Today, Zenimax Online and Bethesda have released some details on the player housing feature coming to the Elder Scrolls Online. Called Homestead, the feature is arriving with the next update in February, 2017 or can be tried on PC in the Public Test Server in January. To give a visual look at what to expect they’ve released the following video:
Homestead Details
At launch, you will have access to nearly 40 unique homes. You will complete a quest to receive a small room at an inn and you can expand from there. The homes you can acquire are themed after the game’s 10 races and can come furnished or unfurnished. You can purchase any of them you’d like regardless of your race or alliance. Imperial style homes do require the Imperial Edition of the game to own. Players can own multiple homes and they are available to all of the characters on your account!
Owning a Home
Nearly all the homes can be bought with in-game gold. Unfurnished ones can be purchased with crowns or you can buy them for gold as well as complete an achievement that earns the approval to move into the neighborhood. You can also buy fully decorated versions in the Crown Store, and the furnishings can all be changed as you wish. The Crown Store will later have unique dwellings, like an island retreat. It’s all about that wish fulfilment.
Decor
You will be able to either craft or by new furniture and decorations for your house and can use the housing editor to move them all around. Some homes will feature outdoor real estate that can be further customized. There will be over 2,000 decorative items running the range from tables and chairs to books and plants.
You’ll be able to craft decor using existing skills, purchase them with gold through merchants, or buy them in the Crown Store. Earning trophies from Veteran Arenas, Dungeons and Trials will grant you monster themed busts that you can display in your home!
Achievement furnishers will stock special items that can be purchased after completing a specific achievement from questing, and this will be retroactive. For those bourgeois types, a luxury furnisher will sell rare and expensive premium goods for limited times.
You’ll also have the option to keep pets, mounts and items like assistants, crafting stations, target skeletons and light fixtures in your home. Copies of Shalidor’s library books can be placed and read in your home after you purchase them from Mages Guild merchants after you complete a set. You’ll also be ale to craft, test class builds, and have parties and gatherings from your comfy confines.
Additional Info
Here are a few more random tidbits they shared regarding the new housing feature:
- Houses are instanced, so you don’t have to worry about racing to grab the perfect spot of land
- Furniture you create via Furniture Crafting can be sold to other players
- You will be able to preview homes before you purchase, both furnished and unfurnished
- You will be able to allow friends and guildmates to visit your home; they can travel to your home via the group, friends, or guild lists while you’re in it, or by selecting “Visit House” by clicking on your name in those same lists when you’re offline
- You can grant trusted friends permission to decorate existing placed items in your home (they cannot add or remove items from your home)
- You can also allow those who are not on your friends list or in your guilds to visit and/or decorate your home by adding them as a “Visitor” or “Decorator” in your House Settings
- You’ll be able to conveniently fast travel to your homes via the World Map, similar to how Wayshrines currently work (but cost free), as well as directly via the Collections menu
- You can allow visitors into your new home – a visiting player simply needs to teleport to you
- Homes are secure – other players are not able to break into homes and steal items. Sorry, Thieves Guild!
Gotta love that vicarious living! All in all, the features seems like it’s robust and won’t be a simple buy and plop feature, but something that will evolve in usefulness over time. Thoughts on housing? If you’re a prospective buyer be sure to visit the wiki for some images of the houses you can buy!
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2 responses to “The Elder Scrolls Online Details the Homestead Player Housing Feature”
I haven’t played in months, after finishing Caldwell’s quests but mostly due to Dark Souls 3. I’ve forgotten literally how to do everything. I keep accidentally summoning this creature whose purpose I don’t remember either. I might force myself to re-learn because of Homestead. Building my 3 mansions was my favorite part of Skyrim (the original) even though it came late in the game’s life. I left my family in one house and the dog and I moved to another. Sick of those obnoxious adopted kids and boring, pie-baking spouse.
Speaking of dogs and Skyrim, I have a tip that I’ll put here since there’s no Skyrim subforum: the special dog that is part of a quest. Delay that quest as long as you want (until you need to complete your trophies) but keep the dog. He is immortal during the quest, so take him along everywhere and he will be your best fighter. I thought of this after I learned I could have dragged that would-be King fella all across Oblivion for extra combat help.
I give them credit for trying. They really want this to be a thing. A part of me is sad the Thieves Guild can’t burgle people, though.
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