The Castle Contest Voting-- Community House Previews (IMAGE HEAVY)

[Uriah Heep]

I looked at a few, I'm impressed. And y'all need to lighten up, this is first round, there are more to come.

Congrats to all the winners, congrats to all the participants! And Tatiana, don't let the haters get ya down, was nothing wrong with your build.

 

[Uriah Heep]

Just because someone is adored doesn't mean they make good designs/design choices. Simple as that. Having a lot of friends doesn't automatically mean one deserves or should win a design contest.

As for your lava fire places you cannot cover them up, cannot remove them, but any player with a little bit of granite and some lava tiles could have replicated it if they so chose. Now the rest of the player base is forced with that choice if they want to update their keep. I know a lot of players who decided just not to update their keep. Your design could have been stellar with just a couple edits. Congrats on getting people to tc to vote though.

People need to be thoughtful with their designs. I know we only had two weeks, but you can still try to be thoughtful of how others can use the space.

This is why there is more than one round being done. Don't gripe about the winners you didnt like, just look forward to the ones to come. OR, go do one yourself,

 

[Uriah Heep]

The results are already being posted on the stone, this by far is the stupidest way to run a vote.

Why? Supposedly contest ended almost 3 hours ago...
If they didn't show the results, then everyone would be screaming it was rigged---blah blah blah

 

[Lord Frodo]

Why? Supposedly contest ended almost 3 hours ago...
If they didn't show the results, then everyone would be screaming it was rigged---blah blah blah

I thought you could still vote.

 

[uokings7]

Congrats to the winners! I won't be using the designs but they got the votes so they should be the winners. End of story. My voting criteria was based on whether the design was a giant box or not (preferred not) and how functional the house was on storage and decorating it. Doors I could care less about, if it's functional. Colors weren't a big deal for me because I think we need brighter colors than the drab stone walls of castles and keeps (which is why I heavily preferred sandstone designs). It all came down to whether or not my top choices had continuity within the design and whether or not it could be put on the placement tool as a finished product. Doors that were impossible to open, stairs randomly in the middle of a room, floor transitions etc. made all the difference to me. Cheers to the winners and here's a toast to the next contest!

Edit: By the way, I love the design elements of the Gothic Rose castle. It's beautiful. The floor tiles don't bother me at all. Just the big box shape.

 

[Khyro]

This is why there is more than one round being done. Don't gripe about the winners you didnt like, just look forward to the ones to come. OR, go do one yourself,

You must have not gone on test center today. I would say 90% of the feedback I have heard between TC and the forums is that people do not like the designs. People are in every right to criticize the winning designs, especially when they could have been much more versatile with a little editing and less personal choices made. If people don't express what they do not like about the winning designs, then the mistakes will just repeat themselves next time. Feedback is valuable, and knowing what the majority of people like and don't like is important.

You have to remember these are supposed to be base designs that are now committed to the house planning tool for EVERYONE to use as a house. A lot of the designs were great for a personal design, but they should definitely not be a pre-fab design. That's where so many people failed. Too many windows here, some water here, fountains there, a couple fireplaces, etc. Also, blocking or otherwise preventing access to the 2 primary walls (N and W) severely limits deco possibilities. These are all things that cannot be undone and are a very personal aesthetic.

I'm sorry though, #3 should absolutely have not been a winning design. There are so many flaws with the design of that castle, and it now will potentially be a pre-fab house for everyone to choose from?

OR, go do one yourself,

I did a design, so did many others. I knew mine was not going to win and I am not bitter or upset about it. It's a learning process and the next round we can all take what has been learned and apply it to our designs.

Trying to tell people not to gripe isn't doing anyone any favors. If people can't handle constructive criticism over their designs, then maybe they shouldn't submit a design.

 

[Danpal]

I dont think my castle even got one vote but then i could not finish it becasue it was to short of a time window.

Was only able to put two hrs into it. Becasue i have to take care of wife and 2 kids plus working 3 jobs to keep are real life house from going idoc.

 

[Suki]

No 32 and 101 are the only 2 id even consider voting for some are really shocking

 

[uokings7]

Update: the UO team will be choosing the winners from the top 40 vote getters, per the latest update. Don't give up on the contest just yet I had a tiny suspicion that this is what they were doing. I wish they did it the other way though. UO team picks top 20 then players vote on those. But this is very acceptable to me.

Edit: now I must go look at every top 40 design and readjust my hopes and dreams

 

[Nathan]

Update: the UO team will be choosing the winners from the top 40 vote getters, per the latest update. Don't give up on the contest just yet I had a tiny suspicion that this is what they were doing. I wish they did it the other way though. UO team picks top 20 then players vote on those. But this is very acceptable to me.

Edit: now I must go look at every top 40 design and readjust my hopes and dreams

Latest update says: Customizable Keep & Castle Contest voting has been completed! Keep an eye on UO.com for the final selection of winners from the top 40 chosen by the players!. Not sure where you found them saying Devs will pick

 

[uokings7]

Uhhh, that's what it says. "Final selection from the top 40" which I interpret as choosing from the top 40 and not specifically top 3. I could be wrong but I'm just going by what they said.

Latest update says: Customizable Keep & Castle Contest voting has been completed! Keep an eye on UO.com for the final selection of winners from the top 40 chosen by the players!. Not sure where you found them saying Devs will pick

 

[Naitch]

While there are many good looking castles and designs, I share the opinion with a lot of the other players opinion:
Just let us design our own homes and castles.


Thanks.

 

[Drakelord]

While there are many good looking castles and designs, I share the opinion with a lot of the other players opinion:
Just let us design our own homes and castles.


Thanks.

I am happy with the one Castle I have on Sonoma, its the three Keeps we have that have that EMPTY space that you have no access to, allows us access there and I would be very happy, hidden treasure rooms accessible only by a secret door or teleport pad, Chambers of Torture where you keep your rack, thumb screws etc..

 

[ShriNayne]

Keeps are just awful to decorate, I am praying we get a decent Keep design....*goes back to praying*

 

[Lord Frodo]

Just take out all the inside walls and move the stairs/put in teleport tiles and be done with it.

 

[Akalabeth]

Thank you to the Devs for giving us the opportunity to have a contest to pick new keep and castle designs.

Boo to the Devs for letting this go on for so long with so many hurtful things being said. It was a contest with 3 (4?) winners. Where do some of you get the idea that new winners are to be picked? That would not be in the spirit of what the contest has been about. Three winners were picked. I think that 1 and 2 are very nice designs. 3 is a little different but there are people who like that sort of thing. Those three won. If removing fireplaces and arches and pink floors make it better for all then Devs should do that. Asking for new winners just would not be fair. Devs could clear this up so easy.

I read gripes because people banded together to vote. That is just human nature and to think differently would just not be right. You know people block voted when you look at the top 40 and then see the wonderful designs that did not make the top 40. Many people are never going to be happy with any design but their own and who can blame them; they built it. Most people should be able to come to terms with our three winners. There will be another contest with new designs. Wait for that.

Perhaps there should be a thread where people state what they want to see in a new keep or castle. That way when people build they can utilize those concepts.

I don't like seeing a game I love (20 years in Feb) degenerate into such a hurtful and mean mess. I congratulate the three winners and wish luck for the next contest to the rest of us. Thank you for reading.

 

[uokings7]

Thank you to the Devs for giving us the opportunity to have a contest to pick new keep and castle designs.

Boo to the Devs for letting this go on for so long with so many hurtful things being said. It was a contest with 3 (4?) winners. Where do some of you get the idea that new winners are to be picked? That would not be in the spirit of what the contest has been about. Three winners were picked. I think that 1 and 2 are very nice designs. 3 is a little different but there are people who like that sort of thing. Those three won. If removing fireplaces and arches and pink floors make it better for all then Devs should do that. Asking for new winners just would not be fair. Devs could clear this up so easy.

I read gripes because people banded together to vote. That is just human nature and to think differently would just not be right. You know people block voted when you look at the top 40 and then see the wonderful designs that did not make the top 40. Many people are never going to be happy with any design but their own and who can blame them; they built it. Most people should be able to come to terms with our three winners. There will be another contest with new designs. Wait for that.

Perhaps there should be a thread where people state what they want to see in a new keep or castle. That way when people build they can utilize those concepts.

I don't like seeing a game I love (20 years in Feb) degenerate into such a hurtful and mean mess. I congratulate the three winners and wish luck for the next contest to the rest of us. Thank you for reading.

Well, I suspect that's not the case because they put out a statement saying they will be announcing the winners and to keep checking back on uo.com for the official results. If it's the top 3 then that's fine but I don't know why they would make us wait so long just to announce those top 3. I agree that it should be the top 3 (because that's what everyone thought would happen), but my hope is that they are choosing from the top 40. Yes, I contradict myself, lol. They were way too vague on the rules and how voting and choosing would work at first but all the statements they've put out kind of point to them choosing from the top 40.

 

[Akalabeth]

Well, I suspect that's not the case because they put out a statement saying they will be announcing the winners and to keep checking back on uo.com for the official results. If it's the top 3 then that's fine but I don't know why they would make us wait so long just to announce those top 3. I agree that it should be the top 3 (because that's what everyone thought would happen), but my hope is that they are choosing from the top 40. Yes, I contradict myself, lol. They were way too vague on the rules and how voting and choosing would work at first but all the statements they've put out kind of point to them choosing from the top 40.

The only statement I saw was "Keep an eye on uo.com for the final selection of winners from the top 40 chosen by the players". That meant to me that the players chose the top 40 and in that top 40 there were three winners, numbers 1, 2 and 3 and that would be posted on uo.com not three new winners.

 

[Riyana]

Thank you to the Devs for giving us the opportunity to have a contest to pick new keep and castle designs.

Boo to the Devs for letting this go on for so long with so many hurtful things being said. It was a contest with 3 (4?) winners. Where do some of you get the idea that new winners are to be picked? That would not be in the spirit of what the contest has been about. Three winners were picked. I think that 1 and 2 are very nice designs. 3 is a little different but there are people who like that sort of thing. Those three won. If removing fireplaces and arches and pink floors make it better for all then Devs should do that. Asking for new winners just would not be fair. Devs could clear this up so easy.

I read gripes because people banded together to vote. That is just human nature and to think differently would just not be right. You know people block voted when you look at the top 40 and then see the wonderful designs that did not make the top 40. Many people are never going to be happy with any design but their own and who can blame them; they built it. Most people should be able to come to terms with our three winners. There will be another contest with new designs. Wait for that.

Perhaps there should be a thread where people state what they want to see in a new keep or castle. That way when people build they can utilize those concepts.

I don't like seeing a game I love (20 years in Feb) degenerate into such a hurtful and mean mess. I congratulate the three winners and wish luck for the next contest to the rest of us. Thank you for reading.

It was stated in the Publish 101 patch notes about halfway down that: "Customizable Keep & Castle Contest voting has been completed! Keep an eye on UO.com for the final selection of winners from the top 40 chosen by the players!"

 

[Shiranui Renn]

The only statement I saw was "Keep an eye on uo.com for the final selection of winners from the top 40 chosen by the players". That meant to me that the players chose the top 40 and in that top 40 there were three winners, numbers 1, 2 and 3 and that would be posted on uo.com not three new winners.

Then there would be no reason to announce the top 40 in the first place or that the 3 winners are amongst them. That leads to the assumption that broadsword is the final instance and they select out of the top 40 who the 3 winners are and they just used the whole voting thing to minimize the amount of possible designs they have to pick 3 from.

 

[Riyana]

Then there would be no reason to announce the top 40 in the first place or that the 3 winners are amongst them. That leads to the assumption that broadsword is the final instance and they select out of the top 40 who the 3 winners are and they just used the whole voting thing to minimize the amount of possible designs they have to pick 3 from.

They needed clear rules, guidelines, and processes up front. At every point since this was announced a year and a half ago with no realistic way to create a decent entry, this contest has been a poorly run, vague, confusing, and frustrating mess. I posted more complete thoughts here.

The top 40 thing, like most of the announcements regarding this contest, appears to have been reactive to the OBVIOUS result they got from poor preparation. They are chasing player response instead of anticipating player participation strategy and need, which is incredibly bizarre in a contest in which some common sense preparation would save all involved, player and dev, a great deal of time and drama.

 

[Nathan]

They just need to hurry up and say what designs won. So we can get an idea if we will use it or not. Then people can start to plan for the next "contest" if they do it again.

 

[Akalabeth]

The housing contest was part of the 21st Anniversary Event. They won't announce it until the actual anniversary.

 

[Cetric]

Still sitting on an empty castle waiting. Don't wanna mvoe to it and then have to demo it for the contest winner potentially. Ugh

 

[Lord Frodo]

Still sitting on an empty castle waiting. Don't wanna mvoe to it and then have to demo it for the contest winner potentially. Ugh

You should be able to use custom mode or resize and yes you can resize a Castle with another Castle, it is the easy way to move them but they need to be empty.

 

[Anon McDougle]

Still sitting on an empty castle waiting. Don't wanna mvoe to it and then have to demo it for the contest winner potentially. Ugh

I am in same boat !! i packed up everything when they announced the contest !!!

 

[uokings7]

Official winners are out on uo front page. Unfortunately they only chose 1 keep. 5 castles and 1 keep. And the keep is a giant box. Next contest can't come quick enough.

 

[ShriNayne]

So disappointed, words fail me, this is the first time I really felt they didn't care, they could have made a good decision, but no.....I'll stick with my 18x18.

 

[meanwan]

Will there be a round 2?...

 

[MalagAste]

Will there be a round 2?...

I believe so... they mentioned it in the newsletter

 

[UNKNOWN of Atlantic]

I for one don't like wasted space So Borg cube is what I use. If you really think about it With some of these designs where if you want, will you place 124 vendors? or your collectables On Display cases, Garden Beds, Garden Sheds ...these are all things to consider. This is the problem with Keep & castle now Its hard to place a lot vendors in them & if you have a guild & want to use it for that well people don't like running all around to the vendors. I can aslo see why the PLOT got a lot of votes as its the fact of coloring stone walls & pavers appeal to a lot of people. I don't know why they just didn't set where you can remodel into a plot like old houses can. if there is a tree inside Just have a GM or dev remove tree or convert house for you ….youd just have a tree or bush through your floor ...have placement of castle set @ 10 mil , keep @ 5 mil then you pay for house walls Ect. and to convert your Old style is Half cost of placement. I don't see why this has to be so hard. I mean really 24-30 mil to place a new box castle but 800k for old style …

 

[Shiranui Renn]

...people don't like running all around to the vendors...

They don't have to for ages. Just stay under the house sign and browse through all the vendors. Most people use the maps from vendor search for direct access anyway.

 

[Johnny Black]

@Danpal check your icq msgs