• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

NEWS [UO.Com] Looking for New Castle Designs

Status
Not open for further replies.

UO News

RSS Feed
RSS Feed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Greetings all, I know we have all talked about this before but I think putting in new castle designs for our 20th year would be something great to do. So we the team would like to have any designs from you guys. Looking for 3 stand outs to use. If you have any ideas or just like to design houses send them to me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance!

Continue reading...
 

OREOGL

Crazed Zealot
Professional
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
I hope this isn't the only thing they plan on implementing.

It's a good idea, but seems pretty lackluster when attributing it to a 20 year anniversary.
 

Merus

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Is there some tool we can use to create our designs? Clearly we can't do it in game....
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
:lick: I told you so!!!!!
This is aimed at the posters who said I was daydreaming on the Dev wanting new castle designs.
 

MoxZinnia

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
How about castle sized storage in smaller houses for vets? I won't ever qualify, but why give all the perks to castle holders? Let all of them benefit, and they can use a normal house, even a 7x7. Just don't change the lockdown number, but pancakes it is possible to put 250 things in any given chest, but in tiny houses the chest space magically shrinks to nothing!
 

ShriNayne

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Awards
5
This is very exciting news, fingers-crossed we get some great ideas! I really hope they will also look at Keep designs, not everybody has or wants a castle, I like where my Keep is placed and a Castle wouldn't fit! :Begging:
 

Tina Small

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
@Mesanna Would you please clarify the max and minimum footprints we can use for our castle designs? Are you also looking for keep designs, and if so, what are the max and minimum footprints that can be used for them?
 

Tina Small

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
As soon as they allow 18x18 or smaller plots to have as much storage as castles, I will demonlish my castle and move into smaller plot.
I would probably do the same thing as well. Would love to build custom houses that have the same storage capacity as castles and think many other folks feel the same.
 

Merlin

The Enchanter
Moderator
Professional
Governor
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
As long as new designs don't have any affect on existing castles, it should be fine.
 

Dot_Warner

Grand Inquisitor
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Is there some tool we can use to create our designs? Clearly we can't do it in game....
Only thing I can think of is those "thieving" free shard programs Mesanna likes to put down...and is clearly intimidated by.

They should create an extremely limited emulator that allows people to play with the art for contests like this. They can put out mods of things they want ideas for, like banks and other city areas. Especially since they essentially neutered InsideUO for most people...

Edited to add: I really hope this isn't the extent of 20th stuff. New things for the 1% of players with a castle is rather myopic.
 

Zalan

Crazed Zealot
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Didn't they use to have a house design program, before customized housing was released?
 

Larisa

Publishing Manager, Stratics Leadership
Editor
Reporter
Moderator
Professional
Editor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
You know....until now I hadn't noticed that castles were a bit...off......drawing up the current lay-out on graph paper and the rear door is one tile further west then the front 2...how odd.

Anyway...hoping that some great designs come out of this...and in the op it just says Castles so I am thinking they just want to mess with one custom house at a time....keeps may be next though! :)
 

Uriah Heep

Grand Poobah
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I would probably do the same thing as well. Would love to build custom houses that have the same storage capacity as castles and think many other folks feel the same.
Yeah I would go for that, a custom 18x18 with the same lockdowns as a castle. Dont know why they can't do it, I figure with the pop like it is now the servers should be able to hold it LOL
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Greetings all, I know we have all talked about this before but I think putting in new castle designs for our 20th year would be something great to do. So we the team would like to have any designs from you guys. Looking for 3 stand outs to use. If you have any ideas or just like to design houses send them to me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance!

Continue reading...
and @Mesanna Just how do you expect us to do that??? Without UOHomebuilder or Inside UO which we used to have and things like that without being able to "legally" access the files just how do you expect anyone to actually build a new version of the castle? I know how I redid the castle and trust me it wasn't easy but I did do it.

New Castle Concept.png
 

J. E. Tamer

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I'd like the ability to add an additional floor that is less tedious than raising individual goza mats.
 

Cerwin Vega

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I hope they have 20th Anniv. stuff for the tons of us that don't own castles, They already let you lock down stuff on the grass and they added stone walls and doors so how about something that impacts a few more of us. I would love if each account could get a 7x7 house deed that wouldn't put your main house into idoc.
 

Slayvite

Crazed Zealot
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Ok, so i gotta ask anyway......Why would you concentrate on this as "thing" for the 20th anniversary with your really limited number of staff (when they cannot even re-hue Valentines gifts) for something that will only benefit a handfull of people on 3 shards?
What about everyone else that don't own (and probably never will) a Castle without going playing on a dead shard? Surely this is just rubbing it in their noses??

Not to mention you cannot seem to put in a simple patch these days without making game damaging bugs so do you really think you can mess with Housing???
Good luck....
 

Merus

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Ok, so i gotta ask anyway......Why would you concentrate on this as "thing" for the 20th anniversary with your really limited number of staff (when they cannot even re-hue Valentines gifts) for something that will only benefit a handfull of people on 3 shards?
What about everyone else that don't own (and probably never will) a Castle without going playing on a dead shard? Surely this is just rubbing it in their noses??

Not to mention you cannot seem to put in a simple patch these days without making game damaging bugs so do you really think you can mess with Housing???
Good luck....
You sound a little bitter....

Castle and Keep owners have been asking for 14 years to have more options for those to house sizes. I think they have been more than patient.
 

OREOGL

Crazed Zealot
Professional
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
You sound a little bitter....

Castle and Keep owners have been asking for 14 years to have more options for those to house sizes. I think they have been more than patient.

Nah I kind of had the same sentiments.

It's going to target a specific group of individuals, which frankly sucks.

I have no desire to redesign my castle or keep.
 

Larisa

Publishing Manager, Stratics Leadership
Editor
Reporter
Moderator
Professional
Editor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
She didn't say this was the ONLY thing they were doing for the 20th....just SOMETHING she was doing.....relax people....:)

Bring on some new Castle Designs!!!!!
 

Riyana

Operations
Administrator
Professional
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Event Coordinator
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
She didn't say this was the ONLY thing they were doing for the 20th....just SOMETHING she was doing.....relax people....:)

Bring on some new Castle Designs!!!!!
This.

Alternative castle designs have been requested for years and years. If the community designs them, it takes less time from the devs, and they still have months before the 20th anniversary. I very much doubt this is all they have in mind.
 

OREOGL

Crazed Zealot
Professional
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
She didn't say this was the ONLY thing they were doing for the 20th....just SOMETHING she was doing.....relax people....:)

Bring on some new Castle Designs!!!!!
Well she didn't say it wasn't the only thing either, just sayin..
 

Larisa

Publishing Manager, Stratics Leadership
Editor
Reporter
Moderator
Professional
Editor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
Okay so we really need a way to do this using in game stuff...I am trying to do it on TC with an 18x18 but it's just all wonky....maybe someone can build on this idea in another program...I have it in my head and on graph paper but cannot get it to work in game lol.

Here is sorta what I'm goin for on a small scale....and then what it could look like as a castle-size structure...sorta....:/

Trying to go for larger rooms, more courtyard...less wasted space..more ways to get UP to the upper floors....this is just the bottom floor atm....


bottomfloor.jpg

And how it might look bigger (Don't hate my paint skillz!)

LargeBottomFloor.jpg
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Does anyone have a link to the images of the ones that were here on stratics? There were some good designs of Castles and Keeps.
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If we get what we need to do this on TC ill surely spend time there. If not..I hope someone build just a shell so it leaves to the owner to build the inside as he wants it. With granite and being able to use transp circle. Or we get just a plot in castle size! I cant think of anything better than this for 20 anniv!
 

railshot

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I don't want a new design for a castle. I want a castle sized plot that I can customize. Failing that, 18x18 with castle level storage would work too.
 

The Craftsman

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The existing castle (and keep) designs are far from perfect, and a choice of layouts would be a good thing. Hopefully this isnt "it" as far as 20th Anni is concerned as it caters to a very small percentage of the playerbase. 20th Anni should give everyone something special.
 

Uriah Heep

Grand Poobah
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I don't want a new design for a castle. I want a castle sized plot that I can customize. Failing that, 18x18 with castle level storage would work too.
A castle sized plot and add sandstone and marble walls and windows. etc to the masonry menu
 

superfrog

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
No details other than create a castle and email it to broadsword? You would think there would need to be some sort of criteria for this sort of thing. Common @Mesanna.... show some effort when engaging with the players.

That being said, here is my submission:
with the lack of info and details on this, I foresee 1 of two things. They already have the designs she wants to implement, or there will be more info to come. I am betting on the first one personally.

*p.s., your design is righteous and would like to hire you to design my new home*
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Well since I'll have 4 days off next week I'll try to hash out a few designs using things OTHER than the current stone. I'll take me a bit I'm sure. But I'll see what I can come up with.

She didn't say if we had to keep the same footprint... with the inside... so I'm going on the assumption that anything goes as long as it's the same size.
 

skett

Babbling Loonie
Professional
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Nah I kind of had the same sentiments.

It's going to target a specific group of individuals, which frankly sucks.

I have no desire to redesign my castle or keep.

This does seem to only be a gift for the 1%

Maybe they could give the rest of us a basement and scale the storage up to the same as a castle for an 18x18 and drop storage according to size but give even an 7x7 far more storage if not just make all houses have the same no matter the size.

A lot of people have been asking for things for 14 years and longer like fixing the bugs stoping the scripters making the game less complex etc. Just because 1% has wanted it for "14 years" doesn't justify spending valuable resources on it just for the select few.
 

Merlin

The Enchanter
Moderator
Professional
Governor
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
I would like to see some castle sized plots with designs other than stone work. I think @OREOGL 's example above is right on the money.

I DO NOT want to see fully 'customizable' lots. We will just end up with a bunch of 31x31 sized Borg cubes if that's the case.

It's also my concern how it would change or affect any existing housing. After all of the bugs from the last patch, one must shed some skepticism on this. If anything messes up people's housing, that would be a real problem. For that purpose, I don't think there should be a 'one-button' conversion feature allowing you to change from an existing Castle design to any new designs - it should require a new placement.

We also are probably going to need some sort of a better housing editor if we are to create truly new designs.
 

Nexus

Site Support
Administrator
Moderator
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wiki Moderator
UNLEASHED
If they want new castle designs, why not look at real world castles, or existing real world architecture based on them?



For example above the old Mansfield Reformatory located in Mansfield Ohio, the architect based the design off of German Castles.... Some of you might recognize it as Shawshank penitentiary...
 

Spellbound

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Ok, so i gotta ask anyway......Why would you concentrate on this as "thing" for the 20th anniversary with your really limited number of staff (when they cannot even re-hue Valentines gifts) for something that will only benefit a handfull of people on 3 shards?
What about everyone else that don't own (and probably never will) a Castle without going playing on a dead shard? Surely this is just rubbing it in their noses??

Not to mention you cannot seem to put in a simple patch these days without making game damaging bugs so do you really think you can mess with Housing???
Good luck....
@Mesanna
One way to appease those without a castle would be to open Malas to castle placement. Give more folks the hope for their dream home. Also making the new castle plot a smaller dimension like 25x25 would increase the number of placement opportunities. Even some keeps could be upgraded.

Maybe there should be more winners... for Britannian, Zento, Elf, Gargoyle, and anything goes styles.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top