With player housing on the horizon forWorld of Warcraft, fans are getting understandably antsy about information. This is especially the case for veteran MMO fans, who are well aware of how dire the player housing situations are for many other current games, includingFinal Fantasy XIV. Thankfully, Blizzard seems to be on the right trackafter a recent blog postthat sheds more light on how their version of the housing system will work inWoW.
One key element that is settingWoWapart is an expanding neighborhood system, beyond the 50 housing plots per instance. If players need more neighborhoods to hold housing, they will be created;not through a lottery system, and not at a later date. It’ll just…happen. It’s a massive upgrade from many other MMOs, both from a modern and legacy standpoint.
WoW’s Housing System Addresses FFXIV’s Biggest Problem
You Won’t Run Out Of Housing Plots
As someone who has playedFinal Fantasy XIVsince 1.0 (yep, beforeRealm Reborn),player housing has been a constant problemfor as long as I can remember. I briefly owned a plot, but after changing servers,I was never able to fully recover and own land again. Square Enix has a massive issue adding more player housing toFFXIV, and it’s been a thorn in players' sides for years. Not to mention technical snafus that delayed the addition of more blocks, causing much of the community to give up that Square Enix will ever address the issue for good.
Thankfully, Blizzard is fixing that issue inWorld of Warcraft. Oncethe player housing systemarrives with theMidnightexpansion, there are myriad quality of life upgrades that will ensure that this in-demand mechanic isn’t frustrating. The big one? Neighborhoods won’t run out of space minutes after land is sparingly put on sale (an issueFFXIVseemingly has no answer to). If neighborhoods need more space, the game will create them. No more running out of plots.
Moving is also incredibly easy and straightforward, as opposed to the stress-fest that takes place inFFXIV. You can relinquish a house “at any time,” and can unpack and buy a new house in another location. There’s also a “regret timer” so you can take your move back if you change your mind a little later. Who knew player housing could be this easy?
More Housing Is A Big Win For World Of Warcraft
After All This TIme, Player Housing Is Finally In
Earlier this year,Blizzard shared a simple mantrathat dictates how they are approaching player housing inWorld of Warcraft: “No exorbitant requirements or high purchase costs, no lotteries, and no onerous upkeep.” It makes perfect sense, and the “lotteries” bit isa direct dig other MMOs, includingFinal Fantasy XIV.World of Warcraftwill allow for both public and private neighborhoods, as well as guild blocks.
It’s great to know that before player housing even comes toWorld of Warcraft, there’s a full vision of how it should play out, and there are very few compromises on paper. If you want a house, you should be able to get one, and neighborhoods are not going to run out of space forever. Hopefully it plays out that way in practice, but it’s looking good so far.
