Why FFXIV’s Housing System Is Failing Its Players, and Why It Must Change

The housing system in Final Fantasy XIV is long overdue for reform.
While many players have asked for instanced housing and fair access, the combination of limited plot availability, toxic auto-demolition policies, and the dismissive claim that "apartments are enough" continues to hurt the community, especially the most vulnerable among us like myself.


Apartments Are NOT a Substitute for True Housing

While apartments are technically available to all players, they are not a feasible alternative to personal or Free Company housing. Here's why:

• No Outdoor Space: Apartments lack yards, gardens, and exterior customization, stripping away a huge part of the housing experience.
• Limited Storage & Decor: Only 100 indoor furnishings can be placed, compared to 200–400 in houses. Outdoor furnishings? Not allowed. Different Interior Skin? Nope
• No Estate Sharing: You can’t share your apartment with friends or FC members. It’s isolating, not communal.
• No Prestige or Visibility: Apartments are tucked away in lobbies, invisible to the world. Houses are landmarks, apartments are footnotes.
• No Workshop or Gardening: FC workshops, crossbreeding gardens, and chocobo stables are exclusive to houses.

Claiming apartments are "good enough" is like saying a broom closet is a fine substitute for a home.


Auto-Demolition: A System That Punishes Vulnerability

The auto-demolition timer, which destroys a house if the owner doesn’t enter it within 45 days, is cruel and toxic:

• Mental Health Penalty: Players who need time away for burnout, depression, or hospitalization risk losing everything they’ve built.
• FoMo & Anxiety: The fear of losing a house forces players to log in compulsively, even when they’re not well.
• No Grace for Emergencies: There’s no way to pause or appeal the timer for medical or personal crises.
• Loss of Irreplaceable Items: Furnishings, trophies, and sentimental creations vanish, many of which are untradeable and irreplaceable.

This system punishes players for being human. It’s not just bad design, it’s emotionally damaging.


Gatekeeping: The Toxic Defense of a Broken System

Those who defend the current housing system often engage in gatekeeping, a behavior that excludes others from a community based on arbitrary standards. Here’s how it manifests in FFXIV:

• "You didn’t try hard enough": Invalidating players who lost lotteries or couldn’t camp plots due to real-life obligations.
• "Just get an apartment": Dismissing legitimate concerns with a subpar alternative.
• "I earned my house, so should you": Ignoring systemic scarcity and luck-based acquisition.
• "If you can’t log in, you don’t deserve it": Shaming players for prioritizing health or personal crises.

This elitist mindset fosters exclusion, resentment, and emotional harm. It turns a community-driven game into a hostile environment.


What Square Enix Must Do

To align with the values of empathy, inclusivity, and creativity that FFXIV is known for, Square Enix should:

Implement instanced housing so every player and FC can own a home
Remove or extend auto-demolition timers, especially for medical or mental health reasons
Introduce better preservation options, like plot suspension or grace periods
Create a support system for players who need time away


Final Thought

FFXIV is a game built on storytelling, emotion, and connection. Its housing system should reflect those values, not punish players for being vulnerable, creative, or human.

If you’ve spent thousands of hours building a sanctuary, you deserve to keep it, even if life pulls you away.

#HousingReform #MentalHealthMatters #NoMoreFoMo #ApartmentsArentEnough #CompassionInEorzea

Small corrections:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

[*]No Workshop or Gardening: FC workshops, crossbreeding gardens, and chocobo stables are exclusive to houses.

---

Chocobo stables are not exclusive to plot housing. Every apartment building comes with easy access to moogle mail, a mender, a housing vendor, a summoner bell, a marketboard and a chocobo stable. Also, teleporting without having to spend any item slots on a mini aetheryte.


About the FC workshop, that's just standard for everyone across the board. A private estate doesn't have a workshop either, it's exclusive to FCs, and FCs can't have apartments (we're not counting FC rooms in this, because you must have an FC plot in order to have an FC room, and if the house is gone, so are the rooms in it)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

The auto-demolition timer, which destroys a house if the owner doesn’t enter it within 45 days, is cruel and toxic

---

The autodemolition system is in place because players asked for it. Unfortunately, due to how access to housing and the wards are designed, one could buy a plot and leave it there, eventually making it impossible for an active player to get a house because all of them were "occupied" by players who hadn't logged on for years. I agree it should be longer, or make it possible to request an extension once or twice per year through a specific system or the GMs for these emergencies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

Implement instanced housing so every player and FC can own a home

---

EDIT: I know it was not specified, but all FC houses have access to workshops, so my reply assumes that instanced housing would work exactly the same as current FC housing, and allow everyone to build a workshop.

I don't think FCs (or anyone, specially private estates) should be given a workshop for free. That would only make it easier for the RMT bots to amass tons and tons of gil, or even for a regular player to get seriously rich doing AFK jewelry farming. You'd think it's not bad to be rich, but inflation is no fun. It only takes a few to ruin it for everyone, and for workshops to get completely removed from the game because we know how SE handles these cases more often than not.




The rest I generally agree with.

Your post is filled with half truths and emotional arguments.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shistar

Small corrections:
Snip

---

You're absolutely right that apartment buildings come with shared amenities like chocobo stables, summoning bells, and marketboards. But these are communal utilities, not customizable features. The stable outside an apartment building is not the same as owning one on your personal plot:

• You can’t decorate or place the stable yourself
• You can’t control access or personalize its use
• You can’t integrate it into your outdoor design

So while technically available, it’s a limited and impersonal version of what plot owners enjoy.

On FC Workshops and Instanced Housing

I agree that FC workshops are tied to FC plots, and private estates don’t have them. But that’s exactly the problem, access to workshops is locked behind housing scarcity. If instanced housing were implemented, it could easily include workshop access for FCs, with safeguards to prevent abuse.

As for the concern about RMT bots exploiting workshops: they already do. Bots farm gil through gathering, crafting, and even housing resale schemes. Denying legitimate players access to features out of fear of bot abuse is punishing the wrong group. The solution is better bot detection and moderation, not withholding content from the community.
Multiboxing bots bidding on houses, and then selling them.
Bots buying housing.

On Auto-Demolition and Player Requests

Yes, auto-demolition was introduced to free up inactive plots, but that doesn’t mean it’s fair or humane in its current form. Players asked for housing access, not punitive timers that erase thousands of hours of effort. And while you agree the possibility of requesting extensions, there is no formal system for this. GMs rarely intervene, and players facing medical emergencies or mental health crises are left with no recourse.

The system needs:

• A grace period for emergencies
• An opt-in preservation option
• A way to pause demolition for verified cases

This isn’t about entitlement, it’s about compassion.

Apartments and shared stables are better than nothing, but they’re not a substitute for true housing. And defending the current system by citing bot abuse or technical limitations only reinforces the need for a complete overhaul, one that prioritizes player well-being, creativity, and fairness.


I think we both want a better FFXIV, we just see different paths to get there, and to make it perfectly clear with your statement that you don't think FCs (or anyone, specially private estates) should be given a workshop for free. I don't recall saying any of this had to be free?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

The stable outside an apartment building is not the same as owning one on your personal plot:

• You can’t decorate or place the stable yourself
• You can’t control access or personalize its use
• You can’t integrate it into your outdoor design
• You can’t use it for gardening or crossbreeding, which is exclusive to estate plots

---

The stables in apartments are better than the ones you can place in your own plot because you don't have to waste an item slot or any of your own resources obtaining and placing it, if someone else cleans it you also benefit from it. Unless you're strategically placing your stable on top of your crops so your chocobos can "fertilize" your crops in your imagination, I don't know what that last point has to do with everything else... they're two different things that never interact with each other. The only customization stables can have is dyeing them, and there's generally no point in placing a chocobo stables if you are in an FC that already has them or have an apartment, it's just a waste of item slots for the majority of players. Of course, they can choose to place it if they want, but it's not the smartest thing to do imho. Specially since it has very limited uses, in a system that is largely outdated nowadays. And this is coming from someone who has trained multiple chocobos.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

I think we both want a better FFXIV, we just see different paths to get there, and to make it perfectly clear with your statement that you don't think FCs (or anyone, specially private estates) should be given a workshop for free. I don't recall saying any of this had to be free?

---

I generally agree with your point, I'm just making corrections because many of the things you're saying are flat out wrong and are easy to prove as such... if you're making a post like this, it's a good idea to double check that everything you're saying is correct before posting, or at least correcting the information if you find out you made a mistake for the future readers.



"For free" in the sense that if all FCs have access to a house, then all FCs will simply have a workshop because it's dirt cheap to build one. If you have the gil to get even a small house, you absolutely have the gil to make a workshop or will have it very soon. I understand not wanting to block players from engaging with the content, but you're also making it extremely easy for RMT bots to do their thing if you just enable it as it is. Just because it's already happening doesn't mean you should let it run rampant and make it even easier for them to do so, quite the opposite.


Instanced housing for personal estates, I'm all for it. I don't care what people do with their personal houses. For FCs, the system will have to be much, much more strict about who can make and maintain an FC and the requirements for a workshop should be even stricter. A real group of players would be able to meet them realistically, but it'd be enough of a bother for bots to have to shell out more money and time maintaining this stuff. Or you know, they could actually crack down on them harder, but that's not really our business unfortunately lol if the appropriate safeguards to prevent abuse are put in, again I don't care what people do with their houses, I hope they have fun! But this is SE we're talking about; they'd sooner remove the workshop than prevent bots from exploiting it without having players face the repercussions...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shistar

The stables in apartments are better than the ones you can place in your own plot because you don't have to waste an item slot or any of your own resources obtaining and placing it,

---

Ha, well clearly I was getting my wires crossed in anxiety thinking about crops and plots and misreading land permissions, And since I've never really looked too much into stables or FC stables I figured you could do Chocobo breeding for the Gold Saucer or something more unique. I agree, accuracy is essential when pushing for reform. I’ve acknowledged that one of my earlier points was off, and I appreciate you helping to keep the conversation grounded.

But even with that, the core issue remains unchanged:

• Plot-based stables allow personal placement, creative integration into your outdoor layout, and the ability to control access, none of which apply to apartment stables.
• The ability to choose what goes in your space and where is a huge part of why personal housing matters to so many players, even when the functional difference is minor.
• You can help care for your friends or FC members Chocobos in a personal or FC stable. At least from my understanding how the permissions work at least?.

Calling something a “waste” because it isn’t functionally optimal misses the point for players who care more about expression than efficiency. FFXIV isn’t just a game about systems, it’s a game about stories, imagination, and customization. That includes the freedom to use space in ways that aren’t strictly utilitarian.

And above all, this thread isn’t just about stables. It’s about mental health, compassion, and how the current housing policies, especially auto-demolition, fail players who step away to care for themselves. That’s what I came here to advocate for, and that remains my focus.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shistar

If you have the gil to get even a small house, you absolutely have the gil to make a workshop or will have it very soon. I understand not wanting to block players from engaging with the content, but you're also making it extremely easy for RMT bots to do their thing if you just enable it as it is. Just because it's already happening doesn't mean you should let it run rampant and make it even easier for them to do so, quite the opposite.

---

You're right that workshops are relatively cheap once a house is secured. But the real barrier isn’t the gil, it’s housing availability. If FCs can’t get a plot, they’re locked out of workshop content entirely. That’s why many players advocate for detaching workshops from housing, or making them accessible through instanced systems.

As for RMT bots: yes, they’re a problem. But punishing legitimate players by withholding features isn’t the solution. The better path is implementing safeguards, like:

• Requiring FC rank or member count to unlock workshop access
• Adding cooldowns or contribution thresholds for workshop projects
• Monitoring suspicious activity more aggressively

These ideas have already been floated in community discussions, and they strike a balance between accessibility and abuse prevention.
"The real fix to the housing crisis."
Why are workshops and extra rooms FC-exclusive?

The heart of my original post was about mental health, and how auto-demolition punishes players who step away to care for themselves. Whether it’s a solo player or an FC leader, no one should lose their home because they needed time to heal.

So while I welcome corrections and deeper discussion, I hope we can keep the spotlight on the bigger picture: building a housing system that’s fair, compassionate, and resilient, not just technically functional.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

Your post is filled with half truths and emotional arguments.

---

and your reply's are not emotional arguments? calling the kettle black cause everytime you seem to interact with housing posts you deny, deflect, an object to anything that would remotely improve the way the system works or would give everyone a house with all things included that current owners already enjoy for themselves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

The housing system in Final Fantasy XIV


Implement instanced housing so every player and FC can own a home
Remove or extend auto-demolition timers, especially for medical or mental health reasons
Introduce better preservation options, like plot suspension or grace periods
Create a support system for players who need time away


Final Thought

If you’ve spent thousands of hours building a sanctuary, you deserve to keep it, even if life pulls you away.

---

yes we need to have a form of instance housing strictly for individual players which can have estate sharing as an option for people who have a significant other or just want to share a space with their most cherished friends.
and it should have things readily available for use that normal houses already have such as gardens,stables, market board, retainers etc.
and this would alleviate so much stress on the game and the community cause then the system won't be taxed by constantly needing to add more wards or districts to accommodate every single player and the players would finally be able to take breaks if needed for their health or world events that trigger unplanned emergencies etc.

i think they should still keep the demolition timer but extend it like you mentioned too a lengthier period of time i'd argue 100 days max would be more than enough to prove someone is no longer interested in keeping the plot or logging back in.
i think the neighborhood system should return to just being FC only an the new and improved instanced housing should replace solo ownership not saying for anyone to get kicked out of their home if they already have one but i think the devs should at the very least add a gil incentive if the person chooses to demolish like sort of give them a refund of the property plus interest of a certain percent to make it easier for them to decide on the move etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShadowyZero

yes we need to have a form of instance housing strictly for individual players which can have estate sharing as an option for people who have a significant other or just want to share a space with their most cherished friends.
and it should have things readily available for use that normal houses already have such as gardens,stables, market board, retainers etc.
and this would alleviate so much stress on the game and the community cause then the system won't be taxed by constantly needing to add more wards or districts to accommodate every single player and the players would finally be able to take breaks if needed for their health or world events that trigger unplanned emergencies etc.

i think they should still keep the demolition timer but extend it like you mentioned too a lengthier period of time i'd argue 100 days max would be more than enough to prove someone is no longer interested in keeping the plot or logging back in.
i think the neighborhood system should return to just being FC only an the new and improved instanced housing should replace solo ownership not saying for anyone to get kicked out of their home if they already have one but i think the devs should at the very least add a gil incentive if the person chooses to demolish like sort of give them a refund of the property plus interest of a certain percent to make it easier for them to decide on the move etc.

---

If you gave me a 100 days to log in.I would be required to log in 3 times a year to keep it. The lottery system is going to take place about once every three months.

It benefits those who own a plot already. But if you don't own one , your wait for one just got far worse

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShadowyZero

and your reply's are not emotional arguments? calling the kettle black cause everytime you seem to interact with housing posts you deny, deflect, an object to anything that would remotely improve the way the system works or would give everyone a house with all things included that current owners already enjoy for themselves.

---

If you want a ward bid for it like the rest of us or go where the supply is easily accessible. If you are unwilling to go where the supply is.Or you don't want to deal with the bidding.I don't feel bad for you. You don't want to increase your chances and I don't feel bad for you.

You have 45 days to keep your plot.If you don't log in and lose it that's on you (your physical or mental health/state is none of anyones concern but your own) There are too many players and not enough plots to go around.So if it goes unused it needs to go back up on the market for whatever reason. Use it or lose it.

Square does read the feedback and they do respond to some of the players feedback. Like Apts, the demo timer, the hidden release timer, theme changes, the lottery system, and even readjusting the lighting from the model update But instanced housing? One of the topics that pop up time and time again? They arnt entertaining it..Regardless on how I feel on the matter. The silence on this subject over the last decade tells me all I need to know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

You have 45 days to keep your plot.If you don't log in and lose it that's on you (your physical or mental health/state is none of anyones concern but your own)

---

I truly hope you never have to deal with a physical illness like cancer or diabetes or mental health like PTSD and brain damage, you have 0 compassion and it's disgusting, no it's sad, it's worrisome, it's concerning.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

Square does read the feedback and they do respond to some of the players feedback. Like Apts, the demo timer, the hidden release timer, theme changes, the lottery system, and even readjusting the lighting from the model update But instanced housing? One of the topics that pop up time and time again? They arnt entertaining it..Regardless on how I feel on the matter. The silence on this subject over the last decade tells me all I need to know.

---

The sad thing is the reason they usually give for why it’s set up the way it is, is that they’re so attached to the “neighborhood feeling” of the wards, while instanced could actually create that better. Honestly I’d personally be happy with just an instanced plot off by itself with some generic background scenery. But now you have one of the XIV’s biggest competitors in the marketplace, WoW, creating instanced housing that will allow you to create housing neighborhoods with your friends or guildmates! With activities you can do together as a neighborhood!

Meanwhile, here the wards are now restricted to FC, Personal or Mixed, so if your FC is in an FC only ward, you can’t get a house next to your FC house. Even if your FC is in a mixed ward, the lotto makes it impossible to guarantee you a plot next to your FC house. So if you’re lucky enough to get a house at all, you’re living next to strangers you rarely even see, or worse, empty houses just being used for submarine farms. If a ward doesn’t have a really active FC or a venue, it’s pretty much a ghost town. It’s a “neighborhood” in layout only.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

I truly hope you never have to deal with a physical illness like cancer or diabetes or mental health like PTSD and brain damage, you have 0 compassion and it's disgusting, no it's sad, it's worrisome, it's concerning.

---

You expecting a video game to account for your life circumstances is sad.

You'd get a Sob story everytime someone lost their plot and everyone would be asking for their plots back. You just have to point to the rules and say no exceptions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Khryseis_Astra

The sad thing is the reason they usually give for why it’s set up the way it is, is that they’re so attached to the “neighborhood feeling” of the wards, while instanced could actually create that better. Honestly I’d personally be happy with just an instanced plot off by itself with some generic background scenery. But now you have one of the XIV’s biggest competitors in the marketplace, WoW, creating instanced housing that will allow you to create housing neighborhoods with your friends or guildmates! With activities you can do together as a neighborhood!

Meanwhile, here the wards are now restricted to FC, Personal or Mixed, so if your FC is in an FC only ward, you can’t get a house next to your FC house. Even if your FC is in a mixed ward, the lotto makes it impossible to guarantee you a plot next to your FC house. So if you’re lucky enough to get a house at all, you’re living next to strangers you rarely even see, or worse, empty houses just being used for submarine farms. If a ward doesn’t have a really active FC or a venue, it’s pretty much a ghost town. It’s a “neighborhood” in layout only.

---

I do enjoy the neighborhood idea myself. However it does require the players to make it work. But if the players themselves don't want to spend time in the wards or the ward or their plots for any length of time. The whole neighborhood idea falls apart. The fact that my plot and Apts have permanent fixxed locations. I like being able to freely waltz into your housing unit (as I've done so, you have a cozy fc room)

And to have a permanent location it has to be limited. I don't want to end up with a system like island sanctuary.Where it's a friend list limited system or you have to be online for players to check out your housing space.


If you get a bunch of actual housing buffs in one ward, the neighborhood would come to life. It's more so that you have players wanting plots because it's exclusivity not necessarily because they want to decorate. So once they obtain it they decorate a little bit and eventually move on and go back to hanging out in the hubs. So the wards feel empty in comparison.

For example if I were in your ward. The ward would feel livelier because I spend most of my time out in the ward/housing. If you had other players like that then you would feel the ward feels like a neighborhood.

But if I weren't interested in housing beyond obtaining it. Of course I would try to decorate a little bit but I would move on soon after. And only return to maintain the plot once i was done. So you're ward feels empty because I willingly choose to stay in the hubs over the housing wards.

I read in your other post that they reactivated the north american demolition timer. So I thought to check my word to see what plots opened up. Only one did on excalibur in ward 4. So the housing ward is quiet but players are active enough to keep their plots

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

You expecting a video game to account for your life circumstances is sad.

You'd get a Sob story everytime someone lost their plot and everyone would be asking for their plots back. You just have to point to the rules and say no exceptions.

---

:rolleyes: proving my point already to be true you're just here to derail or troll those of us who want change lol an letting your emotions twist your judgement cause you have that "got mine" attitude an feel so privileged that you didnt have to deal with the burden of getting what you wanted.
we all are paying customers here and its pathetic to simp this hard for a multi-millonaire business that can and should be giving us returns on our monthly payment. not giving us half baked excuses for why they can't give us anything for that investment back
so do us all a favor "solowing" an kindly take your bitterness and trolling somewhere where its appreciated cause no one in this thread cares for your opinion either

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShadowyZero

:rolleyes: proving my point already to be true you're just here to derail or troll those of us who want change lol an letting your emotions twist your judgement cause you have that "got mine" attitude an feel so privileged that you didnt have to deal with the burden of getting what you wanted.
we all are paying customers here and its pathetic to simp this hard for a multi-millonaire business that *can and should be giving us *returns on our monthly payment* (in what form in relation to housing?) (We are speaking on housing, not the overall game, youre using all encompassing language). not giving us half baked excuses for why they can't give us anything for that investment back
so do us all a favor "solowing" an kindly take your bitterness and trolling somewhere where its appreciated cause no one in this thread cares for your opinion either

---

To address bit by bit.

That is literally what would happen, no plot would ever get freed up for due to every unforseen circumstance under the sun being the reason why somebody couldn't get to their plot in time. Unfortunately due to the plots being limited supply that rule must be non-negotiable as cold as it comes off as. Remember I am also subjected to these rules. And when I lost my Brynildr ward 7 plot 41 medium. I didnt rage that I lost my FC and the plot. I knew the rules and I slipped up and that's on me. Im living by the rules I asked for, so I couldn't and don't complain about losing it.

Yes we are all paying customers, you have access to housing. But its not granted to you.... it requires a level 50, side quest, GC Rank and the gil to purchase it. Notice in no part does it promise you anything, all it does is give you access to housing. And the burden of obtaining that plot/apt is on the player.

There's nothing bitter about it.You just don't like what I have to say. But unfortunately this is one of the things that is well known about parts of the community. Anything they don't like or agree with they'll try to silence it.

You've called me Bitter, a troll a simp, privileged.

I started with no housing just like you, i started on the same playing field as you did so how am I privileged?

A Troll? For not agreeing with you? Am I supposed to agree with you? Am I allowed.to have.my own opinion and thoughts?

A Simp? For posting my own opinions? I like the ward system snd thats fine.

I care just as much about your personal situation over losing your plot as much as you care about my opinion. It isnt my problem, it isnt my concern. But actually thats how players are going to treat a demod plot. They see open plots, they want open plots. Even if you lost a plot and explained to anyone who came to bid on that now open plot that, a dire life situation took place and you lost it and want to recover it. You'd still be bidding against 10 people minimum even after explaining it to everyone.

I called your your demand entitled, but it actually fit the definition. "Entitled" Having a right or claim to something,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

To address bit by bit.
Snip

---

Thanks for laying out your perspective, I can see you’re speaking from personal experience, and I respect that. But I want to clarify a few things, especially since this conversation started as an advocacy for mental health support in FFXIV’s housing system, not a demand for special treatment. Mental Health isn’t an excuse, It’s a reality.

You mentioned that if exceptions were made for "every unforeseen circumstance", no plots would ever free up. But mental health crises aren’t just "unforeseen circumstances", they’re medical emergencies. Just like physical illness, they can render someone unable to log in, pay a sub, or even communicate. Suggesting that players should simply "live by the rules" ignores the fact that some players are fighting for their lives, not just their login streak.

You lost your plot and accepted it, and that’s valid. But not everyone has the same capacity to bounce back. Some players lose their homes while hospitalized, grieving, or in psychiatric care. That’s not slipping up, that’s surviving. Yes, technically everyone has "access" to housing. But access doesn’t mean attainability. If the system requires you to win a lottery, compete with bots, and maintain perfect attendance, then it’s not truly accessible, especially for players with disabilities, unpredictable schedules, or mental health challenges.

I haven’t called you bitter, a troll, or a simp, and I don’t condone anyone doing so. You’re absolutely allowed to have your own opinion. But when someone advocates for compassion and reform, and the response is "it’s not my problem", that’s not just disagreement, it’s dismissal. Calling someone "entitled" for wanting a system that doesn’t punish them for being sick or vulnerable? That’s not just semantics, it’s harmful. Wanting a fairer system isn’t entitlement. It’s empathy.

You’re right that even if someone loses a plot due to crisis, others will bid on it. That’s exactly why the system needs to change, so players aren’t forced to choose between healing and housing.

This isn’t about silencing opinions. It’s about amplifying the voices of those who’ve been punished for being human. And if FFXIV is truly a game about community, then we owe it to each other to build systems that reflect that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

This isn’t about silencing opinions. It’s about amplifying the voices of those who’ve been punished for being human. And if FFXIV is truly a game about community, then we owe it to each other to build systems that reflect that.

---

dont wast your energy or breath on that person OP you're advocating for a good cause don't let them poison you with their entitled behavior or toxic gate keeping mindset.
for as long as i have been a member of this forum "solowing" has done nothing but call us names or tell us to give up on owning a plot on our own servers where most of our friends and fc would reside on an blame us for SE's failure to provide its paying subscribers what they pay for namely for content and for a place to settle into ingame etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

To address bit by bit.

I care just as much about your personal situation over losing your plot as much as you care about my opinion. It isnt my problem, it isnt my concern. But actually thats how players are going to treat a demod plot. They see open plots, they want open plots. Even if you lost a plot and explained to anyone who came to bid on that now open plot that, a dire life situation took place and you lost it and want to recover it. You'd still be bidding against 10 people minimum even after explaining it to everyone.

I called your your demand entitled, but it actually fit the definition. "Entitled" Having a right or claim to something,

---

its a digital asset and one that can be generated continuously for as long as the company has money going into it how on earth has this not crossed your mind?
do they not periodically add more wards? more apartments? and new districts retroactively? and what about their supposed investment in the cloud servers service? why is that not being utilized? an only now they tell us they can give us an increase in furnishing slots yet say no mention of adding additional wards etc.

this is not a luxury and its not a privilege or entitlement yes all that is correct so tell me again why YOU specifically then are against everyone player having access to one freely and privately? especially if we are all paying the same monthly why do only the "lucky" get to keep an own one while the rest have to settle for less or nothing at all?
its not a choice its forcefully shoved down our throats and hearing people like you tell us "too bad how sad, you could move you just dont want too." is disingenuous and its rude. not to mention just making excuses for the development to ignore our feedback to change all that so its completely a non-existent issue. everyone would have a plot they could have whatever size they want and it would be good you would never hear this argument again. having a plot doesn't make you "special" or "chosen" just means you got it thru your own time and efforts an rather than antagonizing us for wanting the same thing you should just not join these threads at all if it bothers you so badly that the poor gamers all want a house plot like all their friends and guild mates without sacrificing convenience.

Solowing at this point, I feel, is paid by Enix to parade around on the Housing forums, white knighting for them.

But that's neither here nor there, and one of the reasons they, along with others are on my ignore list.



I play another MMO that's been live since 1997, has had player housing since about 2001-2002ish, and still blows XIV's housing out of the water. You can literally quit the game, and still keep your house (provided you keep in-game currency in your bank to fund the monthly payment).

Imagine instead of having this demolition timer bullshit, the 45 day inactivity period, they just implemented monthly rental fees for every single plot. Solves the economy problem in one fell swoop. And probably free up half, if not more plots on every single world.



But what do I know. Or care?

If you're talking about tibia you might need to add you still need a premium account to hold a house.
And thanks for mentioning the ignore list, new to the forum and i needed that information because....yeah. Reasons.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Llamalass

Solowing at this point, I feel, is paid by Enix to parade around on the Housing forums, white knighting for them.

But that's neither here nor there, and one of the reasons they, along with others are on my ignore list.



I play another MMO that's been live since 1997, has had player housing since about 2001-2002ish, and still blows XIV's housing out of the water. You can literally quit the game, and still keep your house (provided you keep in-game currency in your bank to fund the monthly payment).

Imagine instead of having this demolition timer bullshit, the 45 day inactivity period, they just implemented monthly rental fees for every single plot. Solves the economy problem in one fell swoop. And probably free up half, if not more plots on every single world.



But what do I know. Or care?

---

If rent is your idea to fix this problem im happy to be on that list. Either the cost is either insignificant or going to price players out who don't have much income over time. And they lose their gil and plot in 1 go

There is no other reason than corporate greed that they can't take some of that yearly funding of approx $120,000,000.00 - $200,000,000.00 and put it to making housing better, like actually better not just 'bandaids' to slots and tardis housing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

There is no other reason than corporate greed that they can't take some of that yearly funding of approx $120,000,000.00 - $200,000,000.00 and put it to making housing better, like actually better not just 'bandaids' to slots and tardis housing.

---

"The dragon-slaying boy eventually becomes the dragon."

It's all a matter of perspective.
Before judging too harshly, consider this: put yourself in that same corporate seat, with the same pressures, responsibilities, and compromises; and chances are, you'd end up making similar choices… maybe even worse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Divinemights

"The dragon-slaying boy eventually becomes the dragon."

It's all a matter of perspective.
Before judging too harshly, consider this: put yourself in that same corporate seat, with the same pressures, responsibilities, and compromises; and chances are, you'd end up making similar choices… maybe even worse.

---

thank you. Players goals arnt necessarily aligned with the company's goal

Anyone who acts like an elitist over FFXIV housing must lead a very sad life lol

Keep that same contempt for the people who designed, implemented and maintain the system.

They can change it and choose not to, I simply like the ward system but have no control over it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

There is no other reason than corporate greed that they can't take some of that yearly funding of approx $120,000,000.00 - $200,000,000.00 and put it to making housing better, like actually better not just 'bandaids' to slots and tardis housing.

---

How much is it going to cost to rework it? And how is that investment going to make a return?

With World of Warcraft , its going to make a return from it via the WoW token and Store purchased items.

How are they going to pay for the investment (XIV) if its a free feature to access and doesn't require any real money to partake in the system? I get you would prefer a instanced system, but why would S.E want to change it? It's where player interest and company interest diverge on this subject.


What would you think they should do to make that investment worth it? That would also benefit them more then the current system?

At this point SE does NOT give a single flying duck about housing, or upgrades to Housing, or anything. THey Only care about MONEY.

NOTHING ELSE. nice betrayal SE, thanks for sticking by your loyal subscribers...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yuniko

At this point SE does NOT give a single flying duck about housing, or upgrades to Housing, or anything. THey Only care about MONEY.

NOTHING ELSE. nice betrayal SE, thanks for sticking by your loyal subscribers...

---

This is what happens when you have corporate bean counters running things, they only care about profits and would throw out slop and see if it sticks instead of having real gamers leading. When real gamers were leading over 20 years ago, FF was at it's best and the same is true for many franchises like Halo and Half Life for example. That passion for gaming is gone at the top of the corporate ladder in SE and all other AAA gaming publishers. The 90s and 2000s truly were the golden age of gaming in terms of creativity and more before corporate bean counters took over.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rinoa_353

This is what happens when you have corporate bean counters running things, they only care about profits and would throw out slop and see if it sticks instead of having real gamers leading. When real gamers were leading over 20 years ago, FF was at it's best and the same is true for many franchises like Halo and Half Life for example. That passion for gaming is gone at the top of the corporate ladder in SE and all other AAA gaming publishers. The 90s and 2000s truly were the golden age of gaming in terms of creativity and more before corporate bean counters took over.

---

Games aren't just a art that can make money now. It's seen as a money maker that can create art as a byproduct these days

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rinoa_353

This is what happens when you have corporate bean counters running things, they only care about profits and would throw out slop and see if it sticks instead of having real gamers leading. When real gamers were leading over 20 years ago, FF was at it's best and the same is true for many franchises like Halo and Half Life for example. That passion for gaming is gone at the top of the corporate ladder in SE and all other AAA gaming publishers. The 90s and 2000s truly were the golden age of gaming in terms of creativity and more before corporate bean counters took over.

---

Yep. And it saddens me to no end.

If totalbiscuit was alive to this day, he'd be Peeved.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solowing

If you want a ward bid for it like the rest of us or go where the supply is easily accessible. If you are unwilling to go where the supply is.Or you don't want to deal with the bidding.I don't feel bad for you. You don't want to increase your chances and I don't feel bad for you.

You have 45 days to keep your plot.If you don't log in and lose it that's on you (your physical or mental health/state is none of anyones concern but your own) There are too many players and not enough plots to go around.So if it goes unused it needs to go back up on the market for whatever reason. Use it or lose it.

Square does read the feedback and they do respond to some of the players feedback. Like Apts, the demo timer, the hidden release timer, theme changes, the lottery system, and even readjusting the lighting from the model update But instanced housing? One of the topics that pop up time and time again? They arnt entertaining it..Regardless on how I feel on the matter. The silence on this subject over the last decade tells me all I need to know.

---

I can't even get a apartment in my own world. And yet a elitist still yelling at people who want their own houses should go where house is "accessible". WHY DO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY WORLD TO GET A HOUSE?

The current housing system is literally against the TOS.

I'm half-joking, but think about it: it breaks TOS to engage in "any kind of obstructive behavior that prevents the activities of another player." Well, if you buy that sweet beachside mansion, you're preventing another player from doing the same. Imagine if other content was only accessible to a limited number of players: Sorry, you can't get that mount until one of the players who has it doesn't ride it for 45 days. Sorry, that cool glam isn't available until one of the owners hasn't worn it for 45 days. And of course housing is worse than loot being limited, because of all the activities that are locked behind housing.

It pits player vs. player in the most toxic way possible. We shouldn't have to even think about how many houses another player has, because one person's loot or activities shouldn't reduce anyone else's access to the same.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shi0shio

I can't even get a apartment in my own world. And yet a elitist still yelling at people who want their own houses should go where house is "accessible". WHY DO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY WORLD TO GET A HOUSE?

---

in balmungs situation there is a actual housing crisis not a plot crisis. Your issue is a genuine housing concern as you cannot partake in housing in ANY fashion.

I don't necessarily agree with either, but I'm looking as a incentive for players for fill out the lower pop servers imo. Gotta fill up those servers. You don't have to go if you don't want to.

Mind you, you don't have to leave your world at all.You just have to compete. However you are given a baseline access to housing.

I personally think if we're going to get improvements to the system.It has to go from the plot down. I.
Think the best way to go about it is trying to bring this standard of the apartments up without infringing on plots.

They want you to get a plot and the demo timer will keep you around once you obtain it. The plots are the carrot on a stick thats actually a hook that your emotional/time investment ties you to it. And then ask is that investment worth the 12 to 15 dollars a month to keep it.

But also let's say they swap to an instance system, you'll start seeing that monetization show up potentially in more aggressive ways.

But for Balmung that is a genuine housing problem and agree that needs to be looked into. I think players are entitled to be able to access housing in some capacity as housing is a feature. But that doesn't contradict my previous statement on it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shnrnr

The current housing system is literally against the TOS.

it breaks TOS to engage in "any kind of obstructive behavior that prevents the activities of another player

---

i'm no lawyer. What's that interpretation apply to pretty much anything like mobs, bosses, item level requirements, time gated lockouts?

(Devils advocate)

Well, if you want to travel to less populated servers to get a house, be quick about it, bots are filling the slots at a rapid pace for a few months! I see this happening on Sagittarius.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shnrnr

The current housing system is literally against the TOS.

I'm half-joking, but think about it: it breaks TOS to engage in "any kind of obstructive behavior that prevents the activities of another player." Well, if you buy that sweet beachside mansion, you're preventing another player from doing the same. Imagine if other content was only accessible to a limited number of players: Sorry, you can't get that mount until one of the players who has it doesn't ride it for 45 days. Sorry, that cool glam isn't available until one of the owners hasn't worn it for 45 days. And of course housing is worse than loot being limited, because of all the activities that are locked behind housing.

It pits player vs. player in the most toxic way possible. We shouldn't have to even think about how many houses another player has, because one person's loot or activities shouldn't reduce anyone else's access to the same.

---

Reduce the demo timer to 15 days and see how that works out. (As a fc leader with a inactive fc. I have 14 days to not be online or id lose my fc and the plot)

It was just frustrate players even more because they have to log in even more frequently.

But reducing it to about sixty days will piss just as many if not more players off since now it takes even longer to get a plot, and plots will go abandoned for even longer before it goes back on sale.

45 days is long enough to take a break from the game. And even go on vacation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by s32ialx

I truly hope you never have to deal with a physical illness like cancer or diabetes or mental health like PTSD and brain damage, you have 0 compassion and it's disgusting, no it's sad, it's worrisome, it's concerning.

---

I have. I was hit by a car during my time here, as well as had a existential emotional meltdown. None of which is anyone's concern or problem but my own. Im not trying deny people go through things. But it isnt a games responsibility to account for that. And that does sound cold, but how else could you say it?

The unfortunately reality was regardless of my condition any company that runs on profit was still going to ask for payment regardless of my condition or status on the due date. And either payment is rendered or services are discontinued.

The demo timer is a necessary evil, and I rather be absolutely fair in a system where there isnt enough to go around. You need to make use of the plot to some capacity to keep it. If you were incapacitated , I think you have much bigger problems to worry about than a virtual video game house, priorities need shifting.