The new unveiling of the Japan-themed Shirogane housing district in Final Fantasy XIV didn't go so swimmingly -- I should know, I was there!
Right at reset at the wee hours of the morning (US), folks were waiting in the queue to jump into the game and grab their new house. Except...most of them were foiled, as all of the wards sold out in minutes. Even with the relocation program in place (where people could easily move from their existing plots in the other three areas to Shirogane), the plots were simply taken instantaneously in some cases, and God forbid you had work that day.
As a result, the game's producer Naoki Yoshida has responded on the official forum for XIV, explaining that they will add more wards after hearing fan feedback. Yoshida agrees that added stress on the servers was a factor that impacted some logins, leading to long queues where players literally couldn't even claim their desired plot (that, or the reclocation feature didn't work) -- and they're adding more wards to all four zones "by patch 4.2." It's good news! Final Fantasy XIV's housing situation is a hotly debated topic among players and observers alike, but they're trying to make the situation they have now right.
As for my take, I actually like the limited situation. It took me two years to find a small house in Mist, but I adore my seaside cottage and the idea of static neighborhoods. I live near some real life friends of mine and have seen people come and go -- it's a unique feeling, and something that would be lost with instanced housing (which exists right now with apartments and tenant abilities for existing houses). A few recent stories I've read capture my thoughts perfectly.
In regard to housing in patch 4.1 [The Lodestone]
via destructoid http://ift.tt/2ymmjIP