I really didn't understand the issue.

[Nephera]

Games are in a sense self contained worlds.

"Where" you end up in a game should be based on how you play it not how much RL money you have.

Like the positions on a chess board should be based on how the players play, not how much money one player has over the other.

I'm not particularly articulate, I apologize in advance, if you don't understand what I'm talking about.

In the past with MMOs, you have a somewhat level playing field. Anyone can be the big hero with the shiny armour. I doesn't matter who you are in RL, you can be a billionaire CEO or some starving student, the outside world has no effect on what happens in the game. The only things that affect the game are what occurs in the game.

Sadly this is already tainted by having a cash shop to begin with. We might as well go whole hog.


edit: in spite of the fact that i'm playing devil's advocate here i'd like to clarify my position just a little bit.

I think an extremely successful subscription game also having a cash shop is the dumbest thing in the world.

[Garlyle]

Sadly this is already tainted by having a cash shop to begin with. We might as well go whole hog.

Yeah this is honestly the thing.

Like, I really do not agree with the ability to buy an in-game advantage - in this case, spending money on a cash-only item that can then be exchanged to obtain significant amounts of gil, allowing you to essentially pay for a leg up.

At the same time, if we're going to have a cash shop, I appreciate a system whereby you can obtain those things instead through in-game currency or effort.

A system whereby you are still paying real-world currency for an ingame advantage to be obtained isn't acceptable to me; but I'd genuinely like SE to allow players to purchase cash shop items using gil you've obtained yourself.

[Bishop81]

Sadly this is already tainted by having a cash shop to begin with. We might as well go whole hog.


edit: in spite of the fact that i'm playing devil's advocate here i'd like to clarify my position just a little bit.

I think an extremely successful subscription game also having a cash shop is the dumbest thing in the world.

Actually it's already taint by the collector's edition. But that is a one-off thing, so most people subconsciously let it slide.