While I was impressed with the scope of the Strongholds and the seeming ease and functionality of the Hook+ placement system while watching the Twitch stream I was a little disappointed by a comment from one of the developers.

 

Other characters will not be able to be placed in the stronghold.

and

While companions from other characters can be placed they will appear as holograms to any other character than the one that they usually associate with.

(As always Iwipe (Dulfy) on the ball and the two points above are covered in this summary of the stream http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=750057 )

 

These two points seem to miss one of the big reasons for wanting a stronghold in the first place. A sense of connection between the characters in a legacy.

 

I know the game is able to generate an up to date model of all the characters in my legacy. Just go to the legacy tree option and you can see a portrait and full body image.

 

As for companions, it must be able to get the information as it would require this to generate the hologram.

 

I had for sometime been looking forward to take screen shots of all of my legacy standing together, or with a mixture of companions.

Or, place companions that have shared backstory together.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2014 by Vhaegrant

This disappointed me too. I really like the idea of having my characters together in the same room. My Agent and Bounty Hunter are supposed to be good friends, but they can never see each other. And I think I'd be inspired to play a new character or two just so I could display them.

 

I'm also disappointed that Companions will only show up as holos if you visit on a different character. I love the idea of having Companions in my Strongholds; holos, not so much. And if it is suggested that Companions be used to display gear, a holo just isn't the same! And doesn't show off those pretty, expensive dye modules, either. >.<

 

It isn't as though Nadia and my Consular can be out adventuring somewhere when I'm logged onto my Knight, so I really don't see why they can't be displayed (fully). And heck, we will be able to use mounts that are on display in our Stronghold.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Gwena

Being able to "decorate" our stronghold with alts and actual (not holographic) companions of alts would be a great feature. Won't the developers reconsider this option?

Being able to "decorate" our stronghold with alts and actual (not holographic) companions of alts would be a great feature. Won't the developers reconsider this option?

 

They never said never

IMO the perfect approach would be if you log your character out in your stronghold, it should stay right where you logged out and be visible if you log another character in. I can't imagine it would even be that hard to implement, as there are already cases where people log out, and the game takes forever to actually make their character disappear. Just do it like that, except intentionally instead of a bug.

If they would allow alts you could "create" ur own family/friends, make ur **insert species here* family, we would make some toons simply to be used as decoration, imagine the character slots item would sell like hot bread Edited July 3, 2014 by iDraxter

This was a huge disappointment to me a well.

I have a theme running through all of the Alts in my legacy. I have set up their names, appearances, equipment, and in some cases the appearances and equipment of their companions to create this theme. Unfortunately, they are never together, so it is just an inside joke. I was hoping the stronghold would give me a chance to showcase this work.

I wouldn't mind if I could at least display my characters as holograms, but I also would like to have the companions to be really there, all of them, so that I can place them in groups that it looks like they are talking with eachother, especially those who know one another or those that I have dressed in KOTOR outfits to create the band from KOTOR again, but no BioWare is screwing my plans with this stupidity!

I would be nice to have those family tree associations in the legacy tree mean something elsewhere in the game.

 

Guess we'll just have to wait for 3.3

I hope that one day they will allow us to put "legacy holo statues" in our homes. They know its something we would like. If it can be done for the legacy family tree window, it might be possible to do a holo statue too. saying "might" because I do not work for bioware so I am merely speculating and have no idea how the game servers, engine, etc. work.

I wouldn't mind if I could at least display my characters as holograms, but I also would like to have the companions to be really there, all of them, so that I can place them in groups that it looks like they are talking with eachother, especially those who know one another or those that I have dressed in KOTOR outfits to create the band from KOTOR again, but no BioWare is screwing my plans with this stupidity!

yes if all companions would be non holo that would be great too, I`d love to set up a brawl zone for Skadge/Khem Val and Broonmark or an imperial meeting room with Quinn, Pierce, Raina, Lokin, Talos or small place for Vette/Mako/Ashara/Kaliyo to hang out together

I don't have a problem with this at all because I never expected otherwise. It would be a little weird to have them all in the same place without any interaction, which would be impossible, of course, since they're all us, lol. The only point would be backdrop for rp or group photos and that's a lot of work for a picture/backdrop..

 

Between this and the astonishment that legacy cargo doesn't come free with the stronghold, I'm kind of curious about where these expectations came from.

IMO the perfect approach would be if you log your character out in your stronghold, it should stay right where you logged out and be visible if you log another character in. I can't imagine it would even be that hard to implement, as there are already cases where people log out, and the game takes forever to actually make their character disappear. Just do it like that, except intentionally instead of a bug.

 

Well, because of the Hooks you'd probably have to log it out in a specific spot in the room - but even that would be much better than nothing at all.

Hopefully they can upgrade our alt companions to full fledged down the road. Would be much more fun that way. (My dreams of a man harem are shot!) But hey, having any full fledged companions is far better than all holograms!

This disappointed me too. I really like the idea of having my characters together in the same room. My Agent and Bounty Hunter are supposed to be good friends, but they can never see each other. And I think I'd be inspired to play a new character or two just so I could display them.

 

I'm also disappointed that Companions will only show up as holos if you visit on a different character. I love the idea of having Companions in my Strongholds; holos, not so much. And if it is suggested that Companions be used to display gear, a holo just isn't the same! And doesn't show off those pretty, expensive dye modules, either. >.<

 

It isn't as though Nadia and my Consular can be out adventuring somewhere when I'm logged onto my Knight, so I really don't see why they can't be displayed (fully). And heck, we will be able to use mounts that are on display in our Stronghold.

 

yeah it would be nice to be able to get all your toons in the same house.

And the "just for fun" question -- which companions do you get to see [in holo form]? Like, if I have two Sith Warriors, can I show both Vettes, do I have to choose, or is there a separate "Stronghold Vette" that only exists if I have at least one Sith Warrior, but that I can clothe/decorate independently from their separate per-alt customization/equipment?

HUGE missed opportunity. Very disappointed that our alts can't be chilling at the stronghold. Also they keep showing NPC's patrolling but they show the npcs only standing there and say they can only stand there. Which is it? Very frustrating. Edited July 3, 2014 by siegeshot

And the "just for fun" question -- which companions do you get to see [in holo form]? Like, if I have two Sith Warriors, can I show both Vettes, do I have to choose, or is there a separate "Stronghold Vette" that only exists if I have at least one Sith Warrior, but that I can clothe/decorate independently from their separate per-alt customization/equipment?

 

It would be "Stronghold Vette" not toon specific Vette.

It would be "Stronghold Vette" not toon specific Vette.

From I they talked that I still can dress Vette (or any other companion for that matter) still outside the stronghold and place her there then wearing the Mission Vao outfit for example that my Vette on my Juggernaut is wearing, but not the Vette on my Marauder, so if I can place just one vette it still would be a specific one, not a general one that we cannot customize.

Why are the companions holos anyway? They (virtually) exist, they hang arround with my character and in my ship. Why not in my strongold!?

 

There is no need for a holographic replica of them.

Why are the companions holos anyway? They (virtually) exist, they hang arround with my character and in my ship. Why not in my strongold!?

 

There is no need for a holographic replica of them.

 

I don't know about other players, but I'm going to take Vette, Jaesa, Elara, and probably Mako, put them in various revealing outfits and place them in the greeting room. Nice and sexy. I hope there'll be something like a musical probe to create a party atmosphere.

 

(And, speaking as a girl, I wouldn't mind to have a few half-naked muscular Twi'leks around. Malavai Quinn in military uniform just doesn't cut it sometimes).

I don't get this, could someone please explain to me why you want this? You can't play multi characters at the same times in the same legacy. So all your alts would be just another statue in your stronghold. So there isn't going to be any RP interaction between the your alts. In one of the video there look to be a family tree that you could place in your stronghold.

 

I think BW logic on this is that your alts are off fighting the good fight or bad fight if they are darksider. That why they aren't laying around moms house all day long. Since they are off saving or burning the galaxy with their companions that why they aren't there when your other alts are in the stronghold. How often does your whole family hang out in the same space together (parents, grandparents, kids, uncles, aunts, close friends and hate enemies)? Do you RP that when you aren't playing your character they are sitting on the couch till you play them? Or are they off on some sort of mini adventure?

 

I'm one the 1st people to criticize BW but I agree with them on this.

Why are the companions holos anyway? They (virtually) exist, they hang arround with my character and in my ship. Why not in my strongold!?

 

There is no need for a holographic replica of them.

 

Companions are only holo when you are logged on a different char. Vette will be Vette when your on a SW and holo ever other character.

Can we get some family pictures to hang on the walls? Or pictures of our best companions?

I don't have a problem with this at all because I never expected otherwise. It would be a little weird to have them all in the same place without any interaction, which would be impossible, of course, since they're all us, lol.

They're all us? I see this inability to disconnect with a computer avatar quite frequently and find it slightly disconcerting. I see characters within story driven games as separate third person identities no different than characters in any other form of story telling medium be it book or film. They are characters with their own identities and I as a player get to guide them.

From this point of view, and bearing in mind when the Legacy patch first launched it did so with a Family tree that allows a player to establish links such as spouse, sibling, child between characters on the same server it makes perfect sense to allow them to be used as 'decorations'.

 

The only point would be backdrop for rp or group photos and that's a lot of work for a picture/backdrop..

The point is to establish that sense of Legacy in a visual form and not as a list or flat 2-D image. The sense of immersion becomes all the greater and the feeling of connection with the characters you have created a little deeper. The appeal of displaying all the Alts in my legacy at one location was the primary interest I had in Strongholds (secondary being the legacy bank). It appeals to those that like the Sims element that housing brings to the game.

 

Between this and the astonishment that legacy cargo doesn't come free with the stronghold, I'm kind of curious about where these expectations came from.

The expectations for this feature came from a basic understanding of the features that appeal to a certain type of player. Player housing is a big thing for those players that are into the backstory, role-playing aspects of their characters. It most likely appeals more to those players that have spent a lot of time in games with a similar style to The Sims. Certainly those players that are likely to spend a lot on the CM elements of Strongholds.

Those gamers more centered on PvP and PvE achievements are most likely to open a single room, or go with the standard subscribers benefit Nar Shadaa Sky Palace and dump all of their trophies.

 

Personally, I could care less about free placement, I spent a good deal of time in Skyrim Developers Kit modifying player housing and while you can get some unique looks the overall trouble and time taken far outweighs the benefits of such an indepth system in the game environment. The Hook+ system looks like an ideal compromise.

 

On buying things of convenience to place in the Stronghold such as the Legacy bank, of course it should have a cost. I remember the ridiculous cost of putting a GTN terminal in your starship or the significant outlay in character inventory and bank tabs pre-CM release. This was back in the day when there wasn't a plethora of dailies to run or near end game quality mods to craft or augments for easy money.

 

But... on this inability to display all the characters of your legacy and their companions in one place at the same time. A complete misunderstanding of a significant section of the player base that would spend time with the Strongholds expansion.