Concerning houses

[Kerrigan Muldoon]

Hey there,

After browsing through the Registration Archive I noticed that nobody actually mentioned any type of house or home (s)he might have. Except for the ever returning 'they burned my parents' house' story, no real results came up after searching for house (or similer terms).

Both for this character and for a new one I am working on, I have plans to actually have a house of some sorts. This character travels around a lot due to her type of work, but I try to incorporate her current living place in stories if possible (like my last, unfinished thread).
For my extra character I have the idea of a magical house, like a hovering shell of a giant snail... or something of similar oddness.

Anyhow... my questions to you, dear reader, are as followed!

Why do you (not) have a house described in your character profile? Purely practical reasons or is just not part of the tradition of this site?
If your character would have a house, what would it be like? What role would it play in his or her life?

To the admins in our mids, if you a house would purely be for roleplaying and give you no real benefit other then just having a house, I assume it won't be considered part of the skill limitations? (No huge castles of course, and you can't sell it)

[Revenant]

I see no problems with owning a house and wouldn't mind my character having one himself, but he's a wanderer, which I suspect a majority of the character's on this site are. That's probably the biggest reason for a lack of personal housing.

If I did manage to find some reason to have a house, I would use it pretty much as a background setting.

[Fantesticles]

Yeah, I plan on my character... Nathan... To go back to his childhood home, fix it up, and mold it into a headquarters for his future operations as a treasure hunter and smuggler. So he will one day have a home, but still will be having adventures so he wont have time for the leisure and life of a stay at home mom.

[Letho]

To the admins in our mids, if you a house would purely be for roleplaying and give you no real benefit other then just having a house, I assume it won't be considered part of the skill limitations? (No huge castles of course, and you can't sell it)You assume correctly. As long as there aren't any benefits (like, for example, having a vault filled with enchanted weapons that you can retrieve at will ;)), you can have any type of house pretty much from the get go. Residences are considered as more or less a part of the setting and not necessarily something you own (like 'paid it with my GP' owned).

Personally, though Letho has a residence, I don't find it necessary to put it in my profile. I have a pretty clear picture of what his house looks like in my head so I don't have any problems pulling it out when it's necessary for the story. Besides, that way nothing is set in stone so I can still play with a lot of different details about it in various threads.

[Raphai]

Personally, though Letho has a residence, I don't find it necessary to put it in my profile. I have a pretty clear picture of what his house looks like in my head so I don't have any problems pulling it out when it's necessary for the story. Besides, that way nothing is set in stone so I can still play with a lot of different details about it in various threads.

Same for me, I didn't know if it was against the rules or not, I just assumed my character had a house/shack to live in. He's based in Corone so....

[Kerrigan Muldoon]

Yeah, I thought so. The main reason I asked this because I've seen other PbP Forums in which houses are either part of the 'things you spend GP on', required in your profile or some other method.

The difference is, that when most people have a specific location/house then everything is a lot more regional based. When nobody has a real house most people are drifters, wanderers, just like Revenant said.
Both method have their positive and negative aspects, I'm just curious as to why/how the choice for a small role for housing has been made by the staff and the players themselves.

It's great that you have so much freedom with this system. Though do having a house can be great as well, like enemies coming to each other homes and most importantly players being a lot more connected with the region they are in. Like what the staff has tried to do with the PG: making them having a much stronger connection with the region they're in.

But on the other hand, usually a home does not play a significant role in the life of my characters either. My upcoming new character will definantly have an house though, probably a moving house but a house nevertheless. I must admit that the fact that's he's a senior citizin plays a part as well ;).

[Mutant_Lorenor]

On a similar note, Salvar offers entire fiefdoms to those who earn it. During his adventures out there, Lorenor has managed to obtain such a fiefdom and the due titles that come with it. Also, I am working on attempting to get a town in Raiaera. We'll see how that goes. So yeah, you could even have a house made for your character during questing.

[Letho]

Both method have their positive and negative aspects, I'm just curious as to why/how the choice for a small role for housing has been made by the staff and the players themselves.That's kind of how it always was, at least as far as I can remember. I think that there there were a few people that bought a house, or a piece of land, or even a ship, but I cannot say with absolute certainty. Also, a while back, you could buy a sub-forum in any of the regions for 10,000 GP and turn it into whatever you wanted, but even I'm not certain if that rule is still in practice.

Either way, I think that this kind of system works for everybody. Those who want to be wanderers who spend most their times in shabby inns, they can. Those who don't wish to specify, don't have to. And those who want a fixed location as their home, they can simply choose whichever they want and include it in their profile.

[Taskmienster]

Manda bought the Silver Pub for 10k back in the day.

Ranger bought the 40 acres of land that is now the slowly budding town controlled by the RH.

I remember a few others buying a ship.


And there have been a few people here and there that have started characters with houses, boats, apts., ect... you're allowed to do it, you just can't sell it and like Letho said. It can't have amazing things deep within it or anything.

It's really a matter of personal choice that we leave completely up to the player. I, for example, tend to make characters with categories for Birth Nation and Region, as well as Current Region. A lot of them stick to a specific place when I write, but all in all the places they live depends on the character. Mercs aren't going to necessarily have a house, maybe a monthly payment apartment, or inn-room. But I have others that have actual places, just don't put them in my profile because if someone want's to know they can ask and if you want to do a thread there you'd have to come to me about it anyway.

Damion also has a big ass house built into the mountains of Salvar, Ranger and Damion are doing a thread that starts in the house.

Really, it's up to the player to put it in if they want. But it's kinda been the way of it for Althy, have a house if you want to base yourself out of it or store stuff there, otherwise don't worry about it.

[Sorahn]

I agree that housing tends to take a bigger role in setting or backstory. It's there if you want it to be, only to further enhance your story-telling.

Sorahn built a house himself on the previously mentioned 40 acres Ranger had, in the RH town. Since building it though, I've fallen very very inactive in RP threads, so I haven't used it much, although I did mention it in one quest I had going with Ranger.

I think housing would take a much bigger role as soon as it started offering tangible benefits. Like if your particular house had, say, defenses... or enchantments that directly aided your character. Then it would have to be bought or quested, and approved like everything else. Seems like most people just don't have a need for that kind of house though.

[Valanthe]

In Valanthe's instance, her house was the great outdoors. She was raised in a grove just thick enough to shut out the worst of the weather, yet let in the sunlight and fresh air. She was raised a Druidess.

Her husband, Xos, owns a house, in his home reality. He's alien to Althanas, and so doesn't own anything here, yet. Xos's house doesn't do anything special, and was a gift from his parents.

Here, in Althanas, Valanthe will come to share a mansion with her two half-sisters she didn't know she had in Alerar, after she investigates her father's side of the family in her quest to understand her lineage. Of course, Xos will take a tower in that mansion as his first laboratory.

As for my other characters, they have houses, its just not relavant to their storyline so I don't mention it.

Destrudo for example, is the crown prince of a far away land. Princes do not normally live in the street.

Calbrena still has a room in her father's mansion, should she choose to bow to his will.

Nightstalker has his own cabin in the comb mountains.

Rahegalhoff has a farm, just needs to rebuild the house.

Irene is a priestess and lives in whatever temple she serves at.

Ailnea is an Aibrone monk and lives in the citadel.



I think housing would take a much bigger role as soon as it started offering tangible benefits. Like if your particular house had, say, defenses... or enchantments that directly aided your character. Then it would have to be bought or quested, and approved like everything else. Seems like most people just don't have a need for that kind of house though.

Heh, actually, Xos's laboratories will have tangible benefits, but will be created and earned through RP. I have a Temporal Paradox to resolve using his labs.

[Kerrigan Muldoon]

Really, it's up to the player to put it in if they want. But it's kinda been the way of it for Althy, have a house if you want to base yourself out of it or store stuff there, otherwise don't worry about it.That completely fits in the style of Althanas, and it's the style of this site which makes me prefer Althy way above the other forums I've played on.

Still, sometimes you start to miss things like pre-set housing; but on the other hand, you can work and quest for houses here as well, it just isn't forced on you.

Anyhow, I'm surely going to get myself a nice little house, primarily for roleplay reasons. Deep down I do hope more people will spend more attention to housing though, since I think it will add to the diversity of this site :).

[Cyrus the virus]

My characters generally don't have need for one, and if they do I mention it. Luc can create a comfortable place to sleep whenever he wishes, Izvilvin can find a place to rest for a little while, Alvakar has a home with his wife and child, Madyrn... Well he's got nothing. He stays at inns because he is mobile.