First Storm Leiutenant, have twice as much as asking price, but unable to buy house

Despite the fact that I am high enough in my grand company, I have twice the amount of gil to purchase the plot in Lavender Beds, I am being told that I am NOT allowed to buy it! It tells me that I cannot purchase the plot

It seems like the game either does not recognize that I am First Storm Leiutenant or it does not register that I have 7 million gil for a plot that costs 3.5 million

Does anybody know what the problem could be?

The plot sounds like it's just unavailable for purchase.
After a house is vacated an invisible timer starts ticking down. After it is done the plot can be purchased.

I hate that invisible phantom timer menace thing. That's what's keeping me from getting a house - just not gonna play that game.
I wonder how Ishgard is going to roll out.

That's the message that I was getting. Kept saying that it is unavailable but there was no house there.

What is the point of the timer? And why even give us the ability to select purchase if you can't. Would make more sense to NOT give us the ability to attempt purchase until it is available.

How long is this timer and when do houses get demolished? 3 AM? Reset time?

the point of the timer is to prevent house flipping at exorbitant prices because you cannot predict when the property will become available. you must wait for the random hidden timer (i think goes anywhere from 8-48 hours or something like that I forget) to expire before the plot can be purchased. Remember this timer is *separate* from the devaluation timer that is visible.

you just have to play the click/waiting game and see if you are lucky competing with someone else or not. or someone transferring will save you the trouble of sitting there and take it from under your nose.

The timer expiring..it's random... personally it is on the top of a *very* short list of things I don't like about FFIV.

What is the point of making us wait? I was the first to this plot and now six people are camping here.

What doofus thought to put an invisible random timer? The house should be rightfully mine because I was the first to discover a plot without a house

Great questions, and I agree with them both. I wish I knew.

"What doofus" indeed.

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

What is the point of making us wait? I was the first to this plot and now six people are camping here.

What doofus thought to put an invisible random timer? The house should be rightfully mine because I was the first to discover a plot without a house

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The system before the timer was basically first come first serve. Anyone who found a plot without a house could get one. Then people abused this and began hoarding houses to flip at astronomical prices. Blame them for the system we have now. because of them we can't have nice things.

Has anybody done research/experimented with how the timer works? Like is it an exact specific number of hours, or can the timer be something like 9 hours and 27 minutes? I mean, would I have better luck by timing it to be on the hour exactly?

Google suggests that relocation bypasses the timer. Is this true? Will it work for my FC private chambers if I select 'relocate' and select the FC chambers? I can always just buy another FC room

If the random timer wasn't here, the previous owner would have known the exact moment when the house would be available again for purchase, and would have warned one of his friend to stay next to the plot to snatch it right away when it becomes free. Or worse, instead of giving it to a friend he could have sold it for millions of gils, or even real money to the highest bidder (this is called house flipping).

And you would have never get it.

While the invisible timer is for sure an irritating system, at least now you can SEE free plots, and even TRY to get them. Which is a huge improvement compared to the old times when house flipping was rampant without the invisible timer, and 100% of the plots always taken.

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

Has anybody done research/experimented with how the timer works? Like is it an exact specific number of hours, or can the timer be something like 9 hours and 27 minutes? I mean, would I have better luck by timing it to be on the hour exactly?

Google suggests that relocation bypasses the timer. Is this true? Will it work for my FC private chambers if I select 'relocate' and select the FC chambers? I can always just buy another FC room

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As far as i know the timer is totally random, which would be logical because it is the point of it. And if you are talking of the tiny FC room you buy for 300 000 gils, it isn't gonna work. It is the entire FC house that needs to move.

The plot had a red glow, now it is orange? Does that mean the timer is getting close?

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

Google suggests that relocation bypasses the timer. Is this true? Will it work for my FC private chambers if I select 'relocate' and select the FC chambers? I can always just buy another FC room

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FC chambers =/= a house.
If you have a house and want to move it to an empty plot, you can. That will circumvent the relocation timer.

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

The plot had a red glow, now it is orange? Does that mean the timer is getting close?

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the glow color does not change. and it does not indicate the timer is close. the only thing that is close is us losing patience with you lol

I hate that whole f*****g system now. 10 seconds to just open my door because dog HAD to go out that EXACT time and of course THAT is when the game decided to allow it to be purchased by one of the other three that were also there at that time. I was the first one there too

Better luck next time.

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

What is the point of making us wait? I was the first to this plot and now six people are camping here.

What doofus thought to put an invisible random timer? The house should be rightfully mine because I was the first to discover a plot without a house

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Because if there wasn't a timer there wouldn't be an open plot at all. A reseller would have had a buyer lined up to take possession the second they released. That's what happened before.

I can’t help but think we’re maybesorta being trolled here.

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Originally Posted by xxmiamorecadenza

I can’t help but think we’re maybesorta being trolled here.

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The posts are a valid description of what players can experience when trying to buy a house for their character. Frustration with the system is growing more and more as the number of players who want a house increases but the number of houses does not.

It's a problem unique to this game as far as I know. Other MMOs either use only instanced housing (most of them) or they automatically increase the number of houses available on a per world basis as the existing supply gets sold out.

Tbh the timer does a poor job at stopping people from selling the plot at ridiculous prices, now there's simply the added requirement of "you need to already have a house AND pay me this exorbitant amount of gil so you can relocate to the plot".

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Originally Posted by Absurdity

Tbh the timer doesn't really stop people from selling the plot at ridiculous prices, now there's simply the added requirement of "you need to already have a house AND pay me this exorbitant amount of gil so you can relocate to the plot".

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that's dependent on someone owning a house first that wants to relocate instead of first time purchase.

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

The posts are a valid description of what players can experience... snip.

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OP has a history of complaining majorly about minor things.

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

The posts are a valid description of what players can experience when trying to buy a house for their character. Frustration with the system is growing more and more as the number of players who want a house increases but the number of houses does not.

It's a problem unique to this game as far as I know. Other MMOs either use only instanced housing (most of them) or they automatically increase the number of houses available on a per world basis as the existing supply gets sold out.

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There's quite a few MMOs with similar issues, though I can't name them off the top of my head. Even worse, in fact, as they've made the limited space a core gameplay feature rather than an optional thing.

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

Has anybody done research/experimented with how the timer works? Like is it an exact specific number of hours, or can the timer be something like 9 hours and 27 minutes? I mean, would I have better luck by timing it to be on the hour exactly?

Google suggests that relocation bypasses the timer. Is this true? Will it work for my FC private chambers if I select 'relocate' and select the FC chambers? I can always just buy another FC room

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Timer is completely random. There isn't a fixed value known to man.

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Originally Posted by DrWho2010

that's dependent on someone owning a house first that wants to relocate instead of first time purchase.

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Which of course doesn't result in a net reduction of available plots.

When 6.0 housing drops will be the best time to get a plot.

In the meantime, I'd keep an eye on houses in the Goblet - that tends to be the least preferred neighborhood and occasionally there are houses sitting empty there for a whole day, with the hidden timer expired, on my server. Years ago I found an empty plot sitting in the Goblet - I was sure there was someone trying to negotiate a sale and I didn't want to snipe it, so I waited 10 minutes.... and nobody ever showed up. The demolition timer was down at the time, so my guess is they switched servers and had to give it up. So I bought it.

Then you'll already have a house, and you can be the one to break the hearts of everyone camping the plot in the other zone by relocating instead.

If you relocate your FC house, your FC house will move to this new plot and your FC's old plot will be vacated.

Then a random timer will start for that newly vacated plot where your FC used to be.

Your FC room will be unaffected by this, except for maybe shoving all of your furniture into the storeroom during the transfer, but you'll still have the FC room.

Personally I think they should put in a lottery system. You want the plot? Put in the gil into a lottery system to buy or relocate to the plot. Have it run for 48 hours or so.

When the timer is up, one person is chosen at random. Their gill deducted, the house relocated, and everyone else is refunded their gil via mail.

That way you prevent people from selling houses at excessive prices, and also prevent clicker bots from having an advantage, and remove the frustrating random timer.

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Originally Posted by Bright-Flower

Personally I think they should put in a lottery system. You want the plot? Put in the gil into a lottery system to buy or relocate to the plot. Have it run for 48 hours or so.

When the timer is up, one person is chosen at random. Their gill deducted, the house relocated, and everyone else is refunded their gil via mail.

That way you prevent people from selling houses at excessive prices, and also prevent clicker bots from having an advantage, and remove the frustrating random timer.

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INB4

"So I have signed up for house lottery 10 times in the past 6 months and each time there have been around 50-80 other players listed on the lottery. How the **** am I supposed to get a house in this game?? At this rate it will take literally years.

I wish they had kept the old system where I could periodically check housing wards and click on houses with only 3 other players. At least then I wouldn't have to compete with people who were too lazy to camp."

I am seriously hoping these private islands they mentioned in the new xpac have some kind of housing option. I love to design player housing but I have zero interest in battling other people or invisible timers on the hopes of getting a lot that may be in a decent location. Give me my own private instanced island with zero neighbors to build my own home on and I will be a happy cookie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MoltresRider

Has anybody done research/experimented with how the timer works? Like is it an exact specific number of hours, or can the timer be something like 9 hours and 27 minutes? I mean, would I have better luck by timing it to be on the hour exactly?

Google suggests that relocation bypasses the timer. Is this true? Will it work for my FC private chambers if I select 'relocate' and select the FC chambers? I can always just buy another FC room

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It's been suggested that plots open up on the hour.

And using relocation to bypass the timer only works if you already have an existing housing plot, since that sort of relocation opens up your old plot. You cannot relocate from a FC room to a full housing plot.

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Originally Posted by DrWho2010

[...]the only thing that is close is us losing patience with you lol

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I'm losing it when I read this lmao.

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Originally Posted by Reinha

INB4

"So I have signed up for house lottery 10 times in the past 6 months and each time there have been around 50-80 other players listed on the lottery. How the **** am I supposed to get a house in this game?? At this rate it will take literally years.

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Hey, welcome to my life for the last two months playing the Newegg Shuffle trying to get a 3070 or 3080

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Originally Posted by Catwho

When 6.0 housing drops will be the best time to get a plot.

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I'm very happy to be wrong, but realistically it's probably going to be 6.1, much like Shirogane was 4.1.

In 4.0 we could see the first ward of Shirogane and walk around, but it wasn't until 4.1 it acually opened to let us buy the plots.

Although SE haven't said either way, there's probably going to be some MSQ restrictions on the new housing area (namely finished HW) which is more than the current housing requirements for Lavender/Mist/Goblet. And releasing housing at the same time as a main expansion... that'll just be carnage :S

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

The posts are a valid description of what players can experience

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https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...lly-impossible
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...r-specifically
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-future-update
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...hocobo-past-10
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...mmand-Missions
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...but-others-can
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...s-casting-gear
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...r-s-New-Shield

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Originally Posted by Nayout

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...lly-impossible
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...r-specifically
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-future-update
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...hocobo-past-10
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...mmand-Missions
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...but-others-can
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...s-casting-gear
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...r-s-New-Shield

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I'm aware of his other posts.

Regardless of whether he's trolling, the posts are bringing up issues that new players can struggle with. They're bringing discussion that includes helpful information for new players in one of the places they're going to look for it. If you've spent time in a helpful NN where sprouts aren't afraid to ask questions, you're going to see the same things getting mentioned.

The only one I read where he went way off base was the Thav Onion thread.

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Originally Posted by xxmiamorecadenza

I can’t help but think we’re maybesorta being trolled here.

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It is what they are known for.

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Originally Posted by Erinellza

You're not wrong, this was already confirmed (forgot when, probably in the last live letter). Edit: No, it was during the EW announcement I think, lol.

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Ah I didn't know that that was confirmed, thank you for letting me know!

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Originally Posted by Absurdity

Tbh the timer does a poor job at stopping people from selling the plot at ridiculous prices, now there's simply the added requirement of "you need to already have a house AND pay me this exorbitant amount of gil so you can relocate to the plot".

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Not really. Because even if you sell it to someone relocating, a plot becomes available regardless, that is, of the person that relocated.

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Originally Posted by Blackwing_Soul

I am seriously hoping these private islands they mentioned in the new xpac have some kind of housing option. I love to design player housing but I have zero interest in battling other people or invisible timers on the hopes of getting a lot that may be in a decent location. Give me my own private instanced island with zero neighbors to build my own home on and I will be a happy cookie.

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We could have a bit of both worlds.

Allow players to buy private islands.

Allow FCs to buy bigger private islands in which FC members can buy house plots and you can have your own FC neighbourhood. You will even make happy the FCs that used to buy entire wards with the old system!

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Originally Posted by lezard21

Not really. Because even if you sell it to someone relocating, a plot becomes available regardless, that is, of the person that relocated.

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What does that have to do with anything? You still have people selling medium and large plots for exorbitant prices and now you also have people sitting on small plots for what might be months, keeping other players from getting a small house, just so they can relocate.
It doesn't matter if that small plot becomes available to people afterwards. Players still have to pay ridiculous prices for anything above small and small plots are still occupied by players who do not even use those plots and just keep it so they don't have to deal with the timer in the future.


Add to that the fact that bots have a significant advantage over normal players when it comes to acquiring a housing plot and I think it's quite obvious where the plot timer does a poor job at solving the issue.