine.
Seems Blizz is always looking for a gold sink - a personal house (or guild hall) would be it!
Have a vendor inside (like a butler or servant) and you can buy unique things from them.
Chairs, tables, etc. Heck, have quests to get different themes!
Have a group with friends, bring them in, and show it off!
"Ohhh You have the Stormwind theme! You must have done the <Quest name>!"

It certainly beats hanging around in Org, watching people jump up and down.
There's a time to be social (in game) and a time where it's nice just to do something when you're VP capped and want to have a bit of silly fun.

There is furniture in the game now - tables, chairs, couches, beds. Maybe paintings and some bling-bling.
Maybe some Engineering toys, too! If you have Jeeves, you can 'charge' him while he's in the house and he's always out!

I mean, you can buy the farm at Halfhill, and the farm is phased, so it seems most of the work has already been done.

[NMX-]

Bookmark this thread. Wait til Blizzcon. Come back to this thread.

[Rucati]

Yeah, no player housing is a stupid idea, it's not interesting and adds no interesting gameplay whatsoever. I absolutely can not see why anyone would want player housing at the expense of something meaningful like, let's say, interesting end game content?

This x1000.

Why would it would a good idea for Blizzard to waste resources making something so absurdly useless. What exactly would this add? A little instanced room for you to sit in? Why would that be a good thing, people are already sitting in Org/Stormwind 24/7, would it be better for them to be in their own instanced house? Not really.

It's an absolutely horrible idea, it would add virtually nothing to the game and actually take away from it. That is not a good use of resources.

[Wildberry]

Honestly? I'd prefer guild housing. I don't see why they can't make guild housing fun, get an important gameplay addition. They could make events where your guild house gets attacked by NPCs or even other guilds (depending on the type of server) and this could offer rewards to the winner.

I feel like something like that would be possible, and obviously the players want it.

That's actually not a good idea, it sounds neither fun nor interesting, and no, the players don't want it, save for a small minority.

[ablib]

It's interesting how people want features that failed MMO's have, and have them integrated into WoW.

The Blizzard quote is true. Instanced player housing isn't very interesting, and is incredibly gay. The first time I saw it in Everquest, I couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous it was.

However, Sunsong ranch is player housing. I have a place to bind my hearth there. A place I call my own, that isn't an instance. It's a step in the right direction.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

That's actually not a good idea, it sounds neither fun nor interesting, and no, the players don't want it, save for a small minority.

I doubt you have the numbers to say how many exactly want player housing, but it's quite obvious that it's been a common theme in questions since vanilla.

I wasn't saying do it exactly as I said, but any sort of player created content is a great investment for any game. Giving creative players the tools to create their own content means that Blizzard can spend more time and resources on other content. I mean they could give us customizable arenas, practise bosses for PvE, the ability to challenge other guilds, physical representations of our guild achievements! The list of content that can be implemented into guild housing is almost endless. What better way to promote socialization in game?

[Sesto]

Housing ties players to the world, instead of it just being a loot-treadmill game.

It doesn't tie people to the world, it ties them to a very small isolated part of the world.

[Pascal]

Honestly don't care even slightly about player housing. If they want to "spend valuable resources" developing it, whatever. If they don't, whatever. Whatever.

[Marema]

Player housing is idiotic. "hey guys come over to my place for some erp!"

dumb and dumb. If you want player housing go to Exodar, you have the whole place to yourself.

[Celista]

I literally NEVER cared about player housing...until I saw how it worked in Rift, and it is awesome. I don't actually do anything with my own player housing, but I like the way dimensions are set up where you can visit others' dimensions (dimensions = player housing) and it's just a really great system. I could see guild airships, etc working in WoW, or an individual player housing system.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if we saw player housing of some sort as a feature of the next xpac.

[Sesto]

Player housing is idiotic. "hey guys come over to my place for some erp!"

dumb and dumb. If you want player housing go to Exodar, you have the whole place to yourself.

People don't want player housing to have a secluded spot; most want it to have a spot they can customize and call their own. Some people really like customization.

[MoanaLisa]

"you can't queue for dungeons, raids, scenarios, arenas or battlegrounds while in your house"

problem solved.

Not only solved but probably reduce the interest in this by a considerable amount too. That said though, I'm not against it. I enjoyed the farm in MoP and thought it a useful thing with a lot of potential, especially the work orders.

Anyone doubting that this wouldn't affect things needs to remember this would come most likely under systems with supporting necessary art assets and the rest. So it really would have an effect.