New Housing Wards for Balmung, please!

[Bluevann]

As some have suggested in General Discussion, I thought maybe addressing the housing issue in the specific server's category might be best.

Balmung is one of the most populated servers, if not the most populated server entirely, and as such it has highest demand for housing wards than other servers have. SE said they have decided that the current amount of wards and subdivisions has met the demand, but while that may be true on an "average" esteem, I feel this shouldn't be the method to be used for something like housing, which is greatly affected by the population and, as such, changes greatly from server to server. Making an average math for this is not the right way to go.

Clearly the most underpopulated servers have several free wards still, while Balmung and high-population servers do not. If adding wards is really not possible at the moment, then maybe taking empty wards from empty servers to give them to those who actually need them is due.

Or if not, implement the system that resets plots that haven't been used for 1-2 months. People who play only until the latest content is over and then unsubscribe to go play other stuff may not be happy about it, but housing was not implemented for people who are not playing the game, and Twelve know how many abandoned houses are sitting empty in the oldest wards and only take space occupied by people who have since long quitted.

In the end I don't really care which method they use, but please, monitor Balmung's situation with housing and see for yourselves. We really need new houses.

EDIT
A suggestion I've been suggesting for a while, but that I doubt will be considered since it'd require a general overhaul of the housing system:

Step 1) Make instanced housing. This allows everyone to have a house, especially if instead of gil it asks for GC points or Main Scenario progress like for most of other games. I'm thinking of an instance similar to the Demon Doors in the Fable games, with house, yard with field, well and whatever. It would start with small, and will be able to be expanded through further accomplishments.



Step 2) Make the housing wards, limited as they are now (since they don't have the servers do add more currently). For a fee (like the current fees we have now), you'll be able to move your instanced house inside the ward. So for example, 4M to move your instanced Small Hut into a Mist Small Plot. Of course, the price will raise with your instanced house's size, and you'll need to select a plot your house can fit in.

This way, all those who want a house can have a house, and all those who actually care to have a neighborhood (and will use it), can have a neighborhood. Houses for all, and no more ghost towns.

[Lilithium]

I agree with this. I know dozens of people and FCs alike on Balmung who have the funds for a house...but no means to get them because of lack of supply. I myself am on the cusp of being able to afford a medium house, and am hopeful I can get one soon!

[Intaki]

Given the present state of housing in this game's closest competitors, the FFXIV housing system is an embarrassing blemish on an otherwise robust and exceptional game.

[Titor]

Or if not, implement the system that resets plots that haven't been used for 1-2 months.

No no no no no this is not the solution no.
Do you know how long and hard I worked to save up for my house? 6 months. 6 months of putting off PvE and most anything else to raise funding for my house. I stared at the market board for hours. I prepared months in advance for when new wards opened I would be able to get the desired plot of my choice, and then prepared harder when they were out to get the desired ward of my choice. Do you know how angry I would be if I had to take a break for 1-2, or even 4-6 months due to RL circumstances to come back to all of my hard work, all of my planning and focus to be gone in an instant? Imagine if hardcore raiders had their gear reclaimed if they did not log in for a month or two. Or achievements or even levels rolled back. That would not be fair.

Please do not take my house if I have to AFK for a few months unexpectedly TnT

[Lilithium]

Please do not take my house if I have to AFK for a few months unexpectedly TnT

Actually I think there's already a system in place where if you're gone for a certain period of time the plot opens itself up.

[Titor]

Actually I think there's already a system in place where if you're gone for a certain period of time the plot opens itself up.

There is not. They never implemented it thus far. They realized it would not be a good idea due to the reasons I stated above, and how upset people would be.
And it is not like they never changed their mind in the past. Heh. They did say it was something they were intending to do a long time ago, but never have, so I hope they will never go through with it.

[Jariana]

Regardless of the "how to resolve it" in this case, I still feel the OP's general concern is spot on in the higher population servers. While I can definitely understand the concern with the resetting of plots, I would still say something should be done to help the housing along here.

[Bluevann]

Please do not take my house if I have to AFK for a few months unexpectedly TnT

If they did add the feature, you could prevent that by simply not unsubscribing and actually USE the house plot you took from other potential owners. It's no matter how much effort you put into something. If you don't use it, you don't need it. 10-15€/$ a month is not that big of an issue to pay for to keep a house, or hell, just have an FC mate log in and actually use the house to keep it up. It's just really sad to me how many people don't seem to use their houses daily as I do. Wards are ghost towns at the moment (and the funny thing is that Yoshida said they implemented neighborhoods because players demanded them. I wonder where those are players now? Maybe waiting for their house still.)

It's nothing personal and I share your feelings, but remember that house owners consist of 2% of the population, so they're still a minority and the uprage wouldn't be that great, not bigger than the uproar that was had when housing and personal housing were first implemented. And most important of all, the efforts and understandable feelings of a few (like yourself) are not superior to the amounts of currently abandoned ghost houses of players that will probably never return that are right now in the oldest wards. I've made my searches and though I cannot put down names, I know there's at least 3-4 long abandoned FC houses in each housing areas as of now.

[fantasticm]

For real like, please implement more housing wards based on server population and demand, not just two new wards whenever the fancy strikes. While I don't think it would be fair to kick personal houses back into the market if their owner doesn't log in for like three months, I doubt there'd be much of an uproar if a plot went up for sale for a Free Company that hasn't seen a single member log in for three months straight.