Major changes needed for housing

[Ravenblade1979]

Now first off I know I will get lots of naysayers and people defending current system but it needs to be fixed badly.

I post this because for the past month I became aware of players using some loophole in the current housing rules to get themselves extra fc\\\\'s on a world when it should be impossible. They do it by making alts on their world. They are then invited to the fc they bought and thay are given ownership.

This needs to be addressed AND those fc\\\\'s need to be taken away. They are gotten unfairly and through means that shouldn\\\\'t be possible considering how the rules are told.

Now further is the continued sales of plots and fc\\\\'s. The fix for this is one that will make you all mad.

1) for private plots make it so relocation has a hidden cool down timer of 12 hours. This would need to start the moment the plot was vacated and not before. Not only would this deter plot selling but would make buyers worried as normal players without would have a shot.

2) As far as fc selling. The implementation of duration of membership in said fc would need to be put in and no less or more then 6 months must the person be a member. This one I\\\\'m aware will draw alot of heat from you sellers but tough.

Now then. Last housing rush we had a problem with trolls buying up plots and either moving servers or just giving up the plot immediately after defeating the purpose of people having a chance.

I propose a ownership timer be added. Whereas said plot must be owned no less then 30 days for possible relocation or world transfer.

Onto the next issue. The fact that we got a outcry for housing but the team doesn\\\\'t give the players who want a house a legit chance. We all know patch day we have people sniping prime plots and stuff.

I propose a 72hour cool down period when new housing is out to give players without a chance to finally get a plot. If implemented. 2 weeks before new housing is to drop, people with established private or fc housing will not be able to make alts of any kind.

I further propose that when new housing is approaching. All new fc\\\\'s being made is suspended 4 weeks prior so we don\\\\'t have pop up fc\\\\'s.

My last tweak will draw alot of bile. Get over yourselves. Right now there are players who own multiple properties that were grandfathered in back in stormblood change. I propose this is reversed but with a few week notice so players can get stuff out of those properties.

I further recommend if this is done to advise the house they want to keep will be the last one they enter or first one they enter.

There is such alot of fixes for this but everything is half implemented and players control the market.

[VirusOnline]

Honestly, this would be adding more complexity to an already annoying system.

Make it simple. 1 house per account. Simple.

[Kaurhz]

Honestly, this would be adding more complexity to an already annoying system.

Make it simple. 1 house per account. Simple.

Only if they go back and give players a warning period in which if they own multiple houses, then they will lose all houses barring the first character which has a house. This also stands for people that use FCs to own multiple houses- even an entire ward.

I don't want them introducing a feature if they won't follow through and get rid of the preexisting damage that has been done, otherwise, there is no point.

[Arillyn]

Just no. For your point about relocating. If they relocate they don't own two plots, the other is freed.

As for fc buying, yea it happens. But it also happens that leaders stop playing and the fc falls to the next person and that person my have a character in another fc with a house, that caused issues when se made the housing changes so se changed it. Not perfect but I don't think se can really police it so they put it back this way.

As for not allowing people to make alts in a time frame or fcs to be made at all in a certain time frame... You have got to be kidding me. That would be a fast way to hurt se's business. I have a personal house on my main. I can't buy another one on an alt on the same server... So what is even your point here? And not allowing people to make an fc is stupid and defeats the purpose of an mmo.

Lastly, yes people were grandfathered in because they had multiple houses when there wasn't a housing shortage and more importantly, when se's own rules allowed it. Those people broke no rules.

Here is my housing proposal - stop trying to punish the players and se implement housing for all through wards and/or instance housing (actual houses, not just apartments).

[Awha]

In the grand scheme how many plots would really be freed up if they changed the personal and FC loophole?

I mean if they took away the FC aspect I would personally just buy accounts and just transfer them to characters that way. I mean I had 24 wow accounts what is another 8 FFXIV accounts.

This crusade against FC houses is silly and honestly just like any action meant to impact the privileged it would mostly just negatively impact those who are caught in the middle.

Also calling it a loophole is kinda disingenuous since SE was the one that lifted the restrictions just never updated the rules.

[Kaurhz]

Just no. For your point about relocating. If they relocate they don't own two plots, the other is freed.

As for fc buying, yea it happens. But it also happens that leaders stop playing and the fc falls to the next person and that person my have a character in another fc with a house, that caused issues when se made the housing changes so se changed it. Not perfect but I don't think se can really police it so they put it back this way.

As for not allowing people to make alts in a time frame or fcs to be made at all in a certain time frame... You have got to be kidding me. That would be a fast way to hurt se's business. I have a personal house on my main. I can't buy another one on an alt on the same server... So what is even your point here? And not allowing people to make an fc is stupid and defeats the purpose of an mmo.

Lastly, yes people were grandfathered in because they had multiple houses when there wasn't a housing shortage and more importantly, when se's own rules allowed it. Those people broke no rules.

Here is my housing proposal - stop trying to punish the players and se implement housing for all through wards and/or instance housing (actual houses, not just apartments).

Whether or not something has broken the rules is irrelevant when there's not only a clear shortage of housing on many servers but equally a desire on the part of SE to reduce the people that own several houses. There's no universe where a single player should have multiple houses, including those that were grandfathered in because they were lucky enough, or rich enough to own several houses across multiple characters/accounts.

Expanding on the apartment system is not a half-bad idea. If they can introduce a miniature garden; a community garden of sorts where each player with an apartment has access to such a feature and multiple-sized apartments then it'd work out perfectly.

[Arillyn]

Whether or not something has broken the rules is irrelevant when there's not only a clear shortage of housing on many servers but equally a desire on the part of SE to reduce the people that own several houses. There's no universe where a single player should have multiple houses, including those that were grandfathered in because they were lucky enough, or rich enough to own several houses across multiple characters/accounts.

Expanding on the apartment system is not a half-bad idea. If they can introduce a miniature garden; a community garden of sorts where each player with an apartment has access to such a feature and multiple-sized apartments then it'd work out perfectly.

I don't think it's irrelevant when SE grandfathered people in from the start. If they were going to take houses away they should have done it when they implemented the changes. They didn't and I think it would be bad business if they did it this late in the game. I get people are upset there isn't enough housing and I wholeheartedly agree. But the changes that need to be made is SE fixing crap so they can actually offer unlimited actual houses (again either in wards and/or instanced housing).

I know there are a couple people who own whole wards and yes, I agree that shouldn't be a thing. But those people are very few and even if they lost all their houses there STILL wouldn't be enough housing for everyone who wants one and doesn't have one. New people are starting this game every day and a lot are staying. There is no way that everyone who wants a house will have one unless SE actually fixes it so there is unlimited housing available. I had held out hopes that SE was actually going to make Ishgard housing instanced - like go to a plot and choose that spot for your instanced housing - but either they didn't think of that, didn't like that idea or can't implement that idea.

And as Awha stated, there are people who would just get more accounts and transfer fc houses to those accounts. Pretty sure that's already a thing for some of the people who own whole wards (one in particular who buys fcs to own the houses could only have 8 on one account on a server and he/she owns pretty much an entire ward - I for the life of me can't remember which sever it is but they post here on the forums from time to time to flaunt it).

[Vahlnir]

I don't think it's irrelevant when SE grandfathered people in from the start. If they were going to take houses away they should have done it when they implemented the changes. They didn't and I think it would be bad business if they did it this late in the game. I get people are upset there isn't enough housing and I wholeheartedly agree. But the changes that need to be made is SE fixing crap so they can actually offer unlimited actual houses (again either in wards and/or instanced housing).

Yeah, any restrictions they could apply to players who own an obscene amount of houses would be too little too late, and it wouldn't solve the actual problems with housing. I think it would be satisfying to watch play out but...it really wouldn't accomplish much now. They should have nipped that one in the bud early on. This is on them more than it is the players gaming the system.

[Arillyn]

Yeah, any restrictions they could apply to players who own an obscene amount of houses would be too little too late, and it wouldn't solve the actual problems with housing. I think it would be satisfying to watch play out but...it really wouldn't accomplish much now. They should have nipped that one in the bud early on. This is on them more than it is the players gaming the system.

Agreed. The whole housing debacle is one of SE's own making. They just need to have unlimited housing available. They said last year they bought more servers just for housing but the pandemic put travel restrictions in place so they've had to put that on hold. I really hope that when they can get those in place that crazy amounts of housing becomes available. So much housing available that anyone who wants one can have one (I know I'm stretching here but I hope it comes true just the same).

[Kaurhz]

I don't think it's irrelevant when SE grandfathered people in from the start. If they were going to take houses away they should have done it when they implemented the changes. They didn't and I think it would be bad business if they did it this late in the game. I get people are upset there isn't enough housing and I wholeheartedly agree. But the changes that need to be made is SE fixing crap so they can actually offer unlimited actual houses (again either in wards and/or instanced housing).

And as Awha stated, there are people who would just get more accounts and transfer fc houses to those accounts. Pretty sure that's already a thing for some of the people who own whole wards (one in particular who buys fcs to own the houses could only have 8 on one account on a server and he/she owns pretty much an entire ward - I for the life of me can't remember which sever it is but they post here on the forums from time to time to flaunt it).

Well, it certainly in part defeats the entire purpose of the changes they've made thus far considering to a good degree the damage has already been done long before they even introduced the system- So I feel grandfathering people just in part defeats it. I don't mind the shortage as much as I do mind the simple fact many people are sat on multiple houses with very negligent usage of them. An entire ward whilst far and few; still comes up as greedy and taking away from those that would genuinely use the house. Not sure what the person was thinking when they thought invisible and randomized timers was a good idea, anything that delays the initial purchase window even with a fixed timer.

The last paragraph is precisely why they just need to be more relentless and delve closer into scorched earth. Make it so there's a payment over-time. Be it with Gil or grand company seals for personal housing, or company (FC) credits for houses registered as an FC. At least then there's an upkeep requirement, which wouldn't make it very pragmatic for those that are excessive or negligent to housing in general. I know there's 1 person on Spriggan that has an entire Goblet ward to themselves. Have yet to see them doing anything significant with it in the past 12 months, which is why I'm very annoyed by this topic because there are players and FCs who would genuinely benefit from a medium/large house. Smalls still available on Spriggan but that doesn't preclude the point that it's downright greedy and unnecessary, especially when there's going to be an inevitable upsurge of active players as we delve closer to 6.0. But alas the latter part of this is just my ramblings.