The stupidest idea, ever PERIOD!

[MatronDeWinter]

Yes! Just what the shard needs! More people hording houses.

[The oOo]

Yes! Just what the shard needs! More people hording houses.

I agree with your sentiment at it's surface. In a perfect world new players SHOULD be able to experience the fun & excitement of seeking out a bare piece of ground, buying a deed and seeing their new house magically appear before their eyes. Housing is a cornerstone of UO game-play and no one should be denied the experience.

At some point in the long-term life cycle of any SUCCESSFUL shard the available land must eventually be used up. It is the very nature of the Housing x Population equation. It is a finite commodity and when all available space has been plotted, the population, by necessity will seek out other vehicles of entry to that market.

Current methods of housing market movement:[availability to any player]
#1 Forum Sales
#2 IDOC'ing
#3 Placement

Here on UOSA "House-hoarding" has been facilitated to an extreme level by an imbalance in the Housing x Population equation, specifically due to the insertion of the "3 Accounts, 3 Houses" rule into that equation. House Hoarding IS era accurate, it DID occur back in the the day, but it's impact was greatly reduced due to the "1 Account, 1 House" rule actually in place at that time, as well as a much larger player base dividing the market up.

Yea...coffee's kickin' in now...

The "3 Accounts, 3 Houses" rule in place here WILL not change [JMO] and at this stage of the game it would be foolish to change it anyways, in an Era accurate sense. More to the point, this thread is about the population finding ways to facilitate changes outside of staff/mechanical changes, if at all possible...but I digress.

To expand upon the concept of "community housing", for lack of a better term, and possible ways it could be implemented. First & foremost, any housing donated/purchased, or "owned by" the council would be public property and in it's finer implementation, open for sale to the general population.

Just going to start talking to myself now...don't mind me

In its most primitive construct, Council "house-holding" accounts would be created, with staff approval [formal requests? Oversight?] as holdings came into the councils stewardship. Certainly, there must be better methods for this, as with any suggestion I may have.

A Council position, "Steward of Public Holdings" would be needed, a trusted shard veteran to fill this seat and oversee the Council Housing accounts and facilitate transactions. As holdings, population & demand increase additional, carefully selected staff could be chosen to assist the Steward.

This position would need to work closely with the Steward of the Treasury, but not as a subordinate.

A "Community Housing" forum could be added to the Trading Post section, or a simple sticky thread to start, listing all available holdings the Council has at any given time. Implement a Price Cap the Steward is limited to in sale prices...10% over deed?? Flat fee??

Certain facilities would need to be derived to provide an emphasis on availability leaning towards newer/incoming players and yet allow the established player to expand/upgrade while deterring the facilitation of house-hoarding by players with the system.

In its finer implementation the established player, perhaps owning a home next to a council holding, and by the purchase of that Council holding is able to replace both with a larger house, should be able to able to accomplish that goal, at the nominal Council price.

Perhaps far-reaching goals could include events along the lines of the recent Player-sponsored IDOC housing drops.

Community-driven economic controls could be integrated into this system as well.

Want to reduce the amount of gold in the game? Control Inflation? It CAN be done. Implement a regular buy-in auction for select Council holdings [private auction??], all proceeds go the Council Treasury, which is tasked with DELETING a certain percentage of it's coffers, exceeding a set minimum.

Hell, make it interesting, get the Steward of Community Entertainment involved and Raffle or Auction off 5 'tickets' to a private 'Council's Idoc' at an undisclosed location for say a tower...or a small, even...whatever, change it up....a portion of the proceeds to the coffers, delete the rest.

just thinkin'...

The goal would ultimately be to provide an additional vehicle of entry to the housing market, without impacting the other existing vehicles as listed above...not to replace them, as they are inherent to UO society IMO.

The added benefits of economic controls and increased community events & activities are ancillary to a more balanced housing market, which itself is just one aspect of 'community development' as a whole.

*crickets*

Going for coffee

[Notorious]

i like the original post to this.

[Notorious]

i dont understand why it always double posts

[The oOo]

I had developed the concept further and posted it in the suggestions section...

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=55402

Some showed interest...Nobody cared enough to do anything....most of them want the staff to do it for them...the staff has made it clear they want the community to build the uhh...community.

Neither side will budge....meanwhile the population continued to drop.

Oh...but they have spent countless hours posting whine/rants about how the staff just need to bring automated events back and everything would be fine...

I quit a few months ago...

[archaicsubrosa77]

pedro1.jpg (22.45 KiB) Viewed 1240 times

oops this should have gone here

[archaicsubrosa77]

We are in a sword in the stone scenario before Arthur. The established players are in quasi retirement while everyone else is bidding for power.

I think what you are looking for is a guild. Pretty much fits all your criteria.

[The oOo]

We are in a sword in the stone scenario before Arthur. The established players are in quasi retirement while everyone else is bidding for power.

I think what you are looking for is a guild. Pretty much fits all your criteria.

"quasi-retirement' huh? Is that the politically correct way the vets are referring to the static boredom of only having themselves to play with nowadays?

C'mon...at least be honest. If there was an expanding player-base AND the community to support it...there would be no vets in 'quasi-retirement'...

As for what I am looking for...you obviously do not understand the post at all if the only thing you can assume from it is that I'm lonely for UOSA companionship.

Good effort though