Hearthfire opinions wanted.

[Koala Jack]

I was just wondering what house you think is the best. Pros/cons, deal breakers, selling points etc. Is adopting a child risky? I don't want my kid to get mauled by a bear, it'd be a damn shame if my child was taken out by a mere bear.

 

[orca45]

I was just wondering what house you think is the best. Pros/cons, deal breakers, selling points etc. Is adopting a child risky? I don't want my kid to get mauled by a bear, it'd be a damn shame if my child was taken out by a mere bear.

In my opinion, the house is Morthal is the best because is coming with a fish hatchery which it is very important to collect fish ingredients for alchemy and enchanting. Other than that, all of them allow you to have a cellar with smithing area, alchemy, enchanting tower and the rest.
Regarding adoption, I am not in the adoption business at all and in the game, I really do not care about kids. I think I got enough work to do out there that I do not have time to be taking care of adopted children. Just my 2 cents ..

 

[Two Bears]

Lakeview Manor for me. It's all about the bard, and Lakeview's bard has the Sven/Mikael voice that doesn't butcher Ragnar the Red.

 

[The Honorable Gidian Diva of Sass]

The Morthal house is the best for usefulness. That fish hatchery takes the cake, while the other unique traits of the other houses are just silly and almost useless.

Imho, Lakeview is the best. Beautiful scenery, lots of adventure around, awesome people to recruit... AND a necromancer in your back yard! Who DOESN'T want that?! Not to mention the neighbors! There's a fully operational network of tunnels filled with bandits right down the road!

 

[orca45]

The Morthal house is the best for usefulness. That fish hatchery takes the cake, while the other unique traits of the other houses are just silly and almost useless.

Imho, Lakeview is the best. Beautiful scenery, lots of adventure around, awesome people to recruit... AND a necromancer in your back yard! Who DOESN'T want that?! Not to mention the neighbors! There's a fully operational network of tunnels filled with bandits right down the road!

I agree with the beautiful scenery of that house. Anytime I got there, freaking vamps were hiding in the bush to attack me by surprise and I really don’t like that. I do prefer the house in Dawnstar for scenery purposes. It is wide open and you have a full view almost 360 degrees around it so nobody can take you by surprise and you have time to react and prepare for combat and I love that rather than being ambushed as I constantly were in Lakeview.
If the house in Dawnstar had a fish hatchery, that would be my home. I also love of this house, the snow and the beautiful landscape that surround it. I guess I do prefer snow than tropical forest. Just my 2 cents ...

 

[The Honorable Gidian Diva of Sass]

I agree with the beautiful scenery of that house. Anytime I got there, freaking vamps were hiding in the bush to attack me by surprise and I really don’t like that. I do prefer the house in Dawnstar for scenery purposes. It is wide open and you have a full view almost 360 degrees around it so nobody can take you by surprise and you have time to react and prepare for combat and I love that rather than being ambushed as I constantly were in Lakeview.
If the house in Dawnstar had a fish hatchery, that would be my home. I also love of this house, the snow and the beautiful landscape that surround it. I guess I do prefer snow than tropical forest. Just my 2 cents ...

The main feature of the house is that it generally recieves more random encounters than the others! That's a plus for me bro. I carry a flamethrower for the vampire in the bushes, a knife in my boot for the bandit, a big hammer for the giant, an oversized boot for the skeevers, an arrow for that necromancer, and a few hand gernades to deal with those pesky neighbors down the street

 

[orca45]

The main feature of the house is that it generally recieves more random encounters than the others! That's a plus for me bro. I carry a flamethrower for the vampire in the bushes, a knife in my boot for the bandit, a big hammer for the giant, and oversized boot for the skeevers, an arrow for that necromancer, and a few hand gernades to deal with those pesky neighbors down the street

Kill them all bro as Spartacus said ... sine misione, not quarter given, not mercy shown ... lol ..

 

[Delusional]

It all depends on what you are looking for.
Here's a basic rundown.

Falkreath - Lakeview Manor
Middle of a pine forest, lake in the backyard. Fantastic view of the forest and lake and distant mountains from the tower wings. However, frequent bandit attacks, pesky wolves, the occasional giant who likes to take a load off and lean on the side of your house, and a persistent conjurer who stakes out at an altar in between your house and the lake.
Personally, I like this one best. I love living in a thick, dense forest, and I don't mind the attacks. My steward will help me mop them up quickly when they do show up. I love the view from the towers, also. Damn gorgeous.

Hjaalmarch - Winstad Manor
On the northern shore of the hold, about right on the border where swamp meets snow. Has a commanding view of Solitude and all of its glory, but other than that, no other great visual aspects. Not too sure on the attacks here, as I have not spent much time at this home. If anyone else has any info, go right ahead. This house is very nice if you are really into alchemy. It has the special option of building a fish hatchery, which provides some nice ingredients, and if you combine that with the Greenhouse wing and the outdoor garden, you're set for life. I wouldn't set up alchemy shop anywhere different.

The Pale - Heljarchen Hall
On a snowy hill bordering the Whiterun hold. Has a clear, direct view of the entire plains, and Whiterun rising up on top of the hill. Love this view so much, I can't get over how awesome Whiterun looks at a distance. Attacks on this one are basically just the passive giant hanging out, since there is a nearby giant camp, so with the near absence of hostile attacks, this makes a perfect 'family home'.
This is a very close second because of the spectacular view of Whiterun from your damn front door. And, it's a safe (ish) place to keep the family if you are tired of being cooped up in those crowded cities.


That's the three homes from my perspective. They are all fantastic locations, it just depends if you are all about the looks, or don't give a rat's ass about looks and just want a safe house for the kids, or want a perfect place to brew up those noxious concoctions of yours that the neighbors were complaining about.

 

[orca45]

This has nothing to do with the OP question, but I locked in the tunnel, the 6 vamps that attack in the Ancestral Glade and then I casted 4 flame atronach inside with them ... they were screaming like hell out their f ... lungs were they were getting burned alive ( I mean dead ... ) by my multi-coated-flame-thrower .... lol ...

 

[dragontology]

I like the house in The Pale for being centrally located, just north of Whiterun. But I like the seclusion of the Falkreath house and I don't have to do a boring, bugged quest to get it, either.

For kids, I use the "multiple adoptions" mod. Lets you adopt six kids. I take all four homeless kids because reasons, and Runa and Hroar from the orphanage. Her because she has the awesome line when you kill Grelod (and she has a winning personality, she wants to work hard to earn her keep) and him just because he has an awesome name. And that makes three of each for OCD's sake. Unfortunately the differences between the kids ends when you adopt them. They all use the same script. Girls wear dresses and can accept dolls as gifts, and boys wear tunics. Different hair options, different voice actors (same one for all girls, same one for all boys), same body and face even, only girls wear a strapless training bra (briefly seen if you offer them a new dress). Otherwise exactly the same. Skyrim kids are kinda boring, real shallow, shame because they could have done much more.

 

[Koala Jack]

dragontology, Yeah I agree with the kids 100%. I feel like they added it in to silence people who were craving it. It doesn't really add anything except some human contact inside your home, and sometimes they get kidnapped. Lol, Jus' wanna tell mah boy to go fetch me some fresh mead and i'll be happy.

 

[cebo]

Hjaalmarch - Winstad Manor
On the northern shore of the hold, about right on the border where swamp meets snow. Has a commanding view of Solitude and all of its glory, but other than that, no other great visual aspects. Not too sure on the attacks here, as I have not spent much time at this home. If anyone else has any info, go right ahead. This house is very nice if you are really into alchemy. It has the special option of building a fish hatchery, which provides some nice ingredients, and if you combine that with the Greenhouse wing and the outdoor garden, you're set for life. I wouldn't set up alchemy shop anywhere different. i got this house had a giant attack and a dragon attack wile my kids played out side DRAGON IN SIDE YOU LIL plopsS DADDY TO THE RESCUE

 

[dragontology]

dragontology, Yeah I agree with the kids 100%. I feel like they added it in to silence people who were craving it. It doesn't really add anything except some human contact inside your home, and sometimes they get kidnapped. Lol, Jus' wanna tell mah boy to go fetch me some fresh mead and i'll be happy.

Was anybody really craving it, though? I mean, Fallout 3 had kids, and that one guy had adopted the girl, Maggie, in Megaton, and the bartender thought he was grooming her for future molestation. But I'm not sure, she speaks highly of him (Billy something?) and I think kids tend to be good judges of character, more or less. And he sounds like having a kid really changed him (he used to be a raider). Hearthfire was just a paid mod that let you build a house, and I think letting you adopt was just a natural extension of that. I just hate how it makes four homeless kids and makes you pick two. How do you decide? Alesan (Dawnstar boy) and Sofie (Windhelm girl) both live in cold towns. Sofie and Lucia (Whiterun girl) sleep outside. Sofie and Lucia are girls, and as a man, I feel the instinctual need to protect kids, but mainly women and girls. Blaise (Solitude Stables boy) is mistreated. So, with the mod on the PC (and here's that mod, by the way) I adopt all four homeless kids, so I don't have to worry. Then just pick up Runa and Hroar, or just Runa and then kill Sissel and Britte's father (their mother died, and now the father abuses Sissel and so does Britte, even encouraging the Dovahkiin to beat her up, she and her dad won't mind) and adopt Sissel. Ah hell, I usually kill that guy as a matter of principle anyway.

 

[Koala Jack]

I have no time for kids, people need killed, and unfortunately daggers don't just walk up behind someone all by themselves

 

[sticky runes]

Kids are invincible in this game, so you don't have to worry about your charges being mauled.

You might need to pick your stewards carefully, though. I've had stewards that have been slaughtered on my doorstep before. Make sure you pick someone who is tough and well armed.

As for houses, they all come with the same building options. The only unique thing is what you get outside. Lakeview manor has an apiary that spawns bees, honey and husks. Winstad has a fish hatchery for spawn different types of aquatic ingredients, including fish and eggs. Helijarchen hall has a mill for grinding wheat into flour. So of all those features, I'd say Winstad is the best. Especially if you're into alchemy. Gardens and greenhouse are nice as well, and you can add those to any house you build.

 

[dragontology]

You might need to pick your stewards carefully, though. I've had stewards that have been slaughtered on my doorstep before. Make sure you pick someone who is tough and well armed.

Better yet, pick somebody who is marked essential, such as Lydia. Marriageable, essential, and can be made your steward. So it's one fewer person to trip over in your home.

If you want a list of NPCs who can be made stewards, consult this. But you will have to check their individual page to see if they are protected (essential).

 

[Delusional]

Better yet, pick somebody who is marked essential, such as Lydia. Marriageable, essential, and can be made your steward. So it's one fewer person to trip over in your home.

If you want a list of NPCs who can be made stewards, consult this. But you will have to check their individual page to see if they are protected (essential).

Aren't all housecarls essential? If so, then that problem solves itself. When you purchase the property, they will patrol it anyways, so why not just make them steward, so you can have all of the capabilities with the steward? They are already living in your house.

 

[dragontology]

Well, yeah. That works too. Housecarl-steward-spouse. I just mention Lydia because you get her basically for free and everyone seems to like her. Mjoll is my favorite follower, but she won't be your steward.

 

[Delusional]

Mjoll is my favorite follower, but she won't be your steward.

But she can be your wife

 

[Zatam Zar]

i think they are pretty much the same out of the unique features i peefer the house with the fish hatchery