I've Lost Everything

[worldofneil]

A gil sink is something like repair/teleport costs, or market board taxes. Things that are controlled and constant.

I do agree with you, but those things only take tiny amounts of money out of the system, housing takes a large chunk at once.

Housing by design is meant to be a one time purchase.

But is it? I'm sure a lot of people do have their first house still and never move, but a lot of other people do move around, especially now we can relocate. Medium and large houses especially remove a lot of money from the economy in one go.

Even if you disagree, if it were the intent, why refund the gil at all, ever? What difference should it make that someone resubs for a month just to log in and claim everything within 35 days?

Because if SE just take someone's house away and give them absolutely nothing, it'd be absolutely terrible PR for them.

But by giving them a chance to save their house (go inside it) as well as a chance to get back 80% of the value and the items (pick them up in those 35 days), then they've given the player a chance to minimise the impact on them and combined with demolition being essential, it doesn't paint SE in quite so bad a light, while still making housing a gil sink.