Cheffchantier

Crossroads Keep was used by the developers as an example of a "player stronghold" that requires management and not the type of thing they're looking at the player housing to be. I do enjoy the customisation and management aspects, but then it needs to tie into the story a lot more, so I can see why they're staying away from that. Something like the Sink from New Vegas seems more likely. Somewhere to store your stuff and interact with your companions, maybe with a few quests to get some optional upgrades. And exactly that is one of the other things bothering me. it feels more then dumbed down. Don´t get me wrong i also immensely enjoy more recent games like fallout:nv, etc. but these homes do nothing for me. in fact they remind me of my wow or lotr online years(except for the companion interaction) as these house feel more like a quick storage room. it doesn´t feel like a house i life and rest in. and if i want a quick storage room, pls give me a chest or something where i can put my things(i don´t need a house to do that) and that i can acces more quickly then the running around in fallout:nv or other similar games. The other aspect i find saddening is that there ain´t(at least to my humble knowledge) more games out there where they bind the house into the storyline. i personally always liked these story´s because the feel more epic. i am not saying you can´t make epic storylines for games without a stronghold/keep (see da:o) but i simply like the fact that you command your own keep with servants ,etc and where you see it evolve and get the rewards for your labor.

To be honest decorations is something i don´t fancy that much either. i meant with all the upgrading choices , rumors, etc; that you have to evolve your castle into something much bigger and more defendable, where the main goal could be to upgrade your castle as effeciently as possible against the future threats. i don´t care if it looks fancy as long as the upgrades and the castle life is realistic and has an impact. --> something like the nwn2 crossroads would be great, because you were involved in your land and castle and its future. it gave me the ffeling of having achieved something great( first a ruined keep, with only some rooms intact and no life in it; which later in the game was a fully build castle with florishing castle life and interaction ). and it would be nice if your decisions have something of a impact, not these pseudo changes from awakening, where you can ignore or aid some of the nobles without feeling a big difference. i had the feeling( and i played it no for the third time) that nothing influences how your castle stands against the last darkspawn attack on your castle. the only thing that changes is the difficulty of winning against the darkspawn. id rather would have seen things like: you don´t exlpore the cellar and the darkspawn could have led a surprise attack through that cellar ,rampaging through your castle(destroying it and all your friends in it) and then there could be one survivor telling you about this and you have to decide, etc..... but that is just me:) Awakening didn´t do much in that regard for me:)

im in the minority here, but the castle from nwn2, i found to be great. especially since it was relevant to the story nwn2 was telling. the dynamics were great and i was always anxious on getting back to the keep for new informations , quests, upgrades, surpise visits, etc. for example: the dynamics with the amateur adventuring group(who goes on to spy for you) was great. in these scenes i was torn apart if i should send the (amateurish) group on such dangerous quests, etc. it made me feel emotions(at least for me) that a lot of the new games(dragon age 2)were not able to produce for me. i want to live in the world and with my character and not just fly over them. So i am 100% for something similar like crossroads with the great dynamics and variety between managing your keep and exploring for treasures,items, gold, to upgrade/make better the keep and your companions. and im against something as dumbed down as the da:o camp or the horrible warden castle in awakening. but these are just my 5 cents

oh i think here will not be many ppl from my country: luxemburg!

Let me disagree here. It's inferior to NWN2's castle in every way. Reinforcing wall is not a 'decision', it's grind-gold-and-get-your-damn-wall thing. Choosing what to patrol actually changes nothing. And it requires zero brain activity. Calm down , I was not saying that it was below/above/sideways from NWN2, as I have not played such a game. My point is that I am not in favor of having integrated castle management features (which do not make sense for wandering adventurers, as managing a castle requires continuous presence). I would prefer limitating the choices to some general orientations (grand projects, responding to some events), which gives the feeling that my character is the one in charge, that he owns the place (although he does not administer it, to busy he is with exploring the world and adventuring), and tha For me it was the balance between exploring the areas( getting gold and items for your castle) and then the brainstorming what i want to invest my little won money in the castle. For me personally i found the Dynamics in nwn2 between adventuring and so called "managing" great.

Let me disagree here. It's inferior to NWN2's castle in every way. Reinforcing wall is not a 'decision', it's grind-gold-and-get-your-damn-wall thing. Choosing what to patrol actually changes nothing. And it requires zero brain activity. exactly what i meant:) a disapointment from beginning to finish.

Hi, i have to say you have some great ideas about the housing. and i don´t see why a castle is not possible and unrealistic? it all depends on the storyline. To be honest for me personnally i wish you would do something in the vein of nwn2. I loved the crossroads and all the npcs, storyline´s, upgrading, etc that was involved with it. i have never seen an equally dynamically fun home for your character then this. to be honest it was the only home where it felt like the home for my character and i was always anxious of getting back to it, seeing what had transpired while i was away. for example i thought that the camp in da:o was terrible(in a great game!) and i didn´t even want to go back to it. and don´t get me started on awakening, because that was a total joke. enough ranting, i just hope you make something equally dynamic as in NWn2 with the crossroads. sadly as i seen too often im in the minority with this wish:) at least i gave my opinion to look at. best of luck creating the game^^