Housing: Purchase Timer - Alternative Idea

[not_ya_wify]

What's the entry fee supposed to be? Some think it should be the price of the house just to prove the player has the gil to purchase it.

I think the fee should be the price of the house, but I actually do not think that the fee should be collected until you get the house, similar to a silent auction. This would enable you to enter the lottery for several open houses. IF you should spend your Gil and dip below the price of the house, you will be dismissed from the lottery.

Can it be canceled and refunded before a winner is chosen if the player changes their mind?

Of course, and in my system there is no need for a refund.

How long do players get to enter?

Until the house is sold.

If there is more than one house available, can a player enter multiple lotteries at the same time?

Yes, once they win a lottery, they are dismissed from all other lotteries. If you want a different house and you have the gil, you are now able to relocate.

How is the winner chosen? How long does the winner have to claim the house?

the winner is chosen at random and I would advocate that there are those favoritivism buffs that favor people who have been trying for a long time. I don't care if this will put new players at a disadvantage. Giving a better chance to those who have been trying longer is more fair.

The winner doesn't claim the house. It is automatically awarded.

What happens if the winner doesn't claim the house? Do their forfeit their entry fee? Does a new lottery start or is the game supposed to pick a new winner from the other entrants? If it's the latter, do the other players have to continue waiting for a refund of their entry fees until the house is claimed in order to still have a chance to win?

There is no claiming the house. When you enter the lottery you are committing to buy. If you opt out of the lottery before the winner is announced, you won't win. If you spend your house money on something else, you opt out. The gil isn't taken out of your wallet until you are awarded the house.

What's to stop people from trolling the system or manipulating it to increase their chances of winning?

Umm... The fact that it's a lottery? How DO people troll the system would be a question we should ask before this one.