Veemee’s Acorn Meadows Apartment
by Phoenix, HSM team writer
VEEMEE’s Acorn Meadows Park has a new addition.
…Well, sort of: the park now offers an apartment space for sale, featuring six free items: a wooden bench, bird bath, sundial, and three planters of colorful plants.
VEEMEE has created a beautiful secluded area of park ground with an expanse of lake and dense tree lines. There is a large gazebo sat at water’s edge which contains seating and is open on two sides to allow for walking through this structure. Colorful bushes and hedges surround the gazebo in charming fashion. It is indeed a picture out of the past, with visions of the penny farthing cycles on the lawn, picnicking couples in the shaded area of the tree and avatars in knee length breeches, cane poles in hand fishing in the lake. I can even envision little radio controlled boats or wind-controlled model ships sailing around this wide expanse of lake.
What I can’t envision, however, is why VEEMEE set this piece of real estate apart as a personal space. When I visited the open house, most of the visitors were at a loss as to what this area was for. Many complained that it wasn’t a good idea at all. These visitors expected an apartment space with a house/cottage structure of some sort, something along the lines of the apartment tie-in at the Southern Island Hideaway, not an openly secluded park area. I can see why VEEMEE thought to create a personal space with a park-like tie-in, but I am at a loss as to why not a real apartment with a park view; the grounds could have only enhanced a cottage setting. I for one would have liked to have been able to look across the lawn and see park goers in the distance, like you can from the balcony of the cabin at the Southern Island Hideaway Apartment.
Yes, this type of outdoor space has and does sell in Home; Lockwood’s Midnight Glade is an excellent example. But that estate, given away for free, was created to drive sales of virtual fireworks; it was a standalone space, not a tie-in space. I’ve no doubt this park apartment will sell, but at what cost? Does the potential monetization outweigh the development expenditure?
Acorn Meadows Park is one of the social success stories in Home. It is populated every day. People spend hours in the park space. It has so much to do there that it truly leans to the environmental immersion that Home seeks to create. This might be the cost of introducing a private park setting. I can’t understand why they would create a separate space that would take away from that social appeal. Is there sufficient demand for a private setting based on the same environment to warrant putting development money into it, rather than simply creating a new public scene?
For me, this new park space could have been better served as an additional piece to the park itself, as there is a path that leads to the park from the apartment space. This I think could have been just what it is: an idyllic and charming extension of the sprawling park.
August 5th, 2013 by Phoenix | 6 comments
Phoenix writes poetry and is a photography enthusiast, along with writing for HomeStation Magazine. She is currently studying for a BFA in Creative Writing and BA with concentration in Photography. psn ID phoenixstorm21
youtube.com/user/phoenixstorm21
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I’m not sure how difficult it is to tie a personal space into a public one but if GZ can do it…
The gazebo’s nice, for sure. But I’d have been more impressed with a treehouse that sits high up enough that (like you’ve said) you can see others in the public space while being secluded in your personal.
I could do a few things with this space though, just a case of using a bit of imagination with those big, unusual furniture items everyone picks up from using Home regularly. For instance, this is about the only space that my UK phonebox won’t look stupid sitting in! Good place for those growable plants too. You could do things with this place easy, just gotta flex those brain muscles!
Asking users to think when it’s the content providers’ job to do that for them? Heresy! :p
I wish they had put a small Thomas Kinkade style cottage there as well. We really need one of those in Home hopefully with an interactive garden we can design our own garden with. this is a no sale for me but I have a friend who likes it because he can park his avatar on a BRB and level up while alone and no one can follow or bug him.
I have to agree, and given the amount of interactivity the park provides, a private space that at least offers the same activities would have been something…For example, incorporate the the swan boat LMOs or more space to fly hobby planes…something!
Its convenient to get to the park itself but i wish there was an option to get back to my private space from the park
Yes that is have been a plus for any space with a connecting public space. Unfortunately this isn’t the only personal space with this problem. The Edo Row House has this same issue. Having to enter through the navigator once you go from the connecting public space is a bit wonky.