I’m trying hard not to think about what’s happening in the US at the moment so here’s my version of a distraction – in-game house building, with pics!
But first, a bit of info. about what I mean by ‘in-game housing’. Probably the best way to describe it is to say it’s like playing with a 3D dolls house except that your digital character is the ‘doll’.
The motivation for wanting such a 3D house is similar to what drives us to buy houses in the real world. My character may not be able to ‘live’ in this house, but she can still enjoy it. Plus, let’s be honest, having a house is a bit of a status symbol because you have to work for it. The same applies to in-game housing. You have to pay for it by performing ‘work’ in the game. The house can also be filled with ‘special’ things that can only be gained by performing some hard-to-do task or event. And finally, players like me who love crafting can also do a lot of DIY to personalise their ‘home’.
My in-game character[s] aren’t rich by player standards, but because I’m a Master Crafter and gather most of the materials I need, I can ‘build’ things I would otherwise not be able to afford. So think of me as a DIY-er. π
So, on to that house! First up is a ‘before’ pic of the base housing I’ve been working on:

As you can see, it’s just a tiny little house on a smallish block with a big fence all around it. What you can’t see is the beautiful view on the other side of that fence. It was that view which kickstarted my design for the house and block.
This next pic is of the same place, from much the same angle, but this time there’s a ground floor extension on one side of the original house, and a three storey extension on the other:

I literally built all of that new stuff with my own two, digital hands. Well, I did use the available components but in rather unexpected ways. The secret is to see objects as shapes rather than as ‘functions’. Thus, for example, I used two ‘leant-to sheds’ to create a peaked roof on the three storey extension. And when I couldn’t find wall components of a certain size, I fudged them by using stone ‘tables’ instead.
I won’t bore you with how I made everything, but I will use the block editor’s slideshow feature to take you through the house, room by room. This is going to be pretty graphics heavy so if the pics take an age to load…I’m sorry!
I like this slideshow feature, but it would be even nicer if you could click on one of the pics to get a full screen view, as you can with ‘normal’ pics. Next time I’ll experiment with the ‘gallery’ display.
And because my favourite view is hard to see, I’ll repeat it here so you can click on it:
Hope you enjoyed my little tour. If anyone wants to know how to create a similar slideshow, please mention it in comments, and I’ll put a how-to post together for you.
cheers,
Meeks
November 8th, 2020 at 7:05 am
You’re so creative. I love your house, especially the private pond. π I could actually live in a place like that without the slightest problem. I don’t know if I’d have the patience for such a building task, but it does look like fun.
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November 8th, 2020 at 8:29 am
Thank you. π I’ve been playing around with graphics for years, literally, so this is just a different form of graphics. It satisfied something in me, and I find it incredibly relaxing. And yes, fun. lol
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November 9th, 2020 at 2:43 am
I can understand the need to play with our environments during these days of being stuck at home. I’m feeling the urge to rearrange my furniture. Lol
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November 9th, 2020 at 11:05 am
lmao – doing digital renovations is /much/ easier. π
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November 7th, 2020 at 5:47 am
That is so awesome! Imma check that out!
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November 7th, 2020 at 9:22 am
You can play ESO for free [after buying the core game]. After that you have the choice of whether to buy further updates or not so it’s great for people on a budget. And as you can see, the crafting and home building is pretty good. π
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November 8th, 2020 at 1:57 am
It says it’s a multi-player game. The reason I like Minecraft is that I don’t have to play with anybody else. I didn’t like Second Life because I had to interact with other people. Why, yes, I am a bit of a recluse, how did you know?
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November 8th, 2020 at 8:35 am
Recluse? We’re in the same club, Marian and no, you do /not/ need to play with others, ever, if you don’t want to. I have soloed my way through the game, playing it /my/ way and joining in only when I want to, which isn’t often. I have joined player Guilds because I enjoy a bit of a chat every now and then, but there are people who never speak up in Guild chat. Seriously, ESO is one of those rare games where you really can play it your way. Be warned though, it’s a BIG game so your pc will need at least…50? GB of space. But it’s also a beautiful game where the world is quite stunning visually.
Not sure what the base game costs to buy at the moment but shop around, there’s usually a deal somewhere. Greenman Gaming is often cheaper. After that, you can subscribe to ESO+ for extra rewards if you want but…I’ve spent virtually all of the last 3 years playing as a freebie. π
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November 6th, 2020 at 2:23 pm
Pretty cool. Reminds me of the house in one of your Innerscape books, except that was Japanese style, of course.
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November 6th, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Oh you lovely person you! I didn’t actually realise I was doing it until just now, with your comment. And yes, the ‘feel’ is very much the same. I guess we really do put quite a bit of ourselves in every story we write.
Speaking of, I remember your focus on the garden in the second, no third? Herbert West book? I know how much you love your real life garden too. π
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November 7th, 2020 at 2:46 am
Yes, books 2 and 3 were set on a fictional island here on the coast, so I had to include a garden. π
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November 7th, 2020 at 9:24 am
Hah! I knew I wasn’t far off. π
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November 7th, 2020 at 11:13 am
And I’m delighted that you remembered that detail!
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November 7th, 2020 at 8:34 pm
I like gardening too, so it struck a chord. It’s always those little things that make fiction feel ‘real’. π
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November 6th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Looks cool…after you have finished Davids you can start on mine…Hugs
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November 6th, 2020 at 7:06 pm
-giggles- yes ma’am! I guess I’m going to be busy this weekend. π
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November 6th, 2020 at 7:46 pm
Haha π
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November 6th, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Fabulous DIY work. Come and build me a house please.
Hugs
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November 6th, 2020 at 7:06 pm
So long as you’re ok with digital, I’d be happy to. π
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