An Open Letter to Yoshida-san: Please Slice One Zero Off the Housing Prices

[Sayura_]

Whatever the real issue is, you guys just don't know. I haven't even been playing this game for a month and I can tell, it handles alot more server activity than your typical MMO would. I understand that many typical players wouldn't understand that type of thing, but the QQ is still a bit baffling.

So limiting the number of people in a zone (with no overflow) because Odin used to crash entire servers is handling a lot?

Instanced housing versus open-world housing that has been around since at least 2000 is handling a lot?

Not being able to even whisper or see your friends list in an instance is handling a lot?

Admitting they cannot PHYSICALLY implement more housing instances right now is handling a lot?

[DawnCharis]

Not a single plot of land bought in all 5 wards.

[Lingarn]

This is exactly what im talking about. An unexpected amount of server stress from player activity = unsuccessful launch? On which planet, can I ask?

Earth, where we expect to be able to play games we pay to play.

And that's assuming that the current housing problem is even a server issue -- that just sounds like another corporate evil theory from people who like to complain about stuff.

Whatever the real issue is, you guys just don't know. I haven't even been playing this game for a month and I can tell, it handles alot more server activity than your typical MMO would. I understand that many typical players wouldn't understand that type of thing, but the QQ is still a bit baffling.

This is incorrect. Yoshida stated that if prices were closer to what they originally said they would be, the wealthy people would buy all the houses (even though each FC can only have 1), and everyone else would have to wait a long time to get one, even if they had the money. The obvious fix would be to add more houses, but he stated that they don't have the server capacity to do that.

I will repeat.

Yoshida said that they don't have the server capacity to give everyone a house. The lack of server capacity is not speculative, or based on assumptions. It is a fact.

[Edellis]

Yoshida said that they don't have the server capacity to give everyone a house. The lack of server capacity is not speculative, or based on assumptions. It is a fact.

Of course they don't. But I don't think every player expected to be given their own house. FC restrictions on buying a house don't mean much. If players could buy them, they'd work towards getting one.

You guys are assuming they don't have the server space to accommodate the housing spaces that already exist. Which is something I find unlikely, even given Square's fibbing history.

[Ksenia]

No server capacity for houses.

Joe has House B, lot F server 12. Here is the junk that's in it.
It's a call list of around 5kb max?

What are they doing? Live streaming the graphics?
Wards are copy and paste. Put up 500 wards. It's no different than handling open world or DF traffic. Sargatanas traffic nodes can handle Sargatanas Housing traffic nodes. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this no server capacity thing.

[ArkhamNative]

Not a single plot of land bought in all 5 wards.

Any FCs that will be buying a house have to increase their Rank to 6, which seems like it could take nearly a week at the current reported rates.

That said, I don't expect many houses to appear in the next month or two, at least not on Legacy worlds, because Yoshi-P's response basically said all Legacy world land prices will plummet ~70% to match world group #3 in March.

[Cichy]

Problem with the housing is simple. Housing does not have any value, it's cosmetic item essentially. If different plots provided some sort of amazing benefits people would jump on it. However, most Free Companies do not even trust their leader and will not fork out the money. If you get kicked from the FC than you're out of cash. It maybe called FC housing but it's still tied to the leader and he decides on what happens with it.
Anyways, sorry dev team but housing is worth 0 money because it provides 0 benefits. You need to realize that people will pursue items that benefit them and housing has just no value.

[Roflcoptorz]

While I think you are right, and its 95% chance this is the real issue, this is not what SE stated. People are just picking on the *FACTS* SE placed in front of them. Many are just calling Yoshida's B.S. Now if he had come out and said, "We don't have server capacity, and are delaying it further" people would then address the *FACTS* put in front of them there. The problem with speculating and assuming is, well, that they are speculations and assumptions. People don't just clamor behind those. Unfortunately for Yoshida, he chose something terrible to try and justify their decisions with.

You are absolutely right, and I guess phrased it better than me. Just trying to get people to reorient their comments so maybe SE would be honest in the future. Tell me it's not ready. Tell me we released it but need to stress test it first. I'll be bummed, but I'll respect you and move on.

[Quesse]

All the talk about economy and RMT and how housing prices are high because of that IS A LIE. There may be a small amount of truth to it, but overall it is a lie/ extreme exaggeration which SE is using to hide the truth.
The Truth is FC housing IS NOT READY. By making the prices artificially high, they are ensuring the housing servers don't get swamped and crash. SE failed to stress test/ set up enough servers for every FC to have a house. So now they set an artificial barrier to prevent this from happening. It has nothing to do with economy or RMT. The content they released isn't ready. Remember launch? Except instead of not being able to log in, you aren't able to purchase a house.
Why you ask? Because instead of saying, sorry we missed another deadline, they can point the finger at someone else.

I'm still in denial. Yoshi has usually been pretty honest and forthcoming with the issues he faces. But in this particular case his comments seem so far off the mark I'm ultra confused. Who replaced Yoshi with this liar who says RMT and economy, gil in circulation blah blah blah has anything to do with housing prices. All those things can be solved other, more palatable, ways than screwing 95% of every server pop out of getting an FC house. I just don't know who he thinks he's kidding. If the instance infrastructure is not ready just SAY SO. If patch 2.1 had to be delayed, SAY SO. If FC housing had to be pushed back to 2.2 then DO IT. Stop with this wall of text namby-pamby "we didn't want people to be unable to buy a house because they were all sold out so we made it so no one could buy a house" nonsense.

[Roflcoptorz]

I'm still in denial. Yoshi has usually been pretty honest and forthcoming with the issues he faces. But in this particular case his comments seem so far off the mark I'm ultra confused. Who replaced Yoshi with this liar who says RMT and economy, gil in circulation blah blah blah has anything to do with housing prices. All those things can be solved other, more palatable, ways than screwing 95% of every server pop out of getting an FC house. I just don't know who he thinks he's kidding. If the instance infrastructure is not ready just SAY SO. If patch 2.1 had to be delayed, SAY SO. If FC housing had to be pushed back to 2.2 then DO IT.

Fact.
Yoshi-san, I look forward to your response. Like Queese said, I had been impressed with the openness and honesty you have given the player base in the past. But this... is ridiculous. Be honest and ur community will Continue to support you. Keep lying, and it will leave.