Random Timer is a big problem

[Andromedy]

Ya know, I really wasn't going to make a post. I know a lot of these already exist, and it's become a futile topic at this point, but I want to tack on my two cents after this experience.

I understand why there was a need for a timer. Sure, you don't want people flipping houses or whatever, but this is beyond asinine. Over the last four days me and some FC members have spent over 36 hours sitting outside empty plots, clicking placards. These timers are going WELL into the night, like 6am EACH at least. We have jobs and lives. We can't sit here and click a placard until hell freezes over.

3 houses were lost to just sheer inability to stay up all night, coupled with people relocating and reset timers completely. But the straw that broke the camels back is this house just now. This house was up for almost TWENTY FOUR(24) HOURS! Our FC member stayed up literally ALL night for this nice. We wake up, and it's STILL up. So we click click click, and OH WHATS THIS!? SOME ONE WHO SHOWED UP 5 MINUTES AGO GOT THE HOUSE!? AND IT'S FOR PERSONAL USE!? WOOOOW FANTASTIC!

You can call me spoiled or say I'm being unreasonable or anything you want. But that is just NOT right. These RNG timers are absolutely hot garbage and I would really like to see them fixed. Much sooner than later.

#EndRant

[DrWho2010]

you need enough money to be able to buy two houses - buy a crap one and then to transfer.

[Jillian]

you need enough money to be able to buy two houses - buy a crap one and then to transfer.

This is the best advice you are going to get. The RNG timers suck, but I doubt SE is going to change the way it works. Try to buy a small, less desirable plot in Goblet. This seems to be the least popular housing area and it will probably be easier to snag a house here as opposed to the other housing areas. I think some of the plots go for less than 3mil, which is easy enough to get. This way, when a plot opens up that you do want, you will be able to transfer your FC house right away.

[MizArai]

you need enough money to be able to buy two houses - buy a crap one and then to transfer.

This is the best advice you are going to get. The RNG timers suck, but I doubt SE is going to change the way it works. Try to buy a small, less desirable plot in Goblet. This seems to be the least popular housing area and it will probably be easier to snag a house here as opposed to the other housing areas. I think some of the plots go for less than 3mil, which is easy enough to get. This way, when a plot opens up that you do want, you will be able to transfer your FC house right away.

He's on Leviathan, so he's probably trying to buy the crap house now (seems like they're trying to buy anything they find available) and running into this problem.

Telling people to just buy any house that's available on a populated server (where the only available houses are going to be behind the timer) is bad advice. Lots of them (like OP) are already doing that. The timers are ridiculous. I understand why they put them in, though I feel like they weren't needed. It didn't stop flippers like they wanted, it just cut out who can buy flipped houses. All it seems to have done is created plenty of problems for people trying to buy their first house.

[Jillian]

He's on Leviathan, so he's probably trying to buy the crap house now (seems like they're trying to buy anything they find available) and running into this problem.

Telling people to just buy any house that's available on a populated server (where the only available houses are going to be behind the timer) is bad advice. Lots of them (like OP) are already doing that. The timers are ridiculous. I understand why they put them in, though I feel like they weren't needed. It didn't stop flippers like they wanted, it just cut out who can buy flipped houses. All it seems to have done is created plenty of problems for people trying to buy their first house.

The timer system sucks and the entire housing system is unfair. I also never said the advice was good; I just said it was the best he was going to get. Unfortunately, there is not much else the OP can do unless SE finds a way to fix the crappy housing situation. I don't think the OP is being unreasonable nor do I think he is spoiled. I have friends that are unable to purchase housing so I sympathize with him. It is my hope that SE finds a way to fix the housing situation so that everybody who wants a house is able to purchase one. I do not think housing should be a limited commodity.

[MizArai]

The timer system sucks and the entire housing system is unfair. I also never said the advice was good; I just said it was the best he was going to get. Unfortunately, there is not much else the OP can do unless SE finds a way to fix the crappy housing situation. I don't think the OP is being unreasonable nor do I think he is spoiled. I have friends that are unable to purchase housing so I sympathize with him. It is my hope that SE finds a way to fix the housing situation so that everybody who wants a house is able to purchase one. I do not think housing should be a limited commodity.

I was trying to point out that it's not helpful advice, as he was already doing what he was being told to do. The last housing census for Leviathan shows 2 smalls available in the Goblet. I'm sure he and his FC mates were just seeing anything available and camping the placard, especially since he said they tried this at a few houses. He came here hoping to bring attention to how much the current RNG timer system hurts the player population.

I'm honestly very glad that I got my personal house before the timer. When I was trying to get an FC house for my alt's FC (formed with some irl friends who play sporadically), the timer was a huge pain. It took a few days before I was able to actually catch a plot that I didn't end up losing to someone else. I would have given up on having a house if I kept losing the placard clicking mini-game back when I was new. And since housing was one of 2 reasons I started playing the game (eternal bonding was the other), I would have quit. While the timers were nice in theory, it hasn't helped with the intended problem, and has only made it harder for players to get their first house.

And I bolded part of the quote, 'cause I totally agree with it!!!! I would LOVE for SE to figure out a way for every FC & character to be able to purchase a house if they want (new instanced housing, expandable apartments, I don't know what other options might be, but I'm totally open to other ideas). Keep the ward system we currently have as a more glamour type housing for people who prefer it, but please give us another option so everyone can have a house!

[Andromedy]

This is my point in it's entirety. Leviathan is very busy. There is not a lot of housing, and each placard I've been sitting at has at least 5-10 people clicking it until the late hours of the night.

We are trying to get an FC house. The past 4 days, there have been 6 plots available.

The first was relocated to. The plot that left behind was then relocated to as well. The plot THAT let behind didnt pop till 6am. The next was in the goblet, and didnt pop till 2am in which we lost again. The census you are speaking of there were 2 smalls available last night. One was won by a guy with a macro who didn't even know he won the house until 2 hours later. The second plot went from 2pm to 10:30 AM the next day, and was won by a person who showed up 5 minutes prior.

Another plot opened up today in the mist only to be relocated by, get this, the man who was botting the house last night.

These houses are pretty integral to an FC. Not only do you get a personalized space for the whole of your FC to hang out and relax, but you also get the access to personalized rooms, and the company workshop. So much so that we chose to merge our two FC's the other night just to have a better chance at getting a house. Fight together not against.

I don't find one single reason a player should have a personal *House* in this game. They server no functional purpose other than to be a spot for an RP experience or to be a hermit(or like a garden... lmao) Especially a single player owning a mansion. Like what are you doing with all that space lol.

Houses could very easily be made for FC only, as they are again, and integral part of the growth of an FC. They could spruce up apartments ten fold to let players who want a personal experience have this.

Even if that isn't an option, I would very much like to see something done here. It's an increasingly frustrating project to sit and click 15+ hours on a house just to lose to an RNG timer. D:<

[Beckett]

I wonder why so many people are bothering to relocate to Smalls. I could understand a few choice locations being snatched up, but for every Small plot you camp to be Relocated to by someone seems weird.

I don't find one single reason a player should have a personal *House* in this game. They server no functional purpose other than to be a spot for an RP experience or to be a hermit(or like a garden... lmao) Especially a single player owning a mansion. Like what are you doing with all that space lol.

Houses could very easily be made for FC only, as they are again, and integral part of the growth of an FC. They could spruce up apartments ten fold to let players who want a personal experience have this.

Housing originally was FC-only, and in fact we were promised the individual player housing would be completely separate from FC housing. But then they completely went back on that and all of our housing issues have stemmed from that mistake. Unfortunately, this is the way things are now and they're never going to change the current housing system back to FC-only.

The best solution I can think of that fits within the current system is to grant every FC a Workshop, regardless of whether they have a house. Put the entrance to it in each city's Grand Company area, or let FC's buy a Workshop in the Apartment buildings. That still leaves out (cross-breed) gardening and chocobo stables, but at least it'd put a major dent in the FC inequality.

[Lambdafish]

You can call me spoiled or say I'm being unreasonable or anything you want. But that is just NOT right. These RNG timers are absolutely hot garbage and I would really like to see them fixed. Much sooner than later.

#EndRant

This is the system by design, to prevent people from doing exactly what your FC member did. Imagine if your FC member was a house flipper, if the system was the way it used to be, they would be able to camp the spot (like they did) and hold the house hostage for money. Now its a psuedo lottery, in that the house randomly becomes available and the first one to get it gets it, which is what happened and your FC member lost.

Limited housing is the big problem, not the random timer. You might as well be saying that primal dogs are a big problem because yours took 85 runs to get, and a random got theirs on the 3rd run.

[Andromedy]

The random timer is just as big of an issue as the limited housing. Even more so than just base limited housing. The sheer fact that it is random can be looked past for the sake of the games state and how people used to treat property flipping. The major issue is the timer LENGTH. On top of the housing being limited, I have not had one timer yet that has been under 12 hours. In my previous point, not everyone can stay up ungodly hours to camp a housing placard. What about people who are only able to play a few hours a day but want a house or to start an FC? You're limiting the already existing limitations, which causes a problem.

Comparing apples to oranges to to be a devils advocate isn't going to fix a situation. If I spent hours farming and 87 runs of an extreme and didn't get a dog, I didn't waste my time. I still got something in the form of totems, or hell even a potential boss drop and some gear. On the contrary, if I spend 6 hours clicking a sign for someone to walk up and either get PogChamp lucky or relocate, I get absolutely NOTHING and have completely wasted an entire 6 hours.

Limited housing, with limited RNG, made even more limited by people who relocate their house because "this is 2 inches closer to the MB" make the housing in this game an absolute nightmare. And that doesn't even stop people from flipping ANYWAY. Because once you HAVE a house, anyone cause sell their plot and just have you relocate. Hell, people even sell FC's just for because they have a house.

The system needs looked at and adjusted. Black/white, cut and dry. Either making workshops not limited to having house. Instancing FC housing. FC only wards. Something. /shrug