Pricing for Additional Services

Lately I've grown to hate my main characters last name. (looking back i honestly don't know what I was thinking)
Anyway, I looked at the character renaming service and 10$ seems a bit excessive to me. I understand that server transfer would take a bit of work, but 18$ still seems like a lot.

:confused: Long story short, I just want to know if there was any rhyme or reason to how these prices were calculated. and should i pay the money or just put up with a name i hate *sigh*

Start a new character with a good name. It's free.

$10 for a name change is pretty much standard across all MMOs.

$18 for a World Transfer is actually cheap by comparison. Most other games it's $20-25.

Considering it is a near instant query for a simple database change it is kind of ridiculous that it costs more than 10 cents. Should be like a dollar just to prevent people from doing it every day.

They would probably even make more money from it.

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Originally Posted by Kaedan

$10 for a name change is pretty much standard across all MMOs.

$18 for a World Transfer is actually cheap by comparison. Most other games it's $20-25.

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this helps a bit. ff14 is my first mmo, so i wouldnt know that others charge for stuff like that.

Part of cost calculation is dissuasion. It isn't something that should be done repeatedly.

Part of cost calculation is simply determining a premium for a service people are willing to pay for. Businesses exist to make money, much of which goes into upkeep for other, genuinely resource-intensive services.

Actual database-querying "effort" is a non-factor.

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Originally Posted by IzzyData

Considering it is a near instant query for a simple database change it is kind of ridiculous that it costs more than 10 cents. Should be like a dollar just to prevent people from doing it every day.

They would probably even make more money from it.

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If it was a dollar people probably would do it every day.... Its to prevent people from being jerks all the time and using a cheap name change to get around the repercussions.

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Originally Posted by nexas506

I understand that server transfer would take a bit of work,

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Heh, its all mostly automated, no work at all. They probably get full profit out of every one of those transactions. The price(s) are not only standard across most MMOs but they are set to prevent market abuse, as well as demand. Mostly demand though :)

That said they should include a name change along with race changes. Anyone who race changes with a lore friendly name either has to pay double or remain an Au Ra with an Elezen friendly french name.... *cries*

too bad there wasn't an application for a 1st time only free name change.

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Originally Posted by nexas506

too bad there wasn't an application for a 1st time only free name change.

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Think about it this way, how much do you wish to change your name?
Do you have another name that you really want and feel comfortable with from now on?
If so, bite the bullet and go for it, you might feel better, and 10$ is less than one pays for a night out at the cinema anyway, sacrifices can be made :).

I for one haven't changed my name even once, I've loved my name since day 1 back in 2015.
Luckily it's not common and if I happen to collide with other people, I have a horde of names I'm comfortable with, especially here where we have the luxury of full names.

Good luck.

Be thankful it's this way.. I had played WoW for 8 years before I quit and came here. This pales in comparison to how expensive it was to do ANYTHING with your character on WoW. Maybe it's changed now? Idk. Either way 10 for a change to name, appearance, and you said 18 for transfer? What was WoW back in 2009? Something like 25/35/20?

I guess it's expensive if you don't like spending money constantly changing your appearance, or server. But it's a luxury, not an entitlement. A friend of mine blew through I think 4.4k in server transfers and all that other jazz before we came here, and they had a hell of a lot less customization back then. I can't imagine what some people spend on here. That being said, for every one person against these things, you have ten more for it, willing to dole out that cash. Unfortunately, I doubt they would permanently drop pricing on anything.

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Originally Posted by GabrielK

Think about it this way, how much do you wish to change your name?
Do you have another name that you really want and feel comfortable with from now on?
If so, bite the bullet and go for it, you might feel better, and 10$ is less than one pays for a night out at the cinema anyway, sacrifices can be made :).


Good luck.

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this!! thankyou so much. you just took all my worries away :)

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Originally Posted by Laerad3993

Be thankful it's this way.. I had played WoW for 8 years before I quit and came here. This pales in comparison to how expensive it was to do ANYTHING with your character on WoW. Maybe it's changed now? Idk. Either way 10 for a change to name, appearance, and you said 18 for transfer? What was WoW back in 2009? Something like 25/35/20?

I guess it's expensive if you don't like spending money constantly changing your appearance, or server. But it's a luxury, not an entitlement. A friend of mine blew through I think 4.4k in server transfers and all that other jazz before we came here, and they had a hell of a lot less customization back then. I can't imagine what some people spend on here. That being said, for every one person against these things, you have ten more for it, willing to dole out that cash. Unfortunately, I doubt they would permanently drop pricing on anything.

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i wasn't really for or against anything. just curious is all

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Originally Posted by nexas506

i wasn't really for or against anything. just curious is all

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No worries there. I was just explaining that it's worse elsewhere, or at least used to be. Wasn't trying to be rude, so I'm sorry if it came off that way.

I hate when people complain about paying for world transfers. Here's a tip. When deciding which server to play on, talk to your friends prior to starting. Or if you now you're friends are going to start, then make sure to inform them of the server you're already on. Still need to change servers? You can keep all your data and equipment with a simple $18 payment which is cheap in comparison to other MMO's. Or if you're too cheap, just start over and instead re-invest those hundred of thousands of hours into a new character and redoin the grind to get back to where you were.

See there are options for everyone.

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Originally Posted by Chukkaque

I hate when people complain about paying for world transfers.

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That's a weird thing to hold such harsh feelings about.

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Originally Posted by IzzyData

That's a weird thing to hold such harsh feelings about.

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Nah. There are a few "loud" folks in the playerbase who complain about "additional" services and the price that goes with them. Considering they're optional. Like why complain about additional options.

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Originally Posted by IzzyData

Considering it is a near instant query for a simple database change it is kind of ridiculous that it costs more than 10 cents. Should be like a dollar just to prevent people from doing it every day.

They would probably even make more money from it.

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Except the point of the cost is not to make money.

If transferring was free, everyone would just hop around servers every other day. Oh? my server has a queue? lemme just transfer to that low pop one. Queues eased up? lemme hop on back.
Oh some random easy to get item is selling hot on that server? Lemme just transfer over and make a bucketload of gil from another servers economy.

See? Its a deterrent, not a profiteering move.

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Originally Posted by Sylve

Except the point of the cost is not to make money.

If transferring was free, everyone would just hop around servers every other day. Oh? my server has a queue? lemme just transfer to that low pop one. Queues eased up? lemme hop on back.
Oh some random easy to get item is selling hot on that server? Lemme just transfer over and make a bucketload of gil from another servers economy.

See? Its a deterrent, not a profiteering move.

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Everything you just said like a good argument for free server tansfers

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Originally Posted by nssixn6

Everything you just said like a good argument for free server tansfers

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Not from SE's perspective.

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Originally Posted by Kaedan

$10 for a name change is pretty much standard across all MMOs.

$18 for a World Transfer is actually cheap by comparison. Most other games it's $20-25.

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How many of those servers are set up in a way that's as limiting for communication as FFXIV's servers though?

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Originally Posted by nssixn6

Everything you just said like a good argument for free server tansfers

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No, that sounds like an abysmal idea. Jumping servers to make gil while ruining the economy there is disgusting.

If dissuation is the intent the price should curve up based on frequency of abuse. That said the price for the cosmetic stuff is way too dang high. They should be half of what they are now as base price at least. A frickin costume on a psn game is like 99 cents. A low poly minion cannot be freaking 5 bucka.

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Originally Posted by Gardes

If dissuation is the intent the price should curve up based on frequency of abuse. That said the price for the cosmetic stuff is way too dang high. They should be half of what they are now as base price at least. A frickin costume on a psn game is like 99 cents. A low poly minion cannot be freaking 5 bucka.

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Compared to most other MMo's, the minion prices are damned cheap. Most go for around $15. Overall, the FFXIV additional services prices are better than adverage, with perhaps exception of the fact you have buy both a fantasia -and- a name change, and even then the price is slightly cheaper than that other, super popular game that's ten years old.

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Originally Posted by Korinth

Compared to most other MMo's, the minion prices are damned cheap. Most go for around $15. Overall, the FFXIV additional services prices are better than adverage, with perhaps exception of the fact you have buy both a fantasia -and- a name change, and even then the price is slightly cheaper than that other, super popular game that's ten years old.

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They also sell gender changes for the same price as a full Race+Faction+Gender kit ...