Adressing the roots of the housing problem

[Darrcyphfeid]

As far as them not having the space or being unable to hold all their reclaimed items, too bad?

A fantastic way to lose that subscription money they covet so much, so yes, too bad indeed.

Grandfathering in those players, who broke no rules at the time of their purchases, is the fairest way to do it. As those players lose interest in the game, or lose houses, those plots will be forever out of their reach. It's a gradual process that doesn't hurt anyone.

So you're saying this is worse because instead of a system where people can most definitely take advantage of it and sit on houses till people cough up enough that they want one.. you are against leveling the playing field ?

There's nothing level about this playing field, at all, and the newly proposed restrictions are half-measures that absolutely make it worse.

Before you had NO chance without paying out the nose to a flipper or just getting crazy lucky when someone let their sub lapse or possibly being one of those insane people who made spreadsheets of houses and cross referenced seeing people online.

And now you have no chance whatsoever to get anything greater than a small, which you have to compete for and which will invariably be the least desired of all plots because of how skewed this will be.

Now: there is always a chance a formerly owned house is going to come up for sale while you're on. Everyone has the same chance.

This could already happen, barring Square's insistence on repeatedly turning off auto-demolition. Under these new restrictions, what you said is only true if:
1.) The hidden timer expires while you're in front of the placard
2.) You have a faster finger than the multiple other people standing at that placard because of the aforementioned timer.

Further, this will not even be possible for another two months. If your concept of "fair" is to make everything worse, more power to you. But it's my belief that there will be a massive meltdown come Feb 6th when everyone finally realizes how hilarious this is being set up.



Also - I have no stake in this; I have a personal house and an FC house already. I got the one Christmas 2015 by camping all day - so I know first-hand how stupid that system is - and the other just randomly demolished when I was hanging out at a shared estate.

[Krotoan]

There's nothing level about this playing field, at all, and the newly proposed restrictions are half-measures that absolutely make it worse.

This is fairer than the original system in that nobody has an advantage because of money or computer specs or internet connection or daily schedule (to a point, if you can be on more you'll have more of a chance, but you won't lose out just because you cannot be on when the known timer expires) . Everyone has the same chance to be there when the plot comes up.

And now you have no chance whatsoever to get anything greater than a small, which you have to compete for and which will invariably be the least desired of all plots because of how skewed this will be.

I think you're referring to the new plots and how the FC's will get first crack and likely buy all the meds and larges and how you wont be able to get one if you don't already have a personal house. True. But as time continues and Houses are moved/abandoned people will have the chance to get meds and larges. Maybe less so larges but there definitely WILL be people who abandon meds to GET larges, then someday at a random time someone will have a chance to buy the abandoned med. Also, the main complaint being resolved here isn't "I DONT HAVE A LARGE/MED HOUSE".. it's "I DON'T HAVE A HOUSE".

This could already happen, barring Square's insistence on repeatedly turning off auto-demolition. Under these new restrictions, what you said is only true if:
1.) The hidden timer expires while you're in front of the placard
2.) You have a faster finger than the multiple other people standing at that placard because of the aforementioned timer.

Further, this will not even be possible for another two months. If your concept of "fair" is to make everything worse, more power to you. But it's my belief that there will be a massive meltdown come Feb 6th when everyone finally realizes how hilarious this is being set up.

It COULD but it was far less likely. Random plots don't open up and stay open till some passerby buys them very often. Most of the time they'll get sold and passed to someone else. Most housing flippers will hold their houses until someone wants to buy them, those houses will NEVER get randomly put back online unless the flipper stops playing or forgets about that particular character and doesn't enter the house.
Now there is NO reason for someone to buy a house from a flipper as a personal house. Likely the flippers will lose interest in that market since it's worthless to them. There are possibly those who will, just out of malice or spite keep logging in and going in their houses to keep them.. but I'd like to think that much effort wouldn't be worth it or won't hold their interest for long.
Your idea of Better is very odd. Why was the old system better? People have been asking for this exact change for as long as we have had demolition.
If you are going to stand in front of a placard all day and everyday until the buying option unlocks you deserve that house. How are you going to know whether you have 10 minutes or 3 days till it expires? that's a lot of time not to play the rest of the game. Everyone has an equal chance of being on when it's available and that's better in my opinion.

Also - I have no stake in this; I have a personal house and an FC house already. I got the one Christmas 2015 by camping all day - so I know first-hand how stupid that system is - and the other just randomly demolished when I was hanging out at a shared estate.

As do I, but seeing others actually getting an equal chance to join the house-owning population gives me hope. This is a step in the right direction if they're going to keep the wards.

[Darrcyphfeid]

This is fairer than the original system in that nobody has an advantage because of money or computer specs or internet connection or daily schedule (to a point, if you can be on more you'll have more of a chance, but you won't lose out just because you cannot be on when the known timer expires) . Everyone has the same chance to be there when the plot comes up.

I mean, the plot's just going to be there anyway. Individuals are going to watch as people already in the system relocate right in front of them, and as FCs - preexisting and created in the last couple days (flipping FCs is still very much going to be a thing) - pick up some of the new 1,440 plots, and they can do nothing but twiddle their thumbs in front of whatever plot until the houses arbitrarily become available for them to try and buy. Which is probably even worse than Christmas 2015. With that, you knew exactly when the house became available because the icon on the map and the visual indicator in front of you (the house disappearing) changed. I haven't heard mention of anything visibly changing when personal housing gets turned on, so I foresee a return to Raubahn EX. Just sit at the placard and keep mashing X until something different happens... like someone that isn't them getting the plot.

The 6th is a Tuesday. Anyone with responsibilities outside their real life home on that day is probably SoL, assuming personal housing even becomes available Day 1. IIRC the housing demolition Christmas 2015 happened around 3:30pm eastern, and the server itself had come online at 6am.

I think you're referring to the new plots and how the FC's will get first crack and likely buy all the meds and larges and how you wont be able to get one if you don't already have a personal house. True. But as time continues and Houses are moved/abandoned people will have the chance to get meds and larges.

A lot of these people have already been waiting 3+ months though, and that's what really gets under my skin here. Several of my friends got up super early for 4.1 to try and get a house - Shirogane or otherwise - and got messed over hardcore by the network difficulties. I agree with the 1 hour delay, but I vehemently disagree with giving FCs and especially people already in the system advance priority. I mean, yes, you can probably go post on Reddit's housing market thing right now and pay obscene amounts of Gil (or, let's face it, real world currency) to get into the system now so you can get what you actually want Feb 6th, but that's ridiculous. I'm kinda looking forward to the outrage it causes in a schadenfreudist sort of way, because Square deserves a good thrashing and the only way that will happen is if a lot of people get really mad, but I'm also deeply offended on behalf of the people that are about to be led around by their nose (and wind up with nothing).

In fact, I'm so wound up about this that I gave my personal house to a friend just now. Might as well make someone's experience less ass backwards.

[Dustytome]

but I vehemently disagree with giving FCs and especially people already in the system advance priority..

That part strikes me as a little odd. I would think it would be all fc (moving or buying fresh) first and then open up to personal as well, but allowing those already with personal plots to get preference along with the fcs seems off. I think personal plots moving or buying from scatch should be on equal footing.

[Krotoan]

I mean, the plot's just going to be there anyway. Individuals are going to watch as people already in the system relocate right in front of them, and as FCs - preexisting and created in the last couple days (flipping FCs is still very much going to be a thing) - pick up some of the new 1,440 plots, and they can do nothing but twiddle their thumbs in front of whatever plot until the houses arbitrarily become available for them to try and buy. Which is probably even worse than Christmas 2015. With that, you knew exactly when the house became available because the icon on the map and the visual indicator in front of you (the house disappearing) changed. I haven't heard mention of anything visibly changing when personal housing gets turned on, so I foresee a return to Raubahn EX. Just sit at the placard and keep mashing X until something different happens... like someone that isn't them getting the plot.

The 6th is a Tuesday. Anyone with responsibilities outside their real life home on that day is probably SoL, assuming personal housing even becomes available Day 1. IIRC the housing demolition Christmas 2015 happened around 3:30pm eastern, and the server itself had come online at 6am.

I agree that letting FC's go first isn't .. nice. But since there is FC functionality locked behind housing I can see the reasoning, better to give the chance to FCs that NEED (yes need , to stay a viable choice of FC) them with some restrictions (4 players.. this is weirdly worded too, do all 4 people need to be there to buy the house? That might stop some flippers). Was there wording that implied the icon would indicate it was going to be for sale? Does it just show empty? IS there the gavel but you just can't buy it? Those are some questions that do need to be asked. I can see your points, but I really cannot imagine people just sitting at plots and mashing the button all day. As far as we know from the announcement that random timer could be WEEKS. New personal housing is NOT available , only transfers. Restrictions to be released at a Later Date™. FC flipping will still happen but it's very much more difficult now. You cannot just have one account with 8 characters and 16 houses. They would have to buy accounts for each character, this will deter some people. Hopefully they'll find something that will deter further FC house flipping like a majority vote necessary or some sort of GM intervention required through a ticket or something.

A lot of these people have already been waiting 3+ months though, and that's what really gets under my skin here. Several of my friends got up super early for 4.1 to try and get a house - Shirogane or otherwise - and got messed over hardcore by the network difficulties. I agree with the 1 hour delay, but I vehemently disagree with giving FCs and especially people already in the system advance priority. I mean, yes, you can probably go post on Reddit's housing market thing right now and pay obscene amounts of Gil (or, let's face it, real world currency) to get into the system now so you can get what you actually want Feb 6th, but that's ridiculous. I'm kinda looking forward to the outrage it causes in a schadenfreudist sort of way, because Square deserves a good thrashing and the only way that will happen is if a lot of people get really mad, but I'm also deeply offended on behalf of the people that are about to be led around by their nose (and wind up with nothing).

In fact, I'm so wound up about this that I gave my personal house to a friend just now. Might as well make someone's experience less ass backwards.

I tried to transfer on Shirogane house day too: downloaded patch early through a remote connection to my computer. Drove like a bat out of hell home.. hit login and.. error.. then 1000+th place in queue.. everything gone by the time I actually was ingame.
I get how they're looking at the transfer of personal houses as OK.. though I'll agree with you that I don't like it. BUT it's not removing house amounts from the pool since it's only transfers and not new purchases.
Keep in mind that the housing transfers WILL free up houses in other areas on random timers. At some point after 4.2, could be hours or days.. or yes.. months, the transfers old houses will open.

I understand your stance, but I don't think this is a bad move entirely.