Whitewash Freeport

[Duvessa]

Freeport has the look of a Soviet-era industrial town in the 1970's. And, I realize that this is exactly how some people want it, and also realize that going back and re-vamping an exiting zone is likely way down on the bottom of everyone's priority list. That said...Freeport needs a paint job. The walls could stand a good whitewash, some banners hanging down... you know, a little color. Let's fix the broken fountains in the newbie housing areas, and maybe plant some trees that are alive. I don't know about anyone else, but my toon may be evil, but that doesn't mean she revels in living in a slum yard.There's really not a log of logical game reason for Freeport to look so run-down. This isn't a city on the verge of economic collapse, it's a town full of adventurers bringing in plat and magical items, and with amazing powers, spells, and weapons. It's also home to lavish houses, decorated by the excessively wealthy. And I know if my character had the power to, she would replace the planters around her house with something actually living, and maybe add a little bit of decoration to the outside.The whole concept of Team Evil = Cruddy Neighborhoods went out with Neriak, a rich and lavishly beautiful city. Right now, I'm really not asking that Freeport get some kind of monster revamp that turns it into a new and shiny bastion of evil and all things dark, sexy, and gothic.... I'd just like some of the monuments fixed, some green space, and a little dab of paint here and there. Really, how long would it take for someone to bring up each of the FP zones, and replace dead plants with living ones, and maybe apply a few new, brighter colored, textures here and there. Make that red paint nice and sharp and fresh, maybe Freeport look maybe just a tad better.It's a small quibble, I know... but I just can't see this as something that should take THAT long. I can only imagine that the original design went under the philosophy that an evil town would be decrepit due to rampant crime, lack of concern, general malaise, whatever. Perhaps it was from an effort not to make it look like SOE was upselling villainy and making evil look "cool". Meh, as I said, Neriak demolished that kind of thinking anyway. I'm talking about some really small changes right now, something somebody could spend a few days doing and put into game easily.Hardly the most important thing in the world, but, it's my own personal little want.

[Duvessa]

And then I realized someone posted a thread just like this, one page back.*headdesk*

[Xada]

Freeport isn't a slum because it's evil. Freeport is a slum because it's under the control of an overlord who doesn't give a crap about his citizens. I think the look is perfectly fitting. Granted, I've only met the guy once, but Lucan doesn't strike me as the type to put extra money into new paint jobs and landscaping. Yes, Neriak is gorgeous *and* evil, and it works in that setting. But the leadership of Neriak is different than that of Freeport, and so is that of Gorowyn (technically neutral, I know. but evil aligned). <div></div><div>The only thing that bothers me about the Freeport layout, is the duplicate racial villages, like Big Bend and Longshadow, or the Scale Yard and Stonestair. I think that was just lazy on the design part.</div>

[Transen]

Imagine if you will, a city of shady deals, pick-pockets, and self-opportunistic bussiness men/women/things....Now you've amassed a great wealth within this city and have decorated your home accordingly.......Now the question is, would you really want to advertise your wealth given the nature of the people you live with by planting some nice living shrubberies around your place and are you willing to pay a hefty price for the security for your place and hope they themselves don't make off with your valuables?Keep in mind that they openly admit to being in that sort of business (they call it being honest about their intensions..and they got a point in that regard) and think it perfectly acceptable within the society you have chosen.  Freeport is a place of wits and brawn...and that's how the Overlord likes it, pitting his citizens against one another.  I mean, he put the Kerran's and Erudites in the same district..and they're mortal enemies.The citizens (maybe not the players) are looking out for themselves and are far to busy with their own dealings to be bothered with cleaning up the town.  That's the nature of Freeport. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" alt="" border="0" />

[Zabjade]

<span style="color: #00cc00;">The Overlord may not care about his citizens, but he does care about his perceived image, otherwise why would Freeport keep trying to one up or Keep up with Qeynos's improvements. Now add to the mix Maj'Dul, Gorowyn and Neriak 3 Neutral cities to add to the mix and to compete with for citizens.</span>

[Wildmage]

<cite>Zabjade wrote:</cite><blockquote><span style="color: #00cc00;">The Overlord may not care about his citizens, but he does care about his perceived image, otherwise why would Freeport keep trying to one up or Keep up with Qeynos's improvements. Now add to the mix Maj'Dul, Gorowyn and Neriak 3 Neutral cities to add to the mix and to compete with for citizens.</span></blockquote>Its really quite simple you want to go live in a pretty evil town go live in Neriak you like Freeport as is stay.

[Zabjade]

<span style="color: #00cc00;">Actually I was thinking of have Kanaraz my DE Shadowknight move to Gorowyn, nice houses more a Evil because that is all that is available right now then Evil for the Sake of Evil (Freeport) with strikes Kan as Wannabe or I-too-sexy-for-my-Evil (Neriak) she is more of a short-term employer of Undead then long term.Gorowyn's only con is it's layout, has no spiral ramps, going all the way up.</span>

[Armawk]

<p>Neriak is a very specific look though, hardly a model for anything evil.. neriak is a product of a rigid society, hence its regimented design.. freeport's name tells you what kind of city it is.. a loosely likeminded gathering under the 'protection' of the overlord. And yes the rich build grand, if cold, for the rich, the poor get what they can steal or bully for.</p><p>I personally infinitely prefer the earthier freeport to the 'cartoon chunky purple' of neriak anyway, though it could do with a bit of a brushup here and there.</p>

[valkry]

<p>After reading the different theories here, sounds like the perfect solution would be a new faction, "The  Freeport Civic League." It could run a long term series of quests like the TS/Nek griffon towers. </p><p>If you care enough, you could get crafting/adventuring quests that would repair a fountain (love that idea, btw). When a certain amount of writs are finished, the Dev could upgrade a feature of the city. Perhaps there would be some realtively easy was to create a voting both in the city, where the citizens could vote (1 per toon) on which item to improve first. For example if the 1/2 elves & humans lobbied the hardest, they could get their fountain fixed before the monument in Big Bend.</p><p>Most major city seems to have cycles where the visual appeal of the city, fades and is reborn. I hardly believe that a project that effectively distracts his population would be condemed by the Overlord, just as long as it is funded by the generousity of the citizendry. Even evil folks can have civic pride, and sorry, powerful evil crime lords do not live in slums, they just hire extra thugs to patrol around their lavish grounds, surrounding the lush palacial homes. Part of working the evil kingpin thing is showing off that crime can pay. </p>

[valkry]

<p>Ack, double post.</p>

[Ekuthh]

<p>I'm with the OP and Valk (waves to Valk... nice to see you outside the "walls&quot<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.</p><p>Freeport is DRAB.  Don't get me wrong, there would definately be slums, but the areas of major traffic would <i>definately</i> be maintained, if only from a defensive viewpoint.</p><p>We have the Freeport Militia roaming all over the city to "control" the crime and petty theft, so it's not unreasonable that we could expect some civic improvements from our Beloved Overlord.</p><p>After all, this is a war of Public Perception as much as arms, yes?  We <i>are</i> better than Antonia's mongrel rabble, are we not?  Certainly my idea of showing power and prosperity is <i>not</i> to live a slum, with broken rubble and dead trees lining the streets.</p>

[valkry]

<p>/Flips a friendly, but respectful, salute to Ekuthh. Nice to see you too, Magus.</p><p>I kinda have to laugh at the 70's Soviet era decor line. I currently work and regularly chat with 3 folks who grew up in the former USSR/E. Ger. They are just as house (car, clothing, etc) proud as any of the Americans I work with, probably more so.</p><p>That said, even the gritty industrial look of communist factories, had some consessions to style. I could easily see the rebuilding of the monuments or the display of Soviet/1984-Orwellian style propaganda posters/tapestries through out the city as being full appropriate for the military power that is Freeport.</p><p>I have to support my boy, Ekuthh, the major area of the city should look better. Now, maybe the Sea Furies are more concerend with wealth then appearances, but that would NOT be the case for the other factions of the city. There is no way the Militia House is not white-washed within an inch of its life. They HAVE junior troops, that building WILL be clean, even if it is just to work the tar out of the recruits & give the lieges something else to inspect the troopers on. (In the words of the sailor who taught me about the number of coats needed for painting in the Navy..."Once over dust, twice over rust, 3 times over oil & grease..&quot<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. Neither can I imagine that the Temple of War would not be properly maintained for a church, or that the bastion of high learning could not get a custodian to fight the wall-grime left by the Freeport smog. There is evil & then there is just plain being lazy slobs.</p><p>Lastly, after the overlord was able to restore rain to the Freeport/Commonlands areas, at leat the rain should remove a bit of dirt from the city walls. (Maybe even more then a bit depending on the acidic nature of the rain due to by-products from arcanist/alchemist practicing their crafts.)</p>

[Dreyco]

Freeport is drab, yes.  But that's the way it's supposed to be.  I've pondered moving my character back to Freeport just because the look is so ... well, evil.  And that's how I like it.  It's an evil dictator who is ruling over his subjects uncaring of their poverty.  In fact, he uses that poverty to increase his power, promising wealth and riches if you serve him.Makes sense.  And the look of the city is awesome on high quality settings <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Razlath]

<p>Perhaps an update to Freeport would be kinda cool, but only if it stayed in the same color pallette and enhanced the evil theme.  If it turns into the "my three year old ate the crayons and then threw up" that some of the other cities enjoy I just might have to go into exile!</p><p>Stick with the current color scheme but enhancing stuff would be fine, but FP feels dark and dangerous the way it is.  If it got a Q makeover it would feel like Q and that would be horrible.  Personally I think FP hit the "feel" that the lore portrays much better than Q does.  Why artists think good has to look silly is beyond me.</p><p>To the person who suggested a quest line to "improve" the city I think that would be cool.  But they would have to show us what it would look like when done and have alternate quests to keep it the way it is.  If you just put in quests to make it better everyone will do them just because they are quests and not out of any real desire to change the city.</p>

[Zabjade]

<span style="color: #00cc00;">Suggestions so far. Living trees and plants Overlord brought the rain back and non-sprouting shrubbery is counterproductive to that, after all the.For the Evil Look have Undead Pages running around.as for color palette whiten the walls but add blood read banners and green glowey symbols stating the laws and latest wanted posters.Improve the market stands so that customers can sit.After all Freeport has it slums but it also has it's Privileged sectors.</span>

[Grimlux]

Freeport has Druids.... get those lazy SOB's to work.

[firexcracker]

For the longest time, I wouldn't play a character from Freeport just because of how it looked.. I made a Dark Elf, and the minute I stepped foot in Longshadow Alley, I camped out and deleted the character.  I see enough filthy people, houses, and environments in my city IRL.When I think of Freeport, I think of double dealings, thieving, trickery.. lies & deceit, I think evil, sinister & cunning.. not a bunch of squabbling brats fighting over dirty bedrolls in rooms the size of closets.  I do think the actual city itself.. North, South, East and West Freeport come close to capturing this, but the villages are pathetic and downright disgusting.