The housing crisis in Final Fantasy XIV has been ongoing since player houses were added to the game. With a limited number of purchasable player houses and an endless number of players who want to own a home, the game has been suffering from a severe supply and demand problem. Despite Square Enix occasionally adding new house plots, this problem persists in the community.
Another issue with FFXIV‘s housing system is how players buy houses. In the past, empty plots or relinquished houses would have a hidden timer that prohibited players from purchasing the home while it was active. After a random amount of time, usually 10 to 14 hours, the house would become purchasable. This led to players camping houses for hours on end, incessantly clicking the sale sign and hoping the timer would run out. For sleep schedules and carpal tunnel, this was a bad system.
FFXIV has since moved on to a lottery housing system, but it still isn’t perfect. For one, players are beholden to luck, which never feels great. Additionally, in the new Ishgardian housing plots added after the lottery system, 18 of the 24 wards were reserved for the lesser used Free Company housing, leaving prospective private estate owners frustrated. Luckily, in the most recent live letter from FFXIV‘s producer, Island Sanctuaries were announced. Though all the details aren’t released yet, it is possible that they could be the key to solving FFXIV‘s longstanding housing crisis.
Island Sanctuaries, unlike housing wards, will be instanced. This means that the Islands will not suffer from a limited supply. Players aren’t required to have a disciple fully leveled to start their Island Sanctuary journey, so anyone who wants to participate in the system can. Universal availability is a great feature, and it’s certainly better than a lottery, but that alone doesn’t necessarily mean the housing crisis will be solved.
Based on what was announced in the live letter, Island Sanctuaries will be a completely different experience from owning a regular house. The feature promises new casual gameplay mechanics, including gathering materials, caring for cute creatures, building facilities and crafting items. These mechanics and the fact that the Island Sanctuaries are much bigger than houses will likely offer players a different form of satisfaction than owning and decorating a home.
Though the Island Sanctuaries will undoubtedly provide a unique, Stardew Valley-esque farming experience, some players may not feel the same pride they would from owning a house. The lack of community is the main downside of having instanced property like Island Sanctuaries. There are no neighbors to socialize with and impress with a well-designed house. Island Sanctuaries will allow visitors, but it won’t be the same as occupying the same physical space as other players.
Island Sanctuaries will be precisely what some frustrated players have been waiting for amidst FFXIV‘s housing crisis, but there are enough differences in the systems to make some players unsatisfied. Island Sanctuaries won’t solve the housing crisis for all players. Still, they will be a welcome addition nonetheless, especially for players who don’t have the Gil, luck or time to go house hunting.