XIV: P2P or F2P? XI never has Cash Shop, why XIV has?

[BobbinT]

Seeing the recent news about upcoming patch just makes me really wonder about all these. Why are some of marriage bonus item now locked behind cash shop too?

XI has marriage system. I really don't recall any "cash shop" involved. In fact, I don't see any form of "cash shop" in XI. While the latest news just calls it as "optional means", it still irks me since I thought this game are still P2P.

If I pay in cash shop, do I get the action figures too? or it's just a "mere" virtual vanity item that will be gone when I'm not subbing anymore? Still can't believe that Odin horse are just "virtual" item when you could get a life-like action figure for around same price too.

Now, does players doomed to never got those items in cash shop without any in-game ways to obtain them? At least I could understand for some item exclusivity that's only gotten from special means like soundtrack albums or art books. But cash shop? Really?

If cash shop meant for ppl that's too busy or even lazy to obtain them in-game, that's fine. But locking them through cash shop only? That's just really disappointing. Burning your money away for some "digital artwork" that's not even belonged to you since it's still locked in server and not in your local PC. Does that really justify it?

Currently, XIV, or I refer it as just "ARR" from now on, felt less and less "Final Fantasy"-like. And yes, I am one of those who were attracted to this just because there's "Final Fantasy" in it. I admit that the series never failed to awe me so far, until now. Does ARR still brings the "Final Fantasy" identity in it, or it's just a shadow following those WoW-like?

Maybe ARR needs to drop the "Final Fantasy XIV" from it. At least that way, the game could reason with common MMO trends. And yes, I will always compared ARR with XI since both are still currently under the "Final Fantasy" banner.

Lastly, this is not about me able or not to purchase those cash-shop thingie, but about how it robbed the satisfaction of achieving through in-game hard works, in which was my original thought of following P2P plans.

[lololink]

Because it evolved and now players accept these kind of things that would never have happened or be accepted at that time.

[Enkidoh]

Technically, FFXI did have a cash shop of sorts, albeit the features that could be bought were not in game functions but extras connected to PlayOnline Viewer, known as PlayOnline Plus (extra email addresses, a spam filter, email addresses using your FFXI character name and server name, and a few other things I can't remember.).

The tagline for POL Plus was even 'Because You Asked For More', which is exactly the reason FFXIV now has a cash shop too - because players wanted it. Of course you don't have to agree with it, but the fact remains, players wanted this for FFXIV, and SE obliged.

[UlricCraft]

"Shut up and take my money"

[Gralna]

Because it's all part of a secret plot to ruin the game and infuriate the playerbase. The Devs ultimate goal is to drive this game into the ground while tanking their careers at the same time.

[BobbinT]

Because it's all part of a secret plot to ruin the game and infuriate the playerbase. The Devs ultimate goal is to drive this game into the ground while tanking their careers at the same time.

That's hillarious! lmao XD

[Nuinn]

The thing that bugs me about things like this is not that I can't, or even won't, purchase. I might but, I loathe having to go elsewhere outside the game to get a piece of whatever (vanity clothes, mounts, minions etc.) and when I do purchase such items I'm like "Meh...." cause I literally didn't have to do more than lift one finger to click and get it. Don't really feel all that special for owning it, just cause I might have the $$$ to spend on getting such items. Dunno.... I guess it's for the people that absolutely must have the "new shiny thing."

[Marisela]

[BobbinT]

You know... I generally like Disney movies. But Frozen are among the most bottom list for me, might even the most bottom one.

I'm more of a "Lion King" era btw.

[Nuinn]

You know... I generally like Disney movies. But Frozen are among the most bottom list for me, might even the most bottom one.

I'm more of a "Lion King" era btw.

I still can't fathom how this mediocre movie (Frozen) became so awe-worthy.