Wilderness Plots

[Aaelefein]

Now I know we are in the middle of the huge changes involved with plot reclaimation, resizing, and auction...so this idea I just had is for thought and if possible, implimentation at a much later date...

There is a LOT of unused land out there...no mobs or any other reason to visit said area. Istaria is a land of opportunity, where people explore to see waht they can find. So my thought is...

Lightly sprinkle some of these wide open areas with Large Plots (Thinking nothing less than 100x100). Maybe think of them as land claims, or a frontier expansion...where hardcore players/crafters could build what may eventually become the center of a new town. Someplace away from the beaten path, a refuge from the Aegis...secret hideaways where the Gifted can quietly grow in numbers and strength as the war continues.

These plots, while large, would obviously be a good distance away from towns and communities, with no nearby gates or portals. They may or maynot have roads leading to them. They are stand-alone plots...belonging to no community...or a community of one...with no other wilderness plot nearby. Where once built up and as population grows and the Gifted expand outwards, these single plots could eventually lead to further development (Dev's putting in more plots around the "key" plot) and as the budding community develops...possibly leading to more plots, a road and or maybe an arrival pad.

As I've written this...makes me think of how most all civilizations and nations expanded...someone finds a nice place...builds...others follow behind...sometimes you get a thriving city, other times a ghost town.

Just a thought I had...

[Aaelefein]

Lairs are included in this idea too...there are several places where a large lair could be placed.

[Drakarr]

ooo fun idea, I second it o/

[LOVWYRM]

I like this idea very much

[Sigi]

Very nice idea
- pictures herself at a lonely plot at the edge of the woods ...

[Mensar]

I can see lairs (they do this in most of the unused area around most cities already where there's either a mountain or at least some jutting rock nearby) out and away from roads and cities, portals, etc.

But bipeds have that unhandy running thing they have to do.. and more often than not carrying a disk. I really like the idea, but I'm not sure they'll buy into it because of the slow hiking they'd have to do from the nearest pad. But if the size of the plot is worth it.. build it and they will come!

[Summerbreeze]

I wouldn't mind a nice castle plot up there in the north eastern tip of the ED. Run or not.. a nice 120x120 or larger with all that neat stuff around could be cool

[Steele]

This would be a bit of a throwback to the wistful days of UO, when you could plunk down a house (or castle, or whatever) in the middle of the wilderness, as long as it fit between the trees and rocks.

I think it would be awesome to allow "wilderness" areas to become contested by the Aegis, so that the drawback to such a really large plot (maybe 120x120?) or lair (8x8x10?) would be having to periodically defend it. IMO, something like that might provide a bit of a challenge for those who want to live a little more on the edge.

Heck, maybe set up a couple of plots like the old "Castle Plot" - a large central plot with satellite plots out in the middle of nowhere, but maybe have some of the satellites be vegetable patches or orchards, or perhaps mini textile farms or small stone quarries. If it needs to be periodically defended (add blight anchor spawn points nearby?), it won't simply be a "free" resource area - and it might draw folks out to visit the remote abode, as well.

[pevil2000]

I'd love this, as long as it was still fairly limited; I'd hate to see another UO where you step out of an NPC city into a never-ending stream of player houses.

Still, particularly with lairs it could be great; lonely old mountains with just room for one lair. Some of us ancients are unsociable you know

[Hraefn]

Love this idea to no end! Wilderness areas are gorgeous and I wouldn' mind running my kitty out to build it if the size was in the range specified. Lairs in the middle of nowhere are absolutely my cup of tea. <3

Glad you put this up Ael, I know I always pass a few choice places that are alway empty and find myself wishing for a lair entrance in such areas.

[Steele]

I'd love this, as long as it was still fairly limited; I'd hate to see another UO where you step out of an NPC city into a never-ending stream of player houses.

Totally agreed, there! They'd also need to not be too close to any pre-existing resource fields, to prevent resource nodes from spawning inside houses and such.

[Guaran]

*Equips flame retardant underwear*

Whats the point exactly? I mean of having a plot out in the middle of nowhere? (Why have shops out where they would never be used. Or silos)

Just that there's something needing built? I can offer a slight spin on the idea: Something Vitrium places someplace, similiar to how the outposts were done. Therefore it is not player owned or designed. (most player plots are gross ugly compactions of buildings and silos. Last thing we need is more of that)

The design could be a castle and walls, surrounded by a moat and flesh eating plants. Could even supply an npc + tavern to help players rest up from "warring" with the WA. And a few other toons with stories to tell and a few quests even.

Or some other lore or reason could be written up. Theres a low lying flat area in ED, east of the wooden cenotaph. Something really big could be placed there. Would be nice if this was also some new building design. I know the castles are already designed (but new to us). Perhaps this could be the entrance to the teleporter to the blighted labrynth. Put the tepeporter in a cave underground, and the cave entrance could simply be a hole in the floor in the castles' basement that you had to drop into. No getting out unless you recall or teleport thru Shards would have to first build the castle to activate the portal (make it a blight portal like the one Blue made years ago). And there could even be some quests just to attune to the blight energies of the teleporter.

The blighted labrynth would be one destination, but there's also other blighted landing pads (they look like they could be used as blighted landing pads anyway) all over the game, like in feledan, several structures in ED, a few could be added to Trandalars blighted zones, one off to the left of the road to purple flies. And even more im sure im forgetting.

[Steele]

*gives Guaran a flame-retardant atomic wedgie*

*runs away laughing*

[Steele]

Actually, that's a cool idea too Guaran.

Building an outpost or fortress for later use, to be inhabited by quest NPCs and surrounded by new mob types (for the quests?) would be el-neato! Heck, could make a new type of blight anchor and tie in the blighted stat crystal idea that was posted in a different thread... hrm, I'd say it has a ton of potential.

As far as "what's the point" though... I think some folks would want to be known as "The Old Man on the Mountain", or "The Dragon of Mount Blightcrag" or whatever. Especially if the extar space helped make those plots fairly self-sufficient; it might be a tad niche, but some folks would love that opportunity.

[Aaelefein]

Actually, that's a cool idea too Guaran.

Building an outpost or fortress for later use, to be inhabited by quest NPCs and surrounded by new mob types (for the quests?) would be el-neato! Heck, could make a new type of blight anchor and tie in the blighted stat crystal idea that was posted in a different thread... hrm, I'd say it has a ton of potential.

As far as "what's the point" though... I think some folks would want to be known as "The Old Man on the Mountain", or "The Dragon of Mount Blightcrag" or whatever. Especially if the extar space helped make those plots fairly self-sufficient; it might be a tad niche, but some folks would love that opportunity.

Yes...this is the kind of thing I'm looking for. It definately won't be for everyone as it WILL BE HARD...regardless of how many craft or adventure schools you have maxed out...simply because of the distance from 'civilization'.

Think of how nations expanded, the western expansion of the US...individuals and small groups going out...setting up a "Homestead"...land that sometimes grew into new towns and cities.

I also like your idea of satelite plots/spaces like the "Castle Plot", but for my idea, I think it would be best if it was limited to food stuffs...goes better with the idea of explorers/expansionists.

Now since most of the areas I am thinking of are empty, of both mobs and resources...the idea of defending it nevered entered into the equation. However, fitting in with this whole idea, it woldn't be too far off to have a wander pack of wolves, too bad there's no bears, or other wander big game that could be used. Not only something to defend against, but another source of sustence...meat.

I've never played UO...so I have no idea to what you are refering. Horizons was my very first MMO. I tried EQI...didn't even make a month in that. EQII was a bit better, but I hated not having my own plot to build upon and design and the crafting system didn't suit my desires/needs either. I play EVE Online, but that would be like comparing apples to...rocks...the two games are totally different. And there is no standalone game I know of that even comes close to what Hor...Istaria has to offer.

I also agree though...these should not be so prevalent that you can't move from one area to another without traipsing through someones "homestead". But I think there is enough open space out there to easily add at least a dozen of each...Homestead Plots and Homestead/Hermit Lairs.

[Guaran]

There's a good idea: Wandering packs of mobs (whatever types) that ocassional go right by plots. I'm talking pretty much all plots in istaria. So that once in awhile a herd of wolves or roaming skeleton invaders might patrol by and get you.

These packs could spawn in the blight someplace, and have a roaming path that could (potentially) take them all over istaria. Old AoP style. If it's wolf packs there would need to be a big leader wolf (110 Dark Stalker). Skeletons could have say 1 wraith master lvl 100+ leading them around. There could be say 3 to 5 of these wandering packs that patrol just about everywhere except thru towns. (maybe circle around them). Respawn time could be 4 to 6 hours. Each mob group should have 3 to 6 different possible routes they might take. Since others might typically kill these things before a pack ever got to your plot, it would end up being relatively rare. Or if you live right next to the blight, you'd get hit more often, which makes perfect sense. (Make Harro DANGEROUS again!)

[Hrough]

I can see lairs (they do this in most of the unused area around most cities already where there's either a mountain or at least some jutting rock nearby) out and away from roads and cities, portals, etc.

But bipeds have that unhandy running thing they have to do.. and more often than not carrying a disk. I really like the idea, but I'm not sure they'll buy into it because of the slow hiking they'd have to do from the nearest pad. But if the size of the plot is worth it.. build it and they will come!

Well, a biped with dragon friends or lots of money/hoard could potentially hire dragons to help fly out materials. Some dragons, even Lunus, will help for the right price, or even out of good will/friendship.

As for packs of monsters outside lairs/plots.. I've currently got level 60 fire beetles roaming outside my door... it's kind of exciting. I haven't gotten around to building anything yet, but when I do, I'm going to have to play a big game of 'dodge the beetles.'

[Mensar]

You forgot the "TM" after the name of that game.