Things that have always bugged me about the housing areas...

[MicahZerrshia]

This is just for fun since I am bored, but I am going to be nitpicky here because they have made some real poor design decisions when it comes to their residential zone design that would make any city planner worth their salt, wince.

Like in Shirogane. They have 8 houses on the water, and not a single one actually faces the water. They all either have their back to it or they are turned to look at the house next door.

Mist has 3 houses that face the water and then a bunch more that again do not face the water even though they are right on the beach.

Lavender beds has a mansion facing the back of the map so you cannot even zoom out enough to see the entire front of it and is by far the worst housing area to navigate on foot. Then to add insult to injury the npc shops are split between 2 different areas.

Goblet has a house that faces a cliff wall, one house on that nice water area that faces away from it and one that is positioned so half the day there is a strobe effect with the sun and a windmill. And I won't even get started on the overuse of beige, which is a trap many game developers fall into for desert environments. But if you actually look at desert based civilizations irl they were some of the most colorful. Also a city that is known for its merchants and capitalism, has npc merchants just standing on the street. Shouldn't they have even basic store fronts?

The new Ishgardian housing just seems really bland too. While they added a lot of really nice features and things to look at that would be a welcome addition to other areas, it was like they knew it was based on an ice zone so they had to use the most boring grey and blue palette they could instead of injecting some much needed splashes of color into it. Exactly as they did to Ishgard itself.

Outside of the basic layouts, why do we need to place a mini aetheryte in our yard? Why not just give us the option to warp there without taking up a slot on a big glowing rock. Same goes for mailboxes. Some basic qol should not need extra items.

What, outside of not being able to get a house, there is a thread just for that, just bugs you about their design?

[SannaR]

I loathe the chunkyness of the Oasis pillars on the inside. Also would love if you switched the house wall on the outside that the inside would match.
The Goblet didn't always have a water feature in it so I can understand why some houses are like that there. For me the Goblet is the worst design due to how you read the map vs how you actually traverse it. For Ishgard housing it could change slightly on the layout as the Firmament is more for RP and might not ending up exactly how it'll look for our version. Also why would it not match the rest of the city's look of medieval European castle?

[MicahZerrshia]

I loathe the chunkyness of the Oasis pillars on the inside. Also would love if you switched the house wall on the outside that the inside would match.
The Goblet didn't always have a water feature in it so I can understand why some houses are like that there. For me the Goblet is the worst design due to how you read the map vs how you actually traverse it. For Ishgard housing it could change slightly on the layout as the Firmament is more for RP and might not ending up exactly how it'll look for our version. Also why would it not match the rest of the city's look of medieval European castle?

Oasis pillars are nothing compared to the riviera in girth. I wish we could change out the interior basics as well instead of having them locked to zone. It made sense at launch since they wanted to keep the zones with specific themes, but that all went out the window when they made housing exteriors that could be used anywhere.

Also I mentioned they made the same mistake with Ishgard. Even medieval European castles had a lot more color than just grey stone as far as the eye could see. Just like ancient Rome and Greece were not just white marble. Ppl have always liked some color. The monochrome of yesteryear is just a hollywood thing

[Mesarthim]

I used to have one of the houses on a shirogane beach but I relocated to a better spot. I've always thought to myself that someone drunk designed the wards.

[Avatre]

I like how my house is positioned(Shiro Ward 19, Plot 19). Let's me have my hot spring over look the beach, and a more sheltered fire pit area on the other side.

[Melorie]

It's so weird to me that Mist is literally the "beach ward" and you got literally what, 2 or 3 houses near the beach? Even Shirogane has more beach houses.

[MicahZerrshia]

It's so weird to me that Mist is literally the "beach ward" and you got literally what, 2 or 3 houses near the beach? Even Shirogane has more beach houses.

I just do not understand that they thought it was a good choice to turn them away from the water in either location. Esp Shiro. I mean 8 houses and not one faces the beach...

But yeah Mist was advertised as being particularly a beach resort type location so it makes it doubly just a weird choice. I sometimes wonder if they have a specific reason or if they just didn't think it through because they are so bent on a community feel that they felt forcing all houses to face each other was their only option.

[Jojoya]

I just do not understand that they thought it was a good choice to turn them away from the water in either location. Esp Shiro. I mean 8 houses and not one faces the beach...

But yeah Mist was advertised as being particularly a beach resort type location so it makes it doubly just a weird choice. I sometimes wonder if they have a specific reason or if they just didn't think it through because they are so bent on a community feel that they felt forcing all houses to face each other was their only option.

I have a Mist 30/60 plot. I'm fine with it set sideways to the beach. I still have a great view from my yard and it's not like I can see the beach from within the house.

There's not much point in having the front of a house face a beach if traffic in the area is going to obstruct the view. Rooms at the back of a house can be created as open spaces with large windows for beach views just as much as a front room.

[Arrhin]

Plot 50, and equivalent in the Goblet are the best small plots in the game imo. The pool is mine... get out.

[Avidria]

Dude I am the same way about the Shirogane houses, I was so frustrated that none of them face the water??? I had the beach medium to the left for a while before I server transferred a while back, and I had it all set up so I had like... chairs and such that let you face the beach from the side of the house but I just remember thinking some of those lots would be so much better if the houses were turned the other way.

A lot of them it's like... some of the houses have wonky paths to get to the market board, where it's definitely way more convenient for certain lots than others.

Also a few of the lots in Goblet and I think even Ishgard just face off into an empty void?? Like... idk put some trees or a waterfall or something, spice up the background to immediately make those houses less boring (imo). An empty cliff wall is just kinda sad to look at tbh.