Random Timer is a big problem

[Brynne]

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.

I've been saying this for ages now. I don't understand why you can't get a FC workshop outside of a house when housing is such a limited commodity. I also think they should add an instanced gardening area for apartment owners. Just those two things might even free up some plots, because I know there are dummy FCs created just to access more airships and submarines. They'd probably release their plots if they could do this from somewhere else. It wouldn't solve the core issue, but it would at least help to ease things up a bit.

The random timer is just as big of an issue as the limited housing.

The random timer, its length, and the competition with other campers are all symptoms of the limited housing system. The random timer wouldn't even be a thing if housing were unlimited, but aside from that, if there is enough housing to meet demand, you don't even really notice the timer unless you want a specific popular plot, and then you'd follow the advice in the first response and scoop up an available plot to transfer instantly when the one you want opens up. This is basically how it is on some of the lower population servers.

It'd be nice if SE treated some of the more bothersome symptoms (and I think what your FC is experiencing is one of the worst things about the housing situation), but they really need to start addressing the core issue. I'm also hoping against hope that the Ishgard housing will be instanced and unlimited, and pave the way for more of that going forward.

[Andromedy]

The random timer, its length, and the competition with other campers are all symptoms of the limited housing system. The random timer wouldn't even be a thing if housing were unlimited, but aside from that, if there is enough housing to meet demand, you don't even really notice the timer unless you want a specific popular plot, and then you'd follow the advice in the first response and scoop up an available plot to transfer instantly when the one you want opens up. This is basically how it is on some of the lower population servers.

It'd be nice if SE treated some of the more bothersome symptoms (and I think what your FC is experiencing is one of the worst things about the housing situation), but they really need to start addressing the core issue. I'm also hoping against hope that the Ishgard housing will be instanced and unlimited, and pave the way for more of that going forward.

I just honestly see no reason a random house timer has to go 15+ hours. For like the 10th time, people have jobs, school, and other activities. The only way to guarantee you'll at least see the house bought is by spending your entire day clicking these signs. Every house I've been too have gone well into the night, even midday the next day.

The second problem is being on Leviathan, every house that pops, no matter the location or time of day, has at least 4 people at it. People are even botting these signs. For instance, the sign I was just at. I stayed up all night from about 7pm to 10am this morning only to lose the house to a girl botting. It's been an hour past and she's still clicking the sign lol.

It is absolutely maddening the way this system works. :^)

[AriesMouse]

I'd suggest reading/bumping this tread (Housing-Purchase-Timer-Alternative-Idea ), since it is basically on the same topic, and has a lot of talking points that might be insightful. Also, just seems easier than repeating myself, since what I've said in that thread are what I'd say in this one, i.e., if we're going to be stuck with a random timer, they might as well just make buying a house a literal lottery that people apply for, and then they can resume playing the game.

[Mikki]

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.

THIS.
If you go to ...certain sites, you'll find that flipping houses is very much still alive and the only thing that has changed is the fact that now you have to either have a home already to relocate OR you have to be willing to buy it as an FC home. It doesn't stop the flippers at all, just makes it a lot more difficult for people who are trying to get their first house in a legit manner.

And honestly, most flippers I see aren't even that bad anymore. I remember when I saw people trying to sell smalls for 100 million. Now it's more like 10 million. Yeah, that's still a huge markup but it's calmed down a lot and I feel like it will drop even further if they actually release that Ishgard housing they seemed to be teasing. I do wonder if SE is hesitant to add more wards because they want to add more housing areas in general.... hm. In any case, if they add another housing area that will add a lot more supply and the prices should drop once again. THAT BEING SAID, I think that allowing only one house per server per service account has really helped cut down on the people who are buying houses only to flip them, which leaves mostly people who are just trying to get their money back on housing they won't use anymore.

I think the timers are more harmful than helpful. If anything, I think they should retain the timer in the sense that you can't drop ownership and immediately a new buyer can swoop in. However, the time in which it becomes available again should be random but clear. For example, I think when you drop the house ownership it can go on a timer of 12 hours, 24 hours or 36 hours. The fact that you can't just instantly transfer into the new house makes it more risky for people buying from flippers. Secondly, the fact that it's random to some degree means that you can't plan - for example, you can't ditch the house at a certain time and say "Okay well I dropped the house at 3am so it will be up in 24 hours. 3am is a dead time so no one will be on." The huge variance in possible times means that if you drop at 3am, it could be available at 9am, 3pm or 3am. ADDITIONALLY, the placard should tell you exactly when it will be available. This means that there is at minimum 12 hours in which someone else can notice that the house is free and check to see when it's up again. This gives other people a chance, without them having to wait ridiculous hours checking every few seconds.


They could possibly add some randomness to it, as in "the house will be available for purchase some time between 3pm - 5pm" with it being possible to be unlocked in increments of 10 minutes.


I think there's a middle ground here somewhere that could make it more fair and friendly to people trying to get a new house while also discouraging flipping.

[Andromedy]

I'm just going to bump this by saying, I have lost 5 houses now due to people using macro's to click the sign for them. All 5 have sat there for hours clicking the sign before they realize they've somehow won. This system of "random" timers does nothing but promote botting, and nobody seems to want to do anything about it.

It's increasingly frustrating that I sit up all night clicking a sign just for someone asleep in their bed to win a house. zzz

[AriesMouse]

I still vote that if they are going to insist on keeping this system, they should just make it a true lottery, with some checks and balances, and let people get back to actually playing the game while the timer ticks.

[Talacocheta]

They need to remove the random timer and they need to put in more housing. It's surprising that so few people on each world actually get to own a home, which is one of the selling points - and big draws - of FFXIV. Imagine how many more people would be happy if they increased the number of wards.

And they could totally put in FC-only wards on top of that. It's not a bad thing to let more players who want housing to be able to enjoy owning a home.

[AriesMouse]

They need to remove the random timer and they need to put in more housing. It's surprising that so few people on each world actually get to own a home, which is one of the selling points - and big draws - of FFXIV. Imagine how many more people would be happy if they increased the number of wards.

And they could totally put in FC-only wards on top of that. It's not a bad thing to let more players who want housing to be able to enjoy owning a home.

I've personally always felt that with how the wards are made, the subdivision should have been personal housing while the main area was FC only, or something to that effect.

[Andromedy]

I've personally always felt that with how the wards are made, the subdivision should have been personal housing while the main area was FC only, or something to that effect.

I like that idea, but even then I don't really see a reason why FC's at all should have to fight for something integral. Revelation has entire instanced guild areas that you were able to build and level through efforts of guild members. All while being nearly as big as the Ruby Sea map itself almost. It was a wonderful system and area to hang out. I don't see why they couldn't do something even remotely similar in this game. Or at the very least like someone earlier said, make the FC workshops not linked to housing.

[AriesMouse]

I like that idea, but even then I don't really see a reason why FC's at all should have to fight for something integral. Revelation has entire instanced guild areas that you were able to build and level through efforts of guild members. All while being nearly as big as the Ruby Sea map itself almost. It was a wonderful system and area to hang out. I don't see why they couldn't do something even remotely similar in this game. Or at the very least like someone earlier said, make the FC workshops not linked to housing.

The problem is, it is far too easy for people to make shell FCs to get housing that is more or less a personal house, just with the added bonus of being able to attach a workshop to it. =\