QoL suggestion - Let us know at a glance which houses has a message book

For the first time ever since housing was introduced, I have actually bothered to go and check out other people's houses. Though it would be a lot more fun you could more easily see which houses has either an indoor or outdoor message book. That way you can prioritize which houses to check out first.

Please add an icon to houses on the map to show if they have an message book, indoors or outdoors. Add an icon to the estate profile as well so you can see while you browse wards from the city-state aetheryte.

I feel like being able to leave more than just one message a day would be a better change, but yes, it'd make house hunting even easier if you could see at a glance whether the owner has a book or not.

Yeah, I went through my whole ward looking for message books. Not a single one outside and the few houses I went into had none. Couldn't spend the time going into all of them and searching around.

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Originally Posted by WhyAmIHere

I feel like being able to leave more than just one message a day would be a better change, but yes, it'd make house hunting even easier if you could see at a glance whether the owner has a book or not.

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This, so much. Since the feature came out I've started glancing in every yard looking for an outdoor book and peeking in houses to see if there's an obvious indoor book. Twice I've left a message at a nice place only to come across one a little bit later that I had to wait till the next day to come back and congratulate the owner on what they've done. I mean we put these books out there for a reason right? It's because we'd like folks to drop by and we'd like to know they did if we missed them.

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Originally Posted by WhyAmIHere

it'd make house hunting even easier if you could see at a glance whether the owner has a book or not.

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I don't follow. If a house is active it must have a book and if there's no book it must be inactive? I don't see how having a book or not could tell you anything about when or if a plot will become available.

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Originally Posted by Alien_Gamer

I don't follow. If a house is active it must have a book and if there's no book it must be inactive? I don't see how having a book or not could tell you anything about when or if a plot will become available.

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house hunting in this sense meaning "hunting for a house to leave a message at," not "to buy for myself/FC."
Sorry, barely functioning when I wrote that so I wasn't the clearest.

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Originally Posted by Ryaz

Yeah, I went through my whole ward looking for message books. Not a single one outside and the few houses I went into had none. Couldn't spend the time going into all of them and searching around.

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I went into every house on my ward, both divisions. Only 5, 6 houses had a message book which meant a lot of wasted time going in and out of houses. Visiting houses would be a fun thing to do on sunday and/or monday evenings when you are maxed on tomestones, done all your weekly stuff and have less stuff to do in the game. That is if they do this QoL suggestion. ´

If people have a message book, it more likely means that the owners have spent time making their house to look as good as possible.

What's the point of housing (in a MMO) if you have no interest in showing it off? (a general question, not directed only at you)

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Originally Posted by WhyAmIHere

house hunting in this sense meaning "hunting for a house to leave a message at," not "to buy for myself/FC."
Sorry, barely functioning when I wrote that so I wasn't the clearest.

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Ah, I understand now. Personally I don't really care about the books but it would be a nice QoL change for those that do.

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Originally Posted by OskarXCI

I went into every house on my ward, both divisions. Only 5, 6 houses had a message book which meant a lot of wasted time going in and out of houses. Visiting houses would be a fun thing to do on sunday and/or monday evenings when you are maxed on tomestones, done all your weekly stuff and have less stuff to do in the game. That is if they do this QoL suggestion. ´

If people have a message book, it more likely means that the owners have spent time making their house to look as good as possible.

What's the point of housing (in a MMO) if you have no interest in showing it off? (a general question, not directed only at you)

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Some people just use it for convenience (vendors, armoire, training dummies, retainer and aesthetician, etc). Personally, I enjoy decorating my house. Housing has sort become end game for me. My main goal is a mansion in Shiro one day.

Yes please! I went searching for houses and found that none of them had the books :C
Would love to have this feature for convenience sake.

I excitedly put one in the front yard of my fc's house, and in the inside day 1 of the patch. Not a single message or like still and I'm on the most populated realm to boot. I guess the passia skin scares people away...haha. Or the decorating is bad? XD

I stumbled upon a house with the yard guest book, and signed it telling them to clear their stable (complimented their house as well, because it was beautifully decorated).

My fc is just thinking about using the guest book as a way to leave IC notes for the fc members, since it isn't often people come through the wards, or so it seems. I can't imagine we'll be getting many guests to actually use all 10 pages of the book.

I do really hope they find a way to put an icon or something on a house when there is a guest book. I would hunt them down in every ward.

I support this as well! I really enjoy the creative things people do with their homes so I was super excited about the guestbook feature. Only I can't find any, and if I hadn't told my friends about mine I doubt they would have looked for it. The guestbook sparkles when the owner receives a new message. Maybe have it sparkle for the visitor when they have yet to leave a message for the owner?

I don't know that the symbol is necessarily needed or even a good thing. Some owners enjoy having people look around their homes but may not want to have a message book and the lack of one may discourage people from looking if their sole intent to leave messages/likes.

About the only useful thing I could see coming from it would be if people started a game of "hide the message book" and the symbol would confirm that there actually is one placed somewhere on the plot to be found. A lot of houses have "hidden" rooms and owners could see how many people find them based on the likes/messages that get left if the message book is placed in such a room.

I keep two message books. One outside just in front of a pillar next to the front door and one directly inside on a desk in front of my house maid. All the comments I've gotten have been from FC mates.

I house raid all the time anyway, but this would be very beneficial!

I have chosen to note in my greeting that I have a guestbook. That seems like the best way to do it at the moment.

I've got an FC my RP alt leads on Coeurl (weird, I know) and both we and our neighbors have guestbooks, so everyone tends to pop in and check out each others' work from time to time, as well as leave messages since we all have guestbooks now :)

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Originally Posted by Kio

Maybe have it sparkle for the visitor when they have yet to leave a message for the owner?

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Good suggestion.

Adding to the suggestion list, the game should tell you if you have any new messages in your book each time you logg in. Right now, you only get a notification if you are online when messages are posted (I think). They should also add a counter to the housing options window showing how many new messages you have.