Request for comment on randomness of OSI-owned IDOC decay times.

[imported_DarkVoid]

I was checking an IDOC in Luna until this morning, North side, inside, East of the doors. This one was on my home shard, Oceania.

I had thought that the vendor still standing meant that it was a rental contract, however, this does not seem to be the case.

This particular IDOC decayed without any sign of it's actual decay status, sometime between 12:30PM Saturday, March 22nd, and Sunday 8:30AM EST, local time for me.

Prior to this there had been the disappearance of at least one vendor from this OSI-owned IDOC about a week ago. Unfortunately, there was no indication at all as to when the actual decay timer was going to expire.

I would be happy enough to turn up just for the loot, if any, however, the current situation with OSI-owned plots means that timing the decay cycle is impossible, since the house sign never has any accurate indication of how close it actually is to falling.

I would therefore like to see comments from players as to how an OSI-owned IDOC should indicate it's decay status, hopefully people's feedback posted here will give the EA/Mythic Dev Team a list of possible changes for consideration.

I'm not from EA/Mythic, I'm just an ordinary player who would like to see vendor IDOCs brought into line with regular decay cycles, and to be accurately indicated as to actual decay status on the sign.

I have no idea how accurate the vendor IDOC information on the playguide is, if this information is out-of-date, or inaccurate, then someone should submit a corrected version to be posted onto the site.

There also is currently no information about whether a vendor still standing is one the former owner had or if it's a rental contract due to expire. This one took me by surprise as the house had started decaying less than 4 weeks ago.

Constructive comments and suggestions are welcome.

Cheers ...

DarkVoid

 

[Bordoms]

I have an issue with OSI Owned IDOCS as well, and a similar experience. I've run across numerous (OSI) Pending demolition houses, with and without vendors. I've been watching one - a house I owned once upon a time but loaned to a friend to use while I "took a UO break." When I returned, the house was IDOC/OSI Owned, with all of my crap in it (including the 300 rune book library I spent weeks making). Naturally, I watch the house like a hawk, hoping to get back some of my things. It has two vendors, and constantly refreshes. It's been almost a year now and still has not dropped.

In addition to this house, I also have others marked. Three others have been pending demolition for months now, without vendors (and they have yet to decay). But, another OSI Owned (located accross the street from my current home), not only refreshed after going IDOC, but also had vendors and (apparently) dropped sooner than the normal decay time should have allowed (vendors included).

I've watched IDOC's since the dawn of UO time - To me, it seems like there are some seriouse housing bugs at the moment, not limited to simple decay times/OSI Owned. There seems to be bugs throughout the housing system.

I've recently switched houses around on my accounts to adjust storage based on character needs. I've noticed that of the 4 accounts I have active, one account can drop/place houses "at will" with absolutely no timer at all (I am guessing this may be a bug house placers are using to get around the timer, well, not guessing, they make no qualms about doing it). Two accounts keep normal time (when using a housing tool they get the duration till placement is allowed message). My primary account does not receive any message at all when using a tool and seems to be able to place, however, if you attempt to transfer a house to her or actually place a house, she is unable and then receives a timer message.

The only difference between my accounts, besides age, is that one was not upgraded and cannot use the newer housing tiles.

Now, here is the absolute worst experience in all of what I have seen - This recent loss is my third - housing related issue.

Way back in Pulish 7, I lost everything I had in a house due to a bug that didn't allow players to place a house if they dropped one. It was fixed two days later, but all of my belongings (and those of you who played back then know char bank boxes were always full, and houses were too, with our 3 secures and so-many lock downs), were lost in server maintenance (I had no place to put anything nor the time needed before server up to find somewhere). The bug was found, the servers were reverted, but unfortunately, not back far enough for me to have my things back.

The second loss is/was the house I loaned a friend that now sits as an OSI Owned IDOC that I can no longer access. Apparently someone who has an empty vendor can access his/her vendor, but I cannot access the house to retrieve my own belongings (That's simply not player-friendly).

This third loss may be my breaking point. Last week, I gave one of my smaller houses to my husband. He dropped his house so that I coud replace it with a larger house on my own account ----I dropped and placed a house earlier that day on yet another account (dropping and placing all on the same acct), with all contents inside of ithe house left on the ground while I made the quick change. We moved all boxes inside and secured them so I had no hesitation of handling it the same way a second time) --- The house was dropped, all contents went to the ground like normal. I did one "test" drop (not accepting) to get an idea of where the placement had to go for maximum size. Like normal, a couple items moved to the front of the sign when testing for placement. The proper size was dropped, but everything vanished except for one basket. Simply POOFED! I Paged a GM thinking it was the glitch that leaves items under the house. After waiting for half an hour, we got concerned about the dacay time and (due to having multiple accounts), went ahead and dropped the house to retrieve the items (believing they were under the house. Needless to say, they weren't, which meant tying up another account in order to keep the plot. After two hours of waiting, a GM showed up, but could not find the items under the foundation of the house or anywhere else. I explained the bug with the house placement tool on that account, and he said he saw it on his end too, and would investigate and get back to me. A little over an hour passed and he responded with what he believes happened - the items went to a "Packing crate" for the original placer (My main char who placed the house initially). I'm to wait a week, IDOC the house and transfer ownership of it back to my main. I asked if it was going to work because that char allready dropped that house and another was placed on top of it. He believes that it will and that the items are allready there, just can't be seen. I'll know tomorrow.

At this point, I have no idea how I'm going to react if they're not. This was a crafter/armor/weaponry house and the losses are huge (especially with that 40% added storage space I just had to buy). Two of my characters have been completely immobilized by it - their armor/weapons were inside, they now have nothing but the robes they were wearing when I organized the house and boxed everything up for the drop.

For some of us, housing is one of the highlights of UO. Our concerns are no different than those areas of the game other people enjoy, but unfortunatlely, it's the one area where the answer always seems to be "we're sorry but we have no way to replace the items you have lost" - end of story.

I think what irritated me the most was the e-mailed response I received that stated how a system message is displayed when you place a house that you will be on a timer, that if I dropped a house I placed the timer would kick in and I would not be able to place again. I felt as though the time I took to send feedback in was completley ignored. Even the GM knew I have no timer on my account - but that was irrelevent as I was not seeking to place a house, I simply wanted my items. But, sorry we have blah blah blah....

More than likely, if the items are not there, I'll eliminate at least two accounts - I don't have the ambition any longer to completely replace all the items on an account the third time. The second account will go simply because I'll have no use for it - I'll never drop or place a house again, not with such a buggy housing system (and there is no denying that it is buggy - it's been ten years and we still have housing/item issues).

Long-winded I know, but I had to comment because so many are focusing in on IDOCs and OSI Owned houses, but really, the complete housing system really needs a good look-see to find out what is going on in it.

 

[Olahorand]

<blockquote><hr>

The house was dropped, all contents went to the ground like normal. I did one "test" drop (not accepting) to get an idea of where the placement had to go for maximum size. Like normal, a couple items moved to the front of the sign when testing for placement. The proper size was dropped, but everything vanished except for one basket. Simply POOFED!

[/ QUOTE ]

I have seen this two times:
Siege: One time I was on an IDOC alone with a friend.
IDOC did fall, we quickly placed a plot - and demolished it again, as nobody else arrived.
Tried to place a castle, didnt work. Pulled up a larger plot this time, with the loot of the IDOC still around. Most was now visible in the stairs.

Found the barrel, which blocked the castle placement and removed it.
Demolished the plot.
And suddenly all the loot, which was covered by the plot, was gone as well.

Had the same experience, as I resized a plot on Europa, also Arctic Island. Picked all important stuff from containers, only leaving the trash/deco items in the plot. Demolished the plot.
Set a new plot, wasn't so ideal.
Removed it again (not sure any more, if it was only test placement or already confirmed plot) and voila, the trash/deco items in coverage of the plot have been gone as well.
*Salute*
Olahorand

 

[Bordoms]

Yours both seem to have happened after placing a second time (loot still visible on the first place/drop), gone on the second. Is that right?

Mine dissappeared on the first placement (everything but the basket). We only dropped it again to see if the stuff was under it.

Either way, did any of it ever turn up in a "packing crate"?

 

[Olahorand]

disappeared with second placement/demolition cycle, thats right (at least I think so, since it has been about 2 years ago).

Since there is no packing crate once a house is demolished and the ground is empty - who can tell.

*Salute*
Olahorand

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

One with attended vendors ... tracked and hypothosized ...

*shrugs*
An "owned vendor" will remain (but un accesible by owning account KB) MIGHT need work off BOTH "pay" and "Holdings"
possible that "buying them out" to empty packs ... adds to the amount being held ...*shrugs* dunno

A "Rented vendor" can be accessed (thoroughly read the linky above) ... possibly to "set-up" and/or Know the "timing"(rental (see #4))

 

[Africanus]

If you are experienced Idocers, you know, once you place the plot, you bring the loot inside.

You sort it and ditch what you don't want.

You empty the loot you wish to keep, track and then resize.

If you do this any other way, well then, you are taking a risk of your items going poof.

Secondly if you do not have a primary home, you can always place a house. That is not a bug.

OSI's are unpredictable, so is life, there are not there for the advantage of the idocer. They exist to help the player vendor recover his items with some reasonable time. It also may exist due to a ban and the players account is now under review, or it could be lost in a back log after the review has occurred. Nonetheless, they are revamping the system, so lets see what happens first.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

This third loss may be my breaking point. Last week, I gave one of my smaller houses to my husband. He dropped his house so that I coud replace it with a larger house on my own account ----I dropped and placed a house earlier that day on yet another account (dropping and placing all on the same acct), with all contents inside of ithe house left on the ground while I made the quick change. We moved all boxes inside and secured them so I had no hesitation of handling it the same way a second time) --- The house was dropped, all contents went to the ground like normal. I did one "test" drop (not accepting) to get an idea of where the placement had to go for maximum size. Like normal, a couple items moved to the front of the sign when testing for placement. The proper size was dropped, but everything vanished except for one basket. Simply POOFED! I Paged a GM thinking it was the glitch that leaves items under the house. After waiting for half an hour, we got concerned about the dacay time and (due to having multiple accounts), went ahead and dropped the house to retrieve the items (believing they were under the house. Needless to say, they weren't, which meant tying up another account in order to keep the plot. After two hours of waiting, a GM showed up, but could not find the items under the foundation of the house or anywhere else. I explained the bug with the house placement tool on that account, and he said he saw it on his end too, and would investigate and get back to me. A little over an hour passed and he responded with what he believes happened - the items went to a "Packing crate" for the original placer (My main char who placed the house initially). I'm to wait a week, IDOC the house and transfer ownership of it back to my main. I asked if it was going to work because that char allready dropped that house and another was placed on top of it. He believes that it will and that the items are allready there, just can't be seen. I'll know tomorrow.

[/ QUOTE ]

I lost all of my stuff years ago due to the same bug. Hard lesson but I learned from it


That is why EVERY TIME I have tried to increase the size of a plot/house I own I have loaded everything onto the decks and holds of ships before aI try.

 

[Redxpanda]

To answer the OP, OSI owned houses will go through the normal decay status when demolition is pending. Problem is, it doesn't fall then. When the house has finally been set for demolition (usually after OSI cleans all the loot out of it) it will go through all the stages of decay at an accelerated rate. I have never seen anyone figure it out but if you see an OSI owned house go from somewhat to greatly in one day, chances are its going down for real this time.

 

[Bordoms]

Followed the instructions the GM gave. None of my things showed up in a "packing crate." Just an FYI for anyone interested.