Why is this not the solution?

[Jojoya]

But that's kinda the problem... as much as we want apartments to be instanced housing, they are not instanced housing.

Except they are instanced housing. The problem is SE tied them to some sort of static numbering system that they said they can easily increase but have chosen not to do.

[Drkdays]

A bidding system would be the same as other players choosing who may and may not buy a house, with those rich enough able to guarantee a purchase by others of their choosing.

Why would anyone do such a thing, you ask?

If I had enough gil, I would certainly surround myself with friends and family, or those who owe me a great deal...

Or I could simply deny someone I don't like from getting a home.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You'd have realties introduced into the game. Or worse, multiple HMAs.

[Elladie]

We're back to the same old same old, and a lot of design (that is IMO a huge oversight) where SE keeps ignoring that people will no-life FFXIV with multiple alts and abuse systems that are pretty clearly intended to be used by only a single character just because they can. This wanton expression of greed is going to continue to be a problem (both here and on the leaderboards for other things) until SE finally locks it down and only allows certain things to occur once per account per server, like the house and apartment. I wouldn't be surprised if the Balmung apartment situation is being exacerbated by alts, and that is something SE should fix IMO... but SE has shown a complete lack of spine to do what is necessary to fix the situation - likely because we're looking at a difference between the Japanese and American cultures.

Balmung is the canary in the coal mine.

I'm sorry, but just because someone doesn't play the game the way you do, that doesn't give you the right to call them greedy and other unsalubrious adjectives. Having a number of alts is the way some of us play. I have many, some I play often, some I rarely play at all. I have them because I'm a writer, and I get a great deal of enjoyment out of telling their various stories. Yes, I RP with a couple. If they are high enough level and have earned the gil and the rank in an GC, they have apartments. If they could still buy a house, I would work on trying to get a house. I get as much fun and pleasure out of them as I do my main; some play jobs I wouldn't want to play on my main, some focus on crafting or gathering, some are about other specific goals. If SE announced that they could no longer have apartments because reasons, I'd accept that, although it would sadden me. I get a lot of pleasure out of creating places that suit them. It's fine for you to think I'm odd, but it's not fine for you to call me greedy because I've worked to earn an apartment for a few of my alts....

Nor do I 'no life' XIV as you so charmingly put it. I hold down a demanding full time job, I have three grown up children with their own families with whom I spend a lot of time, I write most nights. Some weeks I only log into XIV once for ten minutes to check my retainers. In short I have a rich and full life of which this game is a small but much enjoyed part. So please don't make ridiculous generalisations about other people who play differently

[PredatoryCatgirl]

A bidding system would be the same as other players choosing who may and may not buy a house, with those rich enough able to guarantee a purchase by others of their choosing.

Why would anyone do such a thing, you ask?

If I had enough gil, I would certainly surround myself with friends and family, or those who owe me a great deal...

Or I could simply deny someone I don't like from getting a home.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You'd have realties introduced into the game. Or worse, multiple HMAs.

This system is already in place unofficially, and that doesn't happen. There are people who buy and sell FCs with housing attached to them. All this would change is make that money go into the void rather than the pockets of another player, thereby being the gil sink we need.

[Drkdays]

That's an FC problem, and they still have to actually win the camp and click contest.

Now imagine if those people who have been buying and selling plots using "alternative means" were told that now only the richest of players can get a house...

You see where I'm going with this?

Why are you trying to cater to the wealthy who have made their wealth through selling FC houses by making it easier to buy FC houses to sell for more money...?

I already see more holes in this than a Trump lawyer's defense argument.

[PredatoryCatgirl]

Why are you trying to cater to the wealthy who have made their wealth through selling FC houses by making it easier to buy FC houses to sell for more money...?

Because its already happening, and I doubt this will make it worse. And this has the benefit of being a gil sink. So our choices are "shitty situation that resolves itself as gil gets removed from the system" or "shitty situation plus runaway inflation that makes it even shittier".

And most of these people don't make their money selling FC houses. Most of the rich people I know have made it selling stuff to raiders. Buying FC houses is something for them to do with their mountains of gil. This way, rather than passing that gil to each other, it gets removed from the system. Why do you not understand or at least acknowledge this difference?

Also, they will not be selling to each other if just buying the house costs the market value. If I know someone is willing to pay 50M for a house, and I can get it for 3M, then I'll go on a click frenzy to make 47M. If bidding happens, and someone is willing to pay 50M for that house, then if I want it I have to pay 50M for it. Its useless for resale because its market value is what I paid for it.

[Drkdays]

That's yet another problem and by far the most glaring. You think, with the short number of houses vs players who want a house vs the ultrarich, that houses would go for anything less than absurd amounts?

And where does that leave the average player? You really feel that only those who have played for years with a determined focus on accumulating gil should be able to afford a home?

And don't bother trying to sell me that, "anyone can make 50million in no time it's EASY" bull, cause that is NOT the average player.

You're talking about murdering the possibility of getting a home until they're sitting on 50 million or more.

Far from a gil sink, you're asking players to focus on nothing but money making to fully enjoy the game.

Better instead to make houses free and abundant. Furnishing a house is the real gil sink anyways and at least they can do it at their own pace rather than slaving away forever to save enough to finally buy a home.

Leave that nonsense for real life.

[PredatoryCatgirl]

Better instead to make houses free and abundant.

Agreed. But SE isn't going to do that because potato.

Far from a gil sink, you're asking players to focus on nothing but money making to fully enjoy the game.

Quite the opposite. I am asking for gil to be removed from the system so that people with less gil will be able to buy more things. Without a bunch of old money tycoons who have nothing better to do with their gil inflating the market, you will not see RMT bots going for housing, because it won't be worth it to them. This means fewer people clicking the placard.

Do you honestly not understand how gil sinks work? Because you haven't given me one reason why it won't work as one. The entire reason people will pay 50M for a house is because there's too much gil flying around. Remove that gil and the price drops. That is econ 101. Inflation causes higher prices. Deflation causes lower prices. More gil being removed from the system than going into it will cause deflation. I don't know how to make this any more clear.

[Drkdays]

I love it when people say, "you've given me no reason why-"

What, am I speaking Latin?

It means one of two things. You're either skimming what I've said without really reading it because you've already decided I'm wrong or you're willfully disregarding my points ...because you've already decided I'm wrong.

I'm not going to repeat myself but I will add something new.

SE has no doubt considered this possibility and decided it wasn't viable. They want housing for all, but on their terms. Inflation is an issue they are actively working on, such as with higher teleportation fees and no doubt a slew of new things to buy in EW.

But they have wisely chosen not to punish the average player to somehow stick it to the ultrawealthy players...who probably have houses already anyways. What with those "other" methods of attaining a home if you have enough gil and the often touted workshop being such a good moneymaker.

The only people it would help is FC flippers and the ones harmed most would be new players who could easily decide they will simply never be able to afford a home.

Talk about a downer for the sprouts.

In other words, it's a gil sink targeting those who have no gil to sink.

[PredatoryCatgirl]

snip

Tell me you don't understand economics without actually saying you don't understand economics.

Done banging my head against the wall. Feel free to reply to this if your ego needs the last word.