Delaying Housing vs Outrageous Housing Prices

[Icefall]

Let's look at these two options, since as we pull back more layers and deeply examine the situation, this seems to be the core of what SE was most likely facing. Delay housing for the umpteenth time because the server infrastructure just isn't there yet, or allow housing to pass through in this update, but set at exorbitant costs to purposely dissuade players from actually participating in it.

Both cases allow SE another 3 months or so to improve and fix whatever bits and bobs that are gunking up the server backbone, preventing them from allowing free building of houses to all FCs and stable instance additions that don't require manual approval.

In favor of letting housing pass through despite its current limitations is that it could possibly siphon off some gil from the economy while also providing small stress tests with live players against their coding, hopefully without crashing things, which tends to get folks understandably miffed. Also with this released, they can claim their game has housing features, a feature considered a major MMO draw-in and staple these days, even if it isn't actually accessible by the large majority.

In favor of delaying housing, it gives them time to properly finish the backbones of this feature and one would hope, introduce it as a real option that is practical for most all FCs from the start. Groups being able to actually afford houses that properly represent their size.

However, both options also leave a heavy weight for Yoshi, the FFXIV team, and Square Enix to shoulder in terms of frustration from their customers. Inaccessibility to the players vs delaying again a feature that had been hyped as many times as it had been delayed.

So what are your thoughts? Would you have preferred that Yoshi and the team honestly say that housing still wasn't ready yet due to server issues and that it may be delayed for another 3 months, or would you rather have things like they are now with the features being added, but inaccessible to most players until 3 months out through the use of financial gates?

[PallasLloyd]

Delays? Nonsense. Half-assed and incomplete, poorly thought out/designed, rushed content and systems are the hallmarks of XIV. It'd be kind of endearing if we weren't all actually paying monthly for the privilege of experiencing it.

[Kimzark]

Yeah, I know, but I'm trying to discuss this from a different perspective than just looking at the finances of it all. So tell me your thoughts on how you'd prefer they have handled this?

They won't change anything, so there is no need to talk about this anymore... if they really listened to the players, they would have said anything BEFORE launch the patch... all we gotta do is wait and see how it will go.

[Icefall]

Personally, I'd have preferred that they be honest and delay the feature until it was solidly ready for release. Maybe set out the zones (Mist, etc) so we can wander them if those are secure enough, like in beta, but just not implement the FC housing system til those instance servers were ready for proper handling. Putting it out like they are currently is a huge taunt to everyone and isn't a sincere act since they don't really want us using it right now, it seems.

[PlanckZero]

Believing that housing should be delayed is pretty much believing "If I can't have it, no one can."

That tends to be a train of thought adopted by children and psychopaths.

[Alberel]

Believing that housing should be delayed is pretty much believing "If I can't have it, no one can."

That tends to be a train of thought adopted by children and psychopaths.

Except the current implementation is flat-out deceitful. We have quotes from previous live letters that directly contradict the prices in the patch notes.

What's worse? Delaying an unfinished update or going ahead with the update using an artifical barrier to stop customers actually engaging with it? The first causes disappointment; the second causes anger and frustration.

Call people names all you like, it was still a stupid move to launch this with those prices.

[SpayedNeko]

Except the current implementation is flat-out deceitful. We have quotes from previous live letters that directly contradict the prices in the patch notes.

What's worse? Delaying an unfinished update or going ahead with the update using an artifical barrier to stop customers actually engaging with it? The first causes disappointment; the second causes anger and frustration.

Call people names all you like, it was still a stupid move to launch this with those prices.

If the live letter quotes are the ones im thinking of, where yoshi-p says the gil from leveling 2-3 classes to 50 will buy you a land and/or house, he was talking about player housing, not free company housing. I'll agree, now that I've compared the prices between servers, that some servers are a bit expensive and that it needs to be looked at again by the devs though.

[Icefall]

Believing that housing should be delayed is pretty much believing "If I can't have it, no one can."

That tends to be a train of thought adopted by children and psychopaths.

It's not a childish 'If I can't have it, no one can.', its really more of the fact its not ready for mass server use. If something like housing isn't honestly ready, the mature thing is to say so and then make it ready and present it then when it is. If a cake is only cooked half way through, its more absurd to want it in that condition than have a fully baked cake, unless you're a fan of raw batter and the risks it potentially harbors, I suppose.

[Axidrain]

If the live letter quotes are the ones im thinking of, where yoshi-p says the gil from leveling 2-3 classes to 50 will buy you a land and/or house, he was talking about player housing, not free company housing. I'll agree, now that I've compared the prices between servers, that some servers are a bit expensive and that it needs to be looked at again by the devs though.

Nope it was fc housing. He said a few players in a small fc who have are at lvl 50 will be able to afford it.

[Roflcoptorz]

Meh I choose option C. Be honest to the players. Say, hey were having some issues with finishing touches so here's the plan. We're gonna release housing, but make it artificially difficult to get at first. Then, as a few FCs get it, we can test it out, fix the few issues we had, and then drop the artificial barrier and make it easily accessible to everyone. Sorry about this, but we will be working hard to get it corrected.
Then, people will at least trust you. Yes people will still flame and be upset, but at least u were honest, made them part of the solution, and then we all can move one. Half these threads are only about the prices anyways, not this, which in my mind is the real underlying issue.