Something has to be done about the housing RNG timer...

[Vahlnir]

Replacing RNG with RNG...

/clap

Yeah, one working but dysfunctional system for a straight up terrible one? No thanks. I don't understand why some people seem to think a lottery would be any better.

[Shougun]

Replacing RNG with RNG...

/clap

It's to prevent people from standing at the board praying, or bots spamming it, not really to help with anything else. I know that's a bit counter to the thread (housing RNG timer), but it is a potential solution to spamming the board.

Ultimately the best solution imo would be to replace RNG with all you can eat housing where you want a house then you get a house of whatever size (still need to invest, but the costs could be more gradient). Personally would like my own space like wildstar but there are loads of suggestions out there like phasing individual plots over one to a small handful of wards (such that everyone shares the same outdoor space, it would be more busy than split over the many wards we have now so that's good for the neighborhood vibe) .

[TheJarvisMan]

Wait, what's this about a RNG timer? Isn't it just the first to click after the timer ends gets the house?

The timer itself is random and invisible to anyone. It also has a range of up to at least 22 hours meaning that to maximize your chance at a getting a house you stand at the placard spam-clicking against everyone else from the time it opens up until the time the random/invisible clock runs up (which again can be at least up to 22 hours).

[Akamukai]

The timer itself is random and invisible to anyone. It also has a range of up to at least 22 hours meaning that to maximize your chance at a getting a house you stand at the placard spam-clicking against everyone else from the time it opens up until the time the random/invisible clock runs up (which again can be at least up to 22 hours).

There's currently a bot camping the house I want, so I'm not even going to bother.

[Elkanah]

There's currently a bot camping the house I want, so I'm not even going to bother.

If you know it's a bot, you can report the bot. I've reported several users using key programs (you can tell with how many minutes and seconds per check and look away of the placard). If they're at set times, you'll know each time they check by just hovering over their name and watching the clock. They're not hard to tell who is and isn't a bot lol.

[TwistedTea]

Let people fight each other through the devaluation timer, not by using automation or by wasting their free time.

This only benefits those with lots of gil or omnicrafters. Devaluation timer means nothing to such people who have the gil to buy entire wards.

The fairest system would be instanced housing.

If SE wants to keep the persistent neighbourhood system, I second the idea of a lottery system, where a limited number of people can bid on a specific plot or any random plot which opens up.

For the random plots, players can decide whether they want small,medium or large.

The limit on the number of people for specific plots should be lesser than people who bid on any random plot which opens up.

When they bid on the house, players will have to put down gil as a refundable deposit which they will get back if they are not successful.

[Mistyregions]

This would lead to +50mil small houses, houses that barely leave the timer because people keep outbidding each other, and the same experience: people having to put aside hours to assure they get the house.

This potential system isn't better. It would just cost more.

Did you say give people more reasons to buy RMT gold!? Lol

[Mew_FC]

This only benefits those with lots of gil or omnicrafters. Devaluation timer means nothing to such people who have the gil to buy entire wards.

The fairest system would be instanced housing.

If SE wants to keep the persistent neighbourhood system, I second the idea of a lottery system, where a limited number of people can bid on a specific plot or any random plot which opens up.

For the random plots, players can decide whether they want small,medium or large.

The limit on the number of people for specific plots should be lesser than people who bid on any random plot which opens up.

When they bid on the house, players will have to put down gil as a refundable deposit which they will get back if they are not successful.

No, this benefits anyone who's willing to put in the effort required for something that is limited. There's a very good reason as to why there's a lot of players running with hundred mils, the lack of gil sinks. The more money these players actually spend on house purchases, the better.

You said it yourself, the devaluation timer is meaningless to some players. That is until there's no more gil left to be spent. So bring back the 2.1 price charts and let the wealthy players spend 600m for a mansion. Eventually the plots will drop to half of their maximum value and the proletariat can buy up what's left.

[TimeraiderGaranyi]

At small servers it is to easy, at big ones to hard.
At Moogle i had a mansion myself in the woods... it was simply there and buyable for multiple hours already.
On Phoenix however you usually are happy to get a small house after many hours of spending in front of plots ;D
Quite happy i managed to get myself a nice small house at the beach, but do have to add that it did take me a good while of standing and clicking. Lost the first 2 houses i went for