Bidding is a terrible bandaid. . .

[Shibi]

I would not blame players for getting angry. They wanted to come to a plot, bid and return in few hours, during time the clicking spam would have taken place, expecting like 10% chance to win, while getting the chances even multiple times a day if new plots opened up. Instead the lottery takes a week and half for 1-2% chances sometimes even worse. The despair doesn't come just from losing, it comes from doing the math that everyone has such tiny chance about three times a month. It's as hopeless as it could be.

We are still in the sugar-hit of empy plot transfers for one or two more periods, the numbers should tighten up a lot after that.

[Frizze]

They wanted to come to a plot, bid and return in few hours, during time the clicking spam would have taken place, expecting like 10% chance to win, while getting the chances even multiple times a day if new plots opened up. Instead the lottery takes a week and half for 1-2% chances sometimes even worse. The despair doesn't come just from losing, it comes from doing the math that everyone has such tiny chance about three times a month. It's as hopeless as it could be.

So people who had completely unrealistic expectations(and who wouldnt listen to those telling them so at the time) are finally seeing that they were wrong? And its not as hopeless as it can be yet. Give it another couple cycles til there are maybe 1-2 houses open at a time you can bid on. Itll happen.

[StealthPaladin]

For my two cents, I don't mind the idea of a lottery at all.

What I do wish is that we could just:
1. Register what we are willing to purchase*
2. Cough up the gil
3. Wait in line until we win the lottery**

* To register -- go to an acceptable placard (owned or not). Option to "add this plot to list", "add [type of plot] to list", "add [type of plot] in [residential zone]" to list. i.e., giving you the ability to house hunt for mansions anywhere on the server, mansions specifically in Mist or specific plots. To add multiple specific plots go to another placard. Maximum x plots on your housing search list.

Alternatively; if it was just easier to browse, bid and get results/refund without traveling "physically", with your character, to the estate -- that would fix most of the same frustrations

** If you win the lottery and no houses of your type are available; you join a "first come first serve" list of those qualifications.

[Archaell]

We are still in the sugar-hit of empy plot transfers for one or two more periods, the numbers should tighten up a lot after that.

So people who had completely unrealistic expectations(and who wouldnt listen to those telling them so at the time) are finally seeing that they were wrong? And its not as hopeless as it can be yet. Give it another couple cycles til there are maybe 1-2 houses open at a time you can bid on. Itll happen.

I meant that players see how the system works and that makes them feel hopeless. The actual numbers aren't that important as 1-2% chance might be as well zero coz you aren't winning anyway. The lottery itself isn't the main cause of rage, it's getting flawed version of lottery which is too much inclusive and too much slow. Made worse by lack of demolition, delay caused by the bug and FC wards taking most of the wards.

[HuaTuo]

Thankfully there will be 10 extra wards in each district soon

A what now?? Did I live under a rock too long? source?

[Shibi]

...and FC wards taking most of the wards.

The numbers for personals are not set in stone. Every single release of a new city - every - has come with FC only provisions for a few months, until this one. So, you are in fact, better off than in the past.

When Shirogane was released there were zero personals until the FCs had settled.

Would you prefer 6 wards for personal, or ZERO for personal?


(and yeah, SE dropped the ball with 1-19 for FCs in the old cities IMO, but it balances out that some Empy were there for personals, something we didn't see previously with the 100% FC only for a few months rules.)

[DeNada]

The numbers for personals are not set in stone. Every single release of a new city - every - has come with FC only provisions for a few months, until this one. So, you are in fact, better off than in the past.

When Shirogane was released there were zero personals until the FCs had settled.

Would you prefer 6 wards for personal, or ZERO for personal?


(and yeah, SE dropped the ball with 1-19 for FCs in the old cities IMO, but it balances out that some Empy were there for personals, something we didn't see previously with the 100% FC only for a few months rules.)

The problem is that we are seeing personal plots dwindle to almost a trickle by the end of round 2 of the lottery whereas more than half of the plots in FC wards remain unbidded. Which means that the free company demand is just not there.

If we go by the logic that the FCs strategy for plots are as below:

1st round => Most FCs aim for large, very few large remains, plenty of medium and small still exist
2nd round (we are here now) => Most FCs aim for medium, very few medium remain, plenty of small still exist
3rd round => Remaining FCs aim for remaining smalls, plenty of smalls still remain

At the very latest, the FC wards should be opened up to private bidders by the end of the 3rd round. To say that there are still FCs demand after that would be nonsensical as they had plenty of chance to go for a guaranteed plot and if they failed to do so, it's their own fault for not doing so.

Also, I suspect that by the end of round 3, there would literally be less than 10 private plots remaining in each standard world (Let's not talk about Materia here since it is an outlier).

[Shibi]

The problem is that we are seeing personal plots dwindle to almost a trickle by the end of round 2 of the lottery...

Do you deny they not only will get to adjusting it but have specifically said they will adjust it?

(Let's not talk about Materia here since it is an outlier).

But, by your own admission you play mainly on Materia (and you were dead-set against early release of the old cities there for the rest of us, saying we should all wait the extra 2 months for lottery [that's 7x9 day lottery periods by the way]), so is it really an issue for you to wait a month or so more on Balmung for a second (or maybe third) house? One does gather your main has their Materia plot(s) now already?

... I'm playing mainly on Materia now due to time zone difference.

[KhudusQestir]

Lastly, I feel for your anxiety but it is not really fair to make the bidding super short. People work and might not be able to log on within 24/48 hours to bid. They pay their sub same as you, they have every right to bid.
Placard clicking set my anxiety off far worse than lottery did, the thought of, 'if I stop clicking that is the second the plot sells'. And worse it actually happened and I was so enraged with myself I had to call it quits on house hunting for a little while and when I resumed I refused to camp a plot. Clicking for extended period is terrible for your health. I swapped to sweeping the wards at around 5am, bought both my private and FC house uncontested because all the campers had passed the F out from exhaustion.

This really confused me. . . how long do you need to place a bid on a house? How is it 3 days not enough? It literally takes me only 30minutes to look at what's available, roam around to check the biddings and make a decent comparison. You could spend longer(especially when there are tons of open plots) but let's say there's only one open plot. Do you really need five days to make time for yourself to go grab that plot? Just to take those 5mnutes to travel to said plot and put in your bid by clicking once on it?

[KhudusQestir]

A what now?? Did I live under a rock too long? source?

It was mentioned in one of the liveletters but suuuuure. I'll try to find it. x.x