possible solutions

[not_ya_wify]

Auctions
because I rather be guaranteed a house at a ridiculous price than stay up for 24 hours to not get one.

Even though this seems to be a common opinion here, I\\'m vehemently against solutions that favor rich players over poor players. Someone with a job and family should have the same chance at getting a house as a teenager spending 12 hours a day playing only this game. The houses are already too expensive as they are.

Reverse Auctions
start at a really high amount and drop by 5% every 24 hours. the price used to gate the content, but nowadays it\\'s not really that difficult to make that much gil. more or less the system that\\'s currently in place with a higher price. also people transferring to a different plot would have to go through the same process as everyone else, otherwise what\\'s the point.

That\\'s basically the system that has always been in place. However, what you\\'re suggesting is to drive up the prices to eliminate competition from poor players.

Lottery System
same housing system as the one that\\'s currently in place, except when you find an open plot, you purchase a ticket for a drawing where the winner has exclusive rights to buying the plot for the next 24hrs and if it\\'s not purchased within that time limit, the lottery restarts, and the previous winner cant buy another ticket for the same lot until the next time it goes up for sale.

This is a fair solution that doesn\\'t require an exorbitant change in how the game already works (coding wise).

Premium Housing Wards
pay some extra on your monthly sub for a house.

This would make me stop playing the game altogether, especially if it\\'s a $20 sub as you suggested. If I was on a congested server, I would be ok paying $50 ONCE to get a large house. Paying $20 every month would be outrageous. I\\'d even be pissed if they charged $5 a month for a house. Also, even with one time payment you would basically be pissing of the majority of the player base who DOESN\\'T live on a congested server and who can reasonably expect to acquire a house with a little effort. "Oh, we\\'re charging you $50 for something now that you could have gotten for free because a few players on Balmung aren\\'t willing to transfer to a less congested server. Blame them that everyone has to suffer."

Also, how would this work with FCs? Is the FC leader responsible for paying? Will all members be charged an equal amount? Then what happens if someone quits playing? What happens if the FC leader stops playing and the house goes to someone else? How do you recruit new members to your FC if they immediately have to commit to paying real world money for a house they may never even use?