FFXIV should take a note from SUIKODEN

[DreadRabbit]

The fact that WoW can have their current bug-ridden garrison system but not instanced housing after 10+ years of subscriptions fueling them still irks me somewhat. F2P games have instanced housing/personal spaces and have for decades. Why the bloody hell can't games like FF14 and WoW?

Anyway, I adore Suikoden. Truthfully Lominsa really takes me back to how Suikoden towns tend to feel like with the looks and the music. Though considering that an instanced fortress seems to be tougher to code given WoW's "success" with garrisons, I would much rather an instanced personal housing first to test the waters.

[kyuven]

The fact that WoW can have their current bug-ridden garrison system but not instanced housing after 10+ years of subscriptions fueling them still irks me somewhat. F2P games have instanced housing/personal spaces and have for decades. Why the bloody hell can't games like FF14 and WoW?

A lot of it has to do with server strain.
Those F2P games you mentioned were usually designed with this concept in mind. For example, EQ2 had housing from the word "go," while EQ1, by the same company, didn't, so they had to add non-instanced housing.
SWTOR merely adapted the pre-existing system they use for personal story quests and let you customize the space, allowing for housing. Plus they had personal ships from the word go (which were basically personal "rooms" inside an instance. You could communicate with people in the same type of ship as you via public channels while you were there).
Basically, instanced housing isn't something you can easily tack onto a game unless they're precedent. FFXIV's only precedent is the inn rooms, thus our only "personal housing" is basically customizable inn rooms.
In addition MANY of these systems take time. WoW's devs appear to have or had a personal vendetta against things like housing, bards, and glamour systems, so they rarely added them. In XIV, they are AWARE we want customization, and are very likely working on it, but at this time they clearly have limitations they're working with.
FFXIV did not have housing from the word "go," and thus this takes time.
Add to that there's simply not a lot of motivation to work on something people are going to complain about no matter what you do.
Make it easy? It cheapens having and *earning* a house.
Make it too hard? It's too haaaaard!
The players will never be satisfied, so they're definitely going to take their time and make a focused approach, rather than cave to every single demand.
In other words, no big castles staffed by named NPCs. At the most you'll get one staffed by your retainers and hireling NPCs.