Lot and pledge related information request, City versus Keep

I currently have a City lot on my pledge. I've seriously been considering upgrading to a Keep lot with a Duke pledge. I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate input to avoid future regrets.

1) Other than size any difference between a City and Keep lot? I enjoy the lots surrounded by a stone wall, do any of the city lots come with the stone wall? Do all of the Keep lots have a stone wall?

2) Would a keep lot likely be more isolated versus a City lot? I imagine placement of a City lot would have a lot more opportunity to be in a highly populated area.

3) Due to the included ships on a Baron 3 RF account, does this mean an ocean side property is guaranteed?

4) Why are Keep and Castle lots not available as an add-on but City and below are available?

5) Duke Differences: While I would appreciate a tour of Portalarium, highly unlikely my wife and schedule would not permit. The customized avatar head slightly interests me, especially if it can be approved as an imaginary image. The last option of interest is stare at myself in a game. Not that I'm a bad looking guy. The point is, I would much rather stare at a cool image or perhaps one of Scarlett Johansson any ideas of the flexibility of the model? Perhaps one of an old Wizard? A paper bag perhaps? A lich head?

 

1.) no. Size is the "only" difference. Due to flexible housing the big lots are more like small towns now.
4.) afaik they are exclusive goodies for the big pledges.
About the rest i dunno, sorry.

 

can't wait to see the answers as I too have been considering the leap to Duke.

 

1. Not sure.

2. We haven't seen most of the cities in the game, so it is hard to tell, but there is a Castle lot in Owl's Head I believe and it isn't isolated.

3. Water lots are not guaranteed for anyone. However, a Duke pledge would all but guarantee it. Lords of the Manor will pick first, but they are going to grab Castle lots. Dukes grab next. If you wanted to grab a water lot at this point, you're only competing with other Dukes and you should be fine. Most Dukes are going to grab a Keep lot, and not a Water City lot I imagine.

4. Keep and Castle lots should be rare and special.

5. There is a thread for the Duke Avatar head questions. Someone asked that question, and I think the answer is that you can take a picture of someone else with permission. You need copyright on the photo and permission from the model, but it does not have to be you. You could not take a copyrighted picture of Scarlett Johansson and submit it.

 

I would spend my money on a city at Baron level. The jump from Baron to Duke can get you a NICE sized city.

What is the point of being a Lord, Baron or Duke with no land? I understand that this was not the questions but as a Duke with land I am offering some advice.

If you upgrade to Duke you will not have any place to put your keep. If you can not find a spot for your keep you will be SO pissed. How many Keep sized lots that a Dukes keep will need are in game at the moment....

There are only 3 two in Ardoris and one in Owl's head. Lets say they add another 10 well there are over 40 Dukes at the moment. So all these Dukes with no land are going to be besides themselves.

Now as a Baron there will be city lots they aren't half as rare as Duke or Castle lots.

 

I assume you are referencing the pre alpha availability of lots. My understanding is the pledged lots are fixed in number to the amount of lots actually available in the EP1 release. So should be no oversell there. Correct?

 

1. We are told that we might be able to choose what kind of wall, fence, hedge, or nothing. Perhaps as an add-on. We don't have details.
My opinion is that if Portalarium doesn't figure out a way to allow us to choose whatever border we want for our plot, they will have plots with pre-installed borders. We can hunt for a plot that has a location and border type we like. Stone walls, hedges, and wooden fences exist, so I'd expect those to be our choices.

2. I would imagine some Keep and Castle lots will be on the fringes of town, and some will be in the middle. However, some Keep or Castle water lots are islands way out to sea.

3. No. Water lots are going to be limited. Not everybody that wants one will be able to have one.

4. There are no guarantees Portalarium won't offer Keep and Castle lots in the add-on store, but I think it's unlikely, because they'd have to plan how many to add to the world. Rather than shoot for a fuzzy number, I think they'll prefer to know a hard number of how many of these huge plots have to be there.

5. They'll work with you to craft a head you like. Photos of an existing head make it easier. A head they already have, such as a Lich head? Ask them. They'll probably do it. Maybe even with minor tweaks so it is different.

 

Actually it seems they are promising that. This is the quote from the Duke pledge page:

(This lot size only available through pledge purchase; not available in Add-On Store nor in-game)

 

However if not all Duke pledges are taken by release - they could possibly sell them in the store or even offer in game. Who knows though?

 

That would not be a good thing to do that later. Any Duke may want to move around later and that would prevent their choice at s later time.

 

Many Dukes would want that. But Portalarium may want the income for development. I wonder who would win that battle.

 

I think the promise is pretty clear. The only way to get a lot that sized is through a pledge. I don't think they will sell them in the add-on store later.

 

I SUSPECT that, it will not be made available in the add on store or for purchase in game with in game money.

Most likely and any Keep lot or Castle lot not selected (either because the LotM or Duke decided to choose a city lot instead [would baffle me if they did] or they placed additional lots beyond the number of Dukes and LotM) may be given away by LB or Darkstar as an in game reward (by royal decree) at a later time.

But other than that, from what I understand, the only way those lot will ever be available is through pledging.

I submise that once they know the number of Dukes and LotM, they will probably release N+x lots with N representing the numbers of Dukes and LotM and X being unknown number of lots that allows for future Dukes and LotM to be declared by royal decree. This would also allowing existing Dukes and LotM the potential to move should they decide they don't like their first choice.

Again, this is all speculation. I think this would also be really cool, if this is the case. An individual who gets decreed a Duke or LotM in game would be so much cooler than those that paid for it. They had to earn it by having to work for it through game play, completing quests, and community involvement.

 

I hope so too. But they could always open pledge sales for ep2-5 and just call them new rounds.

 

I think we'll see pledges and new crowd-funding for land in the new episodes.

 

Some misinformation here it seems.

1) There is one more difference between City and Keep lots besides the size, and that is that keep lot will have more storage/lockdowns/Lightsources aswell.

2) You will be guaranteed a keep spot, as they will make the same amount of keep spots as there are dukes. What i wonder, is what happens with "Spare" keep spots , for example, if i place my keep in owls head, but then build a POT and move there.. the owls head keep spot will be availible for anyone, but since people cant upgrade to keep... well i don't know.

3) The main reason why i went to duke and the keep spot, is that everyone can eventually get a city lot ingame, but ONLY duke and above can get keep lots! which will make them insanely rare. its also a reason why i would consider going LOTM.

 

Nice to know info. Thank you.

That's my wondering too. Royal warrants, In game deed, future pledges, whatever is needed to raise scarce funds, and who knows what else. Speculative and subjective any way you look at it.

Same reason I am thinking of Duke. But LOTM is beyond my mere mortal status. Besides, if I purchased a LOTM my wife would probably mortally wound me.

 

I can't see them giving them out by "decree". There are 4 other episodes where the sale of those connected to a pledge for those episodes would be more in line. IMHO

 

I don't recall where but I think they said that Dukes and LotMs might be able to call out a city that they would like their lot in. LotMs seem to be generally quiet as are some Dukes so it is hard to say but some of the more visible Dukes are planning on living in Player Owned Towns. Again, it is hard to say but I have a hard time believing that a Duke or LotM is going to place a ship unless they don't plan on being active in Shroud of the Avatar in which case they may not place at all. Seeing as Keep and Castle lots consume a lot of space that impacts town/city layouts, it seems to me that some careful community planning on the part of Portalarium is prudent.

 

I too think that there will no be Duke or LotM lots available other than through pledging.
But do think they might be used as a reward to the first winner of some HUGE quest, designed to take at least 6 months to complete (by someone who will find a way to complete it in 5 days). Probably placed in some early restricted area of the map.