Okay we're a year into HW, where's storage diversity?

[Welsper59]

there is no reason, in a game we're paying a monthly subscription for, that we should have to sacrifice efficiency for storage space. SE isn't some crippled indie developer that can't afford new servers to sort this crap out, they're just another stupid AAA developer that would rather take (massive, if XI set any kind of precedent) profits from one project and use it to fuel an utter abomination (like FFVIIHD).

To be honest, that's actually a huge reason right there that you pointed out as to why the XIV team may not want to lol. Every company allocates set funds to their individual offices and departments/divisions, regardless of how much profit it may bring in. Even if it were a situation that XIV was the only source of profit for the company, it's still bound by the authorization of management (higher ups) to determine how much of the companies money they get. You're definitely right that SE isn't some make it or break it type of indie developer that's risking homeless status, but the divisions themselves are still bound to protocol and restrictions. That's just universal business practices all across the world.

Now, having said that, they could always prioritize funding towards such things, but that's likely Yoshi-P's call on that. Why he doesn't want to is for his reasons that we won't really know. Maybe it really does have some sort of underlying limitation as to why it'd be a problem. Maybe it's just because of the tinfoil hat conspiracy theories that it literally is for no other reason than to milk more money to line their pockets with. Maybe, in regards to that last one, it's that the income from the cash shop really has been arranged to be exclusively for XIV development. It being a vanity based cash shop though, does mean that profits are unstable, so it's likely to go to things like RL events and more merchandise to (hopefully) profit off of. Who knows?

[Nalien]

It being a vanity based cash shop though, does mean that profits are unstable, so it's likely to go to things like RL events and more merchandise to (hopefully) profit off of. Who knows?

That's the hope, though so far (and we've had this stuff for nearly two years now) progress has been... Slow?

We got EU servers, and fingers crossed 3.3 delivers on the Housing adjustments promised around 3.1, but so far we've seen nothing with regards to inventory issues. They've consistently compounded problems with new items and continue to waste potential storage space; Others have pointed out the potential to put more in the Key Item spaces, and I've mentioned how the Armoire potentially wastes space (stores AF but not Augmented AF).

With all that in mind, it has become increasingly hard for me to just give them the benefit of the doubt on this... They're out right profiting off the issue with the retainer service, which has never sat right with me. Nor has the cash shop in general, but that's vanity fluff I can ignore (for the most part, I still have some issues with it) and we've seen returns on that. They out right stated around its launch that they'd use profits from it to improve servers and provide more Wards for Housing, and we've got (and are getting more of) that. Retainers are, for some, a requirement at this point, and then there is the simple fact that they're not vanity fluff, Venturers give them actual in game value, be that increased chances at rare Venture rewards, or a simple break down of the 18h Venture profits you can bring in (which essentially has SE selling ~120k for $2 a month). Then you have to consider that retainers aren't a one time cost, it's an extra subscription (one which they likely can make projections on). I've always very much been against the retainer service because of that, and always figured they'd work better as veteran rewards. I can get past that if I see inventory issues being sorted out though, but I haven't. I've seen the issue worsen and practically nothing on SEs end about any long term (or short term) solutions... Deal with the inconvenience or give us more money, those seem like the only options going forward. It's a very similar issue to Housing space, except that has had numerous comments from Yoshida regarding the plan going forward (we've been told we're getting new stuff in 3.3, for example). Storage? Nothing. And every event they labor me with more seasonal furniture that I'll either never be able to obtain again (or have to pay real money for if they put it in the cash shop... /shudder) or have to pay ridiculous prices for on the market board as players take advantage of the finite supply of the stuff... Good thing I can dump that stuff in my FC chest so I can put a Christmas tree out again next Christmas, I feel bad for people who don't have that option though...

[Welsper59]

That's the hope, though so far (and we've had this stuff for nearly two years now) progress has been... Slow?

We got EU servers, and fingers crossed 3.3 delivers on the Housing adjustments promised around 3.1, but so far we've seen nothing with regards to inventory issues. They've consistently compounded problems with new items and continue to waste potential storage space; Others have pointed out the potential to put more in the Key Item spaces, and I've mentioned how the Armoire potentially wastes space (stores AF but not Augmented AF).

With all that in mind, it has become increasingly hard for me to just give them the benefit of the doubt on this... They're out right profiting off the issue with the retainer service, which has never sat right with me. Nor has the cash shop in general, but that's vanity fluff I can ignore (for the most part, I still have some issues with it) and we've seen returns on that. They out right stated around its launch that they'd use profits from it to improve servers and provide more Wards for Housing, and we've got (and are getting more of) that. Retainers are, for some, a requirement at this point, and then there is the simple fact that they're not vanity fluff, Venturers give them actual in game value, be that increased chances at rare Venture rewards, or a simple break down of the 18h Venture profits you can bring in (which essentially has SE selling ~120k for $2 a month). Then you have to consider that retainers aren't a one time cost, it's an extra subscription (one which they likely can make projections on). I've always very much been against the retainer service because of that, and always figured they'd work better as veteran rewards. I can get past that if I see inventory issues being sorted out though, but I haven't. I've seen the issue worsen and practically nothing on SEs end about any long term (or short term) solutions...

That's actually something that I failed to imply/mention (just forgot to) when I brought up the cash shop, so it's good of you to have brought things like the EU servers up. Assuming a big part of it really does come from optional services/goods income (cash shop), then that's likely part of the reason why retainers are the way they are and have not changed... yet (hopefully lol). Maintaining servers is not a one-time expense, just like having additional retainers. It's also not a cheap venture to upkeep, especially if the hosting company knows you're a big name one... mark ups for temporary/monthly/annual services are very real (and unfortunately legal) in many parts of the corporate/business world. It's likely a risk they don't want to take right now to reduce the side income, as it could affect upkeep of those additional servers or other things that are a result of that profit.

[ruskie]

as it could affect upkeep of those additional servers or other things that are a result of that profit.

a) they are not additional servers - they are existing servers that were moved from the existing data center to the EU one
b) they get our subscription money for the upkeep of servers and development of new content

We can only hope the cash shop stuff is used to fund more stuff in the game.

[Millerna]

a) they are not additional servers - they are existing servers that were moved from the existing data center to the EU one
b) they get our subscription money for the upkeep of servers and development of new content

We can only hope the cash shop stuff is used to fund more stuff in the game.

Not quite, the EU datacenter is new hardware, that's why the move was relatively fast.




As for the glamour log, I don't think that's really a server issue (even if Yoshi says it is), but more a problem that it's hard to come up with a UI that's usable on the PS3. They have very limited resources for the PS3 UI, as well as a limited screen resolution. Glamour log is something that all players should have access to, so implementing it only for PC, Mac and PS4 is not an option.

(I'm not saying PS3 support should be dropped, or PS3 limitations are common, but in this case, the PS3 is certainly a limiting factor)

[Warlyx]

Not quite, the EU datacenter is new hardware, that's why the move was relatively fast.




As for the glamour log, I don't think that's really a server issue (even if Yoshi says it is), but more a problem that it's hard to come up with a UI that's usable on the PS3. They have very limited resources for the PS3 UI, as well as a limited screen resolution. Glamour log is something that all players should have access to, so implementing it only for PC, Mac and PS4 is not an option.

(I'm not saying PS3 support should be dropped, or PS3 limitations are common, but in this case, the PS3 is certainly a limiting factor)

DCUO is playable in PS3 and has one if not the best glamour system ever.

dye included

[Niwashi]

As for the glamour log, I don't think that's really a server issue (even if Yoshi says it is), but more a problem that it's hard to come up with a UI that's usable on the PS3. They have very limited resources for the PS3 UI, as well as a limited screen resolution. Glamour log is something that all players should have access to, so implementing it only for PC, Mac and PS4 is not an option.

All clients can already handle glamour. The glamour log isn't a new glamour system, just be a new way of storing a list of which items are available for it. That's really not a client side issue, so PS3 has nothing to do with it. To the client, it would simply be a window listing a bunch of items + the glamouring capabilities it already handles. The PS3 has no trouble displaying a list in a window. You see that all the time (including when you use our current glamour system and it gives a list of items you can glamour). This would just be a different source for that list rather than making one from your inventory and armoury chest.