How to fix the housing crisis!

[Atreyu]

Not everyone should have a housing plot. There. I said it.
Part of the fun of an MMORPG is obtaining exclusive and unique things, be it pets, mounts, gear, etc. It's a collection treadmill and it keeps people playing.

If you're fine with things being fully instanced, then why is having an apartment a problem? Why do you want a full house then if you're claiming that instances are 'perfectly swell'?

Instead of asking SE to take away what people are ENJOYING (clearly, or they'd not be buying up the houses far faster than the apartments) then ask for different tiers (ie more expensive/roomy) apartments rather than trying to take away/move/change housing that people are enjoying. Some of us enjoy our open gardens, thank you.

You want instanced housing? Fine. But then you settle for that and let other people who like their semi-open gardens and plots be.

Also I played Wildstar. The customization of the housing was second to none. The actual implementation of the housing (ie instances with barricades of entry such as friends list requirements) was terribly isolated and lonely feeling.

[Naunet]

The actual implementation of the housing (ie instances with barricades of entry such as friends list requirements) was terribly isolated and lonely feeling.

Wat. If you set your house public literally anyone can access it. They even opened it up to be cross-faction a few patches ago. The housing community is the exact opposite of isolated and lonely in that game and outside of the raiding community is the most flourishing aspect of WildStar. Zone chat in housing is always full of folk asking questions, people visit each others housing plots for ideas/to show off, and the community hosts events constantly - both RP and non-RP ones. It feels much more active and involved and immersive than a bunch of samey houses of limited availability.

[Celef]

[B]
If you're fine with things being fully instanced, then why is having an apartment a problem? Why do you want a full house then if you're claiming that instances are 'perfectly swell'?

Because we want to be abble de decorate more than just one room and have a garden ?

[Atreyu]

Because we want to be abble de decorate more than just one room and have a garden ?

... then ask for different tiers (ie more expensive/roomy) apartments rather than trying to take away/move/change housing that people are enjoying.

<snip>

I quit WS and didn't look back because the whole game felt empty to me. If there've been changes, obviously I don't know about them.

[Naunet]

I quit WS and didn't look back because the whole game felt empty to me. If there've been changes, obviously I don't know about them.

The only change I mentioned was making housing cross-faction. You have always been able to set your house as public since the game has released. The housing community has always been open and welcoming and intensely involved in generating creative builds and utilizing housing for events.

[Stormrider]

They would prefer their game economy be broken? Their players be unhappy? Their players cheat to buy gold with real money?

Yes. This is the same company that released 1.o. They keep doubling down on the mistakes made. They refuse to acknowledge or fix. They have literally ignored every issue as it came up up. But look we are selling another stuff toy.

[Parisstilton]

@ Atreyu because for some reason it won't let me do quotes.

Having an apartment doesn't give you access to everything a house has ie a garden! Which isn't just asthetics like a mount or a minion but actually provides a fun part of the game. Why should an actual game feature be exclusive to only a few people?
If you could do everything in an apartment that you can with a house I don't think so many people would complain.
The same for FC without a house they don't have access to airship. New people are starting the game all the time. I'm sure some of them would like to start an FC. Why should they not have access to something other FCS have just because they started the game 3 years too late?

[DamianFatale]

@ Atreyu because for some reason it won't let me do quotes.

Having an apartment doesn't give you access to everything a house has ie a garden! Which isn't just asthetics like a mount or a minion but actually provides a fun part of the game. Why should an actual game feature be exclusive to only a few people?
If you could do everything in an apartment that you can with a house I don't think so many people would complain.
The same for FC without a house they don't have access to airship. New people are starting the game all the time. I'm sure some of them would like to start an FC. Why should they not have access to something other FCS have just because they started the game 3 years too late?

I'm the master of an FC thats in the same boat. We want an airship, but are struggling to get a house in Balmung.

[Celef]

snip

And that's the worst part of housing, everytime I check the plots, most of them belongs to players, not to FC.
I still can't believe SE opened housing to players while there were not even abble to provide ward for every FC, thus preventing so many players from housing, gardening, Airship etc !

[Atreyu]

<snip>

I didn't know that, and I wasn't alone back in the day, either. I remember having issues attending RP events, not knowing how to get to them, and trying to figure out who was hosting and where and when.
That fix would have made all the difference to someone who wanted to play Evil Empire instead of Firefly on the RP server. I left a long time ago, and when I did I could /who in the main Dominion city at peak hours and see maybe 3 or 4 people.
I am a social person. I like to be around people, even if it's just to be a wallflower at times. It makes the world feel alive. WS had amazing housing, but only a month or three after launch it didn't live up to my expectations on feeling populated.

<snip>

But they did. They did it because people were begging for it, just as they are begging them to 'fix' it. And to 'fix' the problem as the OP suggests would mean stripping others of things they've already invested in. You think that housing is some fiasco now? Just wait til SE tries taking back what they've already given.

<snip>

To reiterate: I am 100% all for people having access to content. I never once said that I wasn't.
Here are some sensible things that SE could do to actually fix the problems without further alienating a large portion of their playerbase:

-Make various tiered apartments where the bigger they are, the more they cost, with renovations and additions available (to an extent or max capacity).
-Make apartments with large balconies or green rooms that function with outdoor items.
-Make places in world (Idyllshire? Ishgard?) similar to the Rising Stones that creates a personal instance for your party that people can visit to do the airship thing and whatever else they plan to implement. Why this hasn't already been done is the real question.


To FCs: Will it be as convenient as an FC house? No. But it will be cheap/free and readily available so that nobody misses out on content.

To apartment holders: Will it be as cool as having your plot of land visible to all passersby? No. But that's why you have long-term goals and you plan for them if that sort of thing is that important to you.

And to the OP and anyone agreeing with that same mentality:
Houses are already expiring on the regular. Spend time looking for those plots and be dedicated to it if that's really something you want, but to take it from people who already have it because you suffer from "if I can't have it then nobody else can!" then you and I disagree on a fundamental level. Plus it reeks of entitlement, selfishness and jealousy.

Oh, and I guess that we should also take away Hunting Hawks, 250 craftable gear, the black pegasus and anything else that might "encourage people to buy in game gold with real money" right? I'm not saying that hiking the prices on housing to turn a profit is right (in fact I think it's utterly disgusting) but to use possible RMT as your sword of straw? Come on... Might as well make Gil utterly worthless then.