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  1. #31
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    Bastok
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    10,098
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwydion View Post
    My opinion may be unpopular: I would support an FFXI RL Money <-> Merchant if SE promises the money will be re-invested into the game with more content (the bonus would be that nefarious RMT would disappear too).
    No dev or publisher would ever make a promise like that. There has to be profit or there is no reason to continue the operation. Money reinvested into the project is a cost, profit by its very definition kept for the company. It's also selfish of us to demand that the money we pay for the service only go back into the service and not become profit.

    We live in a capitalist society and SE is not a charity.
    (0)

  2. #32
    Player Stompa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Remora
    Posts
    656
    Character
    Nebula
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    PUP Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwydion View Post
    My opinion may be unpopular: I would support an FFXI RL Money <-> Merchant if SE promises the money will be re-invested into the game with more content (the bonus would be that nefarious RMT would disappear too).
    I have played FFXI almost every day since 2004, and during that time, I have spoken to probably thousands of players about the "Cash Shop" system, AKA "Microtransactions" AKA "Jam Today" AKA "Pay To Progress" etc.

    I would say that 80% of the people I spoke to are against the Cash Shop system. I would also say that around 25% of those people said they would "quit FFXI forever" if FFXI went to the Cash Shop system.

    So, while a Cash Shop system might be popular with some people, especially people who already buy Gil, and the Cash Shop system might pull in a few extra dollars for SE in <That way.> you also have to factor in that another 25% of players might quit the new Cash Shop FFXI game in total disgust.

    To go deeper, the people who are the most totally against Cash Shops, are by definition Long Term Subscribers. They are happy with the Jam Tomorrow model. They are happy with working towards Long Term goals, to earn their own Gil, to farm their own gear, to level their own characters in a Role Playing Game way. They are the Long Term FFXI Subscribers, by definition, because they are prepared to play the game by the rules, and this takes a Long Time.

    People who want Cash Shops, by definition, are often not prepared to earn stuff themselves, or to do the work themselves, or to wait for Jam Tomorrow. They want Jam Today. Again, by definition, this means they are less likely to stay Long Term Subscribers. If they lack the patience to farm gear and earn Gil, how will they have the patience to stick around for more than a few months after they've bought every item in the Cash Shop. They get Jam Today, they eat it, they quit the game, and go find jam in other games instead.

    What makes FFXI so immersive and atmospheric as an RPG, is the long hard journey, and the sense of personal accomplishment, accepting a Long Term Challenge, and overcoming the odds, to emerge finally victorious after playing the game by the strict rules and Beating The Game, using your own personal Gaming Skills and your own cleverness, persistence and fortitude.

    To remove the hardships, obstacles, the long hard journey, which is the life of an Adventurer, is to remove the adventure altogether, and all that remains is a bunch of people standing outside the Cash Shop with all their shiny new Dollar Gear, until they get bored and quit the game, and go buy Dollar Gear in a different game instead.

    It is a nightmare scenario, and it is the Cultural Steamrollering of a brilliantly designed computer-game, FFXI, which offers immersive long-term challenges and atmospheric Role Playing Game adventuring.
    (4)
    Last edited by Stompa; 01-17-2020 at 09:50 AM. Reason: Typos!

  3. #33
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    Bastok
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    10,098
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    The bulk of the FFXI community predates the rise of microtransactions as a monetization system, that's the primary reason so many are against it.

    As a rule, i'm not against microtransactions in general, but I am against pay to win. Any extras people can buy need to be entirely cosmetic or convenience. I do have a soft spot for gacha games but those generally give you some currency for free, so it's still possisble to play and play fairly without paying.
    (0)

  4. #34
    Player
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    552
    The game is already pay-to-win. it just requires an extra step. You just choose not to use it.

    Cash shop changes absolutely nothing. except removing one insignificant step and streamlining the process.
    (1)

  5. #35
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
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    10,098
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Isola View Post
    The game is already pay-to-win. it just requires an extra step. You just choose not to use it.

    Cash shop changes absolutely nothing. except removing one insignificant step and streamlining the process.
    I don't count illegitimate, external cheating as part of the game. And while you like to believe everyone buys gil, that's not actually the case. SE didn't design the game this way, its just a thing that happened.
    (0)

  6. #36
    Player
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    Jun 2018
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    Whether you "count" it or not, it's there.
    (0)

  7. #37
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
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    10,098
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Isola View Post
    Whether you "count" it or not, it's there.
    It's there, but it's not necessary to "win," unless you're a lazy bum.

    The existence of people cheating by external sources does not make the game pay to win.
    (1)

  8. #38
    Player TullemoreAsuraFFXI's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
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    307
    Character
    Tullemore
    World
    Asura
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99
    Micro-transactions (off-topic of the thread topic here) within any title for digital assets that has any cost for purchase of the software, purchase for access to the software, subscription or/and any peer-to-peer (player-to-player) exchanges should be condemned internationally and made illegal in as many nations as possible. Regardless or not if a business strategy is legal, it's just completely horrible results for players and the game developers involved. Below i link a Youtube commentary about a MMORPG that broke the trust of the gaming community.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hi8bIf-GJg
    (0)

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