Housing Rally 5-10-14 – Developer’s Ghoulash!!!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #17 – Developer’s Ghoulash!!!

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and tonight we’ll be looking at places Everquest developers think are noteworthy! These houses occupy a special place on the Leaderboards, so for once they will be easy to find! All are quite different, and excellent examples of the art of decoration!

As we view the houses tonight, remember that lots of people on our tours have extensive decorating/design experience and are happy to explain any techniques used, so if you have any questions feel free to ask!!!

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! A good rating means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!
For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. This time we will be looking at the 2nd category down – Dev Picks.
We’ll now switch to Group (#) Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

Widow’s Storm Isle (#1 Dev Oicks/Creativity-Recent) by Dawnstriker: Storm Tower Isle.

Here we have a Storm Tower Isle – a underused house that offers many interesting possibilities to decorators. On zone-in you are depositing looking towards the un-skinned Storm Tower. Directly ahead is a very nice Hansom cab!

As you look around, you can see some very tasteful landscaping principally utilizing hedge seeds. The area around the tower is tiled using Sullonite paving stones. Ahead by the front door are additional paths, leading first to a open crypt.

The crypt is a beautiful scratch-built structure – and yes there is something moving in the coffin! Check out the other decorations and the use of roses.

Nearby is a small ocean-overlook shrine that reminds me of some British WWI memorials I’ve visited. There is mirror-placed fountain on the roof which I found and interesting feature.

On the island outcropping is a small graveyard, and the central to the paths is a well-executed gazebo. Look at how Ornate Shadowed Bookcases are uses as structural framing. Continue on into the tower.

Inside you are immediately presented with a sitting/music room. The paneling is interesting – it uses Wantia Armoiries to give an almost Qeynosian paneling effect. Adamantine columns and red glass tiles complete the effect.

On the far side of the room is a small kitchenette that is quite nice! Going up to the next floor is a bathing room using a Vasty Deep shrine for the floor.

The next floor is a bedroom, with Sumac and Burnished Metal paneling. Overall, this is one of the best-decorated Storm Towers I’ve seen. Take a few minutes and wander around!

Now we’ll move on to:

Is it a madhouse or a dream (#2 Dev Picks/Creativity-Recent) by Vadra: Everfrost Summer Home

Here we have an interesting Tinkered Everfrost Summer Home. This house, despite its beauty is quite difficult to re-skin due to its complex structures. Here a ‘jumbled’ approach gets around this problem nicely.

There is a ’dare’ issued on entry to see if visitors can get into all three rooms on all three floors.
Moving forward to the face-down corpse with the axe in its back, you can see the various pumpkin torture stations! The use of Misty Tiles makes the floor more interesting.

Crossing the room, head for the Freeport door. When you open it, you are immediately faced by a fire devil plushy – very interesting because of it’s rotation! Give a neat fire vortex effect!

Now wander and see if you can find a way to the other floors! Hint – some of the fallen panels are ramps! The second floor is a music/science lab. Sort of an Island of Dr. Moreau lab effect! Nicely done!

Try to get into the 3rd floor room! I wasn’t able to figure it out!

Next we’ll move on to:

The Shoe House (#3 Dev Picks/Creativity-Recent) by Cherrybomb: A Tenebrous Refuge

Here is the classic fairy-tale house in a shoe! Cheri always does interesting things, so take a look at the construction of the various items. Note things like the flagstones (upside down Scrimshaw Ritual Sculpture).

The windmill is an interesting collection of tinkered items, check out the use of the Titanium Hex Gaskets as struts.

The standard Treehouse is decorated with assorted streamers – but I liked the ‘rope’ bridge using Indium Cage Bars.

Going into the toe of the shoe, check out the very nice stained glass oval work. The use of the dreadcutter rug as wallpaper give a nice Victorian look. The boot includes a scratch-built kitchen that is nice!

Wander through the house and look at the items and rotations.

All the houses tonight are great examples of taking truly fanciful concepts and turning them into game-reality. Remember you really can do pretty much ANYTHING!!!

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Saturday to view some of the beautiful homes of Qeynos and Freport! Be there or be square and have a great evening!

K-

Housing Rally 3-30-14 – Bristlebaney Miscellany!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #15 – Bristlebaney Miscellany!

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and tonight we’ll be looking at places celebrating the old Bristlebaney Magic! This means houses celebrating chance, chapels to the God of Tricksters and washrooms with exploding toilets – you get the idea!

While not as heavily decorated as Frostfell and NotD, it could be – as there is tons of cool Bristlebane bric-a-brac to use. We’ll take a look at some of these items, and the fun uses they can be put to!
Remember – Bristlebane Day is inherently weird – so let your weird decorating instincts hang out in full view!

Lots of people on our tours have extensive decorating/design experience and are happy to help, so if you have any questions feel free to ask!!!

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

DON’T FORGET THOUGH!!! A good rating means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOUSES, SO SELECT THE LEADERBOARD SETTINGS GIVEN FOR EACH HOUSE, OR YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE LOCATIING THEM!

Each house will have a Category and an Attribute, just enter them in the Leaderboards screen and you’ll be fine! Yell if you can’t find it!!! We’ll now switch to Group (#) Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

The Jester’s Rainbow Dome (#14 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Degaahr: A Felwithe Mansion.

Here we have a use of the massive Felwithe Mansion as a shrine to the Jester and as a truly impressive ‘room of ways’ to many interesting houses!!! The numbers of portals alone make this an amazing place!

The striking visual feature here is the use of a wide range of stained glass tiles for a lovely multi-hued effect! Continue down the hall to the shrine, and note that you can see the ‘jester’ right from zone in! Very nice!

The chief ingredients here are the ever useful Black Marble dividers and tile along with their Sumac cousins! Paintings in the entryway are also nicely matched.

The main area is centered on the BBday Jester in the center of a nice custom planter. Above is a dome of multicolored glass tiles, edged with Black Marble with triangular Sumac inserts.

Continue on into the next room – a ‘room of ways’ to many different houses! Degaahr & friends have certainly been busy! In addition to the nicely done portals, there is also a fish tank.

This house does a great job of being both Dark (due to the black marble) and Colorful (due to the stained glass). An usual combination that I thought worked very well!

Now we’ll move on to:

Dragon’s Rest Casino and Saloon (#196 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Agameman: A Uncanny Estate

We looked at this recently on our Saloon run, and I had to include it again! The entranceway is partially reskinned, which makes the usualy somewhat shabby look into something very sharp!

Go left to enter the main saloon area! Here we have a beautiful game/tavern area, complete with a stage and band that’s very nicely done (The Screaming Pink Tacos)! The best static band I’ve seen!

Clever use of mirrors and red dividers adds to the saloon effect, as do the red drapes! The large number of paintings also makes this visually a striking room!

Across the Entrance Room is a Gaming Room, again very plushly (ha) done! I liked the use of the massed ornamental lanterns!

Upstairs is a lovely large bedroom – and a bank to borrow money from!

Wander a bit – there is so much here we’ll tarry a few minutes before moving on.

Next, our final house is:

Sandimas Gaming Skiff (#233 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Cheddarella: A Skyblade Skiff

Here is one of those rare homes you don’t see much! A gratuity received for going to Fanfaire 2010, there just aren’t that many of them around!

In addition to the usual games, there are some unique ones! Several custom roulette wheels are present, as are a grabber game and an extensive bar area. In addition a cashier, a central stage allows performances during gambling sessions!

There are several unique items as well, my favorite being the Hoard of the Scaleborn (a LON loot card).
Wander a few minutes and check out the games and items before we move onto the next house.

Next, lets go to:

Aprilis Playground (#239 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Kaeylee AB: A Tenebrous Refuge

Here is another high-number HoF house that I thought was a nice effort, and I felt a child’s playground also fit into BBDay!

Take a look around at the assorted play areas: there’s a carousel, treehouse, climbing wall, playhouse, sandbox, mini-golf, moon-bounce, swimming pool with floats, jungle jim and a slide! I liked it, and I’d bet BB would too!

Take a few minutes and see how these were accomplished, and then we’ll move onto our last house.

Next, go to:

Men’s Room & Apocalypse Shelter (#66 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Kehhi: A Personal Dojo

Here we have an attempt at a modern Men’s Room combined with a Guild Office. DISCLAIMER – this is one of mine! If you have sound on the whole place is quite gurgly!

Here the Dojo is reskinned in white tile, with white light provided by Icy Pedestal Tables from Frostfell. These cool little items give off a white, unwavering light that fakes fluorescents quite well. They are covered by blocks of ice to conceal them.

The fixtures are based on Titanium Pitchers, which have the benefit of having a water-effect in them. By the way, you can see in the ceiling a little error I made without noticing – the beams from the Shelter stick through – and I didn’t notice until now!

The large red button is on a sign that provides instruction. I’m not sure if the effect only catches the presser or if it is area effect! Volunteers?

Opening the cleaning closet door, you’ll see a second door. Open it as well. Go into the Shelter and check it out. There is an instruction manual on the control station.

Look left down the room and you’ll see a wall ventilator made with a gear and a rotated fan and round black tile.

Yes – this is where Kehhi thinks up his demented schemes. Here behind the washroom!

All the houses tonight are great examples of taking truly fanciful concepts and turning them into game-reality. Remember you really can do pretty much ANYTHING!!!

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Saturday to view some of the beautiful homes of Qeynos and Freport! Be there or be square and have a great evening!

K-

Housing Rally 3-15-14 – Pubs, Taverns and Brothels of Norrath!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #14 – Pubs, Taverns and Brothels of Norrath!

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and tonight we’ll be looking at at the places of celebratory inebriation throughout Norrath! In olden times, (and still today some places), these businesses were the center of social life in a town or village, and people came from all over to drink and gossip!

On Antonia Bayle, there are several taverns that cater to the large RP community – feel free to check them out! Many are quite fun places to visit. The Eency Weency Spider in Qeynos is open Tuesdays at 8PM EST – just avoid being evil or undead!

Other bars and taverns come and go, so keep your RP ears open for opportunities! Here again you’ll see some really astonishing creativity. There are so many possibilities out there – so be sure you don’t discount that great idea because it’s just a bit weird!

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

*** Don’t forget though!!! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOUSES, SO SELECT THE LEADERBOARD SETTINGS GIVEN FOR EACH HOUSE, OR YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE LOCATIING THEM!

Each house will have a Category and an Attribute, just enter them in the Leaderboards screen and you’ll be fine! Yell if you can’t find it!!!

We’ll now switch to Group (#) Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

The Blushing Maiden (#71 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Neversea: A Galleon of Dreams.

Here we have a use of the Galleon of Dreams Prestige House – one that doesn’t see much use due to its complexity of design. Go straight into the pub!

Neversea used Hua Mein and New Combine furniture to achieve a ‘ropey’ nautical effect in the pub. A very nice refrigerator is placed to the left, and the bar includes a small sink. The red marble dividers and stained glass do a god job of concealing the underlying Galleon word – which becomes boring after a bit!

For those that want to explore just a bit, there is a teleport pad by the mid-ship castle.

Now we’ll move on to:

The Lotus Resort (#74 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Lotusresort: A New Halas 5-Room

Here we zone right into a nice little restaurant/tavern based on an unskinned New Halas 5-room. Tastefully and minimally decorated, it features a piano and stage and New Halas-themed furniture.

Upstairs is a more upscale restaurant (the Vino D’Loto) for the silk cravat crowd! A nice kitchen sets it off. Above the kitchen is a small raised dining area and one of the most unusual staircases I’ve seen of standard ash shelves! The Eucalyptus Wine Tables do look nice!

Take a few seconds to check thing out, and then we’ll move on!

OUR NEXT STOP IS:

The Ebon Dragon (#101 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Vichane (Depitore): A Maj’Dul Residence

Here we have a really neat effort! Look up at the entranceway effect of the Misty Tiles over the Starry Tiles. The use of the crude stone benches for a broken-ceiling effect is a nice effect. Note how the Adamantine Dividers match well with the stone benches on the ceiling.

To the left is a small sitting room, reskinned using large redwood bookcases – a beautiful effect. On the right a very nice little chapel! I found the chapel very well done! The altar embedded in the Lions Palm Table is very good!

Continue on to the main sitting room with a completely different look! The GIANT stone candlesticks is another nice look. Go left into the small tavern/smoking room.

Lots to see here! There are Nagas and candles under the Gazing Orbs, some nice terrariums in the walls, and an interesting use of the Dervish Glass Chest.

Back across the sitting room is the bar proper, nicely done with Maj’Dul themed pillows and lamps. There is a sign on the wall saying Designed by Depitore!

Wander a few seconds – I love this Maj’Dul house, and Depitore did a beautiful job, and then we’ll more on… Don’t be afraid to examine – some of the components here will surprise you!

Next, we’ll head to:

Forest Refuge and Chapel of the Four Winds (#157 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Kuerden: A Tenebrous Island Refuge

OK – Quick Disclaimer – This is one of mine, from a long time ago (before I joined HaT!). My office is right here, but we’re looking at Taverns, so go out the other side and take the teleport pad to the Twin Falls Tavern!

I wanted to do a tavern in a particularly lovely location, and so ended up hanging this small bar on the side of the Tenebrous Island. At certain time of day the light from the sun is just gorgeous!

A small stage and dance floor sets it off. The door leads to a kitchen underneath the tavern. It’s a little sparse, as this was before blocks were counted separately, so I maxxed out the house items and was stuck!

Wander a bit and check things out, and then we’ll move on!

Next, head to:

Dragon’s Rest Casino and Saloon

Dragon’s Rest Casino and Saloon (#190 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Agameman: A Uncanny Estate

Here we have a very nicely done Saloon! The entranceway is partially reskinned, which makes the usualy somewhat shabby look into something very sharp!

Go left to enter the main saloon area! Here we have a beautiful game/tavern area, complete with a stage and band that’s very nicely done (The Screaming Pink Tacos)! The best static band I’ve seen!

Clever use of mirrors and red dividers adds to the saloon effect, as do the red drapes! The large number of paintings also makes this visually a striking room!

Across the Entrance Room is a Gaming Room, again very plushly (ha) done! I liked the use of the massed ornamental lanterns!

Upstairs is a lovely large bedroom – and a bank to borrow money from!

Wander a bit – there is so much here we’ll tarry a few minutes before moving on.

Next, our final house is:

Fuego Bar and Grill (#182 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Ravanazar: A Lavastorm Winter Residence

On zone in head straight down the path!

Here we have the HOTTEST bar of the night (Yucks). It works very well without reskinning, and the use of Red Stained Glass and assorted red and orange tapestries accentuate the colors! A wide range of red lighting is also used.

The bar at the end is well-rendered, and the use of the Red Marble Mirrors very original! Upstairs is an extended bar area.

Wander a bit and enjoy this effort! Without reskinning, Ravanazar’s use of color makes this a terrific effort!

Alternate if need more time:

Den of Frosty Ale #187 by Kuerden
Ebony Hall #204 by Leyden
The Feathered Hat Pub #351 by Zheif

Lots of people on our tours have extensive decorating/design experience and are happy to help, so if you have any questions feel free to ask!!!

All the houses tonight are great examples of taking truly fanciful concepts and turning them into game-reality. Remember you really can do pretty much ANYTHING!!!

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Sunday to view some truly monumentally huge structures! Be there or be square and have a great evening!

K-

Other noteworthy locations found:

The Red Room by Boglily #73– Nice Room of Ways
Temple of Halas #173 by Nabeth – Nice temple
The Crimson Dragon #177 – Fight Club
Munchkin’s Hall of Merriment #194 by Marisol

Housing Rally 3-2-14 – Stranger Houses of Norrath!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #13 – Stranger Houses of Norrath!

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

With this Rally, we’re looking at homes, temples and gardens that are, well – just a little strange! By strange, I don’t mean BAD, just they aren’t same-old same-old! For those who are still hung-over from the Highland Games, just chalk up any strangeness to drinking too much new green ale!

Here again you’ll see some really astonishing creativity. There are so many possibilities out there – so be sure you don’t discount that great idea because it’s just a bit weird!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and tonight we’ll be looking at some strange places throughout Norrath, in all corners of the world both Good and Evil.

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

Don’t forget though!!! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOUSES, SO SELECT THE LEADERBOARD SETTINGS GIVEN FOR EACH HOUSE, OR YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE LOCATIING THEM!

Each house will have a Category and an Attribute, just enter them in the Leaderboards screen and you’ll be fine! Yell if you can’t find it!!! We’ll now switch to Group (#) Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

A Crannog in the Woods (#10 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Degahr: A Tenebrous Island Refuge.

For all of you that think EQ2 isn’t an educational game – well you’re WRONG! I’m going to teach you a new (actually very old) word: CRANNOG! Gee, would work well as a character name!!!

A Crannog is a small, circular artificial island that was created by folks in the ancient British Isles (and other places) to make a small defensible location. Helped to keep from getting eaten by the local wildlife and unfriendly neighbors! There will be a test at the end of the tour .

As we zone in, you are placed on a very nice wooded path made of inverted Oggok Chairs. Freeform paths like this are beautiful but quite a bit of work to do well! Continue down the path to the CRANNOG!

Here you see a circular hut placed on piling in the terminal pond! Lovely, and well-framed by trees! Before you go in, check out the roof! What is it made of? Maple Railings! No go inside and look at the beaming of the roof! Fantastic!

Take a few minutes to wander a bit. Lots of little touches – fish traps, fish drying poles, a fire pit! Oh – and note nothing shimmers! Fine, fine craftsmanship! Really feels late bronze age!

OUR NEXT STOP IS:

Uthanuk’s Ship (#4 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Uthanuk: A Thurgadin Grand Hall

Here we have Something from the other end of the Universe! We visited this amazing effort back at House Rally #1 way back in September of 2013 – and it’s time to look at it again!

At Zone-in, take a few seconds to check out the entrance area. Note there is a narrator who tells you what is happening! Note the use of Freeport Counters for an iris effect. Proceed down the gangway tube!

Now look back before you enter the main ship! You can see your shuttle’s engines running outside the tube – the perspective work with misty tiles is terrific. Check out the use of white marble with embedded port plates. Gives a very different look.

As you continue down the corridor, you’ll see occasional remnants of the crew – skeletons in chairs, and arm caught in a hatch. The hatches use embedding to get some very interesting effects, and the walls are none other than Coldain Merchant tables!

At the first intersection, you can see a damaged area walled off via a forced field – nicely done using red misty tiles! Further down, bottles of preserved sathirian skulls look great as failed cryotubes! Go ahead and take the turbolift to the Navigation Center.

Here we have some very nice control panels, complete with shorting components. I particularly like the deliberate use of shimmer on the console screens. The wreckage hanging in space again gives a neat effect.

Next visit the Cryo Chamber to see the Preserved Sathirian Skulls up close!

Finally, spend a few minutes and look at some of the crafting used here. Don’t be shy – examine things to see what they are made of – some will surprise you!

Next, we’ll head to:

Crazy Crystal Cavern City (#19 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Gindotto: A Hua Mein Retreat

Here we have a subterranean city built around a mine! Does anyone see the Mua Mein Retreat? It’s completely disguised!

On zone in you start in a small antechamber with some portals. Take the teleport pad to the Main Reactor, and give the area a few seconds to load! Now wander a bit up the street, stopping at the various shops and taverns along the way.

There is a mess-hall, a machine shop, Tavern, Crystal Mining area, and a Great Hall! This place you just have to wander through, so take a look.

Next, we’ll head to:

Teapot Town (#1 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Cheribomb: A Tenebrous Island Refuge

Here we have a monumental work around a teapot theme! It always reminds me of the castle in Shrek! Each of the teapot houses has a different theme and materials.

Head to the orange house on the left. This little place is built of ash and redwood, and has a small hidden patio as well. This is a whole house with kitchen and bathroom despite the size! I likes the patio firepit!

Now head across the street to the blue house. See the teapot? This house has a darker feel, and comes complete with an elevator to the 2nd floor. Again, you’ll find a kitchen and a washroom! A small stone patio completes the house.

Exit and head down the street to the white house. The foyer is a very nice multi-sided room, with a vaulted ceiling. The rest of the house uses Briarwood to give a completely different look from the outside. Don’t miss the bedroom and bath!

Take a look around for a few minutes and feel free to ask questions! Lots of people on our tours have extensive decorating/design experience and are happy to help!

All the houses tonight are great examples of taking truly fanciful concepts and turning them into game-reality. Remember you really can do pretty much ANYTHING!!!

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Sunday to view some truly screwy structures for BB day!!! Be there or be square and have a great evening!

K-

Housing Rally 2-15-14 – Lovely Houses of Norrath!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #12 – Lovely Houses of Norrath!

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

With this Rally, we’re looking at homes, temples and gardens devoted to The Goddess Arisen – Erollisi! What you’ll see is some truly beautiful places of all sizes devoted at least in part to Love.

Here again you’ll see some really astonishing creativity, as a Valentine’s/Erollisi theme is a bit more challenging than Frostfell or NotD! After all, most people don’t decorate for this holiday!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and tonight we’ll be looking at some beautiful, lovely houses throughout Norrath, in all corners of the world both Good and Evil.

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

Don’t forget though!!! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOUSES, SO SELECT THE LEADERBOARD SETTINGS GIVEN FOR EACH HOUSE, OR YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE LOCATIING THEM!

Each house will have a Category and an Attribute, just enter them in the Leaderboards screen and you’ll be fine! Yell if you can’t find it!!! We’ll now switch to Raid Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold!

Our first stop is…

Grand Temple of Erollisi (#5 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Kaian: A Felwithe Mansion.

Here we have a Felwithe Mansion, always a challenge to decorate due to it’s size! Here, much of the ambience is done by placing trees and shrubbery, a very natural appearance that fits well with themes celebrating the Huntress. Move forward but don’t take the teleport pad.

Ahead is a lovely fountain, surrounded by golden marble columns. Expensive but very beautiful! The trees and other vegetation give the illusion of being outdoors, despite the dome overhead.

Moving straight ahead, continue to the shrine of the bow. You’ll pass through a Lover’s Grand Veil – note at how large they can be made! Again, this area has beautifully arranged landscaping, again giving a very tranquil effect.

Be sure to look up! The open dome adds to the effect! Also look at the Tuptan Wall Sconces, which are used to give a warm yellow light to the golden columns. You have to look close to even notice them!

Continue on to the temple. The use of Vigilant Screens for some neat geometric effects can be seen here. I liked their use on the columns! I’m also a fan of Gold Sparkle Balls - Ahead you can see an open-air bedroom, again beautifully landscaped.

All through these areas lighting is key! Lighting was given careful attention here and as a result the decorations are much more dramatic!

Turn around and go back to the entrance to the Temple. Use the teleport pad on the leaf rug to visit the Red and Blue rooms.

I’m a particular fan of novel lighting effects, so look at the scratch-built bath in the red room. Note the use of flickering Braziers of Hatred to give a blue-white light, and an Acropolis feel.

The blue room uses the natural waterfalls and Purple/Blue vegetation to give a darker effect. A few bright green plants set off the darker colors.

Wander a bit – a lot to see here – and then we’ll move on to our next house!

OUR NEXT STOP IS:

Romantic Private Island Retreat (#15 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Twinklin: Vale of Halfpint Delight

Here we have a nice romantic retreat built by our own Twinklin! We visited it briefly during our ‘Whole House’ episode, as if built ‘For-Real’ it would be a neat place to live!

At Zone-in, take a few seconds to appreciate the ponds and waterfall! This is all scratch-built, using watery platforms, crude stone benches/tables and Steamlord Tapestries. A beautiful piece of work!

Now enter the main house, again scratch-built! I loved the use of Leaf Rugs and assorted stained-glass for the roof! The decorations are very tasteful, and not the custom hearth! I liked the snowglobe with the flower embedded in it too!

Go through the sliding Vampiric Mirror doors to the patio and look around. E-day decorations are used as accents here, and the views are really nice!

Now move back into the main room and up the stairs. Straight ahead is an archery list (not a garden!). Continue up the ramp to the bedroom! All the amenities are here, including a makeshift shrine to Erollisi, sine the SoE folks STILL haven’t gotten us a REAL altar <grinds teeth>.

Jump down from the balcony and you’ll find a nice little picnic area – outdoor love nest!
Wander around the island! There are liitle decorated areas everywhere! A Wedding Chapel, secluded garden, etc.! We’ll move on in a few minutes!

Now we’ll MOVE ON TO:

Honeymoon in Neriak (#197 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Orpiment: A Nerian Residence

Here we have a lovely use of the Standard Two-Room Nerian Residence, a frequently overlooked house that actually offers a lot! I found this house WAY down the list, and it’s so nicely done it needs to e kicked up a bit!

As you look ahead, you can see the room has been partially skinned with blue marble and stained glass tiles. The main area also features a bathroom and small kitchen area.

Go through the door into the bedroom and the décor changes! Now we have lots of dark reds as well as blues. A bathing pool, small house altar area and a love gazebo sleeping (?) area complete the Newlywed Suite!

Lots of Erollisi Day decorations round out this little apartment! Haven’t seen a lot of small love nests this year, so kudos to Orpiment for doing one – especially one with a Dark Elf theme!

Now we’ll head on to:

Romantic Hideaway (#47 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Boglily: Personal Dojo

Here we have the ever useful Dojo! I used mine for a Men’s Room, but here it’s a Romantic Retreat! Oh well – no accounting for taste!

The standard dojo has been partially reskinned using red stained glass and sumac, and the ceiling done with red-rose topiary, a nice touch!

Decorations use some of the Castellum furniture line, and in areas like the kitchen they are used quite creatively! Check out the stove and fridge! Lots of Marble vases with plants and roses complete the effect.

In the inner chamber sports a custom fireplace and a bath, as well as the Castellum bed – my favorite of the ‘buy-me’ beds.

Another neat effort showing how much can be done with even a small space!

Next we’ll move on to our final house at:

Romantic Island Getaway (#52 Hall of Fame/Creativity-Recent) by Tempting: Vale of Halfpint Delight

Go left down the path to the house. As you go, note the small island picnic area, garden and water pools!

Here we have a more modern look! Go in through the front door, and you’ll enter the dining area. I like the Paineel chairs – they have a different look! On the far side of the room is a nice small kitchen, making use of ferrite cupboards as cabinets!

The white/blue/grey color theme looks very nice and modern! Don’t forget to check out the fridge – it uses Qeynos display counters as doors!

Going to the left is a sitting room with cushions and a custom fireplace!

Now head upstairs! You enter a terrific library/bedroom area (my bedroom just has Piles of Books – I’d like it here!). It includes a full bath!

This house is another example of a finely-built scratch house that I included even though it isn’t heavily E-Day themed (other than the title).

Take a look around for a few minutes and feel free to ask questions! Lots of people on our tours have extensive decorating/design experience and are happy to help!

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Sunday to view some truly monumentally huge structures! Be there or be square and have a great evening!

K-

Housing Rally 2-2-14 – The Large House

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #11 – The Large House

We’ll start off in guild chat to let late-comers join up, and then switch to raid channel once everyone is on board!

With this Rally, we’re finally looking at wealthy zip codes <chuckle chuckle>, but still houses that can be decorated in great detail! Larger than these 5-6 room houses, decisions must be made as item counts just don’t match square-footage anymore.

Some of these large homes are however challenging to decorate, due to the placement of rooms and unique architectures – but the results can be stunning!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and we’ll be looking at some beautiful large houses, both the largest houses available in game throughout the cities of Norrath, and the Large Prestige Houses available through the marketplace!

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

Don’t forget though! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING AT LARGE HOUSES, SO SELECT ‘LARGE HOMES’ IN THE LEADERBOARDS, AND THEN ‘CREATIVITY’ IN THE ATTRIBUTE AREA. If a house has different settings I’ll let everyone know!

We’ll now switch to Raid Chat and dig into this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

The Spirit Tree (#2 Large/Creativity) by Vanesh: A Kelethin 7-room Acorn

Here we have a standard acorn decorated largely by adding trees and shrubbery, a very natural appearance that fits well with Kelethin. A very nice look is created without reskinning the acorn – a nasty and involved job due to the irregularities of acorn rooms.

A touch I did like was the hiding of the ramps – my most unfavorite thing in Kelethin architecture. It does make it easier to get lost though! Head through the doorway to the left.

This room is decorated with natural stone furniture, which is again very in-line with the overall theme. Behind the stone wall is the ramp down, go ahead and take it!

Here is a nice sub-surface room with a feeling of being down in the Kelethin tree roots. The stones and water tiles are very well done, and just a touch of mist completes the effect! The lighting is also quite well done.
Return to the main entrance room, and take the hidden ramp up. A stone ring occupies this room, again lushly decorated with plants. In the center is a teleport disk – take it to the Tunaria Café and Shrine of Tunare.

Here we are OUTSIDE the house. The illusion that disguises is done via a wall of trees along the ramp – a neat effect. There are a few areas where you can hop out of the ‘house’, but they are well hidden. Wander a couple of minutes, and then we’ll move on!

Rising Sun Spa (#4 Large/Creativity) by Degahr for Vichane: A Maj’Dul Vacation Suite

Here we have a spa built of many interesting woods. I found the use of redwood and ash particularly beautiful, and the use of Sandy Square tiles match the wood well! Note that if you have your sound turned up you can hear the swish of sand on your feet.

Right ahead is a welcome sign, and a sign-in book (non-functional). Note that the Quel’ule book is one of the very few open books you can make. Moving to the left is a small ‘window’ diorama – very attractive!

Continuing down the hall you enter a bar area – be sure to look at the custom picture on the wall! The weapons display across the room is also nicely done!

Continue on down the hall through the massage room until you reach the double doors. There is a hidden teleport pad here, take it to the baths!

Here we have one of the very few functional baths! You can jump into it! Look at the how the tapestry of the steam lords over the mosaic tiles works so well, and the little detail of the control at the back on the bath.

Up around the corner is a small matching bathroom!

Wander a few minutes looking at the detail in this house.

Now we’ll move on to yet another city, go to:

Summer Portal Home (#5 Large/Creativity) by Padeshar: An Everfrost Summer Home

Here we have a lovely use of the Everfrost Summer Home, a frequently overlooked house that actually offers a lot. I found this house amusing because I’m currently working on a house skinned in black marble tiles rather than white. It is striking either way!

A you look ahead, you can see the use of white marble tile and azure stained glass squares. The effect is very nice. This house is intended as a general portal to other homes, and the portal frames add to the overall white & blue effect.

The shadowed stone chandelier gives excellent light for this, making the blues brighter and the whites icy. The flames of hatred at the corners of some of the portal frames achieve the same effect.

Carved Platforms used as steps and door lintels give a interesting character to the rooms. Across from the entrance is a sitting room using the same color scheme. Look at the use of the ornate shadowed bookcases as ornamentation!

A music/altar room and a bath complete the house. Look at the workmanship on the bath, with the griffon head fountains and interlocked mirrors. I also like the use of the wide carved benches as the walls of the bath!

What is also interesting here is there is easily enough room for another set of rooms on top of the ground floor – the rooms are all very high.

Spend a few minutes wandering and checking out some of the construction techniques, and then we’ll head to New Halas!

Now, head to:

Den of Frosty Ale (#14 Large/Creativity) by Kuerden: A New Halas 5-room House

Well, here is one of mine – a fairly old one! So old some of the editing was done by hand and with notepad rather than the layout editor. Little reskinning, but lots of bits and pieces.

This was intended as a roleplaying house with room for parties, and easy access to player amenities. All the broker displays are immediately inside the entrance, as is a bulletin board and mailbox. The alcove under the stairs holds a guild door.

To the left of the entrance is the Den of Frosty Ale, with a wide array of barrels! Passing outside, the use of an Icy Brazier and Stone Candlestick give a nice lighting effect on the Qeynos Claymore.

Downstairs is a carpenter’s shop including a selection of assorted wood sheets (stairs) for carpentry work. Upstairs is a bedroom, Feasting Hall and a shrine.

The shrine is fairly complex to achieve the animation, using a rotated Griffon Fountain for the main effect. The ray effect is an artifact of the rotation. The Shrine sconces are Icy Pedestal Tables.

We’ll now move on to another city! Go to:

Dragons Rest Casino and Saloon (#40 Large/Creativity) by Agameman: An Uncanny Estate

Here is a nicely done Uncanny Estate, lushly decorated with a wide assortment of bric-a-brac! The uncanny estate can easily appear shabby, but here it loses that look with some minimal reskinning and creative lighting.
Go left into the Casino/Saloon. There is a band playing – the Screaming Pink Tacos! Going across the entry hall you come to another gambling room. Note the extensive use of mannequins and plushies throughout the house.

Upstairs, there is a music room, a bedroom, and a casino bank.

Take a few to appreciate just how elaborately this house is decorated. I thought it was a really outstanding effort!

Lady’s Pirate Cove (#11 Large/Creativity) by Ladynightshade: A New Halas Five Room
Forestmoon Manor (#10 Large/Creativity) by Moonpanther: A New Halas Five Room
Optikal's Prismatic Sanctuary (#57 Large/Creativity) by Flamesong for Optikal: A 7-room Acorn
Halas: Port of Entry (#54 Large/Creativity) by Furrene: A New Halas Five Room

Well, that’s about it for tonight! In two weeks we’ll meet again on Saturday to view some Erollisi Day Themed Homes! Be there of be square and have a great evening!

K-

House Rally #10 (1/18/14) The Medium House – Life in Norrath’s Suburbs!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #10 – Dedicated to the MEDIUM HOUSE!!!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and we’ll be looking at some houses tonight that are comfortably sized! Having a couple of extra rooms really gives you enough space to spread out and express yourself – but not so much that you feel like you’re decorating the Coliseum!

These houses are often overlooked, with people jumping straight from a 2-room to a large house, but offer quite a lot, and enough space to do a typical suburban home, with living room, kitchen, bedroom, and study (etc.).

In addition to the standard in-game 4-room houses, there are some under-used prestige homes that can be used to great effect!
As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait until everyone zones in to Like a house though – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!

Don’t forget though! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!

For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!

THIS WEEK WE’LL BE LOOKING (MOSTLY) AT MEDIUM HOUSES, SO SELECT ‘MEDIUM’ IN THE LEADERBOARDS, AND THEN ‘CREATIVITY’ IN THE ATTRIBUTE AREA. This does change, but I’ll highlight it if it does

And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

Bathhouse and Day Spa (#1 Medium/Creativity) done using the Tower of Knowledge by Tempting

I was very impressed by the work done here. It’s always nice when you can’t easily tell what house was used, and it took me a second to see the Tower in it. By reskinning the Tower with white marble and using Grotto Columns, Tempting gives a European/Southern mansion look.

As you look around the front room, note there are signs above each door/portal telling what services are available. I also like the Poppy/Green Wisp planters and the way the pool is filled in. The raised fountain works well too. Click on the portals to move to the other levels. We’ll start with Blue.

The Blue Portal takes you to a Steam Bath! Smoking Glacial Braziers are used to give the steam effect, and there is even a small control panel over by the door! The entry area uses a Wispy Vampiric Mirror to add to the steamroom impression from the outside.

The Yellow Portal leads to a massage area. A nice tranquil relaxing area without using a lot of brac-a-brak! Again, a nice use of color in the Rose arrangement.

The Red Portal leads to the bath/showers and is very nicely done with curtains, columns and minimal reskinning. There are actually a lot of small details in the room I really liked! The towels on the table, and Naiad shower fixtures are nice touches

This is one of those houses that makes me think of all the things I could do with it! One other interesting possibility – with 4 teleport portals plus the 3 that come with the house, you could have 7 portals! Lots of possibilities.

Would make a great wizards tower – I remember in a book I read that if you can’t teleport, you don’t belong there… One issue I found though! Don’t fall off the portal platforms – there is a very nice unused room on top of the main room. If you fall there, you’re stuck – there are no exits!

Wander a couple of minutes and then we’ll proceed on…

Out next stop is:

Crystal Reef (#3 Medium/Creativity) done using the Halfpint Vale by Lazaris

I always FORGET this is a MEDIUM house! Seems like it should be a Large, but the Halfling Hole only has two rooms plus the ‘garden’.

As you zone in, just take a look around to get the lay of the land. To your left is a dock, and next to it is a teleport pad! Go to The Treehouse.

Here we have a nice little 3-room house by itself, with nice views of the island. Take a look at the three rooms, and then take the portal to the Water Closet.

This is actually directly under the treehouse! I initially thought the windows were to frosted – but then thought, no – it’s a water closet/bath. Does look keen from other places on the island too.

Walk East and visit the comfortable Halfling Hole. Now just wander around! There is stuff everywhere both on land and in the water. There is a beautifully done reef (the nicest I’ve seen) just off the coast!

We’ll stop a few minutes before we proceed!

We’ll now be looking at a conventional house! Take the Leaderboards to:

Secret Santa Lounge (#7 Medium/Creativity) done using the Halas 3-Room House v1 by Frostiliza

Yes – I know Frostfell is over (thank goodness), but this house had some really cool ideas I had to show! I use the Halas houses A LOT so I know them pretty well, and this has things I’ve never seen before!

First, the main room is very conventional – though the Gnomish clock in the skylight is a nice touch! But look closer! Look at the use of the Nektulos Pine Tree on the stair railing! Neat Idea! I thought they were wreaths!
Combined with the bows and the Vale Candelabra (the candles) it gives a great festive feeling to the place! There is also a custom fireplace in the front to block the window.

Now go left into the side room! Snowglobe-lovers should be in heaven now – what a neat look! And take a look under the stairs – the reversed manikin cloakroom is a neat idea if you have some nice cloaks to display!

Heading upstairs are – MORE SNOWGLOBES in the hallway.

But look at the bedroom. The wall freaked me out!!! What a gorgeous, bright room with floor to ceiling windows leading to a faux veranda outside. Neat use of Cloudy Tiles, and the icicles do a nice job of hiding the seams! You can go through the windows to see them more closely!

Wander, and we’ll move on in a few minutes!

Now, go to:

Underfoot Manor (#8 Medium/Creativity) done using the Freeport 4-Room House v1 by Thullen

Here is a complex little house with a subterranean theme – something that is missing from the housing in the game! I was surprised at just how well this worked, as Freeport houses can be challenging to skin!

As you zone, look straight ahead at the little pool and waterfall! Lots of crystals and mushrooms to make the underground Impression work.
Note the rock walls are done with Crafted Altars of the Tribunal, which give a different look from the usual rough stone blocks or tables!

Go left and head down the hall. To the left is a bedroom, again with a nice pool and waterfall! To the left is a sitting room. Check out some of the items – many you just don’t see much!

Now, go up the stairs and take a look at the Toxxulian Guardian – drinking from the stump! What a cool idea! I laughed 5 minutes when I saw it! Just shows you there are some amazing imaginations out there!

Wander around a bit! There is a lot to see! We’ll move on in a few minutes!

Next, head for:

Stadium of the Norrathian Hockey League (#15 Medium/Creativity) done using Personal Planetarium by Mrrshaw

OK – this is a quickie for all you sports fans – but I found a couple of things to note…

First – yes, this IS a MEDIUM house if you can believe it!

Second – It’s a great idea! I loved the skeletal Frogloks as hockey players!
And finally let’s head to:

Gnomeo and Julietta (#16 Medium/Creativity) done using Opera House by Flamesong

Here is ANOTHER grossly underused house! I really like the Neriak look, and it’s a shame more Troub-types don’t make them up a homes. Lots of vertical space for subdivision, and the rooms themselves offer many options! Take a look for a few minutes!

Feel free to ask any decorating questions you may have. We have lots of experienced decorators on the tour, and some will even give you a correct answer if you give them a doughnut! So ask away!

That’s it for tonight folks! Have a great weekend and keep working on those houses! We’ll see you in two weeks on SUNDAY at the next Rally, where we’ll examine LARGE HOUSES!

Thanks for coming along for the ride on Norrath’s Gold!

House Rally #9 (1/4/14) The Small House – You can fit 50 Ogres Inside!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #9 – Dedicated to the SMALL HOUSE!!!

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and we’ll be looking at some houses tonight that you started the game in!
Remember your very first house? It was likely one like we are showing tonight! These homes are very flexible, and are often overlooked for more statuesque residences.
In addition to the standard in-game 2-bedroom houses, the
Comparing them to my first real apartment, they are larger, better lit, and lack the uninvited vermin of my first abode!!!
As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait though until everyone zones in to Like a house – otherwise the house can shift in the list and make it hard to find!
Don’t forget though! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!
For anyone new, we’ll be visiting houses via the Housing & Leaderboards selection of the main EQ2 menu. Sometimes the numbers have shifted a little, just ask if you can’t find it!
And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold! Our first stop is…

A Basement Apothecary: Small Homes #4 (Creativity) done using the Personal Dojo by Rayvenna

This little place works really well! You zone into a small basement room full of stores. By reskinning the Dojo with Finished Stone dividers, Rayvenna achieves a nice basement look.

Also note the ‘beams’ – Narrow Dividers of Banded Sandalwood – which further add to the basement impression!

There are many little details that show a lot of thought into the room, from the clipboard to the Tradeskill Apprentice. The maps and widely assorted barrels and crates complete the room.

To the right is a small greenhouse featuring interesting mushrooms! I thought the use of the Dual Charge Station for artificial greenhouse lighting was neat!
Straight ahead is the apothecary’s office and workroom. The careful decoration of the cabinets adds a lot of visual interest. Note the pattern in the floor!
Next we have a small, twisted Frostfell-based take on Hansel & Gretel… Go to:

Gingerbread Witches Abode (Creativity) done using Personal Dojo by Orpiment

Here is another use of the Dojo, reskinned entirely using Gingerbread! The main room is a simple sitting room with Kobold, which adds a nice growling sound-effect.
Turn around and look at how tiles are embedded in the exit door – you can often get unique effects this way and still have a working portal.
Looking to your left on zone-in is a small bedroom. Look at the construction of the commode – very nicely done even though the candy seat IS a bit creepy!
Going forward, you enter a small kitchen. The cages for dinner guests include Qho as well as others. Tough luck – probably was here harvesting candy apples!
Look at the work on the cabinetry, giving a rustic look using items all characters can make! I liked this since it shows even a down-at-the-heels adventurer just starting out could decorate something nice.
Our next place is one of the offices from the guild hall – again making use of the endlessly flexible Dojo. Note this is a Hall of Fame, not a Small House in the Leaderboards. Go to:

Men’s Room & Apocalypse Shelter: Hall of Fame #103 (Creativity) done using the Dojo by Kehhi

Here we have an attempt at a modern Men’s Room combined with a Guild Office. DISCLAIMER – this is one of mine! If you have sound on the whole place is quite gurgly!

Here the Dojo is reskinned in white tile, with white light provided by Icy Pedestal Tables from Frostfell. These cool little items give off a white, unwavering light that fakes fluorescents quite well. They are covered by blocks of ice to conceal them.

The fixtures are based on Titanium Pitchers, which have the benefit of having a water-effect in them. By the way, you can see in the ceiling a little error I made without noticing – the beams from the Shelter stick through – and I didn’t notice until now!

The large red button is on a sign that provides instruction. I’m not sure if the effect only catches the presser or if it is area effect! Volunteers?

Opening the cleaning closet door, you’ll see a second door. Open it as well. Go into the Shelter and check it out. There is an instruction manual on the control station.

Look left down the room and you’ll see a wall ventilator made with a gear and a rotated fan and round black tile.

Yes – this is where Kehhi thinks up his demented schemes. Here behind the washroom!

And next, we travel to… Another Dojo! And it’s one where for once it’s actually used as a dojo!!! Go to:

Bruisers Dojo: Small Homes #17 (Creativity) done using the Personal Dojo by Xaela

I was so surprised to see a dojo as a dojo I had to include it! Here we have a traditional room without any reskinning.

Lots of tasteful weapons displays make the room interesting – and no, I’m not sure about the fish… I guess if you teach Crane style a fish makes sense! Snatch the Salmon from my hand, Grasshopper?

Some interesting items are used as martial arts gear, take a look! I particularly liked the hanging punching bag using a Chandelier of the Ascent for a Chain!

In the next room is a bedroom, rock garden, and small indoor garden.

As you can see, the original dojo is quite attractive, and offers some nice options for people who want to decorate without going whole-hog and reskinning the place.

It is also one of the most geometrical houses, with everything mostly at right angles (the center panels are slightly off true).

Finally, we have a non-dojo to look at! Go to:

Another Stupid Acorn: Small Homes #3 (Creativity) done using the 2-room Acorn by Kamad

Here we have a standard two-room acorn, which I have to say is one of the hardest structures to work with. DISCLAIMER – One of mine again!

The leaf ramp at the entrance, and the (horrible) ramp to the second story are the main changes to the lower floor. The ramp (actually supposed to be made of rope and wood) is semi-circular and twisted along its length.

This makes putting in stairs very difficult, and here the effort was only partially successful! Around the perimeter are stained glass ovals, which brings up another point.

The acorns are actually multi-sided (more than a dozen). This means flat objects paced on the walls are occluded by the next wall section, making placement a problem. The walls are also not all the same size.

Going upstairs, many of the same problems occur. The round carpet penetrates the wall, and is visible outside through the window. Might be interesting to put a balcony outside.

All in all, Acorns are horrible to work with – but can give pleasing results! Just expect a wee bit more work to get them right!

Savina’s Freeport Apartment: Small Homes #27 (Creativity) done using the 2-room Freeport by Savina

Here is a straight-forward unskinned residence which features on of the great advantages of Qeynos and Freeport housing – the ability to ‘wall-paper’ the walls, ceiling and floor.

In this case, the walls have been redone using the fitted stone block appearance, which I find quite handsome.
By the way, the appearances are different between the two cities. I was disappointed when I noticed you couldn’t get the same block appearance in Qeynos.

The beaming of Freeport apartments offer interesting lost possibilities as well.

Now we move to the OTHER side. Go to:

A Monk’s Sushi Bar and Home: Small Homes #25 (Creativity) done using the 2-room Qeynos by Aileas

Can you believe this house has been up for nearly a year and only had one Like! The décor works really well, and again the walls, floor and ceiling have been papered using one of several wood appearances!

The back room is less ornate, and has been kept very minimalist.

And now on to yet another 2-room, this one in Gorowyn! Goto:

Wiol Ono: Small Homes #26 (Creativity) done using the 2-room Gorowyn by Altareth

This house is limited, but does give a nice clean, very minimalistic Gorowyn room which is clearly intended as simply a portal room. It provides all the basic necessities to make the game easier, and nothing more!

Having said that – I liked the simplicity! Anyone coming in can easily find the broker displays, as well as a guild door.

Whle this is small, the Gorowyn 2-room is very Large to work with, and offers lots of opportunities for multi-stories, lofts, etc. and while multi-sided remains easily skinnable. Maybe the best of the 2-rooms!

Avafia’s Galaxia Laboratorium: Hall of Fame #17 (Newly Published) by Avafia

Added and done ad-hoc! Highly recommended!

Housing Rally 12-21-13 “Frostfeely Houses – Turning down the Heat!”

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #8 – Frostfeely Houses!

Tonight we are looking at houses that celebrate Frostfell in a BIG way! Definitely our most colorful event of the year, decorators have a chance to use all those warm colors in the coldest days of the year! Since these are usually temporary decorations, this brings a whole set of special problems to revamping ones home to accommodate Frostfell bric-a-brac!
I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and we’ll be looking at some places should make you feel all warm inside while you are freezing your tail off! And now on to the show!

As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! It means more people will visit and enjoy their work! Just wait a minute before doing this – sometimes a few likes can shift a house on the leaderboards enough to make it hard to find!
And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold!

Our First Stop is…

Amethystra’s Winter Wonderland (Massive Homes – Creativity #57) by Amethystra

Snowy Dwelling

Here we have practically EVERY BIT of Frostfell curios available scattered throughout the area! Practically everywhere you go you’ll see presents, animals, sleighs, and frozen travelers waiting for the Spring thaws!
Immediately on your left on zone-in is a Dwarven Igloo containing my favorite dragon plushy! Wander a bit and check out the ambiance of the island. Don’t forget the close Ice Flow and ship off the beach! Then meet up at the house! For those of you who want more ambiance, check out http://www.sgisland.gs/index.php/%28h%29South_Georgia_Webcam2?useskin= where it REALLY gets cold!

I have to say I like the Snowy Dwelling template as well! Much closer to a pre-modern abode than most, and small enough to decorate without feeling like a football stadium! It’s also another ‘neutral’ theme area that you can easily decorate to your alignment as needed!

Anyone tried to decorate on any of the other islands other than the close flow? Are they completely rezzed?

Inside the house you’ll find many of the polished icy components, Among them, the light frozen tiles work well by reflecting the other house items! Note the Icy Pedestal Table – it’s the only table that gives off light – a nice fluorescent-like color for any new developers out there. Here it works as a table AND a light. I often use them only as light fixtures.

Head down to the basement – noting the door if you haven’t seen this one before. I’m also hoping they’ll make the ladder available via SC! Here is a nice crafting/living area. Check out the sheathing of the stone walls with glacial dividers! The charged ethernere lighting is also nice – works very well with an ice theme.

Next up is a very different spread using the Storm Tower…. Go to:

Pirates Christmas Eve (Massive Homes – Creativity #29) by Lrose

Storm Tower
For starters, you get dropped in a tree! After doing this many HaT Rallies, I can tell you that this is not as unique as you might think! I liked this house because of the mix of themes! Pirates and Frostfell are a unique approach!

Wander around and check out the pirate base (non-Frostfell) down on the beach! Don’t forget the ships either! By the zone-in you can see the Frostfell efforts! Gives the effect of a creepy – not quite –right – Frostfell! Very nice!!!

Extensive use of the Frosffell Snowdrifts, trees, presents, snowmen and tables loaded with food give a nice festive air! The Orc guards, skulls and skeletal prowler give the macabre touch! Inside the tower the pink bows make the room unique! The upstairs platform is also decorated for the holidays!!!

I liked this house because it wasn’t the same-old-same-old! The only thing I would have added would have been a huge lighted Frostfell tree on top of the tower!

We’ll now travel to another home using a different theme again! Go to:
Frostfell Shopping Plaza (Hall of Fame – Newly Published #85) by Twinklin
New Halas 5-room House

Here we have a MALL! Truly getting right to the core of Frostfell!!! Wander through the shops looking at the assorted wares.
On the left, check out the FOOD COURT! The pie display and drink dispenser are amazing! Outside nyou can follow the red carpet to SANTA GLUG on his Frostfell throne, and tell him what you want! Talk about traumatizing small children! There’s also a small skating rink!
Downstairs is your darker Frostfell for the EVIL types!
Upstairs is a room with toys for kids! Check out the toy train! What a great idea! Take a look at the cash register as well! There’s also a very nice weapon’s shop on this floor, along with several other small shops!
Wander a bit and check out the many cool scratch-built items!
Now on to our last house! We try to include new, recently published houses even if they are not particularly on theme – from guildmembers and the general AB decorating community, and this next house is quite interesting, and just posted 5 days ago…

Go to: Asian Flat for Frostfell (Large Homes – Newly Published #10) by Uthanuk

As you pop in, you are on a teleport pad. Take it immediately to the ‘Flat’ and give it a healthy 15 seconds to load.
This is an instance of something I’ve gotten addicted to as well – hunting down exotic locations OUTSIDE of a normal house. Here, Uthanuk went UP on top of Gorowyn. Darkzephyr has a very nice garden house up here as well.

Houses in these locations do suffer from slow load times – I assume because the rendering engine just isn’t well set up for displaying a house in a location the Devs never intended! But you know the realtor’s expression: location, location, location. Sometimes the locale is just to cool to pass up!

Proceed up the stairs and take a look around. Note the interesting things such as the rails – from under –deck beds. Be sure to look up in the house… it has exquisite wood roofs. The reason for the request to turn off torches is the whole house is carefully lit – it’s best seen without torches overpowering the natural light!
Take your time on this one, and look around!

That’s all for tonight folks! If people have questions about how some things have been done, feel free to stick around and ask. You can also always ask in the Homes and Tomes chat channel HAT anytime. There’s always someone who can at least give an entertaining WRONG answer (mostly answers are right though)!

So thanks for joining us for another HaT House Rally! We’ll be returning in two weeks on SUNDAY (we alternate weekend days) to look at SMALL HOUSES – YOU REALLY CAN FIT 50 OGRES IN THERE! Hope to see you then!

Housing Rally 12-08-13 “The Whole House - Places you could Live without Dying!”

House Rally #7 (12/08/13) The Whole House – Places you could live and would want to!

Welcome to the Homes and Tomes House Rally #7 – The Whole House (All homes are in Hall of Fame)

I’m your host Huell Kuerden, and we’ll be looking at some houses tonight that you could actually live in.
It would be fun to live in an exotic and magical world – but many houses ignore certain functions that are necessary to make life comfortable. Things like bathrooms, kitchens, heating, food storage, closets etc.
Architects who forget these things in the real world tend not to last long, so here are some houses that you might comfortably live in!

As we take a look at these houses, don’t forget to reward the designers by liking creativity and/or style! Try to wait though until everyone zones in to Like a house – otherwise the house cas shift in the list and make it hard to find! Don’t forget though! It means more people will visit and enjoy someone’s hard work!
And now on to this week of Norrath’s Gold!

A Nerian in Qeynos (Owner: Belux, Architect: Cearra): HoF #4 Creativity

4 Bayle Court

This is a very modernistic house that seems almost condo-like. Zoning in takes you to a small walled court. Select the door ahead and enter the house.

Inside the house you are immediately struck by the clean minimalist decorating. This house uses a relaitively small amount of decorating items – but over a thousand building blocks! Check out the various structural elements to see what was used.

• Head to the Kitchen. In it, you’ll find all the modern appurtenances! Look at the built-from-scratch Fridge, Oven, knife holder and plate drying rack! The only thing I don’t have in my kitchen is a Microwave!
• Go back to the family room. Observe the views from the windows, the modern couches, and general layout and color scheme.
• Take the stairs now up to the master bedroom. This is eerily like my in-laws bedroom! Again it gives a very spacious, minimalist feel!
• The bathroom is right off the bedroom, and has everything – including a washer and dryer!

Wander a bit and examine the construction!

A Qeynosian Riverfront Property (Owner: Jazabelle): HoF #22 Creativity

Hua Mein Retreat

From Zone In, proceed across the stream to the bridge and look at the house. We briefly looked at this house in our first Rally, but it has several points that make it well worth a review!

• First – it is a cross-timbered and plastered style very reminiscent of European historical housing – a style that was around many centuries!
• Next, there are window shutters! Another largely antique feature that was originally intended to protect glass or pre-glass/open windows in bad weather!
• Proceed up the porch and enter the house. Open the door right ahead of you and get a surprise! It is a LINEN CLOSET! The only one I found preparing for this Rally!
• Go left into the dining room/kitchen. I almost laughed when I saw the counters! Almost exactly like what I got at Home Depot for my bathroom! Check out the cabinetry in the kitchen – very nicely done.
• Head down to the living room. A modern living room with an inviting appearance and good views! Take the stairs up.
• First door on the left is the bathroom, and the commode is a nice design! A modern raised shower-bath also features in this room. Continue down the hall to the bedroom.
• Look here at how the Embellished Sumac Screens were mounted as windows, making the chamber light and airy!

Romantic Private Island Retreat (Owner: Twinklin): HoF #18 Creativity

Hallowed Halls of GM Vhaern (Owner: Darkzephyr): HoF #63 Creativity

Villa on the Looping Riviera (Owner: Pizazz)

That''s all for this week, friends! We'll meet in two weeks on Saturday to look at wonderful 'Frost-feely Houses'!