Strongholds in Peerage

[Hierophant]

There's a lot of places in the Peerage that could be stronghold entrances- I'm gonna assume they're spaces for future updates. I was thinking how the Peerage has no player strongholds available, and how neat it would be if these strongholds could be claimed via Peerage prestige points. Between 5k-10k points? It would encourage minor player houses more, I imagine, which would be nice to see. Considering strongholds eventually get NPCs, I feel it'd be an awesome way of roleplaying building up a household from nothing. From just being you and maybe a few servants, a guard (in terms of some players?) to having actual NPC retainers over time. There's not many feudal themed strongholds in 99 and 98 besides Sunpurse Mansion, and that's a different story.

(Edit: Strongholds are often fought over too so another cool dynamic it'd create is petty noble rivalries and turf wars, without being outright wars, some cool intrigue)

[Electrohydra]

I very much support having ONE player stronghold in the Peerage, I think it would add a lot of good RP. It would be something for the Houses to fight over, but more importantly it would be something for player Houses to use.

As of now, peerage players who want to create their own House often take control of the Sunpurse Manor. This always felt very awkward to me, having a Ponds stronghold more often then not being controlled by Peerage players. Players who, because they are peers not pondsmen, often end up spending more time in the peerage then the ponds where their stronghold is. The ponds are supposed to be a dump where no peers would want to live, full of outcasts and changelings, but the fledgling houses are forced to do so because it is the only stronghold option.

It also means all of them end up having to negociate with House Sunpurse which can get repetitive. A stronghold in the peerage would mean that fledgling player houses would need to cultivate more political alliances with more (or at least a greater variety of) the Great Houses.

[Richørd]

One or two player-controlled strongholds would be swell. A home for a minor House to move into? A place for a new organization to settle down in the Peerage Ward for?

But whatever it is, I believe it shouldn't be bought with prestige points but rather happen with DM approval. Recent examples of people that should've totally had a place to stay in the Peerage Ward : House Ebersol and House Stormchild.

[Pandip]

I'm hugely against this and almost certain that this will dilute the fun of Peerage Ward. We do not need another place for neutral player factions to house themselves. Establishing a player house in Peerage Ward should be a substantial  achievement by a dynamic and interesting concept, not the result of some hovel constantly exchanging hands between PCs; we already have Ticker Square for that.

Join a House in Peerage Ward, be neutral and suffer the consequences of such, or do something else.

[Hierophant]

So far player houses have been absorbed into the actual houses. That's fine and all, but DMs have mentioned that minor player houses is something they would like to see. I don't see how a Peerage themed stronghold would dilute the fun of the Peerage. Ticker Square is very much not that- most people hold onto the strongholds until they die or retire. It costs 20k to even get a stronghold in Ticker. Beyond that, most minor houses like someone said before aim for Sunpurse Manor. A weird dynamic, yes, when they spend most of their time in the Peerage (though on Stywell for a while I was focusing entirely on the Pond), but the drive is there. I could only see a stronghold in the Peerage adding to the fun of it and making it feel less stagnant. Having actual house rivalries and not just having this feeling of, "Oh you're a Peer! Let's be best friends even though I serve Orza and you serve Velstra". It's not fun. Every Peer banding together to go through rings is not fun. There needs to be some kind of rivalry and conflict.

[Richørd]

I think the main issue of Retainers of rival Houses working together stems from the fact that this is a rather average population server. Then you have 3 main hubs. Ponds, Ticker and the Peerage Ward. The Peerage Ward then gets split into 6 subfactions if you count minor Houses.

Of course you'd have people working together in quests and such across Houses.

Not the main point of this thread but I felt like pointing that out.

[Hierophant]

Definitely, and without discussing it further, I can only say the best way forward is through the actions of players. It would feel /very weird/ if a DM suddenly changed how the Peerage works on a whim because of something not liked OOC. With enough effort and initiative, anything can be changed!