Refugee island house spotted on beta! ^_^

I think it would be reasonable to leave the decorated one as a veteran reward and have a blank one for station cash.

However, I would like them to add more to the veteran one. Make it even more like the real version of the isle of refuge.

What if when claiming it was like claiming the vet mounts...you get a choice either original or blank.

Having a separate package....how would we know where the stuff actually was placed since some of us have really bad memories. If the stuff automatically went to the spot it was originally in that would be one thing but leaving it up to our memories would not be fun since there is no way to visit the zone. I am not sure why people assumed the extra items would be a separate package that we have to place since we have never had that with a house. All previous houses have lots of the original zone features still in them with no extra package. Not saying they will or won't just want them to consider not leaving it up to us to remember."

I had a character live on this island for two years, and it's been a while but so awesome to see it again. Now to impatiently wait a full year to hit the vet year restriction *sigh*.

Even though I'm only a year away from this gem I really really do hope they make it available for everyone via other means even SC. Having to wait quite a number of years is not fair.

Isle of Refuge was the first place I set foot on when I started and I have very fond memories, let alone the music (which I put as GH music replacement). I fell in love with Norrath at that moment. Having it back in game is just the best gift SOE could make.

Therefore, please please please make it available to all in one way or another *big puppy eyes*

Then send feedback about the SC version. Contact the Devs and let them know you want the SC version to be blank and unrecognizable as the colony island.
XD Good lord. You people with your Diva attitudes of "Can't decorate it" "I'm restricted"
Would you like the green M&Ms removed for halloween?
I'm deeply ashamed that we have some decorators that would rather ruin the replica of the colony island than actually bring attention to the SOE staff about the SC version.
Both can be happy if there is an SC version that is stipped down. But no, the 4 people that want it mangled want THIS one mangled. >.< Not the other one that will be on SC.
So, where, pray tell, will the exact replica of the island be? hmm? You know, if this one gets everything taken out?
And if the SC version with nothing left on it gets released, will you apologize to the people who have other play styles and can't remember what LOC to put this that, or the other item, or just be gloating about how now you get 2 islands that don't actually resemble the island all that much?
Oh, and FYI, you can't get into the tree house, so no worries about any thing being in your way there. I was hoping people would be asking Devs to open that up, possibly bring back more of the island.... but instead I see 4 people that don't actually want the island as it's self, don't actually want to help any one but themselves. :\ And the most frustrating part? They'd rather sit here and demand that the island be ruined further than ask that the second version on SC be blank.

Hey, Devs! Please open up the treehouse, we would like to use it fully again!

Uwk

I wonder which dev I'd have to make a sacrifice to in order to get those parts back? hmmmmm. XD

How cool.

Two things I miss they took away from EQ2:

1. Freeport starter, man why oh why did they do that?
2. Isle of refuge, why oh why?

What is it about beign a dev that removes your love of choice? All starters are solo affairs, so why does it matter if we spread out a bit?

Freedom of Choice is what we want
Fredom of Choice is not what we got.

Anyhoo I have to say, soley based on this isle home, my one month all access pass coudl be extended and matched with purchase of Altar of Malice. Nice work devs, just open the rest of the Isle and were off to the races.

Also I am one who is thankful its NOT a blank slate, this is a replica of a historical place in the game, I think the idea is awesome, and was done right. Asking for it to be blank slate is akin to asking for the statue of David, but being given instead a huge block of stone.

Your so called blank slate version.

Heh! Point. Non-blank slate is fine; just would like the tree opened and a version available to everyone. ;->

And yeah, I miss the Freeport and Qeynos starting areas (the "suburbs") as well. I'd still love to know what it was; was it a technical thing when they opened up the city zones themselves, so we didn't have to actually zone going from, say, East Freeport to West Freeport (not sure why that would bother the suburbs, if we can still get in them now)? Was it the whinging around of new players, or old jaded ones, that didn't want to "waste time" in lovely little city areas from the teens->20+ (and, gods know, get better racial questline rewards than the silly current rings and such [it's like the difference between the awesome old Crackerjack prizes of tin, then plastic, now just paper])? For that matter, why get rid of the Refuge Isle, only to bring it back as a nest of high-raid-level horrors (come to think of it, they turned each of the old starter zones into nothing but battle zones, in many cases having you kill off your former neighbors and NPC friends)? :-/

On the devs' side (yeah, I know, for once ;->), I'm not sure how much choice they had in the matter. I'd like to think they didn't have much freedom of choice, either. :-/

Uwk

First off, I don't think I'm the one with the attitude problem here. When it was announced that the IoR was to be a " home " I, like most home decorators, was quick the believe it would just be the island itself. NO I did NOT ask for a blank slate. But the island with all it's natural beauty with the nooks and crannies. Also the essentials of what made it the best part of beginning this game, but functional for all players ( decorators included ).
Yes keep the Treehouse!, but open it like it used to be, Yes keep the Boathouse!, but let the players put furniture in it. Yes keep the Altar area with the little concrete pond, Yes keep the tower, but maybe add another room inside upper story. YES the ruins and graveyard. But I see no need for the battlements, unless I wanted to setup a battle scenario of my own.
They could have just as easy left out the Ship, and made us have to buy one. How much complaining would you " nostalgics " have done about that ?
Let me ask, What do you plan on doing with YOUR IoR as it is? Just get one to have sit there so you can show you friends at home how great a place it WAS ? Do you Nostalgics ( spelling ) plan on just leaving it as is and do nothing to make it personal? Are you going to buy all the goblins and ghosts and animals and put them where they were like a chess board for people to see?
I do love the idea of making a DM version, And an optional SC blank version.
Either way, it's never going to be a perfect replica, and NO ONE is going to make a perfect replica.
The Devs have said it is a Vet Reward Home. The other Vet Reward Home came un-decorated, as well as The Hua Mein, Oakmyst Glade, and the others. NONE came with pre-decorated rooms or houses. I have some of these homes, and I've built my own houses, gardens, and such.
Let us remember, This is a video GAME we play to play play, not have to sit around and look at the pretty pictures of zones. I would rather it be a blank slate for me to " play around " in, than to just tell my friends " come look and see this place that I first started on this GAME. The game has moved on, and the characters have moved on. You'll never be able to recreate the beginning of this game. If it meant that much to you, maybe you should've taken screenshots back then. When people visit places, they take pictures to remember. I don't see people trying to make an Eiffel Tower in their back yards to remind them of their visit to France. What I'm trying to say is, It's still just a game to PLAY, not just have sit there and wax nostalgic about.

As far as a "home" goes, only decorators ideas matter?

Why is your play any better than those who want to enjoy the nostalga?

It isn't a matter of attitude, so much as it is a matter that there are so many examples of "blank slate" houses. So if we are all here to play, why can't the decorators just let the nostalgic players play, and have one home like the Isle?

Are they asking for too much here? Or is it only one groups style of play that matters?

Yours.

Probbably correct, but maybe I should have stated it better, I didnt mean "Devs" as in every one of the team, I meant it more "the dev" making the choices. I dont think the board of directors demanded a removal of starters, a producer or top of the food chain dev made the choice. and why?

But alas if there is one truth in the universe, things change.

Yeah, if it's just one producer/head dev empowered to make all those kinds of decisions, if he/she doesn't like 'em, out they go. :-/

Uwk

FTFY

I plan on making my own house on top of the cliffs where the waterfalls start. I would even buy a station cash or loyalty merchant version of the island that is blank with just building shells. The Hua Mein came with trees and such...are there even buildings in that area...I don't remember there being any but I could go look. Oakmyst Glade...no buildings on that one either. But it doesn't really matter how other houses came. I think everyone needs to calm down and express how they want it for the devs to read but nobody should start getting all crabby at other players. It is a game and people can disagree but it is not fair to assume what anyone is going to do with their houses. Let the devs figure out what is the best thing to do.

I know I'm repeating myself here, and it will be duly ignored, but ...
I AM a decorator, I was expecting a blanked out barely recognizable version of the island, and I was squealing with delight as I looked around the island and nearly everything was still there! The memories of the first heroic battle, the way the rugs were in the little cabin, etc... I had prepared for the worst by finding every thing I could to try and recreate everything and you know what? It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to find anything. :\ I found 2 videos (one said part 1 of 4 but the person's account only had that one video on it. /..\) and every image I found was either one I posted of the house, or the front dock of the tower. I didn't see a SINGLE image of the interior of the fishing hut.
Also (Again repeating myself but expecting deaf ears from certain people) NOT EVERY ONE THAT MISSES THE ISLAND IS A DECORATOR!!! Not to mention this is the first and only house that is already decorated. Pretty sure it's a special one time thing too, since it's so special in the memories of those who started there and wanted it back.

Of course 1 on my account belonging to my first toon will have as close a recreations as I can manage, maybe even try and fake the back passage, see if I can pop a teleporter into the tree house and build a fake interior, saving up crab, shark, goblin, etc.. plushies already. As for what I'm doing with my other 20 character's Refugee island houses, One is going to be a castle with open areas inside with trees in sunken "planters", maybe a menagerie. I might make one into a theme park (I've been trying to decide on which one to make into a theme park, and that certainly has the space for it), MAybe a full blown zoo! Possibly a neighborhood, a circus maybe. Oh! A nesting ground for all my griffon mounts! Or a place for all my unused mounts to be free! (especially since the herbivores and carnivores can be separated by the cliff walls! 0.0) XD Too many possibilities!
If you absolutely can NOT work around things or integrate things.. how can you call yourself a decorator any way? o.0

Oh! ANd good news everyone! XD For those of you wanting the upstairs of the tower in Refugee island, I forgot to post a picture. ^_~ AND they fixed the flight! You can FLY now!!!




And also, the roof of the tree house is not solid. >.> Every thing is see through from inside, but if you are crafty, a couple round tiles and a few narrow dividers, a teleport pad on the in side and outside of the door, and you can try and fake the inside. It just won't be the same, but it's something. ^_^

Same for the Lighthouse. It's not solid, but you can build in it. ^_~
Oh, and here's a shot of the lovely lake they added. ^_^ So those of you complaining about lack of room for creativity? .. well who am i kidding... you still won't be happy, but you have GOT to admit, this is nice. All those times on the island I tried to get up there or angle my camera so I could see, and FINALLY I get to see what's up there. XD The source of the waterfalls!

I saw it before flight was added. I just ran up the cliff side and saw the awesome second level with the new lake. I love the Isle because it is so true to the original. I was sad to see what was left out but elated that the two zone in areas were included

First off, let me thank you Griffon Lady for all the wonderful pics. Then, let me apologize for all my complaining and seemingly selfishness. I 'm pretty sure I did state about the great idea about both a Vet Reward version ( fully pre-decorated ) and an SC ( blank ) version.