So housing transitions are coming, and it's going to be awesome. But how are we transitioning? I propose that once the transition begins, you allow rook attacks into the current neighborhoods and houses themselves. I imagine it something like this:
Rock: Uh oh.
Rock: Your imagination is the only thing that holds the rooks at bay, and you haven't really been paying attention recently.
Rock: I meant to tell you sooner, but I wasn't really...
Rock: ...You know, it's not important what I wasn't paying attention to. Get ready!
(Rook attack begins. Obviously, there's no shrines, so it's just a matter of time until the rook depresses all the animals/trees/environment. Perhaps with an ever higher player energy loss rate, when the glitch hits 1 energy)
Rock: The prolonged stress of staying in Ur is telling.
Rock: If only you didn't always have to imagine everything...
Giant: ...An admirable attempt. I have seen your toils and shall provide you with relief.
(Loading "An empty place". Load into a monochromatic room. OR perhaps "Glitch ex machina". Load into a room similar to the missing room.)
Rock: This is your mind, but it's pretty clear you haven't been using it recently.
Rock: You have to use your own imagination, not just the Giants.
(Begin new house creation tutorial)
So what does this accomplish?
1) It gives the Devs/GOD precedent in canon to explain future modifications to the world through rooks driving all the imagination from a street/location. It also explains why some areas will require different permissions (Giants imagined it -> public, Glitch imagined it -> semi-private), and why those areas exist.
2) It can explain the xp to imagination switch by playing against the Giants mind, and the Glitch mind. XP exists as the giants evaluation of a glitch, but by being found worthy and learning to imagine for ourselves, glitches now give tribute as thanks and to communicate with the giant to get their imaginative juices flowing rather than for the giants mere approval.
3) Depending on how the rook attack happens, it allows a bunch of us to retroactively clear the "prove your rook fighting mettle" quest if you felt like tying that into the rook attack.
How does this work for non-homeowners? Simple, increasing rook attacks up until the transition, until at the time of transition there are constant rook attacks in all streets, and the energy loss is increased to the point that any glitch that logs in will eventually be forced to 1 energy.
How does this work for glitches not logged in during the transition? Load them directly into an instanced area (like axis denyde) with a rook attack, and load them into "An empty place" from there.
Wait...why are there rooks in the caverns/bog houses with no open air access? Rooks aren't birds, they're a metaphor for birds, and they're coming to get you.
I'd appreciate your (yes you) feelings on the switch.