Housing: A clever gil sink wrapped in a pretty package.

[Rivienne]

Of course it is a gil sink.. And new content.... That is how this game works.

Most things you buy in this game are worth less after you buy than before. Including every outfit you buy, every weapon, crafting item, etc.

As for "pretty package"... Well sure... Minions have no value, and many are a gil sink. They certainly serve no purpose whatsoever, whereas housing does actually have some benefits.

But anyway, as per minions, the pretty package IS what people pay for. Or completionist credit. It doesn't have to have any real return value.

And housing is certainly more worthwhile over the long term than minions, or gear that will be obsoleted next path/dungeon you run.

[Hulan]

I'm not blaming you - because if it's not your thing, it's not your thing. But you seem to have entirely missed the intrinsic value of buying a house in virtual space. There are entire games based around building a house and living in it (in some form or another): Haven and Hearth, any Sims game, Minecraft if you stretch the meaning, Terraria, to name a few.

I embrace the addition of housing, even if I will not necessarily be able to partake myself, simply because it represents a return to a core concept of MMOs that has been lost in many recent installments. MMOs are worlds. It is the ultimate form of escapism, for better or worse. Housing represents a desire from the developers to make FFXIV about more than the tired progression to better and better lutes (only BRD need apply).

[Bufkus]

Player housing in every MMO is a money sink.

[Felis]

As for "pretty package"... Well sure... Minions have no value, and many are a gil sink.

Only 3 minions are gil sinks. The other Minions are gil redistributors.

[HunkyJimpjorps]

I don't see what the point of equipment is. It's just clothes with big numbers on the tag. I don't care about numbers. Therefore, S-E, please stop insulting my intelligence and remove all gear stats.

[LoLo]

It gives crafters something to do in game. What is so wrong with that?

[RoosterAgathos]

Snip-age.

Thank you. I will admit i didn't look at it this way. If that is the desire of the development team i think its a great feature to add. But why put such a hefty price-tag on something designed to enrich your enjoyment of the game.

[Hulan]

Thank you. I will admit i didn't look at it this way. If that is the desire of the development team i think its a great feature to add. But why put such a hefty price-tag on something designed to enrich your enjoyment of the game.

I try not to speak for the devs (quoted post aside I suppose), but I suspect it has two-fold purpose. One purpose is exactly what you mentioned. I didn't really say you were wrong just that you had missed an important component. Taking gil out of the economy is an important feature for managing a healthy MMO economy. I choose to focus on the other [suspected] reason though. Even people who just want to build a house and live in it want a challenge; something they can work toward. Placing a big price tag on it makes buying a house an achievement.

Think of buying a house like Darklight for people interested in housing, it's the first hurdle to progress towards the ultimate goal of having the best house. In order to get Darklight, you have to grind AK or some equivalent source of tomes. The price of the house represents the same investment for those interested in that aspect.

[Alhanelem]

"Housing: A clever gil sink wrapped in a pretty package."

And.... so what? People like pretty packages. If you don't like housing, you don't have to get any. Anything you can spend gil on is a "gil sink," But if you never spend any, then what good is it for?

[Lingarn]

As to value, while it is true that housing is supposed to be unlimited (instanced), it is also true that each instance will be limited. So if you want a house in the same instance as your friend's FC, or one which has the best neighborhood (due to other people being creative decorators, not spamming the housing chat, whatever) you may still end up paying a premium for land in that space.

The reason any particular bit of land has value is because people like the area, the amenities, the community, whatever happens to be around that land; not just the land itself.