Housing plots.
Housing plots.
Having just finished my rough draft on my summer deco entry, I thought I would run about my neighborhood in Magda, to see some of the creative housing done by our players. One thing really stood out to me right from the start. It seems obvious that when the Magda facet was first unveiled, some of our players charged through placing large castles everywhere they could. In some instances 4 or 5 castles stacked together all owned by one player, and every one empty. This shard is always welcoming in new players, and one of those things every player wants is a place to call their own. Some place to keep all their stuff. Yet trying to find open land enough to place even an 18x18 is challenging. I think some oversight might be required here. It is vastly unfair to all new players that they cannot find open land, when some of our 1% hold all the prime spots, especially when they lie vacant.
Re: Housing plots.
In wandering around a bit in Magda (I did not nearly cover 1/4 of the facet), I found one esteemed player who had a massive decorated complex. It looked fantastic, a lot of variety to it and it is really big, REALLY big. but right across the road, this same player also owned 4 large castles, 10 18x18 plots, one 8x10, and one 7x7. I also found further holdings elsewhere from this player. All those listed were undeveloped blank spaces, all owned by just one character, and he is not alone. Magda was open a few years ago to help solve the housing crunch, but seeing stuff like this, how was making a few players massive landlords solving any housing crunch. Please don't get me wrong, I hold every player here in high regard, this is a shard of fantastically awesome players. That being said, I think some of these players need to be reimbursed for their investments, and these places opened up. Maybe make a standing rule that if the plot remains unused for more than a year, it despawns. I would love the ability to maybe get 2 plots right next door to each other, to make a large house I can decorate. But with the way things are right now, I don't see that happening unless I haggle it out with another player.
Re: Housing plots.
I feel your pain, I do. I'm originally from day-one OSI, and the struggle to find a house plot spot was REAL back then. You could search for months and not even find a place for a 7x7. Thankfully, the issue is nowhere near as bad here.
I know that +C's recent house drop changes are helping to clear out houses from inactive accounts, however that will take several months to be fully realized since he had to make it so the old rules applied to accounts that hadn't logged in all that recently, for fairness to them.
While I do think it can be frustrating to find the plot space one is looking for, I fail to see how this is the fault of the "1%" as you called them. We have probably less than 4 dozen players (counting both active and inactive whose accounts are ticking away towards deletion, along with their houses) with compounds over 10 plots. There are four entire facets open for housing, and we offer services to place plots in spots that would normally be denied placement. That means there are thousands of housing spots on uoex. Lots are taken, sure, and having houses stop falling for so long as made it a noticeable issue, but it isn't one that is the fault of the "1%" players.
It's kind of a neat thing about uoex, that any player could eventually build such a massive structure. Why shouldn't these players have empty plots placed where they plan to expand their custom-built cities or where they plan to build an entirely new project unrelated to their others? It takes time - and a lot of gold & ED - to do projects like that; it's to be expected that some plots will sit blank for a long time while the owner collects funds and solidifies their idea. Just because there is nothing on the plots that you can see, does not mean it is abandoned or placed with malicious intent to destroy the happiness of other players.
I personally think staff intervention in forcing older players to give up their house spots so new players can have 'prime' spots is ridiculous (no offense meant, Ish). The ways I can think of that you may be suggesting would be to put some sort of time limit on building plots out - which is unfair - or setting a hard limit on the number of plots a single account can have, period - which is also unfair and takes away something that makes our shard desirable for a lot of people. Perhaps adding some sort of fine for those with blank plots, but again that's unfair.
For example: How would you feel if tomorrow you found the spot you were looking for, and over the next year(s) expanded it into something you were proud of. Then, because you had some plots you were saving up to complete and add to your glorious compound, or hadn't yet decided how to built out, we stepped in and forced you to give it up - based on some arbitrary rules that heavily favor a new player that we have no assurance will even still be playing here next month? You would likely look for another shard, because doing something like that to our players would be dishonoring our entire function in running this shard, and it would feel very mean-spirited to those falling prey to it. That would also be playing 'favorites' in a real way, and it just makes me really uncomfortable to think of uoex turning toward things like that. I just don't believe we should add restrictions to players for using their empty plots - in my opinion it'd just be a huge can of worms that would alienate more people than it would help.
What I do think would help is another facet, just for housing. We've discussed this with +C before and he is in favor of it, however it will take some effort to implement and right now other projects take precedent. We'd discussed the possibility of making it so that players desiring over X number of plots would have to move to this new facet which would be solely for large compounds. However I personally think it'd be much more efficient use of space to have the facet open to all housing but to, say, allow a large-compound owner to pay a (hefty) fee for 'first choice' of spots in the new facet. Then they could also pay a fee to have placeholder plots placed there for expansion. That would free up the entire area in the facet they were previously on, while still allowing them a chance to expand further if they so desired.
Anyway all that will have to get ironed out later, but I think I can say with 90% confidence that a new facet for housing is coming eventually. I'm also confident that once +C's recent housing changes have had some time to work, things will be a lot better on that front all on their own.
I know that +C's recent house drop changes are helping to clear out houses from inactive accounts, however that will take several months to be fully realized since he had to make it so the old rules applied to accounts that hadn't logged in all that recently, for fairness to them.
While I do think it can be frustrating to find the plot space one is looking for, I fail to see how this is the fault of the "1%" as you called them. We have probably less than 4 dozen players (counting both active and inactive whose accounts are ticking away towards deletion, along with their houses) with compounds over 10 plots. There are four entire facets open for housing, and we offer services to place plots in spots that would normally be denied placement. That means there are thousands of housing spots on uoex. Lots are taken, sure, and having houses stop falling for so long as made it a noticeable issue, but it isn't one that is the fault of the "1%" players.
It's kind of a neat thing about uoex, that any player could eventually build such a massive structure. Why shouldn't these players have empty plots placed where they plan to expand their custom-built cities or where they plan to build an entirely new project unrelated to their others? It takes time - and a lot of gold & ED - to do projects like that; it's to be expected that some plots will sit blank for a long time while the owner collects funds and solidifies their idea. Just because there is nothing on the plots that you can see, does not mean it is abandoned or placed with malicious intent to destroy the happiness of other players.
I personally think staff intervention in forcing older players to give up their house spots so new players can have 'prime' spots is ridiculous (no offense meant, Ish). The ways I can think of that you may be suggesting would be to put some sort of time limit on building plots out - which is unfair - or setting a hard limit on the number of plots a single account can have, period - which is also unfair and takes away something that makes our shard desirable for a lot of people. Perhaps adding some sort of fine for those with blank plots, but again that's unfair.
For example: How would you feel if tomorrow you found the spot you were looking for, and over the next year(s) expanded it into something you were proud of. Then, because you had some plots you were saving up to complete and add to your glorious compound, or hadn't yet decided how to built out, we stepped in and forced you to give it up - based on some arbitrary rules that heavily favor a new player that we have no assurance will even still be playing here next month? You would likely look for another shard, because doing something like that to our players would be dishonoring our entire function in running this shard, and it would feel very mean-spirited to those falling prey to it. That would also be playing 'favorites' in a real way, and it just makes me really uncomfortable to think of uoex turning toward things like that. I just don't believe we should add restrictions to players for using their empty plots - in my opinion it'd just be a huge can of worms that would alienate more people than it would help.
What I do think would help is another facet, just for housing. We've discussed this with +C before and he is in favor of it, however it will take some effort to implement and right now other projects take precedent. We'd discussed the possibility of making it so that players desiring over X number of plots would have to move to this new facet which would be solely for large compounds. However I personally think it'd be much more efficient use of space to have the facet open to all housing but to, say, allow a large-compound owner to pay a (hefty) fee for 'first choice' of spots in the new facet. Then they could also pay a fee to have placeholder plots placed there for expansion. That would free up the entire area in the facet they were previously on, while still allowing them a chance to expand further if they so desired.
Anyway all that will have to get ironed out later, but I think I can say with 90% confidence that a new facet for housing is coming eventually. I'm also confident that once +C's recent housing changes have had some time to work, things will be a lot better on that front all on their own.
Re: Housing plots.
Believe me, I am not trying to start an "occupy Excelsior" movement, and honestly, I have great respect for the staff and players here, including those players who have so much land tied up. I only said the 1% as a bit of a joke. Magda has been around for awhile, but I think it has been at least 2 years. 2 years is an long time to hold onto a plot of land without doing something with it. I respect the decision, however, and look forward to the opening of the new housing facet. Maybe I will be able to get 2 18x18 side by side. Cheers.
Re: Housing plots.
No worries, I was using it in the same manner 
Magda has been open for more than 5 years, and any plots still there are for active accounts or will get deleted relatively soon as part of the updates to house drops that +C made. Sure, 2 years is a long time for a plot to sit empty, but who knows why it is? Perhaps that player is military and was deployed, they can only log in briefly enough to refresh their account but don't have enough time to play and work on their housing project. Hospitalizations, loss of family members, moving, etc etc...there's a lot of crap life can throw at ya that could really interfere with your ability to play for long periods of time. I just think UOEX would lose a bit of what makes it so special a place if we stopped being understanding and tolerant of things like that and started enforcing rules on blank plots, etc. Besides, some folks are just lazy or uncreative with their houses, and that should be okay too
Magda has been open for more than 5 years, and any plots still there are for active accounts or will get deleted relatively soon as part of the updates to house drops that +C made. Sure, 2 years is a long time for a plot to sit empty, but who knows why it is? Perhaps that player is military and was deployed, they can only log in briefly enough to refresh their account but don't have enough time to play and work on their housing project. Hospitalizations, loss of family members, moving, etc etc...there's a lot of crap life can throw at ya that could really interfere with your ability to play for long periods of time. I just think UOEX would lose a bit of what makes it so special a place if we stopped being understanding and tolerant of things like that and started enforcing rules on blank plots, etc. Besides, some folks are just lazy or uncreative with their houses, and that should be okay too
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dreamstalker
- Legendary Scribe
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:39 pm
- Location: North Carolina
Re: Housing plots.
There are some of us that will find a spot that is open and place it for u for a nominal
for a nominal fee. Have found open spots castles and for 3x18 side by side. A couple
18x18 north/south. I saw spot another found that would hold 4 18's side by side
This has all been in the last 5 weeks or so. Spots are available you just have to look
For them or pay someone to look for you.. pm in game if interested in hiring me
And ty for using dream max your unofficial uo realtor
for a nominal fee. Have found open spots castles and for 3x18 side by side. A couple
18x18 north/south. I saw spot another found that would hold 4 18's side by side
This has all been in the last 5 weeks or so. Spots are available you just have to look
For them or pay someone to look for you.. pm in game if interested in hiring me
And ty for using dream max your unofficial uo realtor
I keep a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin! just cause you aint paranoid doesnt mean they aint after you
Re: Housing plots.
I am not looking just yet, I will probably just get a gm to help me expand my current spot in Magda. There is room I think, I am right next to a mushroom forest. I just need to wait a few weeks to be able to get the EDS. Finally landed a job after 2 yrs unemployment. Learning the HVAC trade, and just worked my first day on the job.
Re: Housing plots.
Sorry to hear that mate. HVAC blows.Ishamael wrote: Learning the HVAC trade, and just worked my first day on the job.
Character name: Ebony
Re: Housing plots.
lol 2 and a half years of unemployment sucks.
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Wil
- Legendary Scribe
- Posts: 1128
- Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: Seattle, WA, USA
- Contact:
Re: Housing plots.
Off topic, but opportunity knocks for a creative computer guy in the HVAC trade.Ishamael wrote:Learning the HVAC trade, and just worked my first day on the job.
Computer room air conditioners are a travesty. Basic requirements for a computer room air conditioner:
N+1 redundancy, that is the compressors, blowers, etc. must be able to meet the demand with one full extra so that any A/C component can fail or be taken offline for maintenance without the computer room heating up. Generally done by having two or more complete air conditioners fighting each other in parallel.
Humidity control between 40% and 55% relative humidity year round. No kidding, that's the ANSI/TIA 942 standard. This 30% RH in the winter stuff doesn't come close to cutting it. (BTW, 50% RH is also the optimum for human health. You don't get colds and viruses because it's cold, you get colds and viruses because the air is dry.)
Flow, not ambient. In a house, you want to maintain the ambient temperature in the room. "Sensible cooling." Computer rooms don't work that way. Each rack cabinet of computers is basically a big electric heater with a distinct intake and exhaust. The HVAC's job is to take the hot exhaust from the "hot aisle" behind the row of cabinets and inject cool air into the "cold aisle" in front of the cabinets. A constant circular flow in the space.
Steady temperature. Most air conditioners cycle on and off as the temperature swings around the set point. This is unhealthy for computers -- regular expansion and contraction, even in minor amounts, wiggles parts loose. Also, a row of computer racks is basically a great big heater. When the A/C cycles off, the temperature spikes fast. So normal protections against short-cycling the A/C really screw up temperature in a computer room.
For bonus points, meet the requirements for secure (e.g. SCIF) computer rooms. These require a "dielectric break" between components in the computer room (such as the evaporator and blower) and components outside the secure area (such as the condenser and compressor outdoors). Dielectric means can't conduct electricity. This means you can't signal between the thermostat, blower and compressor over copper wire; you have to switch to fiber and back. It also means the copper refrigerant tubing must change to ceramic or plastic for at least a few inches where it leaves the room. That or you put a water-cooled condenser in the room and pipe water to a expensive cooling tower outdoors.
Current computer room air conditioners are a travesty. Best of the breed are the Emerson Liebert units. Here's how they work.
The compressor runs all the time and has more cooling capacity than the maximum heat the computers in the room are rated to generate. Dan't turn the compressor off. When it gets too cold, cycle an electric heater on and off to bring the temperature back up (the "reheater"). And when the humidity gets too low, activate a steam canister to bring it back up too.
No joke. This is how the hundred-thousand-dollar Liebert air conditioners actually work.
Now, suppose instead you took a handful of two-stage residential units and hooked them up to a Raspberry Pi... Hooked up a single set of ductwork with a single blower but cycled various compressor stages on and off to boost or buck the cooling capacity within a short range and also let the compressors wear evenly. Add some "cool mist" humidifiers instead of the costly steam units too. Using off-the-shelf parts and some custom programming I think you can build a redundant/resilient air conditioner that's both lower cost and higher efficiency than the current state of the art...
Re: Housing plots.
Wow that is quite a system! Those level of HVAC tech make a lot of money. I am just getting started, but I know that some of the newer thermostats have Heat Anticipators that will kick on the equipment prior to rooms need so it has time to go through it's start up cycle and be there at the moment it is needed. There is so much I still need to learn, but the computer room system sounds awesome.
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Consternation
- Passer by
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:54 pm
Re: Housing plots.
I registered on the forum because I thought it would be worth it to throw in my hat, so to speak. Hopefully I'm not overstepping my boundaries and I don't come off as griping:
I just searched for three hours straight to try and find a plot myself. I'm relatively new so I get that I'm not 'important' but it's deeply frustrating to spend that much of my only day off only to find that there are hundreds (and I mean that literally) of empty, unused plots with no items in them and no seeming intention of doing anything with them but holding space, on literally every facet.
I'm not going to ask for anything to be changed, or expect anything to be different, but seriously I've seen less housing on actual OSI shards. It's disheartening, and it feels like I'm being relegated to a tertiary position, sort of "You weren't here long enough to matter so you can only have the one-room house" like a non-paid character in a freemium game.
Mostly I just needed to vent since that three hours was 1/8th of the entire free time I had for this week, and it is now wasted
So there's the two cents of a newish player's opinion, worthless but fairly and honestly given.
I just searched for three hours straight to try and find a plot myself. I'm relatively new so I get that I'm not 'important' but it's deeply frustrating to spend that much of my only day off only to find that there are hundreds (and I mean that literally) of empty, unused plots with no items in them and no seeming intention of doing anything with them but holding space, on literally every facet.
I'm not going to ask for anything to be changed, or expect anything to be different, but seriously I've seen less housing on actual OSI shards. It's disheartening, and it feels like I'm being relegated to a tertiary position, sort of "You weren't here long enough to matter so you can only have the one-room house" like a non-paid character in a freemium game.
Mostly I just needed to vent since that three hours was 1/8th of the entire free time I had for this week, and it is now wasted
So there's the two cents of a newish player's opinion, worthless but fairly and honestly given.-
lestatzero
- Legendary Scribe
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:37 pm
Re: Housing plots.
For those of us with several plots ... The amount of time and the ED involved in getting those plots can truly make your jaw drop.... with over 4.5 years on the shard it has taken me quite some time to gather up as much land as I have. The same goes for many of the others. I started off with just a 7x7 my first few weeks ... then I found a spot to place a 18x18... I was thrilled ... the fact that you can have 2 houses to start with right off the bat was truly amazing. from there... I eventually got lucky and was able to place a castle ... Mind you you can still acomplish this today if you look... Even if you can't place it... there are several valid spots that a Staff member can assist with placing for you for an additional fee.... and then from that I grew ... 4 - 6 to 8 to 12 ... etc ... I eventually outgrew the area I was in and Had to move everything ... ... from there .. As houses dropped I expanded ... ... And I am just one of several on the shard that have over 20 plots... (Currently I acutally have 41 that are all linked togeather)....
That being said ... It takes time... ... Houes do Drop without Notice... Only +Coli does the dropping... Stick around for a bit and you will be able to expand...
Lestat
That being said ... It takes time... ... Houes do Drop without Notice... Only +Coli does the dropping... Stick around for a bit and you will be able to expand...
Lestat
Re: Housing plots.
Also, for modest fee no doubt, there are players who will sell you a plot if you ask.
Character name: Ebony
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Maze Scarlethart
- Master Scribe
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 2:49 pm
Re: Housing plots.
Consternation, PM Ellewyn ingame when you are online and I will find a spot for your house. I'm not too shabby at finding spots to place houses.