Cash Shop: Where do you draw the line?

[Ultimatecalibur]

It could fuel a rise in RMT, for example. If a ring is going for either $40 from SE or 5 mill in game and if the illegal RMT advertise 5 mill for $20 they could see a rise in business. This leads to market hyperinflation as more people buy gil from the illegal RMT. A lot of us here are FFXI veterans and remember when RMT bots dominated the player economy. Items sold for 20x their 'normal' price.

There is an economic shift in the situation you describe which makes it unlikely. If RMT are selling 5 million gil for $20 then someone selling the $40 (platinum) ring will be asking for 10+ million gil. If RMTs then start selling 10 million for $20 then people start asking for 20 million gil for the ring. This will continue until it is unprofitable for the RMTs. This is a fairly effective way to mess up RMT profitability.

[Nalien]

Anything that provides players who pay extra with extra Gil.

That line was crossed back in 2.2, when players could buy two extra Retainers and send them out on daily Ventures and effectively double the number of Allagan Silver Pieces (which are solely there to NPC for Gil) they bring in. Small amount of extra Gil for an added cost on your subscription, but extra Gil for your dollar is still extra Gil.

Actually, I probably just draw the line right at the start. It's lazy. People can claim I'm just "whining" and that I "just want stuff handed to me for free", I don't care. I would have much rather have had Sleipnir be something you work towards in game so when a newb asks me how I got the mount (I haven't gotten it, btw) I can give an answer that isn't pathetic (it is so sad that Sleipnir Barding is more impressive than Sleipnir himself...). I would much rather have seen Delivery Moogle quests for each of the Scions that rewards you with their respective minion. The whole "You just want it handed to you for free" argument just comes off as pathetic I think... I want it in the game as part of my subscription. That is neither free, nor handed to me. Visiting the cash shop and just buying Sleipnir might not be free (though a popular argument I see is that "It isn't that expensive", "Just save up for a week"), but it sure as hell is simply handed to you.

[Orochimaru]

Interesting you bring out the idea of an official poll. I remember back in 1.x when Yoshi began to take over the game, the concern he had for the voice of the player (of course in my opinion) seemed genuine. Back in 1.x, it seemed like Yoshi and the dev. Team were far more transparent with the players and even provided us with a ‘road map’ of the upcoming patches and content. I remember taking polls about all aspects of the game on more than one occasion and it seemed like the community voice was heard.

Here is an example of such a poll:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...806-04-2012%29

Would be great to see something like this again! But for now, this unofficial form will have to do. Where are you drawing the line with the cash shop? Keep it coming!

[Bixby]

The line for me was tradable goods in the cash shop. Unsubbed.

ps: do i'm the only one that did notice that no veteran reward was announced recently? more stuff into the cash shop and nothing for the people loyal to the game....

The 630-day rewards were posted the same day as the patch, same place they always are (Optional Services page). Wind-up Nanamo and fat chocobo head.

[Rose-Wild]

Interesting you bring out the idea of an official poll. I remember back in 1.x when Yoshi began to take over the game, the concern he had for the voice of the player (of course in my opinion) seemed genuine. Back in 1.x, it seemed like Yoshi and the dev. Team were far more transparent with the players and even provided us with a ‘road map’ of the upcoming patches and content. I remember taking polls about all aspects of the game on more than one occasion and it seemed like the community voice was heard.

Here is an example of such a poll:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...806-04-2012%29

Would be great to see something like this again! But for now, this unofficial form will have to do. Where are you drawing the line with the cash shop? Keep it coming!

That's just gone. They saw the game was going well for a year and then they stoped caring.

[Ultimatecalibur]

That line was crossed back in 2.2, when players could buy two extra Retainers and send them out on daily Ventures and effectively double the number of Allagan Silver Pieces (which are solely there to NPC for Gil) they bring in. Small amount of extra Gil for an added cost on your subscription, but extra Gil for your dollar is still extra Gil.

You do realize that it costs the same number of Ventures to get the same number of Allagan Silver Pieces. All that extra Retainers do is change the amount of time taken to spend that number of Ventures.

[Nalien]

You do realize that it costs the same number of Ventures to get the same number of Allagan Silver Pieces. All that extra Retainers do is change the amount of time taken to spend that number of Ventures.

So what? You're acting like 8 Ventures a day is a massive challenge to earn. Were I not constantly sending my Retainers off to farm up Shards and Crystals, I'd have a ridiculous excess of Ventures, and that's without even touching Company/Allied Seals. What I get from Dailies and the odd Treasure Chest is more than enough for me to set 4 Retainers off on an 18 hour Venture every day. It's more than enough for me to send 8 Retainers off...

Bottom line is, buying two extra Retainers doubles your rewards for Retainer Ventures.

[Aegis]

There is an economic shift in the situation you describe which makes it unlikely. If RMT are selling 5 million gil for $20 then someone selling the $40 (platinum) ring will be asking for 10+ million gil. If RMTs then start selling 10 million for $20 then people start asking for 20 million gil for the ring. This will continue until it is unprofitable for the RMTs. This is a fairly effective way to mess up RMT profitability.

And when it becomes unprofitable for the RMT, the number of buyers will dry up (because far fewer people have 20 mill gil than 5 mill gil) which brings the price down again, which makes it profitable for RMT again.

And then SE introduces a new cash shop item that can be traded and the market spikes again.

All the while, more gil is entering the market, raising prices again.

So what? You're acting like 8 Ventures a day is a massive challenge to earn. Were I not constantly sending my Retainers off to farm up Shards and Crystals, I'd have a ridiculous excess of Ventures, and that's without even touching Company/Allied Seals. What I get from Dailies and the odd Treasure Chest is more than enough for me to set 4 Retainers off on an 18 hour Venture every day. It's more than enough for me to send 8 Retainers off...

Bottom line is, buying two extra Retainers doubles your rewards for Retainer Ventures.

Get dungeon chest drops from daily roulette, trade in for several thousand GC seals, never run out of ventures.

[Velhart]

I wonder how many people here who apparently "unsubbed" actually unsubbed.

I don't recall getting married mandatory in this game, nor having to buy this stuff to do it. People being over dramatic for nothing.

[Rose-Wild]

I wonder how many people here who apparently "unsubbed" actually unsubbed.

I don't recall getting married mandatory in this game, nor having to buy this stuff to do it. People being over dramatic for nothing.

Hell what's mandatory?? Care to explain please? Or is it that what's not mandatory for you can't be it for the others?