Housing Roulette was an absolute trash idea.

[CidHeiral]

Square's solution to the bot problem being "lets just make it randomm!!xD" has to be the absolute laziest solution to a problem I've ever seen in a game.

It wasn't Square's solution, it was the playerbase's. Players demanded a lottery system for years, and they got exactly what they asked for.

The lottery system was never going to solve a supply issue, it just makes it fair for everyone who wants to bid.

[Joven]

My view is that the old system was toxic. People would spend hours on end in front of a placard hoping it'd miraculously pop. And constantly fight against easily ten other people botting and clicking on the placard to see if it worked. People would legit spend the night camping the place.

What we have now really isn't perfect. And it may seem unfair. But it's far fairer imo than whatever we had before. Because that was just masochism incarnate. This? This is a raffle. The unfortunate thing about it is the supply versus the demand.

I don't think it's simply a Japanese solution. I mean, sure, this practice may be a lot more welcome in Japan and all that, not saying it isn't o: I don't know enough to say otherwise anyway. But what I mean is that back then? When we had that really unhealthy system? THIS is what people asked for. A Lottery system. For better and for worse. And I mean it, people HERE, in THESE forums, the EN General Discussion chats, did ask for this. Myself among them.

I don't blame this system. Not in its entirety. Just that while it's better than what we had before, it still is stunted by one simple issue: supply.

And unfortunately, the way the game is designed and the way servers work mean supply isn't something that will grow overnight.

It wasn't Square's solution, it was the playerbase's. Players demanded a lottery system for years, and they got exactly what they asked for.

The lottery system was never going to solve a supply issue, it just makes it fair for everyone who wants to bid.

I don't even think it's a supply issue. I think it's everyone wants a select few houses while others fall by the wayside. I went through Shirogane on (I think) Louisoix and the first 4 plots in the subdivision I was in were empty. No buildings, no owners, all of them smalls. You could counter with "well that's only certain servers", but then it comes down to the playerbase migrating to areas that accomodate what they want. My friends gave up raiding at the hours they play to move to a server where houses were more available because to them a house was more important. Choose your priorities.

[Zebraoracle]

I don't even think it's a supply issue. I think it's everyone wants a select few houses while others fall by the wayside. I went through Shirogane on (I think) Louisoix and the first 4 plots in the subdivision I was in were empty. No buildings, no owners, all of them smalls. You could counter with "well that's only certain servers", but then it comes down to the playerbase migrating to areas that accomodate what they want. My friends gave up raiding at the hours they play to move to a server where houses were more available because to them a house was more important. Choose your priorities.

But it literally does depend on data center. As has been said, on Aether the demand far outweighs the supply. It just comes with a high population DC. Like yeah certain plots are more popular for sure, but on a high density server most of them are going to be bid on regardless of location.

[Ivtrix]

It wasn't Square's solution, it was the playerbase's. Players demanded a lottery system for years, and they got exactly what they asked for.

The lottery system was never going to solve a supply issue, it just makes it fair for everyone who wants to bid.

Exactly, it’s made people acutely aware of how much demand there is vs supply.