A new look this past week at one of Ashes of Creation’s premiere housing systems has divided the community between those excited about its potential and those worried that it’ll only cater to the elite hardcore.
Freeholds will be the most expansive of the four housing types in the upcoming MMO, spanning non-instanced 1.5-acre pre-determined plots across the game world. While freeholds offer typical housing, their main function is to be a hub for high-level crafting services and processing that can’t be attained easily elsewhere.
“The intent for this system is to be highly sought after and the most significant effort in order to achieve,” said Intrepid’s Steven Sharif. “There are three other options when it comes to player housing, and ultimately every player on a server will have the ability to achieve and own a home. At the moment, we are targeting the low thousands for freehold plots in the world […] Achieving a freehold will be a goal for many players and achievable by those players who are willing to spend the time, energy, and strategy to acquire.”
While some players were delighted at the showcase, others expressed concerns that most players would never be able to get a freehold. “That is not what I hoped for,” said one fan on Reddit. “Housing was a big part for me to look forward playing AoC. I don’t have the time to compete with big guilds or hardcore players.”
Another argued, “Freeholds are no longer being treated as luxurious/exclusive housing. They are being treated as conduits for processing, and this is to the detriment of people who had the fantasy of owning a freehold for housing.”
