Solution to housing crisis

[Keridwyn]

Owning a house is meant to be elitist by design though. So although that might be disheartening, that's kinda how things work.

That was true right up until they designed workshops for FCs and didn't implement a safe form of public gardening. Once they started making systems that required housing the Elitist portion went right out the window for the majority of the population as everyone would like access to airships and attempting crossbreedings.

It's my personal feeling that instanced housing for individuals is the way to go. Originally I'd have preferred the 'private island' idea that some have thrown around but the more I think about it the more I like the idea of upgrading apartments more. Make them into real gil sinks that improve the more you spend on them. Starting a simple rooms and eventually evolving into lavish multi-story affairs that could be penthouses with rooftop gardens or ground floor with access to a hidden backyard instead. Since these would all be personal instances just like the inside of houses, the only limit would be the number of apartments and the amount people spent into them.

The wards would then resume the illusion of 'elite' housing even though the reality would be everyone could own a home every bit as lavish. Some people would just be able to show their exteriors with the world while others would not.

[aznboi589]

I actually had the same idea, but to simply put don't make a size limit, make it upgradeable. So like if you're a small house, upgrade to medium, or large.

[Trunks]

Apartments should simply come in sizes that mirror the interiors of existing housing sizes. Then at the top end, institute the instanced "private lot" which gives people who want to dish out the extra gil an opportunity to have the exterior to decorate as well. They don't have to be private islands necessarily, I'm sure they can easily copy/paste existing textures to throw together a little secluded outcropping in the various geographic styles (e.g., private islands in La Noscea, a secluded outcropping in Hingashi, etc.).

It's the obvious solution and pretty much what every game that has housing does. But they also need to continue to support the existing system because that "neighborhood" feeling really is something nice and novel.

[Amomomo]

The private island idea may cost additional extensive planning and content creation, meaning that even if this solution is chosen, it might take up to 5.0 to actually implement it. It may be better to work with what we have, such as placing limitations on house ownership limits, offering instanced houses, and/or edit the spaces available within apartments. Don't know about you, but I don't think I can sit through another 2 years for a housing solution, while watching the market fluctuates with RMT money while devs remain ignorant to the needs of regular player base.