Stop asking for more wards

[Nerfworthy]

Instanced housing won't solve anything. It will only create more problems. Why do you think no one likes apartments? Because they are instanced and non-social. The big draw for most people, myself included, is the neighborhood atmosphere of the housing wards. They need to figure out some other solution other than instancing. I think it's a bad idea.

[dracklor]

Instanced housing won't solve anything. It will only create more problems. Why do you think no one likes apartments? Because they are instanced and non-social. The big draw for most people, myself included, is the neighborhood atmosphere of the housing wards. They need to figure out some other solution other than instancing. I think it's a bad idea.

I thought no one liked apartments because they were only the size of an FC room, and had no garden access? Heck I mainly use mine as a cheap teleport to marketboard right now.

[HyoMinPark]

Instanced housing won't solve anything. It will only create more problems. Why do you think no one likes apartments? Because they are instanced and non-social. The big draw for most people, myself included, is the neighborhood atmosphere of the housing wards. They need to figure out some other solution other than instancing. I think it's a bad idea.

I can't speak for everyone, but I dislike apartments not because of the lack of a social aspect, but because:

--They're small
--You can't garden in them (I.e., cross-breeding plants)
--Small item limit (though at least they upped it to 100 with SB...)
--Not an adequate substitute at all for Free Companies
--Basically a more expensive FC room with no added benefits (less actually because they aren't part of an FC house)

My ward is a ghost town. I have a small personal house for my FC and I see maybe 2 people once a week. If I'm lucky. The most activity I've seen in a housing ward was the day of maintenance when people were scoping out plots in Shirogane, joking around in plots and in /shout. It was nice to actually talk with people but the wards aren't always that active.

[Remedi]

I can't speak for everyone, but I dislike apartments not because of the lack of a social aspect, but because:

--They're small
--You can't garden in them (I.e., cross-breeding plants)
--Small item limit (though at least they upped it to 100 with SB...)
--Not an adequate substitute at all for Free Companies
--Basically a more expensive FC room with no added benefits (less actually because they aren't part of an FC house)

My ward is a ghost town. I have a small personal house for my FC and I see maybe 2 people once a week. If I'm lucky. The most activity I've seen in a housing ward was the day of maintenance when people were scoping out plots in Shirogane, joking around in plots and in /shout. It was nice to actually talk with people but the wards aren't always that active.

Pardon me but if that is the problem for you, would you change your wiew on apartaments if they were to fix those points?
Not wanting to say you are wrong just want to know

[AlexionSkylark]

Pardon me but if that is the problem for you, would you change your wiew on apartaments if they were to fix those points?
Not wanting to say you are wrong just want to know

I dunno about her, but I would. 100%.
They could also be a little bit bigger. And you could have an option to buy "duplex" and "penthouse" appartments which were bigger and more expensive, but offered more space and options.

[HyoMinPark]

Pardon me but if that is the problem for you, would you change your wiew on apartaments if they were to fix those points?
Not wanting to say you are wrong just want to know

It would depend on how the issues were fixed. Make apartments basically the equivalent of the different housing sizes (small, medium, or large [“studio”, “condo”, and “penthouse” I guess???]—prices of the “apartments” differ based on size one wants) or give it some sort of balcony to allow for gardening and cross-breeding of plants? Maybe. However, they still would not be a substitute for housing with regards to Free Companies. They would have zero access to a company workshop, for instance.

Really, I like the idea of current wards being converted to FC housing, and another ward added with instanced plots available for personal use—similar to apartments but more like a house with an instanced yard, larger interior for more customization, etc.. I feel like it’s a decent compromise between those who want full-blown instanced housing and those who want to keep the wards because of the “neighborhood-y feel” to them. Because my idea of the instanced personal housing ward would have it have the same outward appearance as any other ward: market boards, summoning bells, plots with simple/moderate houses in them, moderate/tastefully decorated yards, maybe even little “meeting areas” or “community areas” with Striking Dummies or something to promote socializing. Just the plots themselves would lead to virtually unlimited instanced plots. You could even allow for tenants (something else that apartments do not allow, and which I forgot to mention).

The developers already have the systems in place for housing and for instanced rooms (FC rooms/apartments...even the Inn Room). They would just need to combine the two systems for a instanced housing ward for personal use. It can be done; I don’t see any reason why they would be unable to do it. They just need to...how do I say... “come around” to the idea of it, and work towards implementing it. Even if it’s slowly, it’s still something.

[Paladinleeds]

snip

Is it jealousy and spitefulness when even HOMEOWNERS are agreeing with the ideas? Lav Beds, Ward 5, Plot 25, Louisoix server. That's my house. Completely happy with it, don't feel the need or desire to move. But even I feel the system needs improvements. Apartments don't cover it by the way. See quote below.

--They're small
--You can't garden in them (I.e., cross-breeding plants)
--Small item limit (though at least they upped it to 100 with SB...)
--Not an adequate substitute at all for Free Companies
--Basically a more expensive FC room with no added benefits (less actually because they aren't part of an FC house)

They're not even available for FCs. Apartments are personal only. So people wanting a house for their FC should accept an apartment they can't buy for said FC? Oh, and FC housing is the only way to access the Company Workshop. So FCs are selfish for wanting to be able to access that?

[Dark-Saviour]

I can't speak for everyone, but I dislike apartments not because of the lack of a social aspect, but because:

--They're small
--You can't garden in them (I.e., cross-breeding plants)
--Small item limit (though at least they upped it to 100 with SB...)

These plus the inability to do any exterior decoration are the big issues for me.

Keep the wards if you must, but I'd honestly rather see apartments replaced with (or supplemented by) instanced 'Ranches'/'Homesteads'. A large swath of land in a variety of locales (Forest meadow, tropical island, mountain estate, subterranean grotto, etc.)
where you can freely place a house (or even potentially multiple structures) and add large external facilities (pool, archery range, tennis court, etc.)

Ideally with the interior(s) and exterior sharing the same instance so there is no secondary loading involved... That's actually one of the reasons I lost interest in wards; if the interior of each house was part of the same instance as the ward itself, I'd be more inclined to defend them, ghost town or not, but since they're not, this makes the wards truly empty and pointless. :-/