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NEWS [UO.Com] Looking for New Castle Designs

petemage

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But the question, or statement was,. if they can build a tool to let you build a custom castle of your design on test center, why not just release the tool to the public on all shards and call it done?
Ah, now I see. The pains of english not being your native language :D I doubt though they want to open that can of worms on production while on the other hand making it TC-only would limit any possible damage/exploits to minimal impact.
 

Slayvite

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I think they realized that most castles are built around "incorrect placement" objects, trees, rocks, ect.
To re-do a castle plot you would need to "flatten" or re-move the objects, which would need a server patch......for every server and offending castle.
That is a huge amount of work they really don't want to undertake.
The only other option is to re-wright the house placement rules which would open up another can of worms altogether.

Again, mouth opened before brain engaged. ;)
 

Merus

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I think they realized that most castles are built around "incorrect placement" objects, trees, rocks, ect.
To re-do a castle plot you would need to "flatten" or re-move the objects, which would need a server patch......for every server and offending castle.
That is a huge amount of work they really don't want to undertake.
The only other option is to re-wright the house placement rules which would open up another can of worms altogether.

Again, mouth opened before brain engaged. ;)
I'm not sure why this would be mandatory. If you have those kinds of objects in your courtyard it would simply block the conversion just like it blocks house placement now. Only castles with non-blocked court yards or newly placed castles would be able to take advantage of the new design, but that is very doable. Not every castle has to convert.
 

Foxmire

Visitor
Are they still taking design ideas? Just recently came back to UO and I see this castle design challenge. When is the stop date?
 

Lady Michelle

Sprite Full SP
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Are they still taking design ideas? Just recently came back to UO and I see this castle design challenge. When is the stop date?
Were suppose to get a house tool on the test center of a empty castle plot so we'll be able to build our castle designs on it. When will get it ?no idea hopefully soon.
 

THP

Always Present
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Stratics Legend
as this idea been canned then b4 it even left the building so to speak
 

Cyrah

Certifiable
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When is this supposed to happen? Not tool part, gave up on that. The actual changing of an existing castle to another design.
 

Archnight

Legendary Merchant & Rare Collector
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When is this supposed to happen? Not tool part, gave up on that. The actual changing of an existing castle to another design.
Right now it's all up in the air... don't think it will happen till after the anniversary at this point :(
 

skett

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I hope they don't rush out any new designs like they do pubs I would rather them take a few more months on it and get it right.
 

Larisa

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I hope they don't rush out any new designs like they do pubs I would rather them take a few more months on it and get it right.
Same...do the castle giveaways like they planned.....that's fine...but once the castle-building tool is actually ready THEN have the design contest...start it all over from scratch. I know they had planned on having it by the 20th anny but sometimes things do not always work out as planned. What will this new pub and all the new content and work they have put into that PLUS the planning and preparation for the live party I would rather them put the castle-building tool on hold for now until all this other stuff is done and they have more time to focus on that.
 

THP

Always Present
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so will it happen or wont it.... i like the other +200 vets have prob bought a extra castle in the past 2 months ....ready to play with it on our home shards... shall i now sell it at a discounted rate becaue this aint gonna happen anymore... i guess the /200 vets left will be more than dissapointed
 

Slayvite

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It's still gonna happen, just not yet.
They are still building the test center tool. (from last M&G)
 

ShriNayne

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So I guess we won't be getting new castle designs for the 20th Anniversary after all. With no idea when the design tool will be available or if it is even possible to do it, maybe we might see this contest end for the 21st Anniversary....:(
 

MalagAste

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I still offer to Mesanna that I'll build all of the Castles I submitted for design brick by brick if she just gives me access somewhere to do so...
 

ShriNayne

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What?? Give you powers?? Won't happen... *sighs* We never get new castles at this rate!
 

Polaris75

Lore Master
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Just give us customizable plots... common. Everyone is basically building "giant borg cubes" with all the new stone blocks anyway. I for one will not... I would have a very, very excellent design for my own castle though, I promise. No, it would definitely not be a "borg cube" as I for one like open areas too......... The people who want cubes can build them with either rubble walls or the new pieces already. Just let us build our own.... that's the cool way.
 

TheGrimReefer

Certifiable
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Stratics Legend
I also agree on the custom castle plots. You could just add 31 x 31 on the house placement tool. Also with this new castle design, do you think we could possible get some water tiles? For years people have been asking for water tiles but we have yet to get them or an explanation of why they wont give us them.
 

MoxZinnia

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Hmm, will it be possible to even get a castle sized plot on Test to use the tool? I am amazed how many house spots are taken Test Center. I hope there is a plan so that people who want to construct a castle fr the contest, can.
 

ShriNayne

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I thought they would give us a house design tool such as the one that was freely available before Malas came into being...it was a stand-alone tool that was usable outside of the game itself.
 

Tina Small

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Hmm, will it be possible to even get a castle sized plot on Test to use the tool? I am amazed how many house spots are taken Test Center. I hope there is a plan so that people who want to construct a castle fr the contest, can.
This is what I keep thinking too. Kind of a waste to give us a tool that only a handful of people have a chance to use.
 

Riyana

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As this has been pushed back until a tool can be developed, I am unsticking this post.
 

Jovi

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Why not use the 18x18 tool and just make it bigger plot. And allow only 31x31 to sit over any terrain only if its first placed as a legacy castle and then converted to the new 31x31. This won't open up the whole world with more land for castle and keep it to existing spots. This should cut down the time to make a new tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

railshot

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Why not use the 18x18 tool and just make it bigger plot. And allow only 31x31 to sit over any terrain only if its first placed as a legacy castle and then converted to the new 31x31. This won't open up the whole world with more land for castle and keep it to existing spots. This should cut down the time to make a new tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
See, this is logical, provides great improvement, in UO's spirit of sandboxiness, will occupy players for months and years, has been asked for my many, and does not require many developer hours. So - NO.
The UO way is to run a contest for a few months, select couple of rigid designs like many we had before, spend time building and debugging said designs, release them and watch 99% of castles stay as they are because redecorating something that is still not quite what that particular player wanted is so not worth the effort. But hey, we won't have any Borg cubes. Oh wait. Too late for that.
 

Archnight

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Squirrel.png

UO Newsletter #26

Question & Answer Corner

5. Will we ever be able to build the castles that was talked about several months ago?

Yes Bleak is working on a tool that allows you to build a customized castle, but only on TC1. There will be a button on the house sign to submit your design for consideration for the game. Note we are not going to limit the number of designs but the final decision will be up to the Development Team and all submissions will need to meet strict technical and aesthetic specifications. The designer will get credit by House name on the houses


Squirrel 2.png
 

koris

Adventurer
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Stratics Legend
I'm so excited. I keep checking every week to see if there is an update for this. Can't wait!
 

Slayvite

Crazed Zealot
Supporter
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Stratics Legend
Question & Answer Corner

5. Will we ever be able to build the castles that was talked about several months ago?


Yes Bleak is working on a tool that allows you to build a customized castle, but only on TC1. There will be a button on the house sign to submit your design for consideration for the game. Note we are not going to limit the number of designs but the final decision will be up to the Development Team and all submissions will need to meet strict technical and aesthetic specifications. The designer will get credit by House name on the houses.
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.
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Those that design houses know that the Test center tool is only the 1st step on a very long road.
Once we can build a castle on test, then comes the "tricky" part.....how to implement it onto the live shards.
Each shard is slightly different and the "house placement rules" will need re-doing even before we look at the actual placement issues.
Then, how do you swap an old castle for a new one without losing or having to bag up a castle worth of junk....

Were at what Pub 100 now?.....I wouldn't be looking at this happening anytime before Pub 110 (late next year) in my opinion, the risks far outweigh the reward.
 

flappy6

Sage
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Stratics Legend
I hope they don't rush out any new designs like they do pubs I would rather them take a few more months on it and get it right.
Rush? are you kidding? its already been years..... cmon your telling me it takes this long to come up with new designs?
Just make some add them to the tool and let people move...... and what about some love for Keeps?
 

Syncros

Adventurer
Delete all castles and replace them with 25x25 size custom plots. Fixes land hoarding Castle's do as well as give players a bigger plot to make custom houses on (or oogly borg cubes)
 

Lord Frodo

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Delete all castles and replace them with 25x25 size custom plots. Fixes land hoarding Castle's do as well as give players a bigger plot to make custom houses on (or oogly borg cubes)
CAN NOT be done, sorry and why would wee step down from a 31X31 to a 25X25
 

HoneythornGump

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Or give every house the same number of lockdowns/secures as a castle. We all pay the same price to play.
No that's not fair to other Castle owners. I've paid my dues! I'm special! I've earned my Castle by being around late at night to drop one after an IDOC, or having the millions of Gold to buy a Castle from a seller.

It's no fair that you want to be on a level playing field as other paying subscribers.Why should you have the same access/rights as I do just because you pay the same amount for a subscription that I do? Afterall I'm a Castle Owner.

Outrageous...the sense of entitlement of players....Unreal.....

(This is a no brainer which is why it will never get implemented)

Players should have equal access to storage, as well as everything else in the game....period.
 

Anon McDougle

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
just open every land mass to castles...and for goodness sake let people have a second house on origin in the same manner they can on Siege
 

Syncros

Adventurer
I thought most castle owners got their easy castle from the mass housing decay years ago.

Either way I like the max storage for everyone's houses regardless of size. With today's servers it should be no problem (client is the real issue).
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
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All they need to do is make a shard/server that is nothing but black... with 100's of plots of 24x24 or something that people can then get a teleporter that looks like a hole with a ladder coming out of it or a trapdoor or something on the floor... you buy the "addon" for whatever in the store lock the teleporter down in a house you own and you get one of those plots which would hold as much as a castle does... you can customize it though it's only on floor... and voilà ..... you have a basement. Limit one per PAID account. Storage add on... fair for everyone.
 

Lord Frodo

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You can not customize a 24x24, the largest customize is an 18x18 so now we cram in all the stuff from a 31x31 into a 18x18 NO THANK YOU.
 

MalagAste

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You can not customize a 24x24, the largest customize is an 18x18 so now we cram in all the stuff from a 31x31 into a 18x18 NO THANK YOU.
If he can build a customizable test plot for people to custom design a new castle he can make a black land with 100's of 24x24 plots on it for people to purchase... honestly its the easiest solution to the expanding lockdown problem... if it's all on a seperate server they can get one that is designed to hold that much crap... since you can't walk around in the black and each plot is individual then only YOUR plot should load ... which again would be less laggy for many folk and if you kept a ton of your crap in that server it would cut some of the lag on the other servers... one would hope.

The only downside is that it might be enough to make some people drop accounts... but lets face it if you have enough crap that you want that sort of a plot and are willing to pay for it and such chances are that your hoarding (mine included) is such that adding some 24x24's would just alleviate some of the crunches on some buildings and even if a few did shut down an account or two it wouldn't be long before they needed to turn one on again... Just saying.
 
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