Trend towards Microtrans

[Medicine]

The real question is:

Why does my sub include content I don't intend to do but not glamour items I do intend to use? I'd rather get access to optional glam items with my sub than cross-subsidize optional content I have no interest in.

Because content is more valuable and important, were as glamour items are not as important and aren't needed.

Maybe try to start a petition where you can set up a payment plan/bundle for your subscription?

[Jetstream_Fox]

It amazes me the amount of sourness that exists towards the cash shop.
I think it's very naive to think that the subscription you pay has to go only towards stuff you want and your sub fee is inclusive of absolutely every single piece of content.

Does the existence of the cash shop hinder your ability to play the game at any level? Is there a need to purchase something in order to unlock content in the game? No. Everything is accessible. That's what your subscription supports and you should be happy with that.
If there's a secondary cash shop, then so be it, everything in there is optional. If you actually surf through it there's only mounts, emotes, clothes and random potions. None of it has any impact on the game. I think some people need to stop feeling so entitled just because you pay a monthly subscription.

Imagine if Netflix or Hulu decided to make all Hulu and Netflix original series a side service and required you to pay for each new original you wanted to watch, on top of your already established service fee. Aside from that being incredibly ineffective as those originals work as elusives in order to sway customers to each respective service. It would essentially be "double dipping" consumers. Hulu actually has a bit of shade thrown at it, as it has two services one that offers commercial free streaming and one that has commercials, same exact shows yet the commercial free service cost 11.99.

Now with FF14 the sub we pay grants us access to the servers, character creation, and 2 free retainers. But we can buy more retainers, glamour packs, dyes, emotes, music, and mounts. People aren't mad that there is a cash shop, people are mad that some of the cash shop items aren't able to be obtained in game. For example if you want the gear the Knights wear in The Vault, you have to shell out real money, instead of them dropping the gear as a very rare drop, have it crafted, or obtained through story mode. Again look back at my example with Netlfix or Hulu, there would be an uproar if Netflix decided in order to watch Stranger Things season 2, you'd have to pay 5.99 to have access to season 2, but season 1 is included in the fee.

The only things that should be in the cash shop is name changes, server transfers, weddings, and fantasias. Since those services have to do with your account, and limited server availability, they do not function like buying a Mog Mount or buying an emote.

[SenorPatty]

Also I hate to break it to ya OP, but at some point, every single p2p mmo from here on then is going to have a cash shop that is going to conduct practices that you won't like. Might as well quit now and stick with f2p forever.

[Felis]

Imagine if Netflix or Hulu decided to make all Hulu and Netflix original series a side service and required you to pay for each new original you wanted to watch, on top of your already established service fee.

Amazon Prime

Imagine a cinema, where the ticket give you only access to the movie room and a seat. But you have to pay extra for food and drinks.

[Jetstream_Fox]

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is entirely different than a standard Amazon Account, Amazon Prime gives you access to free shipping, Prime Now, discounts, Twitch Prime and a ton of other perks. And if anything else Amazon rolls out? Gets added into Amazon Prime hence the 99.99 dollar charge. There is not a single Amazon service that you have to pay for on top of Amazon Prime.

And your movie theater example is horrible at best since it's not a monthly service, now if you had used something like AMCs movie club you might have had something, but that is a tier based service, which FF14 is not.

[Rufalus]

The micro transactions aren't obtrusive. Crucially there no pop-up alerts in-game about things you can buy at all. It's all put aside on a website and offers only vanity items. It would be hard to find online games with no optional dlc because they'd be crazy to limit their earnings.