Acceptable Cash Shop Items: Suggestions!

[Pandastirfry]

Your actually getting the game mechanics of another race, not more than what you had. So another player could have that same exact character stats with out paying more, but look different. There is nothing but aesthetics change and thus does not effect the gameplay. I do believe fantasia and this option probably needs to be limited to once ever month to keep it from getting silly personally.

Your comment seems more just trolling or you just don't get the concept of my complaint. Sorry to hear that.

you just said a Roe tank had more HP at a lower iLvl, so you'd get that additional HP, you'd get everything their base stats offer, not just the "mechanics" it wouldn't be just aesthetic you'd be playing a Roe, Stats and all, that just happened to look like a Mi'qote. so any Mi'qote tank that was still "just" a Mi'qote would be considered "gimp" as their HP would be lower than yours.

[Killance]

Blizzard seems to do just fine with one.

And Blizzard also has over 7.5 million subs. They can afford to do it without losing a lot of subs.

SE is scrapping the barrel with what subs it has left. Why do you think they are even considering a cash shop to begin with?

[Skull_Angel]

They take away things from the game. It would make crafters even more useless.

Because vanity in this game is content...

Right now, the main market that crafters have is people who are looking for cool vanity items. If these vanity items are offered in a cash shop, then that reduces incentive to craft, destroys the in-game market for crafted goods (no demand), and generally reduces the usefulness of crafting in general. Except for food. Those Culinarians are always in need.

This can be a valid argument, but it is more or less countered by offering items that are not available through crafting. Also, crafting can be made more viable by allowing crafters to make more powerful equipment [that is more equal to "raid" gear] (under certain restrictions), since that is a very real concern (I do craft myself).

I'll also note that i'm yet to see a good argument why they SHOULD be in the game. If you're so desperate to give them more money take out a second sub, or buy another collectors edition.

I'm not saying that they should, but if a company decides to open a cash shop in a P2P based game it's their decision. I have no issue with it if it's done in a way that does not create a P2W game.

Think about it like this: We pay a monthly fee to play this game, all features involved. Adding a vanity shop divorces some of the content that could be in game so people might shell out more for it.
You're effectively paying more for content that should be obtainable in the game you're already paying for.

Yes, and no. Adding a vanity shop doesn't necessarily take away from any in-game content unless the level of content being released in that category (vanity) is being reduced because of it.

What happens to that "excess" money is a big concern though; if it is going into further developing the game or even to legitimate charitable causes, I believe it to be acceptable.

[Bloodclaw]

you just said a Roe tank had more HP at a lower iLvl, so you'd get that additional HP, you'd get everything their base stats offer, not just the "mechanics" it wouldn't be just aesthetic you'd be playing a Roe, Stats and all, that just happened to look like a Mi'qote. so any Mi'qote tank that was still "just" a Mi'qote would be considered "gimp" as their HP would be lower than yours.

I see a possible problem with my suggestion breeding distain for normal Mi'qotes trying to tank (and similar situations). That is a good point. The question is if it would be any more or less than what we already have; I have noticed zero problems as is, I just don't feel optimal at my role. Personally, if I had it my way. Base stats would be separate from appearances in character creation for free. You do make a point though.

[Pandastirfry]

I see a possible problem with my suggestion breeding distain for normal Mi'qotes trying to tank (and similar situations). That is a good point. The question is if it would be any more or less than what we already have; have noticed zero. Personally, if I had it my way. Base stats would be separate from appearances in character creation for free. You do make a point though.

It isn't possible, it would. We already have people demanding iLvl 100+ for content that doesn't require it. you really think people wouldn't demand that almost negligible stat boost as well?

Min/Maxers don't care if the boost is small or large...it's a boost so it's "needed"

Basically right now the stats between races/clans are rather negligible and can be largely disregarded. but once you make them something everyone can have they'll no longer bee seen as such, it will become "Well, you can have it, so you really should get it, I mean it's only $X. Why do you want to be gimp?"

Where as your particular bugbear of Retainers offer no real tangible in game "bonuses" beyond a CHANCE to gear alt classes (I seem to get nothing but fish from my 2 retainers so paying for more fish seems silly) and a little more flexibility in inventory (if you feel you have to hoard every crafting mat, and don't manage your inventory effectively). So if you don't feel you need or want them (like me), you can give them a pass. (and only be reminded they're a "Thing" when people complain about them)

Long story short: Paying money to boost your stats (no matter how small) is the Archetypical Example of a Pay to Win sencenario.

[Velo_Vandore]

I hope a cash shop will never exist. If it's ever required for the game to survive and flourish, then I'd say while avoiding pay to win, exp boosts are fine so long as the non-boosted character can still level up in a reasonable manner (like before the shop appeared).

Extra bags / retainers (already added to "cash shop") - similar principle. This is OK except for the fact square-enix now have FAR less pressure on them to keep the number of unique items needed by your average player (that crafts) down to a manageable level with only the standard bags / retainers. If it becomes unreasonable to play the game in a normal way as a crafter without the extra retainers, I hope square Square-Enix will address the issue properly instead of expecting purchases of extra retainers.

Vanity - this is probably an ok choice for cash shops. Players already have the basic equivalent with the collectors edition Behemoth mount, and the wind up dalamud from the soundtrack. It doesn't have a strong negative impact unless you decide to re-use item that could be otherwise obtained in the game. When LOTRO went free to play I was really disappointing to see that vanity items earned by building many reputation points with different factions were now available to any with the cash at the click of a button. This completely trod on the efforts of those players who spent the time building the reputation points. One other important consideration regarding vanity items is that square-enix already stated the resource management (which I understand as RAM limitations on PS3) limits how many unique items can be added per patch. To use these precious resources on cash shop items would, I feel, neglect the paying customer who opts out of cash shop purchases and is stuck with the same gear model over and over.

Fantasia - 100% fine. Completely non-essential and should certainly be considered an "extra" service and factored outside of the standard subscription that we all have to pay.

UI Skins - these should be purely cosmetic and give no other playing advantage to the player. Many would prefer their standard subs not to go towards development of such things, so it would be a good cash shop item.

Furniture - since there are limited furniture slots per room, there's only going to be a set amount that needs to be loaded into system memory and rendered at once, so adding any number of additional furnishings should be no problem in terms of system resource management. I'd say that makes furniture a good candidate for cash shops, again assuming they are unique items to the cash shop. We don't want crafters efforts wasted by chucking their merchandise in the cash shop.

[GalkaBikini]

Cash shops are inevitable - it is happening whether you like it or not and it is coming to FFXIV. Every MMORPG has or will have it, get used to it. Just accept it. All you can really do it hope that it's done properly. I think paying money for race changes, name changes, and server changes are 100% acceptable cash shop items. The next tier would be cosmetic gear, mounts, and furniture for housing. Anything beyond this is going to be very bad.

[Auron_Wolf]

-Character change
-Server transfer
-Name change
That's it. We pay a monthly fee so we don't have to go through that nonsense.

I agree 100%,

There pay retainers is already something that I didn’t like to much, since they also add you small things to encourage to buy it, things like on purpose fill your inventory with important game items like Atmas and ventures than can easily go to the key chest or currency like seals.

weren't you the guy complaining about how retainers are P2W and now you want to add a cash shop?

Also wonder why he open a thread like this;

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...s-is-Pay-2-WIN if now want to pay more?

[Khalette]

Here's the thing, I don't care if there are glamour cash shop items that are bound to your account. I don't care at all.

However, I don't want their "limited resources" doing silly stuff on the side of the game, when there's much to improve inside the game. Quit wasting time on vanity items and work on the designs of end game gear. When end-game gear is awesome looking, fine -- do event vanity gear. Have time to do more? Great! Do cash-shop vanity gear.

[Skull_Angel]

Extra bags / retainers (already added to "cash shop") - similar principle. This is OK except for the fact square-enix now have FAR less pressure on them to keep the number of unique items needed by your average player (that crafts) down to a manageable level with only the standard bags / retainers. If it becomes unreasonable to play the game in a normal way as a crafter without the extra retainers, I hope square Square-Enix will address the issue properly instead of encouraging purchases of extra retainers.

Actually, Yoshida stated that he wanted to cut down on "inventory fat" and did so in consolidating a lot of the materia from 1.0, but there are more items in the game that serve little purpose. This wouldn't be an issue if these "little purpose" items were crafted pieces necessary to create other items, but they are base materials, which causes inventory clutter. Between my wife and myself, we have around 500 inventory spaces dedicated to crafting items (which do find use) and have considered purchasing more retainers because what is left is barely enough for our other junk, I don't find this acceptable.