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

[Caitlyn]

I think its ok to add those jump potions into the mog station. I dont really see some "pay2win"-aspects here, because they are totally optinional. In fact, the price of those Level-Up-Potions are quite fair compared to other MMORPGs (for example WoW = 50 EUR, TERA EU over 200 EUR).

The problem is, that FFXIVs Main Story and the new content (areas, classes, dungeons, s.o.) is not seperated from eachother. Thats why those potions become kinda neccassary, because you cant force new players to play 3-4 years of main story quests before getting access of the new stuff from Stormblood. I dont think that buying a level-up or story-skip potion will gives you any big advantages. So, I think it should be ok to adding these items.

The most important thing is: SE have to do more than this! New players must get more ways to get into the game. Hall of Novice was a step in the right direction, so maybe they should add something like an advanced tutorial for rotations and class specific things. On the other hand, SE should also focus a bit more on Veterans. New players will come and go. But long time players like us are the ones who keeping the game alive!

[Stanelis]

Addressing the problem in WoW (that was significantly simpler to address overall) took 3 "expansions" and had lasting consequences to this day.

I think you misunderstand the intent of the revamp of the vanilla content in WoW. The point wasn't to allow new players to reach the expansion faster (which has been done at every expansion release), but rather to put the old content up to the technical standard of the current expansion, which isn't the same thing. Any wow players knew that vanilla looked old compared to burning crusade, on a technical standpoint, and that burning crusade looked old compared to WOTLK.

Anyway, it is beside the point. As a simple solution would be to implement some sort of POTD content to increase xp gains for players who want it and simply allow player to start each expansion MSQ without needing to complete the MSQ from previous expansions. You re the only one here stating that the content should be revamped, as easier solutions are available to implement.

[Velhart]

For the precise reason Yoshi said: "to make it easier for the newer players to catch up with the rest of the community."

Charging an additional $40 doesn't make it easier. It merely replaces a grind based hurdle with a financial one and makes Square appear greedy. They acknowledge the MSQ trek has become too long yet their solution is to charge people $40 in lieu of fixing it. That doesn't look good, though I have little doubt plenty will pay it. When Blizzard comes across less money hungry, you probably want to reconsider your decisions.

I don't know how many times I can say this. SE is not going to give away jump potions for free or bundled in anything. SE does want you to interact with the community, at the same time they are not going to just give away a means to quickly do it. They do not want you skipping story segments. They will offer it to you if you want to pay 40+ dollars at the beginning, but I am sure it isn't going to be advertised to you. SE will definitely take measures to make sure you don't have to do much content outside of the MSQ up to the latest expansion, but they are not going to just throw a potion in there and say "Hey don't care about the story!? Neither do we! Use this!" I just don't ever see it happening.

I am very fascinated at this point that people cannot see something this obvious. SE looks at it as an option under fan demand, not an item they wish to openly market.

I think you misunderstand the intent of the revamp of the vanilla content in WoW. The point wasn't to allow new players to reach the expansion faster (which has been done at every expansion release), but rather to put the old content up to the technical standard of the current expansion, which isn't the same thing. Any wow players knew that vanilla looked old compared to burning crusade, on a technical standpoint, and that burning crusade looked old compared to WOTLK.

Anyway, it is beside the point. As a simple solution would be to implement some sort of POTD content to increase xp gains for players who want it and simply allow player to start each expansion MSQ without needing to complete the MSQ from previous expansions. You re the only one here stating that the content should be revamped, as easier solutions are available to implement.

I would argue it was both. It brought old content up the new content's standards. I rerolled some characters during Cataclysm and the leveling process particularly in the areas around Stormwind felt much faster and streamlined.

[bswpayton]

I think you misunderstand the intent of the revamp of the vanilla content in WoW. The point wasn't to allow new players to reach the expansion faster (which has been done at every expansion release), but rather to put the old content up to the technical standard of the current expansion, which isn't the same thing. Any wow players knew that vanilla looked old compared to burning crusade, on a technical standpoint, and that burning crusade looked old compared to WOTLK.

Anyway, it is beside the point. As a simple solution would be to implement some sort of POTD content to increase xp gains for players who want it and simply allow player to start each expansion MSQ without needing to complete the MSQ from previous expansions. You re the only one here stating that the content should be revamped.

But thats not gona make the game extra money if they are gona do it , they have to do it in a way thats gona benefit the profits of the game.

[VTXShiva]

I think you misunderstand the intent of the revamp of the vanilla content in WoW. The point wasn't to allow new players to reach the expansion faster, but rather to put the old content up to the technical standard of the current expansion, which isn't the same thing.

I would argue that it was both. It wasn't just a revamp of models. Quests were re-designed and outright removed. Much of the revamp was because the flow of the zones and areas wasn't consistent to the shifting market and design of the world and game. Quests sent you across the world to turn in an item. A LEVELING quest around lvl 20, sent you from one continent to another, across 3 game areas, on foot, to give an item to a person, for ~5% exp of your level.
Others required you to circle around dungeons, craft, change and trade things for a paltry reward. Some of us were disappointed to lose access to Atiesh, or Benediction, or Tier 3, etc.
In the sense of "bringing it up to standards" a redesign of these game systems is the same.

[Yeol]

XP again and leveling in this game is very easy. It is the long MSQ that might be an issue for some new players. We are taking about 400+ quests here [282 (ARR) and 129 (HW) still not finished]

Again read the information OP provided. Not many people skipped the MSQ even though the option was available to them. Most bought the level jump potion but continued to go through the MSQ. Even if players decided to skip them, it is their choice.

I would like to see people against this idea to make alts and go through the MSQ from ARR to SB.

Also,

These potions are an optional purchase, and it will not be very cheap to purchase both of them. The price has not been set this way looking for profits, but rather, it has been set the way it has to indicate our intention that these items are not those that anyone can use freely.

[Naunet]

I understand your point, believe me I do. I am not saying there cannot and is not ever ill-intent when concerning money. What I'm saying is people need to think beyond money=greed and more importantly take into account the information available as well as their general actions and trends.

This is the game that decided to charge monthly RENT for more inventory space (retainers), which is absurd even for free-to-play game standards - which this game is not. They also decided that charging for old holiday content was preferable to the system they had in place (old holiday content on vendors) for a year. I have no illusions that SE made the decision to sell jump potions out of some charitable need to satisfy some kind of player demand. I can't think of a single person (though I suppose there probably was one or two) who demanded SE charge money to skip the MSQ prior to their decision - certainly not in any thread that received wide support or discussion. No, their decision to sell it, and the price point they will place, is not some favor they are doing for players.

(Note: I'm only discussing the MSQ skip potion, as I don't particularly care about level jump potions.)

While not exclusively and directly related to the revamp, there is a correlation between revamp - end game content - and player satisfaction and retention.

I think you'd be very, very hard-pressed to legitimately argue that revamping the quests in Cataclysm had any kind of relevant impact to WoW's sub numbers. Having played and been quite thoroughly engaged with the community at that time, I can't recall much of any complaint about that particular part of Cataclysm, outside of some sadness toward missing a quest here and there, but it was certainly not complaint at the level that would impact subscriptions. That was far more affected by things such as the age of the game, class changes, the difficulty of first tier Cata dungeons, and other decisions. (Though tbh, I loved almost every minute of Cata.) That said, it's a very flawed argument to point out a correlation when you KNOW that correlation =/= causation.

But thats not gona make the game extra money if they are gona do it , they have to do it in a way thats gona benefit the profits of the game.

We are essentially debating short-term profit from sales of MSQ skip potions vs long-term profit tied to player retention from a more fluidly designed game.

[VTXShiva]

This is the game that decided to charge monthly RENT for more inventory space (retainers), which is absurd even for free-to-play game standards - which this game is not.
They also decided that charging for old holiday content was preferable to the system they had in place (old holiday content on vendors) for a year.
I can't think of a single person (though I suppose there probably was one or two) who demanded SE charge money to skip the MSQ prior to their decision - certainly not in any thread that received wide support or discussion.

1. Renting or buying inventory space in F2P is pretty much standard practice.
There are plenty more controversial topics than this. Additionally they made it clear multiple times there were other constraints, which are addressed in considerable proportions come SB. At that point you'll likely only pay retainers for the market selling option or venture option. If anything, the market selling limitation i find MUCH more controversial than the inventory space, but to each their own.
2. I'd rather they sell cosmetic stuff that almost nobody ever uses in-game (outside of a few days once a year) than to have those self-same items removed completely from the game to sate some silly sense of "prestige" as some other MMOs do.
3. Just because you didn't see a megathread on it doesn't mean
A it never existed or
B was never discussed.
People discuss these things in many forms: official forum threads, un-official forum threads, Tweets, facebook posts, in-game, support tickets, etc.

(Though tbh, I loved almost every minute of Cata.)
That said, it's a very flawed argument to point out a correlation when you KNOW that correlation =/= causation.

Cataclysm was the first expansion i ever dropped my sub for multiple months on end, Especially towards the end. The quality of the expansion was overall worse than the ones before. But again, that's subjective data.
Correlation does not IMPLY causation, it doesn't mean it should't be analyzed or considered at all. Fact is, there were complaints about the quality of the expansion, fact is numbers were lost and not to the extent of numbers go down, numbers go up. They went CONSISTENTLY down. Is there a correlation? maybe, is it significant? I don't know.

[Miitan]

"We listen to the community, but only when it doesn't involve money" - Naoki Yoshida

I'm sure Yoshi P won't mind if we kick every player who can't play properly when we see they only have a week of playtime yet are at level 60.

[bswpayton]

XP again and leveling in this game is very easy. .

I have three alts and I can tell you that you can literally for instance if you wana go whm or pali you can level them to 50 within three days. You can finish the msq for arr within a weeks time, and while I haven't done hw ,yet but its even fewer msq, I dont know why people are lying to themselves saying that msq is to long if thats the case then why do you see sprouts doing hw extreme primals or Alexander for that matter.

This is a business move nothing else to it , leveling potion will give them extra money on the front end of things, having two will be even more money. Like there is nothing wrong with a business move I look at it and I totally get it , and I will prob use a leveling potion on makin a different race alt that I havent before like a lala or male aura or something. But this is just like anything else they put in mog station and option to expand the cash shop and their is nothing wrong wit that this is just a step in the competitive nature of mmos today.

But lets not act like the story cant be done in like two weeks easy , is it something everybody would want to do prob not , but it can easily be done. When I found out about glamour when I first started this game I got to level 50 on my whm in less than a week just for glamour its super easy to level in this game and its super easy to get through the arr msq. Also being a mentor in novice network I see new players doing exactly what I mentioned leveling in a week or two and in hw within a month, they actually begin to get questioned after about a month or so as a new player if they havent already made it to hw content after about a month. When I stayed in the novice for four months I was told that I had been there for a long time, because its clearly not the norm at all to take longer than a month or so to finish Arr.