Implement a lottery for house plots

[Paladinleeds]

snip

To be fair, I do think this could help. With a proper priority system based on how much housing you have had in the past, if you have any housing on alts, etc, I think it's a good idea. And to stop anyone saying "Oh you just want a chance to get a house" 2 things: 1 it's at 11am my time, I will be awake then easy and able to join in the rush, and I have very solid internet to back me up on my PC, and 2 I already have a house and have zero interest in Shirogane (my little cottage in Lav Beds does me fine).

I do agree a full revamp is needed, but maybe this could help stem the hoarding for selling later on as a band-aid until a proper solution can be implemented (i.e. instanced housing most likely).

[Vladmiere]

It's not a personal atrack, but an observation of what it appears your motives are behind this, honestly, terrible suggestion. What I think is unfair is that of the tens of thousands of players who can not get a house, only a couple of hundred per server will be available. I could not care less about the timing the housing is offered. That has never been the real problem.

But what does my motive have to do with the actual discussion of the topic? In short it doesnt.

[Vladmiere]

The idea is a sound suggestion and my reason has been given as to why it is a better system then what is currently in place. And my motive is pointless because it does not even matter in the context of the topic. And to be frank my motive is because it should be fair for all who play a sub. I do not care personally because I have bought several houses for people in Balmung over the last 4 years and given them away to people in our roleplaying community so yes your observation is purposely meant to try to steer the conversation away from its topic.

The game is advertised as being casual friendly and its not having the time invested but just either who you know or when you can log in which is a silly system to determine who should get a house. Which is a huge chunk of the game as it is.

[Maero]

More wards solves nothing. Instanced housing pretty much would have solved the issue.
I care not about the so called "neighborhood" aspect nor do others as housing areas rarely see social activities.
Since sub rewards has changed to like a point system, perhaps this can also be looked at?
It is not a great idea but better then the mess we have now and that they care not to address

Now many will be disappointed trying to rush just to get nothing.
Everyone has a chance yes but having tried since housing was launched and still nodda, i will be very annoyed.
Other years i had to work mind you, this time i no lifed it and took holidays for it, lol

[Vahlnir]

More wards solves nothing. Instanced housing pretty much would have solved the issue.
I care not about the so called "neighborhood" aspect nor do others as housing areas rarely see social activities.
Since sub rewards has changed to like a point system, perhaps this can also be looked at?
It is not a great idea but better then the mess we have now and that they care not to address

Instanced housing would definitely solve the problem, but what we have is what we've got atm, so people are trying to come up with ideas on how to make the system we have work better.

[Maero]

Instanced housing would definitely solve the problem, but what we have is what we've got atm, so people are trying to come up with ideas on how to make the system we have work better.

Oh i agree with you it is just very frustrating how we all must rush to get something, meanwhile in ESO which i have played less then a year i casually logged on after housing was released a month after the fact and had no problem getting a house. SE has known about the housing issue but have not cared to even look at it

[LittleSparrow]

In my opinion, instanced housing would be awful. I love checking out other gardens and I love that they can see mine. I'm pretty proud of my gardens. Also very proud of my girlfriend's garden.

I believe when it comes to housing that a lottery isn't the answer. It's too RNG and right now the system rewards more dedication and effort.

That being said, I do think that the housing issue we have right now would be solved with atleast three times the amount of wards. I know they say server restraint is an issue, but Square Enix is a billion dollar company. I'm sure they have the resources, the only question is if they will ever be willing to spend it.

[Paladinleeds]

In my opinion, instanced housing would be awful. I love checking out other gardens and I love that they can see mine. I'm pretty proud of my gardens. Also very proud of my wife.

Well, the only other way would be instanced wards, so each group of 30 houses (since if they're going instanced, let's remove the subdivisions, I'm sorry but the inconsistencies there compared to main division drive me up the wall, and it's to do with non-aetheryte travel to them), is stored as an instance, loaded and made accessible when someone wants to visit a ward. When there's nobody in the ward... shut the instance down (meaning if you disconnect/logoff, you get kicked to the main city associated with the housing ward, or let's say you can't access Kugane for example, thrown to your starting city). Keeps the ward vibes, and makes the housing instanced and more easily scalable.

[LittleSparrow]

Well, the only other way would be instanced wards, so each group of 30 houses (since if they're going instanced, let's remove the subdivisions, I'm sorry but the inconsistencies there compared to main division drive me up the wall, and it's to do with non-aetheryte travel to them), is stored as an instance, loaded and made accessible when someone wants to visit a ward. When there's nobody in the ward... shut the instance down (meaning if you disconnect/logoff, you get kicked to the main city associated with the housing ward, or let's say you can't access Kugane for example, thrown to your starting city). Keeps the ward vibes, and makes the housing instanced and more easily scalable.

I personally prefer to log out at my houses but if it means more people could have a home of their own I could see that work.

[Vrankyl]

Problems with this idea. 1) There is a potential for the system to award all houses to individual players and none to FCs. This would of course result in a massive backlash, just like it would if it did the exact reverse. Yet if we make it a weighted system it is no longer 'fair' to everyone or random. Instead it is a system based on what SE determines a reasonable factor to be awarded a house, which may differ from ours. 2) Alts. Once again if you make it weighted to exclude those who already own plots on other characters then it is no longer a lottery system but a weighted system with predetermined qualifications needed to be awarded a plot. And again, this would be qualifications determined by SE not us. 3) If you don't think people wouldn't game the system by using alts then clearly you haven't been paying attention. If people didn't game the system then two people would NEVER have purchased an entire ward for themselves the way they did on Mateus.