It's time to reinstate Housing Auto-Demolitions

[Ibkee]

Over two months after a hold was put on housing demolitions, with an initial grace period of 2 weeks, it's time they were brought back again.

I have no problem with the original hold, but now it just seems extraneous. How many players still no longer have power or wherewithal to access the game once in 45 days, as a result of Hurricane Irma?

One could argue that at this point, perhaps, they intend to hold out until 4.2 and a doubling of the Wards. I doubt it. We are months away from this patch and unless current rules change then the solution is not sufficient to cover for a lack of auto-demolitions.

For me, checking the wards for an open plot used to be quite a fun activity each day and I feel the reinstation of the auto-demolish rule would do much to curb the spiralling housing black market prices and tide players over until 4.2.

[KaivaC]

Actually, with 4.2 coming out and Yoshi P guaranteeing that the goal is to ensure every player can get a house...I don't mind if this ends up staying until the patch is actually here. If players could hold out for just a few more months, then this might be fine. And who is to say that the auto-demolition won't reset. It could be that if the devs restart the Auto Demolition, the timer starts back at 45 days - by the time that is up, we could be right around the corner from 4.2...maybe.

[DeaconMoore]

Hmm I thought I read fair chance at a house, not guaranteeing a house.

[Kewitt]

I agree with this. I broke both my legs and was in the hospital for 4 months. I lost my house.
If there isn't a house for every person. Then it should be back.
There isn't apartments for every person. And they said they would simply just add more which never happened.

[KaivaC]

Oh it's not a guarantee? I wonder if this is going to be a lottery system, then.

[LastFireAce]

Oh it's not a guarantee? I wonder if this is going to be a lottery system, then.

Yoshi guarantee the won't be the same way as before *server up* *run to any house you see*
now the guarantee for everyone a house? no the i heard off....

[KaivaC]

Yoshi guarantee the won't be the same way as before *server up* *run to any house you see*
now the guarantee for everyone a house? no the i heard off....

Hmm...I know that I want to get a bigger house for my FC for crafting reasons, and I'd be more than happy to sell our old one for it, so I'm curious how the devs will handle FCs in particular that want to upgrade to a larger house for facilities purposes.

[InkstainedGwyn]

He said "making sure everyone gets a fair chance at a house", which likely means removing timing/connection benefits. The exact wording, if followed, would mean that anyone with the gil for the house would have the same chance at getting the house. Unfortunately, this probably means either a lottery, or opening the ward at random with no prior notice or even no notice when it's open.

[Ibkee]

He said "making sure everyone gets a fair chance at a house", which likely means removing timing/connection benefits. The exact wording, if followed, would mean that anyone with the gil for the house would have the same chance at getting the house. Unfortunately, this probably means either a lottery, or opening the ward at random with no prior notice or even no notice when it's open.

The latter would encourage camping, which would result in server instability and a lack of fairness to all, as promised.

If Yoshi P is to be taken at his word here, it's almost certainly a lottery system which is being envisaged, which is unfortunate. Housing has always been a problem primarily because of player greed and at least auto-demolish went a way to counter this.

[Enla]

The latter would encourage camping, which would result in server instability and a lack of fairness to all, as promised.

If Yoshi P is to be taken at his word here, it's almost certainly a lottery system which is being envisaged, which is unfortunate. Housing has always been a problem primarily because of player greed and at least auto-demolish went a way to counter this.

Auto-demolition was put away because of the hurricanes in the US as far as my understanding is aware (please do correct me though) and I'm not quite sure how it counters greed? Especially as I've seen several houses that are never used and their players never online, but they just sit there gathering dust because the demolition feature has been taken offline for the moment. If anything it helps ensure people get a chance at a house if someone lets their mind lapse.

That and frankly even with player greed in play, there was never going to be enough houses for a healthy server. Nor apartments for that matter. The issues on the server side of things and SE's refusal to lock one house and FC to account also contributed to this issue as shown by that one ward on Mateus where literally every house is owned by two people between their alts and gaming the FC system. Until SE fixes their myriad server issues and the other hiccups with the system housing will never truly be 'fair' sadly.