housing conundrum: there needs to be a better way.

[Jojoya]

to the latter i say: so i am to abandon my RL friends im in a Fc with and all the progress in the FC? that is absolutely ridiculous.

Moving to a new data center does not mean you're abandoning your RL friends. RL friends will always have ways to be in contact with you whether you're logged into the game or not.

If they stop playing with you just because you change data centers, then likely they weren't your friends in the first place. They were simply people you know.

As for progress in a FC... time to ditch a terrible FC that forces you to progress in it. A FC should be a casual social circle, not a job that you have to work hard at to get a promotion. The FC I'm in still has many former members active in our Discord and joining us for FC events.

Data center travel does not wall people off. It helps bring them together.

Yes, the housing system is need of major improvements. Your suggestion doesn't really solve anything considering all those other failed bidders are going to get those increased entries along with you - and the first time bidder with only one entry will likely end up the winner. How bitter are you going to feel when that happens.

What does the housing system need? It needs SE to fix the supply so every player can get the house of their choice without being forced to compete with others. Players in other MMORPGs don't have to put up with this in their housing. Why should we have to?

[Ranaku]

snip

I am with OP on that part tho, switching servers isn't the solution. If you do that you just trade one part of the game (FC with irl friends) for another part of the game. (Housing)

When it comes to the housing system, it is a matter of prestige tho. Especially for the asian players. JP is happy with the system and as long as this is the case SE will not make major changes because we are not their native playerbase. It is the same reason why we will never see region travel, because JP absolutely hates the idea of having to deal with the NA culture. If you think for a moment that they go against their own peoples wishes then you are at best delusional.

So housing will always be a matter of prestige when it comes to the wards, maybe tho they will please the western audience with some limited instanced housing on the island or the new world. Island Sanctuary looked like a dip into the idea of instanced housing, we will see where it leads.

[SophiaDL]

I am with OP on that part tho, switching servers isn't the solution. If you do that you just trade one part of the game (FC with irl friends) for another part of the game. (Housing)

When it comes to the housing system, it is a matter of prestige tho. Especially for the asian players. JP is happy with the system and as long as this is the case SE will not make major changes because we are not their native playerbase. It is the same reason why we will never see region travel, because JP absolutely hates the idea of having to deal with the NA culture. If you think for a moment that they go against their own peoples wishes then you are at best delusional.

So housing will always be a matter of prestige when it comes to the wards, maybe tho they will please the western audience with some limited instanced housing on the island or the new world. Island Sanctuary looked like a dip into the idea of instanced housing, we will see where it leads.

That's what I've been saying for quite a while, and I got attacked for it multiple times, for a lot of people (me included), housing is prestige, especially select "popular" plots, on JP it's a normal thing, but on EU/NA it's like being the big bad evil that doesnt want people to have houses

[Jojoya]

I am with OP on that part tho, switching servers isn't the solution. If you do that you just trade one part of the game (FC with irl friends) for another part of the game. (Housing)

When it comes to the housing system, it is a matter of prestige tho. Especially for the asian players. JP is happy with the system and as long as this is the case SE will not make major changes because we are not their native playerbase. It is the same reason why we will never see region travel, because JP absolutely hates the idea of having to deal with the NA culture. If you think for a moment that they go against their own peoples wishes then you are at best delusional.

So housing will always be a matter of prestige when it comes to the wards, maybe tho they will please the western audience with some limited instanced housing on the island or the new world. Island Sanctuary looked like a dip into the idea of instanced housing, we will see where it leads.

Then SE should double down up the prestige side of the game and be very specific in telling Western audiences what they're getting into. They need to stop adding wards and new housing districts so players are stuck fighting over what few houses are there. Adding more just lowers the presumed prestige of it. No reason to worry about supply as the player base grows since it's a prestige thing and they do not want to allow everyone who wants a house to have one.

To me, it's idiocy to base prestige on RNG luck over effort and merit.

It seems bizarre that SE decided housing should be the prestige system for the game but if JP is different then JP is different.

That's what I've been saying for quite a while, and I got attacked for it multiple times, for a lot of people (me included), housing is prestige, especially select "popular" plots, on JP it's a normal thing, but on EU/NA it's like being the big bad evil that doesnt want people to have houses

Probably because NA and EU see enough of the homeless problem in the real world and don't want to bring that into the games they play.

Part of the attraction of role-playing games is wish fulfillment and getting things that you can't have in real life. Remove the wish fulfillment and there's suddenly a lot less reason to play for many people.

How ironic that the game revolves around the player being a celebrated Warrior of Light who has saved the world yet that world singing the Warrior's praises doesn't give enough of a damn about them to help them get a decent house to live in. I wonder if that's how JP treats its real life heroes as well.

[Ranaku]

snip

Adding more wards actually doesn't lower the prestige of a plot. The game steadily grows (for the better or worse but it still grows). So it is logical to double the wards when the games population doubles, the prestige worth of a plot stays the same that way.

What SE really needs to combat is some fellas owning entire wards or like 10 houses and maybe people who aren't using their houses. I have seen SO SO many houses that are barren, nothing inside at all for months. Dunno why some people buy houses and then ignore them and leave them as a barren husk of what could be.

[Shinkuno]

That's what I've been saying for quite a while, and I got attacked for it multiple times, for a lot of people (me included), housing is prestige, especially select "popular" plots, on JP it's a normal thing, but on EU/NA it's like being the big bad evil that doesnt want people to have houses

For someone that subs to keep their house, you sure like to gatekeep it. Wouldnt it be nice if everyone could get a house whenever they want? Then people like you could actually unsub instead of being chained to their subscription.

[Ranaku]

For someone that subs to keep their house, you sure like to gatekeep it. Wouldnt it be nice if everyone could get a house whenever they want? Then people like you could actually unsub instead of being chained to their subscription.

I did like Wildstars approach to it, everyone could get a house and it was a HUGE plot where you could freely decorate. Later on you could even merge these huge plots into neighborhoods which were basically mini wards. I still weep for that games death...

[SophiaDL]

For someone that subs to keep their house, you sure like to gatekeep it. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could get a house whenever they want? Then people like you could actually unsub instead of being chained to their subscription.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to mine, also how do you know what I subscribe for ? I already said it a million times on this forum, I am subscribed because of housing, but also because of the social aspect of the game, which honestly to me is the only worth it side of FFXIV, because its a social game, not an actual MMORPG, if I want to do content, I swap to WoW instead, but socializing wise FFXIV beats WoW. There is a good reason why I subscribe to both. And I am not "chained" to my subscription, housing is what I like to do in this game, once again, you dont know me.

As for

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could get a house whenever they want?

They will get it on the island in due time, so that will solve the problem.

[PercibelTheren]

That's what I've been saying for quite a while, and I got attacked for it multiple times, for a lot of people (me included), housing is prestige, especially select "popular" plots, on JP it's a normal thing, but on EU/NA it's like being the big bad evil that doesnt want people to have houses

Because housing being a matter of prestige makes literally no sense. I still have yet to hear a single compelling argument for it to be that way.