FFXI’s Inventory Problem Shouldn’t Cost Players Extra

[dmuller30]

FFXI is built around switching between 22 jobs, but the inventory system actively discourages players from gearing more than a few of them.

One or two properly geared jobs can easily consume more than 160 slots because of TP, weapon-skill, defensive, accuracy, magic, idle, enmity, and situational sets. This is not excessive hoarding. It is a direct result of how XI’s combat and equipment systems work.

The uncomfortable part is that the solution to this design problem is sold back to players through paid Mog Wardrobes. Wardrobes 3 through 8 cost an additional monthly fee, even though they primarily provide the equipment space needed to engage with one of the game’s defining features.

A better solution would be a job-linked equipment vault that only loads the gear associated with your current job, reducing the amount of information the game must access at once. At the very least, all existing Mog Wardrobes should now be included with the standard subscription.

Inventory limitations may be difficult to fix, but charging players indefinitely for the workaround makes it feel as though inventory pressure has become part of the business model.

[Uroah]

Charging for convenience is the first rule in the book.

Overstuff the inventory and charge for more space is literally the primary objective of just about any game with a pay to play model.

[Alhanelem]

Someone is really really late to the party.

[radar]

Subscription based games are destined to make less money every year even if they don't lose players, due to inflation (effectively all the costs rise inline with inflation but they make the same money forever). Since the cost of the sub has never increased they are forced to find ways to increase revenue optionally, without increasing the base sub fee.

You or I may not like paying more, but if we don't the game might not be around for us to complain about it because this a public company with shareholders to appease.

If not for the fact that wardrobes make money, we would not even have that cause they had to borrow coders from other teams for that work to be done and the justification for that was it will make the game more money.