Why is there still no good solution to the housing shortage?

[Shougun]

No, but as someone who's done actual coding projects before, I've had to tell Clients what they desire is basically infeasible without having to do giant re-writes of the foundational code they stuck me with, or have to effectively explain why certain systems they've implemented clash with each other and basically render systems they desire to implement infeasible.

Just because one project can do it doesn't mean another can do it. Or at the very least, in a way you desire it to be so.

FF14 uses the instance server for handling instances. it doesn't take a 3000 IQ to realize that any form of 'unlimited, truly instanced' housing will have to use the instance server to handle it, which causes every problem Seraphor mentioned to become true. People can request it all they like; from a technical standpoint, its infeasible to create Instanced housing without basically gutting content development for a patch cycle or two to re-write giant swathes of the game's instance coding. And since it'd actually halt content develpment...it actually is impossible. You think the CEOs at Square will think Yoshi-P is in his right mind to halt content production for an issue like this?

I'm well aware that there is likely huge issues involved- I mean seriously does anyone think if it was easy that we would still be with the issues we have now at this point in the game life? It's obviously not easy, and it's not even moderate, it's likely some crazy mountain of a task that they look at and just scoff like "nooooo thanks".

All of that however does not change what people want. You're incorrect to say that's what people want (which is what Sera said). If I want a red apple but you serve me a plum because that's all you can do, it's obviously and inconvertibly not what I asked for. It still might be the best that can be done, and some people will be like "you know what, thank you", and perhaps the likely solution (it does seem likely we'd have those restrictions if they were forced to get it done, especially if with limited time), but it is just factually incorrect to suggest that's what people are asking for.

Furthermore anytime people ask for something that doesn't exist yet they're going to clearly be in the territory of "make it happen". This particular task is... one heck of a make it happen. I've never felt the team is lazy, else I probably would have left long ago, I'm aware that this one is likely a hill to die on and not change (in this game), but die on and salt the hill I think is still worth it. It has been one of the most obnoxious issues in this game since we began this ride, one that would have been solved by instanced housing (or more interesting and creative solutions like instanced housing that also combines willful communities, something Wildstar had the right ideas on but unfortunately bad ideas on other core parts of the game and a company that didn't want to give them the opportunity to ARR themselves).

As for the later part- obviously if someone can doesn't mean you can copy paste the code and it magically "just works" (Todd Howard™). The statement wasn't because John did it so you HAVE to do it, or even therefore it easy/must be do-able for you (like maybe it's not even their system, just they don't have the right person with the skills to do it, or budget), it was only that John can do it, so it's not a "literally impossible task" - someone found out how to make it work. It's achievable (far better to do from the start when you're making your systems). That was all. Since sometimes people talk as if they've no idea what people mean when they say instanced system, to a point I find some are being dishonest (not an accusation here, but I've seen some stuff that was clearly purposefully ignoring intent, even when it was explained in clearer terms what they meant) We've seen the system done enough time's it's quite clear what people are meaning and timers, queues, and all that are clearly not part of the bill they're trying to cash. Of course FFXIV itself might be like "our system can't do that" and which players can fairly say "well figure it out" and SE can say "no". But the entire time it's clear what people are asking for. To suggest otherwise is incorrect, particularly speaking in this situation where it's obvious, and we have the poster themselves clarifying it for more clarity. Asked for apple, got a plum, not what I asked for then obviously- though perhaps I asked for a fruit that is dang near impossible to grow in the current environment.