In the previous Casually Classic column, I mulled over Blizzard’s survey of proposed Classic Plus ideas, tagging several that I thought would be the most beneficial to an improved version of the legacy MMO. However, I didn’t touch on one incredibly interesting possibility that the studio floated: player housing.

As Blizzard wrote, this would include “instanced personalized housing for players and guilds.” So today, let’s chew on a possible player housing system for WoW Classic. Is it feasible? Is it advisable? And what would it look like if it happened?

Is player housing feasible in WoW Classic?

While player housing looms large in World of Warcraft retail thanks to the robust system coming later this year, it’s not as if Blizzard just now plucked this idea out of the void. Developers admitted that they’d been mulling over the idea of player housing in the MMO since prior to launch, which makes sense given all the other MMORPGs that introduced it before and after, but Blizzard has never pulled the trigger on it – until now.

I think the feasibility of housing is perhaps the least concern here because yes, it is quite feasible. And WoW Classic isn’t really the original version of the game with the original hardware and software; it’s a retrofitted version of the current architecture and engine, as anyone who’s ever used the #somechanges meme will be happy to remind you. So the housing system that’s being crafted for Midnight could be retrofitted as well.

If we did get such a system, it would have to fit the look and style of Classic and not be this high-rez area that sticks out like a sore thumb. But imagine that the devs gave us the same placement tools, a throwback-styled house, and then allowed us access to the furniture and item models present in Classic Era. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as full-featured, but it would be more than what we have right now.

And let’s not overlook the “guilds” part of this equation. Guild housing offers places for groups to gather and share an identity, and that would be amazing in its own way.

Is player housing advisable in WoW Classic?

When housing hits retail, it’s going to set off a stampede back into retail – from lapsed subscribers and probably from more than a few WoW Classic players. I have no doubt that it’ll be the new hotness for this MMO, a new way to express creativity and fit into the game world.

And when that happens, WoW Classic itself is going to feel far more deficient in comparison. Classic players pride sometimes themselves on not needing all of the many improved systems that came to this game over the years, but there has always been a simmering demand for popular features such as transmog, achievements, and the group finder, and sometimes, Blizzard listens, eventually and after much kicking and screaming. I can only imagine how much the legacy version of the game will suffer when it doesn’t have the one thing that everyone’s talking about and desiring.

If and when Blizzard breaks out a Classic Plus server, all bets are off as to what the team can do with the old version of the game. Both players and developers insinuate that a big purpose of Classic Plus will be to flesh out the vanilla version to its very fullest, and I would say that realizing the original vision for housing fits this vision.

Even if all Blizzard does this year is tell angsty WoW Classic players that some sort of housing system is indeed coming, it’ll go a long way to getting over this upcoming crisis and keeping players invested for the future.

What would Classic Plus housing look like?

While retail is making completely new zone neighborhoods for its housing system, the Classic team could simplify its version considerably by establishing instanced apartments in each of the six capital cities. In fact, many early MMOs heavily utilized the housing apartment model (versus an open world placement or zoned neighborhood).

This would give players some choice over the general look and theme of the apartment shell, from the cheery blandness of Stormwind to the creepy vibes of Undercity.

This would be a great money sink for Classic Plus as well — and a major goal for players to chase. You be saving up for not only a mount but your own place in the world. A place where your hearthstone would actually send you to your actual hearth, not an innkeeper’s. Actually, I would hope that the purchase of a “house” would come with a second, specialized hearthstone to give more movement options across the game world.

One reason that I love the idea of housing in any MMO is that it creates many opportunities for devs to incorporate decor items into loot tables, dungeons, raids, quest lines, and so on. Players looking for alternate goals at level 60 would have these items to chase and collect for their ever-growing pad.

And of course, I have no doubt that Blizzard would come up with some way to further monetize housing, perhaps by selling decor bundles or useful housing items that might spark arguments about “pay to win.”

So what are your thoughts on the idea of Classic Plus housing? Is it something that you want? What would you like to see in it? Let’s get talking in the comments!

Stepping back into the MMO time machine of WoW Classic, Justin Olivetti offers up observations and ground-level analysis as a Gnome with a view. Casually Classic is a more laid-back look at this legacy ruleset for those of us who’ve never stepped into a raid or seen more than 200 gold to our names.