Quote Originally Posted by Kirsten_Rev View Post
This would be one route to go down. I suppose I should clarify: a proper response would involve a promise to get rid of the current* demolition system as soon as possible. FFXIV, by Yoshi-P's own admission, is not built around continuous play, particularly for people who have dozens of hours a week to commit to a game. It stands to reason that game systems should avoid punishing people for sporadic subscription drops wherever possible.
I think you're reading way too much into Yoshi's statement. While he encourages people not to get so caught up in the game that they neglect their family, friends, or personal well-being, don't read into that that he expects players to drop their subscriptions to play other games. Take a break from the game? Sure. Take a break from their subscriptions? No MMO producer would ever encourage such a thing - at least, not as more than a propaganda stunt. Companies that provide MMOs want players to be constantly subscribed to THEIR game, not constantly flitting off to other games as the whim hits them.

For the same reason that they maintain character levels, mount and minion lists, Mog Station items, Glamours, etc: if returning players have little incentive to resubscribe, then the game's bottom line will suffer. Speaking personally, if any life event pushes me to abandon my subscription long enough to lose my house, I'll most likely never be coming back. It is a significant in-game possession for me; in many ways *the* most significant since, unlike character levels or gear, a house sits outside the progression treadmill. It's not in SE's interest for a short-term break to turn into a permanent subscription loss.
Character data is inactive data. It can be stored on a dusty spool of magnetic tape for decades at low cost and no inconvenience to other players. Housing is a horse of an entirely different color, for as long as it remains a limited resource.

As for your claim that you'd not return to the game if you lost your house - well, it sounds like you have a very loose attachment to this game. I've seen many in the forums complain about losing their house upon returning to the game - but none claimed to have thrown up their hands and quit because of it. They all decided the game was worth playing, even with the loss of their house. In all likelihood, returning players who use the status of their house as a deciding factor are a lesser population than players who get frustrated because there's no housing available and quit for that reason.

I'm curious as to why you think demolition is desirable, by the way. I agree that it's necessary right now from a supply limitation point of view, but there are better ways of maintaining populated wards for those who want living neighborhoods (as I said above, I strongly suspect that the current demolition system actually worsens this issue). Thoughts?
I take the opposite view. By making housing a volatile resource that requires care and maintenance, it discourages people who might buy a house simply because buying a house is something they can do. The folks who buy a house are those who actually care about the house, and will therefore be more likely to visit it, keep it up with furnishings, and so on and so forth. They will actually visit the thing from time to time, and in so doing will help keep the neighborhood lively.

As for better ways than demolition to clear out dead houses, what do you propose? Should neglected houses be shuffled around to other districts periodically? This would be functionally similar to my idea of reinstating housing when a player returns to the game - and is just as dependent on having unlimited wards to shuffle houses to...