Instanced Housing: Ideas and Details

[Jojoya]

Whilst I'm not a fan of the instanced housing idea, I can understand its merits and actually had an idea, "lore wise" of how it could work, might make people unhappy though.

Use the massive skyscraper like buildings in Amaurot. The place was previously rife with creation magic, so spinning some kind of story about how your character created some kind of personal house there, in a zone you wanted, so you were able to have an environment that you actually liked such as Beds, Goblet etc. Needs a fair bit of fleshing out, but it's at least some way of making instanced housing, right?

Unfortunately, we've lost the ability to use creation magicks on that scale.

Instanced housing doesn't need that sort of explanation, though. The WoL is so well known across Etheirys at this point that if they said they want to build a home in Plum Springs in Yanxia, Hien would probably say "please do, you are most welcome here". Or similar would happen for other locations where the WoL may want to live.

[CatStarwind]

We already have instanced housing. Apartments have just not seen any attention for a very long time. I feel just adding a balcony would help tremendously.

[PaalHenrik]

We already have instanced housing. Apartments have just not seen any attention for a very long time. I feel just adding a balcony would help tremendously.

Apartments are not instance housings.

[CatStarwind]

Yes they are, they just lack many features from housing, which honestly can be added to it. e.g. Gardening via a balcony.

[Khryseis_Astra]

I’d like to see apartments upgraded too, with different size layouts, balconies and such. But an apartment isn’t a house. Both could be done, and IMO both should be done… I feel like it’s the only way everyone can have what they truly want as far as player housing, and end all the disappointments and animosity of the current system. Again, not saying to get rid of the wards, but add instances so everyone can enjoy.

[Jojoya]

Apartments are not instance housings.

Look up the definition of housing in a dictionary.

Apartments are a form of housing, even if they are a less desirable form than a house.

[PaalHenrik]

Look up the definition of housing in a dictionary.

Apartments are a form of housing, even if they are a less desirable form than a house.

Look up the definition of instanced. And know-it-all.

[solipsism]

If the Islands are already instanced, why not just ask for housing features added to that? I don't see the point in having an entire instance of Lavender Beds for one person to have one house in a neighborhood designed to be filled by 30 houses.

Different apartment or personal quarters sizes would be nice, maybe with or without the option of templates for different layouts of light fixtures. The biggest hurdle I've had in trying to design a room is that there's only one light fixture that can't be moved, and none of the furniture lights are even close to the same level of brightness, so if you try and create more than one "room" in a single space then the lighting is really unbalanced.

Can someone explain what "instanced" is being used to mean in this discussion, exactly?

[Khryseis_Astra]

If the Islands are already instanced, why not just ask for housing features added to that? I don't see the point in having an entire instance of Lavender Beds for one person to have one house in a neighborhood designed to be filled by 30 houses.

It would only be your chosen plot and the immediate area around it, not an entire ward generated for one person. It would use the existing wards more as a model of what you want your plot to look like, not give you the whole area. The inaccessible areas would just be background scenery. Some people like different residential areas, some want different sizes, some have dream plots. Easy way to give everyone what they want, and to have the freedom to change back and forth if wanted.

Also, like some have suggested, there could be an area in each residential area with a directory of instanced houses, much like they do for apartments.

I wouldn’t mind having some kind of housing on the island, but I wouldn’t want to necessarily live there. If the cabin was more like a real cabin, maybe a one-story cottage with some space for outdoor furnishings, that would be cool. And not beside a workshop with mammets peeping in my bedroom area. lol

But in general, the idea is for everyone to be able to have the same housing experience you would get in the wards, in your instanced house. The instancing is just taking care of the problem of there not being enough ward space to go around. And adding more wards causes more server stress because the wards need to be permanently loaded.

[Kaiproberts]

Housing in this game is really unique compared to other games; it's probably a big reason why it's so popular in the first place. Other games already have instanced housing. There is a reason we are not playing other games for their housing. Neighborhoods are a cool feature in general. I do support upgraded apartments though, that would be pretty neat.