Housing: Purchase Timer - Alternative Idea

[Penthea]

Though in all honesty, the system was actually more fair before the current rules and RNG. But everyone complained about how awful the previous system was, and we got the current system, which is worse imo.

How was the old system better? Before the random timer so many were buying houses with the sole intention of selling them off for several times their price. I have looked on the housing market forums at the prices and on some servers cottages were going for 30 million. And that was just the fee for them to demolish the house. You had to pay the fee the placard asked for on top of that. How is this much better than placard spam? Most players don't even have half that gil. This often drove players to use RMT to get enough gil. There was also no protection from getting scammed because by reporting the scam you would be also admitting that you were violating the ToS by attempting to buy a house from a player instead of the placard. It was awful. The annoying placard system we have now was introduced because of this.

At least now because of the placard timer most people who are trying to buy a house are doing so because they actually want the house. Not because they want to sell it off for a gigantic profit and take advantage of other players, and make them consider risking their account by not only purchasing from a player but also using RMT to be able to afford the house. This is a small comfort to those who still have no house I know. But at least you don't have to worry about the placard scamming you out of 10+ million gil.

The old system was bad and the current system is bad. They're both horrendously bad, just for different reasons.

The only real fix is for there to be a better system in place where everyone who wants a house can buy one. No waiting for some random, unseen timer, just walk up and buy something. It would probably have to be an instanced system, since adding more and more wards just isn't really a feasible system.

I completely agree. Even with the part about adding more wards because frankly the ward system is silly. Having a limited amount of slots for content is never a good thing. Housing should have been completely instanced from the beginning. Everyone could have as many houses as they want, whatever house they want, wherever they want, buy whenever they want and demolition timers wouldn't exist. It could have been wonderful.

But at this point it would be shocking if SE were to do an overhaul. If they really wanted to they would have done so several years ago. So the most we can hope for is things like more wards, more tenancy slots, etc.

Honestly unless we get proper instanced housing there will always be players are unfairly left out. There is literally no incarnation of the ward system that can ensure equal treatment and opportunity to all.