Lot Decay

Any chance we can lower the time required for a lot to clear?

There are so many lots taken by people who don't do anything with them and get them when they first log in. So these lots sit basically empty for the testing period...

maybe a 3 to 6 day grace then they revert? Right now I think it is 13 or up?

 

a TON of land open all over :-(

 

I actually vote for a month long lock on lots. Sometimes my health issues mean I can't log in and 2 weeks is tight, I'm sometimes out for longer.

 

Sorta feeling silly now....didn't look that hard as all the cities seem to be full last I checked....

 

I'm fine for that in the final game...but if you aren't on that much you really aren't testing much in the test builds to make sure things work and such.

 

A person really cant tell if someone is on a lot of the time based on house decorations. A lot right now is primarily about fast travel and many busy bee testers may be doing everything but decorating.

 

Sure, but a lower decay rate wouldn't affect those players as they would be on anyways.

 

Which is what i am doing ...... I haven't decorated my lot at all.... that involves crafting to be able to make the stuff.... bout only thing I made was the deer antler, awesome btw Was wondering any crafting tables available for homes yet? Think I saw some outside someones home, so how do u get them or make them?

 

I think at least Row lots should have a shorter expiry date, because there are not a ton of them all over. New Ancestor pledges can't find Row lots. In-game lots are now twice as expensive, so it is too hard for many to earn enough for a village lot. When they finally earn enough to buy a Row lot, there is nothing available.

The expire time used to be 7 days, but too many people complained about their lot expiring when they went on vacation or didn't have time to play. I don't understand why people who do have time to play should have to go without.

 

A lot does not expire if you do not decorate, only if you don't log in at all. Even if you never log in yourself, you can give a trusted friend kinship rights, and he can move something on the lot to reset the timer.

 

You needn't do any decorating at all or even place a house. You can buy crafting stations upstairs from the bank in Owl's Head.

 

Two weeks seems about right. Less than that and nice people who take a long vacation or have a hospital stay or tech issues or whatever will lose their homes, and that's not right. I'd make the expiration period longer if anything.

 

Thing is, right now...it isn't their home this is a test period, not much testing getting done on housing if people aren't even playing it...the lots get gobbled up by those who spam in during people on the west coast of the states work time....by the time you get home from work there is nothing there....If people aren't even using it why keep it?

I wonder at what peoples goals are in this game sometimes.

 

I get a home for the convenience of travel (I get lost = click my red shoes to go home). I get a home so I can store stuff to make later at my convenience. I get a home because I don't want to keep going to town to craft, store stuff, etc. I get a home so I can share it with my other accounts to do different stuff on different toons (leave stuff for the other toons at the house and give them access) I get a home because it is convenient for me and since I paid for it, why shouldn't I use it for my convenience.

I don't get a home to decorate it - because it is a testing period and it seems silly to decorate my home over and over and over again when there is so much other stuff I can be doing. There are a lot of other people testing decorating. It is not my 'thing' - I'll get around to doing it when I finally settle down. When I'm ready. But not now. But it still doesn't mean I don't want a place where I can rest my toon and log.

 

That's nice...but are you on a lot? Do you claim the lot and disappear for two weeks? Doesn't sound like it.

I'm not saying the way you are using it is bad, but some are not using it at all...this release was one of the first times I got to claim a lot (hey guess what, I paid for it too. The most important factor in this game it seems).

I'm just thinking a lot more people would get a chance to test something that may matter to them. I think it would be the most unselfish thing to do.

 

Well, it kind of sounded from your OP that you felt if I wasn't really using the lot - like decorating it and stuff, it's a problem for you.

All I do is store stuff in it. Or get stuff from it. Most of the time, I'll probably be wandering around on the overland map, looking for a random encounter. Trying to figure out stuff for myself. Might sometimes go home to drop stuff off if I need it for the other toons. Or sell stuff on the vendor. Or if I feel like working on crafting and don't want to go to Owl's. But I don't really 'use' it a lot. So, I figure it's still covered by your concerns? Maybe others get their own home then go play at someone else's home. It's still nice to have your own though - just in case.

Besides, they've just as much right to have it as anyone else, even if they don't use it. It's for 2 weeks and the way the releases are right now, in another 2 weeks, I'll have a chance at the lot if they're not the type to log in at all.

 

Maybe I am missing something basic here but is there an easy way to tell if any towns have vacant lots without traveling there and asking a guard/town crier?

 

There is a forum thread that gets updated on occasion with information of lot availability but other than that currently, you need to visit the town.

 

No, there is no way.

Sure, they have just as much a right...however, it isn't productive. It's not like when the release comes out everyone has a chance to get something due to the fact of time zones....etc. I'm not saying they shouldn't have it, but if it's not being used and they aren't online then let it go....I mean, does it have to be two weeks in a testing time? I'm not taking someones purchase away, I'm just looking at this logically.

 

Define "being used". My house is currently being used for storing a whole crapload of stuff, I'd quite like my stuff and my house to be there when I get back from holiday in another 7 days time. Probably it would be handy if some people were testing that sort of thing.