For the dedicated housing community in EQII, the decision by Daybreak to regularly vault marketplace housing items is more than just inconvenient—it’s a self-inflicted wound on your revenue stream.
Lost Sales and Frustrated Customers
The core of the issue is simple: decorators can't buy what we want, when we want it.- Impulse/Need Purchases are Blocked: As a decorator we might be actively working on a house and realize we need a specific fountain, wallpaper, or structural piece to finish the project. If that item is vaulted, the purchase is instantly lost. Lost sales add up.
- The "Fear of Missing Out" (FOMO) Effect Fails: While vaulting is often done to create FOMO and rush initial sales, for housing, the negative long-term effect outweighs this. We are more likely to stop checking the marketplace entirely rather than constantly worry about an item disappearing.
- Discouraging New Decorators: New or returning players interested in decorating are immediately faced with an overwhelming list of items they can’t obtain. This is a massive barrier to entry and severely limits the growth of the housing community—a community that, statistically, spends significant money.
The Decorator Mindset is Unique
Housing decorators are a unique customer base. We are not always focused on the "latest and greatest." We are focused on completeness, vision, and theme.- Specific Items are Crucial: If a medieval build requires a specific set of stairs or furniture, there is no adequate substitute. The builder is more likely to improvise and either make the element ourselves (ie our own steps) or change the build to skip waiting for whenever Daybreak decides to bring something out of the vault, leading to no item purchases at all.
- We Buy in Bulk: Decorators often buy dozens of the same item (e.g., pillars, floor tiles, simple geometric shapes and furniture) to manipulate and build with. We represent an extremely high lifetime value (LTV) customer if our needs are consistently met. Vaulting cuts this revenue stream off at the knees.
A Better Business Model: The Permanent Catalog
Daybreak should look at the success of other games and acknowledge that for housing, a permanent, stable catalog is the superior business model.- Keep the Basics Permanent: All foundational items—structural pieces, walls, windows, floors, furniture, and simple accessories—should never be vaulted. These are the tools of the trade.
- Reserve Vaulting/Limited Time for Themes: Only highly seasonal or themed items (like the giant Nights of the Dead decorations or Frostfell houses) should be cycled. This maintains the FOMO value without crippling the core market.
- Predictable Revenue: A permanent catalog ensures a predictable, steady stream of income from the housing community year-round, which is far more valuable than the occasional, frantic burst of sales from an unvaulted crate (which by the way, a lot of decorators have decided to boycott the vault category).
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Rotating Decorator Slogans
Keep EQ2 housing creative — not consumable! 
Build forever, not for a week. 
Decorators need sets, not scatter. 
Housing is EQ2’s legacy — honor it. 
Bundles, not random rotations. 
Support decorators, preserve EQ2’s creative heart.
