Housing

[Bsrking5]

The last time they added houses they were FC only, and only unlocked them for individual purposes after some time had passed. I'm sure there were plenty of houses snatched up right after the new wards were unlocked. Before they were unlocked I'm sure the mansions were the first thing to go after the servers went live. They always are.

Also available to relocate too, so even on my server there were basically all gone within 10 minutes of server opening, mostly from private and not fc houses.

[Cirque-it]

I said in my own thread that I dont know what the best solution would be... but perhaps instead of stating the blatantly obvious of why it cannot be done, you all (addressing the critics) could actually try to brain storm on how it COULD be done.

[Eldevern]

I said in my own thread that I dont know what the best solution would be... but perhaps instead of stating the blatantly obvious of why it cannot be done, you all (addressing the critics) could actually try to brain storm on how it COULD be done.

The problem is what already exists. If they could start from scratch, they could do a lot of things.

Now, mostly, they only can create (add) full instancied housing with a centrale aetheryte or change apartments to make available gardening and bigger housing as duplex or so.

If instancied gardens bother them, we could imagine instanced housing with some kind of greenhouse.

[Jojoya]

I said in my own thread that I dont know what the best solution would be... but perhaps instead of stating the blatantly obvious of why it cannot be done, you all (addressing the critics) could actually try to brain storm on how it COULD be done.

The only way to do what you suggested is to scrap the current wards and rebuild the ward system completely. SE is not going to do that when it means displacing every single current house owner.

Instanced house plots would solve the problem as you could layer house upon house in the same plot location so players could buy whatever size they wanted provided they met the other requirements. SE hasn't seemed interested in adding an instanced house plot system, though.

Your best bet is to buy a small house now if you don't already own a house then keep an eye out for a large to become available so you can immediately relocate to it. It does happen, even if it's infrequent.

Ishgard Restoration is almost definitely building a new housing district, which would add another 126 large and 294 mediums to each world. As long as you own at least a small before it opens, you'd have a good chance of snagging a large via relocation once plots are made available.

[EaMett]

In a nutshell. SE made the decision a while back to make mansions mostly only available to FCs. So discussing how to get more mansions out there will do very little for individuals chasing mansions. The solution is either that you'll need to wait a very long time and be very lucky to gain access to one or you'll have to change their stance on it. Both are highly unlikely. S and M are fine and not as hard to obtain.

Also, instanced housing is contrary to the entire concept of housing in ff14, people like to talk about it a lot but it's totally moot because not happening. Housing in ff14 is designed around leaving out about 2/3 of the player base. It's meant that way and I've yet to see any indication that it doesn't work great. The difficulty is just right for it to be a real struggle whiler still having players be giddy AF when they get their house. The placard spamming as a shame of a mechanic and needs to be changed but the rest of the system is a great example of a balancing act in game design. And even though the placard spamming is a senseless mechanic it does have the advantage of leveling the playing field a bit. Giving a chance to those who have actual lives and can't sit around in-game for weeks at a time, while at the same time giving those with plenty of time a higher chance of getting a house.

[Eldevern]

...

In very populated server, housing are really hard to get. They are taken very very fast. The system is bad :
- to compare to games without restrictions (BDO or Wildstar)
- FC and individuals are in competitions to get housing
- the system is technically a mistake
-> ward are ghost town when mainly owned by individuals, the neighborood is wasted
-> wards are a waste of servers ressources since most of them are ghost towns (need to load several gardens even if only one player is in the whole ward).
-> houses are tiny to compare to what BDO or Wildstar are/were able to offer (BDO : three houses with several levels and rooms)

You can't consider housing without considering what other games are able to offer. The only system I consider as worst is TESO since technically it ends to work more or less as FFXIV plus there is a money wall through the cash-shop. The ressources taken have to make sense, it is not the case. They have a real cost, in fact players as a whole are paying for the exclusivity of a few and that's not a little rewards that doesn't make sense considering ressources, housing IS consuming servers ressources then real money.

Technically, wards are not that different from Aion system (where limits make more sense since there is an auction system). FFXIV is in fact absolutly not innovative at all (and as empty as Aion his, thought apartements in Aion are a bit less ghost town, you most always meet people -but there are inventory and few usefull NPCs-).

[EaMett]

In very populated server, housing are really hard to get. They are taken very very fast. The system is bad :
- to compare to games without restrictions (BDO or Wildstar)
- FC and individuals are in competitions to get housing
- the system is technically a mistake
-> ward are ghost town when mainly owned by individuals, the neighborood is wasted
-> wards are a waste of servers ressources since most of them are ghost towns (need to load several gardens even if only one player is in the whole ward).
-> houses are tiny to compare to what BDO or Wildstar are/were able to offer (BDO : three houses with several levels and rooms)

You can't consider housing without considering what other games are able to offer. The only system I consider as worst is TESO since technically it ends to work more or less as FFXIV plus there is a money wall through the cash-shop. The ressources taken have to make sense, it is not the case. They have a real cost, in fact players as a whole are paying for the exclusivity of a few and that's not a little rewards that doesn't make sense considering ressources, housing IS consuming servers ressources then real money.

Technically, wards are not that different from Aion system (where limits make more sense since there is an auction system). FFXIV is in fact absolutly not innovative at all (and as empty as Aion his, thought apartements in Aion are a bit less ghost town, you most always meet people -but there are inventory and few usefull NPCs-).

Where do I start. First off housing has been balanced around populated servers. They've always tried to maintain 1/3rd of server population having access to housing. On smaller servers this at times was closer to 50%.

Secondly, you're comparing apples to oranges. Comparing ff14 housing which is a PVP mechanic to instanced housing in other games which closer equate to PVE mechanics is moot. It's like comparing an Age of Empire solo campaign to a starcraft II Platinum+ league. They're both RTS but that's where the comparison ends. Anyone can finish the solo campaign, but not everyone makes it above platinum. This is also why it's really pointless to bring instanced housing up in the first place. This might shock many but this has been suggested for as long as housing has been around and surprise surprise, it isn't even on the table.

To further insist. You try to make a point of using ressources to benefit a few. Now 1/3rd population is not a few by any measure but, regardless, my counter argument is why do they even make savage and ultimate fights that benefit even fewer? Hint: there's a reason why you would do this and if you're at all interested in game design, please look up cognitive flow.

The current system isn't a mistake. It may have some technical limitations and it's fine to discuss those in the proper context but the design choices the devs made are not wrong they are just different. Again apples, and oranges. Barring the placard spamming that is horrible, the mechanic is difficult to get into but still rewarding when you make it. This is, almost by definition, a successful mechanic.

It's also not that hard to get into housing even on populated servers as long as you dedicate yourself to it.
There are countless people who've gotten multiple houses, lost their houses and got more, upgraded to medium etc.. etc... From my experience they always fit the dedicated player demographic and that's perfectly in thune with ranking high on a PVP leaderboard (which housing is since the more time you have to put towards it the more likely you are to get one).

The only thing that is truly hard to do in housing currently is get a mansion as an individual. And this was brought forward as a request by the community

[Eldevern]

...

It has nothing to do with PVP. At least it is not supposed to work that way. Housing is usullay imagined as QoL and RP. And if they want housing PVP oriented, then IT HAS TO BE AUCTIONS.

The housing, as we can see it, has been built, it is an evidence, to be FCs only.

I've always thought it was a mistake to open this system to individuals. The less we can say is Y-P underestimated the need for QoL/RP housing. And still do, with this weird obsession for neighborood.

[EaMett]

It has nothing to do with PVP. At least it is not supposed to work that way. Housing is usullay imagined as QoL and RP. And if they want housing PVP oriented, then IT HAS TO BE AUCTIONS.

The housing, as we can see it, has been built, it is an evidence, to be FCs only.

I've always thought it was a mistake to open this system to individuals. The less we can say is Y-P underestimated the need for QoL/RP housing. And still do, with this weird obsession for neighborood.

Oh and just wanted to bounce off of this and ask why it "isn't supposed to work like that?". The devs have explained their choices in the past. They wanted housing to be limited and for ownership to feel like an accomplishment (to paraphrase them). What makes their decision bad? That some people don't have access to it? But that's the whole point.

Also in regards to the issues from auctions. You're basically condemning non crafters and people who have a life (job/school) to never get access to these ressources because they will simply never be able to compete. If you pull in the completely opposite direction and suggest a lottery then you remove a lot of the work (time spent) and accomplishment of earning a house (going against the initial design).
The current placard spamming, as bad as it is, at least allows for some luck to level the playing field (aka help people with a job) while still favoring those willing to put more effort. They should just make the plot unlocks happen every 20mn on the dot so people don't need to sit there constantly clicking and can just spam click for a few seconds instead before waiting another 20mn. Keeps the mechanic intact and helps preserve people's sanity. It's a mystery to me why they haven't made this quick fix already.

[Cirque-it]

Comparing ff14 housing which is a PVP mechanic to instanced housing in other games which closer equate to PVE mechanics is moot[/B]

This is quit possible the dumbest thing I have ever heard in all my 15 years of MMO's (Warcraft, Star Wars, and now FF14) Housing has nothing to do with PvP in anyway!!! Its a quality of life mechanic designed to enhance your endgame experience!
If it WAS a pvp mechanic there would be some kind of scoreboard or ladder that you could see (like they implemented in Ishgard restoration because add PvP to CRAFTING)
You are so incredible not aware of even the simplest of game mechanics that you resort to the lowest grade of proverbial wisdom to try and justify your point!!
"Comparing Apples to oranges" really???? Thats what you have to say!!? Followed by completely misinterpreting the meaning of the term PvP = (Player versus player)
The houses dont compete in score, the houses dont magically stand up and fight one another, the houses dont get anyform of achievement or titel that would otherwise serve as a "badge" to showoff to other players. Seriously sir do some research before you spout random scentences that are completely false!

need more convincing?

If housing is indeed intended as PvP... why can you set your house to restricted access, disallowing anyone else from entering???
The whole point of anything pvp in anygame EVER = Titles, trophies, badghes, gear, mounts, ladder boards etc. If housing WAS intended as PvP there would be a score attached to your house, there would be a message score card outside your house so people could see your tally, there would be a ladder board where people can see the highest scoring houses + their location so people can come gawk and awe at your "magnificence", and you certainly would NOT be given the opportunity to restrict acces or hide your score card!!

I simple cannot express how absolutely appauled I am to see comments like this be freely posteable... at least on wikipedia i can take false information down!