New Castle Design?

[flappy6]

how do you get a question to the devs? "Would it be possible to have new castle designs or atleast new castle colors"(marble,sandstone,gargoyle theme) shouldnt be that hard could make them like 5 mill or something maybe sell at ea store or make a vet reward, that would be a "hit"

 

[Goodmann]

new colors would be nice, like blackthorns castle!

 

[FrejaSP]

I would be happy if I could add some doors to the corner rooms

 

[cazador]

After the major bug push I would like to see maybe a contest by the community for 4 or 5 new houses into the classic house area..and the reward is simple your name is etched into a sign attached to it..sizes vary 7x7 13x13 L shaped..18x18 and a little smaller than castle and bigger then keep..would be awesome to have the event last 3-4 months...housing shard like test with only trammel rules where each player gets special abilities to make the house designing easier..ahhh dreams!! Hehe but to the OP redesigned/hued castle are def in order..

M
#NOMOREGAWDYHOUSES2013

 

[kelmo]

I would like to see some new house designs too.

 

[Lady Bleez]

I still want obsidian walls and floors. But a new look for the castle would be great!

 

[syndael]

I think with the castles and keeps you should be able to change the color along with add doors. What I would love if you could use the courtyard and be able to lock items down in it.

 

[S_S]

I think with the castles and keeps you should be able to change the color along with add doors. What I would love if you could use the courtyard and be able to lock items down in it.

Hehe, did you not read the new publish notes? This option is about to happen!

 

[Merus]

I would love to see a semi-customization tool for castles (and keeps). Even if we can not change the actual footprint (which I understand is an tech issue with a footprint larger than 18x18) I would love to be able to change the wall style, the floor style, change which way stairs face, and add some intra-house teleporter tiles!

 

[syndael]

Hehe, did you not read the new publish notes? This option is about to happen!

No I did not, Its been one of those days hehe

 

[Vor]

Ugh. A standstone castle would look horrible!

 

[cazador]

Ugh. A standstone castle would look horrible!

Agreed!

 

[MalagAste]

Well that's a matter of opinion.

I'd like to see about 4 or 5 different varieties of Castles and Keeps. But what I'd REALLY like is new Castle and Keep styles that aren't full of so much wasted space you can't use.

 

[Madrid]

I'd just like to be able to recall in the courtyard like the old days.

 

[Giggles]

My question is... once the publish goes live for the usable courtyards, will this effect castle placement?
There are many castles with trees and shrubs in the courtyard. If they fall will another still fit? If not castle locations will become even more scarce.

 

[MalagAste]

Shouldn't effect placement I wouldn't think..... I tested and am VERY happy to say you can use deeded items in the courtyard!

I put an apple tree there and a boiling cauldron... Was EXTREMELY happy about that.

 

[Giggles]

Shouldn't effect placement I wouldn't think..... I tested and am VERY happy to say you can use deeded items in the courtyard!

I put an apple tree there and a boiling cauldron... Was EXTREMELY happy about that.

Can someone test resizing their castle in a area where obstacles are already in the courtyard? See if it refits or if its now blocked.

 

[claudia-fjp]

Can someone test resizing their castle in a area where obstacles are already in the courtyard? See if it refits or if its now blocked.

I placed one over a tree on test center so that part hasn't changed.

 

[Giggles]

I placed one over a tree on test center so that part hasn't changed.

Ok that's good to know =) Had me worried for a minute. Thanks for testing.

 

[FrejaSP]

Shouldn't effect placement I wouldn't think..... I tested and am VERY happy to say you can use deeded items in the courtyard!

I put an apple tree there and a boiling cauldron... Was EXTREMELY happy about that.

I'm not sure, what I want to put there yet, there could be a few raised garden beds. Maybe I can have a Garden Shed House or two out there too. I also have my sheeps, tree stump, mining carts and chicken coops, that could fit well there

 

[Frarc]

I look forward to see the first new castle courtyard design.

 

[DJAd]

I placed one over a tree on test center so that part hasn't changed.

Can you place a house on TC or will my normal one become condemned?

 

[Petra Fyde]

you can safely place on test center.

 

[startle]

.... Even if we can not change the actual footprint (which I understand is an tech issue with a footprint larger than 18x18) .....

When I first read that, I felt the wind flutter my sails... But then, after giving it more thought and feeling the power of a bunch of programmers I know, what I want is nothing less than Castle size PLOTS. Yea, damn right... If a house placement tool can be programed to allow a Castle to be placed in an area - then that same tool can sure as h*ll be programmed to lay down a plot in the exact same spot.

And please, please - do NOT tell me that it's "technically impossible" or you will simply show yourself as, well, "challanged"...

Sayin !


I want to turn my Castle into an "Oasis in the snow", with a modest home in the middle.... LET ME !

 

[Vor]

While I'm sure some would make amazing 31*31 plots, just as many would make huge and ugly 31*31 borg cube houses.

 

[Shakkara]

While I'm sure some would make amazing 31*31 plots, just as many would make huge and ugly 31*31 borg cube houses.

It would be so nice if the devs could add a feature where a non-owner of the house can be given a 'designer' status in the house, can enter house customization mode, but not commit. The owner can see the work-in-progress design by entering customization mode himself and commit it.

Yeey for third party house designers as a new carreer in UO, boo to borg cubes.

 

[MalagAste]

While I'm sure some would make amazing 31*31 plots, just as many would make huge and ugly 31*31 borg cube houses.

I would refer you and many others to this site: Home - Sosarian Better Homes And Deco

And if I could get my way I'd certainly approve of what Shakkara suggested. That's exactly what I've been hoping for. A way to hire someone such as myself to safely design and deco a home as if I were the owner without the owner having to either a) give me their house or b) give me the "keys" to their account.

I prefer not to know such information. However I do love to design and deco. It's one of my passions in the game.

I seriously like the one suggestion about making new house designs. At one time there was a "House Builder" program that allowed folk to build new houses outside the game. What I propose is that the DEV's create such a program or open some sort of contest to all who would wish to enter on some special shard that is much like Green Acres where we can go and design new "classic" type homes Yes all the way up to Castles.... give us the ability to redo them on some special test center.... Then they can "judge" the designs and pick their favorites to be placed in the game. Then the designer who won could perhaps name the house and a small plaque or something would go into the house design that when moused over would say "winning house design by xxx"

Though what I would seriously prefer would be 4 or 5 new Tower, Keep and Castle designs.... along with the ability for us to "Deed" house designs 18x18 or under. This house "deed" could then be placed by other people or fed into the house and then in the "custom" mode it would ask you to use "stored" design.

 

[Merus]

When I first read that, I felt the wind flutter my sails... But then, after giving it more thought and feeling the power of a bunch of programmers I know, what I want is nothing less than Castle size PLOTS. Yea, damn right... If a house placement tool can be programed to allow a Castle to be placed in an area - then that same tool can sure as h*ll be programmed to lay down a plot in the exact same spot.

And please, please - do NOT tell me that it's "technically impossible" or you will simply show yourself as, well, "challanged"...

Sayin !


I want to turn my Castle into an "Oasis in the snow", with a modest home in the middle.... LET ME !

While it may not be techincally impossible, it could very well be impossible withing the current code. How much of UO would have to be rewritten to accomodate a change likes this I don't know, but I have accepted that a 31x31 plot is never coming. I do not think that means we can not have ANY chance to customize though.

 

[Warpig Inc]

Nothing new in the request. A contest for new castle designs that fit the footprint had been made. Some very impressive. Thanks for the endless tears of those that covent theie trees and rocks. Custom plot conversion for castles and keeps was not possible. This was from a time when the game was very active and getting a castle for late comers was a pipe dream or cool grand on eBay. One of the castle contest designs was a museum owners wet dream with open floor space. Simple fix for custom castles and keeps would be restricted to two floors and the bonus roof level as they are now.

Doors work on the east side of our homes. Foundation stairs don't stop movement. Lets have the ability to place stairs along the east foundation of our homes. As long as the player living to your east doesn't place trans circle blockers all is good. Hell houses in front of yours can float trans circle blockers up and block doors behind.

 

[Lord Frodo]

When I first read that, I felt the wind flutter my sails... But then, after giving it more thought and feeling the power of a bunch of programmers I know, what I want is nothing less than Castle size PLOTS. Yea, damn right... If a house placement tool can be programed to allow a Castle to be placed in an area - then that same tool can sure as h*ll be programmed to lay down a plot in the exact same spot.

And please, please - do NOT tell me that it's "technically impossible" or you will simply show yourself as, well, "challanged"...

Sayin !


I want to turn my Castle into an "Oasis in the snow", with a modest home in the middle.... LET ME !

If you were around when Custom Housing came out then you would know for a fact that with the current UO programing that it is "technically impossible" to do what you ask. I think it was Wilki that explained it to us.
There are 3 housing types that can not be customized

• L-Shaped require 2 housing plots to build
• Keep and Castle require 4 housing plots
• Large Tower when you customise it loses its wings.

The program itself only understands an 18x18 plot as the largest plot it can place and the programers had to go into the program itself and join the above mentioned houses together. If you could customize a L-Shaped, Keep or a Castle with the current programing and housing rules then you would end up with 1 18x18 plot and lose all other plots required for these designs or you would have to submit your design to a dev and they would have to build it for you and link all the plots back together. So yes it is "technically impossible" to do what you ask.

Now it you are asking the current Devs to rewrite the current Housing part of UO to allow this then please NO. There are a lot of plots out there that would be lost or the Devs would have to go and remove a lot of the house blocking items to allow a 31x31 plot.

Please Devs do not mess with the current housing part of the UO program as we have no clue what other problems this may cause. And just for info do those other non-namable shards have 31x31 plots?

 

[MalagAste]

If you were around when Custom Housing came out then you would know for a fact that with the current UO programing that it is "technically impossible" to do what you ask. I think it was Wilki that explained it to us.
There are 3 housing types that can not be customized

• L-Shaped require 2 housing plots to build
• Keep and Castle require 4 housing plots
• Large Tower when you customise it loses its wings.

The program itself only understands an 18x18 plot as the largest plot it can place and the programers had to go into the program itself and join the above mentioned houses together. If you could customize a L-Shaped, Keep or a Castle with the current programing and housing rules then you would end up with 1 18x18 plot and lose all other plots required for these designs or you would have to submit your design to a dev and they would have to build it for you and link all the plots back together. So yes it is "technically impossible" to do what you ask.

Now it you are asking the current Devs to rewrite the current Housing part of UO to allow this then please NO. There are a lot of plots out there that would be lost or the Devs would have to go and remove a lot of the house blocking items to allow a 31x31 plot.

Please Devs do not mess with the current housing part of the UO program as we have no clue what other problems this may cause. And just for info do those other non-namable shards have 31x31 plots?

I hate to break it to you but "if" it were so "impossible" to do.... then why do some free shards do it? It is NOT technically impossible... just the result of lazy coders/programers and some folk who cry about uglyness in UO.... if you want to remove the ugly from UO do away with the crystal wall set and give us something no ugly.... tone down that god awful yellow and green tile flooring, change the graphics on the EC Hiryu... and make blank plots at LEAST come with GRASS. Sure you will always get some lazy player making an enormous borg cube out of his castle plot.... sure some plots can NOT be transfered to 31x31 because some folk have trees in thars...... however... and this is the important however... Just keep the current design but allow up to 31x31 plots. It REALLY is not that hard. And it most certainly is NOT rocket science... it's just that at one point the DEV's decided that 18x18 WAS the largest they WANTED to allow. Nothing to do with what REALLY could be allowed.

Just saying.

 

[Borric]

I would like to see plots increased to 24x24 or so.

 

[FrejaSP]

I would fear to see mega cubes if players was allowed to customize spots larger than 18x18. That large sandstone cube side my one of my houses are bad enough.

We need more classic designs but make them so players can look them up on a webpage and then choose them ingame, when they costumize their homes.
There is players, who just sucks at house design and need more pre made choices.

Lets use a test center, let players make the new design there. When done with a design, they can upload the design to a database, where Devs and maybe some choosen testers can vote yes or no.
When the design is accepted or trashed, the house should decay in 5 days and a new player can place at the plot and try his luck.

From each plot size, there should be choosen max 10 designs, players can use on the shards. The designs should be some with little cost and some more expensive, so a new house owner can choose a design with little cost in wall and roof tiles and then later choose a more expensive one.

For the keep and castle designs, it should be some design, where the players have limit access to changes the design. They should be able to choose a different design and maybe each design can be made in different tile set there fit the design.

I would also love to see some castle spot designed with 4 houses on it.
Then a guild could have a public house, doors set to anyone, maybe for an Inn, with place for the ronins and other wannabe guildmembers.
A house for the members to hang out, with shared store.
A leader house, with access for co-guild leaders and warlords
And then a house, for the owner of the house and his/her chars so the owner do not have to give up having his own place if guildleader or co-leader in a guild.

I believe it should be possible for this kind of secure set up on most large spot to help guilds having a place to hang out.

 

[Lady Storm]

In the question of placement of a castle over a tree area like I have is a simple one.. When you place a castle it has in the makeup a "basement" effect that allows you to place over rocks and fallen trees etc.. from the old days at least. That was how it is today also. Now I would love to see a few house changes you can add like side steps to the houses for a different facing on the customizables and it wouldnt hurt to think of adding a door conversion kit for keeps and castles, I mean I'd love a hidden door thiny like on the house deco tool that custmizables have for some of my castles, and keeps ... all that wasted space in the first floor !
I second the motion for the ability to "change the stone type" of my castles and keeps. It would go along way to fit in the neighborhood for many who's keeps and castles just dont look right where they are.

 

[DevilsOwn]

I seriously like the one suggestion about making new house designs. At one time there was a "House Builder" program that allowed folk to build new houses outside the game. What I propose is that the DEV's create such a program or open some sort of contest to all who would wish to enter on some special shard that is much like Green Acres where we can go and design new "classic" type homes

a few years ago Kurgan (of Kurgan's HouseBuilder program) and Lord Nabin hosted a contest for castle designs, some of which can be seen in this thread . Sadly, the HouseBuilder no longer functions and I cannot even find a way into the InsideUO program to get bits and pieces for building from there. (now there's a project for someone! make that program work again!)

I think I actually won that contest and I've always been very fond of the design submitted by Blade Rayne. I can't seem to find a posting of all the entries since there was, actually, a sandstone castle that looked charming, as I recall.

 

[flappy6]

well i knew they couldnt make custom plots bigger i was around for that but i meant just like 4 or 5 new designs or even just change the brick color,marble castle would be kool. its just the world is mostly keeps and castles ,looks so plain. House stuff does so well they could sell deeds at the uo store or something. and everything wouldnt have to be 31x31 there are spots that could be 20x29 or 28x22 and anything over 18x18 they could keep at 2-story just like other keeps and castles

 

[startle]

Ah ha ! I new this was coming...

If you were around when Custom Housing came out then you would know for a fact that with the current UO programing that it is "technically impossible" to do what you ask.

Been around since Sosaria was one land, M'Lord.... And I do NOT know that as a fact.

There is only one part of the rest of your comment that doesn't cause reality to blink, and that part is this:

..... the programers had to go into the program itself ....

You are absolutely correct. The programmers WOULD have "to go into the program itself " and find that part of the program that only "understands" an 18x18 plot as CURRENTLY the largest plot it can place, and they would have to CHANGE that part. And THEN they would have to look at the rest of the "housing" code and see what would be impacted, and act accordingly. THAT is what "programmers" DO, M'Lord.

And then we have this:

It would be so nice if the devs could add a feature where a non-owner of the house can be given a 'designer' status in the house, can enter house customization mode, but not commit. The owner can see the work-in-progress design by entering customization mode himself and commit it.

Yeey for third party house designers as a new carreer in UO, boo to borg cubes.

THAT is one of the MOST WONDERFUL ideas that anyone IMHO has ever suggested here!

There are some INCREDIBLE "designers" out there who are a big part of what makes UO so damn special - home design. If any of you Dev's see any request here, I for one really hope it's this one - and find a way to make it happen... I'm convinced you'd see a freekin' BURST of AMAZING home designs that will keep old and new players alike - INVOLVED.

 

[startle]

I mean, come on....

We can put a man on the moon,
but we can't fix this UO code for housing?

We can "man" a drone from a semi-comfortable seat in Nevada and kill someone traveling 60mph in an automobile 7,500 miles away,
but it's IMPOSSIBLE to fix this ever-so tangled web of code from EA?

Is that what you're suggesting? I could provide you with two amazing programmers tomorrow, that could have this done within a week. And that's never having seen the code before...

Please.....

 

[startle]

.... if you want to remove the ugly from UO do away with the crystal wall set and give us something not ugly.... Just saying.

Oh yea, damn straight! I took one look at that tile set and felt like I'd somehow been transported (without my knowledge) to a strange place where people of, oh say - twelve or so - are considered elders. Whenever I come across a house with crystal walls, I have to take a really, deep breath and remind myself of all the things that I DO like here... They are HIDEOUS !

You could simply remove them from all reward code and then - just allow them to "disappear" - in time.... Like tears, in the rain...

Just sayin.....

 

[Lady Storm]

Devilsown's link The castle is a nice design, I would change a few things but over all its very nice. Also it has a not bad design for a keep. I would suguest to remove the stairs from the corner rooms to make it more usefull. I would love to see Sandstone, Marble and some ofthe other stone shades. As for the Crystal color.... well too much is not a great picture true but I wouldnt remove it. You all must understand some of us have a different view of beauty. I for one will not stop anyone who wants it to use it.
If The dev could grant us a chance to ajust our existing keeps and castles by stone type, walls etc.. and even perhaps even offer a few different floor plans.

 

[Siabra]

While I'm sure some would make amazing 31*31 plots, just as many would make huge and ugly 31*31 borg cube houses.

AMEN!!! WE already have MANY smaller 18x18 versions of that!! rotfl

 

[MalagAste]

I still think that with the advent of the house to house teleporter system something much like that could be incorporated into the game that would allow us all to add a "dungeon" level or "basement" to our house that would be on a large sub-server much like another facet would be that is just one vast black expanse of plots. Each house would then be able to place a tile that "looked" like either a hole with a ladder sticking up, or a hatch of some sort or a teleporter or perhaps some magical tile... stepping on it would then "whisk" you away to the "dungeon" of the house. Where you would have a plot the size of your house that had only ONE level. You can move the teleporter tile during the design stage but you can't commit the design without the teleporter.

Then a special house custom tool would be on that sub-server that had more "dungeon" sort of tiles on it. Cavern walls and floors and such making it fun... with some walls with chains and such for making a true dungeon feel. Can use either carved stone walls or some of the current wall designs if you wanted.... but with the addition of dungeon walls. This new storage plot would hold 1/2 as much as the house attached to it but not have any vendors. However you could put "prisoners" in there. Prisoners could act like the new Stewards or a special type of NPC that you can assign keywords and phrases to just for fun RP.

I honestly see no reason why this can't be done. Sure it would take some coding work but it would be a great addition to the game.... It could even be sold as a Mini-expansion. I personally would pay to add 50% more storage to my house and build a cool dungeon to be "below" my home. It does NOT have to be technically "below" my house in the "real" sense... the house teleporter system would make something like this entirely possible.

 

[Vor]

I still think that with the advent of the house to house teleporter system something much like that could be incorporated into the game that would allow us all to add a "dungeon" level or "basement" to our house that would be on a large sub-server much like another facet would be that is just one vast black expanse of plots. Each house would then be able to place a tile that "looked" like either a hole with a ladder sticking up, or a hatch of some sort or a teleporter or perhaps some magical tile... stepping on it would then "whisk" you away to the "dungeon" of the house. Where you would have a plot the size of your house that had only ONE level. You can move the teleporter tile during the design stage but you can't commit the design without the teleporter.

Then a special house custom tool would be on that sub-server that had more "dungeon" sort of tiles on it. Cavern walls and floors and such making it fun... with some walls with chains and such for making a true dungeon feel. Can use either carved stone walls or some of the current wall designs if you wanted.... but with the addition of dungeon walls. This new storage plot would hold 1/2 as much as the house attached to it but not have any vendors. However you could put "prisoners" in there. Prisoners could act like the new Stewards or a special type of NPC that you can assign keywords and phrases to just for fun RP.

I honestly see no reason why this can't be done. Sure it would take some coding work but it would be a great addition to the game.... It could even be sold as a Mini-expansion. I personally would pay to add 50% more storage to my house and build a cool dungeon to be "below" my home. It does NOT have to be technically "below" my house in the "real" sense... the house teleporter system would make something like this entirely possible.

I want a slide.

 

[Delores Duende]

If I could redesign a keep here is what I would do. Eliminate the 3 inside walls and put floor there, leave main stairs where they are. Where the 'windows' are now to the front rooms, put doors. On the back 2 rooms put in doors to them. Eliminate the 4 sets of stairs going to the corners.

 

[Lady Storm]

Delores I too would remove the walls and make doors or archways to each room on the first floor of the keep but I would remover the corner stairs and leave the main stairs to the second floor and that would make a greater amount of room and use for what is now a sliver of room that is so hard to decc/use.

While many of you abore the idea of a 31x31 square pad that some would abuse to a borg cube.. Whats 1 cube to the rest of the players who will make it into such a wonderfull looking place? I would counter with perhaps a few different types of plots, looking back to the old house designs... some were not half bad but needed a bit of tweeking. Like the L shape. These houses fit in places where a normal home wouldnt give you the lockdowns needed, and the extra room to use in making it estically nice.

My wish in reguards to Castles and Keeps is to be able to change shell style/color, and perhaps the ability to change walls and stairs on the internal. (I know a few old GM's who wished that too... they got tired of fetching bags and boxes that fell behind doors that there was no way I could get without them....Sorry guys!)

As I said above the Castle idea that was on the link was very nice and I could see that as a option.

There is something some of you also needto think about.... places to place them. Right now I can name many shards where there is not a single house within what use to be 18x 18 heaven. Malas on most there is places to void of homes and players a keep or Castle would not even be SEEN!!! Mesanna perhaps opening this up? It might pull some players back to the home shards ???

 

[Aragoni]

The Think white the 18x18 editable limit is the point that i only have 2x 18x18 on spots where 24x24 can be placed
Don t want have the same design as all others - thats 0815 and the place and keep form is more as extrem unpractible !!

 

[jack flash uk]

While I'm sure some would make amazing 31*31 plots, just as many would make huge and ugly 31*31 borg cube houses.

But I am Borg and want a cube

seriously how about custom footprint but only 2 floors like a castle, so you can make a mega house 31*31, doors, walls, teleporter tiles, stairs blah blah but not cubes or neighbourhood blackouts!!!

 

[Silentfury]

I would be happy if I could add some doors to the corner rooms

When I was at the UO 15th Anniversary Party, I brought this idea up to the Dev Team. Basically my idea was to add additional choices to existing Crafting Menu's that would give these options. In the Balcksmithing Menu, items like iron doors could be added. Maybe even Hanging Torches? In the Stone Working section of the Carpentry Menu, Wall Sections could be added so people with Classic Housing could modify the existing structure. People with Castle could block off extra doors and people with other houses like Keeps and Sand Stone's could sub-divide rooms. The style would be assigned to a specific Colored Stone. Sand Stone=Gold Granite, Castle and Keep Stone=Dull Copper, and Plaster=Regular Stone. Wood Housing could have the same thing added to the General Carpentry Menu.
It should be fairly easy to add as all the Artwork and Assets are already in Game.

 

[Winker]

I would be happy with just being able to add tellport tiles to a castle

 

[MalagAste]

Perhaps Visual Aids would help.... I think I'll go make some.

Ok here is my thoughts on the First Floor of the Keep:

Now Where the Arrows are I'd move those walls back eliminate them and put in floor.... Take out the walls with the X's on them and add in 2 doors.

I'd leave the suicide windows because hey that's defense. I'd also eliminate both sets of stairs on the East side. Now this is only the first floor give me a moment for the second floor.