Quote Originally Posted by Ametrine View Post
It just makes you sound like jerks towards those of us who don't mind vanity items in the cash shop, or can budget money into it.

We all support the game with a subscription. Some of us take it further with the cash shop or merchandise. Some even go to fanfest or bought the streams. It's all the same thing! We're buying the content we want, and not buying what we don't!

Why do people feel like the existence of a cash shop is somehow taking advantage of them? How is having the option of putting more money into SE hurting us all as players?
I don't feel it is taking advantage of me, because I don't take part in it. I feel that they are moving more and more into a hybrid business model, where they have micro-transactions as well as subs. Micro-transactions, typically, were reserved for free games. This method seems like double-dipping, so-to-speak. I personally see very little reason to pay twice for stuff, and am encouraged more and more to go play Guild Wars 2 or Wildstar. Even in Wildstar, you can change your race without real money. In Guild Wars 2, you can purchase anything on the cash shop with real money or gold. Both games have better systems towards their consumers, and before you ask, the main reason why i am not over there is because my friends play here.

In terms of your question, if you agree with that, then why don't you donate more money? At what point does giving Square more money go from being beneficial to too much?
Quote Originally Posted by Teryaani View Post
Oh obfuscation. Neither "joke" was in response to anyone. Both characterized people using the cash shop ("us") as being gullible. "Clueless idiot" worked fine as convenient shorthand. Want to know my problem? People keep trying to make this discussion un-nuanced and tribal.
Fair enough. I wouldn't say gullible, so much as naive, to be honest. I think that it is naive to accept the explanation that the cash shop paid for Europe servers. Undoubtedly, the money was already available. I do admit there is a possibility that the higher ups agreed to putting money into EU servers, only if the dev team could provide increased revenue through a cash shop. I wouldn't say the money from the cash shop is going to the servers though, especially as those servers are up and running, and new items and higher prices are continuously added.

I'll admit, the tone of the post you responded to did seem condescending, though.