In regards to the finite space discussion, you're able to upgrade a PC to run better specs, load more assets in a virtual box such as a game, etc. With a ps3, it runs on fixed parts. You can load in a different HDD, sure, but replacing the motherboard, upgrading ram, etc? No can do. You can replace parts if they finally bite the dust, but it uses specialized parts for the hardware that don't seem to be able to be upgraded (google has told me as much beyond "you can try to mod it but it may/may not work" and that comes with its own issues.) Trying to stay within x amount of ram specs, memory issues, and whatever else on the ps3 while catering to their PC users who can swap out a new graphics card, sound card, etc to make their game run smoothly is not an easy task. Too much on a screen in hardware you're already pushing to the max can cause it to just not work, which is why I can believe them when they said "We have no idea how to implement TP bars just yet so it doesn't overload your ps3" before they swapped elements out. So for servers to be used for housing are storing a good amount of data plus whatever else they have running on them for maintenance and whatnot plus the inferior ps3 specs they have to still cater to until they release 4.0 in the next year or so makes it limited in how they can do things.
Instancing it out would probably cause problems with the instance server (since that's where your dungeon instances likely are too, or they're at least in the same server cluster) in slowdowns, or it wouldn't be what they wanted to go for in the way of "walk up to anyone's house, look at their cute interior/exterior designs, get to know your neighbors!" I remember the XI approach in having to have people in your party and having to inviting them into your Mog House; I wanted friends to be able to just walk in should they wish. So its got its pros and cons,
I think the way they've handled housing thusfar hasn't been the best, and yeah they could stand to change it (and maybe they're restructuring it in the shadows, separating FC housing and personal housing from each other and will make that announcement later!) but for now, yeah it's a bandaid but it's a temp fix for them before they can implement a permanent fix. Better server infrastructure and all would be great, and maybe they're upgrading them, who knows!
tl;dr I like the way they're going about it! They're giving ample warning with emails to everyone in a FC, a house owner, multiple times. But as a lot of people on reddit have even pointed out, if you've got an empty house/lot that you just have as a trophy and aren't doing anything with it, give it to someone else who will actually use it instead of just letting it sit.
Instancing it out would probably cause problems with the instance server (since that's where your dungeon instances likely are too, or they're at least in the same server cluster) in slowdowns, or it wouldn't be what they wanted to go for in the way of "walk up to anyone's house, look at their cute interior/exterior designs, get to know your neighbors!" I remember the XI approach in having to have people in your party and having to inviting them into your Mog House; I wanted friends to be able to just walk in should they wish. So its got its pros and cons,
I think the way they've handled housing thusfar hasn't been the best, and yeah they could stand to change it (and maybe they're restructuring it in the shadows, separating FC housing and personal housing from each other and will make that announcement later!) but for now, yeah it's a bandaid but it's a temp fix for them before they can implement a permanent fix. Better server infrastructure and all would be great, and maybe they're upgrading them, who knows!
tl;dr I like the way they're going about it! They're giving ample warning with emails to everyone in a FC, a house owner, multiple times. But as a lot of people on reddit have even pointed out, if you've got an empty house/lot that you just have as a trophy and aren't doing anything with it, give it to someone else who will actually use it instead of just letting it sit.