Housing

[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-).

[LolitaBansheeMeru]

Come to think of it I haven't even seen a small for sell and I get on at midnight during the day noonish lol

[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]

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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.

[spf1200]

Ya housing in this game kinda sucks. In other news water is wet, ice is cold, and the sky is blue

[FirstnameLastname]

All those armchair developers with their "I know what the system needs" kinda garbage. Ugh.

[Aellae]

Yes, housing is not ideal.

Though if you really want a specific sized house, it's not that difficult to get. Odin is quite populated, and I've seen plenty medium houses and at least 2 mansions becoming free in like 2 weeks of scouting the market. There were also plenty of smalls that had no one standing at the placard for hours. Yes, it requires dedication and patience. And again, it's definitely not a good system and leaves much to be desired. But it's also not impossible.

(That being said, mansions are awful. Too much space with too little slots. But that's imo.)

[Gula]

I am entirely for a mostly M/L ward with minimum S. Ishgard is all about grandiose and staggering architecture, I could easily see a ward there in which cottages are in short supply. And given how badly people want Ishgard housing, it would be a healthy gil sink.

[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!

[Cirque-it]

I am entirely for a mostly M/L ward with minimum S. Ishgard is all about grandiose and staggering architecture, I could easily see a ward there in which cottages are in short supply. And given how badly people want Ishgard housing, it would be a healthy gil sink.

Thank you! finally someone who posts with a solution as opposed to only suggesting problems