FC owning 12 plots

[Kniteroad]

Housing =/= rewards

All shell FCs should have their housing stripped full stop, and anyone saying otherwise is advocating for this malevolent display of greed is only advocating for this entire horrendous housing situation to continue.


Again, housing =/= reward. Drop it with the FUD already... it shows your argument holds zero water because if that's all you've got to lean on, its naught more than an acknowledgement that the position is wholly immoral and an admission that it's an exploitation of the rule set.

I feel like your arguing semantics. But SE isn't going to take anything away from a player unless they broke the rules (TOS). For better or worse that isn't the case and most likely won't happen. If they change the rules again anyone with multiple properties will get grandfathered in again.

[Almagnus1]

I feel like your arguing semantics. But SE isn't going to take anything away from a player unless they broke the rules (TOS). For better or worse that isn't the case and most likely won't happen. If they change the rules again anyone with multiple properties will get grandfathered in again.

If an exploit has occurred, and at some point in the future the rules change to prevent the exploit, then the gains from the exploit should also be removed. Otherwise all SE'd be doing is promote an "exploit early and exploit often" mindset in the playerbase.

[worldofneil]

If an exploit has occurred, and at some point in the future the rules change to prevent the exploit, then the gains from the exploit should also be removed. Otherwise all SE'd be doing is promote an "exploit early and exploit often" mindset in the playerbase.

I looked up the definition of "exploit" and the most applicable definition was:

A program or system designed to take advantage of a particular error or security vulnerability in computers or networks.

Except that's not correct in this case. Square Enix still allows any standard account to buy 8 FC houses on the same world by using 8 different characters. You can do this right now and no tricks are needed. You just need to meet the usual requirement of the FC being rank 6 or higher and have 4 people in the FC at the time of purchase.

Except for a single week at the end of January 2018*, FC housing has always been unrestricted. Because SE haven't changed the purchase of FC houses for well over 3 years, it implies it's working as intended for them.

Interestingly they recently updated the housing website although I'm not really sure what they're trying to say, but to me it suggests they are acknowledging the housing website no longer reflects the in-game rules (which we've known for 3+ years!)

Temporary Changes to Purchasing Land

* Adjustments have been made to this section of the purchasing guide. Please note, however, there have been no changes to the in-game housing system. (20/8/2021)

* Patch 4.2 added the restriction to allow only 1 personal and 1 FC house per service account, per world, but the FC restriction was removed only a week later.

[Almagnus1]

A program or system designed to take advantage of a particular error or security vulnerability in computers or networks.

You and I both know that an exploit (in gaming terms) means getting a gain (or advantage) through utilizing a system in an unexpected (and often unintended) manner that is later fixed to prevent the acquisition of that gain. More often than not, this gets patched within a month of finding (at least it should), sometimes it takes years.

Interestingly they recently updated the housing website although I'm not really sure what they're trying to say, but to me it suggests they are acknowledging the housing website no longer reflects the in-game rules (which we've known for 3+ years!)

What I find interesting is this line:

You may only purchase and maintain one private plot and one free company plot per World per service account.

That is also how I have understood SE's intent with housing. That's also about the fairest way to run it IMO.

[worldofneil]

You and I both know that an exploit (in gaming terms) means getting a gain (or advantage) through utilizing a system in an unexpected (and often unintended) manner that is later fixed to prevent the acquisition of that gain. More often than not, this gets patched within a month of finding (at least it should), sometimes it takes years.

Please tell me one time that SE has taken years to fix an exploit? Things like people being able to friend their alts (happened twice now) or the whole Ungarmax thing were fixed in days (admittedly Ungarmax was reported months before, but wasn't actually fixed until it became widely know, but that was still months, not years).

The only time I can recall SE intentionally taking a while to fix something not working as intended was Blue Mage and when people were solo levelling it by quickly changing job to get the exp on Blue Mage. They even specifically addressed this and said how they wouldn't be able to fix it within a reason timeframe and therefore wouldn't be taking action against anyone using that method, even though they were prefer they didn't. This was also fixed within months (4.5 to 5.0), not years.

But FC housing? It was listed under temporary changes and it was a temporary change. They've never mentioned it since January 2018 and it's been over *3* years.

What I find interesting is this line:

You may only purchase and maintain one private plot and one free company plot per World per service account.

Yes, on a webpage that isn't even on the main page of the Lodestone (you have to click Play Guide first, where as the main page has lots of links to other mini sites).

It's also on a webpage that isn't even referenced in the game, where you actually buy the house.

If SE wanted you to enforce 1 FC house per service account, per world, they would. At the very least they'd point you to the housing guide page or actually say something in-game about how it's only intended for you to have one FC house... but they don't.

So you can rage at this FC who owns 12 plots or whatever, but for all you know they haven't even seen that webpage or even been made aware that at one (very brief) time, there was a limitation. They went the buy the house, the game let them.

I know you want to believe the site because it says what you want it to say, but clearly it's out of date and this is all working as intended.

Maybe housing on this game will always be a problem, but you cannot go after the players that earned something fairly using the rules of the game (which are still the rules of the game...)

That's a false equivalency since there are infinite titles and finite properties.

That's not true I'm afraid.

Saint of the Firmament was limited to the top 12 on each crafter/gathering profession (per server) and Beatus of the Firmament was the top 100. You only had 3 (or 4?) tries to get this and now it's gone for good.

[TwistedTea]

If SE wanted you to enforce 1 FC house per service account, per world, they would. At the very least they'd point you to the housing guide page or actually say something in-game about how it's only intended for you to have one FC house... but they don't.

So you can rage at this FC who owns 12 plots or whatever, but for all you know they haven't even seen that webpage or even been made aware that at one (very brief) time, there was a limitation. They went the buy the house, the game let them.

To be very clear, the owner of those houses on Coeurl, did not placard camp for those houses. So they did not deprive other players from the opportunity of camping the placard and buying from the system.

They purchased FC houses and relocations from players who willingly exchanged their houses for gil.

[Besame]

To be very clear, the owner of those houses on Coeurl, did not placard camp for those houses. So they did not deprive other players from the opportunity of camping the placard and buying from the system.

They purchased FC houses and relocations from players who willingly exchanged their houses for gil.

Actually, the original 5 cluster of empty small plots where I purchased my first house was bought by the same person plot by plot, all at the same time for as he said, "I like to deco". I stayed in that small house maybe a year and never saw deco items on any of those plots, simply a shell house, locked up and the aetheryte.

[Almagnus1]

Please tell me one time that SE has taken years to fix an exploit?

Do game exploits only occur in FFXIV?

But FC housing? It was listed under temporary changes and it was a temporary change. They've never mentioned it since January 2018 and it's been over *3* years.

I think that's a large part of this issue... SE is not actively putting in the dev time into housing and it's a system that has generated a lot of frustration. Thinks are starting to change, so we're basically in a holding pattern until we get more information from SE, as I'm assuming more of the same until stated otherwise.

If SE wanted you to enforce 1 FC house per service account, per world, they would. At the very least they'd point you to the housing guide page or actually say something in-game about how it's only intended for you to have one FC house... but they don't.

I wonder if part of this is because of cultural differences, where the policy is distinctly Japanese and other players need to have the punishment in place and Yoshi-P doesn't want to be forced into that.

Maybe housing on this game will always be a problem, but you cannot go after the players that earned something fairly using the rules of the game (which are still the rules of the game...)

This has been a system that has seen dramatic change in demand and while supply has increased, it hasn't as much. A large part of the issue here is that around a 20% of all FCs with houses worldwide have less than three members in them, and that's a pretty big minority of the houses.

That's not true I'm afraid.

Saint of the Firmament was limited to the top 12 on each crafter/gathering profession (per server) and Beatus of the Firmament was the top 100. You only had 3 (or 4?) tries to get this and now it's gone for good.

Actually it is but for different reasons. You're still comparing a time limited thing (that will likely never be allowed back in FFXIV) to something that isn't bound by time. While definitely not recommended (nor advised) but if you go all EVE Online to the home owner, you'll be able to get that house a lot faster than waiting them out.