The War Within Hotfixes - January 23, 2025

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Patch 11.1.0 PTR - Build 58731

Player Housing Interface API Strings
As initially found by Yuvalal in the Datamining Discord, Blizzard accidentally shipped a file with the 4.4.2 PTR that relates to the upcoming player housing system in Midnight. Note that this does not mean player housing is coming to WoW Classic, Blizzard shares interface files between versions and this file could just as well have accidentally shipped in a future 11.1.5 PTR build.

Also note that even though the file was accidentally added in today's build, its ID is older and implies initial creation during late DF/early TWW development. We don't know how recent its contents are.

The automatically generated Lua file describes various enumerated value types (enums) relating to the player housing system.

  • Editing Modes: Layout and Decoration
  • Layout Mode - Edit rooms, modifying components such as Wall, Floor, Ceiling, Stairs and Pillars.
    • Components can have options such as being able to tag them as a doorway/doorway wall. Doors have 2 sizes, narrow and large.
    • Exterior components are themed, with Human being the only theme mentioned in the file. Exterior components can be filtered by "Any", "Small", "Medium" and "Large".
  • Decor Mode - Place decorations inside and outside of the house, with various models (large and small)
    • There are currently 4 decor themes: "Folk", "Rugged", "Generic" and "Opulent".
    • HousingDecorType mentions being able to decorate floors, walls, ceilings and tabletops

All in all, this file leaves a lot up to interpretation, so feel free to read it for yourself below.

Blizzard announced more details on player housing would be coming early this year, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see whether or not these interpretations are correct!

Code:
local PlayerHousingConstants =
{
	Tables =
	{
		{
			Name = "HousingDecorFlags",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 2,
			MinValue = 1,
			MaxValue = 2,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "Exterior", Type = "HousingDecorFlags", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Interior", Type = "HousingDecorFlags", EnumValue = 2 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingDecorModelType",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 3,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 2,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingDecorModelType", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "M2", Type = "HousingDecorModelType", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Wmo", Type = "HousingDecorModelType", EnumValue = 2 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingDecorTheme",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 5,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 4,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingDecorTheme", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "Folk", Type = "HousingDecorTheme", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Rugged", Type = "HousingDecorTheme", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "Generic", Type = "HousingDecorTheme", EnumValue = 3 },
				{ Name = "Opulent", Type = "HousingDecorTheme", EnumValue = 4 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingDecorType",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 5,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 4,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingDecorType", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "Floor", Type = "HousingDecorType", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Wall", Type = "HousingDecorType", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "Ceiling", Type = "HousingDecorType", EnumValue = 3 },
				{ Name = "Tabletop", Type = "HousingDecorType", EnumValue = 4 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingExteriorComponentSize",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 4,
			MinValue = 1,
			MaxValue = 4,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "Any", Type = "HousingExteriorComponentSize", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Small", Type = "HousingExteriorComponentSize", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "Medium", Type = "HousingExteriorComponentSize", EnumValue = 3 },
				{ Name = "Large", Type = "HousingExteriorComponentSize", EnumValue = 4 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingExteriorComponentTheme",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 1,
			MinValue = 1,
			MaxValue = 1,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "Human", Type = "HousingExteriorComponentTheme", EnumValue = 1 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingPermission",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 8,
			MinValue = 1,
			MaxValue = 128,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "AddDecor", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "ChangeDecorParam", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "EnterDecorEditMode", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 4 },
				{ Name = "MoveDecor", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 8 },
				{ Name = "RemoveDecor", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 16 },
				{ Name = "SaveHouse", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 32 },
				{ Name = "SelectDecor", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 64 },
				{ Name = "EditLayout", Type = "HousingPermission", EnumValue = 128 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingResult",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 18,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 17,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "Success", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "DbError", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "RpcFailure", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "GenericFailure", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 3 },
				{ Name = "LockOperationFailed", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 4 },
				{ Name = "UnlockOperationFailed", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 5 },
				{ Name = "LockedByOtherPlayer", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 6 },
				{ Name = "DecorNotFound", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 7 },
				{ Name = "HouseNotFound", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 8 },
				{ Name = "PermissionDenied", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 9 },
				{ Name = "NotInDecorEditMode", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 10 },
				{ Name = "NotInsideHouse", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 11 },
				{ Name = "ServiceNotAvailable", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 12 },
				{ Name = "RoomNotFound", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 13 },
				{ Name = "RoomUpdateFailed", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 14 },
				{ Name = "NotInLayoutEditMode", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 15 },
				{ Name = "PlotNotFound", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 16 },
				{ Name = "MaxDecorReached", Type = "HousingResult", EnumValue = 17 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingRoomComponentDoorType",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 3,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 2,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingRoomComponentDoorType", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "NarrowDoor", Type = "HousingRoomComponentDoorType", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "LargeDoor", Type = "HousingRoomComponentDoorType", EnumValue = 2 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingRoomComponentOptionType",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 3,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 2,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "Cosmetic", Type = "HousingRoomComponentOptionType", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "DoorwayWall", Type = "HousingRoomComponentOptionType", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Doorway", Type = "HousingRoomComponentOptionType", EnumValue = 2 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingRoomComponentType",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 6,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 5,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "Wall", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 1 },
				{ Name = "Floor", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 2 },
				{ Name = "Ceiling", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 3 },
				{ Name = "Stairs", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 4 },
				{ Name = "Pillar", Type = "HousingRoomComponentType", EnumValue = 5 },
			},
		},
		{
			Name = "HousingRoomFlags",
			Type = "Enumeration",
			NumValues = 2,
			MinValue = 0,
			MaxValue = 1,
			Fields =
			{
				{ Name = "None", Type = "HousingRoomFlags", EnumValue = 0 },
				{ Name = "BaseRoom", Type = "HousingRoomFlags", EnumValue = 1 },
			},
		},
	},
};

APIDocumentation:AddDocumentationTable(PlayerHousingConstants);
This article was originally published in forum thread: Player Housing Interface API Strings started by chaud View original post
Comments 87 Comments
  1. Kathranis's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Jastall View Post
    Considering the engine, I also think it's probably to function this way. WoW isn't really built for more in-depth physics interactions like free placement of items, at least I quite doubt it. Perhaps the devs cooked hard and I'll be impressed but if anything I think they might win players over with an extensive breadth of customization, rather than depth of it.
    I mean, I have to imagine that the functionality will be a more streamlined and user friendly version of their internal WowEdit tool, with similar functional limitations. Most of the game's architecture is bespoke, imported 3D building models sculpted and textured outside of the game, that are then decorated using smaller assets (doodads) that they can place freely (rotate, scale).

    Based on the strings we can assume that the walls can be customized to add doorways, likely windows too, so there must be some degree of customization in how you can arrange the layout of the house, but it doesn't seem like it'll be anything like the Sims where you can design the layout on your own.

    Rather, probably able to either choose from a variety of preset layouts and simply customize positioning of doors, windows, and walls, or maybe with bespoke rooms that can maybe be added on and swapped around.

    The doodads themselves, there's no reason to think that you won't have some x/y/z positioning control, or at least there's nothing that should prevent it. Scaling might be less likely, but should still be possible. Simply because that's how doodads already function in the game, that's how they're already placed in the environment, just that it's done using WowEdit rather than any direct in-game interface.

    Free control of the doodad placement would probably be easier than programming walls and tabletops as having sockets to attach objects to them, and yield better results.

    Of course they'd need to impose limitations to prevent players from doing weird, obscene, or disruptive things with them. So if they do have scaling or rotation, it might not be full control, but rather preset sizes (small, medium, large) and angles (0°, 45°, 90°), with limits to prevent you from clipping them or having them just hanging in the air.

    I think the devs are fully aware of what players expect from this sort of system and would probably not have implemented it at all if they didn't think they could deliver something at least close to that. But... we'll see.
  1. Kilpi's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Jastall View Post
    Considering the engine, I also think it's probably to function this way. WoW isn't really built for more in-depth physics interactions like free placement of items, at least I quite doubt it. Perhaps the devs cooked hard and I'll be impressed but if anything I think they might win players over with an extensive breadth of customization, rather than depth of it.
    What's "in-depth physics" about placing non-rigidbody assets with simple box colliders to tell if something is intersecting another item? I mean, I agree the engine has had to have big upgrades to allow any of this, but it's the dynamically player placed items that has most likely been the biggest thing to tackle.
  1. Alanar's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Biomega View Post
    Sounds very much like SWTOR.

    Could be worse. Housing is what keeps SWTOR alive, I swear ;P

    It's not FULLY customizable, but if SWTOR is anything to go by then it'll be at least alright. WoW is 20+ years old, people, you can't expect dynamic free placement with all the trimmings. It's a minor miracle they are doing even this much.
    I only played the first year of swtor at its peak, so I am not entirely sure on its impact. But what I can say, Swtor did a lot of things well. Especially classes were just fun to play.

    Sadly the fps issues and massives dropps in lags just killed the game pretty much there.
  1. Logwyn's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Snakepit View Post
    I totally don't care about housing, probably will engage to some extent out of curiosity, but there are a million other things I'd like to see first before this. At the same time I realize there are LOADS of people who are very eagerly anticipating that feature and are gonna enjoy it, so I'm totally fine with that and happy for them. But some people who criticize it are receiving answers like "if you don't want it, it does not affect you, so why do you care, doesn't take anything away from you" - that's not quite true.

    Every game has a X budget, spread between teams. Yes, housing and hero talents are not the same dev teams for sure, but if 2% of budget X are allocated to team "Housing", it means 2% of budget X are not being allocated to team "Another feature". And if a feature ends up being a failure, that's a waste of development and budget that could've gone elsewhere. Now, I do believe housing will be a successful feature (if implemented correctly, of course), but to say "it does not concern you or affect you in any way if we have it in game" is not quite objectively true.
    Should I ask you to name all million things? Or just like 20?
  1. PixelFox's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Altmer View Post
    Nothing beats ESO and FF14 housing system in terms of decoration and tools to do it.
    Well, I guarantee WoW devs on the housing team spent probably three months playing all the other games that have housing and have looked hard at every competing system and, as always, will snatch every single feature they think is worthwhile.

    My biggest concern for player housing is the immersion of the housing location. I really don't want another "personal zone" that you have to teleport to, open a portal to, enter a shared door to where every player uses the same door, etc. These things are all too common in most other games.

    The Blizzard Win Condition is if they can let you place your home out in the game world somewhere and seamlessly transition into that custom phase as you approach, with no loading screen etc. Even Garrisons manage to work this way. Even if there are a limited selection of locations, this is still the way to go. Ideally, they would let us just plop down our house anywhere (it would still be only visible to us and our party), but WoW devs have always been kinda lazy when it comes to any "hard work", so I don't have my hopes set really high here.

    I want to look out of my windows and see the actual zone my house is in, maybe even see players and mobs (though maybe they can't see me). I want to travel to my home in the old-fashioned way (though I'm sure a new hearthstone will be available) if I feel like it.

    The actual customization features I'm not too worried about, because lots of games have done all this before so I'm sure they will do something fine. Today's leak has me feeling good already if you're going to be able to actually construct the structure from scratch, add floors, etc.

    Speaking of the Garrison, I've actually been using mine a lot lately (Lunarfall at least, the Horde one sucks). It's super cozy, has many resources, lots of places to run around and explore, super RP possibilities. You also get Trade Chat there if you want it. I have all the Christmas decorations up permanently too. It's pretty quick to upgrade a new character to a Level 3 Garrison (can be done in an hour or so I think).
  1. Tech614's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Altmer View Post
    I don't want to sound negative, but I think housing system in WoW is going to suck a lot.
    Nothing beats ESO and FF14 housing system in terms of decoration and tools to do it. Also to keep in mind that ESO use these decoration to make towns, cities and NPC zones. WoW NPC decorations from Vanilla all the way to Dragonflight, sucks.
    Animal Crossing has less tools for decorating than XIV and yet I enjoy playing with my house in AC more than XIV.

    This is so far down the list of things to make the system fun or not.

    Can't comment on ESO as the game was way too painfully boring to me to ever get deep enough into it to play with the housing feature, but I can say with certainty it doesn't take much to top XIV here. Housing in XIV is probably the least interesting feature the game has for me, and I do enjoy the game.
  1. NatePsy's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Snes View Post
    I dunno how anyone can look at the pathetic drip-feed of character customization options and believe that they will do anything more than the bare minimum for housing.
    I'm of the same opinion myself tbh. I think a lot of it will be very linear, in that you won't be able to dictate too much with how the house looks and where things are placed, likely pre-determined locations for objects. I'll be very surprised if they have an exterior.
  1. Chickat's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Zardas View Post
    You can't scale objects in swtor.
    Really? I could have sworn you could. Its been years since i played though. I wonder which mmo im thinking of then.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by iindigo View Post
    Lots of poo-pooing in the comments but I think that if this is done reasonably well, it’ll have appeal similar to though not quite as wide as that of transmog (which itself got a lot of poo-pooing on the official WoW forums).

    It’s important to remember that players who participate in any WoW-related forum are a highly biased sample that make it look like the playerbase is dominated by hardcore raiders and high key runners who don’t care about anything that’s not competitive, but plenty of people come to WoW for other things, even if it’s just using WoW as a cozy familiar comfort game after a long day at work when people don’t have energy left for much else. Stuff like housing is prime content for this crowd.




    I wouldn’t be surprised if housing actually gets updates that are both deeper and more frequent than character customization for the simple reason that they’re a heck of a lot simpler: no rigging work, no clipping or animation issues, more ability to share assets between housing styles. Even adding new styles should be simple in theory based on the architecture this leak is presenting… just model the various components of the house to fit the framework and you’re golden. For some things like walls they can probably even get by with slapping a different texture on a model that’s shared between all styles.
    Plus the built a whole separate team to work on just housing as a feature. I think they said the plan to support it for the next 20+ years in an interview. Having a separate team adding stuff every major patch will be great. Even if its just 30 new decorations and some new door/window styles and wallpapers etc every major patch that would be a significant amount of content for people to farm. I imagine it will probably launch pretty bare bones though unfortunately. 10 years from now it will probably be almost unrecognizable kinda how transmog expanded a lot with features and QoL but even more so.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    I wonder if instanced content will allow elite decorations or just recolors of existing decorations. I know the string only mentioned Human, but hopefully it’s not a garrison ally vs horde theme, and we get themes for every race, and not have it be restricted by race. Think a NE hunter with a gnome themed electrical whirly-gig style going on.

    Would also be nice if we could have a room themed for our class. Hunter having a stable room with various pets roaming around. Paladins with a customizable statue representing Turalyon, Uther, or other paladins. Mages with floating tables, books, and other knickknacks. Shamans with various elementals playing/fighting in corners of the room. Random stuff.
    Not saying we should get all of this stuff, but could be some nice thematics available if Blizz deep dives into it.

    Oh well, will have to wait and see.
    I imagine they might have human, orc, blood elf, night elf to start. Seeing as Midnight is elf centric. 2 diff styles to choose from at launch isn't a lot but would be more than some expect Id guess.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Jastall View Post
    Considering the engine, I also think it's probably to function this way. WoW isn't really built for more in-depth physics interactions like free placement of items, at least I quite doubt it. Perhaps the devs cooked hard and I'll be impressed but if anything I think they might win players over with an extensive breadth of customization, rather than depth of it.
    Yeah, they have 20 years of doodads to offer. Not that I expect them all to be available at launch, but I think we will have quite a lot of options. I could see something like 500 placeabnle objects at launch. Small patches add 30-50 new placeable things from past expansions as they drip feed the old stuff to keep us engaged and then big patches and expansions will add newly created current content themed placeable objects.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Val the Moofia Boss View Post
    I really hope that there are many different cultural and subcultural variations in housing walls and buildings. A mainland Pandaren 1, 2, and 3 set (much like how in FF14, there were multiple different sets for Hingashi housing roofs and walls). A Tushui Pandaren 1, 2, and 3 set. 3 variations of Wandering Isle housing walls and roofs. Etc. And in different sizes too. Commoner Stormwind house with 3 variations and in multiple sizes, and then noble Stormwind human kits with variations and different sizes. A Mulgore Tauren tent kit and a Mulgore Tauren log house kit. Etc.
    I think that would be sweet, but I really think we will be lucky to get human, orc, horde elf, alliance elf at launch. I imagine what you are asking for will be a thing in 5 or 10 years but I doubt they will be able to do that for launch.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Kathranis View Post
    I mean, I have to imagine that the functionality will be a more streamlined and user friendly version of their internal WowEdit tool, with similar functional limitations. Most of the game's architecture is bespoke, imported 3D building models sculpted and textured outside of the game, that are then decorated using smaller assets (doodads) that they can place freely (rotate, scale).

    Based on the strings we can assume that the walls can be customized to add doorways, likely windows too, so there must be some degree of customization in how you can arrange the layout of the house, but it doesn't seem like it'll be anything like the Sims where you can design the layout on your own.

    Rather, probably able to either choose from a variety of preset layouts and simply customize positioning of doors, windows, and walls, or maybe with bespoke rooms that can maybe be added on and swapped around.

    The doodads themselves, there's no reason to think that you won't have some x/y/z positioning control, or at least there's nothing that should prevent it. Scaling might be less likely, but should still be possible. Simply because that's how doodads already function in the game, that's how they're already placed in the environment, just that it's done using WowEdit rather than any direct in-game interface.

    Free control of the doodad placement would probably be easier than programming walls and tabletops as having sockets to attach objects to them, and yield better results.

    Of course they'd need to impose limitations to prevent players from doing weird, obscene, or disruptive things with them. So if they do have scaling or rotation, it might not be full control, but rather preset sizes (small, medium, large) and angles (0°, 45°, 90°), with limits to prevent you from clipping them or having them just hanging in the air.

    I think the devs are fully aware of what players expect from this sort of system and would probably not have implemented it at all if they didn't think they could deliver something at least close to that. But... we'll see.
    We will see. Best case scenario you get a big box that you can change the internal layout of, but I cant see them allowing you to make the house larger. Launch is probably a med/large house like seen in Kultiras with preset walls, MAYBE an internal wall editor. I do think resizing is somewhat likely, 50/50 imo. Though I doubt it will go beyond 25%-400% size. Likely Small, med large as you said. I don't see the harm in full rotation myself. There will surely be an item placement limit. Maybe 500 items or something. I could see multiple racial homes, with wallpapers and paint options. So you could have the orc model, but paint it a diff color. Inside, you could have goblin pineapple wallpaper etc. Thats best case scenario.

    Worse case is exactly like Swtor imo. With no object resizing, and just a generic item turn. I cant imagine them doing housing and not at least matching Swotr. But something like I said above would be ideal imo.

    Almost no shot its fully customizable like the sims tho. But can you imagine. If housing has its own collections tab and then inside a house you can enter an edit mode just like the Sims and place things/ remodel freely like the Sims.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Kilpi View Post
    What's "in-depth physics" about placing non-rigidbody assets with simple box colliders to tell if something is intersecting another item? I mean, I agree the engine has had to have big upgrades to allow any of this, but it's the dynamically player placed items that has most likely been the biggest thing to tackle.
    Tbh, the more I think about it, the more I think you will have full placement. You can already place toys in the world just about anywhere you want, and some of them are objects with hit boxes that you cant run through.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by PixelFox View Post

    My biggest concern for player housing is the immersion of the housing location. I really don't want another "personal zone" that you have to teleport to, open a portal to, enter a shared door to where every player uses the same door, etc. These things are all too common in most other games.

    The Blizzard Win Condition is if they can let you place your home out in the game world somewhere and seamlessly transition into that custom phase as you approach, with no loading screen etc. Even Garrisons manage to work this way. Even if there are a limited selection of locations, this is still the way to go. Ideally, they would let us just plop down our house anywhere (it would still be only visible to us and our party), but WoW devs have always been kinda lazy when it comes to any "hard work", so I don't have my hopes set really high here.

    I want to look out of my windows and see the actual zone my house is in, maybe even see players and mobs (though maybe they can't see me). I want to travel to my home in the old-fashioned way (though I'm sure a new hearthstone will be available) if I feel like it.
    Almost no shot they do this imo, and I cant think of any other theme park mmos where you can. Its 99.9% going to be a personal instance. MAYBE you can run inside it by clicking a gate door with no loading screen kinda like entering a delve, but imo its going to just be a button you press to tp there. A separate house Hearthstone.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by NatePsy View Post
    I'm of the same opinion myself tbh. I think a lot of it will be very linear, in that you won't be able to dictate too much with how the house looks and where things are placed, likely pre-determined locations for objects. I'll be very surprised if they have an exterior.
    Dont the strings mention exterior decoration on WoWhead. I think you will have a front and back yard. Likely a Garrison sized instance with your house near the front. Small front yard. Large backyard. Just what Im expecting anyways.
  1. Nymrohd's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Chickat View Post
    I think that would be sweet, but I really think we will be lucky to get human, orc, horde elf, alliance elf at launch. I imagine what you are asking for will be a thing in 5 or 10 years but I doubt they will be able to do that for launch.
    WHy though? Those assets already exist.

    If it was mostly pre-built homes like ESO, I'd get the limitations because those need to be handcrafted first. But here, you'll have to create the frames for different building assets so after that it is just about skinning them differently with textures that already exist.
    The main reason I expect things to not launch fast is marketing. But I would still expect at least the launch races if not Launch+TBC (because Blood Elves!) to be included in the initial pack.
  1. Daronokk's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Capultro View Post
    I don't think we'll come to World of Warcraft for housing... so I'm totally against that, there are still major shortcomings that I expect with much more urgency... the remaining hero classes for example, proper class skins, multiclasses or new specs, there are a multitude of much more interesting things that could add great depth to the game but they bring housing, why? Who do they want to attract to the game, bored 50 year old women? Or what? What's wrong with the developers? Having so many millions of euros has softened their brains, right? Or what?
    I think there is a darker reason for player housing. Now that the game is 20 years old and quite outdated it means most players still active have been around for most of that timespan and are thus completely hooked on it, like a drug. Player housing in that sense is the icing on the cake that makes them stay forever by giving them a second home to tend for. You can't leave if it's your home, right? You have to continue to login to care for it.

    Blizzard could easily integrate lots of functionality to the house itself, achievements, mounts, pets, transmog sets, anything to show off your unique things you worked hard for and spend time on getting. I'm guessing here but I expect you to be able to have other players visiting your house to look around. The house will be your business card / profile showcase.
  1. Chickat's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nymrohd View Post
    WHy though? Those assets already exist.

    If it was mostly pre-built homes like ESO, I'd get the limitations because those need to be handcrafted first. But here, you'll have to create the frames for different building assets so after that it is just about skinning them differently with textures that already exist.
    The main reason I expect things to not launch fast is marketing. But I would still expect at least the launch races if not Launch+TBC (because Blood Elves!) to be included in the initial pack.
    I don't think there are enough housing assets for that many races. They cant just give you a highmountain hut. Every house needs to be similarly sized. I think they will be making the houses from scratch, and only porting over doodads and models/furniture etc. I could be wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Daronokk View Post
    I think there is a darker reason for player housing. Now that the game is 20 years old and quite outdated it means most players still active have been around for most of that timespan and are thus completely hooked on it, like a drug. Player housing in that sense is the icing on the cake that makes them stay forever by giving them a second home to tend for. You can't leave if it's your home, right? You have to continue to login to care for it.

    Blizzard could easily integrate lots of functionality to the house itself, achievements, mounts, pets, transmog sets, anything to show off your unique things you worked hard for and spend time on getting. I'm guessing here but I expect you to be able to have other players visiting your house to look around. The house will be your business card / profile showcase.
    How is giving players stuff to do dark?
  1. vian's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by khazmodan View Post
    Will this save WoW retail.. no, will it improve player retention, probably. Don't count on a mini game to save a grindy mind numbing main game.
    Grindy? WoW is by far the most casual game on the market.
  1. Nymrohd's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Chickat View Post
    I don't think there are enough housing assets for that many races. They cant just give you a highmountain hut. Every house needs to be similarly sized. I think they will be making the houses from scratch, and only porting over doodads and models/furniture etc. I could be wrong.
    If it's not prebuild housing, then it is walls, doors and windows.
  1. Jastall's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Chickat View Post



    Yeah, they have 20 years of doodads to offer. Not that I expect them all to be available at launch, but I think we will have quite a lot of options. I could see something like 500 placeabnle objects at launch. Small patches add 30-50 new placeable things from past expansions as they drip feed the old stuff to keep us engaged and then big patches and expansions will add newly created current content themed placeable objects..
    Housing is certainly a perfect opportunity to use two decades worth of art assets that are just sitting around doing nothing. Plenty of expansions with fantastic art design like Mists, Legion, and BFA are begging to get a second life for their sundries. I know I'd be very, very happy to get my own Zandalari dwelling and my friend would live his entire life in a Kul Tiras style small manor.

    I doubt it's as simple as taking a chair, plugging it in the system and voila, the player can place it however they want. But they gotta have a way to import those past assets without too much difficulty, I hope.
  1. Phasma's Avatar
    I hope they don't go with that disjointed and redundant data structure in the final version of their player housing script.
  1. BraveNewWorld's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Bladesyphon View Post
    I was thinking the same thing - XIV's housing system is pretty bare bones. It's pretty, yes, but you can't do anything extrodinary with it. Compare that to something like Guild War 2, or even New Genesis, and it really makes XIV look like little more than a doll house simulator.

    The fact that a player remade Naxxramas in Guild Wars 2, or that you can make literal cities in New Genesis' Creative space, really makes me question why anyone would say XIV's is one of the top of the line housing systems, when it's really not.

    Honestly, if WoW's housing is even the slightest bit like Guild Wars 2's as a bare minimum, we're all going to be in for a good time. The pipe dream would be to have something like New Genesis' Creative Space but ah... That's just not even a possibility with WoW's engine, as awesome as it would be.
    I have good expectations from WoW's Housing system tbh. Blizzard usually get those things right, and there are a lot of other housing systems to learn from (both their goods and bads).

    Decorations aside, I really hope they don't pull a XIV and try to be smarter than players with their plots. Imagine how awesome it would be to enter the housing area, and select if you want to join a guild (including Guild Hall) / community (with a common area) / personnal instance.
  1. PenguinChan's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Chickat View Post
    I don't think there are enough housing assets for that many races. They cant just give you a highmountain hut. Every house needs to be similarly sized. I think they will be making the houses from scratch, and only porting over doodads and models/furniture etc. I could be wrong.

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    How is giving players stuff to do dark?

    Having seen stuff people built on private servers with doodads, terrain and props there are more than enough models in the game to pretty much decorate any kind of race or faction. It’s insanely robust but WoW has to keep a performant face for obvious reasons. Blizzard could do MoP level of detail every expansion but that would come at the cost of hurting their low end users.

    OT: Thankfully housing is super casual so… I hope there are less restrictions in the future. Like an advanced mode you have to agree to - having layouts and premade rooms is great for normal users or to get an idea going before hitting the advanced bulding.

    I’m happy either way, but I’d love if we could break the placement molds since that’s just arbitrary hooks / containers meant for ease of use.
  1. enexa's Avatar
    I like the "housing" (or structure building) system in Palworld.

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    Regarding Palworlds housing; it's not too complicated, moderately basic and gives quite a bit of freedom. You can assign your "pals" to do specific work (like mining) and I thought WoW could do something similar with warband followers. You could also select some toon and click on it and say I want to play this one, then the game would let you change your character in your housing-area. Wouldn't that be cool?
  1. TheRealDroggar's Avatar
    I don't get the need for housing... i really don't

    Thought one of the reasons WoD failed was because the garrison system had players isolated in the garrison doing stuff instead of being outside

    So houses are cool now? (i liked garrisons, i really did, i hoped it would expand in a whole area where you have your manor or something equivalent.... with horse mini-games & all that jazz)
  1. Kilpi's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealDroggar View Post
    I don't get the need for housing... i really don't

    Thought one of the reasons WoD failed was because the garrison system had players isolated in the garrison doing stuff instead of being outside

    So houses are cool now? (i liked garrisons, i really did, i hoped it would expand in a whole area where you have your manor or something equivalent.... with horse mini-games & all that jazz)
    I guess the point is that garrisons weren't a form of housing and the upcoming housing doesn't work like garrisons. One example is that housing wouldn't actually have any gameplay benefits, making it completely optional.

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