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

[LunaHoshino]

Winning in an MMO is different for every player.

False. Every game, be it a board game, a video game or an MMO, is designed with specific, set conditions for 'winning.' You can argue "but this is winning for ME" all you want, but that doesn't make it true. Heck, you could say that 'winning' for you in chess is going around the chessboard in a certain pattern. The vast majority of people who play chess (and those who make the rules for the game) aren't going to agree with you.

In FFXIV's case, 'winning' has a very clear definition: progression in the story. Note how many aspects of the game are gated behind story content and how you can't even access them until you have reached certain parts of the story. You can't arbitrarily change the definition of 'winning' that was decided by the game's creators when it was first developed because that isn't how YOU play the game.

They have kept their word: there is no P2W content in the cash shop.

As for whether or not it's been worth it for me... let's see. I've spent $5 on a ghost costume so far. That's less than most drinks from Starbucks, and you only get to enjoy those for 15-20 minutes at most. I can play around with the ghost costume as much as I want whenever I want. Seems like a pretty good value to me.