The Case for Instanced Housing

[AngelCheese77]

I'd just be happy if I could get a 2 floor apartment with more than 2 damn flowerpots in them.

But yes, instanced housing has been done in tons of games. Making it only for those with gil out the wazoo and making it a rare 'resource' is just dumb. I mean look at the player who has nearly an entire ward of houses. They don't care ... shouldn't have been grandfathered in.

[HadesNight]

. I mean look at the player who has nearly an entire ward of houses. They don't care ... shouldn't have been grandfathered in.

Unpopular opinion: I completely disagree with the ending sentiment here. Players that have been playing the game longer than you (hence grandfathered in), or are playing within the parameters that SE themselves set and defended, don't deserve to be punished. It's not their job to care about all the players in this game. It's a game, and so if the game allows it, then I think it's insane for players to witch hunt them and not have a constructive discourse with SE on house ownership.

SE really needs to spend real money and time to fix their housing solution now that this game is popular.

As recent as December 2019, a player bought 60 plots on Spriggan because "it was a dead world" at the time and then told on themselves to a GM asking if it was against TOS.

When some people bought their multiple homes, one house per player wasn't even a thing and their worlds were dead too. But now for example Aether is packed, it's an issue?? That doesn't make sense to me.

https://twitter.com/SakuyaMikami/sta...69752851730434
https://gyazo.com/adb0c0d2fd7364d01dd96d8f80ce704f

Despite them asking opening about it, and the rules that were put into place in 4.2, the GM confirmed "If the game systems in place are allowing you to keep and/or purchase multiple housing plots on the same account, then that means that you are able to possess those specific properties". I was mindblown when I read this. 60 plots and a GM confirmed it was ok.

So at this stage, yelling at other players because you're jealous of them is getting you nowhere. SE knows what systems they have in place. We need threads like this one that call on the benefits and solutions to fix our housing situation, rather than devolving into petty name calling because you're jealous.

People can right now in the moment buy more than one FC house easily. It's not their responsibility to care about your feelings because you can get an apartment/FC but don't want it.

[AngelCheese77]

Unpopular opinion: I completely disagree with the ending sentiment here. Players that have been playing the game longer than you (hence grandfathered in), or are playing within the parameters that SE themselves set and defended, don't deserve to be punished. It's not their job to care about all the players in this game. It's a game, and so if the game allows it, then I think it's insane for players to witch hunt them and not have a constructive discourse with SE on house ownership.

<snip>

As recent as December 2019, a player bought 60 plots on Spriggan because "it was a dead world" at the time and then told on themselves to a GM asking if it was against TOS.

When some people bought their multiple homes, one house per player wasn't even a thing and their worlds were dead too. But now for example Aether is packed, it's an issue?? That doesn't make sense to me.

https://twitter.com/SakuyaMikami/sta...69752851730434
https://gyazo.com/adb0c0d2fd7364d01dd96d8f80ce704f

Despite them asking opening about it, and the rules that were put into place in 4.2, the GM confirmed "If the game systems in place are allowing you to keep and/or purchase multiple housing plots on the same account, then that means that you are able to possess those specific properties". I was mindblown when I read this. 60 plots and a GM confirmed it was ok.

So at this stage, yelling at other players because you're jealous of them is getting you nowhere. SE knows what systems they have in place. We need threads like this one that call on the benefits and solutions to fix our housing situation, rather than devolving into petty name calling because you're jealous.

People can right now in the moment buy more than one FC house easily. It's not their responsibility to care about your feelings because you can get an apartment/FC but don't want it.

I never said I was jealous. I really don't care about getting a house right now because the way SE did the housing just isn't worth fretting over for me. And it's cool to hear different opinions.

I guess it's the thought of a person having 60 houses (taking your example) and doing absolutely nothing with them (hypothetically as I don't know if the player in your example did). Those houses are just a gil sink for that player, when perhaps someone who would like a house could use it to make .. I dunno .. a place to make a small library with a shrine to their favorite character.

The MMOs I've played had instanced housing, both apartments and mansions (taking my example from EQ2) Everything looked the same on the outside, but focus on the inside was what mattered to us. Heck, people found ways to breakthrough the 'house' and do something neat outside of the area.

[yukiiyuki]

So basically ESO housing.
XIV have unique thing for housing, its called neighbourhood. Killing even more social aspects of the MMO is bad idea.
Also, stop being naive, people keeping their subs for saving the houses, because it makes them special, not very smart idea from business perspective.
How about just give apartments some extend and call it a day.

[HadesNight]

So basically ESO housing.
XIV have unique thing for housing, its called neighbourhood. Killing even more social aspects of the MMO is bad idea.
Also, stop being naive, people keeping their subs for saving the houses, because it makes them special, not very smart idea from business perspective.
How about just give apartments some extend and call it a day.

Scarcity makes things more valuable. It's 100% a fact of life, you might not think it's smart but people literally keep paying their subs just so they don't lose their housing because they are rare.

I do think that they should upgrade Apartments as stated before or just create really lovely instanced homes in general.

[GeminiReed]

.. you might not think it's smart but people literally keep paying their subs just so they don't lose their housing because they are rare.

Feeling obligated to sub because of fear is pretty damaging. Losing one's house to a lapsed sub is a huge disincentive to returning. Even worse you have a limited time to claim any decorations and the demolition refund. Losing that is just a giant middle finger.

[HadesNight]

Feeling obligated to sub because of fear is pretty damaging. Losing one's house to a lapsed sub is a huge disincentive to returning. Even worse you have a limited time to claim any decorations and the demolition refund. Losing that is just a giant middle finger.

I completely agree with you, I think the autodem system is necessary with this style of housing. You HAVE to purge houses because they aren't instanced, but the fact that it keeps people paying is pretty messed up imo. People feel obligated, my point was that it's a fact of life, damaging or not that is something is scarce it feels valuable.

If I lost my housing for any reason I'd stop playing the game really. It's what I spend most of my time working on it.

But it IS keeping people subbed, so from a business perspective it is smart and at the end of the day SE is a business.

[GeminiReed]

But it IS keeping people subbed, so from a business perspective it is smart and at the end of the day SE is a business.

Sacrificing long term profits for short term gains is never good business. Services live and die on retention and vendor lock-in is a fantastic way to encourage your customers to look elsewhere.

[yukiiyuki]

Scarcity makes things more valuable. It's 100% a fact of life, you might not think it's smart but people literally keep paying their subs just so they don't lose their housing because they are rare.

I do think that they should upgrade Apartments as stated before or just create really lovely instanced homes in general.

You literally rephrased what I said.
>not very smart idea from business perspective.
To make housing for everyone, that what I meant.

[HadesNight]

Sacrificing long term profits for short term gains is never good business. Services live and die on retention and vendor lock-in is a fantastic way to encourage your customers to look elsewhere.

That definitely sounds good on paper. Writing it like that, of course you have a point but it's not aligned with reality of this game. The only power FFXIV players have is to vote with their wallets and the few people that actually leave the game (if any) over housing are quickly replaced with new subs. Despite how annoyed people are with housing, or viera and hrotgar being half finished, or not having enough inventory, or omg mogstation and paying for retainers, etc. etc. Players have not traditionally voted with their wallets on any major unified issue. SEs model was created when the game was smaller and they know they have to do something to fix it. Housing was side content. I literally have no clue when it became popular but it really wasn't something people as a whole cared about even 2 years ago.

Plus, I think (not saying you think this specifically) it's foolish for those that believe SE is trying to maliciously keep their subs and money with housing. It's a bad system but I don't think it was created as a way to keep people playing. As noted housing was literally not important 2 years ago to the majority of people and that's from living on original Aether in NA and each server used to have tons of empty plots at min deval. Shirogane really kicked up housing a notch for sure. So this current system was built in a way where since housing wasn't that important, and people could afford to just pick up another small for cheap if they came back, it wasn't that harmful to lose your plot and that allowed others to get it if needed.

This isn't SE sacrificing long term... this is a housing situation that no longer can be sustained because the game got much bigger than they hoped. Additionally, I'd love to see what other MMO is like FFXIV. You can get elements of FFXIV in other games and other games do them better but this story centric casual MMO is something special. People can leave but it's not the same. I tried WoW recently and ESO and Terra and nah...

I'd be super SUPER impressed if people actually left the game over a unified issue. But I don't see it happening.

You literally rephrased what I said.
>not very smart idea from business perspective.
To make housing for everyone, that what I meant.

Np then, it's not written in a way that conveyed that. But in that case I agree with you!