Nope you didn't add enough plots SE...

[EaMett]

This patch was just an alternative to the housing timers. We have an entire city state housing area (Ishargd) of people backed up, and even those go fast. It's obvious this was going to be especially bad since all those players would funnel on a few wards. Especially after they oppenned housing access to personals.
It isn't something you can use to represent what the situation is. A lot of things led to the funneling of players today that wouldn't ordinarily be a thing in the lifecycle of the game.

With that said, I feel for those that were disapointed today. SE will hopefully take note. Good luck on the remaining timers, hopfully those aren't clogged full of people. And there's always next time with ishgard and the potential days they open housing timers again. It'll come soon enough. Housing is something to play over long periods. I ignored housing 99% of my playtime, just had an appartment, only spending time on it at key points (ward releases, enabling of housing timers, new city states, etc. etc). Getting a house was a smooth process for me since I dispersed my efforts over 2 years (but it took 2 years), it might be a worthwhile approach for someone reading this.
Also keep in mind that you can placard camp for an hour at a time. You don't need to do the entire duration. The only difference is that statistically you'll take about 10% more time on average to get a house compared to usual. And on average it takes as many hours to get a house (camping time) as it does to clear an ultimate with a midtier+ group. Obviously it's dreadfully teadious compared and way more subject to variance in "clear time", but keep a healthy pace of an 30mn- hour a day or something while you wait for extra cities/wards/timers. You should get there eventualy.

[Sshado]

This patch was just an alternative to the housing timers. We have an entire city state housing area (Ishargd) of people backed up, and even those go fast. It's obvious this was going to be especially bad since all those players would funnel on a few wards. Especially after they oppenned housing access to personals.
It isn't something you can use to represent what the situation is. A lot of things led to the funneling of players today that wouldn't ordinarily be a thing in the lifecycle of the game.

With that said, I feel for those that were disapointed today. SE will hopefully take note. Good luck on the remaining timers, hopfully those aren't clogged full of people. And there's always next time with ishgard and the potential days they open housing timers again. It'll come soon enough. Housing is something to play over long periods. I ignored housing 99% of my playtime, just had an appartment, only spending time on it at key points (ward releases, enabling of housing timers, new city states, etc. etc). Getting a house was a smooth process for me since I dispersed my efforts over 2 years (but it took 2 years), it might be a worthwhile approach for someone reading this.
Also keep in mind that you can placard camp for an hour at a time. You don't need to do the entire duration. The only difference is that statistically you'll take about 10% more time on average to get a house compared to usual. And on average it takes as many hours to get a house (camping time) as it does to clear an ultimate with a midtier+ group. Obviously it's dreadfully teadious compared and way more subject to variance in "clear time", but keep a healthy pace of an 30mn- hour a day or something while you wait for extra cities/wards/timers. You should get there eventualy.

All of this is very easy to say if you have a house already. The reality is that there are thousands of players out there right now who are sitting up for 12-24 hour stints clicking only to lose out time after time. I have seen people out there who have been there nearly every day for weeks before they finally give up for the sake of their own health. Anyone who spends hours on the ground at the placards knows that this is incredible toxic and the only people who are okay with it are the house owners. Some of them spend every day on this forum belittling people who have struggled under the current system. I see it all the time from the same users.

[EaMett]

All of this is very easy to say if you have a house already. The reality is that there are thousands of players out there right now who are sitting up for 12-24 hour stints clicking only to lose out time after time. I have seen people out there who have been there nearly every day for weeks before they finally give up for the sake of their own health. Anyone who spends hours on the ground at the placards knows that this is incredible toxic and the only people who are okay with it are the house owners. Some of them spend every day on this forum belittling people who have struggled under the current system. I see it all the time from the same users.

Me owning a house doesn't discredit what I'm saying.
My point was that you only get a small benefit from sitting 10+hours at a time. It follows a natural but incorrect assumption that "you need to be there for the entire timer duration to see the plot release". You don't. There's very little difference between someone who camps 15h in a single sitting and someone who does it in 1h increments every day for 15 days. In fact, statistically, the difference is about 10%.

The most successful people I've seen in housing all do the same thing. We're talking people moving between crowded servers and buying/relinquishing/buying again personal plots, up to medium!. In fact they sometimes stop their subscriptions when they aren't playing with complete disregard to losing their house because they're so successful at getting them. They all do the same thing. They only go for small goblets for their first house, no matter if it's a ward/district release or camping etc.. They focus on good opportunity windows. 40 days after timers release, mass server relocations, ward/district releases, that's about the only times they'll do full sittings. The rest of the time they're consistent in camping 30mn-1h windows when they can, focussing on the plots that have been up the longest, and when they feel like it (say there aren't many people /nobody on a plot) will push for longer sittings if they can.
Unlike me, they get in pretty fast.

I think a lot of people see ward/district release as their great break, their time to shine. And end up getting very frustrated. It isn't, it's a 30mn window where your odds of getting a house are higher than usual. 30mn within a bigger house-hunting plan. Followed by a decent camping window from relocations that yields better results than other camping windows during the year.
If you play the long game it can be smooth, you just need to be patient and it might not be for everyone.

[zeopower6]

It looks like because personal housing was a thing, people actually bought and immediately moved from homes to induce timer in the new wards! I didn't need one but it was something that I noticed when looking at the homes. It seems like that sort of toxic behavior is going to make it so personals are not allowed alongside FC in the future.

[BehindTheFlowers]

Yeah.
That was a big mess up. Hardly ever seen such poorly planned release. The first time 3 extra wards where added, they at least had given it some thought. Now it was just a big sad mess.
really big, steamy pile of messy mess.

Someone ought to have a little chat with those that thought it was the right thing to do and perhaps be creative and constructive. Maybe even overhaul the whole system?
I'd pay for that, for sure!
Untill then, one less subscriber from me.

[jamjeeshoul77]

It looks like because personal housing was a thing, people actually bought and immediately moved from homes to induce timer in the new wards! I didn't need one but it was something that I noticed when looking at the homes. It seems like that sort of toxic behavior is going to make it so personals are not allowed alongside FC in the future.

I did this on accident. I didn’t know a timer would happen. I just decided I wanted the house next to me because it had a bit of a better view, no one was around (I was lucky and got in really fast) so I went up and relocated. There’s no notification or anything saying it blocks the previous house from being bought

On behalf of all the noobs like me who did this on accident, I apologize. There really needs be a notification saying it incurs a cooldown

[MsMisato]

Not defending SE, but the housing website specifically stated new wards are free for all for the first purchase, afterwards and in any other wards, homes that are relocated from, relinquished, and demolished and what not will be placed on a timer.

[KalinOrthos]

Not defending SE, but the housing website specifically stated new wards are free for all for the first purchase, afterwards and in any other wards, homes that are relocated from, relinquished, and demolished and what not will be placed on a timer.

This isn't what happened. There are timers on plots in the new wards, because people bought the plots, then abandoned or "relocated" from that new plot, putting a timer on it.

[ItMe]

That's not what happened??
That's exactly what happened.
They literally said "homes that are relocated [...] will be placed on a timer."
Was the home relocated?
Yes.
Then the old plot is put on a timer.

[Iscah]

Not defending SE, but the housing website specifically stated new wards are free for all for the first purchase, afterwards and in any other wards, homes that are relocated from, relinquished, and demolished and what not will be placed on a timer.

The problem is that, despite the information on the website being accurate, people were buying houses in the new wards then relocating from that new house to another house. The plot has then been bought and relinquished and is no longer on its first purchase, so the timer applies.

Basically it's an unfortunate oversight that they may learn from and plan for next time.