Please fix - really poor game design

[skeletonfingers]

Your 50 items and their data, no matter how valuable they were to you, were not as valuable as the space they took up.

Couldn't disagree more. This is why companies fail every day because "small things don't matter". When my items were deleted, it made me want to get on here and complain. It decreased my excitement about the game. It made me want to never put time/effort into housing in this game again. Now, when I think of FFXIV I think about how its great, but the housing system sucks. When asked by friends I play other games with, I will mention this. Don't play this game if you want a good housing system. It's one less thing the game has to offer. So when I run out of other stuff to do, chances are instead of continuing to pay monthly and enjoy housing, I'll unsub. That time in addition to the time I detracted others from subbing for this game is worth FAR more than the pennies it cost to store that information on a server.

[Neira]

That time in addition to the time I detracted others from subbing for this game is worth FAR more than the pennies it cost to store that information on a server.

While you may be right, and I'd personally like to agree you are and agree that you know how a business should be run, the fact is that large development companies and big name titles don't operate on that principle anymore, and they aren't failing either. Final Fantasy doesn't need your word of mouth to bring in new customers, and Square Enix doesn't need your money to keep making a profit. That's why the industry has shifted so much to providing shallow games with large emphasis on hype and beauty, the bait so to speak, with minimalistic development or innovation.

These companies don't want to provide unique games anymore, or try new things, there is too much risk for only a potential of reward(FFXIV 1.0). One fifth of the people who bought this game could bash it on forums, in game stores, or in blogs/vlogs, and it wouldn't change a thing. The name is too popular to stop from drawing people in, and even in cases where the game might be complete and utter trash(not saying this one is, even I don't think it is), if it's a popular enough franchise or series, it will still have hardcore defenders who stick loyally to it.

That also ties into part of the reason why basically every MMO has a cash shop too; there is more money in providing extra content to the short-lived player base than there is in working hard to keep people interested for years of subscriptions. The fact that this game can get away with both is just an example of how it's simply too big of a title to fail. All they need is a token housing system to advertise, just for the draw and to say it's there. Whether it's amazing or broken is irrelevant.

[skeletonfingers]

Sorry, I guess I started posting here unaware that FFXIV contains so many players too content with mediocrity that they would rather defend it rather than address it. Shame on me for expecting a game I pay for to create a more positive housing experience. One that could compete with it's F2P competitors. You all did well in helping me see there is little point in this community.

Enjoy the pile of trash housing I guess.

[Andrea]

Enjoy the pile of trash housing I guess.

I'll be honest. Anyone who claims the housing system in this game is a good way of doing it is delusional.

They really need to improve it and fast.

Also sadly the current housing system has a "got mine, so don't care" vibe. As long as they get a house they are fine and if they don't get a house a fair few are ok with whatever SE do to ensure their chances rise. Even if that is a bad thing for everyone else.

[Nutz]

I can sympathize with you on the very poorly thought out housing system, though I do understand what SE intended. I'd like to think that they just overlooked some of the consequences of the systems they set up, however, there are so many 'bad' ideas mixed together that it's hard to believe that they didn't see at least some of the repercussions long before implementation.

The private quarters being deleted while you were away, I think, is something that they overlooked. It's a feature that was added after the static housing system and as such tied directly to it. If they'd thought it out more fully they'd have made it more like a license that you purchase (once) and also required that you belong to a FC with a house in order to access your private quarters (though they should still exist even if you're between FCs). It's just a small instanced zone that should be tied to your character and not the FC, let alone the specific house the FC owns.

I have no idea how much work it might be to untangle the system to allow for this, but it certainly would be possible to do. I don't recall exactly, but I think that they did mention adding a different type of housing that might essentially be private quarters+ (I think there was some gardening available) that is not tied to a FC, but to an individual and would be mostly instanced. I think they said they'd be like apartment buildings -- one large building with some basic common amenities but mostly tons of instanced private rooms. It's been a while since I read anything on it so perhaps I'm full of it or seriously misremembering things, but hopefully they're working on at least adding reasonable housing options even if they don't plan on outright removing the expensive (to the characters and servers) and poorly implemented housing that they have now.

As a current home owner, I really wish they would just say, 'Sorry for the ongoing trouble. We know we messed up really badly with the housing system and we're unfortunately going to scrap everything and redesign it from the ground up. It will all be instanced so that everyone can have a house if they want one and we'll do our best to refund all gil that people have spent on the current system and to give people a chance to reclaim their furnishings.'

[worldofneil]

As a current home owner, I really wish they would just say, 'Sorry for the ongoing trouble. We know we messed up really badly with the housing system and we're unfortunately going to scrap everything and redesign it from the ground up. It will all be instanced so that everyone can have a house if they want one and we'll do our best to refund all gil that people have spent on the current system and to give people a chance to reclaim their furnishings.'

And also as a current home owner I hope they DON'T do that. Sure they can refund gil, but they can't refund time. Limited as the current system is, for those of us with housing removing it now is just a giant kick in the teeth. We've spent time making/acquiring/decorating the houses, including the special exteriors from the FC crafting. Even if we got most of the items back, without their respective house their reason for being there might be pointless.

Also instances might give everyone a house, but they then lose the neighbourhood feel there is now and I can't think I'm alone in thinking how nice it is to meet up with regular friends outside at the marketboards in front of our group of houses? Also if houses are instanced... isn't that then a series of rooms rather than a house? If you can't see the actual exterior of the house, is it still even a house? (and if you can see the exterior what on earth is that in, it's own little instance with nothing else around it? Kind of lonely....?)

I know people want more houses and I feel bad for those that want/haven't yet been able to get, but taking away the existing houses isn't the answer (other than demolition for inactivity etc which I have no problem with).

More wards are being added in 3.3 and hopefully they do actually mean a LOT more.