Mogstation and New Content

[Talraen]

*blinks*
So...uh... what exactly is the subscription to you?

I mean, except that you don't "essentially" need it to play, but "literally" need it to play?

OK I'll grant I didn't completely think that one through, lol. But the subscription is a known amount, and it's far, far less than a typical F2P game would cost to play as much as I play FFXIV. No matter how much I play, it's already budgeted for.

[LineageRazor]

I hate free to play with a passion, not because they're charging me for a bunch of stuff, but because they're continually charging me to actually play the game. That's not happening here, so I'm fine with it.

Well, if you want to get technical, SE IS charging you to actually play the game. That's what a subscription is all about! One might even say the FTP is a step up from that, because you only have to pay to play the game if you WANT to play it to a greater degree than is allowed by the free options. The best way to enjoy FTP games is to find one where you're satisfied with the gameplay that's offered for free. At that point, any purchases you choose to make do not feel obligatory - you make them because you want to, not because you feel that you have to. FTP is a fine option, so long as you understand and can tolerate the limits that are imposed by playing free.

I agree with you on other points, though. I first cut my teeth on gaming with stuff programmed in BASIC (yay DONKEY.BAS!), and my first console was the Atari 2600. I've watched how gaming pricing models have evolved over the years. (I was quite impressed with DOOM's model - distribute the first chapter for free, and charge for the full game. Got so much enjoyment out of that first chapter that I happily forked over for the full game, even on my limited teenaged budget!) While the DLC phenomenon wasn't something I was expecting, I've generally made my peace with it.

And as far as DLC goes, FFXIV's case is ridiculously easy to forgive. Unless you count the expansions themselves as DLC (and technically speaking, they are, but this is a practice that has been typified by MMOs for a long time now, so I consider them to be Grandfathered in), there's no Mogstation items that lock away storylines, dungeons, raids, or anything along those lines. There's nothing offered that provides a direct enhancement to you that would make you more desirable in endgame content. The mounts move at the same speed, the gear has no stats worth speaking of. It's all stuff that changes your appearance, in one way or another, without changing your gameplay. I can definitely live with that!

[Oriens]

Taking myself for example:
Heavensward: $129.99
Subscription from June 23, 2015- June 20, 2017: 24 months x $8 (legacy) = $192
Total: 321.99

^ This is just to play the game.

Add in retainer service which is $288.00 for 6 retainers over 24 months.
Total for me to play the game as I choose: $609.99

[Oriens]

I also have bought:
Heavensward: FINAL FANTASY® XIV Original Soundtrack [BLU-RAY MUSIC DISC]: $49.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV: HEAVENSWARD™ The Art of Ishgard -Stone and Steel- [Art Book]: $39.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV: HEAVENSWARD™ WAYWARD HATCHLING PLUSHIE: $29.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV: HEAVENSWARD™ CAIT SITH DOLL PLUSHIE: $36.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV: Duality [Blu-ray Music Disc]: $39.99
Encyclopaedia Eorzea - The World of FINAL FANTASY XIV - [Book]: $49.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV MEISTER QUALITY FIGURE ODIN: $139.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV BABY BEHEMOTH PLUSHIE: $34.99
FINAL FANTASY® XIV HEAVENSWARD™ –The Scars of War- [Book]: $39.99
Pre-Order: THE FAR EDGE OF FATE: FINAL FANTASY® XIV ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK [BLU-RAY MUSIC DISC]: $49.99
2016 Amazon DLC promotion: $19.99
2016-17 Fanfest Live streams: NA: $29.99, JP: $29.99, EU: $29.99 Total: $89.97
Total: $621.86

^ This is to make sure I do not lose out on potentially limited items.

[Oriens]

Now my mogstation purchase in Heavensward alone:
10/18/2015: Minions Tataru, Alisaie, Papalymo, Yda, Y'shtola, Urianger $5 each = $30.00
11/10/2015: Papalymo's Attire: $8.00, Urianger's Attire: $8.00
2/6/2016: Mount: White Devil: $12.00, Mount: Red Baron: $12.00, Mount: Sleipnir: $13.99
3/22/2016: Yda's Attire: $8.00
9/4/2016: Mount: Fat Moogle: $29.99
10/23/2016: Far Eastern Garb for Women: $18.00
11/12/2016: Miniature Dreadwyrm: $15.00
2/27/2017: Emote: Backflip: $7.00, Emote: Play Dead: $7.00
Cash Shop Digital Items Total: 168.98
^I still do not own everything only available on the cash shop.

So outside of the $609.99 I pay for my subscription and retainers during Heavensward, Yoshida and Team expects collectors to dish out another $790.84+ (since I still haven't bought everything on Mog Station) for minions, gear, hairstyles, mounts, housing items, emotes, orchestrion rolls that have never been obtainable by playing the game.

[Naunet]

As long as they don't add anything that you're forced, gameplay-wise, to buy, I am totally fine with it. I don't care how much you love glamours, or whether that's the reason you play, it's still optional content.

It's a game. And if it's a freaking feature in a game, then it is content! Guess what, raiding is optional content, too. Nothing in this game is forcing me to raid. How about we put that on the Mogstation?

I know how well that would go over, though. That's a double standard.

[Greedalox]

It's a game. And if it's a freaking feature in a game, then it is content! Guess what, raiding is optional content, too. Nothing in this game is forcing me to raid. How about we put that on the Mogstation?

I know how well that would go over, though. That's a double standard.

Semantics battle at this point really. Opposing points battling over which side gets to use the word "content" in their argument.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Yoshida and Team expects collectors to dish out another $790.84+ (since I still haven't bought everything on Mog Station) for minions, gear, hairstyles, mounts, housing items, emotes, orchestrion rolls that have never been obtainable by playing the game.

They don't expect anything. You choose to collect everything, which comes at additional costs. Bear in mind, it's incredibly unlikely Yoshida has control over cash shop decisions. That would be mandated by Square Enix, whose only concern is profit. Your expenditure decisions proves their current business model has been very effective. I mean, no offense, but think about this from a purely business perspective.

You have spent: $1300.83
Average sub only player: $311.76 (same 24 month span)

And you wonder why there's a cash shop, among other merchandise alternatives?

It's a game. And if it's a freaking feature in a game, then it is content! Guess what, raiding is optional content, too. Nothing in this game is forcing me to raid. How about we put that on the Mogstation?

I know how well that would go over, though. That's a double standard.

Gameplay and cosmetics are note even remotely comparable. You're building a massive strawman here.

[Naunet]

Gameplay and cosmetics are note even remotely comparable. You're building a massive strawman here.

Not a strawman at all. I haven't raided in this game in years. Raiding is 100% optional. Content is content, however, and one type of content should not be treated differently than the next. Cosmetics and aesthetic are literally THE reason I play this game. I get my raiding jollies in WildStar, which incidentally has a far better costume system than this one. And I can get all the store costumes without ever spending a dime of real life cash if I so choose...

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Not a strawman at all. I haven't raided in this game in years. Raiding is 100% optional. Content is content, however, and one type of content should not be treated differently than the next. Cosmetics and aesthetic are literally THE reason I play this game. I get my raiding jollies in WildStar, which incidentally has a far better costume system than this one. And I can get all the store costumes without ever spending a dime of real life cash if I so choose...

It is because you are comparing two radically different features and attempting to draw parallels. You may only care for glamour, however games exist for their gameplay. Without it, you have no game to play whereas the game remains functionally unchanged whether you play it wearing armour or walking around naked. Aesthetics in no way impact this, thus they are not comparable. As for Wildstar... considering it's dire financial state, it's not exactly a great example.