[Request] Could we please get a subscription service for premium discussion boards?

It's an idea that sprang to mind based on practices embraced elsewhere. I think it'd be pretty cool if there were optional discussion boards that could be accessed only by those of us with 'premium' access.

It'd be a good way to create a micro-community amongst the forum regulars (many of whom, I expect, would pay the appropriate fee).

The deal could even be sweetened further by offering premium posters access to exclusive animated avatars of their character using a choice emote or some such. I'm not sure how easy that would be to implement but our avatars are already linked to our lodestone profiles.

Of course, I'd expect the fee to be reasonable - and ideally, to go towards site maintenance/upgrades and the game development itself.

What premium features would you guys like to see if such a feature were added?

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Originally Posted by Theodric

It's an idea that sprang to mind based on practices embraced elsewhere.

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Can you elaborate on this?

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Originally Posted by Theodric

What premium features would you guys like to see if such a feature were added?

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An active moderation team!

It'll be the deadest content on arrival

I already pay to access this forum.

Usage of this forum requires an active subscription to the game.

I wouldn't pay anything extra for forum related stuff. Nothing could make the money spent be worth it.

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Originally Posted by ItMe

Can you elaborate on this?

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Sure.

Although I no longer play WoW, I did used to post on a major fan-site devoted to it. I recently dusted off my account there and found that it was now offering a premium service to get a fancy nameplate under one's avatar amongst a few other minor benefits. I think this site would do well with some sort of update and more quality of life features but since funding does not come for free, maybe players could pay our way as an incentive.

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Originally Posted by MPK

It'll be the deadest content on arrival

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I've been paying my subscription, and I haven't been playing for 3 months. I'm already paying just for forum posting rights myself.

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Originally Posted by Shibi

An active moderation team!

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You know if the premium fee for the boards went solely towards keeping a moderation staff on stand by I'd be all for it.

?????
We already paid the monthly fee to write here, do you really want to pay even more? I do not understand the people of this game, look for ways to give money to Square Enix for things that should already be included in the sub or in the game

I feel like 90% of posters here are in some findom situation with Square Enix. Every other thread is someone offering to pay extra money for something.

Some players simply have a big disposable income at their, uh, disposal.

Though as I said, it'd be optional not mandatory.

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Originally Posted by Shibi

An active moderation team!

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You have an ocean's worth of optimism if you think they'll use the money for a moderation team.

[QUOTE=MPK;5555140]It'll be the deadest content on arrival[/QUOTE

Lords of vermilion would like a word with you

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Originally Posted by Theodric

I think it'd be pretty cool if there were optional discussion boards that could be accessed only by those of us with 'premium' access.

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Originally Posted by ItMe

Can you elaborate on this?

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He's talking about a subforum that only posters who pay an additional subscription fee can post on, like the SomethingAwful forums, where you have to pay in order to post.

Honestly, the English FFXIV forums aren't as bad as the jokes make it out to be. Sure there are trolls posts that aren't deleted but they aren't posted often enough to the detriment of the average forum goer here. I haven't seen much bad behavior here, and when there is really bad stuff it does get moderated.

I guess maybe you can pay if you really want an animator profile pic/avatar and/or a fancy banner, but paying for access to a subforum? I doubt that subforum would get much activity at all.

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Originally Posted by MPK

It'll be the deadest content on arrival

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Probably also this. The FFXIV English forums have a small number of posters. Most activity is concentrated on the general forums and the lore forums, and it's usually the same set of recognizable forum regulars posting. I doubt a subforum would get that much use.

Can't wait for the arguments on a "premium" board to devolve to "You only have the 5 dollar sub avatar border, whereas I have the 10 dollar border therefore my argument is more valid than yours".

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Originally Posted by SilverObi

Can't wait for the arguments on a "premium" board to devolve to "You only have the 5 dollar sub avatar border, whereas I have the 10 dollar border therefore my argument is more valid than yours".

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I've never seen that happen on forums where you could pay for fancier avatars or banners, not even on the aforementioned WoW fan forum

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Some players simply have a big disposable income at their, uh, disposal.

Though as I said, it'd be optional not mandatory.

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xD

If your, uh, disposable income was that big, you would have just paid them all the money they need to implement whatever sub-forum you want and further sustain it by yourself instead of asking for a tiny little sum of 5/10/15$ dollars subscription from everyone to join you.

"I'd expect the fee to be reasonable" people with money don't ask for reasonable because their disposable income is unreasonable.

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Originally Posted by Roeshel

xD

If your, uh, disposable income was that big, you would have just paid them all the money they need to implement whatever sub-forum you want and further sustain it by yourself instead of asking for a tiny little sum of 5/10/15$ dollars subscription from everyone to join you.

"I'd expect the fee to be reasonable" people with money don't ask for reasonable because their disposable income is unreasonable.

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I'm led to believe that the development team do not permit direct investment and input from individual players or a company that they own. If they did, I'd honestly drop a juicy sum of money into the game if I could guarantee getting something I really wanted through the money going towards precisely what I desired.

Furthermore, just because someone has a disposable income it doesn't mean they're going to pay for every single thing 'just because'. Self restraint is a great way to avoid getting into debt, going bankrupt and/or finding oneself stuck with assets that they can't move or use.

Wait, you want to us to PAY to have a better forum? A forum we already need to pay to access? I'm really confused about this suggestion.

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Originally Posted by LaylaTsarra

But but think of the quality of the trolls in premium. This forum is really too entertaining to be free and just included in our subs.

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I mean that's why I keep coming back.

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Originally Posted by Sotaris

Wait, you want to us to PAY to have a better forum? A forum we already need to pay to access? I'm really confused about this suggestion.

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But but think of the quality of the trolls in premium. This forum is really too entertaining to be free and just included in our subs.

When are people gonna stop asking the multi-millionaire company to take their money?

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Originally Posted by Theodric

It's an idea that sprang to mind based on practices embraced elsewhere. I think it'd be pretty cool if there were optional discussion boards that could be accessed only by those of us with 'premium' access.

It'd be a good way to create a micro-community amongst the forum regulars (many of whom, I expect, would pay the appropriate fee).

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Is it a idea to give people more or is that an idea to create a separate forum with only certain posters in it to kinda feel a bit special? I honestly think its the latter. I also kinda doubt that a lot of the forum regulars would be that willing to pay for it. I have been here for quite some time and I honestly would not want that and 100% would not pay for it. I like it when we get new (non trolling) posters with their views of things.

Also as someone already pointed out: We are already paying to post here, after all you will lose access without a active sub.

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Originally Posted by Cithaerias_pyropina

You have an ocean's worth of optimism if you think they'll use the money for a moderation team.

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It would be a bit ironic and funny if it would found a mod team, meaning that the posts on the paid forum are very moderated and thus people suddenly go back to the free one because they suddenly need to watch what they post a lot more than normal.

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Originally Posted by ZedxKayn

When are people gonna stop asking the multi-millionaire company to take their money?

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*Multi-billion

You do understand you are currently paying to post here right? You need a sub to post on these plus need to have logged in within 14 days. So you are requesting something that is currently happening.

This is the most ridiculous idea I've ever seen here.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Some players simply have a big disposable income at their, uh, disposal.

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First world problems, huh?

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Originally Posted by ReynTime

This is the most ridiculous idea I've ever seen here.

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Agreed. It is complete nonsense.

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Originally Posted by MrPresident

I feel like 90% of posters here are in some findom situation with Square Enix. Every other thread is someone offering to pay extra money for something.

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they clearly been brain washed we must save them from them selves my friend

There's nothing wrong with spending money on a hobby, though.

Some of the replies here seem to be the equivalent of someone peeking into a shopping trolley at a supermarket and criticising the products purchased because some happen to be optional luxuries.

I don't have an objection for it. You guys enjoy your super special chat. I'll tell ya though, it's going to be a fairly dead forum board due to a lack of activity. Or worse, activity from just the same 5 people. Might as well make a discord.

https://i.imgur.com/Wu6V6p0.gif

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Originally Posted by Theodric

There's nothing wrong with spending money on a hobby, though.

Some of the replies here seem to be the equivalent of someone peeking into a shopping trolley at a supermarket and criticising the products purchased because some happen to be optional luxuries.

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No one's saying there a problem with spending money on a hobby.

We have a problem with why you think the forum needs an optional sub when it already requires you to be subbed to the game in order to access the forum.

The suggestion is entirely serious, of course. I would not ever dare make such points as a subtle dig at shady business practices.

No thanks.

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Originally Posted by Seera1024

I already pay to access this forum.

Usage of this forum requires an active subscription to the game.

I wouldn't pay anything extra for forum related stuff. Nothing could make the money spent be worth it.

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Also 100% agree with this.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

The suggestion is entirely serious, of course. I would not ever dare make such points as a subtle dig at shady business practices.

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boy if your intent was to be ironic, you are terrible at irony.

But uh...why would you throw money at a premium forum that:

1) Has a 1k word limit before editing

2) lacks active moderation

3) Can't really get answers from GMs

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Originally Posted by Ammokkx

boy if your intent was to be ironic, you are terrible at irony.

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On the contrary, a large portion of the FFXIV community has a habit of taking everything at face value to the point where subtlety and nuance is lost on them.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

On the contrary, a large portion of the FFXIV community has a habit of taking everything at face value to the point where subtlety and nuance is lost on them.

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That doesn't mean you get to present something as completely unironic and then backpedal with "lmao irony". If you don't even give the slightest hint you're joking, people aren't going to assume you're joking. They won't even have the chance to assume it.

Hence, you are awful at irony.

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Originally Posted by Ammokkx

That doesn't mean you get to present something as completely unironic and then backpedal with "lmao irony". If you don't even give the slightest hint you're joking, people aren't going to assume you're joking. They won't even have the chance to assume it.

Hence, you are awful at irony.

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I didn't use that phrase. Please do not put words into my mouth that I did not state.

There's no need to resort to personal attacks, either.

I'm sorry if my thread unsettled you. Luckily there's the Fan Fest in a handful of hours so hopefully something you're looking forward to is announced.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

The suggestion is entirely serious, of course. I would not ever dare make such points as a subtle dig at shady business practices.

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What shady business practices are you trying to do a subtle dig at?

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Originally Posted by Alleo

It would be a bit ironic and funny if it would found a mod team, meaning that the posts on the paid forum are very moderated and thus people suddenly go back to the free one because they suddenly need to watch what they post a lot more than normal.

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I mean the companion app did "solve" the inventory issue that is present in game through the chocobo saddlebag and you need to pay for that. So I suppose throwing money at the forums would indeed create a better moderation team.