Please have the Overlord invest in some civic upgrades

[Madmoon]

<p>I just travelled, in disguise, through Qeynos, and I must say, Queen Antonia does a better job with her city!  The Overlord needs to give the buroughs a new look!  In Qeynos, each suburb has it's own look.  In Freeport, you can't look around Big Bend and know you are there or in Longshadow or in Stonestair!  With that in mind, what about putting in some changes?  What changes, you ask?  Well:</p><p>Stonestair Byway - Kerra and Erudites.  Island folk!  What about more fountains, or bridges leading into a town center surrounded by water?  The contruction material should be dark stone, of the huts in Kerra Isle and the houses of Paineel.</p><p>Scale Yard - Barbarians and Iksar.  Ok, a tough one, Cabilis and Halas have little in common.  Still, grey or brown stone, and maybe a canal running down the middle, to remind people of Cabilis.</p><p>Longshadow Alley - One word: underground!  What are the Teir'Dal doing exposed to the sun?  Purplish buildings, and more neon decorations!  And dark, dark, dark!  If you don't have Ultravision, you get stabbed in the back!</p><p>Beggar's Court - Human's and half elves.  Alright, leave this one.  It has a bit of old Freeport about it, in it's sandy, dusty ouevre.</p><p>Temple Street - Again, underground!  Gnomish metal doors to the houses, carved out of whatever stone Freeport sits on.  As to the rats, I don't know enough about them, but maybe a few nests, I suppose.</p><p>Big Bend - Doors?  We don' need no stinkin' doors!  B-I-G archways, wide streets and large stone huts.  And where is the slime?  An area out behind the ogres for the trolls, a small swamp, to keep them productive!</p><p>With Qeynos looking so distinct, the Overlord really dropped the ball on this one.</p>

[Jal]

Freeport is freeport though, people living there were forced there by the shattering the overlord doesnt hand out civic grants to the displaced population of norrath he rules over them with an iron fist.

[DngrMou]

<cite>Madmoon wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>The Overlord needs to give the buroughs a new look!  In Qeynos, each suburb has it's own look. </p></blockquote> The Overlord is busy putting in some changes to liven the place up, and they're called 'Fae'.  Right now, armies of the cute winged critters are working their ways through betrayal, and soon....very soon, Freeport will have it's new and distinctive look.

[Wrapye]

Youris@Antonia Bayle wrote: <blockquote><cite>Madmoon wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>The Overlord needs to give the buroughs a new look!  In Qeynos, each suburb has it's own look. </p></blockquote> The Overlord is busy putting in some changes to liven the place up, and they're called 'Fae'.  Right now, armies of the cute winged critters are working their ways through betrayal, and soon....very soon, Freeport will have it's new and distinctive look.</blockquote>Just finished betraying my fae, and my new home area is.... Big Bend. Huh?  The tiny Fae are lumped in with the Trolls and Ogres (and the betraying Frogloks).  What are they, freaks? Wait, don't answer that question....

[Losstarot]

It is a bit "drab" in Freeport these days isn't?  Perhaps a coat or two of new paint would help lessen the look of oppression <img src="/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> 

[firemonkey5]

<ul><li><div align="left"><i>Scale Yard - Barbarians and Iksar.  Ok, a tough one, Cabilis and Halas have little in common.  Still, grey or brown stone, and maybe a canal running down the middle, to remind people of Cabilis.</i></li></ul><div align="left">Pft and what do us Halasians get out of this? We Halasians demand snow machines to remind us of our home land. We also demand the area to be called Halasville. Besides this is all a joke by the grand Overlord. "Ok, get this, get this, I'm gonna put a race of warm blooded, cold loving people with a race of cold blooded warm loving people. HAHA and only one thermostate."<ul><li><div align="left"><i>Longshadow Alley - One word: underground!  What are the Teir'Dal doing exposed to the sun?  Purplish buildings, and more neon decorations!  And dark, dark, dark!  If you don't have Ultravision, you get stabbed in the back!</i></li></ul><div align="left">What they already have their own area where they're with no other race. Just because the Overlord's mistress is a Dark Elf. He doesn't know the good a Halasian mead woman can give him.<ul><li><div align="left"><i>Beggar's Court - Human's and half elves.  Alright, leave this one.  It has a bit of old Freeport about it, in it's sandy, dusty ouevre.</i></li></ul><div align="left">Needs more cow pies.<ul><li><i>Temple Street - Again, underground!  Gnomish metal doors to the houses, carved out of whatever stone Freeport sits on.  As to the rats, I don't know enough about them, but maybe a few nests, I suppose.</i></div></li></ul><div align="left">Bah they are already drawing all over the walls in their rubbish they need no more help. Spend more money on Halasville.</div><ul><li><i>Big Bend - Doors?  We don' need no stinkin' doors!  B-I-G archways, wide streets and large stone huts.  And where is the slime?  An area out behind the ogres for the trolls, a small swamp, to keep them productive!</i></div></li></ul>Bah all of us evolved races have learned to work a door SO CAN THEY!</div><ul><li><i>Stonestair Byway - Kerra and Erudites.  Island folk!  What about more fountains, or bridges leading into a town center surrounded by water?  The contruction material should be dark stone, of the huts in Kerra Isle and the houses of Paineel.</i></div></li></ul>This is another one of the jokes by the great Overlord. "HAHA!This is a good one. Erudites and Kerra have been at war with each other for the past 1000 years. So what I'm gonna do is put both them together in small buildings. HAHA! I can see it now "KA-BOOM" with fur flying and strangly grey skin.</div> The main reason the Overlord doesn't spend that much on the little villages in the city is because he is fighting a war with blood thirsty orcs. Not playing find the puppy dog like the weaklings in Qeynos are.</div>

[Chay]

I still say the Dark Elves would not tolerate living in a slum. They would also have set up their own shadow government and be plotting their overthrow of the city where they restore the glory of their culture. And enslave the other races and execute anyone who betrayed to join the Freeport (especially the "good" aligned races).

[Araxes]

/agree /agree /agree I've been saying -- since the game went live -- that Freeport districts need a serious overhaul in terms of the zones.  I do "get" that they were trying to convey a sense of oppression.  But this is a fantasy world.  Drabness does not equate oppression; each race would have made their district their own.  Ratongas would have burrows; gnomes would have small, cluttered homes atop the burrows.  Iksar might have fashioned sturdy stone structures with designs on them mimicking those in Cazic-Thule's temple; or at the least, carved those designs into the existing walls, as intricate murals.  Dark elves would have fashioned their district into gothic spires and most likely added some rich reds, blues, or purples, as frescoes; at night they might have magically lit symbols similar to those seen in Fallen Gate.  And so forth.  Much needed, IMO.

[Chay]

bear with me on this... i'm trying to use logic to understand the drabbish nature of freeport. i think the problem is the whole good vs evil thing. does the overlord consider himself evil or is it he is just completely motivated by personal goals? yes he is an oppressor and wants to hold the underclass of peoples in their place so there should be a slum feel to some of the city zones. but to oppress effectively he has to have those willing to do his bidding without question. therefore there should definitely be a well kept section of the city where the favored live far above the underclass. of course even those areas would have their dark allies where the underclass try to take from the favored (either in coin or in life). each slum zone would likely have its captains to extort the peace. some parts of the city just aren't all that well executed.

[firemonkey5]

<p>It's mostly because the Overlord spends more money fighting a war against Orcs that he can't spend much on the city to make it look pretty when at any second orcs could pour in and demolish the great paint job.</p><p>Besides the races that live in Freeport don't really seem like they want things to be bright and cheerful. Except of course red. They like red.</p>

[valkyrja]

I actually betrayed the only evil character I've made because freeport was so brown/gray and drab.  I couldn't handle it.

[Hadanelith]

Sengurdar@Everfrost wrote: <blockquote><ul><li><div align="left"><i>Scale Yard - Barbarians and Iksar.  Ok, a tough one, Cabilis and Halas have little in common.  Still, grey or brown stone, and maybe a canal running down the middle, to remind people of Cabilis.</i></div></li></ul>Pft and what do us Halasians get out of this? We Halasians demand snow machines to remind us of our home land. We also demand the area to be called Halasville. Besides this is all a joke by the grand Overlord. "Ok, get this, get this, I'm gonna put a race of warm blooded, cold loving people with a race of cold blooded warm loving people. HAHA and only one thermostate." <ul><li><i>Stonestair Byway - Kerra and Erudites.  Island folk!  What about more fountains, or bridges leading into a town center surrounded by water?  The contruction material should be dark stone, of the huts in Kerra Isle and the houses of Paineel.</i> </li></ul>This is another one of the jokes by the great Overlord. "HAHA!This is a good one. Erudites and Kerra have been at war with each other for the past 1000 years. So what I'm gonna do is put both them together in small buildings. HAHA! I can see it now "KA-BOOM" with fur flying and strangly grey skin.  The main reason the Overlord doesn't spend that much on the little villages in the city is because he is fighting a war with blood thirsty orcs. Not playing find the puppy dog like the weaklings in Qeynos are. </blockquote><p>BAHAHA!! So very, very true.</p><p>Honestly, though. While I've always been a supporter of "You are Lucan's pawns, you live in a land of murderers, rapists, and thieves, learn to accept the environment" mentality... the Iksar had some seriously cool sculpture going on in their day. For those who don't remember EQ1 Halas, they had one thing in common with the Iksar so far as architecture goes: Open-air gathering places. For those of you who have forgotten...</p><ul><li>Halas had one of the only open oratoriums (Greek theatre/stadium pit) in the original EQ1</li><li>Halas was located on an icy river in EverFrost that you had to cross, by raft, to enter the city</li><li>Both Halas and Cabilis heavily employed stonework architecture, only falling behind Erudin and Paineel.</li><li>Erudin's stonework was all done by magicking and enchanted tools which says nothing about actual craftsmanship, and Paineel doesn't technically count since it was dug out of / into a stone chasm... also by extensive magicking.</li><li>Cabilisian Iksar society was highly structured and castes clearly separated</li><li>Ditto former point to Erudites, both from Erudin and Paineel.</li><li>Barbarians and Kerrans were both primarily fishing societies.</li></ul><p>Now, by these points, the only commonalities that Halasians and Iksars really share is their love of stone and open-air. When/If these civic upgrades are made...</p><ul><li>Put Barbarians and Kerrans in the same village. They were both fishing/hunting societies in EQ1, Barbarians are used to the cold, and Kerrans have their fur to keep them warm.</li><li>Put Iksars and Erudites in the same village. They have similar social values, such as strict adherence to caste-orders and devotion to their studies of choice; furthermore, old Cabilisian craftsmanship added to Erudian enchantments would make some truly spectacular works of architecture</li></ul><p>'Nuff said. People have got to learn to think more about culture...</p><p>-Hadanelith Raswrolski / Mossda Odis'Ossda, Kithicor Server </p>

[KerowynnKaotic]

<p>I agree with the need for some ethnic upgrades for the Freeport Citzens.  </p><p>While I agree that the Overlord probably won't consider the "Beautificiation of the City" very important for his city budget ...</p><p>That doesn't mean that the people who live in each of the "boroughs" (lol much better than slums) wouldn't eventually do their own improvements and/or personalization.  </p><p>Evil doensn't always mean "butt ugly".  </p><p>Infact, since most evil people don't consider themselves "evil" .. they tend to live more opulant than most "Good" people.   </p><p>And, would tend to try to out-do each other .. .. </p><p>Though, that could change the "boroughs" from drab to guady .. </p><p>-----</p><p>Decoration Tip:  </p><ul><li>Choose a Pretty Fae (ie: Hot Pink Fae Wings always look nice no matter the season)</li><li>Have an Ogre Sit on The Fae - Produces : "Squashed Fae" </li><li>Roll glue on the back of "Squashed Fae"</li><li>Slap "Squashed Fae" on the Wall </li><li>Ask Local Carpenter to create a Simple Frame </li></ul><p>Viola! Framed Wall Art!  </p><p>Good for any Evil and Fae Lovers everywhere.   </p><p><img src="/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Misiakpisiak]

<p>I agree that Freeport could do with a lick of paint, but I don't think its zones are *that* inistinct from each other. No way could you confuse Big Bend for Scale Yard etc. The problem is that Freeport is an example of a graphical look held hostage by the lore. As someone said in post 2, the Overlord is not the type of guy to consider this business, so it would be hard to justify any major changes without jarring with The Lore.</p><p>Having said that, I reckon the best way to bring more life to FP and the cities in general, would be to do a server merge. Nothing brings life more than crowds of colourful PCs standing around a zone.</p>

[firemonkey5]

Misiakpisiak wrote: <blockquote><p>Having said that, I reckon the best way to bring more life to FP and the cities in general, would be to do a server merge. Nothing brings life more than crowds of colourful PCs standing around a zone.</p></blockquote> It's already hard enough for me to stand next to a broker. Between the line I have to stand in the millions of freaking pets and the freaking colors!

[Hadanelith]

<cite>Misiakpisiak wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I agree that Freeport could do with a lick of paint, but I don't think its zones are *that* inistinct from each other. No way could you confuse Big Bend for Scale Yard etc. The problem is that Freeport is an example of a graphical look held hostage by the lore. As someone said in post 2, the Overlord is not the type of guy to consider this business, so it would be hard to justify any major changes without jarring with The Lore.</p><p>Having said that, I reckon the best way to bring more life to FP and the cities in general, would be to do a server merge. Nothing brings life more than crowds of colourful PCs standing around a zone.</p></blockquote><p> In 500 years, there haven't been any townsfolke that'd like to clean up the streets a little?</p><p>I'm not talking shiny, glimmering pristine white-marble walkways lined with daisies here. I'm talking imposing Onyx columns and gargoyles, carved wooden awnings with prominant Nightblood visages, a good ol' fashioned giant Iksar statue here and there, maybe an Oggokian stone "picnic table" in the middle of Big Bend.</p><p>I think that's what a lot of other people are asking for too, despite the name of the post. The Overlord doesn't have to do squat, there are plenty of fine artisans in Freeport that could renovate the slums.</p><p> -Hadanelith Raswrolski of Kithicor</p>

[DngrMou]

<cite>valkyrja wrote:</cite><blockquote>I actually betrayed the only evil character I've made because freeport was so brown/gray and drab.  I couldn't handle it. </blockquote> Just staple a few newly betrayed fae to your walls....bam!  Instant pretty.

[TheSummoned]

The very least that could be done is have a druid breathe some life into the trees. Don't care about the villages, they can earn their way into the city where it's a lot cleaner like the rest of us.

[Ouchy Dathurts]

<cite>Hadanelith wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Misiakpisiak wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I agree that Freeport could do with a lick of paint, but I don't think its zones are *that* inistinct from each other. No way could you confuse Big Bend for Scale Yard etc. The problem is that Freeport is an example of a graphical look held hostage by the lore. As someone said in post 2, the Overlord is not the type of guy to consider this business, so it would be hard to justify any major changes without jarring with The Lore.</p><p>Having said that, I reckon the best way to bring more life to FP and the cities in general, would be to do a server merge. Nothing brings life more than crowds of colourful PCs standing around a zone.</p></blockquote><p> In 500 years, there haven't been any townsfolke that'd like to clean up the streets a little?</p><p>I'm not talking shiny, glimmering pristine white-marble walkways lined with daisies here. I'm talking imposing Onyx columns and gargoyles, carved wooden awnings with prominant Nightblood visages, a good ol' fashioned giant Iksar statue here and there, maybe an Oggokian stone "picnic table" in the middle of Big Bend.</p><p>I think that's what a lot of other people are asking for too, despite the name of the post. The Overlord doesn't have to do squat, there are plenty of fine artisans in Freeport that could renovate the slums.</p><p> -Hadanelith Raswrolski of Kithicor</p></blockquote>Maybe we're just tenants. In every place i've ever heard of if you're just there under lease you cant actually change anything. Cant paint the walls in your apartment without the landlord's say so. Maybe we're just leasing our space and hes just a real hard [Removed for Content] landlord =P

[Terayon]

<p>Heh.. They merge servers, Now my succulant roots will be 3g per.. um no thanks. </p><p>Named Mobs have a Wait-list enforced by a DEV...</p><p>MORE morons on their horses IN banks... Dude.. [Removed for Content] the horse... Carpets are ok since they are low but quit obstucting the banker.</p><p>I could go on and on.. but frankly the ONLY good thing I could see from a server merge is more quest groups. since Most named would be constantly getting ganked by somone. </p><p> Edit: eh... Got off track from last post.</p><p> I don't care what people say about "breaking the lore" I say we forge our OWN lore. Id Love to zone into Longshadow alley and be emerged in darkness with magically lit hallways. </p><p>I say Keep the Kerra and the Erudites next to eachother but reconfigure the zone so its split. The Overlord wants to reward those who are loyal to him.. but not remove their distust of eachother Completly, lest they turn their full attention on him.</p><p>Kick that Mangy old man outa Temple district, turn that area into a Ratonga only area ( gnomes who enter get attacked) create an area on other side of temple for the gnomes.. where mini clockworks attack ratongas. They Don't have to be stong just pesky attacks to annoy and disway.</p>