Housing lottery system takes entirely too long and is poorly designed.

[Yodada]

The solution to shell FCs is to detach the workshop from FC houses. Make it a room at the headquarters of whatever GC the FC is associated with.

It wont make a dent in availability. You highly underestimate those who are collecting specific plots. The Subgil is just a bonus on top to fuel those desires.
Those plots wont magically abonded if your suggestion would become reality.

[Acesfool]

It wont make a dent in availability. You highly underestimate those who are collecting specific plots. The Subgil is just a bonus on top to fuel those desires.
Those plots wont magically abonded if your suggestion would become reality.

I agree 100% that most who have a house for their shell likely will not give it up. But it will cut down on the problem in the future.

[Jojoya]

It wont make a dent in availability. You highly underestimate those who are collecting specific plots. The Subgil is just a bonus on top to fuel those desires.
Those plots wont magically abonded if your suggestion would become reality.

The prime plots definitely won't appear but probably about 90% of the seemingly empty small plots probably would over several months. Why keep a house that's no longer necessary when they can let the plot demo and get back 80% of the gil paid while continuing to operate the workshop.

More importantly, those adding new workshops to their farm or starting a new sub farm would no longer have reason to purchase a plot. It would reduce their start up costs by a fair chunk while any future ward and district additions wouldn't get swamped by the sub farms that have set up new FCs in anticipation.

[Solowing]

The prime plots definitely won't appear but probably about 90% of the seemingly empty small plots probably would over several months. Why keep a house that's no longer necessary when they can let the plot demo and get back 80% of the gil paid while continuing to operate the workshop.

If not to decorate it, it immediately goes to the black market. and sells for 3-4 times its plot value, and people will pay for it.

[Jojoya]

If not to decorate it, it immediately goes to the black market. and sells for 3-4 times its plot value, and people will pay for it.

Maybe yes, maybe no. I did specify small houses. Depends on how badly someone wants that particular plot and if they're willing to give up being in a FC with their friends because they would effectively be buying the FC tied to the house. There are a lot of smalls I just can't see anyone paying extra to get.

If it were medium or large, then it absolutely would go to black market if the current owner doesn't want to keep it to decorate. That I won't dispute.

Either way, at that point any sale of the FC with house to another player for gil is okay under the ToS. The plot had originally been purchased and used for a workshop. The workshop gets made separate from housing so the player no longer needs/wants the house. They're free to sell as long as real money is not involved.

Again, the important thing is that the supply of housing is no longer impacted by demand for workshops since workshop would be separate.