That's great... but can we have an INSTANCED Housing area

[SerLuke]

World stability was quoted as a hurdle for more wards. As they are always up and using resources. You don't think those resources could be used else where instead of running all those wards?

Could? Maybe. Would? Likely not. It takes a lot more development time to create an unique open area then it does to create an identical looking residential ward, that’s the reason why we only get new areas when expansions launch, it’s not a mater of housing wards taking up server resources.

[Moonlite]

Could? Maybe. Would? Likely not. It takes a lot more development time to create an unique open area then it does to create an identical looking residential ward, that’s the reason why we only get new areas when expansions launch, it’s not a mater of housing wards taking up server resources.

I reread my post and my point didn't come across the best. You are completely right that a design team needs to make more zones. I was originally thinking and didn't come across as more open world resources. So when say Balmung was full and locked and people wanted to be on a larger population world. Instead of the resources that housing wards use would they have been able to increase population size by increasing instances of zones that are already up. So Odin pops and shroud is full people doing stuff in the zone get bumped into next one. Or the commonly bad one seasonal events in Uldah become a giant lag mess, it is a good idea to wait a few days. But if you could just pop into instance Uldah 2 when first is full.



I will admit we are getting to that in a roundabout way, with world visit. But with out the drawback of wards a data center could just become one giant world. With zones filled with players or bots depending where you are haha.

[Colt47]

As all things in life go its arbitrary management deadlines + people wont be patient enough to wait for the rework to happen + "the big rewrite is wrong always!" mentality. It's not really an SE thing as much as an inescapable aspect of software development.

[yukiiyuki]

In threads like this I love the fact that devs dont even read this forum. Its almost 2020, our engine still dont know how to make proper jump dashes, by not moving character on the ground like a doll on rails(try to use dash ability from the cliff and you'll see what I'm talking about), game still can't blur backgrounds properly, we can't accept duty while looking at another window like with retainers. Oh, how about our 400 slot glamour dresser? When games nowadays have normal armor chest with you can use after you had item once and don't need to hold it anymore. And that's just the tip of the iceberg I have found playing this game for 5 years. And it's not going to be fixed or dealt with, so enjoy your apparents and hope that you have time and money to buy a normal house like everyone do. Or maybe your private instanced housing aka appartment is waiting for you!

[Edax]

FFXIV's housing system is objectively garbage.

If that were true, we wouldn't be having so many players desperate to buy into the system. The wards would be empty like in the JP servers. The housing system is objectively good, that's why the housing plots are so desirable.

[Destati]

If that were true, we wouldn't be having so many players desperate to buy into the system. The wards would be empty like in the JP servers. The housing system is objectively good, that's why the housing plots are so desirable.

Umm, no. The housing system is garbage, and I'm saying that as a home owner. While words can't describe how excited and happy I was to have finally gotten a house of my own back in Stormblood the process of getting one was a rather stressful and miserable experience. I hated the FC-Only moratorium they implemented because I was worrying that there would be none left by the time it was finally lifted especially since it would be the only time in the whole expansion that they would add new wards.
I have friends who have all but given up on getting a house because of the awful the random timer system. You could spend hours upon hours camping and clicking a plot and lose it to someone who showed up two minutes ago.
If the housing system were actually good, we wouldn't have so many people begging for instanced housing or additional plots like this. If you have the gil, you should be able to buy a house and be done with it, plain and simple.

[Hanayumi]

Devs did mention improving apartments a long while back around SB launch, larger room versions and such. Think once they do apartments will basically be our "personal homes." Its also rumored that's what our Ishgard housing will be, just a lot big fancy apartments, though... Ishgard housing is also still just a rumor as well, still nothing official. >.<

Also... farming will apparently be a thing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Krojack]

I mean.. They have to see by now that just adding more wards isn't the answer. I don't know if they plan to actually address the core problem, but just adding more wards all the time is a band-aid at best.

Instanced housing wouldn't keep people tired to their account subscription. With the current system it forces people to keep and active sub and login once in a while else you lose your house.

[Eldevern]

...

The problem is... there's no proof. Especially since wards mix individual and FC house and "old owners" can own several plots.

How many players who have the gils give up to get a house because the risk to lose, not only the house but event items too?
How many player give up to make gils to get a house?

They said we were not going to lose house... and we can lose house.

I've lost two mansions, I have the gils and no intention to play the trick again. And from what I understand, i'm not the only one who think that way. "When we are caught we are taught". SE should remember that.

And... I can't get ride on the fact more or less a vast majority of the players I know since the beta definitly left the game. Some of them owned a house. So... I kinda doubt the bond tie is that strong.

[Jojoya]

If anything the fact that they are alotting more resources to more wards proves anything we are never getting instances. At this point the server probably has alotted more resources to wards then actual open world zones. I feel sorry for the people who will never get a house and sorry for the players that see resources wasted to run more wards instead of more open world zones.

I disagree. I think they are working on a new form of instanced housing (possibly related to the Ishgard reconstruction but it's not ready yet.

There was a question about why balcony doors in mansions don't lead back outside at the EU FanFest. YoshiP went into considerable detail about a new technology they're working on that would reflect what's going on in a non-instanced area within an instanced housing area.

It would make no sense for SE to go to that much effort just so the tiny number of mansion owners can have a working balcony door. It makes a lot of sense if it's for a new instanced housing system that would make use of the technology.

The new wards are likely a stopgap to try to meet some of the overwhelming demand for houses has while they finish development on the instanced housing.

Your followup query isn't pointless. It's very relevant to the problems with the current ward system in general. Trying to favor one ward with special activities wouldn't sit well with players who live in the other wards that didn't have that activity. It would also be a loading nightmare because of the way the game has to render outdoor furnishings placed by players on top of all the additional players running around in that ward. Many players with older computers and basic PS4s already struggle with loading in the wards. Such an event would likely cause their game to crash if they tried to attend.

Seasonal events are better off in the city states that are already designed to handle the increased load. The wards aren't.

They can't force players to only enter a single ward because then house owners in other wards wouldn't have access to their houses. The only way it could work would be if all housing plots were instanced in the first place instead of just the house interiors.

Instanced housing wouldn't keep people tired to their account subscription. With the current system it forces people to keep and active sub and login once in a while else you lose your house.

Which is a fallacy that people need to let go of. If the wards were their attempt to keep people subbed, they'd make it easier for players to get a house and remove the temporary Caretaker storage for houses that are demolished to tie them to the game even tighter.

They also wouldn't be suspending demolition following natural disasters if they were using houses to keep people subbed. The vast majority of players who take advantage of the suspension aren't affected by those disasters.