Housing is the most toxic and frustrating aspect of this game, how can it be so bad?

[Zylphia]

I have spend weeks and 12+ hours multiple times to try to get the only plot miraculously opened up on the entire server only to have someone fly in and transfer to the plot or get super lucky on the timer, its beyond frustrating and forces many players into extremely toxic mindsets, both during the wait for sale and after the sale is made. I cannot believe just how far the system goes to discourage new players from experiencing content that a ton of the crafting system is built around.

And yet there are tons of dead, empty houses, all over but none for sale to new homeowners who would actually use it. Why is there not a build out/use requirement. At least have dead lots be required to at least look like someone cared about it once...

[Canadane]

A limited resource isn't toxic.
Right now isn't the best time since auto demolition is on pause (meaning nothing had just opened up without someone manually doing it, thus the transfer you saw was probably planned). Once it's back into place I'm sure you'll see many plots open up as people continue to not use their houses as you say. They have to actually enter their houses to keep it, afterall.

[Jojoya]

I understand the need to vent due to frustration but calling housing a toxic system is going a bit far.

You don't have to own a house to experience housing. You can get a private chamber in your FC house or an apartment. You can be added as a tenant to a friend's house. The crafting system is not built around owning a house nor are housing items a majority of what can be crafted.

And yet there are tons of dead, empty houses, all over but none for sale to new homeowners who would actually use it. Why is there not a build out/use requirement. At least have dead lots be required to at least look like someone cared about it once...

You don't know whether or not those houses are getting used. Players can use them in whatever way they want within the limits of the game rules and ToS. If someone wants to stick nothing but a Summoning Bell in their house and use it as a quiet place to craft away from others, they can do that. Some FCs buy houses solely for access to the company workshop, which requires house ownership. They leave their houses undecorated since it's something they only pass through to get to their workshops.

That last comment of yours is why most people refuse to buy a house in an area where HOA membership is required. Others don't buy a house to please you. You have no right to decide what they must do with their house.

[Zylphia]

I believe it is toxic, it poisons the community and the interactions around house buying are just plain ugly, cause harassment, and the worst this community has to offer.. by that metric alone it is a toxic system.

The hidden timer system is such a waste of time and unfairly gated in favor of those who already have ownership of such a "limited" resource.

There are many ways this system could be handled without being such an arbitrary and negative waste of time for almost everyone involved. How can you call a group of around 20 players all wasting dozens of hours for a tiny chance at claiming ownership of a small house plot, only to have someone fly in and relocate to it causing the timer to start all over again in a different location at no gain to the system or player base at all anything but toxic...(moving is not a positive, its just reshuffling of the resources among those who already have it.)

For instance if it is meant to be a lottery why is it not just an actual lottery with a time limit? Allow people to buy a ticket or 5, each for the cost of the plot and make a drawing at a set time or number of tickets sold, then refund the price of anyone who did not win. That would still provide the random chance and not further waste up to 24 hours per "auction".

I get that they tried other things and players broke and abused the system (see toxic) so they resorted to what we currently have but I am sick with shock at how bad this implementation currently is.

If apartments and private rooms allowed FC workshops, outside furniture, and gardening they would be more acceptable, but alas they do not they are just tiny little rooms with low item limits.

[Jojoya]

If you are so convinced it is toxic, why do you want to be part of it?

[DrWho2010]

if there was a lottery system - the ones that lose out would still call it toxic. it's lose/lose.

[LaylaTsarra]

Placard shouldn't be clickable when the house is not available. There should be some other mechanism for alerting those waiting that the house is available. Sitting there continually clicking the placard is uncalled for and needs to be done away with. I know I've done it numerous times and luckily I won once but that was cause there were a few afk and only one person actively working at it. The plot wasn't in a prime location but getting that first house is the key given you can later relocate to a better plot which I did.

[DrWho2010]

people would still sit there and camp and complain. i've yet to see another acceptable solution presented other than reversing everything, wiping everything out. (which is 0.0001% chance of happening).

[LaylaTsarra]

people would still sit there and camp and complain. i've yet to see another acceptable solution presented other than reversing everything, wiping everything out. (which is 0.0001% chance of happening).

Nothing wrong with the camping but clicking for hours is certainly inhumane. An alert that the house is now available (perhaps a countdown clock of say 2 to 5 minutes viewable only at the house location similar to the start of a fate in Firmament) and for those who are awake and waiting they can then at least try and capture the house first.

And if you mean restarting the housing system from scratch by wiping everything out yes that won't happen.

I also think upgradeable apartments to medium and large would help a lot. I don't see them changing the size of the small given many have deco'd their places unless there is an option to buy an different small size which would require a transfer of furnishings to it. When housing first released small houses were one floor only. A basement was added at a later date and I don't remember how long that took after the initial release.

[Missbone]

A lottery system would be better and fairer by far than this. I tried on my server getting a small plot in goblet for the last 4. The plots always showed up when i was checking in the evening and the timer for new house buyers always vanished when normal people sleep or need to get ready for work (for my timezones it was always between 5:00 and 6:30). Of course they where taken when i had the chance to check back. People also love to jump around the placard or popping up big mounts or/and pets to make it harder to target the card for other ppl. This especially happens when their is a group of friends or some guildis that try to support their FC member in the attempt getting a plot. At least that was what i could observe on my server the last days when i was trying to get a plot.

This is exactly what Zylphia is talking about and yes this is a toxic behaviour and bad mindset of those ppl. Be happy if you didn't had to experience this stuff, things shouldnt be like that. And yes if you experience this stuff to often it can make you mad as well, i already catched myself twice where i wished that i could punch one of those annoying morons in the face.