Absolutely agree with this post.

I, for one, think that a change in homes would be an excellent addition. I love having a home in the game and think that the of greater functionality as suggested would make homes a greater usefulness in the game(ie. storage/locker access point/furniture-containers, weapon stands, etc.). Right now, I visit my home occasionally, but spend very little time there as the available decorations/changes are expensive and funds are usually applied to other things. (I have not reached a point where I have large amounts of silver in hand.)

I also think that other variation in interiors would be fun.

- lighting/fireplaces/active items (could have fun descriptives - guttering candles, fires that change, a cuckoo clock that periodically acts, etc.)
- More profession/guild oriented decorations which could be awarded/purchased.(ie. plaques, awards, etc.)
- longer exterior descriptions (chimneys, pennants, trees/bushes, etc.)
- perhaps some items/areas to aid players (ie. workspaces, etc.)

Just think that homes have a lot of potential, even though, I am sure the work to do it would be difficult.

Islerogue

All I want is for homes to be experience nodes. That by itself would make them much more useful.

--David

"At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder, 'What would Jimmy Buffett do?'"

I doubt homes would replace tables in that respect.

~James
Player of Septimius

<<You can't force people to interact if they don't want to.

I agree 100% David, especially as Bremerial can swing from totally social to positively antisocial from day to day depending on my RL mood. Was thinking less about forcing to interact and more about not providing another incentive to be antisocial...if that makes sense.

<<But the effect might be exactly the opposite. If homes were noded, people might used them as a place to give services--lockpicking, healing, whatever. It would be like having an office to work out of. With the service verb, you could advertise your location. It might actually increase interaction.

Now that is actually a great idea. Never thought about nosing of homes in conjunction with the provision of services and the use of the new service verb. Now if it's used in this way, almost as a working office, I can see this working well for some. Yes. Can definitely see the benefits here.

<<For me, the bottom line is this: I own two premium homes.

I use my home less as a social venue or in RP situations but more as a way to keep my character(s) out of trouble when I don't want to log off. I'm sure there has to be a better use for a home than a character locker. I think they just need... Something more.

Love the comments so far guys by the way. please keep them coming, even if it's to disagree violently with me and to tell me that homes are perfect as they are. There have been some good issues raised of which I certainly wouldnt have thought.


-
Bremerial - Chair of the 'Bring the Highman Games to Kharam-Dzu' Committee


_____________________________

Warrior Interviews - Have you been interviewed yet? - http://www.assessrisk.com/personal/gs4_30.htm

AIM: warriorbremerial

>I'd like to have a small storage container too to store my coffee pot and coffees, some cooking utensils and maybe a knitting project that I am working on. I'd love to be able to go to my home, make some coffee and work on my knitting. It would be great RP for me instead of going to my locker, filling up my cloak going to the house, doing whatever, then stuffing my cloak and going back to my locker. I bought those items with good intentions, but somehow I just don't have the wherewithal to gather it up to use it, then gather it up again and put it away.

This is exactly why I don't buy RP items like tea kettles, coffee pots, cooking utensils, etc. I may use them once or twice, and then they go in my locker forever. It makes me happy to see things like this added to the game and I would love to have them and use them, but right now it's too cumbersome. Changes to homes could fix that.

I have tried to summerize the evolution of premium homes in a way which can be presented to whoever makes decisions about these sorts of things. It is based on the enthusiatic connversations about this issue in and out of the forum.


Introduction

(a) Part of the benefit of premium subscription is possibility of owning property - especically premium homes. However although there has been some minor development to premium homes since the introduction of this concept - pets, new furnishings etc - it is suggested that there is still scope for further development.

Proposal

(a) That consideration be given to the development of premium homes in the following way:

(i) The concept of multiple rooms be developed. The rooms would need to be consistent with the neighborhood.

(ii) Limitations could be placed on the number of rooms - again subject to neighborhood and type of property.

(iii) Rooms could be added to extend the height or depth of the building - such as first floors and basements - with a limitation of the degreee of construction based on game mechanics and of course property/district limitations.

(iv) Rooms could be added to extend the ground floor interior or exterior - bedroom or garden

(v) That objects that allow for the housing of a minimal number of objects be included within the homes - eg a wardrobe for clothing; A cabinet for tea and coffee ware


How would it Work?

(a) Owners of homes could be charged more rent for constructed developments and would naturally have to pay for the extra rooms.

(b) There could be an increased trade in home elements - stairs, garden furniture etc. Players could be involved in the design of some of these items. Include as competitions (monthly premium or standalone)

(c) Each town could develope its own beurocratic system of applying for permission and having to wait for permission to be granted. Local politics might play a part with some towns applying a NIMBY (Not in my back yard) approach or not wanting to spoil the view in certain upperclass neighborhoods. [Perhaps this would encourage people to construct properties in areas not populated to any great extent.]

(d) Some time limits would need to be applied so that construction takes a while - perhaps players would be excluded from their homes as construction takes place, to add a sense of reality (heh - I can see that not going down well actually but a small price to pay if even some of these idea are implemented.. no?)


Benefits

(a) It would reinvigorate interest in premium homes from a RP point of view, allowing owners to perhaps offer services from those homes.

(b) It could encourage more players to upgrade from standard to premium to try out the new homes

(c)It would increase spending on elements that could be used within the home - the potential list of ancialliary items is endless. Certainly it would encourage existing items such as coffee sets, cooking utensils etc, to be better utilised in the game.

Conclusion

The evolution of premium homes is a good concept which would be beneficial to all players either directly or indirectly. Additionally anything that potentially could increase subcriptions for Simu has got to be a good thing commercially. Coding issues aside - and as someone with no concept about coding but who does not underestimate the skill it takes to get stuff done - this is a good idea. I present it to the powers that be for consideration.




-
Bremerial - Chair of the 'Bring the Highman Games to Kharam-Dzu' Committee


_____________________________

Warrior Interviews - Have you been interviewed yet? - http://www.assessrisk.com/personal/gs4_30.htm

AIM: warriorbremerial

The reference to the beurocratic system was aspirational; and a suggestion as to the eventual possibilities... Even if the realisation of those possibilities would take years. But please don't let that detract from the core of this proposal which is the addition of more floors and inclusion of workable items.

I do appreciate the response Sleken and for the provision of a little background. But no need to worry. I'm not a great believer in the death of ideas. Often they merely smoulder and have to be stoked occasionally, until someone provides the fuel to bring them to life in some form.

Hopefully someone can cherry pick the workable elements of the proposal and consider the logistics and resource implications for implementation, even if realistically, implementation in its basic form would be a few years. (Good grief. I think I've just described a feasibility study. I am getting old!)

:)

-
Bremerial - Chair of the 'Bring the Highman Games to Kharam-Dzu' Committee


_____________________________

Warrior Interviews - Have you been interviewed yet? - http://www.assessrisk.com/personal/gs4_30.htm

AIM: warriorbremerial

You know... thats not far off. I once had a premium home issue that took a few months and multiple GMs to fix. One of those GMs somehow got the walls of my home stuck to them and we had no idea what to do about it all. Finally I think it was Emeredan who figured out the fix and it turned out to be the simplest damned thing.

A new system is what is planned. It's just a big undertaking and we do not have resources for it at this time.

SGM Sleken

One thing I've always wanted was the ability to access my locker through my house. I mean... In real life I'm going to change in my house and not in a public dressing room. I keep my clothes in my house, not in a storage unit.

Just a thought.