Developer Blizzard Entertainment is back with another look at housing, a new massive feature coming to World of Warcraft with the upcoming expansion. Before, the developers outlined the tools and ways to customize your home. Now, it’s time to take a look at the source of decorations, how the professions fit in, and more. The developers describe it as the “decoration economy“.
“Knowing what tools you have to decorate your home is one thing but knowing how and where to get your decor is another. Step into our showroom as we open our catalogue on Housing rewards and share more information about what you can expect when seeking to outfit your Azeroth home in style.”
The principles to inform the design of the ways to obtain decorations are as follows:
- Progressive Journey – players should expect the collection of decor to be just that, a journey. The collection of the perfect room and house is something to strive towards, not run to a vendor and complete on day one.
- Core Gameplay (With Variations) – the decor shouldn’t come from only housing-specific activities, but instead meet you where you are, however you choose to enjoy the game, whether that’s solo questing, crafting decor with professions and using the Auction House, running dungeons with your friends, or raiding with your guild.
- Reverence for the Past – Your past adventures and time spent in Azeroth means your collection will have a leg up and you won’t start from square one when you first purchase a house.
Commodities are readily available from vendors, other players via the AH, questing, and so on. The “investment” type decor that is more niche in either theming, looks or appeal, will require more time and/or cost investment. Finally, “trophies” are things that require skillful play, cooperation with other players, and/or larger time commitments. Think along the lines of M+ and raid rewards or long-term Achievements.
Decor should come from everywhere and everything as rewards in all sorts of gameplay, not just a single avenue that you feel forced to interact with over and over. For example, while a specific jade-inlaid bookshelf might come from a particular quest in Pandaria, other bookshelves could come from vendors, professions, or other varied forms of content.
When it comes to the Legacy content, the developers are leveraging legacy reputations, professions, and more. If you’ve achieved something in the past, like killing Onyxia, the team wants to embrace that time spent. Additionally, decor will be crafted by ALL existing primary professions instead of requiring its own. Each profession will be able to craft a few pieces of appropriate decor from each expansion using that expansion’s version of the profession. There will be new resources and reagents to hunt for, though!
