Are the Islands better than owning a house?

I have leveled up my island to max level and have had numerous friends come over and they all say islands are more fun and more to see and do. I have a nicely decorated mansion and a worshop with 4 maxed out submarines but the island is more fun. love having both, but if i couldn't get a house, islands are an equal option, imo.

https://media.tenor.com/t-HiRaNHo_UA...y-say-what.gif

When they added the outdoor furnishings it finally had some decent customizability. The rest of the island is all the same and is just a giant gathering zone. I think it's funny they put your bedroom in the upper floor in the previous version but then put it back on the ground floor for the final version. I guess they think most people like being watched by mammets while they sleep.

A house is more useful in connection with the rest of the game.

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Originally Posted by MsQi

When they added the outdoor furnishings it finally had some decent customizability. The rest of the island is all the same and is just a giant gathering zone. I think it's funny they put your bedroom in the upper floor in the previous version but then put it back on the ground floor for the final version. I guess they think most people like being watched by mammets while they sleep.

A house is more useful in connection with the rest of the game.

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And they put a hole above your bed so that when it rains, it rains right on top of your pillow. (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

Maybe if they'd put a house on the island that could actually be customized, but they didn't.

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Originally Posted by MsQi

When they added the outdoor furnishings it finally had some decent customizability. The rest of the island is all the same and is just a giant gathering zone. I think it's funny they put your bedroom in the upper floor in the previous version but then put it back on the ground floor for the final version. I guess they think most people like being watched by mammets while they sleep.

A house is more useful in connection with the rest of the game.

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Yes understood but if you didn't have a house would the island be a viable option?

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Originally Posted by Mimilu

And they put a hole above your bed so that when it rains, it rains right on top of your pillow. (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

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Yes but if you didn't have an island you wouldn't even have a bed to get rained on

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Originally Posted by sagacious

Yes but if you didn't have an island you wouldn't even have a bed to get rained on

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If you enjoy getting water tortured in bed, sure. （*´▽｀*）

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Originally Posted by sagacious

Yes understood but if you didn't have a house would the island be a viable option?

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Not until they allow us to decorate the interior, hide the mammets and workshops and add more customization to the landmarks.

Oh and maybe also change the jungle scenery to something else. Not all islands are tropical.

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Originally Posted by Mimilu

If you enjoy getting water tortured in bed, sure. （*´▽｀*）

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Hey now, don't shame.

Nearly, but not quite. With a house you can use the housing gardening system and chocobo stable to train your chocobo.

Though if you get an apartment, then only thing you're missing out that a person with a house has, is the gardening system. With island you'll now actually be able to use those outdoor furnishings all of the seasonal events reward.

I'd actually argue that the island is better for outdoor decorating than even a large plot.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

Hey now, don't shame.

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I would never. If Sagacious wants to partake of these watery pleasures, I encourage it! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

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Originally Posted by sagacious

Yes understood but if you didn't have a house would the island be a viable option?

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If all you want is “thing to invite people to so you can show off what you did” then I guess it’ll do fine. They are still two very different things with a small amount of crossover.

They're not a stand-in for housing. You can't do several things a house is actually useful for on your island (Thavnarian Onion my beloved, workshop, summoning bell. The list goes on.) It's just a gussied-up minigame with the depth of a puddle. Slice of life "content" that until recently had no real incentive to continue playing once you hit max rank. Even now you can just schedule vouchers within a day or two after buying all the blue cowrie unlocks with little to no need to grind for mats thanks to granaries and automated farming. The best part is that doing so each week future-proofs you from any new blue cowrie unlocks they might add.

I mean, the only point to have a house besides bragging/(illegally?) selling it is:
- A spot to gather
- A spot to decorate
- Gardening

they barely do the first 2, its limited to like 16? players and they have to be on your friendslist to begin with, no way to get your entire FC to hang there, and you only decorate the outside and its better than housing, but no inside/actually customizing the house... and the last one they don't let you do at all (the crop thing is not the same gardening). So in all regards, island is not better than housing.. though not by much, the only bonus is you don't have a digital mortgage now, everyone gets an island and you won't lose it if you unsub, though the island itself is more a curse brought upon us by Tataru if you ask me.

Well... not entirely, but as far as furnishings go, you just register an item and then you can place as many as you want of said item, so you can build a lot of creative stuff outside.

Apartment? Decorating, very limited gardening.
Private house? Gardening plots, decorating.
FC house? As the prior but also comes with a workshop which is fairly substantial.

The island sanctuary is more like an outdoor version of a FC house, but instead of airships and submarines, its cowries and what rewards they offer. But still misses out on having a lot of gardening plots.

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Originally Posted by Mimilu

And they put a hole above your bed so that when it rains, it rains right on top of your pillow. (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

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Hope you're wetty for bed

Islands have 90 outdoor furnishing slots and large mansions only have 40. Think about that for a second. Not only is it more than double the quota of the largest housing option, everyone gets one instead of it being a privilege only a small handful of players enjoy.

If we ever get an equivalent indoor version, I would consider the XIV housing 'problem' solved. This is literally half the piece of that solution and islands are not getting anywhere near enough credit for that.

Of course, this assumes you value housing in this game as a creative outlet for decorating, which I hope people do. That is the primary and most important purpose of the housing system. Subs and gardens are just soulless gil factories, they're not as important.

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Originally Posted by Myon88

Islands have 90 outdoor furnishing slots and large mansions only have 40. Think about that for a second. Not only is it more than double the quota of the largest housing option, everyone gets one instead of it being a privilege only a small handful of players enjoy.

If we ever get an equivalent indoor version, I would consider the XIV housing 'problem' solved. This is literally half the piece of that solution and islands are not getting anywhere near enough credit for that.

Of course, this assumes you value housing in this game as a creative outlet for decorating, which I hope people do. That is the primary and most important purpose of the housing system. Subs and gardens are just soulless gil factories, they're not as important.

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Thank you for realizing that island don't get enough credit for solving 1/2 the housing issue ...

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Originally Posted by Myon88

If we ever get an equivalent indoor version, I would consider the XIV housing 'problem' solved. This is literally half the piece of that solution and islands are not getting anywhere near enough credit for that.

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I mean, the credit goes to every hero who bitched n moaned that this wasn't possible to begin with until CBU3 understood the original island wasn't what players wanted and changed course to allow this.

The problem with the Islands is that they offer no functionality. I use my house as a base in between activities: I can directly teleport in front of it, it’s more quiet than Limsa, there’s a MB in front, I have a dummy in the garden, different vendors inside along with a retainer bell, fc chest and armoire and I can allow friends to use it too. The only thing missing is a dresser but my GC is at 35 gils only away. If they added similar functionality to the Island I would use it more. Atm, I only visit it once a week to set the agenda and feed the animals as there is nothing else to do there at all.

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Originally Posted by Wolferey

I mean, the credit goes to every hero who bitched n moaned that this wasn't possible to begin with until CBU3 understood the original island wasn't what players wanted and changed course to allow this.

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But this is good, the company listened and gave us 1/2 of what we wanted, Instance outdoor housing, so why has square decided to stop Island growth? It is because of all the negative comments concerning the island? Please tell square they are going in the right direction .... please ..

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Originally Posted by Toutatis

The problem with the Islands is that they offer no-functionality. I use my house as a base in between activities: there’s a MB in front, I have a dummy in the garden, different vendors inside along with retainer bell, fc chest and armoire.

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We have two systems one system has workshops and gardens and indoor furnishings, other has outdoor furnishings and favor lottery tickets. It is better than what we had..

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Originally Posted by sagacious

We have two systems one system has workshops and gardens and indoor furnishings, other has outdoor furnishings and favor lottery tickets. It is better than what we had..

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Workshops are fc only and I couldn’t care less. They offer nothing else than making gil. A house allows me to do a bunch of things in between raids, including accessing my retainers for crafting and managing inventory. Workshops (fc only) and gardens are extra but I find them irrelevant. All I do with my garden is occasionally plant 24h plants but don’t bother collecting the stuff anymore (got enough gils).

No.

It's useable, but definitely not the same. You barely have more item slots than a small house to work with too.

Honestly, I don't want either. I'm doing the islands for the rewards, and then I'm going to abandon it again. The xp gain is abysmal, and the concept isn't super good. I'm not a fan of baby's first stock exchange and there in. Cool mounts, though.

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Originally Posted by MsQi

When they added the outdoor furnishings it finally had some decent customizability. The rest of the island is all the same and is just a giant gathering zone. I think it's funny they put your bedroom in the upper floor in the previous version but then put it back on the ground floor for the final version. I guess they think most people like being watched by mammets while they sleep.

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It triggers me so hard, like, its pretty but its kinda a step back... and i mean, have you seen the rainstorms there? lol id wished for something more enclosed... i dont really wanna but i might go back tho the skin from before...

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Originally Posted by Ardeth

Honestly, I don't want either. I'm doing the islands for the rewards, and then I'm going to abandon it again. The xp gain is abysmal, and the concept isn't super good. I'm not a fan of baby's first stock exchange and there in. Cool mounts, though.

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Pretty much this. IS could have been cool but just ended up being a big ole meh. Not super impressed with the new Felicitous Favors either.

Housing itself is a trap. More power to those that can do something with theirs. I felt free, after I gave up mine.

They aren't supporting the island sanctuary after endwalker, so whatever rewards can be claimed will be limited to the power level of this expansion (including materia). Unless they are updating what it can give in patch 7.1 or something I doubt we will ever go back to the island.

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Originally Posted by sagacious

Yes understood but if you didn't have a house would the island be a viable option?

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Not really. You still can't use the indoor furnishings(what most people are probably after), you can't install a garden(if you wanted to do seed crossing and such), and of course there's no ability to do airship and submarine ventures like if you purchased a solo FC house.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

Maybe if they'd put a house on the island that could actually be customized, but they didn't.

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what did you expect effort in your subscription mmo? Do you not like spreadsheets??

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Originally Posted by sagacious

I have leveled up my island to max level and have had numerous friends come over and they all say islands are more fun and more to see and do. I have a nicely decorated mansion and a worshop with 4 maxed out submarines but the island is more fun. love having both, but if i couldn't get a house, islands are an equal option, imo.

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Islands are no where near equal.

I like my Island, but you literally cannot do any of the things you might want a house for, and can do at a house. I can't grow plants, stable my chocobo, teleport, share it with my friends when offline, use in game mail, play more than one song at a time, decorate how I want to, or interact with my Retainers.

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Originally Posted by iMaximusRex

Islands are no where near equal.

I like my Island, but you literally cannot do any of the things you might want a house for, and can do at a house. I can't grow plants, stable my chocobo, teleport, share it with my friends when offline, use in game mail, play more than one song at a time, decorate how I want to, or interact with my Retainers.

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With island alone? no. Though combined with an apartment which is much more accessible, you can do indoor furnishing, grow potted plants, have a stable, teleport, and get mail. If you had island and apartment, only thing you'd be missing out on compared to a personal house, would be housing gardening, and sharing with friends. I'd much much much rather find a solution for housing (instanced housing isn't it, houses are already instances. They need a better way to store and retrieve the data), an island and apartment is nearly there.

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Originally Posted by Chasingstars

Apartment? Decorating, very limited gardening.
Private house? Gardening plots, decorating.
FC house? As the prior but also comes with a workshop which is fairly substantial.

The island sanctuary is more like an outdoor version of a FC house, but instead of airships and submarines, its cowries and what rewards they offer. But still misses out on having a lot of gardening plots.

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But still 100's of forum posts wanted instance housing and we got instance islands. Square hit two rocks with one stone by not angering the housing owners and providing the entire player base a Island home. I'd say that's a win win for sure . :)

Island Sanctuary isn't even the first "house like" substitute they made. Before this they created Apartments, which basically are houses but without the exteriors. The problem is that no one uses them after they get done decorating once, so it just sits abandoned and forgotten.

True housing is a pipe dream in FFXIV as they just aren't built to support it. It was supposed to originally be only for FCs, but then it was like the only ones any FC really wanted were the large houses and the smaller ones were more personal sized. Then they allowed personal housing after the fact and instead of broadening who owned a house, it just ended up being an excuse for those who owned a house already to own a second one. Heck, to this day there are people that still own more than two houses thanks to work-arounds that predate the current restrictions, and this is with the housing demolition timers going so that tells you something right there.

The whole reason housing is what it is, is that it is a limited commodity that is placed in a shared space, where owners can show off to each other and everyone else is left gawking and scraping to try and get one. The value of the house comes from the gawking and scraping, and the second everyone owns one the magic will go away as they realize the only point to the houses are RP parties, submersibles, and growing onions for chocobos. The island sanctuary is an infinitely more useful "house", yet it lacks the other qualities of being limited, special, and a shared space, so it will be forgotten just like many other pieces of side content.

Housing is cancer, I spent months fighting against the garbage item placement system to make my house and now if I demolish it all that work and money evaporates.

Like imagine if you lost all your glam dresser or your jobs delevelled if you let your sub lapse? Yet people still defend the artificial housing scarcity whilst CBU3 demonstrates they have the means and resources with island sanctuary, they just choose not to.

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Originally Posted by Colt47

Island Sanctuary isn't even the first "house like" substitute they made. Before this they created Apartments, which basically are houses but without the exteriors. The problem is that no one uses them after they get done decorating once, so it just sits abandoned and forgotten.

True housing is a pipe dream in FFXIV as they just aren't built to support it. It was supposed to originally be only for FCs, but then it was like the only ones any FC really wanted were the large houses and the smaller ones were more personal sized. Then they allowed personal housing after the fact and instead of broadening who owned a house, it just ended up being an excuse for those who owned a house already to own a second one. Heck, to this day there are people that still own more than two houses thanks to work-arounds that predate the current restrictions, and this is with the housing demolition timers going so that tells you something right there.

The whole reason housing is what it is, is that it is a limited commodity that is placed in a shared space, where owners can show off to each other and everyone else is left gawking and scraping to try and get one. The value of the house comes from the gawking and scraping, and the second everyone owns one the magic will go away as they realize the only point to the houses are RP parties, submersibles, and growing onions for chocobos. The island sanctuary is an infinitely more useful "house", yet it lacks the other qualities of being limited, special, and a shared space, so it will be forgotten just like many other pieces of side content.

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I disagree, everytime they add new sub routes the people owning houses run workshops like crazy to get those special mats and items that sell for millions. Likewise if they keep adding new mats and items from the Island vouchers it will have the same effect and people will run to the island to get it. Islands will not die same as FC workshops don't die.

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Originally Posted by sagacious

But still 100's of forum posts wanted instance housing and we got instance islands. Square hit two rocks with one stone by not angering the housing owners and providing the entire player base a Island home. I'd say that's a win win for sure . :)

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Nah, as a housing owner I am angry, they had every chance to make a better system and they squandered it hard, so now you have two systems that are bad instead. Actually getting a house was and still is a terrible experience and has whole systems locked behind it (you can argue as much as you want about how useful gardening/fc workshop is, its still locked), and island is missing even basic stuff like teleport, retainer bell or since its an instance they could even have let you have a glam dresser. Besides outdoor furnishing limit its not even close. We just got a spreadsheet sim we can kinda decorate that someone made an optimized spreadsheet for.

Personally, if I could build an actual house(with furnishings), aetheryte and summoning bell on my Island, it would absolutely replace the public housing for me.

I would not need anything else.