The Real Problem with Housing

[Big_Bap]

It's simply this:
This is essentially criminal
This is criminal.

LMFAO.......

[Masenko]

Well it is.
We're being charged money monthly and don't have access to a basic game function that is gated. There's an argument to be made here (likely poorly) that this is fraud of some sort.

And yeah, I'm bitter.

[Big_Bap]

Go ahead, make a chargeback if you think you are being scammed.

Enjoy your account termination.

[Masenko]

Thanks for your constructive criticism. Attitudes like that really make the world a better place as we are all able to correctly identify what (or in some pertinent cases who) the problem is and either deal with them, ignore them, or write a thinly-veiled response about their mother and/or small anatomy. Not that any of that is happening here, certainly.
That would be rude.
Much like how horribly rude the housing system is. Did you know that some people have been trying to get houses since release and have just had no luck? Try simple human empathy; it's pretty neat.

[Jojoya]

Did you know that some people have been trying to get houses since release and have just had no luck?

Did you know that they are lying when they say that?

Even Balmung had a brief period in 4.2 when houses were available for the taking. If they'd genuinely been trying to get a house all that time, they would have gotten one.

Certainly anyone new to the game in the last 3 years would be facing an uphill battle in getting a house but that is not true of long time players who have had plenty of opportunities but didn't take advantage of them.

[Masenko]

I guarantee you there are some people who aren't lying.
You're not taking into consideration that some people's efforts included trying to get the gil to buy the house in the first place.
Also "brief period" I think doesn't really bolster your point. Looking for a house shouldn't have to be a 24/7/365/11 job.

[Sythex]

Also "brief period" I think doesn't really bolster your point. Looking for a house shouldn't have to be a 24/7/365/11 job.

I want to emphasize this point by adding that many people, myself included, have wanted a private house for a years, but then we have this influx of players from WoW that floods out servers populations and haven't experienced the private housing crisis, and they have an equal chance to someone who has dreamed about having their own place for ages. I've spoken with someone who has only played for 9 months but they still won a house. I get that SE wants to make things fair for everyone, but how is it fair to give housing based on luck if it means people will have their dream house swiped up from under their noses by someone who might never have felt the sting of the housing crisis?

[KikiTia]

Did you know that they are lying when they say that?

Even Balmung had a brief period in 4.2 when houses were available for the taking. If they'd genuinely been trying to get a house all that time, they would have gotten one.

Certainly anyone new to the game in the last 3 years would be facing an uphill battle in getting a house but that is not true of long time players who have had plenty of opportunities but didn't take advantage of them.

Uh huh, yeah just so you know last time they added wards to the game my FC tried to get a house. We logged in within 10 mins of the patch being done and every single large in the server was taken. All fucking 60 of them. We had the money, we were there fast, we just didn't get it because of internet ping. Fucking *lag* lost us our chance at a house. I assure you those people are not lying lmao.

[TwistedTea]

Uh huh, yeah just so you know last time they added wards to the game my FC tried to get a house. We logged in within 10 mins of the patch being done and every single large in the server was taken. All fucking 60 of them. We had the money, we were there fast, we just didn't get it because of internet ping. Fucking *lag* lost us our chance at a house. I assure you those people are not lying lmao.

Even without taking bots and 3rd party tools, mediums and large houses are in high demand across all NA servers.

There are people/FCs who only wanted mediums/larges even while there were hundreds of smalls vacant in older housing additions.

The fundamental question, we should be asking, is why does SE persist with artificial scarcity through the limited ward housing system?

Access to the ward housing system has been a failure for nearly 10 years now.

If XIV had a fully instanced housing system like other major MMOs, maybe everyone could have a medium/large.

[Jojoya]

Uh huh, yeah just so you know last time they added wards to the game my FC tried to get a house. We logged in within 10 mins of the patch being done and every single large in the server was taken. All fucking 60 of them. We had the money, we were there fast, we just didn't get it because of internet ping. Fucking *lag* lost us our chance at a house. I assure you those people are not lying lmao.

Go back and read what I said. Those trying in the past 3 years definitely would be having difficulties. I stated that.

The person I was replying to had claiming there are players who have been trying to get housing from when it was released and have failed. That is BS. If they didn't manage to get a house in all that time, then they were not trying all along.

There have been multiple occasions were houses were available to get, 4.2 being the best one when houses were available for several weeks on all worlds and for several months on most worlds. Another good time was when wards were increased from 8 to 12 back in 2016. The wards did fill up faster on that occasion but there had still be plenty of time for players who were actually trying to get a house then. It's only been a constant struggle in the past 3 years since the player population exploded.

The manipulative lies about how it's been near impossible to get a house ever since housing was released needs to stop. It is simply not true. No one genuinely trying for all of that time would have failed to get a house.

That's not to say that I think they don't deserve a house now. Every player should be able to get at least one house for their account if they want a house. I dislike very much that SE continues to use a system that not only prevents that but intentionally leaves loopholes in the system that allow players to obtain multiple houses, cutting even more players out of the system.

But people need to stop the manipulative lies when the history of housing shows those lies for what they are.

Also SE: Makes an instanced island space that is FARMVILLE with minions and the ability to place furniture like housing.....
So yes they just proved to us they can do instanced housing just by having the feature to place furniture on island sanctuary AND keeps it separate and individual to each player.

How are you going to react when you can't place furniture in Island Sanctuary like you can in housing?

People keep taking that quote out of context because they're so desperate for Island Sanctuary to be a housing solution. They're going to be so very disappointed once it's finally released even though YoshiP has stressed that we need to lower expectations.

To be fair, the rooms are not really tiny, just the systems they have for decoration were never sophisticated enough to enable the full use of the space. It was built with the idea of throwing down useful items in a fairly standardized area rather than someone trying to divide it into two floors or add a loft that also has items on it. It probably wouldn't hurt if they improved that aspect since it would make things a lot nicer for the apartments and FC rooms. Not that it does much to resolve the housing issues but still.

That depends on what you're used to from other games with player housing. My first real experience with MMO housing was RIFT Dimensions. Their introductory housing that every player gets free for completing a quest is the size of a mansion plot in this game (though the starting item limit was only 50 items). That was also a tiny housing instance by that game's standards. They've got some housing instances that rival New Gridania in size.

Improving apartments would actually help the house situation considerably. Bigger interiors with no demolition risk would be a big draw for many. That would free up more ward plots for those who prefer the ward set up or want access to intercross gardening.

Or better yet, create a full instanced housing system that includes exterior features. Nothing says it must replace wards. Wards can be left in place as a prestige system with risk of demolition.