Player Housing - why?

themilton

What's the purpose of individual player housing in MMOs? I can come up with three valid reasons:

• Loot storage
• Personal space to customize and mess around with
• Private conversations (assuming other players can enter your space)

Am I missing something? I really don't see the point in it. Really, even loot storage could be achieved through some sort of vault/bank system. And private conversations can be done over chat/tells. For me, having that personal space isn't worth my time and effort and resources.

So why do people complain about it not being in games?

Normbean

back in UO days they were awesome for decoration and displying rare items, UO is they only game I know where you could get very rare but very useless stuff. Like skull candles, statues and just waay to much stuff to recall now, plus having individual player housing opens up a new market for the game economy like buying and selling houses. One of my favorite things ever was the housing in UO back before people could customize the houses to whatever they wanted. 

Nightsorrow

Housing is nice to have for the feeling of virtual world and your own customized property.

People who like theme park games won't care about housing because they need to be told what to do in order to play the game. (Kill 10/10 pigs lolol)

Draklon

I liked it in UO. There it was a place to socialize. Multiple houses made our village, which we defended and where people visited. It made us feel like we were part of the virtual world

In other games i've played i couldn't care less. There was no need to meet up and hang out: Global chat lets you speak to everyone all over the world. There was no need to socialize because we had to level and then raid or grind for raids. GET THEM EPIX!

I guess for me... housing isn't important in games that focus on the MMO bit. Housing gets more important in games that focus on the ORPG bit.

Hedeon

one of the great things about ingame housing, is it adds diversity in game play, like the way it done in eq2, most dont care to do much out of it, but those who does get some really cool ideas.....so space for creativity.

not a must have, but can be one of the ways an MMO can give options other than, haave to go grind to do anything "meaningful" in game.

Kyleran

I'm not a fan of player housing, (though I do like Guild/Clan halls) because I feel it isolates the player base from each other.

That said, I know that many people like it, so that should be enough of a reason to include it.

No need to look for deep meaning, MMORPG's are supposed to be virutual worlds (IMO) and personalized housing is one way to make it more so.

 

Sad_Panda

I haven't played a huge variety of MMO's, but I did play FFXI and I like the housing system, with the exception of the whole system being instanced for each player's house.  Housing in MMO's creates lots of opportunites for crafters to flourish, and they allow for some creativity.  I think houses should be out in the open, however, for everyone to see and walk by.

Cynthe

I don't see the point in PvP but millions enjoy it.

Economy, one thing people will pay a lot of money for is stuff to decorate their houses ask any carpenter in fantasy games. That's one very good reason why people who wouldn't even own a house care, it could get you some nice coin.

Like mounts housing creates a money sink.

Quizzical

If it's purely decorative, then I don't see much point to housing, either.  If it's functional as in A Tale in the Desert, then it certainly has a point. 

Signe

I'm all in favour of things in games that don't have a point.  Sometimes they're just there to give players something else to work on in the game.  Like achievments, for the most part.  Sort of the point. 

veritas_X

If you have to ask 'why' then you're clearly not the target audience.  Player housing is one of the few features that link back to a time when these things were virtual worlds instead of simply games.  That time is passing, but housing is one of the initial things that drew me to the genre.  The first time I saw one in UO was an 'oh cool' moment that resonated.

Sure, the eleventy billion people that play WoW and its ilk don't care, and that's ok.  For me though, housing is one of the few things that separate an MMORPG from every other type of game.  Combat is fun, but its ultimately one-dimensional and pointless.  Housing gives you the very rare chance to permanently affect the world, at least in the games with real housing (UO, SWG, VG) and not that half-assed instanced crap.

 

Reklaw

Originally posted by veritas_X


If you have to ask 'why' then you're clearly not the target audience.  Player housing is one of the few features that link back to a time when these things were virtual worlds instead of simply games.  That time is passing, but housing is one of the initial things that drew me to the genre.  The first time I saw one in UO was an 'oh cool' moment that resonated.
Sure, the eleventy billion people that play WoW and its ilk don't care, and that's ok.  For me though, housing is one of the few things that separate an MMORPG from every other type of game.  Combat is fun, but its ultimately one-dimensional and pointless.  Housing gives you the very rare chance to permanently affect the world, at least in the games with real housing (UO, SWG, VG) and not that half-assed instanced crap.
 

nothing more to add

Well .....almost nothing......, I could say a MMORPG without housing is nothing more then a regular multiplayer online game with quests and more people then your regular 16/16, 32/32 setup.

GungaDin

Originally posted by Normbean


back in UO days they were awesome for decoration and displying rare items, UO is they only game I know where you could get very rare but very useless stuff. Like skull candles, statues and just waay to much stuff to recall now, plus having individual player housing opens up a new market for the game economy like buying and selling houses. One of my favorite things ever was the housing in UO back before people could customize the houses to whatever they wanted. 

 

I 2nd this. Camping houses was also fun and setting up vendor shops. 

Teganx

1. To decorate and show off rare stuff

2. to destroy and to defend

3. to set up player shops

4. to hold meetings/role play

5. to be able to gather materials and know that you built a house with your crafting skill!

There is so much. It really adds to the immersion.

ronsson

Yeahwell. In Wurm Online it is actually kind of central. It slows down item decay, and the bank is small. Only five items can be kept in the bank so you have to put your items somewhere.

 

If you put it in a house and lock it up the items are better protected from theft and decay. And if you put them in a chest that is also locked you increase protection.

 

Wurm doesn't have a lot of decoration yet but you can paint the walls of the house.

 

Not sure you understand but items on the ground don't decay instantly in Wurm. The reason is that you should be able to find old items lying around in hidden places so it is kind of a big deal.

 

But sure, player housing in other MMOs work differently so maybe this post is off topic in a sense. I don't much see the reason for it in those games either

teknician

Originally posted by Normbean


back in UO days they were awesome for decoration and displying rare items, UO is they only game I know where you could get very rare but very useless stuff.

 

I have a lot of rare and useless stuff littering my houses in SWG.

demalus

 Why are people so against it?

Shiineko

Player housing- MUST HAVE!

Neocron did it best.  You start off with your own apartment and you can buy different types later on, and you can specify which city you want an apartment in.. it's not completely random. 

 

I wait for the day that there is such a MMO out there that offers such a thing... with PVP involved... Stalk people and wait for them to go to their houseapartment.. Run up and gank them. YES.  That's how it should be.  Stalk and kill..

Cynthe

Better question, what's the point of an MMO, or video game for that matter.

Unknown

It adds depth and uniqueness to the game.  Thus, it brings in additional players, and provides additional value for your payment.  However, it does require development resources, and the positive must be weighed against the cons.  With mmo themeparks as they are now, I imagine most developers would rather use that development time to create new dungeons for people to chew through and discard after the next expansion (please note my sarcasm here and the fact that I detest the linear throw-away dungeon model).

Gorakkh

It adds another dimension to the game world. Remembering back to UO which was without instancing it really gave the games world a special feel to it ^__^

Reklaw

Originally posted by themilton


What's the purpose of individual player housing in MMOs? I can come up with three valid reasons:

Loot storage
Personal space to customize and mess around with
Private conversations (assuming other players can enter your space)

Am I missing something? I really don't see the point in it. Really, even loot storage could be achieved through some sort of vault/bank system. And private conversations can be done over chat/tells. For me, having that personal space isn't worth my time and effort and resources.
So why do people complain about it not being in games?

 

Below some links to screenshots I made when I returned back to SWG for 8 months in 2007, links can be seen in the screenshot section of http://www.mmorpg.com/galleries/Reklaw or select the single ones below...or not :P

Overview of my houses in Star Wars Galaxies

First house I created to craft in when I returned for a 8 months in 2007

Living room

Bedroom

My shop

 

Clone Centre

My DE crafting room

 

Entrance improved crafting chamber

Different view of my crafting room

 

My crafting kingdom, each locker holds one type of resources(several stats)

 

Yes I had people come over to this area, some just to come and take a look, some for chat, some for custom orders, sometimes to setup some groups to go hunting and used my crafting area to get buffed up and aquire perhaps certain items I might have or sell. I felt the camps where a huge improvement of what we had back as Rangers though I did miss my old ranger, but back to the camps, it made travel better as I could setup a camp with a shuttle port (one-way only...unfortunaly) so people could easely visit the crafting area, but I did have my shop very close to ME starport. As I said elsewhere if there is no housing then it's just another multiplayer game and no so much a virtual world....

 

Elikal

I guess I represent the extreme when I say its a MUST HAVE. I dont stay in a MMO without housing, and even then it must be good housing, not figleaf adds like LOTRO.

For me, creating a MMO character and logging in regular means creating some kind of alternative life I cant have here, some escapism, and I like to create lasting things together with my friends and guildmates. I am not satisfied with just going in every day and kill X amount of Y; I want to have the feeling I have some alternative life in some alternative world. Thus SWG with the player cities was my fav MMO. My guild, Mystic Alliance had planned and formed the city of North Beach on Starsider, for instance. We took great time to plan the city even before SWG was released with layout and design, and ran the city many years together. It was what made me stick to the game and the community in a way I havent even experienced close.

Housing is a must, and affordable even for starters is a must. It must be meaningful and not placed totally far away as a useless figleaf, as the LOTRO housing. An alternative is the EQ2 way with apparments, but housing must be somewhere central, in a place where is matters not in some totally far away instance where no one is ever supposed to go. A MMO without meaningful housing will never be able to keep me for long.

nariusseldon

Originally posted by themilton


What's the purpose of individual player housing in MMOs? I can come up with three valid reasons:

Loot storage
Personal space to customize and mess around with
Private conversations (assuming other players can enter your space)

Am I missing something? I really don't see the point in it. Really, even loot storage could be achieved through some sort of vault/bank system. And private conversations can be done over chat/tells. For me, having that personal space isn't worth my time and effort and resources.
So why do people complain about it not being in games?

 

I agreed.

Plus, using a house as storage is inefficient. A good icon based banking system is much better. Ditto for chat channels. Think about the hassle you have to get ur friends to the house everytime you want to chat. A chat channel is 100x better.

People complain because they want a sense of ownership and forget that they are playing a game.

Z3R01

It's fluff, people like fluff.

It keeps them busy when they arent killing or gathering

John.A.Zoid

I only want it if you can have player cities built seamlessly into the world because I want a sense of ownership in the world. Why it was so amazing in SWG was because you could decorate it and place vendors and you could explore other peoples homes and see how they've decorated theirs.

 

Just a really fun feature.