Unofficial Player Housing FAQ and Tips
Introduction
Below is a list of questions and answers regarding player housing that have popped up over the years. It's a valuable document in that it should cut down on the amount of searching, posting, and answering that goes into player generated housing.
Please respect the integrity of this document. Stick to the format already shown. Make sure to always post a source for any answers you supply. It doesn't do a lot of good to have Q and A if the person must then make a post on the forums about an answer here, asking the team if it's legit. Link your sources.
Customizing
Q: I saw this really cool hak on the vault for bleeding walls, etc. Can I add that hak to my house?
A: No. You must stick exactly to the current list of haks running on Avlis. [Source: [1]]
Q: Can I change the color of an item in the pallet? Say a ring from red to black?
A: No. [Source: [2]]
Q: Can I use a different placable from the pallet for my crafting placable? (IE a loom instead of bolts of cloth?)
A: Yes. [Source: [3]]
Q: Can I make my fireplace a trashcan?
A: Yes. Submit the request with your house. [Source: [4]]
House Placement and Exterior
Q: Ok my house is all ready. How do I tell the team where I'd like my house placed? I don't see an area list for Avlis anywhere.
A: A really great way to do this is to take a screenshot standing in front of where you want your house placed (with the minimap open), and put it in your rar or zip for your house submission. [Source: [5]]
Q: It's awesome that we can customize the interior of our house, but can we also request a specific exterior for our house, as in say a special tower I saw in 'insert some city here'?
A: The standard answer is no because it takes a lot more of the staff to coordinate this kind of a request, but it is decided on a case-by-case basis. Don't get your hopes up. If you do get your wish, expect it to be VERY EXPENSIVE! Also, make sure you ask BEFORE you submit. It may be kicked back if it is decided against, which will place you in the back of the line.[Source: [6]]
Q: I found an awesome place for my house! Can I reserve it?
A: No. [Source: [7]]
Non-standard Placeables, Items, and Doors
Q: A door with attributes 'plot','plot','plot','key only' in the pricing sheet costs 100k while an all plot door costs 120k. What's the difference?
A: If a door is not set 'plot' in the toolset, it can be busted in by whatever means: your items are not safe from theft. If a door is marked 'key only' in the pricing sheet, PCs can legally sneak in behind you: your items are not safe from theft. To make sure your items are safe from theft, and are protected from theft under the rules of Avlis, mark your door 'plot' in the toolset, and price it out all plot. [Source: [8]]
Q: Oh I want a ring that opens my house!
A: No. All player housing keys MUST look like a key. The only exception is guild housing where the key can be the guild token, because the guild token is already a part of the pallet. [Source: [9]]
Q: How will you know which chests I want plot or p-chest or...?
A: Make sure you leave notes in the price sheet with associations between tag names and the properties of those tag names. (IE joeblow_mainchest: Plot, P-chest) More information is always better than less information. [Source: [10]]
Naming
Q: I'm a bit confused on what needs to be renamed. Do I need to alter the tagname or resref of all items in my module?
A: No. (The naming convention in your housing is very important. Even after you read here, make sure you read the rules to make certain you are naming everything correctly.
- Display Name: Only the module and areas must have special display names. Everything else can be as desired.
- Tag Name: Only p-chests, display chests, crafting placables, crafting plants, p-merchants, scribes, keys, doors, areas, and modules must have unique tag names. All other placables can be left 'as is' from the pallet.
- Resref: Only keys and areas must have unique resrefs. Everything else can be left 'as is' from the pallet.
[Source: [11]]
Pricing
Q: So what placables do I have to price out? Do I pay for every candle, plant, and chair?
A: No. You only have to price out p-chests, display chests, crafting plants, crafting placables, doors, and any placable of which you have changed the attributes away from the standard. All other placables are payed for by bulk in the 'Furnishings' cell. [Source: [12]]
Q: What if I change the attributes of a placable to make it weaker? Does the price go down?
A: No. As you change the attributes of a placable away from the standard, either higher or lower, the price goes up the further from the standard the placable becomes. [Source: [13]]
Q: So all doors are priced out? Even a regular, unmodified, unlockable door?
A: No. All regular, unmodified, unlockable doors are included in the 'Furnishings' pricing. If you change the door at all, it then becomes 'custom' and is priced in the 'doors' section. [Source: [14]]
Q: In the pricing spreadsheet, I'm charged 5,000 gold for each tile. You mean for each brick or something?
A: No. Turn on the area grid (On the menu, click 'Environment' -> 'Display Grid'). Each square in the grid is a tile. [Source: [15]]
Q: Uh, so how do I know if my furnishings are low, medium, or high?
A: If your place is a dump:low. If it's got a cot and some amenities: medium. If it's got a bed and some frills: high. [Source: [16]]
Scripting
Q: I need some help with scripting. Can the team help me with it?
A: No. The team is far too busy working on Avlis. You can possibly get some help from:
- Avlis Scripting Board
- The NWN Lexicon
- Bioware Scripting Board - Internet Archive link.
[Source: [17]]
Q: There aren't many scripts to choose from in the 'allowable player housing scripts' list. Can I add one that makes my monkey fly around the room?
A: No...most of the time. If you have a script not listed in the allowable player housing script list, you must ask the Housing Director first (Send CPU a PM). Usually the answer will be no, unless there's an overwhelming need and it will add to Avlis for all players. [Source: [18]]
Q: I heard heartbeat scripts are frowned upon, but...
A: No heartbeat scripts. They cause lag. [Source: [19]]
Q: I can't seem to find any scripts for the crafting placables, P-Merchants, scribes, etc
A: These scripts are placed in your housing by the team once it is received. This preserves the intellectual property of Avlis. [Source: [20]]
Q: I want to script something or someone outside of my house that will do 'x'. Can I do that?
A: No. The exterior areas of Avlis have a good chance of being around longer than your character. Having those external scripts, etc, could really muck things up. [Source: [21]]
Q: Can I use a trash script for my fireplace to make it a trashcan? If yes, where can I find this script?
A: Yes. Submit the request with your house. The team will add the script. [Source: [22]]
Q: Ok I've downloaded the avlis scripts erf file, and I put it in my erf folder. Where are the scripts? When I try to add one to a placable, I can't find it in the list?
A: In order to use the scripts once you've downloaded and put the erf file in your erf folder, you must import them into the toolset. To do this click 'File' -> 'Import' and select the housing erf. [Source: [23]]
Tips for Building
- Save often! There's nothing worse than building something twice.