I want an official response.

[Peachy]

No. They are optional, no matter what way you people try to spin it. Optional is optional. Minions are not required to play the game. At all, and no. They are not content.

Content is literally everything in the game. Its the definition of the word. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/content

Yes, minions are content, along with everything sold in the cash shop. If you play this game for anything other than raid progression, some things sold can actually be considered pay to win. winning is an abstract concept in a theme park MMO, I win by just logging into the game. FUN ACHIEVED

[Teirafon]

"But MOOOOOM, if you don't buy this for me, no one will think I'm cool!" mom, "no" <comes to forums to rant>

LOL! This had me rolling.

[Krr]

If you play this game for anything other than raid progression, some things sold can actually be considered pay to win. winning is an abstract concept in a theme park MMO, I win by just logging into the game. FUN ACHIEVED

Uhh, nooooooope. A themepark MMO, by design, is multiple sub-activities with win states or loss states, with win states usually yielding rewards and loss states usually yielding wasted time and not much else. Crafting an item worth a million gil is a win state. Getting your pentameld achievement is a win state. Killing Twintania or Nael is a win state. You can qualify a minion as a reward for a win state, but unless you're missing some lucrative Gotta Catch Em All! Achievement because 5 of the minions are in the cash shop, you aren't paying to 'win' anything because the minions don't represent victory.

Having more than one possible winstate (and even nonpermanent winstates since instances reset) doesn't mean you just get to make up your own, just like you don't go into Chess and make a cute configuration of your little black knights and suddenly declare "I win!" because you won an invisible game you invented in your mind separate from Chess that involved making your little Chess army look aesthetically pleasing.

[Amused]

"But MOOOOOM, if you don't buy this for me, no one will think I'm cool!" mom, "no" <comes to forums to rant>

It's funny that you're attempting to come off as more mature, yet you're the one acting like a child in this situation.

[ShinigamiZero]

Once again.. people defending the idea of paying more on a subscription model... it just too perplexing. I definitely will lose hope in humanity.

[Amused]

Once again.. people defending the idea of paying more on a subscription model... it just too perplexing. I definitely will lose hope in humanity.

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are. MMOs weren't like this when I was growing up. Back then it was even questionable that a game be P2P.

[craig_meredith2003]

If people want it they will buy it. I for one am neither for or against, but if see something on it I want, I'll buy it.

[ShinigamiZero]

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are. MMOs weren't like this when I was growing up. Back then it was even questionable that a game be P2P.

I feel that if a company tried to pull this garbage back in the day the people would eat them alive. People are just too docile and passive. The whole reason I am even paying a sub is to avoid a cash shop.

[NoloeTazier]

I feel that if a company tried to pull this garbage back in the day the people would eat them alive. People are just too docile and passive. The whole reason I am even paying a sub is to avoid a cash shop.

"WoW does it so it's ok." For serious though it all went down hill when businesses hired psychologists/psychiatrists that know how to work with words (same things politicians do). It's really easy to convince people nowadays that something like this is a good thing (well subjective really, though I'm anti-cash shop on a subscription). Look at how DLC and Cellphone games have evolved.

[Kuroyasha]

Please explain to me where I can get illvl 135 weapons and ilvl 130 armor besides coil. I'm sure there would be plenty of players all over it.

The Matrix obviously. You've got to free your mind Kaiyoko.