Cozy Comfy Multiplayer: The Best MMO Houses

Hello and welcome back to another week of Cozy Comfy Multiplayer. As we get closer to the holiday season I have been thinking a lot about the homes we currently live in, the homes we may be returning to, or the homes we hope to own one day. I have also been thinking about the homes we take care of and decorate in our favorite online and virtual spaces.

One wonderful thing about an MMO is having your home away from home. So today I thought we could talk about some of the best homes in MMOs. We will look at factors like obtainability, customization options, and just how much the game gives the player to work with. Today we will be talking about Black Desert Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Ever Quest II, and an honorable mention to Star Wars Galaxies.

Some fans might be thinking, “Hey, what gives? What about xxx?” Well, If you think there is a better housing system out there, please feel free to comment below, we would love to hear your opinion. As much as I would have loved to incorporate games like FFXIV, the difficulty behind obtaining a house was one reason I believe its housing system isn't the best, at least not when compared to the four we will talk about today.

Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online's housing system features everything that a player needs to succeed. The homes have storage expansions and lodging. What I love about BDO's housing system is that all items are not just cosmetic, some items, like beds, regenerate energy and sofas provide an HP recovery buff. Players can also place crafting stations and craft from the comfort of their own homes.

Buying a house will cost contribution points but once bought, players can start decorating and reaping the rewards straight away. Players can even recover these contribution points if they later decide to sell their house. The decorating options are fun and versatile with a lot of different vendors selling throughout the game.

Elder Scrolls Online

Thankfully ESO’s housing system is included in the base game version. Players will start small with an inn room that doesn’t offer much outside of additional storage space, but the selection of possibilities will soon shine through as players can choose from apartments, medium-sized houses, and then large manors that are grand enough to be considered castles. Most homes can be purchased with ESO Gold or Crowns, and while a house’s load limit (how many items can be placed in the house) may seem small, that limit will double if players have an active ESO Plus membership.

Players can buy furniture from a variety of vendors, as well as earn rare decorations through fishing and other quests. Players can also craft their own furniture if they wish to save a few coins. There are a ton of customization options in the game and players could spend hours upon hours in their homes decorating. Players can even invite their friends over for a friendly duel. ESO really has a lot of options with its housing that makes it fun, unique, and definitely worth trying out.

Sadly, ESO's housing seems to be shifting more and more into the Crown Store (cash shop) though, so this system certainly has more drawbacks than it used to have in the past.

EverQuest II

What's great about EverQuest II housing is that a player won’t need to spend real money to buy their home. Each character created in EverQuest II can also own multiple homes and every character will get at least one standard house for free. These Standard Houses do, however, require monthly upkeep (“Rent”).

These Standard Houses can be found in all major cities and have a variety of different floor plans with different-sized rooms, balconies, and more depending on the location. A player's alignment will also determine the type of house that can be purchased.

EverQuest II allows for a variety of housing features and functions with more still being added since the game's launch back in 2004. EverQuest II also has a really special feature that allows players to convert items from special quests into trophies. This then allows players to display these in-game achievements in their homes to show off to all their friends.

EverQuest II may not be the most beautiful of games (preference), but its housing system is definitely one of the best in the space of MMOs.

Honorable Mention: Star Wars Galaxies

While I have never played this game myself, the fan base behind the game and the love for the housing system seemed so prominent that I had to take a moment to at least touch on the game’s housing. While the game closed back in 2011, the fanbase is still strong.

In this game, players could not only build houses, but entire cities. The concept seems amazing and it is a shame I never had the chance to play. If you've ever played Star Wars Galaxies and also believe it to be one of the greatest housing systems ever, please explain more about this beloved title in the comments below.

Well, that’s it for this week! See you all right before the Thanksgiving weekend for another Cozy Comfy Multiplayer.

As always, stay cozy!