HOUSING NEEDS TO CHANGE

[MayuAmakura]

He is not wrong though, if a game makes you unbearably unhappy, go play another game. God, Blade and Soul made me unbearably unhappy when every time I logged in the gear path has changed and I was not geared high enough to even be able to take the correct paths - hence quitting. BUT that does not mean don't advocate for change where needed within reasonable parameters obviously.

People should have rights for their own opinion and unhappiness. If someone dislikes the game, it's most likely due to recent changes or something that devs did which was wrong. Just because most of us are negative doesn't mean that we want to go to another game. Putting this altogether means that we are fighting for better rights and a better game design because some of us still hold this game and hope it will eventually get fixed *spoilers, it won't probably*.

He is right though, housing system is garbage compared to other games and mainly made so it keeps your sub. Nothing else.

[Solowing]

People should have rights for their own opinion and unhappiness. If someone dislikes the game, it's most likely due to recent changes or something that devs did which was wrong. Just because most of us are negative doesn't mean that we want to go to another game. Putting this altogether means that we are fighting for better rights and a better game design because some of us still hold this game and hope it will eventually get fixed *spoilers, it won't probably*.

He is right though, housing system is garbage compared to other games and mainly made so it keeps your sub. Nothing else.

WoW gave him what he asked for and he doesn't want it.

So rather then going to the system he wanted, the whole system has to change here? Like I love Ace Combat, but Ace Combat 7 Pvp sucks. So I play Ace Combat for the Story, and GTAO as a Pseudo Ace Combat Online. Until MFS makes it over to PS5

That's not even addressing the issue of creating a second housing system to specifically undermine the first one.

But people addressing it with "Everyone gets one though!" is being willfully ignorant of the nuances. And is using their sense of right and wrong as fact an not opinion. If I ask why Apts aren't housing, they immediately jump to the opinion "its not good enough" but opinions are subjective. The facts are Apts are "Housing" and have the exact same functionality on the interior of a plot of ANY size. If the housing system sucks for Apts they suck for Mansions too. Unless its specifically the size that sucks? They might as well rework the entire housing system? But what about those who may like it? They cant have a say because people like trying to morally browbeat them over the head with emotional arguments and morality policing? Because "everyone should have a mansion, and its not fair everyone doesn't have the size of the plot they want!" Despite all of us having the same opportunity (not outcome) to get a plot. And if you disagree you're gatekeeping?

As you go up in each housing size, the item density drops. Objectively Mansions have the worse size to item density ratio. But is most sought after because of purely its size. You have to reduce the size of your "house" to get the most out of mansions. Where my Apt can be fully decorated with density, no need to cut off sections of it. Subjectively to me, that makes Apts a more appealing choice to me. I don't want to have to cut down the size because the item slots cant support its density, and I don't want too many repeated rooms.

Youre fighting for a different system, not so much a better one as a instanced system will have its own set of drawbacks and losses switching to a instanced system will create.. Its not "bad" just "different" just like the ward system is not "bad" just "different". If we get top down changes, eventually you can make it up to a Mansion sized Apt. But I want them to do that over time to respect my investment of keeping my plot active over an extended period. I am here through the games thick and thin, highs and lows to maintain my plot. And players demanding something requiring that investment while also giving themselves the ability to sidestep that commitment because they don't want to. While holding me to that commitment is messed up. And something only a few posters here are seeing as a valid concern while a few here are 404ing and going back to "But everyone gets it, so its fine!"


DCUO has a instanced Housing system that is actually baked into Metropolis and Gotham, everyone gets a plot where they choose but because of its instanced nature. They need to have you on a list for you to see their location. Parties or Venues? Hope you like adding every single unique individual person to your allowed list to enter. Making it more of a hassle then its worth doing. Most of its players don't really engage in housing there. Had they used XIVs unique limited supply system giving each location a unique player fingerprint, that's baked into the world itself? That can be freely accessed? Demand would SKYROCKET, but the same problems of accessibility would crop up.

[Solowing]

He is right though, housing system is garbage compared to other games and mainly made so it keeps your sub. Nothing else.

This is a Instanced housing system, thousands of players may live in this location, and the only ones I can see are those who have added me to their entry list. I cant even invite a friend over to another friends home unless they add them. Its accessible to all, but less accessible to reach others not within your circles.

Its not a magic bullet, its a trade off. And personally I don't like that trade.

But you should go to Excalibur, Lavander Beds, Ward 8 Plot 46 to check out someones plot who loves themselves some pink. IDK them, its just a random players plot I liked. An I felt like sharing their plot location with you. You don't need permission, its open and easy enough to locate if you know the ward system. In a instanced system, I wouldn't be able to do that, I'd have to contact them to get permission for their house to show up, I couldn't organically come across their home. Where I have had friends bring friends over while I've been offline to show them my housing units here in XIV without me ever knowing who they brought over. Limited in supply, however its much easier to access to a general audience that can organically come across it.

[TheJackal]

What if they did a maintenance fee like New World did that's the same as paying a property tax to maintain ownership. They could even make it that it's deducted or paid through gil on your retainers, also this idea would not be valid for inactive subs.

[Xylira]

This is a Instanced housing system, thousands of players may live in this location, and the only ones I can see are those who have added me to their entry list. I cant even invite a friend over to another friends home unless they add them. Its accessible to all, but less accessible to reach others not within your circles.

Its not a magic bullet, its a trade off. And personally I don't like that trade.

You're using a single example of an implementation of instanced housing with obvious design flaws to write off the entire concept of instanced housing, without even considering that things could ever be implemented differently.

There are countless other games with instanced housing that work very differently from what you're described. Rift, for example, has instanced housing (dimensions) but enables players to find and visit other player's 'housing' better than even FFXIV's systems provide. There is a dimension directory system for player 'housing' that lets players name and tag their personal dimensions, similar to what FF has, but they're also fully searchable from the unified directory. Dimensions can be set to be fully accessible to the public, friends only, or otherwise private/invite only. Players can also upvote other players dimensions if they like them, and you can filter the directory search based on certain tags, number of upvotes, by player name, friended players, etc. This actually allows for players to setup venues for RP or otherwise and advertise them entirely through the dimension directory, which in FFXIV players have to rely on shout spam in cities and cluttering up the party finder with venue advertisements.

It makes more sense as to why you're so quick to write off instanced housing as a 'limited and flawed' if you're basing your opinion off a single game's flawed attempt at implementing instanced housing. I really do think you need to be more open minded about what's actually possible with instanced housing, because it can and has been done far better than what FFXIV even has now with ward housing.

[Solowing]

single game's flawed attempt at implementing instanced housing.

.

You're expecting a 10 year old game, to scrap it housing system for an entirely new one, like rifts? For no RoI unless they plan of reworking in micro transactions for just the smile on your face? I think you need to see reality. They are too deep in the hole to come out now and the only path forward is improving the system we have.

Improve the system, not undermine it. Improve plots first, and then push for apt changes. If Plots got a x2 size increase, then boom. You could argue. Hey, Plots are much bigger, can apts, get the plot layout of their smaller original counterpart as a Apt layout? Id be all for it as it tries to keep pace, but it doesn't encroach on housing that is subjected to the demo timer.

That way people can complain about their Apt mansion isn't as good as a Housing layout of a Ward plot. And you can tell them "shaddap, back in my day we were limited to Apt room sizes! Be Grateful Kid!"

Just like I tell people, back in my day, Apts didn't exist, so their was NO WAY TO PARTAKE IN HOUSING @ ALL if you didn't have a Plot O_O. So be grateful for Apartments, because at least you can decorate without a plot unlike back in my day lol

[Xylira]

I think you need to be realistic, different games do housing differently. And this is just one of them. Every other game has better housing then XIV, they can play those games for housing and return to XIV for Content.

So we're back to "go play something else if you don't like it".

Great argument, very constructive.

[Xylira]

.

You standards are extremely high lol

Editing your posts when you get called out, classy.

You're the one that has been setting the standard as to what you find acceptable with regards to housing. You provided an example of a game with instanced housing and pointed out an obvious flaw as a reason why you don't want instanced housing. That was you, you set that standard.

I simply pointed out that the limit you take issue with isn't inherent to all instanced housing, and provided an example of another game that does it better than not only your example, but better than even what FFXIV offers with regards to housing discoverability and accessibility.

But I guess we shouldn't ever improve the game systems at all, they just are what they are and if we don't like it we should just go play something else. Again, according to you.

Adding to reply to Solowing's second edit

You're expecting a 10 year old game, to scrap it housing system for an entirely new one, like rifts? For no RoI unless they plan of reworking in micro transactions for just the smile on your face?

Or creating a second housing system, made to undermine the primary one.

In other threads I've stated before that if SE can make the ward system better such that it drastically increases housing supply and makes it accessible to all players, I'm all for it. But I'm also being realistic, as should you, that the ward system is fundamentally flawed on a technical level such that it strains the game servers if they add too many wards.

Every suggestion I've made has been to add a housing system in parallel to wards as an alternative option for players, not a replacement. As for the ROI on the addition, obviously it's through making housing vastly more accessible to players, and therefore increasing overall player satisfaction, and conversely it would be doing so in a way that doesn't require SE to invest in server hardware expansion, which is clearly a limiting factor with the current hardware shortages. The groundwork is basically already done per what SE has provably shown is possible with regards to island sanctuaries.

[Solowing]

So we're back to "go play something else if you don't like it".

Great argument, very constructive.

"Oh I like this housing system!"

"Well I dont like it and it needs to be like RIFTS Housing system!"

"So why not play Rift for its housing system?"

"No, I want it here"

"But I like this housing system"

"IDC, bring that system here"

"Why don't you go play that?"

"Because I don't want to play that"

"But I like this housing system"

"NO, it needs to be like RIFT!"

"THEN GO PLAY RIFTS HOUSING SYSTEM!"

[Solowing]

Editing your posts when you get called out, classy.

In other threads I've stated before that if SE can make the ward system better such that it drastically increases housing supply and makes it accessible to all players, I'm all for it. But I'm also being realistic, as should you, that the ward system is fundamentally flawed on a technical level such that it strains the game servers if they add too many wards.

Every suggestion I've made has been to add a housing system in parallel to wards as an alternative option for players, not a replacement. As for the ROI on the addition, obviously it's through making housing vastly more accessible to players, and therefore increasing overall player satisfaction, and conversely it would be doing so in a way that doesn't require SE to invest in server hardware expansion, which is clearly a limiting factor with the current hardware shortages. The groundwork is basically already done per what SE has provably shown is possible with regards to island sanctuaries.

I edit my posts all the time, the traffic is slow enough I finished editing and that's seen as the original. Has nothing to do with you calling me out, refresh frequently enough you'll see it gets edited multiple times, up or down. I stop editing once it gets quoted to not mix anyone up.

You are expecting them to take another games housing system 1:1 idealistic especially given XIV housing system has been here for over a decade now. Not really considering those who enjoy this ward system. As well as happily making a duplicate system designed to sidestep the primary housing ruleset like that equity under unequal rulesets is fair.

3 Posters have pointed that out. You haven't addressed it, and reverted back to "Instanced Housing for all so its fine!"

What I’m pushing back on is the idea that instancing automatically removes all conflict or fairness concerns. History shows it doesn’t.

Saying “this is a game, so there don’t need to be trade-offs” ignores the reality of persistent, shared online systems. Housing in FFXIV isn’t a single-player feature, it’s visible, social, finite by design, and for many players, a primary space of escape, creativity, or community. Those qualities inherently introduce constraints and responsibilities, regardless of intent.

I agree that both ward and instanced housing could coexist. Where we differ is that I don’t think this happens without new friction points: size choice, pricing parity, demo rules, social visibility, and perceived value between systems. Those aren’t moral objections, they’re implementation questions that must be answered.

A complete overhaul may be one option, but it’s not the only one, nor is it a guaranteed fix. Square Enix has consistently chosen incremental changes precisely because drastic resets would invalidate years of player investment and community structures, especially on RP-heavy worlds.

So no, I don’t think this “fixes itself” cleanly through drastic change alone. I think it requires acknowledging that any solution will help some players and frustrate others. That doesn’t mean change shouldn’t happen. It means pretending there’s a zero-cost, zero-conflict solution isn’t realistic.

We are at a fairness issue , and hand waving it away because "everyone gets it" isn't addressing that problem. Its selectively solving your problem while ignoring every other problem you created in doing so.

I want top down changes, that way Apt standards go up without encroaching on plots without Plots getting improvement first. The status quo remains but everyone's standard rises over time. Eventually maybe you could have Apt sized Mansions, but maybe Plot have different larger layouts. Which makes them more appealing them mansions. Improvements but the status quo and its rules remain the same. Im not reworking the system, I'm not disrupting it by making it so some player with a small, feels slighted because they left for a month and lost their plot, but another player left their mansion for 6 months and it didn't demo.

You are looking for instant gratification that puts you on equal footing with plot owners, without the commitment. You are going to have to give something up, or be held to the same rules as plot owners. Or you could give more to the Plot system, and use that as justification to ask for plot sized Apts...(Which is what I recommend) Everything stays the same functionally, Apts will be non-demo but can reach OG plot sizes. The progress isn't as fast as you want it, but you are getting what you want within the current system over time..

Im with you on expanding the sub outside of plots, I want Housers in my ward. No these sub farms that turn plots into a means to an end.