Are player run inns still a thing?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Astirian, Feb 8, 2019.

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  1. Astirian

    Astirian Avatar

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    Just thinking about maybe setting one up but I don't fancy decking out a dozen rooms if it's not going to be used.

    In fact, I don't really see this working that efficiently without a dedicated GUI element and automation... Where applicants pop up like friend requests and you can assign them a room etc...

    I could be wrong though, if you're an innkeeper in SotA, how's the experience been for you?
     
  2. Earl Atogrim von Draken

    Earl Atogrim von Draken Avatar

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    https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/weekly-tavern-night.146033/

    Ask @Rogosh of the Zog Cabal if he/she was happy with the turnout or not and i guess you will have a valid answer.
     
  3. Astirian

    Astirian Avatar

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  4. Aartemis

    Aartemis Avatar

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    There is a huge difference between running an event, and Tavern, and discussing the effectiveness of running an Inn for Profit.

    With the game now giving you a row home within hours of starting a game that is only 250g/day to maintain, I don't think the Inn is very popular anymore. It was already a complete pain to try and deal with rent. I tried many things, had a little success but more failure and in the end just took it down.

    I would have been nice to see them give an XP bonus for sleeping in a bed (log out) or something to make people WANT to have a room. Housing is available to everyone now at a very cheap price, free if you visit the Oracle. Other then "role-playing" staying at an inn, I don't see the function or point now. Its sad because I really fought for it to succeed.

    I wanted them to push for renting a room at the end of the Outskirts, make quests around it and boost interaction with others. In the end I guess it was just easier to give away a house then create the room rental UI. Such a shame.
     
  5. Astor Cerberus

    Astor Cerberus Avatar

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    Short answer - no.

    Long answer - no for multiple reasons already mentioned (plenty of housing, no in-game benefit, no/poor UI and tools). I run a POT where I have an inn, I also have about 40 lots (row and village) that I let players use for free, for as long as they want, and many of those are empty. If I can't give away village lots, I can't imagine anyone actually operating an inn.
     
  6. Vladamir Begemot

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    No. Time to brainstorm what else to do with that type of building.

    The free deeds were needed because there was no rental interface. Inns will not ever be a thing now. Such is life plenty of other stuff to do in game.
     
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  7. Bayard

    Bayard Avatar

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    If you were thinking of running an inn for profit, the answer is consistent with others, 'no'. If you want an inn for roleplaying or a convenience option, then read on.

    I have two inns in the Outlander Welcome Center, both designed to house newer arrivals. They were successful as a way to get a free room to store items until you worked your way up to pay for a deed and then until you finished the main quest to get your deed. Of the 32 rooms available, more than 20 were always occupied with brisk turnover as older players moved out and newer ones moved in. I never worried about rent and let players deco their own rooms. My landlord duties were simply adding players to the lot access, making sure chests were available for sale at the front desk and occasionally cleaning up pet droppings out back.

    Now with the deed being awarded after an Outskirts quest, I let interested players know they can get a lot and home instead in an hour or two. I also tell them they are welcome to have a free room, but so far, all have opted to get the deed instead.

    I can still see a need for inns for two purposes; roleplaying and convenience.

    RP - Nothing beats the atmosphere of good friends, a crackling fire and music for that final meeting before setting out on a quest or just getting together to boast of the biggest fish, best dragon head, or worst loot in a boss chest!

    Convenience - I have a full set of crafting tables in the lobby, a banker and crafting vendor right outside, the front desk sells chests and other amenities that make it easy to stay in the inn and do basic crafting. It presents a density of conveniences that will take time/gold/RMT for players to assemble on their own. So, if a player wants as little walking around as possible, the inn can make sense until they can kit out their own home with conveniences.

    I will speculate that inns, mine included, will cease to exist as a place for new players to stay. The good news is that many will become lot owners instead!
     
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  8. Lars vonDrachental

    Lars vonDrachental Avatar

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    I guess too that RP is pretty much the only reason left why someone should rent a room in an inn but I think too implementing a story granted lot was the right decision.There is currently simply missing a real purpose for the inns or maybe even the renting mechanic in general.

    I do not like the idea but if e.g. teleporting would be possible to all of your owned or rented lots (not friend or kindred) renting a room might get interesting again…but as I already said I do not like this idea that much. I think movement in SotA is already too fast and other mechanics like mounting already seems to be useless this way.

    If sleeping (logout) in a bed would grant a benefit and if renting a room would be much much easier e.g. by clicking a door, a window appears with the by the inn owner defined price (0 to x gold) and the moment you say OK you pay the gold and can use this room for one day this might be interesting enough for someone who is far from home and willing to fast as can logout while still getting the sleep benefit…if there wouldn’t be the possibility to instant teleport and guess that way no solution either.
    Maybe with a second change like the benefit for sleeping is not everywhere active. E.g. just 5 random towns per day are offering the sleeping (logout) benefit. But I guess this could create some displeasure like “the game force us to rent a room”…again not good.

    Well...it is quite difficult to think of a useful usage of inns aside of RP without creating new problems. :(
     
  9. Daxxe Diggler

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    Pretty much what I was going to say (minus the "I have 2 Inns..." part). I think anyone that invested in the Inns to rent out for profit will be severely disappointed.

    The introduction of the free row and village deeds via the main quest line made it too easy for new players to own their own land. Not that I think that's a bad thing... but it will likely kill the Inn renting market for sure.

    But, there are plenty of players out there getting creative and turning their Inns into a welcoming atmosphere for other players to come and hang out and RP. Honestly, I'm surprised that no one has setup a bordello yet and rented out party rooms (at least not that I know of). :p
     
  10. Weins201

    Weins201 Avatar

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    Question do you mean used or something you can rent?

    Used sure but there are other things one has to do that is run events or other actual in game RP type stuff to make then "usable".

    If you want to rent for gold to offset cost, nope not viable
     
  11. Lazarus Long

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  12. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

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    I have an elven inn that I am selling.
     
  13. oplek

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    I realize hindsight is 20/20, and maybe I'm bit a tad cynical, but I can't help but think about the time/resources that went into developing the rental system before launch... that's now been rendered pointless by handing out deeds like candy.

    Maybe the system can be re-purposed... spit-balling an idea...
    • Maybe rooms can be configured to be be rentable by NPCs. So you put up your inn, make 8 of the rooms NPC rentable, and at over time you'll start to get some occupants.
    • They may pay some amount of rent (maybe a cap in number of NPC residents per scene, with some competition on who has the lowest rates)
    • Some may be recruitable as non-revivable companions.
    • Some may be recruitable as farm hands (you could talk to them and point them to another property)
    • Some may have procedural generated quests.
    • Automatic random room-deocrating (which vanishes if the NPC resident goes away)
     
  14. Jimmy Cliff

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    There were always more Inn owners than there were perspective tenants. The game spent too much time catering to the Haves and neglected the Have Nots, so we all left. I havent played in a long time and I still probably have several free rooms at Inns and homes throughout this game. Many of the Inns I was the only tenant. Someone also gave me sole access to their airship in a completely empty POT.
     
  15. macnlos

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    I had an Inn in Owls Head. I actually bought that property explicitly to have that Inn and make it and easy place for new players. Then Portalarium saturates everyone a deed. Inn’s become irrelevant. <— It is that kind of half baked idea stuff that just infuriates me to no end.

    I sold my OH Village Lot to another player. I’m stuck with this useless Village Inn House that I bought in the store for 100$. And it’s Pandering Friday time.
     
  16. kaeshiva

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    I don't think that the concept of inns, or tenancy, was ever going to be a "profit" thing - what it did, and does, still allow, is giving a brand new player a place to store their crap while they are getting acclimated to the game - inventory management and low weight limit is still one of the biggest frustrations for folks starting out. We have an Inn in Rinzai, and it is more like a halfway house. Folks come with a box or two and once they get situated and get their row they move out. I don't think we've ever had anyone "long term." Sometimes if they are really keen to decorate, we put them in one of the empty house that's a storefront or something. But usually if they stick around, they manage to get themselves a house by whatever means reasonably soon. The Inn is a nice stopgap option, primarily for storage purposes, but nothing beyond that. And certainly not for "profit".
     
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  17. Vladamir Begemot

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    If you're talking about the Tenant system, it never was functional as a rental system because it lacked the last 20% of polish. People needed to be able to click on a door and rent the room inside.

    It is functional for guilds and such though. So not a loss except in the missed opportunity. Once again, I call for the devs to not leave things at 80% done. Imagine if people had been able to rent in a functional (ie. easy to use, the Innkeeper doesn't have to be on 24/7 to receive renters) way, how many players along the way left that might not have?

    What do I mean about them leaving due to a non-functioning rental system? Because they never got into the housing system and experienced that fabulous aspect of the game. The answer was to give away land for free, but it was a band aid. The devs should have gotten the rental system created first and seen how it played out.

    Unfortunate, but water under the bridge. Now everyone has a house and that makes up for the sad loss of Inns.
     
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  18. Sentinel2

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    Inn's definitely need another pass at some point. Making them relevant. Gambling tables, buffs for socializing and so on.

    Eventually I think Inn's will become important as free space dwindles and more players join.
     
  19. Brent S

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    I would say that an inn is almost perfectly suited for a guild hall.
     
  20. Stryker Sparhawk

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    Except the one I know of that was a guild hall did not get used as such.

    I would say they are semi successful as waypoints for if you are traveling and need a temporary spot.

    Of the inns I have only 1 has A resident and I suspect it is used as such from above.

    The large bottom floor is useful but with all the new land access for all, there are better buildings.
     
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