Liveblog JP - Yoshi P's 4.2 Housing Plan Discussion

[Scardon]

The #1 reason why there isn't enough houses is because there literally is not enough houses. Period. It doesn't matter if no one resold a house. There will never be enough houses with the current system.

Well considering there was a time where plenty of houses were vacant on every server this is demonstrably false. Also note i said RESELLING FOR PROFIT is PART of the problem, not ENTIRE. This would include squatting either with one character or with alts. The current system could (and has) have enough houses, just demand would have to plummet or supply would have to multiplied. They have said repeatedly they will not be increasing demand to the degree that would be required, at most some small additions. Those are the parameters they are working in as of now with no signs of adjusting them significantly regardless of hissy fits.

If you aren't going to read what I post in totality just don't read it.
And if all you are going to say is "CURRENT SYSTEM BAD" I have to inform you your attempts are contributing literally nothing.

[Naunet]

Well considering there was a time where plenty of houses were vacant on every server

This is not true.

In a limited supply system, it is a FACT that there will never be enough houses for everyone. That is why the ONLY way to solve the problem of people not being able to have a house when they want one is to switch to an instanced housing system.

SE is apparently unwilling to do this; therefore this housing issue is never going to go away. All proposed "solutions" that involve keeping the ward system have involved punishing players in some way and making the system even more restrictive, which doesn't exactly make it more enjoyable to use.

[Scardon]

This is not true.

In a limited supply system, it is a FACT that there will never be enough houses for everyone. That is why the ONLY way to solve the problem of people not being able to have a house when they want one is to switch to an instanced housing system.

Really? So If i got to a game with instance housing it will still have people creating new houses, hundreds per day regardless of population? If I went on LOTRO right now there would just be hundreds of new instance houses being claimed every day and ALL being actively used? Millions of instances of houses being used at least once a month with no signs of growth slowing or stopping?

More likely it would fluctuate in correlation with the population. There were times when EVERY server had empty plots for extended amounts of time, this means AT THE TIME, there was enough. Supply easily meant demand. I would agree that at the moment SE doesn't seem willing to do what it takes to meet that demand, but to say its impossible to meet without instancing is just a lack of imagination and math skills.

The entire idea of a supply being finite meaning no one has enough is just flat out wrong. Literally everything in existence has a finite amount and demands on supply are being met pretty routinely.

You are overstating your case.

[Tint]

There were times when EVERY server had empty plots for extended amounts of time, this means AT THE TIME, there was enough.

there were not really enough, not since they introduced the personal housing. maybe the wards were enough for the FC housing.

what you are forgetting is the value of gil at that time. it took me a whole month to earn my first million. today i can earn a million within one hour. the inflation is real, but the only time when square adjusted the prices, they made the houses even cheaper. people simply couldn't afford a house back then, houses were expensive. but there were always more people who wanted a house than there were plots available. and now, where a house can be payed with the work from hours rather than weeks or even months, all these people can afford a house now.

so yes, square met the demand. but it was nothing else than playing on time until enough people got the money together to buy out all the wards.

[Naunet]

There were times when EVERY server had empty plots for extended amounts of time

Again: this is not true.

[geekgirl101]

Even if it is one house per account I don't think that's gonna solve the problem we have right now from what I've been told. I've been shown a large house that is owned by 1 person and isn't in use and sparsley decorate, and whilst we were inside I was told over discord that this guy owns most of the houses on our server through several accounts and has capped gil on most of his retainers. He and a few others like him are even planning to camp out and buy out as many houses as possible in Shirogane when 4.2 comes out so they can resell them at 700m each. They could easily claim multiple wards because they earn enough money to buy new accounts between them and more than enough gil to claim an entire server, they're on a mission to do this even if it costs them their friendship with other people who genuinely want to buy a house for themselves or their company.

The bigger problem is proving this. In order to prove people are monopolizing and reselling multiple houses you have to group with them, do the transaction, then report them to SE to review the chat logs, but this will also result in you being banned. It's like being told in order to prove someone sells drugs is by videoing yourself buying them and then getting yourself arrested for drug dealing.

[Acilith]

I don't think there was ever really a time when Balmung had empty houses.. like.. ever.

[Rinuko]

I don't think there was ever really a time when Balmung had empty houses.. like.. ever.

I'm fairly sure all servers had that in some areas back when personal housing was introduced in 2.x

[Maku]

Balmung did have free spaces when housing costs were nearly quadruple what they are now and even the rich of Balmung couldn't afford it. Once prices dropped, it was all out war.

[Beelhi]

The bigger problem is proving this. In order to prove people are monopolizing and reselling multiple houses you have to group with them, do the transaction, then report them to SE to review the chat logs, but this will also result in you being banned. It's like being told in order to prove someone sells drugs is by videoing yourself buying them and then getting yourself arrested for drug dealing.

I'm 99% sure that buying houses does not get you banned, only selling them. However, if you make the trade and THEN report you most likely will not get your gil back if GM's take action. I have seen posts with both people getting their gil back and GM's just taking away the house from the seller tho.