I really don't care about housing in a game. Glad they don't really focus on it because that would be less people on the dev team focusing on the actual game if you have to have a barbie's dream house division, which a small percentage of the players will actually only use.
Its kinda of weird if your sitting in your room already to log into a game to sit in a room.
Housing is like small useless pets to me, I use neither so I don't care about it. I don't care about your ultra rare only drops in a little cave once in a year little frog pet so put it away. I would like it if you could kill little pets for fun or at least punt them.
Well as you can see I don't care about housing or little pets.
And yet you like to dress up your Ken Doll with all the latest raid gear. Just admit it. That's what gear in MMOs is about, playing dress up with your Ken and Barbie. It's okay to admit you like to play with dolls. *woosh woosh* Watch Ken disco dance through the raid - he's so stylin!
We play in a visual medium. It's only natural that people want to enhance that whether it's the paper doll they adventure with or the small piece of real estate they're allowed to design.
I don't raid either. I hate gear grinds and pvp battle grounds, they ruined MMO's for me. I like large scale PvP if its going to be implemented in a game, even some open world PvP. I also like crafting armor or weapons.
Both good responses. I appreciate both, thank you. However, I DID spend a good deal of time in my house. I did crafting in my house too and in EQ2 you actually (well...used to anyway, I'm not sure about now, I've been gone over 6 mths) can make a "living" in the game via your crafting. My cook made a small fortune because of the need for raid foods and drinks.
Anyway....no one can change my mind about housing being important for ME. I know most young kids playing games now don't care at all about it, which is fine. I go with the flow to keep gaming, BUT....I will never be as committed to a game that does not give me my own personal space to grow and build. That's just me, but it's 100 PERCENT me. Housing in a game makes the game more robust to me and makes me more apt to continue to be a part of said game as well.
Just I totally agree with you, as a gamer. Then the cynic in me looks at it from a developer PoV, or worse yet, an investor one.
"Well, Jim, it shows that the average player spends 90.234% of their time running around doing quests in MMOs. And 5.2% of the time in their house."
"Yes, Mr Moneybags."
"Well, they like that questing stuff. MORE QUESTS! And do some funny cat in the internet references too, the kids love those right? Maybe some Pokeymans?"
"Yes, Mr Moneybags"
And so good features get scrapped. The way to make player housing a priority for a dev is to show them the larger majortiy of players not only want one, but willl spend enough time there and get enough out of it to make it more attractive.
I really like the point about player owned structures. In SWG I got to visit player run shopping malls, small shops, a zoo that charged admission, player run hospitals, an art gallery, guild cities with mission terminals and shuttles, harvesters, etc etc.
Players run stores are highly inefficient compared to AH. Can you imagine the outcry for a MMO without a AH and have to rely on player owned store. Imagine the horror of having to sort through 1000 stores to find a good deal.
And if there is a AH, there is no need for a player own store.
Absolutely not. SWG had AH terminals in every city (Bizarres) and also had plenty of player run shops. Since crafting quality wasn't static, you could often find items with way better stats at a player shop rather than the AH.
I remember taking a 20 minute trip (each way) to visit a player shop that had awesome weapons and it was always worth the trip cause I knew I was getting some of the best possible stats on the stuff I bought there.
It will take LONGER for people to search for such items in player's shop. It would be MUCH simpler to put such items on AH (whether the item is static or not .. is irrelevant to whether one can sell it on AH).
Diablo 3 has totally random stats on items and the AH is doing just fine.
Some of the fun in SWG was looking on the Bazzar for something and then taking a trip to a players shop to get it. You never know what might happen (mob encounter) or who you might meet. I was also fun to look around other players houses/cities.
I never once thought of it as inefficient or a burden.
Since it's obvious some people never played SWG and got to see the player owned structures and player built cities I'll give a little idea on how shops worked.
There was a galactic market called the bazzar. You could access the bazzar terminals in any major city and search for any item in the galaxy. Once you found the item you wanted you would get a waypoint and go to the planet the shop was on then go to the shop and buy the item. Most of the time the shops were pretty cool to see and you might even run into the owner or other customers.
It was a great way to do a global auction house while still having the player run shops or shopping malls. If you never experienced the economy in SWG you missed out. It was way better than a faceless auction house.
"You CAN'T buy ships for RL money." - MaxBacon
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
And yet you like to dress up your Ken Doll with all the latest raid gear. Just admit it. That's what gear in MMOs is about, playing dress up with your Ken and Barbie. It's okay to admit you like to play with dolls. *woosh woosh* Watch Ken disco dance through the raid - he's so stylin!
We play in a visual medium. It's only natural that people want to enhance that whether it's the paper doll they adventure with or the small piece of real estate they're allowed to design.
I don't. I don't raid. I don't play any endgame content whatsoever. I never wear any "fashion" gear, if such is available in any particular game. I play the game. Period.
There was no 'sudden change of mind' about this feature because it has never been a priority.
This, I havnt played a single game where housing was a priority, even in SWG it wasnt a priuortiy, it was just a neat little thing they tossed in the expansion.
Apparently stating the truth in my sig is "trolling" Sig typo fixed thanks to an observant stragen001.
Of course it's pragmatic, this is business. They have X number of programmer hours to spend on development, they have to decide how best to utilize those hours to make the best, most cost effective game that will bring them the biggest ROI for their investors. The question is solely, where do we put these programmers that will bring us the most bang for our buck? Player housing, no matter how much some people might want it, just isn't a dealbreaker for most players, whereas many other things absolutely are.
I don't think some of the gamers around here care to think about it.
That's the problem, lots of gamers just aren't realistic. They want what they want and who cares if what they want is ridiculous, they still want it. They don't understand that there are limits and tradeoffs and that developers are in business to make money.
As to the OP's thread title. Housing might not have been a "priority" but rather the devs throwing out number of different things in a new gaming style and seeing what sticks. Had housing clearly demonstrated housing as a sales imperative there is no doubt that housing would be here today.
The amusing part is that you guys think that people who want housing are apparently a very small population, combined with this idea of crappy housing you all have in mind, which makes you have this opinion in the first place. Yeah, people who are into housing are likely something of a minority, but there are more than enough to support the idea financially in games.
You should go back and reread it.
And yet, my answer remains the same, because housing is something that if done correctly, could retain subscribers or gain money through cash shop transactions.
My blog is a continuing story of what MMO's should be like.
Of course it's pragmatic, this is business. They have X number of programmer hours to spend on development, they have to decide how best to utilize those hours to make the best, most cost effective game that will bring them the biggest ROI for their investors. The question is solely, where do we put these programmers that will bring us the most bang for our buck? Player housing, no matter how much some people might want it, just isn't a dealbreaker for most players, whereas many other things absolutely are.
I don't think some of the gamers around here care to think about it.
That's the problem, lots of gamers just aren't realistic. They want what they want and who cares if what they want is ridiculous, they still want it. They don't understand that there are limits and tradeoffs and that developers are in business to make money.
As to the OP's thread title. Housing might not have been a "priority" but rather the devs throwing out number of different things in a new gaming style and seeing what sticks. Had housing clearly demonstrated housing as a sales imperative there is no doubt that housing would be here today.
The amusing part is that you guys think that people who want housing are apparently a very small population, combined with this idea of crappy housing you all have in mind, which makes you have this opinion in the first place. Yeah, people who are into housing are likely something of a minority, but there are more than enough to support the idea financially in games.
You should go back and reread it.
And yet, my answer remains the same, because housing is something that if done correctly, could retain subscribers or gain money through cash shop transactions.
You haven't proven anyting. You can claim things and pretend it's true about making money. Her is a point. HOUSING HAS EXISTED IN MMORPGS. IF IT WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND MAJOR ROI, IT WOULD BE IN MOST GAMES. It isn't. That''s the problem with your claim.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
Sometimes I like player housing in my games and sometimes I don't. I don't use it as a negative when judging any games though. I think of player housing as an extra feature and would rather see developers work on story, combat, and game play before worrying about the extras.
But having it half-ass isn't anything that would interest me and to be honest, I don't see any game putting the kind of time and effort into it to make it as expansive as it would really need to be to be worthwhile. I also really don't see it possible to make a game that would be popular and financially successful if you had to build in all of those things. Player cities and the like just aren't important to people today. It's one of those things that, if you were fantasizing, it would be nice to have. We just don't live in a fantasy world though.
I never said it would deprive me of anything, I said that developers only have so much time and money to spend on things. If they spend that time on housing, they have to spend less time on something else. That's reality. Like it or not, gear grinds sell. They make money. Player housing doesn't.
My point was you have to start somewhere. Can you tell me the last game that failed due to having housing? Is there a new game that has even tried housing from the begining? It seems to me like there is a preconceptiuon that it would fail. Im not really sure why that is. You could have a themepark game with meaningful housing. It could still have all of those money making gear grinding features. I really don't believe starting with housing that isnt complex and then building to that in future patches and expansion would break the bank during development.
This is a feature that if you hated it you wouldn't even have to bother with it. It would not have any adverse effect on you at all. You could still get on that gear grind hamster wheel and play the game you want while other people who enjoy it could play the game they want. i dont see how this is a negative thing at all.
No, it didn't and I have no respect for people who have to dickwave, sorry. Just because people do it doesn't mean I have to like it.
Hell I can't stand it but the point was removing housing did nothing to stop it. In fact now it is a constant in your face type of thing. I'd rather have it locked away in their house where I don't have to see it all of the time.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
There was no 'sudden change of mind' about this feature because it has never been a priority.
This, I havnt played a single game where housing was a priority, even in SWG it wasnt a priuortiy, it was just a neat little thing they tossed in the expansion.
EVE Online.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
There was no 'sudden change of mind' about this feature because it has never been a priority.
This, I havnt played a single game where housing was a priority, even in SWG it wasnt a priuortiy, it was just a neat little thing they tossed in the expansion.
EVE Online.
Which is only avable to an elite group . Hardly a priority.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
You are right. My guess would be if WoW added housing tomorrow all of the new games would be scrambling to add it. As WoW ages it wont suprise me at all if they add some form of housing or guild hall. It will happen. Hell they are running out things to do and Blizzard does nothing better than recycling other peoples ideas and making them better.
One overlooked reason devs may want to not bother with housing is the douchebag factor. Create an awesome housing system and there is a 100% chance that some Mortal Online/Darkfall douchebag is going to demand that they be able to burn down your house and steal all your stuff.
Trying to build a system to avoid or minimize that results in systems like instanced or specially protected private housing that ends up feeling half-assed and lazy. The other option is to build out a full structure damage/defense siege system for housing and towns that may not even fit the orginal game concept.
"If MMORPG players were around when God said, "Let their be light" they'd have called the light gay, and plunged the universe back into darkness by squatting their nutsacks over it." -Luke McKinney, The 7 Biggest Dick Moves in the History of Online Gaming
"In the end, SWG may have been more potential and promise than fulfilled expectation. But I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity." -Raph Koster
There was no 'sudden change of mind' about this feature because it has never been a priority.
This, I havnt played a single game where housing was a priority, even in SWG it wasnt a priuortiy, it was just a neat little thing they tossed in the expansion.
EVE Online.
Which is only avable to an elite group . Hardly a priority.
That's a pretty big elite group then. Player owned stations (POS) in EVE have been a priority since 2003, as they not only benefit both industrial and military corps, but they are an integral part of the core combat gameplay.
Three other games where player owned structures are a priority are Puzzle Pirates, Free Realms and ATITD.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Player Housing IS possible. It just is not a priority. If people do not like the game or if they do not find the game fun, they will not build a house.
The reasons make sense though. You could create the best housing feature-set we have ever seen in a game but if nobody enjoys the game to that point, they will not stick around just to have a cool house.?
Seem as if developers now days see no importance in this feature known as player housing. The quote has a point. If Developers put too much resources into Housing over other features, than players may not be interested in the game and wont build houses regardless of how detailed that feature is.
but why has this feature been tossed under the bus over the last few years? seem like this feature has become very unpopular in the developers offices lately.
Player Housing seem like a dynamic feature that gives players something to do when raiding/leveling/other grinds come to a end. Seem like a win win feature from a consumer point of view, but not from a developer.
What turn of events causes this?
Simple, Housing used to be more widespread when online rpg's had more sandbox features. There is no ability to add areas to the current theme park style of gaming that has taken over the jondra, the code simply isn't there nor will the engines they use support it.
Once developers saw millions of people bum rush warcraft, sandbox style gameplay became almost subservient to the money the themeparks make.
When you plopped down a house in SWG, you litterly had a graphic interface to alter the game itself, anymore the only ones even messing with sandboxes are the indie developers with low enough overhead to attempt it.
Hope this helps, ignore the goofballs who tell you it was a niche, it used to be a benchmark.
I'd say it is primarily due to the fact that the trend in MMO's has been toward a more challenging theme park for the last few years and that in order to make housing truly special it has to offer a wide array of features utility.
The only themepark game I can think of that it really worked for was COH's SG Bases. But the bases were very customizable and offered actual utility. To the point where you could have a truly full and challenging play session and never leave your base (always wish they'd added a Danger Room option).
As MMO's focus on regularly interacting with other playerss, housing of that type rather defeats the purpose.
Of course it's pragmatic, this is business. They have X number of programmer hours to spend on development, they have to decide how best to utilize those hours to make the best, most cost effective game that will bring them the biggest ROI for their investors. The question is solely, where do we put these programmers that will bring us the most bang for our buck? Player housing, no matter how much some people might want it, just isn't a dealbreaker for most players, whereas many other things absolutely are.
I don't think some of the gamers around here care to think about it.
That's the problem, lots of gamers just aren't realistic. They want what they want and who cares if what they want is ridiculous, they still want it. They don't understand that there are limits and tradeoffs and that developers are in business to make money.
As to the OP's thread title. Housing might not have been a "priority" but rather the devs throwing out number of different things in a new gaming style and seeing what sticks. Had housing clearly demonstrated housing as a sales imperative there is no doubt that housing would be here today.
The amusing part is that you guys think that people who want housing are apparently a very small population, combined with this idea of crappy housing you all have in mind, which makes you have this opinion in the first place. Yeah, people who are into housing are likely something of a minority, but there are more than enough to support the idea financially in games.
You should go back and reread it.
And yet, my answer remains the same, because housing is something that if done correctly, could retain subscribers or gain money through cash shop transactions.
You haven't proven anyting. You can claim things and pretend it's true about making money. Her is a point. HOUSING HAS EXISTED IN MMORPGS. IF IT WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND MAJOR ROI, IT WOULD BE IN MOST GAMES. It isn't. That''s the problem with your claim.
If it was such a big deal? That is hardly a good way to prove anything. There are lots of features to MMO's that are not in most games, yet are still a big deal. I think you just don't like the idea of housing, so you act like no one else does, except some "whiny" group or whatever.
My blog is a continuing story of what MMO's should be like.
Could it be that adding a less used element, and not giving it too much attention is hard?
I would love player housing in many games, but in MMO's... The idea feel's kinda clumsy. Not that it would be awesome, achievers and egoists would move to furniture and leave farming for a moment .
There are many people who would like to see more player housing, as example not long ago WoWCrendor answered a question about adding new professions like woodcutting and housemaking to the WoW. I too would like to see how this is done, but making the house has in my experiences been just buying it, which isn't really fulfilling or achieving anything... But on the other hand, having to farm for a house would be tedious and boring...
A giant monster that has a chance to drop a house?... Epic!
I think that the idea will be used soon, when some developers notice the cries from forums
One overlooked reason devs may want to not bother with housing is the douchebag factor.
lol
The only "douchebag thing" u could do in Darkfall was to destroy the door. And doors was pretty cheap and easy to replace. And no that is not any reason for or against housing at all.
I liked that in Darkfall there is housing. I worked to get my hands on a house for 2-3 months. Prices were high and with big and small scale warfare and loads of other stuff it was not my first priority. But knowing that it was possible and having an goal or a dream about getting that house was pretty cool. It worked like a second bindspot and with an merchant addition on it i could sell my stuff while not even online. That is a great feature that i would love to see in more games!
Games Played: Anarchy Online,Star Wars Galaxies,WOW,Eve,Darkfall,Vanguard, Fallen Earth,SWTOR,GW2,Tera,ESO,Wildstar, Black Desert, Archeage & Albion Online Now playing: Conan Exiles & Rocket League Games looking forward to: Diablo 4! & Star Citizen?
Loved it in UO, loved it in FFXI, was somewhat turned off by it in DAoC only because the further plots took forever to reach by slow ass horse (and I missed the intial wave of plots close to the zoneline), and Heaven only knows I've asked for it in the suggestion forums of every MMO I've tried/played for any decent length of time.
Blizzard's WoW devs were just a bunch of pricks about it, and it never sat right with me that they flat out refused to implement it after teasing people with rumors of guild halls for years.
I'm looking forward to seeing what RIFT does with their system. If it's anything like the suggestions I dropped in the forums a while back, I'm going to be one happy camper.
Comments
I don't raid either. I hate gear grinds and pvp battle grounds, they ruined MMO's for me. I like large scale PvP if its going to be implemented in a game, even some open world PvP. I also like crafting armor or weapons.
Just I totally agree with you, as a gamer. Then the cynic in me looks at it from a developer PoV, or worse yet, an investor one.
"Well, Jim, it shows that the average player spends 90.234% of their time running around doing quests in MMOs. And 5.2% of the time in their house."
"Yes, Mr Moneybags."
"Well, they like that questing stuff. MORE QUESTS! And do some funny cat in the internet references too, the kids love those right? Maybe some Pokeymans?"
"Yes, Mr Moneybags"
And so good features get scrapped. The way to make player housing a priority for a dev is to show them the larger majortiy of players not only want one, but willl spend enough time there and get enough out of it to make it more attractive.
Since it's obvious some people never played SWG and got to see the player owned structures and player built cities I'll give a little idea on how shops worked.
There was a galactic market called the bazzar. You could access the bazzar terminals in any major city and search for any item in the galaxy. Once you found the item you wanted you would get a waypoint and go to the planet the shop was on then go to the shop and buy the item. Most of the time the shops were pretty cool to see and you might even run into the owner or other customers.
It was a great way to do a global auction house while still having the player run shops or shopping malls. If you never experienced the economy in SWG you missed out. It was way better than a faceless auction house.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/When has Player Housing -EVER- been a priority?
There was no 'sudden change of mind' about this feature because it has never been a priority.
"The problem with quotes from the Internet is that it's almost impossible to validate their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
They are what they have always been, a way to make money.
Don't fool yourself thinking otherwise.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
I don't. I don't raid. I don't play any endgame content whatsoever. I never wear any "fashion" gear, if such is available in any particular game. I play the game. Period.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
This, I havnt played a single game where housing was a priority, even in SWG it wasnt a priuortiy, it was just a neat little thing they tossed in the expansion.
Apparently stating the truth in my sig is "trolling"
Sig typo fixed thanks to an observant stragen001.
And yet, my answer remains the same, because housing is something that if done correctly, could retain subscribers or gain money through cash shop transactions.
My blog is a continuing story of what MMO's should be like.
You haven't proven anyting. You can claim things and pretend it's true about making money. Her is a point. HOUSING HAS EXISTED IN MMORPGS. IF IT WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND MAJOR ROI, IT WOULD BE IN MOST GAMES. It isn't. That''s the problem with your claim.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
Sometimes I like player housing in my games and sometimes I don't. I don't use it as a negative when judging any games though. I think of player housing as an extra feature and would rather see developers work on story, combat, and game play before worrying about the extras.
Did wow have it? There is your answer.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
EVE Online.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Which is only avable to an elite group . Hardly a priority.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
You are right. My guess would be if WoW added housing tomorrow all of the new games would be scrambling to add it. As WoW ages it wont suprise me at all if they add some form of housing or guild hall. It will happen. Hell they are running out things to do and Blizzard does nothing better than recycling other peoples ideas and making them better.
One overlooked reason devs may want to not bother with housing is the douchebag factor. Create an awesome housing system and there is a 100% chance that some Mortal Online/Darkfall douchebag is going to demand that they be able to burn down your house and steal all your stuff.
Trying to build a system to avoid or minimize that results in systems like instanced or specially protected private housing that ends up feeling half-assed and lazy. The other option is to build out a full structure damage/defense siege system for housing and towns that may not even fit the orginal game concept.
"If MMORPG players were around when God said, "Let their be light" they'd have called the light gay, and plunged the universe back into darkness by squatting their nutsacks over it."
-Luke McKinney, The 7 Biggest Dick Moves in the History of Online Gaming
"In the end, SWG may have been more potential and promise than fulfilled expectation. But I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
-Raph Koster
That's a pretty big elite group then.
Player owned stations (POS) in EVE have been a priority since 2003, as they not only benefit both industrial and military corps, but they are an integral part of the core combat gameplay.
Three other games where player owned structures are a priority are Puzzle Pirates, Free Realms and ATITD.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Simple, Housing used to be more widespread when online rpg's had more sandbox features. There is no ability to add areas to the current theme park style of gaming that has taken over the jondra, the code simply isn't there nor will the engines they use support it.
Once developers saw millions of people bum rush warcraft, sandbox style gameplay became almost subservient to the money the themeparks make.
When you plopped down a house in SWG, you litterly had a graphic interface to alter the game itself, anymore the only ones even messing with sandboxes are the indie developers with low enough overhead to attempt it.
Hope this helps, ignore the goofballs who tell you it was a niche, it used to be a benchmark.
I'd say it is primarily due to the fact that the trend in MMO's has been toward a more challenging theme park for the last few years and that in order to make housing truly special it has to offer a wide array of features utility.
The only themepark game I can think of that it really worked for was COH's SG Bases. But the bases were very customizable and offered actual utility. To the point where you could have a truly full and challenging play session and never leave your base (always wish they'd added a Danger Room option).
As MMO's focus on regularly interacting with other playerss, housing of that type rather defeats the purpose.
If it was such a big deal? That is hardly a good way to prove anything. There are lots of features to MMO's that are not in most games, yet are still a big deal. I think you just don't like the idea of housing, so you act like no one else does, except some "whiny" group or whatever.
My blog is a continuing story of what MMO's should be like.
Could it be that adding a less used element, and not giving it too much attention is hard?
I would love player housing in many games, but in MMO's... The idea feel's kinda clumsy. Not that it would be awesome, achievers and egoists would move to furniture and leave farming for a moment
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There are many people who would like to see more player housing, as example not long ago WoWCrendor answered a question about adding new professions like woodcutting and housemaking to the WoW. I too would like to see how this is done, but making the house has in my experiences been just buying it, which isn't really fulfilling or achieving anything... But on the other hand, having to farm for a house would be tedious and boring...
A giant monster that has a chance to drop a house?... Epic!
I think that the idea will be used soon, when some developers notice the cries from forums
lol
The only "douchebag thing" u could do in Darkfall was to destroy the door. And doors was pretty cheap and easy to replace. And no that is not any reason for or against housing at all.
I liked that in Darkfall there is housing. I worked to get my hands on a house for 2-3 months. Prices were high and with big and small scale warfare and loads of other stuff it was not my first priority. But knowing that it was possible and having an goal or a dream about getting that house was pretty cool. It worked like a second bindspot and with an merchant addition on it i could sell my stuff while not even online. That is a great feature that i would love to see in more games!
Games Played: Anarchy Online,Star Wars Galaxies,WOW,Eve,Darkfall,Vanguard, Fallen Earth,SWTOR,GW2,Tera,ESO,Wildstar, Black Desert, Archeage & Albion Online
Now playing: Conan Exiles & Rocket League
Games looking forward to: Diablo 4! & Star Citizen?
Loved it in UO, loved it in FFXI, was somewhat turned off by it in DAoC only because the further plots took forever to reach by slow ass horse (and I missed the intial wave of plots close to the zoneline), and Heaven only knows I've asked for it in the suggestion forums of every MMO I've tried/played for any decent length of time.
Blizzard's WoW devs were just a bunch of pricks about it, and it never sat right with me that they flat out refused to implement it after teasing people with rumors of guild halls for years.
I'm looking forward to seeing what RIFT does with their system. If it's anything like the suggestions I dropped in the forums a while back, I'm going to be one happy camper.
Couldn't care less about housing. Just like I couldn't care less about dressing up my character. Go play the sims for those needs.