So, what now? Lotteries with 150+ bids until... when?

[UkcsAlias]

I think by dead they meant nobody's ever seen wandering the wards.
The system is certainly utilized, but that's a given since it's the only housing system we have.

The problem is wards only have such limited number of houses, and no utilities within the ward compared to the main cities themselve. Even if each house would have 4 people maintaining them, you still have less than 200 people per zone. Even if they would equaly spread the time acros the day, they each need to spend 7 minutes inside that area. And thats just enough for 1 person in there. Its not even close to the 30mins+ people can spend in the main cities with ease.

I have seen others inside the housing areas. But more than 2 is just rare. The only consistent moment is near the end of a lottery cycle since the placard requires you to be there to get the money back.

[Sheriyana]

Depends on your perspective. With placard spamming, people with a plethora of patience and free time had way better odds of getting a house then they do now with lottery. So for people who fit that bill, placard spamming was better.

They also have a way better chance at getting carpal tunnel syndrome. On more popular servers there were like 20 people on an empty plot at all times. It's terrible for mental health too stressing out about people showing up and your chances getting lower. And not knowing when the plot is going to open just encourages unhealthy behavior like staying up all night, as you keep thinking it's going to open soon, can't go to the bathroom because it'll be gone while you're away, can't go eat or get a drink. I can't believe people are out here defending that system. It might have given you a better chance at a plot if you're willing to sacrifice your time, health and sanity for it, but NO ONE should be made to go through that for a damn ingame house! At least with the current system you don't have to just sit there and spam a placard for 16 hours straight, you can actually you know, play the damn game.

[Lustre]

I feel like the lottery system isn't designed to fix the supply and demand issue, but rather even the playing field for getting a house given the low supply vs. demand. It discourages the camping a board for hours that isn't exactly healthy.

Even playing field is code for "everybody gets shafted equally". I've said it before, they were that eager to make things FAIR that everybody's chances of getting a house plummeted through the earth. It went from 1:4 odds on attempt, to 1:150+ odds. Very much a plaster over a broken system. But the engine itself is a house made out of beer mats and cocktail sticks so it doesn't really surprise me

[ReynTime]

It decreased YOUR chances. It decreased the chances of people "with the time to spam placards". But as you guys constantly hammer this over and over and over and over, this is a game that is designed to appeal to everyone and people with more time to spare shouldn't have an edge on content accessibility ever.

But I guess that only applies when it doesn't benefit your specific needs. So interesting to see the wholesome XIV community's true colors sometimes.

[magitekLuna]

It decreased YOUR chances. It decreased the chances of people "with the time to spam placards". But as you guys constantly hammer this over and over and over and over, this is a game that is designed to appeal to everyone and people with more time to spare shouldn't have an edge on content accessibility ever.

But I guess that only applies when it doesn't benefit your specific needs. So interesting to see the wholesome XIV community's true colors sometimes.

So people that get more luck need to have more adge?

[Saraide]

Even playing field is code for "everybody gets shafted equally". I've said it before, they were that eager to make things FAIR that everybody's chances of getting a house plummeted through the earth. It went from 1:4 odds on attempt, to 1:150+ odds. Very much a plaster over a broken system. But the engine itself is a house made out of beer mats and cocktail sticks so it doesn't really surprise me

It vastly improved my chances actually.

[game_enjoyer]

But the engine itself is a house made out of beer mats and cocktail sticks so it doesn't really surprise me

This is never gonna get better, is it?

[Moonlite]

The problem is the devs wanting to have an dead system in the game. This wards just not work as SE want them. No one ever in them. On top of it we got 2 more parts of houseing. Apartments and island. Why not make the fucking island a full on house system?

Apartments are just a backdoor into the original FC housing system. They have done zero too it. Or they can't, because it was a quick and dirty fix and not a new system. They probably have a better chance at fixing inn rooms.



Everyone is saying Islands are a private instance. I have a feeling it is not. It will be some weird rigged thing that give the feel of a private instance. The game can't handle when people use their house too much. A system completely dependant on the instance servers for each player would be Stormblood all over again.

I think by dead they meant nobody's ever seen wandering the wards.
The system is certainly utilized, but that's a given since it's the only housing system we have.

A better use would be the firmament for each housing area. Go a little farther and let us earn and unlock NPCs. Earn vendors add different types of fates or fetes or maybe even gates. Tweak them so they can be new tracks for gold saucer. Wards have so much potential as a gathering point for instanced housing.

[Rolder50]

They also have a way better chance at getting carpal tunnel syndrome.

Ah, but a lot of people on the placards weren't actually clicking it, if you catch my drift.

[Imora]

I spend a ton of time at my house though. Great investment.

I get the disappointment though, I'd been in every lottery and lost them all til this most recent.