Microtransactions are here to stay. And they are a good thing.

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Originally Posted by ErikMynhier

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Well, to be fair, those posts often times get more than 15 likes so although there don't seem to be a large amount of players posting about these issues, there are perhaps players out there who agree and just don't post often in those threads (or on the forums in general).

If I had to guess though, I'd say that people stick around because they truly like the game, they like final fantasy, and that just outweighs the perceived negativity that is brought about by some of the choices made by the dev team.

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Originally Posted by DefendPopPunk

Well, to be fair, those posts often times get more than 15 likes so although there don't seem to be a large amount of players posting about these issues, there are perhaps players out there who agree and just don't post often in those threads (or on the forums in general).

If I had to guess though, I'd say that people stick around because they truly like the game, they like final fantasy, and that just outweighs the perceived negativity that is brought about by some of the choices made by the dev team.

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I see, that makes sense I suppose. Thanks for not taking my question the wrong way. After I posted it I thought..... "Shit, I'm going to be burned at the stake."

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Originally Posted by ErikMynhier

I'm not taking a side on this, and the question I am about to ask is in no way as sarcastic as its going to come off so please do not flip. I am truly curious. The core people who are mad at this, those who made threads and posted in the other, count out to about 15. So I went back and looked over other big deal things, such as housing. I noticed its the same people, around 15 of you, raging and claiming the game was going down hill and that this is wrong and all that. My question is, and I am really sorry how its coming off since the internet cannot show facial expressions, if you are always upset with the direction, and always saying things like "I don't know if I'll be around much longer", why do you stay? I mean there are other good MMOs out there, this isn't the only game. Why do you stay is a question I ask myself and I know the answer, but I am curious as to your's.

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Well. I know you won't be getting trite answers, but I will. Because I used to be like you, saying to others "how can we miss you if you don't leave?"

While I didn't do as much doom saying as most people in the forum, I did disagree with a lot of the direction the game took. I stayed because I enjoyed chatting with friends that I made on twitter, and I do not know how they would react to my leaving, or how long I could stand the screenshots after I go. Eventually it got to the point where I was arguing about thing I argued about one year ago. The df, the "carnival tickets", the hoops one had to go through crafting, story locked behind coil, the general unhelpfulness of the PF, etc. Except now I wasn't a crafter, I wasn't rich, I'm on the mill that is the df with the same priced items with the same primals that instakill and wipe, the same untouchable coil with parties that discriminate, and now there's a cash shop.

I was sick of it, and of some of those now defending it. I stayed because of social connections I made. But there's only one way to know if they were connections at all.

And so I'm leaving.

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Originally Posted by Rufalus

This is the best argument I've seen for this feature. Without the optional premium tier eternal bond, it's possible they would not have been able to justify putting any resources/time into it, and thus the feature would not exist at all, even the free entry tier.

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That's just silly, FFXI got a wedding system ran by GMs for years before going automated and it never, not even once, implemented a cash shop to fund additions such as this. It recently is getting support for 2 active LS and 2 separate log windows, something that might be standard in modern MMOs but considering they're working with even bigger console limitations and a smaller subscriber base, I'd say it's worth mentioning, and that's just a relatively small feature amongst the new content and new fights it gets every patch. DQX recently got flying mounts and a casino and keeps getting new content and features without a cash shop either.

FFXI is a perfect example of an oldschool MMO (with an oldschool dev budget) that's more than a decade old and still survives as P2P, when most other games from that era started going F2P, it was also quite successful in its prime time. DQX is a good example of a recent MMO (with a modern dev budget) that despite being limited to Japan only, being stuck on a last gen console and a Gamecube sales wise console and its only portable versions being a non console native, Onlive like stream service, it's still quite successful. Both are ran by the exact same company that runs this game.

Never mind that the Eternal Bond system consists simply of: small cutscenes, invitation items which most likely will use the letter icon that's been in the game since launch, dresses which all use the same base ie. premium dresses are recolors, a recolor of the Draught Chocobo, ring models, a minion model, a cake model, and a couple of NPCs and lines of text. Not something that requires a lot of funding really, even with today's increased dev costs and considering we already get most of those things (new gear, new accessories, new minions, new NPCs and cutscenes, new housing items) in every patch.

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Originally Posted by Datu

I'd rather pay higher subs and let every item be achievable by playing - not paying extra.

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Higher sub costs would actually lock a considerable number of players out of being able to play the game.

Cash shop items do nothing of the sort.

Some people can't grasp the concept that Square Enix is a business.

They aren't a charity. They aren't your friend. They aren't your grandma who sends you a birthday card with $10 in it every year.

They are a business and they want our money.

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Originally Posted by Jennika

Some people can't grasp the concept that Square Enix is a business.

They aren't a charity. They aren't your friend. They aren't your grandma who sends you a birthday card with $10 in it every year.

They are a business and they want our money.

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Treating your customers as if they're disposable is not a good way to gain business, or a good reputation.

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Originally Posted by Abriael

1) Microtransactions are becoming an industry standard for every kind of game, including pay to play MMORPGs. As a matter of fact they're nothing new for P2P MMOs.

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So? Paying for checked bags is the industry standard when you fly, but Southwest lets you check 2 bags for free. Just because the rest of the industry is doing doesn't mean SE has to do it.

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Originally Posted by Brill_

So? Paying for checked bags is the industry standard when you fly, but Southwest lets you check 2 bags for free. Just because the rest of the industry is doing doesn't mean SE has to do it.

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AFAIK, in asia, only budget flights nickel and dime you for every little thing (reserving specific seats, meals, early boarding, etc). Normal flights don't charge you a single cent other than overweight luggage after the initial payment. You get everything from 20-30 kg of check in luggage, online check-in, seat reserving, meals, in-flight entertainment, etc.

I wouldn't consider SE's xiv sub fee to be only worth budget class...

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Originally Posted by Gardes

I wouldn't consider SE's xiv sub fee to be only worth budget class...

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Yeah, until the whole cash shop and gold plan stuff happened, I didn't either.