Naoki Yoshida's Comment in Regard to Jump Potions/Boost Potions

[Nestama]

-Player A buys game, plus Potion.
-Player B buys just the game.
-Both players start the same day.

Do one of these players have a distinct advantage purchased with real world cash? If your answer is "yes", well... If that is not P2W, I don't know what is.

Some Legacy players started ARR at level 50. While they didn't necessarily buy a potion to do so, they still had an 'advantage' over new players.

[Rubicon]

Now focus on endgame content.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

Now focus on endgame content.

Yeah, more glamours

[DrStiles]

Also, to the "it should be free!" folks: entitled, much? Paying for the level boost is industry standard. Just about everyone who has a level skipping potion on their game charges for it (I can't think of any examples that don't).

World of Warcraft? You get a free level boost each time you buy a new expansion, specifically to catch up and start playing at launch. SE plans to charge new players extra for this. I see no entitlement.

[Imoen]

Some Legacy players started ARR at level 50. While they didn't necessarily buy a potion to do so, they still had an 'advantage' over new players.

This is a poor argument. As Player A and Player B did not start the same day. They may have started ARR on the same day, but any 1.0 player was playing before ARR even came out, or they would not be level 50. This argument additionally doesn't make sense, because it is like comparing someone that entered the game In ARR after HW had already been released. Additionally, as you said, they didn't "buy" the levels.

Moving forward, any new players that start on the same day, one could have an advantage over another. While this doesn't effect me in the slightest, I can not support a game that's running P2P model, while simultaneously introducing additional charge, elements similar to that of F2P or P2W, or what ever you want to call it, without options.

IF they were to have a F2P model, where a person was able to buy a potion if they wanted and a P2P model where subscription members had access to all content, and got one free potion. This would be a non issue to me.

This idea, even entertaining it, is a deal breaker to me.

Because the ONLY advantage is "hey I didn't spend 4 days to level." If that's a huge advantage to you, then I don't know what to tell you. There are going to be plenty of players who don't want to use it and level the traditional way. So, still not a p2w advantage, good try though.

Sooooo you're saying it is not an advantage then? It's either an advantage or not.. There is no "grey area" for interpretation.

Also you're being subjective by bringing up "how long" it takes, you do not speak for every person that plays video games for how "long" something takes. Additionally, I didn't say the word "huge", you are exaggerating, I said "distinct".

[Silica-chan]

SE plans to charge new players extra for this.

New and "Old" for their alts on the different or the same server. And if I look around how much money people invest on Overwatch/CoD etc. for rng lootboxes this isn't really that big issue.

[rainichan]

-Player A buys game, plus Potion.
-Player B buys just the game.
-Both players start the same day.

Do one of these players have a distinct advantage purchased with real world cash? If your answer is "yes", well... If that is not P2W, I don't know what is.

Because the ONLY advantage is "hey I didn't spend 4 days to level." If that's a huge advantage to you, then I don't know what to tell you. There are going to be plenty of players who don't want to use it and level the traditional way. So, still not a p2w advantage, good try though.

[Naria]

Some Legacy players started ARR at level 50. While they didn't necessarily buy a potion to do so, they still had an 'advantage' over new players.

I'd like to point out that this isn't quite an equivalency to level jumping potions (although we did have an advantage). 1) We were locked on to our own servers--which were and still are clearly marked. 2) We only started with the levels we had gained in 1.0. It took much longer to level in 1.0 and if they had reset us ppl would have been mad (Star Wars Galaxies anyone?) 3) there was no way to skip the story. I had a 50 whm at ARR's launch and still had to do through all of the whm and ARR quests.

I agree that the leveling process doesn't necessarily make good players. My main concern for these potions is that it will impact previously released content. FFXIV already has an issue were content is outdated very quickly and therefor they keep having to come up with incentives to get people to do older content, which leads to this idea that there is a lack of content in the game as a whole. There is a lot to do in FFXIV--but right now a good portion of that is leveling.

[Nestama]

A newbie will think about whether they want to use the potion or not, especially if it costs them $20 to $40. You can argue that 'yeah but people spend money on silly glamour things already.' Those players are not newbies. They know they're in it until the figurative end. A newbie is still undecided and will most likely download the Trial (which cannot get the booster/skipper) first. If they enjoy the Trial, then they'll have a level 30 character when they purchase ARR, which is already halfway to level 50 (they might decide to use a Skip when they realise how many quests there are between 2.1-2.55). If a newbie genuinely enjoys the story and levelling process, then they will never use the boost/skip. Regardless of whether they'll be at a severe disadvantage or not.

Isn't that why SE made WT Bingo?

[DrStiles]

New and "Old" for their alts on the different or the same server. And if I look around how much money people invest on Overwatch/CoD etc. for rng lootboxes this isn't really that big issue.

Yes, it is. I play Overwatch religiously. Even bought some loot boxes during events such as the Summer Games and Junkenstein's Revenge. But no one forced me to do so. I could have chosen not to and not been punished at all.

That isn't the case here. New players who don't buy these will be at a severe disadvantage, that will only become more profound as the game ages and they add more expansions. It's not a fair comparison at all.

Plus, if we're going to talk about industry standards, then one of these should be included with the purchase of Stormblood, as it is with other MMOs.