Please Remove Housing Timers During the Covid-19 Epidemic

[Bright-Flower]

Well of course they'd do it during disasters that force you out of your home. But disasters that make you stay inside your homes, where you can log in freely? mmnnnahhhh, i don't think so. "But I have to wooork" Yeah, you'd have to work if there was no virus. Why make an exception for that? lol

Now that being said, maybe a little incentive to stay home would be nice, not that I need it. But MTG:Arena made a game mode free apparently and maybe a week long buff to gathering rates or xp or somethin, that would be cool.

It's more for people that are being financially affected. Like restaurants that are either closed or have severely reduced hours because of this as one example, making money tight right now.

For some people this is just an inconvenience. For others, it's a huge financial burden.

[NessaWyvern]

Not just the financial stuff, what if you are in the hospital and extremely sick from the virus, and can’t log in?
This could be me and my husband soon, tbh.

Me and my husband have respiratory conditions. And some shlub at my husbands work decided not to self quarantine when his flatmate has the virus (the flatmate came back from Oregon, and it’s mandatory to self isolate everyone in the same household in New Zealand) and still went to work. And now that dude is sick.
We just found out today.
We’re waiting on the bosses to say whether or not they’re gonna make everybody self-quarantine.
We shouldn’t be financially hit though, because luckily our government isn’t brain-dead and is providing funding to any business or company impacted by the virus.

[Aniise]

I'll be honest with you; at first, I didn't think much of the situation. I thoght it would be something that would solve itself and everything would go on as always. But right now, I'm also pondering if I can even afford the game if things go on like they are right now for some time. The next month, I don't think affording the sub will be a problem. The month after that too, but then..oh boy... I can just hope that some of my FC members will still be able to log in then or that the situation will calm down enough so that the economy can recover and people won't have to be scared if they can afford food or their rents...which are obviously far more important than a mmo-sub.
To my personal small cottage I owned for four years, I would probably have to wave goodbye if the worst case happens...as sad as it would be...

This situation isn't only affecting a small portion of the world population, it's affecting everyone. In my opinion, suspending the timer would be a small gesture of goodwill towards the playerbase in such hard times.

[Seraphor]

[grossly irresponsible misinformation that could cost lives]

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/1962...likely-impact/

This may not be an incredibly deadly disease for the vast majority, but it's bad enough to completely destabilise our health systems if left to run rampant (and the US has one of the least stable in the developed world being entirely privatised)
Once ICU's have breached capacity, you'll see survival rates plummet, and people dying from entirely preventable reasons irrespective of COVID-19, as is happening in Italy, with a surge of over 600 deaths in one day.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

You only need to follow the curve to see where this is heading, we haven't seen the worst of it yet. Only China is ahead of the curve atm and relaxing the measures put in place (social distancing and shutting of schools/large gatherings) will cause it to bounce right back.

[Seraphor]

As for the topic at hand, the crisis will result in a lot of financial hardship and likely a global recession. People are already losing their jobs, and financial aid isn't helping all that much, so I think there's enough cause to provide some concessions that will not cost SE a penny, in the form of suspending housing demolition.
Coupled with the fact that we're getting Ishgard housing (possibly sooner than we think, dataminers have found the plot data in the files already) this should lessen the blow for those who want housing but can't currently get a plot.

[Zumi]

I think they should do because we are in the middle of the pandemic and problems could arise where we lose internet or power or even access to the game.

[LalaRu]

Hi all.
I live in Italy. I live next to one of the places you see painted with bloody red in your TV news.

I'll assure you, if this virus one day hits me or my family, in game housing will be the last of my concerns.

What really concerns me, is the people that still didn't realized how this thing is serious.

If you are thinking "when that thing hits my place I'll deal with it", you are already doomed. When the first case hits your place, it means the virus already had two full weeks to propagate between all the people that didn't take it seriously and didn't made any measure to avoid it. It is too late.

At that time, the only thing you will "deal with" is counting your dead. This is not a joke.

Right today, we have here loads of military transport full of coffins for the dead, because there aren't enough ones in the places the disease had already hit.

If, after reading the above, you still didn't realized how this is serious and how this must concern you right now, I'll tell you we are now in a state where if your family member is dead, the body is put in one of those military coffins and you cannot see him nor give him proper burial: he will be sent who knows where for speedy cremation. This is terrible.

If you don't want this happen in your location, be careful right now! Stop making anything that put you, and your family with you, at risk. You don't need orders from your government, you only need your good sense.

About the correct things to do, check only official and recognized health websites. "Dr. Google" or the friend next door are the worse advice you can get on medicine.

I really, really hope none of you will have to "deal with it".

[Meowho]

I'm honestly confused, why would they suspend it if you're quarantined in doors with your pc?

If the request is because of financial reasons, you have more important things to worry about than a video game. Plus it would be the same if someone lost their job any other time due to outsourcing (which is huge) or anything else...exceptions won't be made.

The only thing I can possibly think of is some one being hospitalized but then that can be made for people with cancer or something any other time of the year.

I think stuff like this should only be requested or put on hold when abrupt acts of nature happen, Earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Anything else is just silly and you have more important things to worry about.

[Seraphor]

I'm honestly confused, why would they suspend it if you're quarantined in doors with your pc?

If the request is because of financial reasons, you have more important things to worry about than a video game. Plus it would be the same if someone lost their job any other time due to outsourcing (which is huge) or anything else...exceptions won't be made.

The only thing I can possibly think of is some one being hospitalized but then that can be made for people with cancer or something any other time of the year.

I think stuff like this should only be requested or put on hold when abrupt acts of nature happen, Earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Anything else is just silly and you have more important things to worry about.

Why do people keep saying "you should have more important things to worry about"?
That's the whole point. It's for this reason that people shouldn't be penalised for not being able to subscribe.
And since when was a global pandemic not an act of nature?

Fyi: don't have a house.

[Vahlnir]

Why do people keep saying "you should have more important things to worry about"?
That's the whole point. It's for this reason that people shouldn't be penalised for not being able to subscribe.
And since when was a global pandemic not an act of nature?

Fyi: don't have a house.

Yep. And people don't really seem to understand that being forced to stay home means that a lot of people can't pay their bills because they literally can't work. In the US this is especially prevalent, coupled with the fact that the people in power reacted way too late and disbanded their pandemic/epidemic team 2 years ago. Unfortunately, US citizens are now paying the price. I suppose I should also clarify that I'm not trying to paint the US as more important than everyone else, because we're not. I'm just trying to explain the current situation from our point of view. It's not as simple as "stay inside and play games, chill out".