The Adventurer's Retreat - A Player Housing Suggestion for WoW

When I started this blog, I didn't have as much of a definitive direction of what I intended to use it for. While I did use it as a place to put posts that otherwise belong on a forum of some sort, I also tried other things that were out of my comfort zone, eventually concluding that there was a reason such articles were not my forte. I unlisted many of these articles and moved forward with my more analytical and suggestion-focused gaming posts, writing what were basically short essays or project outlines every week. I would like to think that I improved over the years that I've published articles despite the miniscule view count over time saying otherwise.

This leads me to this article, which is the 300th until I decide to delist more articles I find to be of exceptionally poor quality. While it's not a milestone I have to celebrate, I believe it's a good time to do so since I have the opportunity to suggest something ambitious to complement the major WoW-related announcements that have been made. That is why, as the title states, this article will feature my detailed take on the idea of adding player housing to World of Warcraft from how it could be implemented to inner workings of the feature.

A Summary of the Adventurer's Retreat

The Adventurer's Retreat is the formal name for my suggested player housing system. It would build upon the Garrison in an attempt to emulate player housing in Runescape where one is basically handed a plot of land to build upon. This would involve the return of buildings, which would offer utility and flair much like with the Garrison but with one addition. In Runescape, one can build rooms full of hotspots where a variety of objects can be built or placed to serve a cosmetic and/or utilitarian purpose. Buildings in the Adventurer's Retreat would serve as an equivalent to these rooms and also have hotspots for such objects, providing greater customization options.

Acquisition of a retreat can vary, though personally I'm partial to paying a small fee which then allows access to a portal that takes the player to their retreat. The location of the retreat itself can also vary, but I personally think it should integrate into the existing game world for greater immersion. To this end, I personally chose the Feralas Hot Springs area (known as the Steam Pools) as the initial area for the retreat due to it being next to the soon-to-be-updated Silithus zone and having a resort-like feel. More options can and should be added in the future to improve customization options further and potentially provide players with a places of varied levels of isolation. For example, retreat locations could be placed next to every capital city.

The Retreat's Purpose

At this point one might be concerned about basically re-adding the Garrison to the game since it was in some ways detrimental to the game. As someone who was not a fan of the Garrison especially in terms of how rewarding it was, I can safely that the retreat wouldn't be problematic given the current state of the game. While the Legion expansion has much to criticize, I think its content design has been pretty strong in terms of encourage player activity outside of hub cities. I believe this trend will continue, which provides a fair amount of breathing room to offer another Garrison-like feature.

With that said, I have tailored this suggestion to avoid past mistakes while also addressing other issues with the game. The following are specific goals I have in mind for this iteration of the Adventurer's Retreat:

• One of my main goals is to keep players in their retreat for as little time as possible outside of hosting group events. While this won't stop players from spending downtime in the retreat, there will be no closed system features like periodic node spawns or self-funding Garrison missions that players may task themselves to do on a regular basis.
• Access to the retreat will be limited in a sense and the main way to get to it is through the usage of a portal in capital cities. This helps to make the retreat more of an extension of those existing hubs.
• A number of utility benefits encourage players to leave their retreat such as overworld buffs and portals to various locations.
• The retreat is intended to be a gold sink to the point nearly everything costs gold to construct. Some of the customization options will strongly encourage repetitive spending.
• The entire retreat is account-bound to encourage players to build a feature-rich hub, though each individual character will need to earn access to the retreat.

The Specific Details

This section features all the specifics related to the Adventurer's Retreat. In this case, that means all the buildings will be listed along with a summary of their purpose. In addition, all the building's hotspots will be listed along with a brief description and a list of the objects and NPCs that can be placed in them if applicable. The objects and NPCs will be listed with the following format:

Object Name - Cost, Requirement to place (if any) - Description

Note that unless it is otherwise described, object placement is mutually exclusive, meaning that placing an object on an occupied hotspot will replace the old object. In addition, objects that are free are initially placed in their respective hotspot. Hotspots without a free object will initially start empty.

Also note that this section will be very long, meaning you can feel free to skim or skip it entirely since it's more here to give a general idea of what a player housing system in WoW could have were an idea like this to be implemented. The list, while it allows players to build a complete retreat with some customization options, isn't extensive by any means since it can be built upon further by adding more buildings, hotspots, and objects that help to further flesh out this suggested feature.

Click here to Show/Hide the list of buildings

Main Building

The main building is the first one that is available when purchasing the retreat. It is laid out in a similar fashion to the Great Hall in the Garrison with a large main room that leads outside and two side rooms.

The main room contains the following hotspots:

• Builder's Table - This would near the entrance to the main room and it's where the player choose buildings to build and objects to add to hotspots. This is also the place where the player can save Adventurer's Retreat layouts (up to 5) that can be swapped to at any time at a cost.
• Default Theme - Costs Nothing - The default look of the Builder's Table is similar to that of the Architect Table in the Garrison.
• Class Theme - Costs 250 Gold -  Changes the look of the Builder's Table to have a theme based on the class of the building character. For example, a Druid theme could consist of a table made out of gnarled wood covered with leaf-colored parchment.
• Faction Theme - Costs 250 Gold - Changes the look of the Builder's Table to have an Alliance or Horde theme based on the faction of the building character. This would include the faction's insignia.
• Race Theme - Cost 250 Gold - Changes the look of the Builder's Table to have a racial theme based on the race of the building character.
• Strategy Table - The strategy table is placed in the center of the room and can potentially offer the ability to complete Garrison, Shipyard, and Order Hall missions remotely. Note that these missions are existing content and very quick to access, so Strategy Table objects only provide convenience.
• Rounded Table - Costs 500 Gold - A cosmetic rounded wooden table with papers strewn all over it.
• Garrison Command Table - Costs 1500 Gold, Requires Garrison Level 1 - Has the appearance and functionality of the Command Table in the Garrison.
• Shipyard Command Table - Costs 1500 Gold, Requires Shipyard Level 1 - Has the appearance and functionality of the Fleet Command Table in the Garrison.
• Order Hall Command Table - Costs 1500 Gold, Requires access to Order Hall missions - Has the appearance of an Order Hall's Scouting Map that allows the player to do Order Hall missions. The Scouting Map is flipped into a horizontal, table-like position and changes appearance based on the class of the character being played.
• Commander's Table - Costs 5000 Gold or 3500 Gold, Requires Shipyard Level 1, access to Order Hall missions - Conjoins the above three tables into a triangular formation and provides access to all missions based on the table that's interacted with. This only costs 3500 Gold if one of the Command Tables is already placed.
• Gilded Commander's Table - Costs 10000 Gold or 5000 Gold, Requires Shipyard Level 1, access to Order Hall missions - This is an opulent version of the Commander's Table and provides the same functionality. This only costs 5000 Gold if the player already has a Commander's Table placed.
• Adventurer's Seat - The Adventurer's Seat is a seat meant for the player to sit in, allowing them to be at the head of the Strategy Table.
• Simple Wooden Seat - Costs Nothing - The initially placed seat looks like an unremarkable wooden chair similar to many others in the game.
• Metallic Throne - Costs 100 Gold - This looks like a carved iron throne that appears to be uncomfortable to sit in.
• Gilded Throne -  Costs 200 Gold - An upgrade to the metallic throne that adds gold trimming and a cushion to improve comfort.
• Saronite Throne -  Costs 300 Gold - A throne of green metal chiseled to have an Old God theme, including several tentacles.
• Spiked Throne/Valiant Throne - Costs 500 Gold - A throne similar to that of the Alliance and Horde faction leaders. The Throne used is based on the faction of the building character.
• Emperor's Throne - Costs 500 Gold - A throne similar to that of the throne in the Mogu'shan Palace with a distinct, plushy Pandaria theme.
• Brimstone Throne - Costs 1000 Gold - A scorching throne made from infernal corpses with a Legion theme that deals fire damage to the player sitting in it. Allows cooking.
• Table Seating - The Table Seating consists of a number of other seats around the table or tables, depending on the Strategy Table chosen.
• Simple Wooden Seating - Costs Nothing - These initially placed seats are meant to complement the other decor and is functional at best.
• Barrel Seats - Costs 100 Gold - These seats are literally just barrels imported from Booty Bay.
• Quilted Seats - Costs 100 Gold - Improved wooden seats with cushioning and quilted backs.
• Tavern Stools - Costs 100 Gold - Seats that appear similar to how stools in a typical tavern would be.
• Opulent Seating - Costs 500 Gold - Gold-trimmed wooden seats meant to display a show of wealth.
• Solid Gold Seats - Costs 2000 Gold - These are chairs that are literally made out of gold.
• Bank Chest - The Bank Chest is on the other side of the main entrance opposite to the Builder's Table and objects built there can provide access to the player's bank, their guild's bank, or both.
• Wooden Bank Chest - Costs 250 Gold - This looks like a typical chest that allows normal bank access.
• Iron Bank Chest - Costs 500 Gold - A more cosmetically appealing metallic chest that also provides normal bank access.
• Golden Bank Chest - Costs 1000 Gold - A visually appealing golden chest that also provides normal bank access.
• Golden Vault - Costs 2500 Gold - A gold-plated vault that allows players to access their guild's bank only.
• Opulent Vault and Banker - Costs 5000 Gold - Hires a banker standing next to a platinum vault studded with gemstones. The banker behaves like a normal banker while the vault provides guild bank access.

The main building has two side areas. One will always be a modified Portal Room that cannot be replaced. It contains a portal back to the main capital city for the player's respective faction (Orgrimmar or Stormwind) along with the typical Portal Room hotspots:

• Portal Slots (2) - Costs 500 Gold each - Portal slots can be used to create a portal to one of the following locations. Setting or changing a location costs 500 Gold.
• Any of the other capital cities of that faction.
• Shattrath City
• Dalaran (Northrend)
• One of the two Shrine cities in Pandaria, depending on faction.
• The player's Garrison
• Dalaran (Broken Isles)
• Portal Trainer - Costs 1000 Gold - If the building character is a Mage, they can hire a Portal Trainer for a fee.

The other side area can be one of three rooms of the player's choice. These rooms are the Rest Area, the Ethereal Alcove, and the Portal Room. The first choice is free but changing the room costs 2500 Gold. Note that changing the room will remove all existing placed objects.

The Portal Room is the same as the modified Portal Room that the retreat starts with except it has 3 Portal Slots instead of 2.

The Rest Area contains the following hotspots:

• Bed - The bed is the main feature of the rest area and is located on the far end of the room. When used, it increases the rate at which Rested Experience is accumulated. When used, it applies a buff that persists when logged out and characters that have the buff when logging in benefit from the bonus accumulated Rest. Note that if a Paragon system were to be implemented, Rested Experience could be applied to it but as of this writing a Bed would generally only be beneficial for leveling characters.
• Simple Hammock - Costs Nothing - A hammock made out of hides that increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 30%.
• Cot - Costs 100 Gold - A mildly comfortable cot that at least provides something to lie down on. Increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 50%.
• Militaristic Bunk - Costs 150 Gold - An austere pair of surfaces that allows two players to sleep in it at once. Increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 50%.
• Modest Bed - Costs 250 Gold - A comfortable resting surface that at least looks mildly luxurious. Increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 70%.
• Double Bed - Costs 500 Gold - A bed that provides plenty of room for fitful sleepers and decent quality bedding. Increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 100%.
• True-Gilded Four-Poster - Costs 1000 Gold - A luxurious, large bed trimmed with Truegold and high quality bedding. Increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 150%.
• Nightstand - The nightstand is a cosmetic feature meant to complement the bed.
• Wooden Crate - Costs 50 Gold - A typical wooden crate that can at least pass for something of a nightstand or is perhaps a stylistic choice.
• Standard Drawer - Costs 150 Gold - A set of drawers that can be opened for additional cosmetic effect.
• Mini-Wardrobe - Costs 150 Gold - An alternative to the drawer with doors that open outward instead.
• Mini-Altar - Costs 250 Gold - Builds a mini-version of an Altar of Storms or Altar of Kings based on the faction of the player. Clicking the altar toggles the flame effects.
• Art Piece - A modest piece of art can be added near the foot area of the bed. While some are generic, others can be used to depict some sort of minor accomplishment.
• Player Statue - Costs 100 Gold - A marble statue resembling the player either in their idle pose or performing one of many emotes. The stance the statue is taking is chosen when the player builds it and it can be changed for free.
• Painting - Costs 100 Gold - Allows the player to place a painting of their choice on the wall near the hotspot in such a way that the painting can be viewed from the Bed hotspot (examples of some paintings here).
• Tribute to Honor - Costs 250 Gold, Requires The Light of Dawn achievement - This object is a statue similar to the one in the middle of Northrend Dalaran.
• Master Garrison Commander - Costs 250 Gold, Requires Level 3 Garrison and the On A Metric Ton of Missions achievement - This object is a diorama of the player's Garrison based on when it was built. For example, buildings in the player's Garrison will show up on the diorama.
• Hero of Azeroth - Costs 250 Gold, Requires the Power Unbound achievement - This object is a demonsteel statue showing the player character in a heroic pose similar to the pose used when holding or empowering an Artifact Weapon.

The Ethereal Alcove contains the following hotspots:

• Ethereal NPC (2) - Costs 500 Gold each - Ethereals can be hired to populate the alcove, each of which can provide access to one of the following services:
• Access to Transmogrification
• Access to Void Storage
• Access to the most recently available Relinquished gear.
• Access to The Consortium Quartermaster's stock.
• Ethereal Architecture - To better help the Ethereals hired feel at home, an Ethereal themed object can also be placed in the alcove.
• Ethereal Box Stack - Costs 50 Gold - Two stacks of boxes often found in Ethereal settlements that have unknown contents.
• Energetic Archway - Costs 150 Gold - An archway with arcane energy flowing through it that is commonplace in Ethereal settlements.
• Void Archway - Costs 150 Gold - A dark take on typical Ethereal architecture that has shadow energy flowing through the archway instead of arcane energy.

A Brief Word on Other Buildings

The Adventurer's Retreat offers many spots to place buildings in addition to the immovable, indestructible Main Building. Similar to the Garrison, there are small, medium, and large buildings that can be moved around as long as they are placed in the same sized slot. Unlike the Garrison, far more structures can be built with the retreat allowing for a maximum of 12 small buildings, 8 medium buildings, and 4 large buildings. In addition, the same building can be built multiple times and in some cases, it is highly beneficial to do so.

Small Buildings

Small buildings add a marginal amount of flair and/or utility to the retreat much like their Garrison counterparts. Therefore, there are only a few hotspots for each building at most. For this suggestion, there are 10 of them and they consist of the Builder's Shop, the General Store, the Blacksmith, the Ethereal Platform, the Alchemy Hut, the Cooking Station, the Barber Shop, the Keep Tower, the Trophy Pedestal, and the Dragonflight Monolith. All small buildings cost 250 Gold to build.

The Builder's Shop allows players to buy objects for the retreat at discounted prices or for other currencies. To this end, there is always a Carpenter available to sell wooden objects that has a fixed rotation for its stock. The stock itself may have variant prices, however. If multiple Builder's Shops are built, each NPC in the shop will have different stock, with three buildings allowing the player to have access to all of the stock all the time. In addition, the Builder's Shop provides the following hotspots:

• Recruit Mason - Costs 500 Gold - Recruits a Mason who sells stone objects with a fixed stock rotation at variant prices.
• Recruit Gilder - Costs 1000 Gold - Recruits a Gilder who generally sells gilded objects, but also runs a side business selling more plain metal objects. Having a Blacksmith available in the retreat increases the amount of objects this NPC stocks by approximately 50%.

The General Store behaves like a typical general store except the player has a bit more control over its design. It provides both a NPC that sells items as both a General Goods and Reagent vendor.

• Counter - All good shops have a counter and players have access to options that range from poor to opulent.
• Rickety Counter - Costs Nothing - A shoddily built counter made out of what appears to be brittle wood.
• Smoothed Counter - Costs 50 Gold - A passable wooden counter that appears solidly made and similar to most other wooden counters in the game.
• Rough Stone Counter - Costs 100 Gold - A counter fit for an ogre general store made out of roughly carved stone.
• Metal-Top Counter - Costs 200 Gold - A well-built counter constructed from high quality lumber and topped with smooth, metal that appears to be reflective, but isn't.
• Counter of Wealth - Costs 500 Gold - A luxurious counter made of various materials with gold seams running across the top and along the legs. Having this counter reduces the prices at the vendor by 10%.
• Exterior Design - Players have a little control over the exterior design of the shop, allowing them to choose from more familiar or exotic designs.
• Canopy Style - Costs Nothing - A simple building style with no walls and limited support, but at least there's a roof.
• Capital - Costs 100 Gold - An exterior style similar to that of the Orgrimmar or Stormwind General Store, depending on the building character's faction.
• Lower City - Costs 100 Gold - An exterior style similar to housing in the Lower City area of Shattrath.
• Mystical - Costs 150 Gold - An exterior style that has the appearance of buildings in Dalaran.
• Magic Barrier - Costs 200 Gold - Mages are hired to conjure a magical barrier that serves as the ultimate protection for any inside. Comes with an opening to serve as the entrance.

The Blacksmith provides a NPC that can perform repairs and sells reagents for the Blacksmithing profession. It also comes with an anvil-related hotspot.

• Smithing Station - The anvil-related hotspot in question that has a standard one by default, but can be upgraded to provide additional Blacksmithing-related utility.
• Anvil - Costs Nothing - A typical anvil that meets typical Blacksmithing requirements.
• Thermal Anvil - Costs 250 Gold, 5 Thermal Anvil - Much like the consumable Thermal Anvil, this one acts a both a forge and anvil but as a permanent fixture instead.
• Fortified Thermal Anvil  - Costs 750 Gold, Requires Thermal Anvil - The Thermal Anvil is modified to have two additional properties. Firstly, it now also behaves as a Firmament Stone. Secondly, it can be interacted with to provide a 1 hour buff that reduces durability loss by 50% and persists through death.

The Ethereal Platform serves as something of a lesser alternative to the Ethereal Alcove, allowing players who chose a different main building room to still have access to some Ethereal NPC services.

• Ethereal NPC - Costs Nothing or 500 Gold - A single Ethereal can be hired to provide services for each Ethereal Platform. When the building is initially constructed, the first Ethereal hired is free but each subsequent hiring for that building costs 500 Gold. Unlike the Ethereal Alcove, these Ethereals can only provide the following:
• Access to Transmogrification
• Access to Void Storage
• Platform Style - While there's only a few to choose from due to the meticulous nature of Ethereals, players have a little leeway in terms of customizing the platform the Ethereal stands upon.
• Arcane - Costs Nothing - The default style that looks somewhat like the platforms some Ethereal service NPCs stand on.
• Nether - Costs 100 Gold - A more void themed version of the previous platform.
• Fiery - Costs 100 Gold - A glowing blue platform with harmless blue flames expelling from the sides in all cardinal directions.
• Frosted - Costs 100 Gold - A slightly reflective platform with the appearance of ice, though it may just be glass.

The Alchemy Hut, like the Blacksmith, is a profession-themed building. This one is unmanned and provides seemingly simpler benefits.

• Alchemy Set - This is the only hotspot for this building and it starts as a typical-looking alchemy set that can meet alchemy station requirements. However, it can provide much greater utility benefits when upgraded.
• Alchemy Station - Costs Nothing - A typical alchemy station that can be used in place of the Dalaran Alchemy Station for recipe requirements. The player can interact with the station to receive a healing potion with 3 charges that restores 15% of the player's maximum health over 5 seconds when used.
• Quicksilver Station - Costs 250 Gold - An improved alchemy station with superior glassware and a Philosopher's Stone, allowing transmutations that require it to be performed without the item. In addition, interacting with the station reduces the remaining cooldown for all transmutations by half.
• Apothecary's Station - Costs 250 Gold - An improved alchemy station with a superior cauldron and other tools needed to make potions more efficiently. Making potions near this station increases the chance to make additional potions by a multiplicative 50% chance (meaning the recipe used has to have a chance to make additional potions).
• Chemist's Station - Costs 250 Gold - An improved alchemy station with tools designed for efficient ingredient extraction to make elixirs. Making elixirs near the station increases the chance to make additional elixirs by a multiplicative 50%, much like the Apothecary's Station does with potions.
• Portable Laboratory - Costs 2000 Gold - Visually alters the entire Alchemy Hut to be more like a Laboratory with shelves and a table full of Alchemy tools. Provides the benefits of all previous Alchemy Set objects and also prevents Crystal Vials from being used in recipes while crafting nearby.

The Cooking Station is advantageous for those interested in the Cooking profession by providing a fire to cook on. However, it has some general use because it starts with a chef who sells food whose stock can be improved by investing to eventually sell food that provides buffs, though possibly in limited supply.

• Cooking Surface - The cooking surface starts as a roaring fire but can be upgrading to something more sophisticated or at least more visually appealing.
• Cooking Fire - Costs Nothing - This looks exactly like the fire summoned by this ability and provides the same benefits.
• Iron Brazier - Costs 50 Gold - A brazier filled with oil and set alight. While this should somehow sear reckless adventurers it deals minimal damage and allows cooking.
• Slab Stone Grill - Costs 100 Gold - A small, controlled fire that has a large slab of stone set over it that's great for grilling meat.
• Stone Hearth Oven - Costs 250 Gold - A fireplace-like oven that helps to contain heat to make cooking more efficient. Increases the speed at which all Cooking is done by 10%.
• Furnace Oven - Costs 500 Gold - An oven built like a furnace that is excellent at containing heat. Serves as both a Forge and Cooking Fire and increases the speed of Cooking by 20%.
• Chef - This chef serves as a vendor who sells some ingredients needed for Cooking and also stocks food of various level requirements to meet the demands of adventurers. The vendor's stock is initially small but can be expanded through stackable upgrades, such as:
• Halfhill Stock - Costs 500 Gold - The vendor will now sell various items that are bought for Ironpaw Tokens.
• Pandaren Cuisine - Costs 500 Gold - The vendor will now sell food normally sold at vendors in Pandaria.
• Nomi's Stock - Costs 500 Gold - The vendor will now sell ingredients normally sold in Broken Isles Dalaran.
• Enhanced Cuisine - Costs 500 Gold - The vendor will now sell limited supplies of foods that provide Well Fed effects with the stock rotating every 6 hours. The vendor stocks a limited supply of 10 of each food.
• Greater Enhanced Cuisine - Costs 500 Gold, Requires Enhanced Cuisine - The vendor will sell an increased supply of foods provided by Enhanced Cuisine, increasing the limit supply from 10 to 20.
• Feast Cuisine - Costs 1000 Gold - The vendor will now sell limited supplies of various feast items with the stock rotating every 6 hours. The vendor stocks a limited supply of 5 of each feast.

The Barber Shop works as a typical Barber Shop but with a bit more in the way of customization options.

• Fashion Theme - This hotspot consists of the table, chair, mirror, and some other details within the Barber Shop that ultimately encompass a theme.
• Standard - Costs Nothing - The theme used is similar to that of one of the capital cities of the faction of the building character, chosen randomly.
• Forester's - Costs 100 Gold - This theme resembles a barber shop set in the woods with a leaf-shaped mirror and furnishing that are made out of hardwood.
• Suntouched - Costs 100 Gold - Softer yellow and white colors dominate this theme, such as a brass mirror.
• Mechanical - Costs 100 Gold - The barber shop now resembles the inside of a workshop and even includes some robotic critters.
• Molten - Costs 100 Gold - Dark iron and fiery red colors dominate this barber shop theme.

The Keep Tower provides the benefit of verticality and security in the retreat. It also provides a NPC that sells temporary parachutes and spyglasses usable only in overworld zones. Note that the Keep Tower will have a layout based on the faction of the building character.

• Tower Walls - Tower Walls provide some slight alterations to the cosmetic appeal of the lower exterior areas of the building,
• Faction - Costs Nothing - This serves as the default appearance for the building, which is similar to that of a Guard Tower for Alliance and a (modified) Watch Tower for Horde.
• Hallowed - Costs 100 Gold - The walls have a lighter shade of color and appear to be glowing.
• Scarred - Costs 100 Gold - These provide a war-torn look that adds chips and other accumulated damage to emulate countless battles.
• Dark - Costs 100 Gold - The opposite of the Hallowed choice which uses darker shades of color and even causes the tower itself to cast a longer, more imposing shadow.
• Spiked - Costs 100 Gold - Adds spikes to all surfaces of the tower, generally making it look more dangerous.
• Unkempt - Costs 100 Gold - Adds ivy all over the walls, giving it more of a "natural" look.
• Tower Helm - The Tower Helm provides cosmetic appeal to the roof with some possible modifications of the interior room at the top.
• Faction - Costs Nothing - This serves also serves as the default appearance for the building.
• Open-Faced - Costs 100 Gold - Completely opens up the upper areas of the tower, removing its walls.
• Overgrown - Costs 100 Gold - Adds growth to the roof of the tower, mostly in the form of vines and moss.
• Reinforced - Costs 100 Gold - Adds an extra layer of stone and metal to both the top and sides of the tower's top area along with arrow slits.
• Observation Point - Costs 100 Gold - Expands the top area of the tower slightly and provides exit points in the four cardinal directions.

The Trophy Pedestal is a simple structure meant to show off the player's accomplishments in some sort of way.

• Trophy - This is the only hotspot on this building where objects can be built. All of the objects require an achievement and while there almost certainly should be a more extensive list, a few trophy examples include:
• Centenarian - Costs 100 Gold, Requires Level 100 - A simple copper trophy showing the number 100 with additional embellishments based on the number of characters that has reached that level. These embellishments are based on account progress and are retroactively added.
• Ahead of the Curve - Costs 100 Gold, Requires any Ahead of the Curve achievement - A golden trophy showing a random assortment of bosses that the player has Ahead of the Curve achievements for. This can be changed at will.
• Cutting Edge - Costs 100 Gold, Requires any Cutting Edge achievement - A shining platinum trophy showing a random assortment of bosses that the player has Cutting Edge achievements for that can be changed at will.
• Gladiator - Costs 100 Gold, Requires Gladiator - A trophy made out of either blue or red gemstone based on the player's faction, showing two characters of opposite faction locked in battle. The characters use the race of the building character and its counterpart race based on Orb of Deception usage.

Dragonflight Shrine are small areas that pay homage to the dragonflight of the player's choice. Each one provides a special benefit in addition to the visual theme that the building itself takes on.

• Dragonflight Theme - Costs Nothing or 500 Gold - There are themes for the five dragonflights that provide a unique benefit. The first choice costs nothing but all subsequent choices for the same building cost 500 Gold.
• Obsidian - A burnt, blackened, and rocky dragonshrine. Standing in this shrine for a short time grants a hour-long buff that reduces Fire damage taken by 10% while in overworld areas.
• Azure - A small pool of arcane energy and tundra plants dot this dragonshrine. Standing in the pool instantly restores all Mana and energizes the player, increasing their resource generation by 20% for an hour while in the overworld.
• Bronze - This dragonshrine largely consists of sand with a character-sized hourglass in the middle. Interacting with this hourglass allows the player to set their effective player level to any available Timewalking level (as of this writing, the levels are 70, 80, and 90), allowing them to see their stats at that level. This effect lasts until the player leaves the retreat and can be cancelled at any time.
• Emerald - A small part of the Emerald Dream permeates this shrine, attracting forest critters to wander around it. In addition, this adds a portal that takes the player to the Moonglade.
• Ruby - A dragonshrine lush with red saplings that are young versions of trees that are normally present in the domain of red dragons. Interacting with the sapling in the middle provides the player with a hour-long buff that allows them to resurrect at full health while in the overworld. This buff persists through death.

Medium Buildings

Medium buildings are a step up, generally providing more hotspots. There's also more of a utility-oriented focus with these buildings, helping to justify their 500 Gold cost. This suggestion features 8 medium buildings which are the Sanctuary, Auction House, Stable, Menagerie, Lesser Arcane Sanctum, Barracks, and Garden.

The Sanctuary serves as a place to worship deities or otherwise harness spiritual energies. Aside from the great roleplaying potential, is useful for its restorative and empowering utility.

• Spirit Guide - Costs Nothing or 1000 Gold - For want of a better name, this is a NPC you recruit to the Sanctuary to provide services. Based on your NPC choice, the cosmetic theme of the Sanctuary itself changes. A Spirit Guide of the following orders can be recruited and provide specific benefits:
• Holy Light Cleric - A Cleric of the Holy Light fully heals your character and removes any Magic or Disease debuffs. They can also bless your character to be more resistant to Disease effects while in the overworld for 2 hours.
• Earthen Ring Shaman - A Shaman of the Earthen Ring fully heals your character and removes any Magic and Curse debuffs. They can also bless your character to deal additional Elemental damage on attacks based on a percentage of the hit while in the overworld for 2 hours.
• Cenarion Druid - A Druid of the Cenarion Circle fully heals your character, restores their mana, and removes any Magic and Poison debuffs. In addition, your character is periodically healed 2% of their maximum health every 3 seconds in the overworld for 2 hours.
• Altar - A religious place wouldn't be complete without an altar of some sort and there's a few options for players to choose from.
• Slab Altar - Costs Nothing - A primitive, flat piece of stone serves as the altar. It's functional at least.
• Cairn - Costs 50 Gold - A stack of rocks that, due to their precarious balance, might draw people's attention.
• Marble Altar - Costs 250 Gold - A substantial upgrade that helps to make the Sanctuary appear more civilized.
• Consecrated Altar - Costs 500 Gold, Requires Holy Light Cleric - An altar dedicated to the Holy Light to the point light literally shines down upon it from the heavens.
• Altar of the Elements - Costs 500 Gold, Requires Earthen Ring Shaman - An altar composed of the four elements that constantly appears to be seething, holding up a platform stone and ice inscribed with lava.
• Gnarled Altar - Costs 500 Gold, Requires Cenarion Druid - An altar of gnarled roots, covered in grass, that appears to be in a state of constant growth.
• Seating Area - Other NPCs may congregate in the Sanctuary, using the seating provided to them.
• Wooden Benches - Costs Nothing - Not to be confused with pews, these simple benches are arranged around the altar.
• Stone Semicircle - Costs 50 Gold - A set of simple flat stones surrounding the altar from the front.
• Lacquered Pews - Costs 150 Gold - A set of pews made from exquisite lacquered wood.
• Dreamgrove Logs - Costs 150 Gold - Benches made from deadwood gathered from the Dreamgrove, blessed to grow new life from it.
• Marbled Pews - Costs 250 Gold - A set of pews made from fine marble.

The Auction House initially only provides players with the ability to peruse the Auction House, but with a small investment an Auctioneer can be persuaded to provide all Auction House services. Customization options are also available.

• Hire Auctioneer - Costs Nothing, Requires Quest Completion - Initially, there is an Auctioneer's Assistant available who allows Auctions to be viewed. This NPC also assigns a quest chain that, when completed, hires the services of an Auctioneer. Once this is done, Auctioneers can be hired to any Auction House building at no cost.
• Exterior Style
• Barebones - Costs Nothing - This looks similar to the Auction House in Warspear and basically just provides a canopy-like wooden roof.
• Steamwheedle Cartel - Costs 250 Gold - A building style similar to that of one of the Steamwheedle Cartel towns is used as a tribute to neutral auction houses.
• Capital City - Costs 250 Gold - Either the Orgrimmar or Stormwind Auction House style is used based on the faction of the building character.
• Hemisphere of Avarice - Costs 1000 Gold - A solid gold hemisphere serves as the housing for the Auctioneer, complete with high quality flooring.

The Black Market provides access to various Black Market-related services. With a small investment, this includes full access to the Black Market Auction House and a special vendor that sells limited stock items.

• Hire Black Market Representative - A representative of Madam Goya will be stationed in your retreat who provides varying levels of access to the Black Market Auction House.
• Lesser Representative - Costs Nothing - This representative will allow the player to view the Black Market Auction House.
• Standard Representative - Costs Nothing, Requires 1 purchased Black Market Auction - This representative allows typical access to the Black Market Auction House, allowing players to bid on items.
• Greater Representative - Costs 1000 Gold, Requires Quest Completion and Standard Representative - Players gain enhanced access to the Black Market Auction House, allowing them to see one additional item on the Black Market Auction House compared to normal that will be more exclusive and therefore difficult to have bidding wars over.
• Hire Black Market Vendor - Costs 500 Gold - In addition to the Black Market Auction House, a special Black Market vendor can be recruited. The vendor specializes in limited stock items such as the Formal Dangui and will stock a few of the currently available ones across various vendors around the world, with the stock rotating every 6 hours. This stock is linked to the available stock of that vendor, which means this vendor is intended to improve accessibility instead of devaluing rare items.
• Covering - The canvass roofing of the Black Market can be customized to display various secretive groups.
• Black - Costs Nothing - It would be appropriate to have a black covering for a building called the Black Market, but at the same time it might be too literal.
• Sightless Eye - Costs 100 Gold - A royal purple covering showing a Violet Eye insignia except that it's closed.
• Uncrowned - Costs 500 Gold, Requires Level 100 or higher Rogue - A symbol of a secret Rogue organization.

The Stable are very similar to the Garrison equivalent and while it doesn't offer quests to tame new mounts, it provides a Stable Master and an area for the player's mounts to wander.

• Paddock Fencing - A free roaming area for mounts needs to be kept somewhat contained and that is where fencing comes in, unless the player wishes to remove it.
• Wooden Posts - Costs Nothing - Several posts set into the ground split the area where mounts can roam from the rest of the retreat.
• No Fencing - Costs 50 Gold - For a small fee, fencing can be removed to allow mounts to freely roam the entire retreat.
• Hardwood Fence - Costs 100 Gold - A typical fence made from hardwood found in farming environments that serves as a step up from posts hammered into the ground.
• Spiked Fence - Costs 100 Gold - A spiked fence made out of iron that keeps mounts in and others out.
• Magical Barrier - Costs 100 Gold - These arcane walls serve as an more elegant solution for keeping mounts contained in the paddock that allows players to pass through.
• Paddock Terrain - The paddock area of the Stable is the area where mounts are allowed to have free rein to move around and it can be customized to a degree.
• Dirt - Costs Nothing - An untreated dirt patch that mounts tread upon, occasionally kicking up dust.
• Grassy - Costs 100 Gold - A soft grassy patch with a variety of flora dispersed throughout.
• Plains - Costs 100 Gold - Hardier, wheat-colored grass is the primary feature of this terrain.
• Sand - Costs 100 Gold - Smooth sands may cause some mounts to have trouble moving but at least it looks and feels soothing.
• Plateau - Costs 100 Gold - Rough stone that is at least somewhat flat provides mobility for some mounts.
• Forested - Costs 100 Gold - Leaves are strewn all over a mossy, grassy area. This terrain also features a couple small trees and bushes.

The Menagerie is similar to its Garrison version and when built, allows the player's pets to roam around the retreat in addition to providing some pet battle-related features.

• Hire Battle Pet Vendor - Costs 250 Gold or 25 Pet Charms - A Battle Pet vendor similar to the one in the Garrison can be hired for a relatively small price.
• Pet Arena - This is where daily pet battle quests will take place but any pet battle duels in the retreat will also be done here. The player can customize the arena to change the visual layout and provide advantages and disadvantages based on the pet used.
• Standard Arena - Costs Nothing - This arena is simple and largely consists of marks in a circle of dirt.
• Small Pond - Costs 100 Gold - While it's unpleasant for those participating in the battle, a small pond can be used as an arena. Aquatic and Undead Pets take 10% less damage while in this arena.
• Grassland - Costs 100 Gold - This arena appears to be set in a savannah except the grass is precisely cut to provide markings. Critters and Beasts are unable to be hit for the first round in this arena.
• Workshop Center - Costs 100 Gold - This arena has the appearance of the middle of a workshop. Mechanical and Humanoid pets deal 10% increased damage in this arena.
• Chasm - Costs 100 Gold - This arena has a wide chasm and several rock formations in it. Dragonkin and Flying pets gain 10% speed in this arena.
• Mystical - A small formation of runestones makes up this arena. Magic and Elemental pets can be switched in and attack during the same turn in this arena.

The Lesser Arcane Sanctum is similar to a Portal Room but with more options in terms of where the portals can be directed to, making it an enticing option to build.

• Portals (3) - Costs Nothing or 500 Gold - The first portal for this building is free, but the second and third cost 500 Gold. These portals can be directed to the locations available in the Portal Room along with the following:
• Ancient Dalaran
• Karazhan
• Caverns of Time
• Cenarion Hold in Silithus
• River's Heart in Sholazar Basin
• Area 52 in Netherstorm
• Halfhill in Valley of the Four Winds
• Alternate Draenor's Shattrath City
• Suramar City

The Barracks provides a bit of militaristic flair to the retreat which will otherwise be a bit more devoid of it compared to the Garrison. It allows the player to assign guards and provides features associated with combat training.

• Target Dummies - Target dummies, unlike other hotspots, stack together when placed meaning they simply need to be unlocked. All training dummies scale with the player's level.
• Training Dummy - Costs Nothing - Normal training dummies are available when the Barracks are built.
• Raider's Training Dummy - Costs 250 Gold - Adds a boss level training dummy.
• Tank Training Dummy - Costs 250 Gold - Adds all types of tank training dummies, including raider level ones.
• Healer Training Dummy - Costs 250 Gold - Adds all types of friendly training dummies for healers to practice on.
• Hire Battlemaster - Costs 250 Gold - Hires a Battlemaster that allows the player to queue for Battlegrounds. This is largely for immersion purposes since the player can always access the interface to queue for Battlegrounds.
• Hire Duelists - Costs 1000 Gold - Hires a group of duelists, one for each class, who the player can fight at any time to practice their combat skills. The duelists can also be interacted with to change their specialization.

The Garden provides a tranquil place for players to grow various plants. In addition to providing cosmetic appeal, the plants can also be harvested to provide some minor benefit when used similar to the Evergreen perk in the Druid Order Hall. Unlike the Garrison equivalent, herbs cannot be grown here.

• Hire Gardeners (3) - Costs Nothing or 500 Gold - Gardeners can be assigned to cultivate various plants in the garden with the first one coming free with the building. Each gardener hired also provides access to 5 plots to grow the plants. Examples of plants that can be cultivated are:
• Sparkbloom - When consumed, emits a blast of lightning that stuns nearby enemies for 5 seconds. Cannot be used in PvP environments and shares a cooldown with potions.
• Bamboo Stalk - When used, the player becomes immune to displacement effects for 30 seconds and jumps higher.
• Arcanoberries - When used, provides 5% Haste for 1 hour while in overworld zones and non-Mythic dungeons.
• Cauterizing Pepper - When used, deals damage equal to 3% of the player's maximum health, then heals 30% over 6 seconds. Cannot be used in PvP environments and shares a cooldown with potions.
• Frostfruit - When used, a player's attacks reduces the enemy's movement speed by 20% and haste by 10% for 6 seconds while in overworld zones. Buff lasts for 1 hour.
• Corrupted Frond  - When used, a player gains 10% Critical Strike and 20% Critical Damage for 1 hour while in overworld zones and non-Mythic dungeons. In exchange, they are damaged for 1% of their maximum health every 3 seconds.
• Dreamy Sweetgrass - When used, the player falls asleep and regenerates 100% health and mana over 10 seconds. Can only be used in overworld zones and non-Mythic dungeons.
• Twilight Glory - When used, your character drains 15% of the current health of nearby enemies every 3 seconds for 30 seconds. This effect is diminished on elite enemies. Can only be used in overworld zones.
• Shed - The shed is a cosmetic addition to the garden where tools to tend the garden are kept.
• Broken-Down - Cost Nothing - The shed that the building initially starts with is almost entirely unusable and is largely there to encourage players to replace it with a better shed.
• Drafty - Costs 50 Gold - A bare-minimum shed with many holes in it built from rickety, low-quality wood.
• Modest - Costs 100 Gold - A typical wooden shed that looks like a respectable structure.
• Rich Pine - Costs 150 Gold - A shed built from wood harvested in Grizzly Hills. Some of the bark is retained for texture.
• Expanded - A large wooden shed with some furnishing to use as a residence of sort when needed.
• Hire Harvesters - Costs 500 Gold plus 1 Gold per harvest, Requires 3 Gardeners - When hired, these NPCs will harvest plants when they fully grow and send them to the player's mailbox to prevent the need to check up on them. Harvesting can be disabled if the player wishes to harvest them manually.

Large Buildings

Large buildings, like their Garrison counterparts, take up a huge amount of space and as a result each of the four buildings is highly useful, highly modular, or both. These come at a cost of 1000 Gold each though. The large buildings for this suggestion are the Arena, the Residence, the Inn, and the Greater Arcane Sanctum.

The Arena is a place for players to test their skills against each other by engaging in a free for all. This building also features an improved graveyard with a 30 second resurrection timer.

• Arena Style - The Arena can be fitted with all sorts of obstacles and hazards to make battles more interesting.
• Open Field - Costs Nothing - An open dirt field serves as the default arena, which seems appropriate.
• Mechanical Mayhem - Costs 300 Gold - The Arena is given a mechanical makeover and features spike traps, laser turrets, and moving platforms.
• Tribute to Valor - Costs 300 Gold - A deadly tribute to the Ring of Valor featuring flame turrets, platforms that raise and lower, and a sawblade trap in the middle of the room.
• Sacred Grove - Costs 300 Gold - A forested layout with several trees that block line of sight and healing zones that frequently change location.
• Island - Costs 300 Gold - A pool of water fills the arena and an island with a buff rune spawn in the center. Players within the arena are periodically given a water walking and levitation effect.
• Gurubashi - Costs 300 Gold - A cosmetic overhaul of the Open Field layout to appear more like the Gurubashi Arena. Loot chest not included.
• Spirit Healer  - While a Spirit Healer will always be present, she can be customized somewhat.
• Standard - Costs Nothing - The typical Spirit Healer that is seen in most graveyards.
• Valarjar - Costs 250 Gold - You hire the services of a golden Valarjar Spirit Healer.
• Dark - Costs 250 Gold - A Val'kyr that formerly served the Scourge can be sought out and hired.
• Stands - Spectating battles can be enjoyable and providing stands to watch from can help to improve immersion.
• Single Benches - Costs Nothing - In lieu of an actual stand, benches made from a variety of materials are used instead.
• Simple Wooden Stands - Costs 100 Gold - More advanced than benches, these stands have a few rows each for players to sit in.
• Hardwood Stands - Costs 200 Gold - These stands are made of superior materials and have a couple extra rows of seats as a result.
• Raised Coliseum Stands - Costs 300 Gold - Stairs lead up to these stands that make the entire Arena appear more like a Coliseum while also providing an excellent vantage point.
• Gurubashi Stands - Costs 300 Gold - Similar to the Gurubashi Arena stands, these seats start at ground level and have many rows of stone seats with stairs leading up.
• Hire Announcer - Costs 500 Gold - An announcer can be hired to provide limited coverage of battles taking place in the arena. They are mostly there to announce when players are near death or dead.

The Residence is probably the closest the player would get to an actual house in the retreat and it is by far the most customizable building. It also provides some minor benefits.

• Dining Hall Table - Past the entrance to the Residence is a fairly large dining hall with multiple furnishing. The table in the center serves as the centerpiece and can be used to host feasts with the right Kitchen (see below).
• Mundane - Costs Nothing - A typical wooden table that is sturdy enough to handle the rowdiness of banquets.
• Rich Pine - Costs 200 Gold - High quality carved pine is the primary material for this table, which is covered in various appealing patterns depicting the wilds.
• Ashwood - Costs 200 Gold - This white wooden table features elaborate patterns that may be appreciated in some past time.
• Mosaic - Costs 300 Gold - A sturdy table carved from limestone with colored glass mosaic patterns set on the top.
• Opulent - Costs 500 Gold - A table made from a wide variety of materials that ooze wealth from gemstones to precious metals to magic crystals.
• Dining Hall Seating - The seating for the table is meant to complement a specific table setting but can be changed independently.
• Mundane - Costs Nothing - Simple wooden seating for a simple wooden table. It at least looks fairly durable.
• Rich Pine - Costs 200 Gold - Carvings cover the legs and back of this quality chair.
• Ashwood - Costs 200 Gold - A white wooden counterpart the to Rich Pine chair with its own distinct carvings.
• Mosaic - Costs 300 Gold - A heavy chair made out of metal and stone. Colored glass covers the back in an appealing pattern.
• Opulent - Costs 500 Gold - A gold and silver chair covered in gemstones. The seat itself is cushioned.
• Lighting Fixture - Above the Dining Table's center is a lighting fixture that helps to set the atmospheric mood.
• Lamp - Costs Nothing - A simple oil lamp that provides nothing fancy but is at least adequate lighting.
• Arcane Orb - Costs 300 Gold - Instead of a traditional lighting fixture, a glowing, rotating magic orb floats in place to provide light.
• Crystal Chandelier - Costs 300 Gold - A chandelier serves as a mark of wealth and with its many candles, it provides plenty of light.
• Kitchen - The Kitchen provides a place to cook and depending on the object, allows the player to prepare feasts at a Gold cost proportionate to the restorative properties of the feast.
• Functional - Costs Nothing - As the name implies, this is about as bare bones as a kitchen in a sizeable estate gets and it features a clay oven along with some wooden tables for preparation. Feasts up to a level requirement of 70 can be made and served here by interacting with the stove. When feasts are served, they will appear on the Dining Room table.
• Metallic - Costs 300 Gold - A metal-themed kitchen that provides access to better equipment for preparing meals such as an iron stove. Feasts up to a level requirement of 80 can be made and served.
• Settled - Costs 300 Gold - A different take on a kitchen that makes it usable as a lounge. Features a fireplace with a couple chairs around it along with stone countertops. Feasts up to a level requirement of 80 can be made and served.
• Masterful - Costs 500 Gold - A kitchen fit for a grand master chef with a large truesteel oven and polished countertops made out of a mix of wood and high quality metals. All feasts can be made and served.
• Stairs - Since the Residence is a two story building, the player can customize the stairs to better suit their aesthetic tastes.
• Hollow Wooden - Costs Nothing - A set of wooden stairs that has plenty of hollow space under it for storage.
• Carpeted - Costs 200 Gold - Rustic wooden stairs with carpeting over each step, providing a comfortable surface.
• Stone Spiral - Costs 200 Gold - A spiral staircase made out of fortified stone.
• Draped - Costs 200 Gold - A marble staircase with white cloth draping off the railings to provide an atmosphere of purity.
• Elevator - Costs 300 Gold - Two small platforms serve as elevators between the floors. These can move automatically or be manually controlled by using levers located on both floors.
• Main Bedroom - The main bedroom is where a player can rest, earning benefits similar to that of the Rest Area room in the main building.
• Modest Furnishings - Costs Nothing - Comes with a Modest Bed and matching nightstand along with a small wardrobe and desk. The bed increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 70%.
• Militaristic Furnishing - Costs 400 Gold - A spartan sense of decorum dominates the room and various weaponry based on the player's appearance collection hangs on the walls along with a couple wooden chairs, a desk, and a single level version of the Militaristic Bunk. This bed is a little more comfy than the bunk, however, and (also) increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 70%.
• Peaceful Furnishing - Costs 750 Gold - This layout is based on furnishings found in Pandaria and features a set of room dividers, a small bathtub, a small table, and a Double Bed with colorful silk bedding. The bed increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 100%.
• Wealthy Furnishing - Costs 1500 Gold - This layout is meant to show off wealth and has higher quality furniture such as a large wardrobe and desk made of the best wood. This room also features a fireplace with a sitting area around it and a Four-Poster Bed. This bed increases the rate of Rested accumulation by 125%.
• Guest Bedroom - This room is off to the side of the main bedroom and while it isn't initially used to host guests, it can be refitted to do so.
• Storage Room - Costs Nothing - A room full of boxes and other junk that needs to be cleaned up to make it into living quarters.
• Subpar - Costs 100 Gold - A guest room with the barebones basics. Features a small desk and a cot... and a large amount of clutter taking up the rest of the space.
• Modest - Costs 300 Gold - The remaining space is cleared out to fit a larger bed and desk along with a rug.
• Hospitable - Costs 500 Gold - A highly comfy bed almost equivalent to a Double Bed welcomes guests into this room along with a small table for in-room dining.
• Lavish - Costs 1000 Gold - A Double Bed dominates one corner of the room while the remainder is filled with various colorful furnishing such as several rugs, shelves, a wardrobe, and a larger table with cushions around it.
• Doors - The doors used to divide various locations in the house can be customized with a bit of flair.
• No Doors - Costs Nothing - By default, the house starts with no doors for easier access.
• Wooden - Costs 150 Gold - Simple wooden doors can be installed for some privacy.
• Iron - Costs 150 Gold - Sturdy iron doors can be installed to add a sense of solidity to the place.
• Tower - Costs 150 Gold - A variant of the wooden door based on the doors in Karazhan.
• Barrier - Costs 150 Gold - Magical barriers serve as doors and shrink for a brief time when they are "opened."
• Walls - Much like most of the residence, the walls can also be customized to better suit the player's preferences.
• Nondescript - Costs Nothing - The walls are left untouched and show the wood that helps keep the house standing.
• Artistic - Costs 100 Gold - The walls are whitewashed and have art pieces hanging from them in various locations mostly in the form of paintings.
• Colorful - Costs 100 Gold - The walls are haphazardly painted in a riot of color based on the faction of the building player.
• Transparent - Costs 100 Gold - The walls (and roof) of the house are made largely transparent by magical barriers that distinguish where they are.
• Constellar - Costs 100 Gold - A variant on the previous wall type that projects the stars onto somewhat transparent walls.

The Inn provides a place for guests to stay and is an ideal place to hold events as well. In addition, the innkeeper gives the player a charged Hearthstone that allows them with the only way (in this suggestion) to teleport back to the retreat without using a portal. Charges can be replenished at the innkeeper, who can also be summoned using an uncharged version of the Hearthstone.

• Innkeeper Choice - Costs Nothing or 500 Gold - Innkeepers from around the world can be hired to manage the inn at the retreat. The first one costs nothing but replacing them costs 500 Gold.
• Tables - The first floor tables can be changed to alter the atmosphere of the inn.
• Rounded - Costs Nothing - The default table style that expresses a more casual, bar-like environment.
• Banquet - Costs 200 Gold - Large tables joined together are the primary surface and are meant to host larger groups.
• Pairs - Costs 200 Gold - Small square tables with formal tablecloth dot the Inn with two seats each.
• Bar - A good inn needs a bar to hold all the strong drink that's probably going to be served, so the player has a few options as to what it looks like.
• Slick Wood - Costs Nothing - A quality bar that's been polished and well-maintained.
• Blackrock - Costs 250 Gold - A stone bar reminiscent of the Grim Guzzler in Blackrock Depths, except it's built a little higher.
• Exquisite - Costs 250 Gold - A higher quality version of the default bar style with silver linings and stools.
• Basement Setting - The inn also has a basement floor that can be used for a variety of purposes than have a minor effect on the benefits that the inn provides.
• Brewery - Costs 250 Gold - Kegs and a distiller fill the basement, emphasizing the strong drink that the inn sells. Prices for alcohol are decreased by 10%.
• Kitchen - Costs 250 Gold - The basement is converted into a large kitchen with several counters and a couple roaring fires. Prices for food are decreased by 10%.
• Cold Storage - Costs 250 Gold - The basement is insulated and fitted with engineered gadgets that greatly lower the temperature, helping to preserve food and drinks. Prices for non-alcoholic drinks are decreased by 10%

The Greater Arcane Sanctuary is like the Lesser Arcane Sanctuary except it has 5 Portals instead of 3. It's largely meant to provide extra utility rather than aesthetic appeal.

Other Details

The retreat comes with additional hotspots that are immediately available and allow the player to customize the look of the outdoor area. The hotspots for the retreat outdoors in this suggestion are:

• Mailbox - While there is no mailbox available initially, a small amount can be spent to install one.
• Wooden - 50 Gold - A basic mailbox that performs all the typical functions but isn't the best aesthetically.
• Capital - 100 Gold - A mailbox with the design of the faction capital city of the player's choice.
• Pandaria - 100 Gold - This mailbox design is based on the mailboxes in the Shrine cities in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
• Dalaran - 100 Gold - A mailbox with a bit of magical flair based on the ones available in Dalaran.
• Garrison - 100 Gold - For those who enjoyed their Garrisons, they can bring the mailbox they are familiar with to the retreat.
• Roads - There are several throughways in the retreat and they can be customized to a degree.
• Gravel - Costs Nothing - By default, the roads in the retreat are largely unkempt and meant to show frequently traveled paths.
• Paved - Costs 100 Gold - For a small price, the roads are paved with stone to make the retreat appear a little more like an established settlement of sorts.
• Crystal - Costs 100 Gold - The roads are paved with crystal for more of an aesthetic appeal, though it may look painful to treat upon.
• Grid - Costs 100 Gold - The roads are paved with a grid-like formation using square stone blocks.
• Flora - Costs 25, 50, or 100 Gold - Flora from any zone in the game can be chosen to populate the retreat. The first choice costs 25 Gold, the second is 50 Gold, and all subsequent choices are 100 Gold. The cost resets at the beginning of each month.
• Fauna - Costs 25, 50, or 100 Gold - Critters from any zone in the game can be chosen to populate the retreat. This includes some Battle Pets. The cost progression is the same as above.

Final Statements

To those that found the above a daunting read, I am glad because that was the impression I was trying to make with this article. For those who found the suggestion underwhelming, such an observation is keen since I had to trim down the suggestion from what I originally outlined to get this article finished in a reasonable time. I also think that I have listed more than enough to express the kind of player housing system I would like to see in World of Warcraft. Furthermore, I opted not to be as thorough as I could've been since I doubt it'll even caught the eye of anyone at Blizzard and on the off chance it does, I can then go into greater detail if needed. I also think there are superior, more presentable suggestions of this kind out there.

With all that said, for those that did make it through this whole article, I hope it was an enjoyable ride. Maybe someday I'll reach 500 published articles.