Allow cancelling personal housing lottery bid - here's why

[LailaTov]

I've been saving up for months to purchase a house in the game. I am a newish player and haven't even finished MSQ. However, private housing as part of gameplay begins relatively early in progression, and the benefits to having an estate, even a small one, are not just cosmetic (though there is nothing wrong with that). I do not own or really want an apartment, but it looks like that may be my only option. I don't want to join a FC right now, a choice I've decided to make which I know limits my gameplay a bit, but one that the Game Developers want to support (as they introduce more ways to solo-play).

I believe that with limited housing plots, a lottery system for private housing is the only fair way. HOWEVER, I FINALLY got the opportunity to enter a lottery when it went live again today, clicking on a plot that only had 1 other participant at the time. A few hours later it has 10 already. By the time the lottery ends, who knows how many it will have? Suddenly that shady plot up in the corner is looking pretty attractive to me with 1 bid on it - I wish I could pull out of the original bid and switch to a plot I have a better chance of getting. I've emptied my gil coffers, have to wait 5 days to see that I've likely lost, and will have to try all over again with no hints beforehand as to the plots I am MORE LIKELY to win the lottery on. So allowing cancellation of a bid seems only fair. It would reduce the pool for the high-demand plot, so its not like I'm gaming the system. I bet there are many solo players out there who would rather have a less-desirable plot than no plot at all - give us that choice is all I ask.

I believe that the ultimate solution is to have more housing. Somehow. Not saying it would be easy from a server standpoint, but I believe that there are minds out there that could figure out the tech challenges.

[Hasrat]

There will be more housing. NA and EU have entire new worlds coming online later this year.

[Brygd]

There will be more housing. NA and EU have entire new worlds coming online later this year.

Which is a drop in the bucket. My server alone could claim every single house on the new NA data center, and we’re not the largest server on Aether.

[SendohJin]

If you allow cancellation with no penalty, what's to stop people from trolling?

I can put a bid on a plot I have no intention of claiming and withdraw on the last day. That just artificially inflates the numbers for a specific plot to scare off people.

If getting the best odds is the most important to you, wait till the last day.

The supply is not high enough for the demand, that's the biggest problem. These minor tweaks just shuffles the frustration around.

[Yodada]

I've been saving up for months to purchase a house in the game. I am a newish player and haven't even finished MSQ. However, private housing as part of gameplay begins relatively early in progression, and the benefits to having an estate, even a small one, are not just cosmetic (though there is nothing wrong with that). I do not own or really want an apartment, but it looks like that may be my only option. I don't want to join a FC right now, a choice I've decided to make which I know limits my gameplay a bit, but one that the Game Developers want to support (as they introduce more ways to solo-play).

I believe that with limited housing plots, a lottery system for private housing is the only fair way. HOWEVER, I FINALLY got the opportunity to enter a lottery when it went live again today, clicking on a plot that only had 1 other participant at the time. A few hours later it has 10 already. By the time the lottery ends, who knows how many it will have? Suddenly that shady plot up in the corner is looking pretty attractive to me with 1 bid on it - I wish I could pull out of the original bid and switch to a plot I have a better chance of getting. I've emptied my gil coffers, have to wait 5 days to see that I've likely lost, and will have to try all over again with no hints beforehand as to the plots I am MORE LIKELY to win the lottery on. So allowing cancellation of a bid seems only fair. It would reduce the pool for the high-demand plot, so its not like I'm gaming the system. I bet there are many solo players out there who would rather have a less-desirable plot than no plot at all - give us that choice is all I ask.

I believe that the ultimate solution is to have more housing. Somehow. Not saying it would be easy from a server standpoint, but I believe that there are minds out there that could figure out the tech challenges.

They could have read the lodestone news to the lottery system before placing their bet. No one is forcing people to bid on the first day.

[OceanWater]

That's why I'm waiting until the last day to increase my chances, I don't care where the house is located. I just want one.

[Shibi]

No, there should not be a bid withdrawal, it allows people to help their friends by placing bids on the same property to make it look very popular so other people skip over it, then all remove their bids at the last minutes leaving just the friend with 1 entry.

No change can be made to this without making the raffle process worthless.

...I bet there are many solo players out there who would rather have a less-desirable plot than no plot at all...

Then don't buy an entry into the raffle in the first seconds of the period, wait until the end.

[ameliaw]

If you don't want to be part of an FC, create a solo FC. Your problem is solved. An easy house will be waiting for you

[Burmecia]

well, the lottery is working as intended. good luck OP, you still have your chance.
...

now, let's see how long it takes for someone to seriously suggest there should be hard cap to how many individuals may participate in single case of lottery
"for ffa raid loot you have 1/8 chance, so houses should be the same!!"

[LailaTov]

I understand - though it is very tribal and not in the spirit of the game to do such a thing - so like @burmecia said, there needs to be a cap on the lottery for each house, and/or MAYBE

Make a general pool for people who just want a house, that doesn't specify the location, but would almost guarantee a house SOMEWHERE (unspecified or very loosely specified so as to decrease trolling by friends) and have people enter THAT lottery and be unable to retract their bids - say...20 bids for 10 properties or something. Its still a choice and would still allow bidding on specific properties in separate lotteries.