Isn`t just vanity. Is 2 diferent experiences and thats why is bad.

[Mogi]

For all we know, we could be redirected to the lil EB website SE is making and have a pick and choose sorta thing, but nah, lets all just go on ahead and play the gloom and doom of FFXIV card.

That's all ppl wanna do it seems idc my self how SE dose this but i like the cash shop idea

[Tupsi]

If this was happening to Raids it would be the same.

If this was happening to Raids we were bait & switch - Raids drive progression in this game to an extent. Making all raids cash shop items in a P2P game is definitely going down shady waters and would never happen unless it's a Freemium or F2P/B2P game.

Actual game content vs a Wedding that largely does nothing is on two different levels.

[Riepah]

Actual game content vs a Wedding that largely does nothing is on two different levels.

No, because that is "actual game content" just the same. Just because it's content you don't personally care about doesn't mean it isn't content.

EDIT:

So in your words:

What I said in my words is written in my post, clear as crystal - how you came to your strange conclusion of what you think my words were is beyond me.

You said "Actual game content vs a Wedding that largely does nothing" -- but that wedding IS actual game content. Vanity is content, fluff is content, minions and mounts are content. Not only raids and item level matter in games.
Why ask if the game would survive with "only the wedding system in it"? That is quite a silly question. Counter question: Would the game survive with only raids, if you remove all vanity and fluff from the equation? Would people raid if every gear set looked the same?

I should have leveled via wedding system, you say. That's cute - do you mean to imply, then, that anything you can't level with isn't content? Last I checked, you can't level via raiding. You also can't level via PvP.

I'm not sure what you mean by "asumption that someone "doesn't care about"", that seems like an incomplete sentence. In any case, the Eternal Bonding system will still be relevant in a year. Will the next tier of Crystal tower matter in a year, or coil, when we're long level 60?

[Chiramu]

On the slides it actually said three versions.

[Tupsi]

No, because that is "actual game content" just the same. Just because it's content you don't personally care about doesn't mean it isn't content.

So in your words:

Hundreds of thousands (or the 2 million as SE says) of people signed up to play XIV strictly for a wedding system? Tell me: Would this game survive with only the wedding system in it? Wedding is a system that yoshida even said they didn't fully think about some features such as couple skills (like almost every other MMO has), so it's not main content in the game. Raids actually progress your character. Same with doing content like Primals and ST/CT - Why did you level to 50? You should have stayed at level 1 and leveled via wedding system.

You also made the asumption that someone "doesn't care about" - EB doesn't do much for the game compared to the next introduction of end-game content and Crystal Tower. Or are we to believe that's incorrect?

[juniglee]

So in your words:

Hundreds of thousands (or the 2 million as SE says) of people signed up to play XIV strictly for a wedding system? Tell me: Would this game survive with only the wedding system in it? Wedding is a system that yoshida even said they didn't fully think about some features such as couple skills (like almost every other MMO has), so it's not main content in the game. Raids actually progress your character. Same with doing content like Primals and ST/CT - Why did you level to 50? You should have stayed at level 1 and leveled via wedding system.

You also made the asumption that someone "doesn't care about" - EB doesn't do much for the game compared to the next introduction of end-game content and Crystal Tower. Or are we to believe that's incorrect?

To back up this comment further (taken from one of the many other bloody threads about this topic):

At any point in this game did you battle, level up, collect gear and weapons? Because if you boil this game's concept down, The language that this game uses for "Power" is gear stats and weapon stats and character level. So unless you logged in and sat in the starter zone saying "I dont want to fight, I just want to collect", you have and are playing this game and participating in the "Win" condition of this game.

It is fallacious and dishonest to claim that the new "Win" condition of this game is to collect minions and mounts and pass that off on the forums as a perceived form of "Power".

Even if you convince yourself that your form of "Power" is collecting minions and mounts and clothing to jazz yourself up, you can not re-write the code of this game's definition of "Power". SE is not selling power.

Mainly to say that SE will never sell anything related to raid content (ie. gear, removing weekly lockouts) since it impacts gameplay, and the "Win" condition.

[Nikorayu]

One thing from this whole thing, and then I'll be on topic. Yoshida-san, and team. Showed a Lalafell on top of Slephnir in a picture quite some time ago, someone with more time than me can surely find it, so the Slephnire "mount" was in the game in some shape or form. People even asked about it and said could we have that? I am paraphrasing here "It's just a developer having fun, we probably should not have shown that" or something to that effect.

This one?

[Rjain]

People are acting as though everyone is outraged over the cash shop and premium features. Fact of the matter is people most often only comment on something if they have something negative to say. It doesn't matter how much positive stuff happens in this game, you don't often see it praised on these forums (or anywhere for that matter). People just shut up and enjoy the content.

Most people I know either don't care or support these features. Only the ones who have a chronic case of complaining about everything imaginable have something negative to say about it. I can see why some people are upset about it, but in reality it's a very trivial matter. They said there won't be any pay to win and what they are doing is no different from what nearly all of their competition is already doing.

If you don't like it, don't use it. Your only option.

Edit: Additionally, people are blowing this entirely out of the water in regard to the concept of "double-dipping". You're paying what, $12 a month or so to play a game? Wow, really looks like you're busting your bank accounts for that one. If you wanted even a fraction of the vanity content this game has in F2P games you can expect to spend over $100 a month on some other games. What's an additional $20 every few months (if that) to support a developer for a game you enjoy a lot? Surely you can put aside a couple of McDonalds meals to do that. You might even get a bit healthier! Stop complaining.

[Kinseykinz]

Actual game content vs a Wedding that largely does nothing is on two different levels.

You know that beating T13 actually 'does nothing' too right? Your life isn't somehow better because you can claim 'I beat T13' Sure, you might feel personal accomplishment, and your character might get some new shiny's but the SAME can be said of accomplishing anything else in this game, another game, or really anything else you could do with your free time. Furthermore, the same sense of accomplishment/growth you gain from something like raiding, others in this game might get from other activities, such as growing and building a successful FC w/ a house....or leveling all their classes to 50 and being a master gatherer/crafter...or roleplaying...or really anything. And it IS a MMORPG...so having some folk who their sole focus in the game, and enjoyment is based on Roleplaying is not only abnormal....but part of the initial intention behind these types of games. I mean, isn't the great-granddaddy of most of these types of games basically Dungeons and Dragons...that was all roleplay/imagination. Sure, you can skip the roleplay aspect , and many of us do, but it doesn't make it 'lesser' because many overlook it....by that logic, less focus should be on endgame/coil because so few actually participate in it/care to. (Seriously, it'd be interesting to see the stats on how many players consider themselves Roleplayers/enjoy roleplaying vs. How many even currently have access to Final coil...I suspect, more roleplay).

So back to the 'just because it's not important to you' thing.

But really, all that can be shown for your time spent in this game is maybe some personal relaxation and sense of accomplishment....nothing tangible actually ever happens...ever. Nothing that could actually carry over to your real life.

Now really, is it a big deal that you have to purchase the 'Premium' Wedding package?

Well...maybe; maybe not.
First, it depends on the cost.
Then, it depends on what that extra money actually gets you/what opting out of it doesn't get you.
Then it also depend on how long you'd have to wait in order to use the service once you purchase it. Currently, if you buy something of the Mog Station, you actually can use it right away...but it sounds like Bonding Ceremonies are likely going to need to be scheduled...days, if not months in advance. This leads down a tricky path of 'what happens if...' problems... Like what if I buy the Gold Plan, but my wedding can only happen 6 months later and my partner is by that point stationed oversea's w/o access to the game. (this will happen to someone...I can already hear these posts).

And then there's the 'what exactly does our Sub entitle us to?'/Why is x something considered 'extra' and sold on the cash shop but not 'y'
I'm not necessarily disagreeing that some of the items supposedly offered in the 'Gold' package shouldn't cost more....as player bonding shouldn't only happen because someone wants a cool mount. But why sell it as part of the bonding at all...why not just sell the darn mount for people to purchase, why tie it to the bonding? I mean, if we're 100% honest about things, there are likely folk who'd happily slap down the money for this mount who DON'T want to be bonded...so SE would actually stand to make more money off of it, and likely angered less people (because patch 2.4 at least got most of the anger over selling mounts/minions out of the way).

The clothing options, they probably should have been somehow a part of the game...either as a rare craft/map drop...or even you can pay a lot of in-game gil for them if you so desire (SE keeps saying we need gil sinks).

Lastly, I think why some people are up in arms is because, this is borderline 'selling content'. As it is sounding like, those who purchase a wedding package also gain more customization options outside of dresses/mounts and a minion. And to some, sure, this happening for a virtual wedding isn't a real big deal, but if it becomes more normal...it could be.

Like what if they started selling the hildibrand questlines?
Or what if they started selling access to the Savage versions of coil?

Neither would be 'pay to win'...they can control the actual 'pay to win' stuff with drops by making sure that the drops from this content are the same/only vanity (because again, it sounds like your side thinks 'vanity is okay' to sell)

But since, Hildibrand technically only drops what a minion? and Savage Coil mode currently drops the exact same stuff normal mode does, it wouldn't be a far stretch, if this whole 'sales of Gold Plans' goes well for SE to consider other types of 'Premium Side content' to market in such a manner....or for them to include a basic version in game...but for the real experience, give us more money.

[Rjain]

Like what if they started selling the hildibrand questlines?
Or what if they started selling access to the Savage versions of coil?

What if? What if? What if?

You could "what if" anything. Here's what's happening now: None of that. What's happening now is they are offering premium vanity content which does not affect access to content whatsoever. All of these strawmen ripostes I keep seeing are extreme what if scenarios if SE decided to block access to content and make such stuff premium. Okay, if they did that you can complain about that. But they're not doing that and it is very unlikely they will be doing that. So stop bringing up such crazy arguments.