Lottery "conditions" need to be posted for all to see, we need more transparency.

[GomezAddams]

Yoshi's words: "We are working to identify the issue in the corresponding program; however, as the process is very complex and there are many patterns involved for the lottery conditions, it will require some time to pinpoint the problem."

Let's take "process is very complex and there are many patterns involved for the lottery conditions" part.

It's transparency time, SE. What is the complexity of choosing a random number between 1 and foo? More importantly, what "patterns" could possibly involved?

I admit I only recently graduated with my programming degree, but I'm also 46 and I have a brain. This statement ticks me off to no end. Here's why:

If the lottery is fair, the drawing is simply a random pick from those who were allowed entry. Rules for allowing entry may be a bit picky and complicated, but since you allow bidding on infinite plots until a bidder goes broke, I highly doubt it's all that complex of a system. If there are other criteria involved, they need to be spelled out in no uncertain terms in a very public and easy-to-find place.They are not. They are being kept secret.

My personal opinion: there is no complicated set of circumstances at all, and this is straight PR to cover up someone's ineptitude or mistakes. But let's assume for a moment that Yoshi's statement is true.

In a nutshell, it means the lottery system is not fair at all and is coded to favor some, while omitting others.

Positive side possibilities: This could be a preventative measure to keep an individual or FC from winning more than one plot a week and making plots remain empty another cycle. I don't think this is the case, but it's a possibility.

Negative side possibilities: These are more likely and more numerous if complex patterns are being used. Again, these are possibilities, not accusations.

1. Older FCs and FCs with more members are being favored.

2. Players with less gaps in subscription and/or long-term players are being favored over casuals and come-and-goers.

3. Some other favoritism is being enabled.

4. Players with a history of coming here and complaining could be excluded from ever winning.

That's just a few possibilities, but I feel they are the most likely scenarios if there is some hidden, complex algorithm at work in picking a simple random number out of a pool of consecutive numbers. This is shady af.

We need those algorithms if they want to keep our trust, or they need to just come out and say they screwed up on something simple. It happens. Apologies are old, and solve nothing. I'm sick of apologies. I want fixes and transparency, not excuses and more long waits. We waited ten years, and you've had more than enough time. As I stated in an earlier post, from now on this company will be forever be known by me as the company that couldn't deliver it's promises. From the diminishing content all the way to needless nerfs and changes. SE screwed up first semester code. That's all I see.

[Seraphor]

Did you even bother to read the updates? I'm not sure how it can be more transparent without actually giving us the code. There's so much wrong with your post.

The lottery was bog standard random number between 1 and the highest bid, and it worked. No one had any better chance than anyone else.
What didn't work was communicating the results of the lottery to the housing servers, which messed up when they didn't receive the data, and produced the 0 error. Those plots still had legitimate winners, and that data is still saved on the backend where the lottery was run.

The housing servers which deal with actually allocating the plots are the complicated part, they need to be able to tell if the player is a new buyer, if they're relocating, in they're in an FC, if their FC already has a house, if other members in their FC have placed bids on other plots, etc.

The main complicated part is working out how to correct the mistake. Some players have already reclaimed their refund, even though they actually won their plot. Some haven't, and some that did have already spent their gil. How they reclaim that gil is the issue and they need to design, test and implement a system for doing that.

"but since you allow bidding on infinite plots until a bidder goes broke" they don't, you can only make one bid, regardless of how much gil you have.
"Players with a history of coming here and complaining could be excluded from ever winning." ...what?
"they need to just come out and say they screwed up on something simple" they did.
"I'm sick of apologies." but you just said....
"I want fixes and transparency, not excuses and more long waits." the fixes take time dude...
"We waited ten years, and you've had more than enough time." how petulant is this?
You're 46, it's about time you grew up Karen.

[Mika_Zahard]

Its obvious OP didnt read the follow ups, else he wouldnt have made the post..

[LeonKeyh]

Its obvious OP didnt read the follow ups, else he wouldnt have made the post..

I wouldn't assume that. People like this won't let facts get in the way of their "righteous anger." They champ at the bit to make posts like this.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Considering I have been subbed constantly since release, with no breaks in said sub ever, and I didn't win my lotto, I'ma call BS on your "assumptions" lol.

And my account is legacy. So there's 0 favoritism. Just get over your loss. I did. And I've wanted an Ishgard plot for 8 years.

[sagacious]

Considering I have been subbed constantly since release, with no breaks in said sub ever, and I didn't win my lotto, I'ma call BS on your "assumptions" lol.

And my account is legacy. So there's 0 favoritism. Just get over your loss. I did. And I've wanted an Ishgard plot for 8 years.

hahahah I love this response

[Kaurhz]

Your 'possibilities' are laughable conspiracies at best.

[Roehann]

As someone much older than you with a BS in Computer Engineering, graduate of 1992, I look forward to the grey hairs you find yourself with thinking that programing anything on this scale is always such a simple matter.

I for one believe that SE does their very best to be above board and honest with it's users, more so than some people in real life surrounded by real life events. If you choose to distrust them, please just leave. To attempt to 'call them out and demand such an answer' make you look silly.

[TaleraRistain]

As someone much older than you with a BS in Computer Engineering, graduate of 1992, I look forward to the grey hairs you find yourself with thinking that programing anything on this scale is always such a simple matter.

I for one believe that SE does their very best to be above board and honest with it's users, more so than some people in real life surrounded by real life events. If you choose to distrust them, please just leave. To attempt to 'call them out and demand such an answer' make you look silly.

This and also I'm a little afraid for OP's future company if they code in such a shoddy way without considering all the involved factors.

[Krotoan]

This and also I'm a little afraid for OP's future company if they code in such a shoddy way without considering all the involved factors.

I'm going to take that "qualification" they're flashing with the same reverence I give someone who says "I'm a vet with 30 confirmed kills and special forces training". Internet experts very rarely are anything close to as qualified as they'd like you to think. I bet he built something in unity once.

Known drama baiter and pot stirrer. I think we should all probably stop playing into the madness.