I would like to present my suggestions to improve Stronghold design, and would love to see others do the same, or simply disagree with mine. All opinions are welcome.

 

Here are the changes I would make...note, this is not additions....this is changes to the current design.

 

1) Allow an option to remove ALL hooks from floors and make flat unbroken floor sections within doors one large universal floor hook with the ability to place items anywhere, even inside each other.

 

This would still provide a hook, so it would work with the current UI system in place, but would provide maximum freedom for folks to place items where and how they wish. You would be able to move an item around to any point on a flat surface within the hook borders, and there would no restriction on how many items you could place on that hook.

 

So, you would have the current hook set, or a button that you could hit to display the "universal floor hook" for that area. You could choose to use either the current hooks or this new very large open hook.

 

Now, this would present a few problems....how do you manipulate individual items on a single hook, and how do you pick up individual items? Well, I would suggest they allow the item to be manipulated to be selected (highlighted)....just like it is in the normal world. Then you could manipulate or remove the item at will.

 

In other words each flat floor area would be a special hook allowing a certain number of items in it....say a small room might allow 15 items total on the hook, a large floor might allow 30, however many hooks were originally in place.

 

Walls and the ceiling would retain the hooks they have. Total item limits would still apply.

 

2) Allow items to have a limited up/down axis movement on the universal floor hook.

 

You can limit this amount one can raise or lower the object, but this would allow folks to place items on tables for instance. Have NPCs dancing on a table, or a lamp, etc.

 

3) Allow limited resizing of certain objects on the universal floor hooks.

 

Again, self explanatory. A limited scale bar that allows an object to be increased or decreased in size by say 25 percent in either direction.

 

IMO this one change would make a world of difference for those folks that do not care for hooks, and still allow hooks for those folks that prefer it that way.

 

Thank you for your time.

Any additional views would be appreciated, if folks have their own ideas on improvements to current mechanics that should be made.

Hook system is just smthing stupid makes every stronghold looks same and removes most of creative housing part.

 

My problems are that:

1. nothing u can do in strongholds, maybe 5 interactive items and its enough for one room and what about other 10+ rooms? Im simply dont need more then balcony on nar shadaa now to place all usefull staff and also make room look beautifull.

2. nothing what can party do in stronghold. Yeah u can sit on chairs but why do you need such big place for that? Ok,, maybe you can make duels on kaas balcony but anyway why do you need so many other rooms?

3. item list is small and you can preview all items so u cant be suprised with exploring others strongholds. Its must be hidden and like 20 various items from every FP, not 1 ( and not crap like from hammer station).

4. u can't make some jumping puzzle withput free placing wich is big mistake

 

In good housing systems people pay designers to make their houses look beautifull and this will never happen in swtor till u change things.

Thank you for your post. I look forward to reading more opinions on the matter, pro or con.

I appreciate the views and the comments that folks have sent me in PMs, but I would prefer that folks post their ideas here. Even if you like the system as is, or know of a better way to improve it.