Potential Housing Crisis Fix (Includes ability for permanent Housing (Sm, Med, Lrg)

[s32ialx]

snip

The way you're framing this makes it seem like housing scarcity isn’t an issue, but your own actions contradict that. You recognize that plots get taken, often by inactive owners or limited availability, yet instead of acknowledging that the system creates unnecessary limitations, you justify taking advantage of it while arguing that others don’t deserve expanded options.

This isn’t about getting "better" housing for free, this is about offering an alternative to an outdated, restrictive system. Permanent housing exists in nearly every other MMO, and FFXIV is the only major game where housing expires due to inactivity. That isn't about player preference, that's a design flaw.

Your argument boils down to:

• If players truly want housing, they should settle for tiny apartments.
• If they want an actual home, they need to fight over a ward plot, accept demolition timers, and be grateful that they even got one.
• If they don't like these limitations, they should just deal with it.

That isn't a fair system, it's a gatekeeping mentality that prioritizes exclusivity over accessibility. You're defending a system that forces players into an uphill battle for a home while ignoring the fact that instanced housing could provide stability without affecting ward ownership.
And the subscription argument? Square Enix isn’t charging rent for a house, it’s charging for continued access to the game itself. Players remain subscribed for a variety of reasons beyond housing, and having permanent housing won’t suddenly make people quit. If anything, better housing options would improve player retention.

At the end of the day, permanent condos wouldn’t remove ward housing or limit your ability to own a plot they would give more players access to housing without interfering with your experience. If ward housing works for you, great. But acting like everyone else should just accept a restrictive system while you benefit from it isn’t reasonable.

snip

You're misunderstanding the argument entirely. The issue isn’t whether individual players “deserve” a house, it’s that the current system is unnecessarily restrictive and creates artificial scarcity that forces players into an uphill battle for housing.

• The ward system limits availability, forcing players to either compete for rare plots or settle for apartments, which offer minimal customization compared to actual homes.
• No other major MMORPG removes housing due to inactivity. FFXIV is the exception. The idea of permanent condos simply adds an alternative option without removing existing ward housing or forcing plot owners to give anything up.
• Multiowners, those holding private houses and FC houses for themselves actively limit availability further, making it harder for new players and Free Companies to secure homes. While technically within ToS, that doesn’t mean it isn’t contributing to the larger issue of exclusivity and scarcity.

Comparing housing to raid loot makes zero sense. Housing is a persistent feature, not a temporary drop in an instance. The argument isn’t that people shouldn’t bid on plots; it’s that the system itself artificially restricts access, and alternative options like instanced condos would allow more players to participate without impacting ward plots.

At the end of the day, this discussion isn't about entitlement, it's about improving accessibility. Players shouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for housing when viable alternatives exist that would expand the system without taking anything away from current plot owners. If you prefer the exclusivity of the ward system, great, keep your plot. But dismissing reasonable solutions just because they don’t personally benefit you is gatekeeping, whether you admit it or not.

[Solowing]

You keep calling us gatekeepers but you feel entitled to having something better than an apartment. Again, I'm not gatekeeping you from a plot, you can bid for a equal opportunity like the rest of us. Or you can purchase an apt that gives you access to housing.

Irrespective of how you feel about the matter the game does offer you housing without a plot. If I asked you is housing accessible without a plot? You would have to say yes or you'd be lying. Saying "it's not good enough", doesn't equate to housing doesnt exist without a plot..

This game is as player retentive as it gets when it comes to housing.Because you have to come back.It's not a choice if you want to keep your plot. If you leave left for 5 years and came back your apartment will still exist. Is that statement true or not true? Because if it is true then it being the only game that demolishes your player housing is not entirely true. That only applies if you have a ward plot.

Again?I suggested that upgrades should hit the plot's first.Then trickle down to apartments. But when I suggested that the small plot size should trickle down once ward plots get multiple layout to choose from. Suddenly you didn't care about having having a small plot layout in your apt because plots got multiple layout choices. Even though you're asking for plot sized Apts now. You're standard simply shifted along with the increase.

If someone would like to sue SE for falsely advertising housing, it wouldn't go well because Square technically does offer you player housing without a plot

Also anything that you can do in an apartment. Your issue isn't exclusive to apartments.Because that issue also scales with smalls to mediums and medium to large. You cannot build a medium size place in a small.You don't have the size for it. You cannot build a large in a medium, and you can't build for a town when your limited to a mansion.

At 1 point I did run the FC.I realized it wasn't for me. So I let it die, So it's just me now. Why should I give up a house?I still actively use? So you can hand over ownership to another shell.F, c, that's just gonna be abandoned, so you can complain that there's no housing available when actively passed on?

I have 2 plots and 5 apartments styled rooms. If I want housing I can easily access it. But housing is not what you want. I know what you want. And you can bid or buy an apartment like the rest of us. I'm not gatekeeping you.You have a fair opportunity like the rest of us. You just feel entitled to more than what you're given

Reworking the system isn't going to change much. The players you see in the housing wards are there by choice, and more players rather spend time in the hubs then in their own plots. I actually spend the majority of my time in my housing ward. Players come.They enjoy the housing.They decorated, but eventually most move on. They've decorated to their hearts content, once they've decorated, their housing journey is done, they move on. But they stick around to maintain it because there is sunken cost. That's why you hear about "dead wards" that never seem alive but also the issue of "plot shortages"
These are players who may have or may not decored their plots, and they login but no longer visit the housing ward because they view that "content" as done by merit of just achieving a plot, or decoring it and being happy with the results and moving on to other content. They check-in but don't stick around for the most part. I'm sure Apts have that same issue but even more noticeable due to their non demolishable nature means players will likely forget about then entirely.

But I do like the ward system. I think it's actually pretty dope that you have a semi permanent place ingame that holds "physical" space. That you are *literally* apart of the games world *as long as you utilize the house on some level* and indirectly keep subscribed to the game. That I can just tell somebody where my plot is and they can just go visit it, accidently or otherwise. And leave comments on them. I'm impressed by the neighbood lived in feeling the wards could have. But it required the community to make it work. But when the community rather hang out in limsa rather then a isolated instance that had no content. Well..what payoff is reworking the ward system going to do when players are still going to congregate in the main city hubs? And still the housing units are.going to be mostly empty because most players don't want to sit in a isolated instance.

I apologize if I come off as aggressive. I get what you're trying to do. You want everyone to have housing and that is noble.

But I also see Square has a hot commedity players are clamoring for and that unitonically kinda good, because theirs a demand that gives *plots* a mythical status. Players WANT them, they arnt restricted from housing. But they know you want a plot. And the limited supply gives plot even more allure. Humans put value on rare things, the rarer and harder to get it is the more value we place on it.It created a unintended emergent behavioral pattern I honestly didn't fathom happening myself. People sitting there clicking a button for 16 hours a day for the CHANCE at a plot.

Is like unironically striking Gold on a psychological level. The status around plots now are the lure, and the hook will be your own grown attachment to it once you win a plot.

You won't always catch the lure, but you can always try and grab it, but once it hooks you, your attachment will keep you held fast to it until you yourself let's go.

[s32ialx]

The issue isn't entitlement, it's accessibility. No one is saying players are "owed" a house just for paying a sub, but the idea that the existing housing system is fine because "apartments exist" ignores the fact that apartments are an extremely limited alternative compared to ward plots.

• Yes, apartments technically exist, but they lack meaningful customization, size variations, and personal identity compared to homes. Saying “you have housing” when the option is a single tiny room dismisses the valid concerns of players who want more but can’t participate in the ward system due to artificial scarcity.
• Ward housing shouldn’t be the only viable option for meaningful customization, especially when the game actively removes plots due to inactivity. No other major MMO does this.
• Justifying housing limitations by saying “plots have mythical status” isn’t a good thing, it’s an example of poor design that forces competition where it isn’t necessary. Players aren’t fighting over homes because they love the system, they’re fighting because it’s the only available path to real customization.

Instanced condos wouldn’t replace the ward system or take anything from current homeowners, it would simply offer an alternative. If you like your ward plot, great, keep it. But arguing that condos shouldn’t exist because ward housing needs to be exclusive and rare is exactly the problem being discussed.

Also, I’ve personally experienced the flaws in the current apartment system. I took a break from 2019-2023 for private personal reasons and lost my apartment, despite the claim that apartments aren’t supposed to expire. I even made a support ticket, but it went unresolved for months, forcing me to buy a new apartment instead. I have recorded livestreams proving I had an apartment before my break. So the idea that "apartments always exist and don’t get removed" isn’t entirely true, I lost mine, and nothing was done to restore it.

And your final point, that scarcity makes plots feel valuable, is exactly why housing needs structural change. Players shouldn’t have to treat housing like an ultra-rare loot drop. It should be an experience more people can participate in without feeling locked out.
Square Enix has a chance to expand housing while keeping ward plots intact. That isn't taking anything away from existing homeowners, it's simply making the experience more accessible for everyone else.

[Solowing]

For the extremely limited comment I would like for you to elaborate on that. Could you list me something that plots can do that are exclusive to them that apartments can't? Such as here's a freebie. You can't share your apt.

Now what else can you do and a plot that you can't do with an apartment?

Housing is available to all, you want a plot, and the game never made anyone a promise to a plot.

Am I gatekeeping you because I don't feel you're entitled to a plot?

I don't mind improvements to the housing. But I am not a fan of a total rework when there is no payoff. Again, you'll feel better but subs arnt going to move because of it. ESPECIALLY since you suggestion is to allow yourselves to sidestep a mechanism that keeps any serious housing buff active and logging in. So they can freely unsubscribe.

I will voice an opinion i've seen on reddit. Plots are for active players. If you don't want to be an active player stick to the Apts.

I am also a fan of trickling down the systems so they don't infringe on each other. Which you don't seem to mind the interruption of having non demolishable apt that exceed smalls with non of the drawback, with players having to maintain a subscription to keep their inferior plot. Again, I wouldn't be happy to see that.You have something better than mine that i'm paying to maintain while you decide to go on a 3 year hiatus and your apt plot thing will still be here when you get back, while I have 45 days or I lose it Iol.

Again housing is something that players can participate in. Because you feel it's too small doesn't mean that it's not available.

When you're trying to make your point and you have to explain with asterisks that permanent housing does exist and technically there is housing. Even if you don't have a plot.

I'm for housing improvements, but I don't think the system needs to be reworked. Am I wrong for saying?What I'm saying.Are the players going to prove me wrong that they're suddenly going to start using the housing aspect of the game a lot more? Even though up to this point the housing districts can be kind of barren because players are done decorating them? And given apartments suffered the same issue. What would change that would suddenly get people interested in housing when most leave their plot in a ghost town status once they finish decorating?

[s32ialx]

snip

The issue isn't entitlement, it's accessibility. No one is saying players are "owed" a house just for paying a sub, but the idea that the existing housing system is fine because "apartments exist" ignores the fact that apartments are an extremely limited alternative compared to ward plots.

Exclusive Features of Plots vs. Apartments
You asked what plots offer that apartments don’t. Here’s a list

• Outdoor space & landscaping – gardens, yards, outdoor furniture, fencing, exterior decor
• Workshops – FC plots allow airship/submarine crafting, which apartments do not
• Basements & multiple floors – plots have multiple levels, while apartments are just bachelor-style single rooms
• Shared spaces – plots allow Free Company members to live together, apartments do not
• Exterior customization – facades, roofing, signage—all non-existent in apartments
• Increased furnishing slots – apartments have far fewer furnishing slots than houses
• Wall customization restrictions – with the introduction of the Minimalist Interior, apartments can not freely change interior walls the way houses can

These are real, exclusive advantages that plots have over apartments. Suggesting that "apartments are housing too" ignores how incredibly limited they are in comparison.

Addressing the Subscription & Activity Argument

The claim that “plots are for active players” completely disregards real-world circumstances. FFXIV is the only major MMO where player housing expires. If someone takes a break due to life obligations, they shouldn't have to permanently lose their investment. Many other games allow housing to persist, which doesn't stop players from returning later.

And as for “encouraging subscriptions”, that argument assumes that housing is the sole reason people stay subscribed. Players engage with FFXIV for a variety of reasons, raiding, crafting, roleplaying, socializing. If permanent condos allow more players to enjoy housing without worrying about the expiration system, it would likely increase overall retention rather than decrease it.


Condo System: Not a Rework, Just an Enhancement

This proposal isn’t about completely reworking the housing system, it’s simply an enhancement.

• Condos would be a renamed and improved version of apartments, specific to Solution 9.
• Apartments in Solution 9 would be given multiroom/floor capabilities to provide meaningful customization without infringing on ward housing uniqueness.
• Players who already own plots could still purchase a Solution 9 condo as a gil sink feature, just like they can own an apartment on top of their plot now.
• This adjustment doesn’t take anything away from ward housing it simply allows players a permanent indoor space to display quest rewards, furnishings, and collectibles.
• Advanced apartment design severely limits storage, making it difficult to display various statues and indoor décor earned over years of progression. Condos would solve this issue without disrupting the existing housing structure.

My Personal Experience With Housing Loss

You mentioned that apartments never expire, but that isn’t entirely true. I took a break from 2019-2023, and I lost my apartment despite claims that apartments don’t expire. I submitted a support ticket, but it went unresolved for months, forcing me to buy a new apartment instead. I have recorded livestream footage proving I had an apartment before my break. This proves that even the current "permanent" housing system isn't always reliable, further reinforcing why a more stable instanced system should be considered.

At the end of the day, this discussion isn’t about replacing wards, it’s about providing meaningful alternatives. If ward housing works for you, great! But dismissing reasonable solutions because they don’t personally benefit you is gatekeeping, whether you acknowledge it or not. Square Enix can expand housing while keeping ward plots intact. That isn’t taking anything away, it’s just making the experience better for everyone.

Actually I will add to the end of this, Having spent 20-50 Million just on a plot + the 20-30+ Million furnishing it and being forced due to life to take a break from the game and stop subscribing only to come back when you are able to to find it all gone, no refund, the NPC's that hold on to the items don't have them because there is also an artificial limitation on how long they will 'store' your fake digital 1's and 0's for, this system is toxic.

[s32ialx]

I have been lucky in the past and I have a house, a really nice one that I run a Bar out of, however, even though they said they would bring a way for alts to share houses years ago they have not done that. A Private house is unable to benefit from workshop activities, that is limited to FC only and I have been unlucky when it comes to the limited supply and gamble that is the lottery system.

Having a location in Sol 9 because it's a massive metropolis would allow me to have an FC house that I can have access to the workshop, because as it stands only the lucky few who get FC housing are allowed to basically print money in the grand scheme of Submarines.



If I was able to get an FC house I would surrender my Private estate for someone else to have the ability to have their own place. Unless of course I could have my second place be a permanent FC house in Sol 9 than I would keep my plot as my private residence until such time that life takes me away from the game again.

[Kira008]

Most players make a FC for the workshops. On Materia there is no FC plots. One player has 10 FC plots on Sophia on Foundation. They are making Subs and selling them. There is even a discord where players are selling their FC or renting them out so they dont get demolished.
There is plenty of private Plots on Materia maybe they should change some into FC plots.

[Khryseis_Astra]

The issue isn't entitlement, it's accessibility. No one is saying players are "owed" a house just for paying a sub, but the idea that the existing housing system is fine because "apartments exist" ignores the fact that apartments are an extremely limited alternative compared to ward plots.

Actually I will say it: everyone paying a sub does deserve equal access to all forms of housing, so one personal plot and/or FC plot, one apartment and/or FC room, and the Island, and anything else housing based they may create in the future. Otherwise some people’s sub gets them more for their money than others. Which is a bad business model when competitors are doing instanced (and damn near unlimited) housing that doesn’t even require a sub to access it.

It’s an in-game feature, and everyone should get to fully partake in it. Instead it’s purely RNG whether anyone can get a plot. It’s not some sort of prestige prize either, to cut off those that always argue with me, somehow insisting that everyone getting a plot means they should just start giving away ultimate weapons next. *eyeroll* The equivalent would be a lottery to determine whether you could even enter the fight, in other words: accessing the content.

You’ve laid out a good idea here, and I agree with you: apartments are just one housing option, and they are the most limited, along with the Island. I’ve wanted apartments to get a refresh along with their own small, medium and large versions for awhile now. With that kind of option in place there are some that might actually prefer it to a plot in a ward subject to auto-demo (again a player instigated policy).

“But that’s not fair to plot owners who have to worry about auto-demo!” I mean, one it’s not “fair” that only certain people get a plot in a game we all pay for anyway. But two, different forms of housing have different criteria. An apartment is an instance that only loads up when in use, so auto-demo is unnecessary, because there’s nothing stopping anyone else from getting the exact same thing. A ward plot is permanently loaded in the ward, and when all those wards are full, there’s nothing left for anyone else. You can argue that the system was designed that way on purpose, but it was players who insisted on the auto-demo. And for ward housing it actually makes sense, because if someone quits the game without self-demolishing, should that space be taken up for 10 years keeping someone else from using it?

[MakoEyes]

Don't let any of this distract you from the gum-flapping three that believe everyone and everything else, is wrong.

[MakoEyes]

Ironic it's the ones who have either a)grandfathered themselves into multiple plots -or- b)people who have devoted their entire days getting their (multiple) houses, and now have a serious case of God Complex.


/rolleyes