In Housing, Is Cheating is the Only Way To Win?

[MerchantOfSoul]

At any open plot, there will be one or more characters that, like clockwork, check for the ability to buy maybe 10-20 times a minute, for 12+ hours straight, usually with an exact timing between each of their actions.

They are blatantly using scripting/botting (i.e. a 3rd party program), and unfortunately, it works really well. Despite reports to GM's, no one from Square-Enix comes to stop the bot securing their ill-gotten gains.

I spoke to a GM directly about this, however they only said they cannot handle abuse of 3rd party software directly, and to report it to the task force. This cheating is obvious for every player to see, yet Square Enix does nothing to stop it, and has taken a very "hands-off" approach to punishing it, if they punish it at all.

How is a player is supposed to acquire housing on a highly populated server without resorting to cheating? Is housing just not something we should expect to be able to participate in?

[MerchantOfSoul]

Screenshot of the closest thing to a response I received from the GM:

https://i.imgur.com/BiRTMWr.png

[ManuelBravo]

Old news, many people blame a third party, but seems more of just timing. I've been able to get houses no problem on updates or expansions time frames. It;s more about planning, or you can buy it of a FC they just need to make you a leader and then take over.

[Dustytome]

We don't even know if the STF speaks English fluently enough to understand the reports we send in, which is a huge issue in itself as we could be explaining what we're seeing in a way that does not translate over well. If we knew even that it we be a huge communication boost as we as a community could put together some 'canned reports' in their native tongue that describe things like repetitive movements and such. If it is the case that they don't speak English fluently, then we really need some localized STF teams that can clear through reports at a much faster pace.

[Claviusnex]

We don't even know if the STF speaks English fluently enough to understand the reports we send in, which is a huge issue in itself as we could be explaining what we're seeing in a way that does not translate over well. If we knew even that it we be a huge communication boost as we as a community could put together some 'canned reports' in their native tongue that describe things like repetitive movements and such. If it is the case that they don't speak English fluently, then we really need some localized STF teams that can clear through reports at a much faster pace.

The time difference doesn't help either. It wouldn't surprise me that some of the research is relying on what is happening on the live system not on logs. With the 16 hour time difference events on the NA servers would be over by the time the STF arrived at work to check things out. So not only better translations are needed but we also need people who can take action to be located in the States as well as Japan. The same would go for the EU too.

[Celef]

How is a player is supposed to acquire housing on a highly populated server without resorting to cheating? Is housing just not something we should expect to be able to participate in?

With the actual system, he can't :/

[Abelfei]

What's all the commotion about? There are tons( dozens ) of smalls available on every server. The housing crisis has been over for months. Even FC or personal relinquishes are very cheap. right now. This is blasphemous. More people who just wanna complain without putting in any effort. You don't need to cheat,just have the gil, and click purchase.

[HyoMinPark]

What's all the commotion about? There are tons( dozens ) of smalls available on every server. The housing crisis has been over for months. Even FC or personal relinquishes are very cheap. right now. This is blasphemous. More people who just wanna complain without putting in any effort. You don't need to cheat,just have the gil, and click purchase.

More popular servers are going to have less available plots for sale. Mateus has spiked in player population since 4.0, so naturally there will be less opportunities for plots there compared to a preferred world with less players on it. (It's also the server that's notorious for two players owning an entire ward of houses.) And you can have the gil for a house, but unless you get lucky and beat others standing around waiting for the purchase timer to expire, you aren't guaranteed a plot simply for having gil.

The housing situation is better than it has been in the past, but it's not perfect. My server will occassionally have a small or two open up, but they don't stay open for very long once the purchase timer expires. And it's rare to see more than a dozen open in all housing districts combined. I don't know about people using scripts to wait out timers, but on higher population servers, housing can still be problematic.

[Abelfei]

Tons of plots on every server.

[HyoMinPark]

Tons of plots on every server.

Not on every server. Try logging into Balmung and finding an empty plot. You'll be fairly hard pressed. Cactuar is fifth in terms of population last census, and there were no free plots last I checked (around a week ago). At most, I'd probably find 1 or 2 open right now. That's not "tons of plots". Preferred worlds will have more open plots compared to non-preferred worlds; I see you're on Sargatanas, which is currently preferred. So you'll see more than someone who is not on a preferred world (or someone who is on Balmung).