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My suggestion for Galactic Strongholds....NO HOOKS


LordArtemis

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I really can't stress how important I feel this one point is as to the overall appeal of the feature. If the feature uses hooks exclusively, like LotRO, I expect the reaction will be on the lukewarm side. I don't expect it to fall flat mind you...it will have some appeal, but overall it will not have the impact it could....

 

...but, if you use open moving decoration instead, like the XYZ control setup in SWG for interior decorating I think it will be a smash. I realize there may be some problems with this....

1) Unlike SWG it may not be possible to display models of items outside their intended use, like dropping and displaying armor pieces.

 

2) There may be items that folks would desire to decorate with, but lack in game models to do so.

 

But I feel I must stress, that even with these limitations, if present, having an open decorating system like SWG would be a huge draw for the feature, even if there are not that many decoration-ready items that one can drop in their house.

 

The point is, it would give the feature the maximum potential for future expansion, as you could add models to items and allow them to be dropped as decorations, add craftables, quest items, rewards, etc. The cartel market could come into play here for some of the best decorations available, not to mention the ability to purchase additional special rooms to expand your home.

 

Things like:

 

Entertainment room....cards, gambling, target dummies, dance floor....etc.

Garage....place to drop all of your vehicles

Trophy room....place to place defeated mob models, trophies, etc.

 

Just to name a few.

 

The possibilities for both profit for Bioware and players are endless IMO.

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When too much of my life was spent playing Oblivion, I used to decorate my houses by dropping items like Sigil Stones all over. Being able to have a brazier full of a dozen or so glowing, humming Sigil Stones was fun, as were tables covered with soul gems and random piles of armor and weapons.

 

If the Galactic Strongholds give us the same opportunity to drop items all over that Oblivion did, that would be neat. But unlike in Oblivion, SWTOR does not seem to have any models showing ownable objects when they are not equipped or otherwise in use. That may make Oblivion-style decorating options like as armor stands very expensive to implement, if they had to create such models.

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EQ2 has an excellent housing decorating system, too. XYZ axis placing, but didn't allow dropping normal gear and such for decorations. Still, it was a comfortable and not overly complicated interface. Also had a crafting class specifically for making housing decorations.
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Honestly, I think it will end up being almost entirely like LOTROs.

 

Hooks, and it being such a hassle to go/to from it that no one bothers after the novelty wears off.

 

Not sure whether it will be hooks or not, Eric Musco has commented that the only way to explain it is through a video, that sounds like it may be more complex than hooks.

 

Hey TUX,

 

I do entirely understand the sentiment behind the question. Unfortunately the answer is surprisingly not simple. Placing of decorations may work a bit differently than some might expect and as such we would like to show you. To your own point, we have to manage expectations and I would hate to have me explain it since that won't really do it justice. You need to see it :)

 

More information on that coming soon™!

 

-eric

 

 

As to travelling to and from it's been stated that you can quick travel straight to stronghold and travel back to the location you originally jumped from (this may be a subscriber perk).

 

A few other things I have seen in the thread...

 

  • Companions in Strongholds - I was able to talk to the Design team about this. Exactly how it will work is still being worked out. I will post about it in the future once things are a bit more locked down!
  • Quick Travel - You can travel to your Stronghold anytime you can use Quick Travel currently. Also, as a subscriber you have a few options on where you can travel to from your Stronghold, including back to the coordinates you just came from.

-eric

 

[edit: direct quotes from ericmusco added for clarity]

Edited by Vhaegrant
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Well, someone mentioned that a comment at one of the cantina tours specifically indicated it would NOT be like LotRO with respect to housing, and considering that it likely is instanced, the only other thing that uniquely identifies LotRO housing in this respect is the hooks.

 

Unless they are speaking of coloring walls and the like.

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If the customization worked like AION housing, I would be completely fine with it. Place anything where you want. Just put an "x, y, z" box like they have in AION and RIFT and call it a day :) Any way they do it, I just can't wait for player housing. And I'm not picky also. I'll love every min of it. Been waiting for a LONG time!
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I really can't stress how important I feel this one point is as to the overall appeal of the feature. If the feature uses hooks exclusively, like LotRO, I expect the reaction will be on the lukewarm side. I don't expect it to fall flat mind you...it will have some appeal, but overall it will not have the impact it could....

 

...but, if you use open moving decoration instead, like the XYZ control setup in SWG for interior decorating I think it will be a smash. I realize there may be some problems with this....

1) Unlike SWG it may not be possible to display models of items outside their intended use, like dropping and displaying armor pieces.

 

2) There may be items that folks would desire to decorate with, but lack in game models to do so.

 

But I feel I must stress, that even with these limitations, if present, having an open decorating system like SWG would be a huge draw for the feature, even if there are not that many decoration-ready items that one can drop in their house.

 

The point is, it would give the feature the maximum potential for future expansion, as you could add models to items and allow them to be dropped as decorations, add craftables, quest items, rewards, etc. The cartel market could come into play here for some of the best decorations available, not to mention the ability to purchase additional special rooms to expand your home.

 

Things like:

 

Entertainment room....cards, gambling, target dummies, dance floor....etc.

Garage....place to drop all of your vehicles

Trophy room....place to place defeated mob models, trophies, etc.

 

Just to name a few.

 

The possibilities for both profit for Bioware and players are endless IMO.

 

I always wanted on my ships a way to display special as well meaningful weapons of all kinds, hang'em up some how. Being up on the walls or a display case or both. So yes i loved to be able to display all the things he has mentions as well as weapons/sabers, which will probably fall under the same Category's he had spoke of.

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I hope we'll be freely able to place things, like we could in SWG too. I spent hours and hours decorating my houses, and it never got old. Some of the best fun for me. :D Edited by Lunafox
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I hope we'll be freely able to place things, like we could in SWG too. I spent hours and hours decorating my houses, and it never got old. Some of the best fun for me. :D

 

As long it doesn't use the XYZ control set up. That would suck Jawa Shorts. I recall trying to place pictures on the wall of my homes and because of the XYZ crap it always left some part of the wall showing threw the picture no matter what i did to fix it, it looked like crap.

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What ever the design choice they have, free placement or hooks, it is too late to change the way housing was developed.

 

^^ Exactly.

 

But.. the suggestion forum is alive and well.. and this is where these types of threads belong IMO.

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Honestly, I think it will end up being almost entirely like LOTROs.

 

Hooks, and it being such a hassle to go/to from it that no one bothers after the novelty wears off.

Well to be honest the hook system is great (keep reading) for lazy (or clueless) players.

Fact is not everyone is a great house decorator, so such system would help them, a lot.

 

Now as with everything, the first time you try it you are a bit lost/worried/exited.

So you usually go the safe route or do it with experienced (enough) people.

 

Then you want to go further and try new things/places... experience or

get bored really fast and well go find out a new mate to pair with :p

 

So SWTOR without free item placement, whatever the awesomeness of the palaces, would look dull in the long term.

Remember how people liked how we could "furnish" garden in LotRo, to end not long after with the most decried system.

 

So regarding SWTOR past and Eric Musco honest quote:

Placing of decorations may work a bit differently than some might expect and as such we would like to show you. To your own point, we have to manage expectations and I would hate to have me explain it since that won't really do it justice.

One can be worried it will end as the PvE and PvP space game i.e. a feature that could have been great, boring in the end and ruined by the lack of a core feature.

 

 

P.S.: I'd say if the hook system is already done, then keep it as some will find it useful, but add and advanced edition mode with free item placement and all the bell and whistles like roll and scale.

Edited by Deewe
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  • 2 weeks later...
As long it doesn't use the XYZ control set up. That would suck Jawa Shorts. I recall trying to place pictures on the wall of my homes and because of the XYZ crap it always left some part of the wall showing threw the picture no matter what i did to fix it, it looked like crap.

 

I think that is exactly the system they should use...but perhaps have SOME hooks for those folks that do not prefer that sort of thing.

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Honestly, I think it will end up being almost entirely like LOTROs.

 

Hooks, and it being such a hassle to go/to from it that no one bothers after the novelty wears off.

 

That's my fear as well.

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Honestly, I think it will end up being almost entirely like LOTROs.

Hooks, and it being such a hassle to go/to from it that no one bothers after the novelty wears off.

 

I believe they have said that you will be able to travel to your stronghold from nearly anywhere (like emergency fleet pass, I imagine), and then travel back to the place you just came from. The emphasized capability, unless totally screwed up, is unprecedented in SWTOR and will, IMO, be extremely nice to have.

 

Devil is in the details, of course. There may be a cooldown on travel using your "Emergency Stronghold Pass," and you may be able to buy reductions in that cooldown. We will see soon enough.

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That's my fear as well.

As simple as that.

 

If it's hooks then it'll fail. Not that it's not better than no housing but you need to be as good as others systems out there.

Players will compare SWTOR housing with Rift and the to come Wildstar housing feature and their wallet will lean more towards one than the other.

 

We already have the proof the IP definitively a plus but not enough to make the game successful.

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