Housing Demolition Sadness

[Seraphor]

There are a whole lot of commenters completely missing the point of OP's post, and it was just to express frustration at the fact that people hiding inside houses all day doesn't feel as "neighborly" as hanging out on the lawn does, but hanging out on the lawn doesn't credit you as "using" the house to keep it from being demo'd. And I can see their point there.

Also, I know people have 'helpfully' pointed it out before, but if you haven't updated your email yet, consider this your reminder to do so. Sorry about your house, there's always next time. :<

That's kinda what happens when you post a blogpost on a forum.

[Lufir]

There are a whole lot of commenters completely missing the point of OP's post, and it was just to express frustration at the fact that people hiding inside houses all day doesn't feel as "neighborly" as hanging out on the lawn does, but hanging out on the lawn doesn't credit you as "using" the house to keep it from being demo'd. And I can see their point there.

Also, I know people have 'helpfully' pointed it out before, but if you haven't updated your email yet, consider this your reminder to do so. Sorry about your house, there's always next time. :<

It takes a couple seconds to enter your house and exit back outside. Oh my god the neighborly aspect is dead!

[Jojoya]

There are a whole lot of commenters completely missing the point of OP's post, and it was just to express frustration at the fact that people hiding inside houses all day doesn't feel as "neighborly" as hanging out on the lawn does, but hanging out on the lawn doesn't credit you as "using" the house to keep it from being demo'd. And I can see their point there.

The "lawn" is always loaded as long as game servers aren't down for maintenance. The house interior isn't because it is instanced.

It's probably easier for the game to register that the specific housing instance was loaded by owner entry so demo timer should be reset than to track that the owner wasn't randomly wandering around a ward but stood on the lawn of a precise ward location that is always there.

Gardening is a niche activity that house owners aren't required to do (and only a small percentage of owners bother with on a regular basis) so it doesn't make sense to use it as the method to reset the demo timer.

As others have pointed out, it only takes a moment to go into a house. Then the owner is free to go back outside and spend the rest of their time AFK on their lawn to get that neighborhood feeling they want.

FC house timers are affected by the members, so more then one person is able to reset it. For personals, only the owner can reset the timer and gets an email; however in game you CAN see the demo timer in the Timers menu if you are a tenant of one (I assume so you can warn the owner).

I don't think the demo timer shows up for a tenant so they can warn the owner. It's there to warn the tenant that the house is about to demo so if they have any personal furnishings in the house they can remove them. Once the house demos, the tenant has no way to get those furnishings back short of being a tenant in another house with the owner of the demo'd house.

[Infindox]

I think they also send emails to parties involved if a house is approaching the end of the demolition timer. When my old FC basically became a ghost town because I was the only one still playing and logging in, I remember getting an email a couple times about the FC house approaching demolition if no one interacted with it by the deadline. I wasn't the FC leader but the leader promoted me to like a sub-leader rank before they stopped logging in regularly.

FC house timers are affected by the members, so more then one person is able to reset it. For personals, only the owner can reset the timer and gets an email; however in game you CAN see the demo timer in the Timers menu if you are a tenant of one (I assume so you can warn the owner).

[Mango2020]

Hi guys. I just got my house demolished, again, and wanted to vent a little frustration about it.

Now Im an active player, and I absolutely use my housing... Or well... I use the communal part of it. I keep the garden decorated and its where I queue to be near my friends who are also in the neighborhood.

I don't really use the inside. I have it all set up, but I guess I don't go inside there often.

Now don't get me wrong I'm fully aware 'if you're not using the inside maybe you shouldn't have it' and I hold no issues with square over demolishing it since players who DO want to use the inside are everywhere.

But I do find the whole system a bit ironic that the point is to make active neighborhoods, but unless your hanging out inside the house you'll lose it.

Oh well. I guess I'll have to be a bit more attentive next time to in game messages about demolition happening soon.

You said you demolish again
how did you loose the first one and how did you not learn from that?

[MsQi]

It's a stupid mechanic, and contrary to the "It's ok to stop for a while" philosophy they claim to have.

[Jojoya]

It's a stupid mechanic, and contrary to the "It's ok to stop for a while" philosophy they claim to have.

But necessary since house plots are in limited supply and they can't seem to get the hardware needed to add wards at a rate that meets demand. Without demolition, wards would be a sea of plots owned mostly by players who have quit the game.

It's another excellent example of why a ward system is bad compared to instanced housing in the long run.

[Illmaeran]

But necessary since house plots are in limited supply and they can't seem to get the hardware needed to add wards at a rate that meets demand. Without demolition, wards would be a sea of plots owned mostly by players who have quit the game.

It's another excellent example of why a ward system is bad compared to instanced housing in the long run.

Agreed. I've lost two houses due to having to take breaks from the game due to medical reasons and am now regretting not sticking with the sub and doing the log in every month thing just to maintain ownership. Aggressive chemotherapy does strange things to one's brain and decision making. I was lucky that in the past my server was relatively low population and I was playing before the random timer thing started so I was able to get a house as soon as I had the Gil and a plot opened up the second time. I'm not bemoaning the fact that I lost them or disagree with the reasoning behind the demolition mechanic. I do agree that the current situation is terrible and needs to be fixed if every one is to be able to get a house. I'll be insanely lucky if I'm ever able to get one again.

[hydralus]

It's a stupid mechanic, and contrary to the "It's ok to stop for a while" philosophy they claim to have.

It is okay to stop for a while. Don't let a fake house in a videogame dictate your life.

[Fellgon]

It is okay to stop for a while. Don't let a fake house in a videogame dictate your life.

I once had house, loosed, bought again, loosed again...then a 3rd loose...then i gave up and bought a apartment.