Overview
There have been a lot of changes to Freeholds from 2017 through 30 June 2023. The three biggest ones are as follows:
- 1: You now need to be level 50 to even start the quest to get a freehold
- 2: You will have to win an auction in order to get permission to put down a freehold
- 3: Freeholds are no longer intended to be available to all players at the same time. Intrepid maintains that any player who uses “effort, skill, and strategy” will be able to achieve one.
Availability of Freeholds
Either rightfully or wrongfully many people were under the impression that freeholds would be available in ample supply. This was based on some vague comments that Intrepid had made previously, that were taken in one manner by the community and Intrepid never really corrected expectations. It was also the result of Intrepid selling Freehold Cosmetics for over 5.5 years with a total of 59 (and counting) different freehold skins being sold in the Cash Shop. Those facts led many people to believe Freeholds would be able to be obtained by the average player.
With the 30 June 2023 Freehold Update, it has now been stated the goal for the number of Freeholds is going to be in the “Low Thousands” which means not ever player will be able to get one.
It should be noted that you may can only have one Freehold per ACCOUNT. Unlike In-Node Houses and Instanced Apartments which a player can own one of each per server, Freeholds are strictly limited to one per account.
Number of Freeholds per Node
We currently do not know the number of Freeholds per Node. We do know that it is possible to win an auction for a parcel of land from a Parent Node and then place a freehold in a vassal Nodes parcel. We do not have the specific details of how that happens.
Initial Freehold Acquisition
The only thing we know about Freehold acquisition is that you have to purchase the deed to a plot of land from a Stage 3 Node. After that you can place down your claim and start building out your freehold. The process of building the freehold will require the player to acquire blueprints to the buildings they want.
Real Estate Mechanics
As of 30 June 2023 Intrepid has reversed their decision on the Real Estate Mechanics for Freeholds. Freeholds may now be sold between players.
Freehold Mechanics
As said previously, freeholds are roughly 1.5 acres in space and that footprint is static. Freeholds are placed down in pre-existing parcels of land, so you cannot place them anywhere you want, you have essentially housing zones you can choose to bid on.
There is a leveling mechanic involved with the structures on Freeholds. Certain buildings can grow in Level from 1 through 3, and when that happens different options become available for the building. Taverns have the ability to sell different food and drink, processing and crafting stations have different items they can make, and gathering plots will spawn different resources.
While the freehold size doesn’t change when buildings level up, the buildings themselves can grow in elevation. A Tavern or Inn that levels from 1 to 2 may have additional floors to create additional internal space.
Freeholds belong to a single owner, so there is no co-ownership or sharing of freeholds; however, you can set usage permissions so that friends, family, spouse, guild members, the general public, can use the different features of your freehold.
Freehold Customization
While we do not know a lot about the customization of freeholds. We do know that a portion of your Freehold must be dedicated to a House. Previously it was said cannot take up 100% of the space with just a single house, and that you could up about 50% of your Freehold space with a single home if that is what you want to do. There will be no Mansions located out in the wilderness, but there are options for large houses as seen in the image to the right.
There are several different buildings that can be placed on a freehold. At the present time, instead of duplicating efforts, I suggest you check out the wiki article (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Freehold_buildings) for freehold buildings. As we get more information, I will refine the Ashes 101 content to be more on point with the usual deep dive.
We do know that you will be able to fit around 6 or 7 “things” on your freehold if you maximize for space based on the previous videos we have seen. Of course, this is all subject to change.
Finally, Freeholds do not change to reflect the racial architecture of the parent Node. Instead, Freeholds retain the architecture of the blueprints the owner uses during the construction or the appearance of the cosmetics the owner applies.
Guild Freehold
There are going to be Guild Fortresses/Guild Halls on Freeholds. I want to acknowledge these exist but we do not know what is going to happen with them. I’m just noting the concept here with future updates to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Freeholds be Destroyed?
Yes; however, their destruction mechanics are different from the housing mechanics for the In-Node Houses and Instanced Apartments. A Freehold is not destroyed after a lost siege defense, instead it enters a period of vulnerability and then grace.
During a two-hour window after a successful siege, all the Freeholds originally tied to that Node are vulnerable to attack. If a freehold is attacked and destroyed, then the freehold is permanently destroyed. The gatherables and processed goods in storage at the freehold will become lootable by the successful attackers, and the freehold plan, all crafted goods (weapons, armor, potions, food, etc), décor, and furnishings are returned to the owner.
During that two-hour window, it is possible the freehold is either not attacked, or it is successfully defending. If this occurs, the freehold enters a seven-day grace period. If at the end of the seven-day period, the Freehold is under the Zone of Influence of a different Stage 3 Node, then the freehold will continue as if nothing happened. If; however, at the end of the seven-day period the Freehold is not under the Zone of Influence of a Stage 3 Node, then the freehold will be removed and it will be treated in the same way as if it was destroyed.
The video to the right is on the Stage 3 Nodes, however, the last section of the video is on this two-hour window and the 7 day grace period. The video is queue up to take you directly to the relevant section.
Post Siege Attackers
One thing that has been shared with the community is that after a siege, any player is eligible to loot freeholds, not just the people who participated in the siege. This is something Intrepid will be taking feedback on. On the Freeholds Video I discuss this, and that is a good place to leave comments on the topic.