Regarding the New HQ Turn-in Feature and Housing Situation

[GeminiReed]

Have we considered the idea that maybe the goal is not to ensure every player has a fair chance of getting a house?

They've made several poor design choices in the past. Some have even been corrected.

What makes this one inexcusable is the gating of game features (gardens, workshops, airships, submersibles). Not only that, it has fostered a black market and would not surprise me to be responsible for some RMT.

[Luna-M]

They've made several poor design choices in the past. Some have even been corrected.

What makes this one inexcusable is the gating of game features (gardens, workshops, airships, submersibles). Not only that, it has fostered a black market and would not surprise me to be responsible for some RMT.

The latter part is only applicable on FCs. You can't transfer ownership on a personal and even if previous owner release their ownership you still have the RNG timer in play.

[GeminiReed]

You can't transfer ownership on a personal ...

Obviously. FC-only restrictions just help the flippers and their less than ToS complaint shenanigans. For those desperate enough to pay black market rates not being in another FC is a very small price to pay.

[TwistedTea]

Obviously. FC-only restrictions just help the flippers and their less than ToS complaint shenanigans. For those desperate enough to pay black market rates not being in another FC is a very small price to pay.

Except the sale of relocations and FCs with houses are not against the TOS as long as there's an in-game contract. An example of housing related "Trade Fraud"(also covered by SE):

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...like_quitting/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...yne_mercer_of/

Majority of players selling relocations/FC houses are not flippers. They just want the gil/time they have invested into their houses/FC houses back.

Also, there are ads on the house market discord/reddit sometimes for less than placard price.