Retainers, confirmed, you have to pay for them.

[HumsterMKX]

Q6: Are there items only obtainable through the retainer venture system?

A6: Yes, there are!

. . .

Ahhh.... damnit... looks like retainers can now collect Lalafell souls, Miqo'te pelts and other blackmarket stuff...

I really out of business for real now.

[Shirai]

Ahhh.... damnit... looks like retainers can now collect Lalafell souls, Miqo'te pelts and other blackmarket stuff...

I really out of business for real now.

Oi! Leave our pelts alone!

That said, to answer some questions from the OP:

1- What's your opinion about this? (Summarize)

I'm not too bothered with it, they announced it well ahead and the prices aren't too high for something that is completely optional.

2- Do you think we will have more things like this in the future totally changing our idea of FFXIV:ARR?

Will they have more things like this? I guess they will.
Will it change my view/idea? Depends on what they're adding in the cash shop.

3- Am I just exaggerating and it's something normal or that, 'doesn't affect gameplay' even if it's confirmed that those 'ventures' will grant us items, and even if it is clear that we will need more space storage in the future?...

Those ventures themselves don't appear to be completely "free", as far as I understood from the letter you will need some kind of chip or token to make them venture out for you.
As for storage space, even as a crafter I have no lack of storage space as I only get items I need at a specific time.
Apart from that I am not really a gear/item hoarder either.

Apart from that, I rarely have more than 20 items for sale at a time so I won't need any extra retainers for that either.

4- Is our voice enough for change these things?

If we combine our voices, they will reconsider.
Most recent proof is the "Aetheryte ticket" topic.

5- Should retainers be in-game for guil or any other ways, giving the currency a little more of importance aside of housing?

As others have said, this service costs SE server space and resources, so real money.
Ingame gil will simply not compensate for that.
Aside from that, by asking real money for it they also make it something for the player to think about.
Do you really need it?

6- Taking in mind these kind of strategies, do you think eventually the game will become a Pay 2 Win, or, not radically that, but, slowly increase the amount of money we pay per month if we want to play it full advantages?

Right now I'd say, no. But I cannot predict the future.
If that happens though, I think you will get a very clear answer to question 4.

[Paintedtarget]

1- Very Bad Idea opens the door for eventual Pay to Win

2- I think it will lead to more items and eventual Pay 2 Win

3- If you are able to send out more retainers then someone who does not have this ability then yes it affects gameplay in a P2P game that should not occur. In F2P it would be a different discussion

4- No but enough people cancelling their sub when this goes in and stating why would be

5- Yes they should be in game for Gill or a one time purchase

6- I believe it will slowly keep increasing. Thus leading to a P2W scenario. I am already paying 15 dollars a month and now with 2 retainers I would be paying 19 a month and I feel that is very bad form from Square and it would lead to me cancelling my sub

[MVague]

I've already posted my feedback on this whole ordeal on reddit, and I got quite a few ups, so I'll post it here too.

Quite frankly I find this disgusting. More bag space, a higher marketplace selling cap, and an extra source of gil income for RL money? Why the hell are we paying a sub then? GW2 charges a ONE TIME fee for more bagspace, and it has no sub. If I wanted to pay for convenience and cosmetics instead of earning them by playing, I'd go play a f2p game... This is just super douchey in my book, especially with how ventures work, and I don't understand why people are fine with getting bent over like this...

Also the slippery slope is so true. A little more $, a little more $ there aaand the game is dead... (continued 2 comments below)

[Dotsusama]

1 - I'm fine with it.

2 & 6 - Not really. Given the company's history, exploiting microtransactions is not their style.

3 & 5 - I think it's common enough in other MMOs to have perks that cost real money paid directly to the company. Would people rather have this cost gil, and then people will spend real money to gilsellers to be able to afford additional bank space and such? I wouldn't want that temptation there.

4 - It's clear that the community is being listened to. Maybe not on everything, and maybe not how we want to in the end, but it's happening. Voicing our opinions can never hurt us. The worst that happens is that we have proof that we are not being listened to, and then as consumers we will speak in the most powerful way possible -- with our wallets, by taking our money elsewhere.


For me, I can only focus on one character at a time. As a Legacy customer I pay less per month, BUT I have the option to pay more money each month if I want additional character slots. Which I don't want or need. Since I had many items already stored up from my first day back in ARR that took up lots of space on my retainers, my storage space is at a premium. As my other classes slowly creep up to level 50, I will only acquire more and more gear that I cannot put in the Armoury. Glamours will mean that I will want to hunt down unique-looking pieces of gear so that I can apply them to my current outfits and still use them in combat. Couple that with crafting and... yeah, I'm hurting for space. I'm constantly trying to figure out what I want to keep or put up for auction. Crafting from stored materials even when I don't gain much XP from it just to get rid of it.

I will gladly give S-E more money per month for something that will make the game more convenient and less stressful to me in regards to storage space. I will never pay them for exclusive access to content outside of expansions, or services that give me a marked advantage in progression or leveling, because in my opinion those are the marks of a transition to a F2P game.