World of Warcraft Housing is a Great Opportunity to Energize Professions

I am excited about World of Warcraft player housing becoming a reality with the Midnight expansion. Blizzard expressed their commitment to player housing with a focus on “Boundless Self-Expression.” This is what I hoped for when I posted Blizzard should take inspiration from the Animal Crossing games. The next step to enhance player housing and player immersion is involving Professions in decoration creation.

Of Dungeons and Duvets

Blizzard’s statement on how housing will work is encouraging for those of us looking to level our interior decorating skills:

Housing will offer hundreds and hundreds of decorations and house customizations via in-game rewards but will also offer a smaller number of items in the cash shop as well. This is comparable to how transmogs and pets are currently handled in game versus the shop. We want to allow players to have as many options as possible for creating their perfect home in Azeroth…The gamut of decor options spans not just the cultures of Azeroth but the many expansions of World of Warcraft as well.

In-game rewards cover a wide range of sources: quests, drops, renown rewards, and probably the Trading Post. I like the idea of grinding old World of Warcraft reputations to earn cool rewards, like an Argent Dawn throw rug or Highmountain coffee table.

I reserve judgement about the cash shop until it is live, but I hope not to see a Lich King’s throne for USD90. Spending cash on a Scryers armoire is a player’s choice, but Blizzard gating decorations behind a cash wall is not employing a “player-first” philosophy.

The best way to make customization truly player-first is by having decoration creation a function of crafting Professions. Blizzard referenced transmogs as an example of how decorations will work. I posted years ago allowing players to craft transmogs would make Professions more interesting and rewarding. I still believe this and declare the same applies to player housing.

Expanding Player Options

Crafting Professions can be fun, empowering, and provide a means of Auction House revenue. Cost variance on crafted weapons and gear is accomplished through different Item Levels and supply and demand. I do not expect decorations to have Item Levels. Employing a wide variety of crafted decoration details and colors from looted and discovered plans will provide Auction House choice and competition. The ability to specialize in design suites, such as Animal Crossing‘s Ironwood, allows self-expression beyond reputation level and can make player Crafting Orders worthwhile.

Make It and Change It

Once the mechanisms for decoration crafting are in place, item customization is the next logical step. Building a robust evergreen system of decoration focusing on player self-expression requires an ever growing variety of items. Allowing crafters to make even minor changes to color and pattern broadens the overall design options. Perhaps one player wants to go heavy Forsaken décor with purple accents, while another player prefers vibrant pink, or pandas. Offering rare customization plans as random world drops inspires world interaction (i.e., killing things) and another potential revenue source.

We Have The Materials

Much of what may be needed for crafting decorations is already in the game. Everything from paint colors, metals, fabrics, screws, even Simple Wood, can be obtained through Trade Suppliers, Professions, and the Auction House. World of Warcraft has a tendency to create new reagents and currencies expansion to expansion. Utilizing existing components instead of making up new ones streamlines initial and future development. Keep it simple. Keep it fun.

The Last Titan Will Include Decorative Crafting

The initial details show housing is a huge feature and complex system. I do not expect to see Professions updated for decoration during Midnight. This expansion will be about getting housing established and working as intended. Updating Professions will be a complex update and significantly impact how players engage the world and spend their time.

I expect designing crafting plans for the abundant new decorations to be as labor intensive as designing the decorations. For these reasons, I believe decoration crafting will be announced for The Last Titan. The final chapter of the Worldsoul Saga, is the conclusion of World of Warcraft as we know it. Blizzard will want all foundational systems in place before sending players into the game’s next era. This includes housing and all the pathways players will have to engage and enjoy it.

What do you think? Will Professions grow to support player housing?

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