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[Littleberu]

What is the point of players housing in MMORPG? Why would you need to pay for a house in a virtual world, and make it pretty, and buying things for it, when you'll not even be in it for the ¾ of the game?

There are games like SWG or DAoC who take this as a selling point. Why would I want that If it doesn't add to the gameplay?

"Ah, it's just to take a rest after a quest..."
WELL TAKE A REAL-WORLD REST BUDDY!?!?!?!

Or what is it with "Player City". It always sucks anyway. It's always baddly organized and most of the time their towns are empty, if only for the few selling bots. Because that's all they got, selling bots.

Anyway. What do you think aobut Players Housing and City in MMORPG?

 

[Slo]

A place to stash loot?

 

[Littleberu]

A place to stash loot?

Why not just use a bank system?!?!

 

[JackFrost2012]

I see it as something like Animal Crossing - a place to set up trophies you've won, decorate, invite people over for hott cybersexx, etc.

It's a cool extra, but not a major selling point.

 

[Suerte]

It's for people who would rather live their life in a MMORPG than the real world

 

[Gattsu25]

When you live in this you need some way of escaping reality :b

I personally think it's pretty silly

 

[Littleberu]

I see it as something like Animal Crossing - a place to set up trophies you've won, decorate, invite people over for hott cybersexx, etc.

It's a cool extra, but not a major selling point.

Nah, I see more and more MMORPG (DnL for example) selling their game with : "HEY!! We have Players Housing too, and it's better than their!!!"

I just don't know what's the point of decorating something in a MMORPG. Animal Crossing seems right, because you're not far from your home most of the time. In MMORPG, you are, most of the time, on a quest, on another island/planet, etc...

 

[AeroGod]

One of the main points of a MMO is to take a character and make him as powerful and as rich as you can, and then show it off to your online peers to let them know that you are "the best", and getting a gigantic mansion and and decorating it with alot of expensive things is just another way to do it. In DAOC whenever you kill and epic monster you get his head so you can mount it on your wall in the house, just anther way of showing off.

Also dont forget the ROLE PLAYING aspect, which some people take VERY seriously. Things like housing are important to them because it adds to the immersive factor and gives a nice private place to have guild meetings or hold other events.

 

[Ranger X]

Finally, it's just like in real life!! lolol

 

[tedtropy]

I'm not a big MMORPG fan, but I'd imagine the point of player housing is the same as the point of MMORPG's as a whole - immersion. The very essence of such games is ROLEPLAYING, so why not emulate that fantasy as much as you can by adding a house to this virtual world. Really cinches that whole 'second life' thing. I don't know, seems like a good idea to me, but I guess we dorks are a different breed...

 

[Littleberu]

I'm not a big MMORPG fan, but I'd imagine the point of player housing is the same as the point of MMORPG's as a whole - immersion. The very essence of such games is ROLEPLAYING, so why not emulate that fantasy as much as you can by adding a house to this virtual world. Really cinches that whole 'second life' thing. I don't know, seems like a good idea to me, but I guess we dorks are a different breed...

It's just hard to understand. It's a way to customize your experience, in that I agree, but again, what's the point? Most people aren't going to see your house anyway, not like your character or your avatar.

 

[tedtropy]

It's just hard to understand. It's a way to customize your experience, in that I agree, but again, what's the point? Most people aren't going to see your house anyway, not like your character or your avatar.

Most people will never see our real respective houses/apartments/whatever, but we still get a sense of self-satisifaction from having a nice one, just as you would in an RPG I imagine. Granted, the typical gamer probably lives amongst Mountain Dew cans in his mom's basement, but my point still stands.

 

[Ar_]

- Gameplay and convenience

You may set a shop in a place where there is much request for your wares, or build a fortress in an important location.

- Immersion and roleplaying

- Status symbol

- Community

Imagine if your guild gets itself well known, and build a player city as headquarter, with shops and all is nedeed to resupply, eventually selling there some rarer gear.
Some people may come from all over the "world" to see it and buy things, or build their houses there as well, giving your guild a sense of accomplishment.

- "Owning" a piece of the world.

Why buy a DVD movie when you can just rent it, saving, if not money over time, at least space?
Better example, why collecting something, lets say stamps, when you can just enjoy the collection of someone else?
Hell, why you dont want your wife to have sex with someone else, when you arent home?
K, Im stretching it to make this point =P

- Creating something, Leaving your mark on the world.

This last point I find particularly appealing.
A big draw of MMORPGs is the persistence of the world, but your power to affect it is often limited to little more than your character.

You may usually kill some rare and long timed spawn, temporarily affecting the ability of everyone else in the server to kill it or quest with it, and maybe empowering them to play in a previously unsafe area. You may be able to buy a house. And thats it.
Want to permanently change the landscape? Only way is by placing a house.
Want to do some creative work, or show your tastes? Only way, usually, is by arredating a house.

Houses get special attention because there arent many other means to pesistently affect the world.
Placing a specific one in a specific place both affects the world for everyone, and shows your tastes. Istanced houses are lamer.
Anyway, if you were able to change the whole virtual world, houses by themselves wouldnt receive all the attenction anymore, from the crew of lovers of creation.

Never cared much for housing myself, but love the ability to change the world common to many players.
Being able to burn trrees, create gardens, cityes, dungeons (and populate them, and put some treasure on the end), a fortress, whatever, would make a MMORPG more appealing.

 

[Littleberu]

Why buy a DVD movie when you can just rent it, saving, if not money over time, at least space?

Well that's a stupid point : Because renting it many times can in the end cost you more than buying the DVD itself.

Imagine if your guild gets itself well known, and build a player city as headquarter, with shops and all is nedeed to resupply, eventually selling there some rarer gear.

It just won't happen. I've seen many players city in SWG, but they were all empty beside bots, and badly organized.

Want to permanently change the landscape? Only way is by placing a house.

Most of the time you can only place a house far from other city, in a place where there isn't many people.

Being able to burn trrees, create gardens, cityes, dungeons (and populate them, and put some treasure on the end), a fortress, whatever, would make a MMORPG more appealing.

Nop. It would just take more time to developp. It wouldn't work. Look at The Sims Online. You can't do this forever. Hell, you do it everyday, why would you do it in a virtual world?!

It's here as an extra, I understand, but its completely lacking.

 

[JackFrost2012]

It's fun and some people like it. You don't like it, but other people do. That's all there is to it, really.

 

[Zilch]

Yeah, seriously. It seems like you'd (Littleberu) rather be playing Diablo or something similarly "rewarding", rather than living in a virtual world. Sure, it's far from perfect but at least the option is there.

 

[Littleberu]

Yeah, seriously. It seems like you'd (Littleberu) rather be playing Diablo or something similarly "rewarding", rather than living in a virtual world. Sure, it's far from perfect but at least the option is there.

I just don't see the point honestly. I like customization a lot myself, but I just don't see why you would like to spend your game money for a house.

 

[JackFrost2012]

I just don't see the point honestly. I like customization a lot myself, but I just don't see why you would like to spend your game money for a house.

Well, we've explained it, and saying "yes, but I don't get it," won't enable us to create new explanations out of thin air. ;P

Just accept that it's not for you and you don't see the appeal and move on. Lots of people like things you don't! Opinions are fun!