Quote Originally Posted by Kenky View Post
Okay.. Let's take this one step at a time.

The timer you see on the Placard? That isn't how long until the plot is available. That's how long until the plot drops in price. The actual timer for availability is hidden, for rather obvious reasons. If we could see it, then plenty of people could essentially clog that instance up, ensuring their purchase and you'd be out of luck.

The Developers aren't "insane" so much as they are simply trying to make the best out of a bad situation. The "hidden timer" is a result of people abusing the system and for the foreseeable future, it is the system we all have to play by until they decide to change it. Instanced Housing would indeed fix the housing issue, allowing people to get what they want when they want it, but that goes against their philosophy on housing in general.

Several Developers have said they prefer the "neighborhood" feeling of the wards and do not want that to change. Meaning the only 'Instanced Housing' you will get is FC rooms / Apartment rooms. No company in the world could prepare for the sudden player surge that Stormblood brought with it and they are at least trying to appease who they can when they can. So long as they have the spare resources to do so. The Firmament is proof of this and a potential ward upgrade alongside the Firmament release, perhaps reaching to 30, if not maybe 40 wards per housing district. (quick mathematics would mean that is another 2,400 houses per district.)

While that may not FIX the problem, it will only delay it. With how infrequent major patches and changes come to the game, you will have to answer one simple question before thinking about buying a house. "Are you going to play FFXIV enough to warrant this purchase?" as, if you buy a house, then don't log-in or enter the building in 45 days, you will lose the house.
I too prefer the neighborhood feeling as well, it gives a sense of actually community. Instanced housing only sounds good on paper when a person is completely frustrated in trying to get their own house, but think how lonely and empty instanced housing would feel at the end of the day, i mean, it would be lonely for me anyway. xD I'm sure there are a good number of folk who would prefer complete solitude.

Housing isn't perfect that is for sure, but i feel like they are well on their way to the actual solution they've been looking for all this time with the Island Paradise content, which gives us our own private island, and potentially: Housing/building plots on said private island.