What kind of Player House would you like to see?

[veryblackraven]

Let's pretend Project Eternity has already reached it's $2.2M stretch goal and we're goind to see the Player House feature implemented. What kind of house do you like the most? There are plenty of games which include this feature so we can use them as an example.

[IcyDeadPeople]

There have been some pretty amazing player houses created by Skyrim mod authors.

 

My favorite is Build Your Own Home

 

I'm hoping for the option to build a home through a sort of crafting system, ideally in a way that is highly customizable according to your character concept and playing style. It would be great if there is a way to incorporate quests into the process of building and expanding your home, or quests related to NPCs that might reside in your home.

 

Also always enjoyed the stronghold concept for higher level players in D&D, where multiple NPCs can serve various functions, be sent out on missions or protect your stronghold and perhaps accumulate gold, resources etc.

Edited September 20, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[Naril]

Strongholds. Strongholds for everyone.

[Kilroy_Was_Here]

There have been some pretty amazing player houses created by Skyrim mod authors.

 

My favorite is Build Your Own Home

 

I'm hoping for the option to build a home through a sort of crafting system, ideally in a way that is highly customizable according to your character concept and playing style. It would be great if there is a way to incorporate quests into the process of building and expanding your home, or quests related to NPCs that might reside in your home.

 

Or if you didn't want to customize it yourself, merchants would sell 'starter sets' like in Fallout 3 based on certain concepts.

[Naril]

Houses are overrated. The Planar Sphere. THAT was epic.

 

true shame it couldn't have had a bigger part in BGII.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Naril

[Karranthain]

I liked the NWN2 fortress, but I'm guessing the scope of it is too large for this project.

BG2 strongholds are the next best thing, so there goes my vote.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Karranthain

[Karranthain]

If it's just a storage locker for my friends to hang out at, that'd be cool too.

 

I hope that's not the case, that'd be pretty disappointing (at least for me).

Edited September 20, 2012 by Karranthain

[Jaesun]

A House/Stronghold that makes 100% sense in what is happening in the world/story (like NWN2) was fine. Just adding it to game for no other reason than to just add it, meh. Spend that time/money on something else.

[IcyDeadPeople]

I liked the NWN2 fortress, but I'm guessing the scope of it is too large for this project.

 

Can you explain a bit more for those of us who aren't familiar with NWN2?

 

What was great about the fortress and why do you feel it would be beyond the scope of PE?

Edited September 20, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[Karranthain]

I liked the NWN2 fortress, but I'm guessing the scope of it is too large for this project.

 

Can you describe it a bit? Why do you feel it would be beyond the scope of PE?

 

New mechanics were introduced into the game (recruiting troops, solving problems, financing various improvements), it was also central to the storyline.

[veryblackraven]

It would be nice to found a small village, to be honest. Recruit merchants, healers, teachers, and offer the place to either refugees who have lost their homes or evil thugs - whichever you're into.

 

Sounds for me like a Morrowind style (If you choose House Redoran or Hlaalu).

[Sarog]

BG class strongholds, and accompanying storylines, add significant replay value that more recent RPGs lack. Having these strongholds be different and have different content on a class-by-class basis makes your class choice meaningful in a narrative sense as well as in a mechanical sense.

 

The NWN2 fortress was a bit of a clumsy one-size-fits-all to be honest. I could get into it when I was playing a military-type character, but lording over a military installation as a druid was not the least bit satisfying.

 

The class strongholds in Baldur's Gate 2 were one of the best things that game did, and went a long way to making class choice satisfying.

[Raithe]

If you do get a house, it really needs to have some element of story to it. And several quests (large or small) over time, with the potential to have it reflect different aspects of your character.

 

Not just some generic shack/hut you can pick up for 10,000 gold and is basically a couple of pretty rooms and plenty of loot-holding containers...

 

If you can get it early in the game, you should be able to expand on it in some ways as you get more powerful/renown/wealth. Have quests that complicate matters, and depending on the outcome change the way your house can develop.

[MReed]

Hate to say this, but this question has already been settled, I think:

 

Josh Sawyer on the Player House stretch goal

Source: Formspring

<quote>

 

To answer your question, we believe player houses serve a basic utilitarian purpose in RPGs. We like using them and would like to have them in PE. They require work to implement, but the $ of the goal is not meant to indicate $ spent on that feature [...] We have learned that a small interior with containers thrown in it (e.g. Novac hotel room, Pres. Suite [Tigranes: reference to Fallout: New Vegas]) is too minimal when it comes to auto-organization functionality. And again, KS is a fundraising platform, not a means of making a literal budget. [...] The problem inherent with this is that we're still very early in development. Designing systems takes time. I would rather be general and risk some frustration than be specific at this stage in the process.

</quote>

 

Source: Obsidian Forums

<quote>

 

In my mind, a player "house" is something like The Sink. A player stronghold would be something like Crossroad Keep, with much more in-depth strategic gameplay.

</quote>

 

This is pulled from the "Project Eternity: Known Information" thread. It is pretty obvious that "house" means, well, "house" -- a place to store things, maybe where companions hang out when they aren't in the party, but without any quests attached to it or plot significance.

 

Sorry -- I'd like strongholds as well, but it doesn't look like its in the cards this time around.

[Karranthain]

That's unfortunate, thanks for the quotes.

[Sarog]

A house, by itself, is not worth it, honestly.

 

What does a house involve?

 

A storage chest? That could just as easily be put in an inn or factional headquaters.

 

A place for companions to go when they aren't with you? Again, an inn or faction hq does this fine.

 

What else is there? Skyrim armour stands? Unlikely in an isometric. Buying/arranging furniture like Fable? I guess that could be an interesting minigame, but is worth investment? Anything else I can't think of? Whatever it is, if it is limited to "house" it can only be underwhelming. I just so happen to live in a house, and as such don't find them particularly exciting. Castles and towers are fun, though.

[IcyDeadPeople]

A house, by itself, is not worth it, honestly.

 

What does a house involve?

 

A storage chest? That could just as easily be put in an inn or factional headquaters.

 

A place for companions to go when they aren't with you? Again, an inn or faction hq does this fine.

 

What else is there? Skyrim armour stands? Unlikely in an isometric. Buying/arranging furniture like Fable? I guess that could be an interesting minigame, but is worth investment? Anything else I can't think of? Whatever it is, if it is limited to "house" it can only be underwhelming. I just so happen to live in a house, and as such don't find them particularly exciting. Castles and towers are fun, though.

 

In my view, the point of a house is simply to enhance your role playing options, which is what this game is all about.

 

Perhaps you are playing an ascetic character with limited worldly possessions who resides in the dormitory of some religious faction. On your next playthrough, you might wish to play a character who seeks to lift himself up from humble beginnings in the poorer district of some town, accumulate some wealth and purchase property in the wealthy district, or even build a house for himself in the wilderness, etc.

 

A huge castle or stronghold would be fun of course, but based on the comments posted above, it seems unlikely. Even a more simple player house would still be welcome IMO, but I'm hoping for a future stretch goal with the potential for official mod tools, in which case we might see something more ambitious.

Edited September 20, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[Luckmann]

I chose Other. I'd like a combination of #1, #2 & #3.

 

I would like strongholds to be at least partially class & race-specific, highly involved in the main storyline, with several options, and highly involved in faction question lines. With a whole bunch of subquests attached to each of them.

[timobkg]

A House/Stronghold that makes 100% sense in what is happening in the world/story (like NWN2) was fine. Just adding it to game for no other reason than to just add it, meh. Spend that time/money on something else.

Agreed, I could care less about having a house just for the sake of having a house.

[Rajaat the Warbringer]

Maybe not 100% on the topic of a house... but I love games that let you slowly build a whole town (like Suikoden, Breath of Fire 2, etc...). You get your house in that town, and slowly accumulate drifter characters, and shopkeeps (maybe doing quests to improve their inventory). Certain townsfolk may conflict with others, forcing you to mediate, or boot someone from town.

 

And the town would get better and better depending on the characters you fill it with (including your PCs).

[Aldereth]

Voted for Others because I don't think player house is ever properly implemented. Most are some extended version of additional storage with some quest attached to it sometime.

 

I would like to see more along the line of a player's home. Some place where characters PC care about live and create some game mechanics other than plot requirement that encourage the player return to it and use it as a home. Dragon Age 2 player house is closer to this line. Would like to see more reason for the players to return to the place other than plot sensitive element.

[SirPetrakus]

Maybe not 100% on the topic of a house... but I love games that let you slowly build a whole town (like Suikoden, Breath of Fire 2, etc...). You get your house in that town, and slowly accumulate drifter characters, and shopkeeps (maybe doing quests to improve their inventory). Certain townsfolk may conflict with others, forcing you to mediate, or boot someone from town.

 

And the town would get better and better depending on the characters you fill it with (including your PCs).

 

Fund it!

[Tauron]

Had to go with BG2 option. Having a housing that can be class oriented, would be epic! Planar Sphere in BG and Your OWN CASTLE and serfs or Thiefs guild...just great. A rogue class could have its own spy network. I think housing should be a bit more than just place where you can put your loot. A lair if you go dark side. Might be in sea of cliche, but hey, It should be optional. At least in future expansion pack they could add it.

[Krios]

I would like a basic house as a reward. And we get to unlock upgrades to our house though spending gold or doing quests. From a small humble cottage all the way to a small fortified manor, fit for the Hero. Our house will have NPCs to provide services, so we can interact with our servants, we can live like a Lord.

[Aedelric]

Other.

 

I would like it to be modular, I would not mind having to build it and deciding what kind of rooms should be built.