Liveblog JP - Yoshi P's 4.2 Housing Plan Discussion

[Hestzhyen]

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Anecdotal evidence isn't particularly valuable in this situation. We don't have numbers to see what effect hoarders/flippers have on the housing shortage and it could well be that they're only a fraction of a percent of all home owners- but they're the face of a problem SE created and allowed to fester. You're right in that a simple restriction per account won't solve the issue but it's a simple step that will curb the worst abuses. I know from the other thread you have a personal stake in being allowed to own more than one home and while I hope you're grandfathered in since you bought them with no intent to flip, if SE can't justify adding more hardware to increase the number of wards and plots, I will not cry for the people who have to choose which one they like best. As far as timers go, people will also try to game random timers by figuring out just how "random" it is but ownership restrictions combined with the resell timer would eliminate complaints about people who take advantage of the existing system. From there it's totally on SE to simply increase the number of homes available. Or go back to the old system of having the current housing be for FCs only and implement personal housing in a way that actually scales with player demand. After all, I'm willing to bet that the demand for individual housing far outstrips the demand for FC hang-outs.

Easy fixes are likely the most we can expect with a solution promised for 4.2. The short window for development and testing combined with the issues they have thanks to their spaghetti and legacy 1.0 code mash-up means that a comprehensive change is unlikely. They'd either have to have been working on it for a long time already in secret (as they are wont to do), or they'll have to drop almost EVERYTHING planned for 4.2 just for this. As important as housing is, I don't think YoshiP will sign off on seeing Eureka delayed again. :P