Housing Scarcity is manufactured

Unlike Storm I don't give a crap about the "prestige" of housing (I couldn't care less about other players showing off whatever, I'll look at it once and might say "neat" and then forget about it forever), however I completely agree with him that if Square wanted to fix this, they could. It baffles my mind that anyone sees housing demolition at all in a positive light. Sure does suck for those people that have to stop playing for long periods of time due to IRL issues, they might still want their house but oh well! It is an outright predatory tactic that a developer, aka a BUSINESS who's #1 priority is money making (let's not pretend it's not, if it wasn't we wouldn't have viera/hrothgar and healers in the situation they are), tries to put a positive spin on so that the consumers will be distracted by what it really is.

I'm one of the few (apparently) people who actually LIKE Goblet, and I STILL had to settle for a small (after multiple attempts at a small and medium), and I'm really unhappy with it. Someone asked previously something along the lines of "why do you even need a medium" and I'm just floored by that question. Uhh, more room for being creative? You can be as creative with your designing as you want with a small, some designs just flat out will not look all that great in a small. It's extremely cramped. I don't even understand why that needs to be explained, I'd assume it'd be common sense.

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Originally Posted by Boblawblah

Yikes, it's a bit sad seeing people pretending paying a monthly sub to keep a virtual house is some sort of prestige symbol.

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I mean, it's a video game. Some people put a lot of time into getting weapons or armor that will be useless in a matter of months if not weeks. I put a lot of time into decorating a house I can never actually walk around/sleep in.

At the end of the day, isn't it all meaningless fluff/fun? Is it wrong to be happy about finally getting the things we want?

No hate; just saying.

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Originally Posted by Zebraoracle

It baffles my mind that anyone sees housing demolition at all in a positive light..

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Okay, an example:

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There are 20 houses.

Joe buys 5 large houses due to a variety of shenanigans and gaming the system.

Joe stops playing for 3 years.

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Question: With no demolition timer, what happens to those 5 houses?

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Originally Posted by Boblawblah

Okay, an example:

Question: With no demolition timer, what happens to those 5 houses?

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Wards 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 are added via self-create of wards due to lack of housing, due to all the active houses having an owner, thus leaving the 5 houses available for when Joe decides to come back, and new owners being able to get houses in the new opened wards.

I fixed housing, where's my money ?

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Originally Posted by Stormpeaks

Wards 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 are added via self-create of wards due to lack of housing, due to all the active houses having an owner, thus leaving the 5 houses available for when Joe decides to come back, and new owners being able to get houses in the new opened wards.

I fixed housing, where's my money ?

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Ummm, is ask if servers can handle extra load? Is housings completely gone everywheres? Is need to checks on these things first before addings more.

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Originally Posted by Eraden

Ummm, is ask if servers can handle extra load? Is housings completely gone everywheres? Is need to checks on these things first before addings more.

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Oh I'm sorry this is Square Enix a small indie company, nevermind then

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Originally Posted by Stormpeaks

Wards 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 are added via self-create of wards due to lack of housing, due to all the active houses having an owner, thus leaving the 5 houses available for when Joe decides to come back, and new owners being able to get houses in the new opened wards.

I fixed housing, where's my money ?

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I'd be thrilled if they did that, but we both know they won't for one reason or another. Whether Mao is correct and servers are the issue, they simply would rather have it be a scarce commodity for the perma subbers, or they still are clinging to this notion of communities and FCs, I don't know, but they really don't seem to want to add more wards constantly.

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Originally Posted by Stormpeaks

Yet you aint getting a welfare shiro 60 as instanced, so obviously they like it that way ; ) Enjoy instanced housing on the island

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To be honest I don't know what's so special on Shirogane plot 30/60 while, IMO, Shirogane plot 7/37 is better because of beach nearby that almost like Mist plot 5/35, private even. The hot spring also need some walking to get through... (Also I owned them plot 37 so a lil bias here :) )

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Originally Posted by Knot_D

To be honest I don't know what's so special on Shirogane plot 30/60 while, IMO, Shirogane plot 7/37 is better because of beach nearby that almost like Mist plot 5/35, private even. The hot spring also need some walking to get through... (Also I owned them plot 37 so a lil bias here :) )

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I mean that's just preferences really, LB41,M35 and S30/S60 are just known as the "OG" plots, it's always been that way, I cant really say why as I have only played for 2 years or so and well housing was way before

I also own an S37 and personally I love it for the sunset, so I can relate to liking that plot, even S46 is amazing as it has sunset too

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Originally Posted by Boblawblah

Okay, an example:

Question: With no demolition timer, what happens to those 5 houses?

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Just another area where a fully functioning instanced housing system could compliment the existing wards. The wards are permanently loaded, and that does eat up server space. The game has no way of knowing if you’re on a break or if you’ve permanently quit, hence auto demo to ensure that server space is actually being used for active players. (And with the scarcity, ensuring active players get a chance at those plots.)

Now what an instanced system could do, instead of demolishing those plots when the timer is up, they can be converted to an instanced plot. They only take up server space when they’re in use, so better from a space-saving perspective. The ward plots get freed up to give someone else a chance and Joe has his instanced houses on file to enjoy should he ever return. It also opens up the possibility of being able to save layouts, and adding other functions to the housing system that aren’t currently possible.

Heck even if they went with a bare bones generic instanced house, based on neighborhood theme alone rather than existing plot design, having your house converted to that intact would still be a million times better than losing it and having to go through this horrible lotto system. Twelve help you if you lose a medium or large as it stands now!