What Happened to Player Owned Housing?

[Muckbeast]

What ever happened to this feature? It seems like modern MMOs have totally given up on this. What a shame! I love player owned housing. My wife and I kept our DAoC accounts for at least 6+ months extra solely because of our house.

I wrote a blog post about this recently - focusing mainly on what people want from a player housing system.

Little House on the Internet: What You Want from MMO Housing

So what's the deal? Why has this feature disappeared? What would you want from this kind of game feature?

 

[Aran]

My two 18x18 customs and large tower don't seem to have gone anywhere... Nothing's wrong with housing in MY neck of the woods.

 

[yuppy]

star wars galaxies did a horrible job with POH. UO did it well.... kinda. I'm really excited to see how it is done in Darkfall in 2 weeks....

 

[Aran]

You mean in three years, right?

 

[Muckbeast]

You mean in three years, right?

ROFL.

What's the current release date now anyway?

 

[Aran]

Supposedly Wednesday, I believe.

 

[Lord Chaos]

Its a big load on servers and needs additional land (which would clutter up landscape)

Most MMOs won't bother with it, prefering guild owned property like in EVE or Lineage 2.

 

[RichDC]

2 Words for those that like Player owned housing...

ULTIMA ONLINE

Been player owned housing for 10+years and still going strong (fully customizable)

 

[Muckbeast]

2 Words for those that like Player owned housing...

ULTIMA ONLINE

Been player owned housing for 10+years and still going strong (fully customizable)

What are your favorite elements?

People often say UO had the best player housing of all MMOs. But they rarely give details. I'd love to hear your reasons why it was so good.

 

[Lurker]

UO housing is the best!! Now you place a plot, then build from there, walls windows, floors, waterfalls, fire pits..whatever you want. Before they were all pre-built and you'd have a deed, find an open space and place it that way, couldn't change anything. Now.. shoot you can do just about anything!! And if you get tired of it, you can do it over and over and over, until you run out of $$.

Unless you already own a keep and don't want to downsize.

 

[Arch Magus]

Aw, did little Billy's mom take away her credit card so he can't play anymore?

My sentiments exactly, lawl.
UO is still a great game. still extremely fun PVP and the best housing ever made.

 

[jokerjester]

i think player owned housing for MMORPGs destroy the flow of the game...

 

[Aran]

And yet you're clearly wrong. Funny how that works.

 

[Diomedes Artega]

What are your favorite elements?

People often say UO had the best player housing of all MMOs. But they rarely give details. I'd love to hear your reasons why it was so good.

It is the best for many reasons. You can make whatever in your wildest mind. Depending on the plot available to you...which is an exciting event in of itself.

One can find an open area, get out their house placement tool, and walla! There you are...a nice plot of sod to make a house. Then you get out your good ol' house decorating tool and goto work. Can make japanese, necro, modern whatever style your little heart desires.

Next is home decorations! In of itself something totally unique and with a rich 10+ year history. Some people all they do is collect home deco's and then show them out in their new pad!

One could just get the game, make a new character...and do nothing but walk around in Trammel and look at all the houses people have made (the non-PvP faucet). Ahm...that way you won't get PK'ed by someone who thinks you looked at them funny.

 

[Diomedes Artega]

i think player owned housing for MMORPGs destroy the flow of the game...

The flow of the game? Explain? Has little to do with the flow of the game unless you want to try to discuss Yew gate fighting and how some construe that as PvP combat.