The Housing problem and my proposed solution

[Kosmos992k]

While most of those are decent suggestions... holy crap, no. We do not need to be asking SE to charge even more on top of their sub. The added monthly fee thing is one of the most disgusting practices they've introduced. Just think about how much that will cumulatively cost you one year, two years, or more from now. Let's not bring this into housing, please.

I completely support subscription as the basisfor paying forthe game. However, I also realize that as long as an additional service is purely cosmetic, it doesn't impact thegame negatively. The premium house I am referring to offers no functionality above or beyond the regular homes. It would purely be a way of upgrading to what is effectively a detached home with a higher limit on the number of furnishings. Purely cosmetic, and totally optional, to me that is an acceptable way to generate additional revenue with very minimal impact on players ingeneral.

By the way, how is having a service such as I describe any different to the different tiers of subscription and the number of characters available? You are essentially saying subscriptions are bad, which I am sure isn't what you mean.

[Zephyranthes]

Honestly, the justification of SE about server limitation is just stupid.

more subscribers = more people wanting houses
more subscribers = more money
more money SHOULD equate to server upgrades

They're getting increased revenues but don't want to give it back to subscribers. Owning a house and the server load that comes with it should already be part of what you're paying to them.

If a change is needed, I'd go for limiting a single house for a single account and not on a per character basis.

[Zephyranthes]

As Yoshi P. once said..."too much for the servers."

Somebody should directly reply to him in an interview to upgrade the servers and what they're doing with our money then. They're getting more subscribers and money anyway right? Why keep the quality of the server the same for 3M and 1M subscribers? In a proper business perspective, this is the logical thing to do.

[Colorful]

snip

I guess it's more about the principle of it all than anything else. If need be, they should scrap and rework the entire housing system. Why else do we pay a monthly fee? Most players expect a triple A MMO for the sub fee, and what we're currently getting with the housing system is not that. Other free MMOs do it without ever needing to see a cent from you, WoW does it with its garrison system, it's not the same system sure, but I'm going to guess that underlying structure is very similar for instanced based housing, not to mention they have seamless transitioning into your housing as opposed to FFXIV non instanced housing, that is also instanced at the same time... >_<

[Naunet]

By the way, how is having a service such as I describe any different to the different tiers of subscription and the number of characters available? You are essentially saying subscriptions are bad, which I am sure isn't what you mean.

Don't try and twist my statement. >_> We have an established sub price - the $15/month for the full game. I vehemently disagree with additional monthly fees for supposedly "extra" things. All these things should be included in the actual subscription we already pay.

[Shirobi]

I guess it's more about the principle of it all than anything else. If need be, they should scrap and rework the entire housing system. Why else do we pay a monthly fee? Most players expect a triple A MMO for the sub fee, and what we're currently getting with the housing system is not that. Other free MMOs do it without ever needing to see a cent from you, WoW does it with its garrison system, it's not the same system sure, but I'm going to guess that underlying structure is very similar for instanced based housing, not to mention they have seamless transitioning into your housing as opposed to FFXIV non instanced housing, that is also instanced at the same time... >_<

Agreed! Agreed! Agreed! Bolded added by me for emphasis! Its hard to believe a free MMO like Trion's Rift has better housing options than a pay to play one, but it does. EQ2, WoW, all have better options for this. I dont see, what with those games' to draw inspiration from, how SE is struggling so to create a working housing system.

[Kosmos992k]

Agreed! Agreed! Agreed! Bolded added by me for emphasis! Its hard to believe a free MMO like Trion's Rift has better housing options than a pay to play one, but it does. EQ2, WoW, all have better options for this. I dont see, what with those games' to draw inspiration from, how SE is struggling so to create a working housing system.

They struggle because they gave in to player demands for housing ina hurry and essentially ditched whatever other housing plan they had in favor a half-assed system imposed over the top of Free Company housing. It's not a coincidence that the way that housing is done utterly ignores so many of the statements and promises made for player housing. Thats a consequence of abandoning a plan in haste and adopting a horrible compromise instead.

[Sandpark]

@Preypacer
No these questions are the big point. You seem to think FC housing is just for storage and playing decorate. Those things are great for FC and as long as they give others without FC a smaller scale instance of that then it is super. FC housing is proving that it is more than just an art house and storage with the upcoming airship content for FC. Those things you listed from other housing has been done in most mmos, but there hasn't been many mmos that design content out of it.

These systems would not be separate. Huge FC airships are FC only, SE is only offering airships outside to allow people who do not like big FC or can get one to still have access to some content. If you look at it solely as a housing system. Then perhaps those games you listed were more accessible. FFXIV FC housing is more than just your typical housing district with upcoming content tied to the free company housing. Every hypothetical I listed is tied to the housing system.

Has it been perfect so far? No, they had some design overlooks. But as with everything they create, it is iterative not perfect out of the gate.

[Colorful]

snip

Doesn't make the limited supply if it has actual gameplay tied to it? There are also plenty of games that tie "housing" to gameplay aspects, WoW's garrison system ties their version of retainers to it, ArcheAge ties its gathering to it (more in depth gardening pretty much, plays a major part in AA, or at least it did when I played). A Quick google of Wildstar's housing system tells me that you can set up a mine, excavation area, etc, to further improve your ability to gather, a buff board for XP boosts and the like, etc. FFXIV's housing system wasn't perfect out of the game sure, but as of now, a long time after its initial release, it still hasn't been fixed, adding more plots isn't a fix unless you can add enough for 100% of FCs and more for future players.

It isn't just housing, there are a lot of problems they've neglected for a long time and those add up and give you a worse overall experience. Didn't they say they were looking into fixing the Mudra problem? It's been almost 10 months since Ninjas were released, where's that fix? Queuing while our Chocobos are out, again, where's that fix? These are all things that weren't perfect out of the game, and still haven't been fixed. You can't keep using that excuse while these issues pile up. Fix tthe broken systems before piling up more problems into it. It's almost like an Early Access game, where they add new stuff constantly and then don't bother to fix the old stuff.

[Sandpark]

@Colorful
That content from other games came out after FFXIV's housing system. This sounds familiar, other games are taking ideas from FFXIV? I thought WoW was the game others tried to emulate.

Most of XIV's issues are currently due to servers and server tech.Queuing while your chocobo is out is not a broken feature, but they could still make it better. You may not be able to queue with chocobo out currently. But look at everything it let's you do. You don't have to log into different character to do anything in the game, you don't have to go to a room to switch classes or gear or skills, you get a roulette that keeps old content relevant.

Not saying that everything SE does is sunshine and rainbows or that SE shouldn't try and keep most content accessible to the majority. I am just saying this game's housing system as it stands is more than a house and art simulator and yes it does have some issues that need ironed out. FC company houses are guild content. And I think more games should push for more community based content instead of being solo simulators.