Ashes aka the home DLC

Paraphrasing here. WH said they listened and heard that people wanted a place to call home.

Really like and enjoy ashes. But, something is missing (beyond my rant list). That missing element is a sense of home I’ve had in W Europe, E Asia and N America.

In the homes I’ve had, people:
-bathe
-launder
-sit down, talk and drink over food
-mend clothing
-sleep in a bedroom alone or with other family members
-have their own workspace
-display a few knickknacks

None of these elements seem evident. The above doesn’t necessarily mean Henry needs a bathhouse. He just needs to bathe. Etc

5 Likes

Modified feedback from above and sent to WH support:

(1) guardhouse related feedback
(1a) combat arena - It’s a master stroke, thx!
(1b) veteran, plate armor, longsword - After taking a good amount of damage, he quit striking. He just kept moving his feet and held sword up.
(1c) grindstone - This needs to be added. Doesn’t make sense to have soldiers without it to sharpen their weapons. Weapon maintenance is an absolute life-death necessity after battling bandits and Cuman in the surrounding forest.
(1d) armory chests - I’m bailiff, not a thief. They shouldn’t be locked to me. In fact, I want to add weapons/armor to make up for one of the missing smiths (if picked armorsmith, I’d like to supply weapons, and vice versa). Please adjust and connect to (1e).
(1e) capt of guard or quartermaster - This building sorely needs one. Ideally, to manage inventory (we need # axes and # longswords - if picked armorsmith) and to discuss potential bandit/Cuman clearing missions (Henry + squad vs enemy squad) in surrounding forest (upper fifth of map actually). This role should also possess for sale the repair kits opposite the smith chosen (eg armor kits if weaponsmith built.)

(2) enhanced Rathaus related feedback
(2a) bailiff’s desk - Every bailiff in Bohemia except Henry has a desk. Please correct this. Why not put ledger on that desk?! And, give Henry a bookcase to put his books in as one sees in other towns.
(2b) entrance foyer/reception area - All the other bailiffs have an office/receiving area. Pribyslavitz doesn’t. Instead the entrance foyer consists of a kitchen/cooking station. That makes the ledger take on the appearance of a cookbook. Please consider remodeling.
(2c) sleeping area - Henry and Marius should have their own rooms. If not, it would make more sense if the bailiff’s sleeping quarters were divided in half rather than shared among Henry and 2 other NPCs.
(2d) gold goblets and other drinking vessels - Many players have accumulated piles of glass, gold and silver. Let us set a number of them (eg 10) on a table, shelf, or display case.
(2e) pelts and furs - Many players have looted or harvested lots of pelts and furs. Let us set a number of them at fixed locations within the Rathaus.
(2f) stone foundation/external stairs - please make it easier to pass around stairs from direction of church to door on first floor.
(2g) other Rathaus locations - Henry should be afforded some courtesy of being bailiff. Once so titled, Henry should not be treated as if he’s entering a ‘Private Area’ when trying to meet the other bailiffs at their desks.
(2h) blackened area - on the bakery/butcher shop side of Rathaus lot, there are big blackened spots. There isn’t a camp fire/charcoal burner nearby so it doesn’t appear to make sense.
(2i) servant/attendant - this is supposed to be Henry’s home and yet he can’t bathe, mend his clothes, and launder his clothes. Please enable some kind of servant or attendant for such matters if formal structures aren’t going to be created. Otherwise, this ‘home’ and DLC has lost its purpose and accordingly offers little advantage over Peshek’s mill house.

4 Likes

I wanted to sharpen at smithy but I didn’t see grindstone. It is super weird they did not add this and other things.

You get the gindstone only if you have the swordsmith tools…

The place for the beehive is poorly. This place is the center of the village. Would make more sense for a shop or a house. The best place for the beehive would be at the edge of the woods/village…

4 Likes

(3) Church
(3a) exterior - (3a1) to some the outside looks too humble… disappointingly so. Would applying a coat of whitewash be anachronistic? If not, pls apply. (3a2) add a torch at the entrance to the church grounds. the church isn’t locked up so parishioners should be able to find the way if they feel the urge to worship at night
(3b) priest - he’s one of the most important persons in town, and yet he has the personality of cardboard. spice him up. give us a meaningful interaction at a minimum. tend to the flock of NPCs. give a sermon. reward us for currying favor with Godwin and/or the Inquisitor. make him a proto-Hussite or something to liven up this hamlet.
(3c) presbytery - (3c1) in and around the home, there are blackened areas (formerly shaded areas now masquerading as soot spills?). pls remove. (3c2) add some more religious iconography inside the guy’s home… a communion chalice, cross, rosary, book (Bible?), etc
(3d) interior (3d1) I’m of 2 minds about the Henry frescos. On one hand, it’s a nice touch to chronicle the ascendant life of a blacksmith’s son. On the other, it’s a little vainglorious, secular and Dragon Age Inquistion-like in its vibe. (3d2) please add holy water fonts and indulgences chest as is seen in other churches. Also, pls enable the signing of the cross by clicking on holy water font. (3d3) there’s no place to ring the bell. If the Rathaus doesn’t have a town bell, the bailiff should be able to ring this one to alert/assemble the hamlet folk

3 Likes

Yeah, the flowers in the woods aren’t in the middle of the clearing for the hamlet. The grassy area opposite the beehives and the area between the tavern and the dilapidated foot bridge are way underutilized.

1 Like

(4) Trading post - looks nice but some considerations
(4a) trader - for the first day or so, it looks like Kornelius bathed in bog water. Not a good look for someone who works less than 10m from a clear water stream. Pls tone down or remove his dirty look.
(4b) exterior - (4b1) looks very busy. nice vibe but a couple things are missing. Wagons but no horse in waiting. Place at least one there along with a hitching post/trough for horses. We want visitors to come and trade with us. Make it a little more inviting. (4b2) stone? check. grain (flour)? check. Charcoal? Saw some bags at blacksmith. Check. Meat? Can’t find any hanging at tavern or trading post. At the tavern, pls consider converting east structure next to vegetable plot into makeshift meat storage room (similar to one at Talmberg bathhouse… ew) or add small underground storage room.
(4c) outhouse - Marius brings before us a case on crapping down stream. Guess what? The trading post outhouse dumps right into the what should be the dammed water of the weir. The hypocrisy of visitors potentially crapping there but the villagers going 100-150m downstream is noteworthy.
(4d) weir - in constructing the bridge, Marius mentions building a weir. Where is it? This is a much needed improvement to ensure a more reliable water supply. Pls add it to the ledger.
(4e) interior - perhaps Pribyslavitz is a shithole as Kornelius insists. regardless, the table/display could use an upgrade over the generic vendor’s set up. come on who stores (rainbow) trout on a shelf next to potions or on a table cloth in between pretzels, bread and beets
(4f) assistants - haven’t seen any of his help aside from Malis, his muscle. Pls consider adding at least one laborer to work in his courtyard.

(5) tavern - very well thought out and executed
(5a) interior - would be nice if there were one more table inside the tavern (like Uzhitz). That way more than 4 people have a place to drink/eat when it rains, etc…
(5b) exterior - (5b1) converting the structure on east side into makeshift room for hanging/processing meat (or adding small underground rooom) would create a place for all resources acquired through Supplies quest. (5b2) adding a row of hop vines on top of terrace on the east side of the tavern barn would add nice accent and complete the Pribyslavitz Boar brewery vibe
(5c) NPCs - (5c1) would be interesting if some conversations at the tables escalated into a fight once in a while and had to be dealt with by the guards and potentially the bailiff. (5c2) It would be huge if WH could add a drinking mini-game (Henry vs NPCs at his table). (5c3) It would add a lot of depth to life in Pribyslavitz if Henry could talk with NPCs at the tavern and find out more about them (beyond ‘About Pribyslavitz’)

3 Likes

Armor/weapon displays at the Rathaus would be pretty cool. Oh, and Pribyslavitz church bells!

I’d love a “night life” update with drinking games, NPCs dancing, etc. It would add a lot of life to the taverns

1 Like

Agreed. Forgot to post additions to my lists

(1) guardhouse continued
(1f) armory shields - the shields in the outside wall should be in Talmberg colors and ideally at least one should have the ‘fancy’ coat of arms. Pls replace the shields. Or, better yet, create a ‘sticky’ spot so we can pick up (currently enabled) AND place (NOT currently enabled) shields in those spots.
(1g) dormitory - we’ve added a bunch of new guards and a few tents. It doesn’t seem like enough of them have been given a proper sleeping quarters. There aren’t any horses associated with the guardhouse so please consider converting the hay barn into a small dorm. There’s enough hay at the inn and trading post for any guard horses yet to be added.
(1h) cook - pls consider adding NPC (female villager?) as a cook for the guards. right now, one of them just stands/loiters next to the hay barn.
(1i) watch tower - pls add ladder or stairs so you can look out across the stream and bridge. also, the trading post side should have a greater opening.
(1j) water trough - the current one across from the combat arena is filled with dirty water and can’t be used to rinse off. Pls convert to clean water one that can be used to wash. Some guys like to rinse off the blood and dirt after they fight
(1k) weapons rack - please enable weapons to be placed on the racks. By clicking on the rack, you open inventory that displays spaces for a corresponding number of slots on rack. Add the weapons and they display after you exit.
(1l) armory storage - hay and wood are stored elsewhere. remove them from within the armory and replace with capt of guard or quartermaster desk and bed. you could also get rid of some barrels and replace with display dummies for kits (helmet + armor/clothing) or table/shelf space for equipment.
(1m) attack dummy - pls consider making space and adding a target made of sticks or whatever that we can practice strikes and combos on.

(2) Rathaus continued
(2j) alchemy chest - pls connect the chest with the alchemy lab inventory. That way you can harvest and dump ingredients from your garden into the chest. From there, the ingredients can be used with you prepare potions.
(2k) bailiff greetings - not convinced that it’s acceptable for direct reports (guards) and the Pribyslavitz villagers to call the bailiff by his first name instead of ‘Master Bailiff’, and the guard threats to Henry for not having his torch out are all wrong.
(2l) bailiff duties - as in Mysterious Ways quest, Henry should have option of going on ‘final call’ nighttime patrol. There should be a certain chance that some are continuing to drink past curfew and bailiff has to pursuade them to quit, preferably by choice but by force if necessary.

2 Likes