Ishgard Housing No Lottery For Wards

[kaynide]

I just realized something what prevents a person from making a ton of alt accounts making individual FCs and just bid on a house as FC and which ever alt wins you join that FC and transfer leadership to your main?

That said, if SE were smart, they'd make it so a bid on one account counted for the entire account. Otherwise, my wife's account has the work and cash put in to do this. (we wanted multiple themed rooms in our FC house)

[Daeriion_Aeradiir]

Your chance may has gone down. But the chance of hundreds of other players who simply can't or even don't want to rush the district in the first 10 minutes or camp placards is now above 0.

And there was still a non-zero chance in FCFS people can find a house no one is competing for, or walk in, press the placard for <5mins and get it even with competition. My friend got their house doing exactly that. No spamming, just walked up and bought it within 5 mins with four others camping it, by simply only trying for 10mins a day at any given plot since he had a busy IRL and didn't want to commit to long hours of camping. One of my old FCs got their house finding a small that had no competition on it and bought it when it was up, with no idea how long it had been available for when someone logged in to try that day.

Even without the desire to camp for long hours or rush in the first 10mins, the odds of getting a house in FCFS were never 0 with diligence to try for even just 5mins a day. With lottery however, they have just been dropped to <1% universally (statistically making it so the infinitely vast majority will go 20+ lotteries without getting a house, and many more will go without ever seeing a house for literal years when they might have stood a chance in FCFS) for everyone, acting as a simple punishment for people with diligence.

[DeNada]

And there was still a non-zero chance in FCFS people can find a house no one is competing for, or walk in, press the placard for <5mins and get it even with competition. My friend got their house doing exactly that. No spamming, just walked up and bought it within 5 mins with four others camping it, by simply only trying for 10mins a day at any given plot since he had a busy IRL and didn't want to commit to long hours of camping. One of my old FCs got their house finding a small that had no competition on it and bought it when it was up, with no idea how long it had been available for when someone logged in to try that day.

Even without the desire to camp for long hours or rush in the first 10mins, the odds of getting a house in FCFS were never 0 with diligence to try for even just 5mins a day. With lottery however, they have just been dropped to <1% universally (statistically making it so the infinitely vast majority will go 20+ lotteries without getting a house, and many more will go without ever seeing a house for literal years when they might have stood a chance in FCFS) for everyone, acting as a simple punishment for people with diligence.

Has it occurred to you that your friend and FC were extremely lucky then?

I myself has camped more than 50 plots, for hours at a time before getting my house. Granted, my luck could simply be the worst but my point is using anecdotes such as these doesn't really prove anything.

[Eraden]

I am shocked and amazed that there are STILL people coming into this thread and arguing for FCFS, all the while drumming up RIDICULOUS claims of it being somehow fair, when in reality, all they want is better odds for THEMSELVES.

[kaynide]

Has it occurred to you that your friend and FC were extremely lucky then?

I myself has camped more than 50 plots, for hours at a time before getting my house. Granted, my luck could simply be the worst but my point is using anecdotes such as these doesn't really prove anything.

Sorry to hear that-

I grabbed a back alley house nobody wanted in Ul'dah when they were free for all and everyone was rushing to Kugane/Mist. Same for my FC.

After that I was able to bully my way by relocating to whatever opened up. Never had to wait/click/fight for the houses.

While I feel lucky to eventually get where I am over multiple houses, this lottery is very much the best "fair" option. I can't imagine having to spend the money I did to relocate several times to be acceptable for a newer player.

[Seraphor]

You keep saying this.. with no basis in reality. Statistically you have a better chance of finding a house available with lottery over FCFS and your chances of getting that house are merely 1 in howevermany enter the lottery rather than the exceedingly unlikely statistics involved in either bumrushing the servers on release day or the clickfest we used to have.

The major difference is you cannot effect the chances with investment or scripts or client modding.

Statistically, I have stumbled across 3 vacant plots that were free to grab.
No stress, no messing with my sleep schedule, no unfairness because there was no one there to contest them
A bit of luck? Sure, but they were there in front of me to take in the moment.
And anyone can do the same. Anyone can go to a less popular ward, on a less populated world, and pick up a small plot with absolute ease.

That's no longer possible. Now even the easy pickings will have a 24hr waiting period where dozens of players can put their name down to be chosen out if a hat.

A lottery is absolutely fine for some, even most, of the newly released wards, but it's heavy handed and overkill to apply it as a blanket policy across all wards all the time. Not all plots are equaln and it is absolutely unecessary for the "easier" (less popular/populated) plots. It actually makes THOSE plots less fair.

[Soma_Farkreath]

i get the feeling that most of the people rooting for the old FCFS system don't have much of a life. i work 12 hour shifts and also have a life out of gaming so without insane luck i have almost no chance of getting a house on my own. lottery is the most fair option no matter what you argue and i agree it was a long time coming. sitting for hours hoping you click it at the exact time it goes up for sale is horribly unhealthy.

[RobynDaBank]

i get the feeling that most of the people rooting for the old FCFS system don't have much of a life. i work 12 hour shifts and also have a life out of gaming so without insane luck i have almost no chance of getting a house on my own. lottery is the most fair option no matter what you argue and i agree it was a long time coming. sitting for hours hoping you click it at the exact time it goes up for sale is horribly unhealthy.

No, don't you get it? They know a friend of a friend who was able to log on, go to a Ward, and instantly get a house, despite working extremely long shifts every day of the week. Clearly means FCFS is perfectly fine. Or something.

[Soma_Farkreath]

No, don't you get it? They know a friend of a friend who was able to log on, go to a Ward, and instantly get a house, despite working extremely long shifts every day of the week. Clearly means FCFS is perfectly fine. Or something.

oh yeah most definitely completely fair to everyone who wants a house

[Krotoan]

Statistically, I have stumbled across 3 vacant plots that were free to grab.

I don't think you get what "statistically" means or what people are saying. What were the chances of that happening AND you wanting a house AND you having the money to grab AND them having their timers expired? That's the statistics part. How often do you find an empty house especially now? That's your chances.

No stress, no messing with my sleep schedule, no unfairness because there was no one there to contest them
A bit of luck? Sure, but they were there in front of me to take in the moment.
And anyone can do the same. Anyone can go to a less popular ward, on a less populated world, and pick up a small plot with absolute ease.

and on a less populated world those houses will be just as available under a lottery. If nobody is taking them or wants them the lottery will go ahead uncontested. The CHANCES of getting a house are the same.

That's no longer possible. Now even the easy pickings will have a 24hr waiting period where dozens of players can put their name down to be chosen out if a hat.

if there are that many people who want a house, it wasn't "easy pickings" it was you being extremely lucky. The CHANCES you had of getting a house were low but you beat the odds.

A lottery is absolutely fine for some, even most, of the newly released wards, but it's heavy handed and overkill to apply it as a blanket policy across all wards all the time. Not all plots are equaln and it is absolutely unecessary for the "easier" (less popular/populated) plots. It actually makes THOSE plots less fair.

Once again in the less populated places where houses would sit empty for days, your chances of getting a house is the same.

What is happening is the playing ground is being made fair. Those who cannot reasonably be constantly monitoring for a house have a chance they didn't before. In a game where you're supposed to engage "at will" with content it's the fairest solution without revamping the whole system. As someone with a good connection and powerful computer who technically CAN login at any time (work is flexible) I COULD take advantage of a FCFS situation.. but I don't want to. It's also vulnerable to exploiters and at least somewhat stands in the way of black markets, moreso than FCFS. I want everyone to have at least an equal chance for a house and objectively this is it.