<MATERIA> First-Come First-Served AND Lottery Plots

[KidHeracles]

I'm really happy that all plots will be lottery (see: "At the release of Patch 6.1, all land available for purchase will be subject to the lottery system.") Here's how it would've looked like if some wards were FCFS at 6.1 launch:

• Selecting your preferred housing plot either through housing maps and YouTube housing area tours, or an alt on another DC.
• Practicing your rush to your housing plot: make sure it take seconds to choose a ward.
• Logging out at the entrance of your preferred housing area
• Repeatedly closing and opening the client to log in the moment the maintenance period ends
• Hoping to be first in queue
• Logging in, loading the housing ward selection screen
• Rushing through the ward lists to find one that's FCFS
• Madly clicking on the ward to enter
• Dashing to your preferred plot
• Madly clicking on the placard to get it before someone else

That is not a positive player experience.


There are more plots going up for sale than active players: 7200 plots total per server across the 5 housing areas.

There hasn't been any word yet, but I think given how Light was FC-only sales first, there's a good chance that the first lottery will also all be FC-only. As FCs must be at least 30 days old to own a house (see condition: "You must have been a member of your free company for 30 days or longer."), we know today how many FCs are possibly eligible for the lottery: if 6.1 drops on 13th April, that's 932 FCs on Ravana who could be eligible by the time the lottery closes on 18th April.

If you've got an FC, you can put in multiple contested bids for the housing plots that you want, and have a backup option on an uncontested plot. If an FC wins multiple plots, then you can choose which plot you want.

As for personal housing:

• If you don't want competing bids and don't care which plot you get, I recommend a mid-range Small plot in a Goblet sub-ward, like Plot 58. Wait until 30 minutes before the entry period ends and find a plot with 0 entries, there are guaranteed to be some somewhere, 7200 plots are going up for sale.
• If you want everyone to know you've got the best party house, go for Mist Ward 1 Plot 5 and take a chance on the beach house of your dreams.

[DeNada]

I don't think there will be a lock on personal houses given how few FCs which are eligible to purchase a house in Oceania currently.

Speaking of which, I don't really understand what's the big deal about full lottery in Materia. We are in a unique position where supply is greater than demand and as long as you pick wisely and don't go for a dream plot such as LB 11/41, Mist 5/35, Shirogane/Empyreum 30/60 etc. there will be very few or even zero competing bids. And if you are indeed going for a dream plot, having a lottery makes it fair for those who are going for them instead of only a selected few who can jump into the servers instantly at 6.1 launch.

[LunaFancy]

The issue is that many of us left houses under the impression we could replace them via FCFS when housing launched. Now, instead of having the chance to get the same plot back through having 24 options of that same plot across the wards, we are locked in to ONE chance to get back what we gave up to support the development of the data centre.

Most of us would not have left our houses on the old worlds had it been made clear that this system was going to be in place across all the wards.

[LaylaTsarra]

There's still hope. I'm sure Square Enix just forgot to mention the exception for Materia because we're so small and insignificant.

Sadly they've made it clear that the lotto will apply to all regional housing areas.

In addition, changes to purchasing methods, such as the lottery system, will be implemented across all residential districts

[Meowsalotte]

Aaaand the ultimate punch in the gut. They CONFIRMED we will have to pick between our FC or our private!!

WHY DO YOU MAKE THESE DECISIONS THAT ONLY AFFECT OCE NEGATIVELY? Literally WHY?
NO OTHER DATA CENTER is gonna have this be a big problem because they all have their houses.
None.
Except Materia.
So why do you do this? Why??????

I have to pick between a house for me or a house for my FC but literally why? Who even stands to gain from a stupid rule like this????
Why even add a rule like this? It literally does nothing except screw the OCE players!!!!

[Shibi]

It's clear we're at the bottom of their priorities.

Meanwhile they are fawning over the JP FCs who are inconvenienced by swapping servers now ahead of time.

[KidHeracles]

Aaaand the ultimate punch in the gut. They CONFIRMED we will have to pick between our FC or our private!!
<snip angriness>
I have to pick between a house for me or a house for my FC but literally why? Who even stands to gain from a stupid rule like this????
Why even add a rule like this? It literally does nothing except screw the OCE players!!!!

This is why I'm convinced that the first lottery will be FC only. There's no need to pick between FC and personal housing then.

OCE players are better off with 6.1 launch being FC-only lottery. With so much supply, every FC will be able to afford a house in a housing area that best matches the culture of an FC. It's better that the premium plots are FC-run, it helps bring community to the housing areas and gives a reason for undesirable plots near the FC house to be picked up as personal houses by FC members in subsequent lotteries.

No reason for the second lottery to be FC-only, but I bet they only make sub-divisions be personal lottery because they are slower to sell.


I wonder whether many of the people here have ever tried to buy tickets for a popular concert, or buy a popular good, at release. It's horrible. Lotteries aren't fair either but with limited supply it's unfair in a different, more socially cohesive way than FCFS. There's room for both but let's give lottery a go first for a month or so.