Please fix - really poor game design

[skeletonfingers]

Yeah, I understand how it works. It's still a really poor game design that needs changed. The game is essentially taking your items and deleting them if you haven't played in 45 days, which is absolutely ridiculous. Imagine if the game deleted your gear, items in your bank and up for sale on your retainers in the same way. I can't understand the logic behind it. The same goes for having to pay for additional private quarters if your FC drops you or disbands. The game is asking you to take a risk at spending a large amount of gil and not guaranteeing once that money is spent that you will continue to keep what you paid for.

Why wouldn't they just make private quarters be owned by your character, but only be able to have access to through a FC instance you are apart of? This is my stuff, I own it, and if I move to a different FC it should still be my stuff, where I had it placed, not be deleted because I couldn't keep my sub active for 45 days or more.

[worldofneil]

I can't understand the logic behind it.

It's a way to convince people to stay subscribed and they also probably rationalise it that they store less data for non-active players then.

The same goes for having to pay for additional private quarters if your FC drops you or disbands. The game is asking you to take a risk at spending a large amount of gil and not guaranteeing once that money is spent that you will continue to keep what you paid for.

This is true. They probably justify it as a gil sink though to remove money from the game (as there are so many ways to get money that comes from nowhere and very few that actually take money out of the game).

Why wouldn't they just make private quarters be owned by your character, but only be able to have access to through a FC instance you are apart of?

Because it's attached to the house and the house is owned by the free company. I agree it'd be nice if you could move it with you to a new house, but that's unrealistic (unless they invent some lore that explains how your room isn't connected to a solid house/moves around...)

[skeletonfingers]

Because it's attached to the house and the house is owned by the free company. I agree it'd be nice if you could move it with you to a new house, but that's unrealistic (unless they invent some lore that explains how your room isn't connected to a solid house/moves around...)

You are defending a poor game design with a need for Lore? Where is the lore around why the characters in this world never sleep? The lore behind the same events/stories happening over and over in different time/space for all the characters in it, endlessly, with an exception to once a week the world ceasing to exist while its makers shut servers down for maintenance? Or, the lore behind why a people randomly disappear into thin air and are gone for hours/days/months then suddenly reappear? (without their housing still intact) Its a game. Lore exists for good setting and story telling, not defining the very existence of every possible element within a game.

[Iagainsti]

. The same goes for having to pay for additional private quarters if your FC drops you or disbands. The game is asking you to take a risk at spending a large amount of gil and not guaranteeing once that money is spent that you will continue to keep what you paid for.

I'm sorry, 300k gil is not a large sum of cash, and SE cannot be blamed that the FC you did decide to bank on lasting folded and you lost your gil investment, #realworld. The system in place makes a lot of sense tbh and doesn't require a fix.

[skeletonfingers]

I'm sorry, 300k gil is not a large sum of cash, and SE cannot be blamed that the FC you did decide to bank on lasting folded and you lost your gil investment, #realworld. The system in place makes a lot of sense tbh and doesn't require a fix.

Towards end-game, no 300 gil is not large. At the time I purchased my housing I do remember it being pretty significant. The deleting of items is what gets me.

All game design should run through 3 checks. (In order of importance)

1. Does it benefit the Player?
2. Does it benefit the Game?
3. Does it benefit the Developer?

Curious to know how you see this game design is benefiting ALL three.

[Nulstat]

You're operating under the assumption that those are the checks that companies use in that order. The reality is that you can develop a game without players - they are the disposable. Will you make money without players? No, of course not... but ultimately, the players are optional. Development is a business, and the business will do what they can to work within their limits for highest profit.

Which means disposing of the data that is unused, so that the data that is being used has a place. While I'm not saying you can't be upset about losing your things, you are paying for the privilege of playing in a creative sandbox - when you stop playing there, or paying to play there, they are no longer obligated to hold your spot and will give it to someone who is paying.

This game has 15 second server backups. That's insane. Even they know it's insane. Your 50 items and their data, no matter how valuable they were to you, were not as valuable as the space they took up.

[Neira]

You're operating under the assumption that those are the checks that companies use in that order. The reality is that you can develop a game without players - they are the disposable.

Do you work at Blizzard/Activision, Capcom, or Electronic Arts? I can't even dispute the point when it's obvious that you're right, and that it's a philosophy SE takes to heart as well.

[skeletonfingers]

Your 50 items and their data, no matter how valuable they were to you, were not as valuable as the space they took up.

Couldn't disagree more. This is why companies fail every day because "small things don't matter". When my items were deleted, it made me want to get on here and complain. It decreased my excitement about the game. It made me want to never put time/effort into housing in this game again. Now, when I think of FFXIV I think about how its great, but the housing system sucks. When asked by friends I play other games with, I will mention this. Don't play this game if you want a good housing system. It's one less thing the game has to offer. So when I run out of other stuff to do, chances are instead of continuing to pay monthly and enjoy housing, I'll unsub. That time in addition to the time I detracted others from subbing for this game is worth FAR more than the pennies it cost to store that information on a server.

[Neira]

That time in addition to the time I detracted others from subbing for this game is worth FAR more than the pennies it cost to store that information on a server.

While you may be right, and I'd personally like to agree you are and agree that you know how a business should be run, the fact is that large development companies and big name titles don't operate on that principle anymore, and they aren't failing either. Final Fantasy doesn't need your word of mouth to bring in new customers, and Square Enix doesn't need your money to keep making a profit. That's why the industry has shifted so much to providing shallow games with large emphasis on hype and beauty, the bait so to speak, with minimalistic development or innovation.

These companies don't want to provide unique games anymore, or try new things, there is too much risk for only a potential of reward(FFXIV 1.0). One fifth of the people who bought this game could bash it on forums, in game stores, or in blogs/vlogs, and it wouldn't change a thing. The name is too popular to stop from drawing people in, and even in cases where the game might be complete and utter trash(not saying this one is, even I don't think it is), if it's a popular enough franchise or series, it will still have hardcore defenders who stick loyally to it.

That also ties into part of the reason why basically every MMO has a cash shop too; there is more money in providing extra content to the short-lived player base than there is in working hard to keep people interested for years of subscriptions. The fact that this game can get away with both is just an example of how it's simply too big of a title to fail. All they need is a token housing system to advertise, just for the draw and to say it's there. Whether it's amazing or broken is irrelevant.

[skeletonfingers]

Sorry, I guess I started posting here unaware that FFXIV contains so many players too content with mediocrity that they would rather defend it rather than address it. Shame on me for expecting a game I pay for to create a more positive housing experience. One that could compete with it's F2P competitors. You all did well in helping me see there is little point in this community.

Enjoy the pile of trash housing I guess.