Why resident areas are not popular?

[Antoine_Lenheim]

I mean literally, ward where my house in is a total ghost town and I honestly dont understand why. It have everything that Limsa has for example, summoning bells, market boards, also material suppliers and junkmongers which are pretty useful for crafters since Terebinth for example goes for 400 gil on my server on mb -- can be bought for 60 at material supplier. So really, what does Limsa have that residential areas does not? I understand that cities has job guilds, quests, Grand Company outlets but is it really enough to remove all population from housing areas?

[Dzian]

Because like the open world theres nothing to do there.

I'd bet residential areas would be more populated if simply they had tomes / script / raid / other vendors and stuff in them.

[Antoine_Lenheim]

Because like the open world theres nothing to do there.

I'd bet residential areas would be more populated if simply they had tomes / script / raid / other vendors and stuff in them.

And what to do in Limsa? 60% of Limsa population is concentrated nearby main aetheryte where people just standing afk or emoting to eachother, another 20% are at market board and another 20 scattered around. Almost all of it except tomes vendors and GC stuff can be done at residential areas.

[Hasrat]

Limsa is one teleport/loading screen away from doing all those things. No matter where you are, just 'port back to Limsa and you can get that stuff done.

Not everybody has a teleport to residential wards. If they did, not all of them are so conveniently located near boards/bells. Wards themselves are split into multiple instances, unlike the cities, further diluting population.

When people want to be around crowds, wards aren't conducive to that.

[Big_Bap]

We went from 15 wards, with no subdivisions, to 72 wards and a subdivision for each. Don't look any further.

[Antoine_Lenheim]

Not everybody has a teleport to residential wards. If they did, not all of them are so conveniently located near boards/bells. Wards themselves are split into multiple instances, unlike the cities, further diluting population.

Well yeah, but is it safe to assume that majority of players are in FCs and majority of FCs have their own houses? I can only speak for myself but my house has everything, summoning bell, material vendors, crystal bell (which is only available in an inn in Limsa but you can have your own in your house). Have to only run to market board, thankfully its close but positions of boards are well planned and almost all houses in all areas has walking accessibility. Think I need to check Shirogane since Im the least familiar with it. Besides, Limsa has immense lags cuz of large amount of players whether you came just to check something on mb, use your bell or teleport to your GC. So I really dont understand why players still choose Limsa if they need to do something common like put an item on sell or craft. For me it just feels right to craft on your own house's yard :3

We went from 15 wards, with no subdivisions, to 72 wards and a subdivision for each. Don't look any further.

This might be the problem, yes. And it sucks cuz I feel like Im the only living person in my ward :C Well with the exception of some FC that I stumbled upon when been running throught my ward again. They appear to do stuff there quite often.

[Rhais]

Wards that are filled with personal housing are going to see a lot less activity also, every FC I've been in usually has people hanging out at the FC house, but when most of your neighbors are individuals they are most likely not going to be on or doing other things. If only one person is using a house it's not likely you will see them there often, especially outside the house.

[Violet_Galaxy]

Limsa has better music and you can pitch random NN/FC invites to obvious new players attuning to the main aetheryte. Those are the only reasons I can come up with.

[Vidu]

Simple: everyone has a teleport to Limsa - most people dont have a teleport to your house.

"Worst" case scenario all 30 houses are personal ones, so that means only 30 people (assuming no tenants, because worst case) have an easy teleport into the ward alone. Seeing how you can place most vendors inside your house (but only for home-owners to use) and the ward-vendors only selling stuff you wont buy that often, those people are even spread around more. If you'e in house number 1 and house number 30 logs in, you wont even notice.

[Harmonea]

I mean, you've answered your own question, have you not?

And it sucks cuz I feel like Im the only living person in my ward :C

You are one of those people who need to have other people around all the time. People like you don't like to hang out in empty places, so they... don't.

People who aren't so extroverted might be more inclined to hang out in the wards, but we will also, by our natures, avoid socializing.

You'd likely see a little more activity if there were fewer MBs and bells, but SE has gone for convenience and quiet over the creation of hub areas. You never have to stray far from your house, so unless your immediate neighbors (1) are online at the same time as you, (2) idle during their playtime at the same time as you, e.g. no queues, raids, PFs, hunts, etc, and (3) idle at (but not inside) their houses when they play... It's natural not to see anyone.