New Idea: Instanced Houses

So, to alleviate some of the housing problems that exist, why not add some instanced housing available to every player?

Said housing would be in an instanced zone (kinda like your quarters or apartment), but only an outdoor area that is treated the same way as an actual house, only it isn't visible to the open world and other players could only go there when you invite them.

Because of these restrictions, it should be cheaper (2mil instead of 3mil for a small?) but in every other way, it should function pretty much the same as current housing.

That way, you could potentially allow every player to have one (only if they do not already own a property though).

I wouldn't mind these restrictions just to GET a house, I don't really care if anybody else sees/interacts with my house or not. Just having one for my own personal use would make me more than happy and give me something else to enjoy in the game.

EDIT: A small little bonus to this idea, is that you could make the setting around the house be nearly anything -- a cabin in the middle of a forest, or perhaps a house on a beach, or even one in the snowy mountains and it wouldn't really change much (other than maybe where you go to physically access the instance).

This idea has been submitted hundreds of times by now. I think if SE wanted to put in fully instanced housing we would already have it. They have had plenty of time to introduce it. They seem to be more interested in trying to improve the current system; Shirogane which will function like the other housing districts, the fc house transfer and the addition of the demolition timer (which is arguably not an improvement), wards and apartments last year.

Not saying it's a bad idea. Just saying that it really looks like SE don't want to go down that route.

Well if SE want to continue on the road they're on the first thing they should do is drastically improve apartments. They should be much bigger, have tenancy so they can be shared and have a balcony where players can do some gardening and furnishing. And obviously also dramatically increase the amount of apartments. Additionally they should give more tenancy slots to home owners. It makes no sense that a cottage has the same amount of tenancy slots as a mansion.

If there was an option under the housing menu to setup warp directly into your house/fc room/apartment most of the not having a house downsides would be Eliminated.

Been wanting this for a long time but if it is instanced there's no reason to deny any player access to one even if they already have a house in a ward.

I've felt this way for a long time and I have a house. Instanced housing implemented the right way could provide more of a community than the current wards that are largely devoid of players.

No thanks. One of the draws of housing in Eorzea is that neighbourhood feeling. I know what OP is getting at with this, and it's a good idea to solve the housing unavailability crisis, but I'd rather SE work on improving the current system than throwing it out and moving to instanced housing.

I really like the neighborhood feeling of the wards, IF people actually stayed in the housing areas. Before switching servers I had a mansion in a non-subdivision of the Mists and I think I saw maybe two other FCs in that whole ward. All the other houses were owned but it was never populated to the point that it felt like a neighborhood.

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Originally Posted by Maku

I really like the neighborhood feeling of the wards, IF people actually stayed in the housing areas. Before switching servers I had a mansion in a non-subdivision of the Mists and I think I saw maybe two other FCs in that whole ward. All the other houses were owned but it was never populated to the point that it felt like a neighborhood.

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This.

There's absolutely zero community in wards right now, so much so that there's no point to having them and even LESS of a point to not introducing proper instanced housing of some kind (and this is coming from a mansion owner).

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Originally Posted by Maku

I really like the neighborhood feeling of the wards, IF people actually stayed in the housing areas. Before switching servers I had a mansion in a non-subdivision of the Mists and I think I saw maybe two other FCs in that whole ward. All the other houses were owned but it was never populated to the point that it felt like a neighborhood.

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I saw someone in my Mist neighborhood for like the first time ever today.

There is instanced housing available, even if you say it is not good but it is available: appartments.
I know, i would like some ability to garden there and maybe an upgrade up to a middle house, but it is instanced and it is available right now.

The last time i really saw some kind of neighborhood was before private houses were available. When the plots were empty or owned by an FC and maybe i'm not really honest to myself but i think much of the broken feel of the neighborhoods comes from the private houses who seems to be never visited.

Housing is already instanced for indoors, including ones in plots. Amount of people are limited indoors.
Only outdoors is not limited or have merged instance with the housing zone (Goblet, Lavender, Mist).
The changes they need is just adding balcony and removing limit on number of apartments.

edit: to be clear, what people buy outside apartments are plots. the house itself is instanced.

I for one would welcome instant housing and I own a medium house in mist.

I saw less than 5 people in my neighborhood since moving in. I saw no change in their yard decorations ever.

I never have any visitors either...

If SE wants to maintain the neighborhood community feeling, why not keep the current wards as a basis but randomly load in different player housings in any given plot?

Like if 1000 players have instance housing in plot 1, then any one of their houses may be loaded when I enter the ward and walk to plot 1.

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Originally Posted by Maku

I really like the neighborhood feeling of the wards, IF people actually stayed in the housing areas. Before switching servers I had a mansion in a non-subdivision of the Mists and I think I saw maybe two other FCs in that whole ward. All the other houses were owned but it was never populated to the point that it felt like a neighborhood.

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Which is why I would rather see instanced housing. If they make a common area with all of the vendors and common areas as the entrance it would be closer to what you have in the cities. While the people might not interact a lot at least it won't be empty.

The latest bs is not only is there no housing available in any of the three districts on Siren, the few plots that were available have been purchased by people who are holding them for ransom. I know it's a free market/capitalism lovers dream but if you're not going to use the plot give it up for someone who actually wants to build a home.

I have said countless times housing should be instanced, it sounded like they have no intentions on improving the current horrible system.
Elder Scrolls Online i had no issue what so ever getting a house (i am sure other mmo's have instanced housing also, i just have not played any others)

If the reasoning or some of you had said you like the community feel, well most wards are always empty so why would it even be a big deal have instanced homes?

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Originally Posted by Maero

Elder Scrolls Online i had no issue what so ever getting a house (i am sure other mmo's have instanced housing also, i just have not played any others)

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ESO has one of the best and most satisfying player housing systems I have ever seen. Not only can you easily purchase a home but you also have much more freedom when it comes to decoration. And the exteriors. Magnificent. I only own one house there, Mathiisen Manor, and am planning on getting another, but its insanely entertaining, esp since you can pvp in your house.

Oh wow i did not know you can PVP, lol.
That is rather awesome and perhaps SE can learn from them on how housing should or could have been

Even just a small instanced courtyard off an apartment sounds like fun. The only think lacking in an apartment at the moment is the ability to crossbreed and sharing/fc.
Also making housing more expensive seems acceptable in my opinion, My fc made double then what we need for a mansion in just over 4 months and alot of our newer members can afford a cottage when they hit level 50 on their main, although most have crafters to level 30 and have been savvy with there gil.

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Originally Posted by Araminta

The only think lacking in an apartment at the moment is the ability to crossbreed and sharing/fc.

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This has been bugging me. Can FC own an apartment? A house is too big imo for a commune center for members unless FC caters to outsiders.
Apartment is perfect for just a lobby and rooms management with workshop. I would love this idea for small family FC.
Most of the times we're only active during holidays so not getting auto demolished when we can't play is a plus.

Apartments are only for personal ownership.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I still think the idea case is to keep the ward system for FC house only, then move all personal housing to a fully instance system. Not only can we potentially promote community feeling by grouping FC houses together (since theoretically FC houses should hold more players, barring alt FC), there will also be more resource flexibility for more personal houses. As an additional bonus, it might also be possible to make on-demand up-size for personal houses depending on how they setup the individual instance. Like say, a floating piece of island somewhere in the sea of cloud. I start off with a small, kill some mobs, earn some gil, up-size to a medium. And with each personal house being isolated, it might also be possible to increase the outdoor furniture limit. (We can think of it as a trade off for the missing airship feature from a FC house). This is, imo, the best of both world... well, on paper at least.

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Originally Posted by SokiYagami

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I still think the idea case is to keep the ward system for FC house only, then move all personal housing to a fully instance system. Not only can we potentially promote community feeling by grouping FC houses together (since theoretically FC houses should hold more players, barring alt FC), there will also be more resource flexibility for more personal houses. As an additional bonus, it might also be possible to make on-demand up-size for personal houses depending on how they setup the individual instance. Like say, a floating piece of island somewhere in the sea of cloud. I start off with a small, kill some mobs, earn some gil, up-size to a medium. And with each personal house being isolated, it might also be possible to increase the outdoor furniture limit. (We can think of it as a trade off for the missing airship feature from a FC house). This is, imo, the best of both world... well, on paper at least.

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I think another advantage of instanced personal housing is you can make a common entrance with the MB and vendors. This would by its nature tend to be a gathering place like in the cities so you would see other players rather than an empty ward. To take it further SE could add neighborhood mini-events to encourage more use of the common area.

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Originally Posted by Claviusnex

I think another advantage of instanced personal housing is you can make a common entrance with the MB and vendors. This would by its nature tend to be a gathering place like in the cities so you would see other players rather than an empty ward. To take it further SE could add neighborhood mini-events to encourage more use of the common area.

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Considering we have a mb and chocobo stable right outside apartment entrance, this might not change much even though it's nice to have. Your second point might helps though. Remind me about one of the Christmas event where placing those trees with the Sun/Moon/Star out in the yard can help out other players. Maybe something along that line?

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Originally Posted by SokiYagami

Considering we have a mb and chocobo stable right outside apartment entrance, this might not change much even though it's nice to have. Your second point might helps though. Remind me about one of the Christmas event where placing those trees with the Sun/Moon/Star out in the yard can help out other players. Maybe something along that line?

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You might be right that having a common area won't be enough to draw people out. I have a small house and since buying it I have seen one person in my ward. One can hope though and it certainly couldn't be any worse than now.

Something like you suggest or maybe something like random beach or picnic parties during the summer with group tasks that reward food or housing items. For the other seasons pick some appropriate activities. Maybe provide a housing area extension to seasonal events. Of course this is all pie in the sky unless SE changes their mind and decides to finally go to instances.