Free 2 Play still being considered?

[Shneibel]

in the kind of small transaction, it can be change char appearance, race, hairstyle, gender, name and server transfer, if SE consider that, I dont see the problem

[Northman]

Compared to the famous wow clone this game already is more paytoplay. You pay more for each char. There with monthly fee you get everything. So many chars you want, 8 different life styles etc. Still I will not spend years there. This is growing business and every year you'll see more and more fantastic games. After ten years maybe 4d, smell, taste, virtual real kisses, hurting wounds whatever. I want to experience the best all. World changes quickly if big bang is not released.

[TheVedis]

Compared to the famous wow clone this game already is more paytoplay. You pay more for each char. There with monthly fee you get everything. So many chars you want, 8 different life styles etc. Still I will not spend years there. This is growing business and every year you'll see more and more fantastic games. After ten years maybe 4d, smell, taste, virtual real kisses, hurting wounds whatever. I want to experience the best all. World changes quickly if big bang is not released.

the average player doesnt even need more then 1 character though, i still dont see why anyone would want more when you can do everything on 1

so of course other games give you more, when you have 8+ jobs you can be, you ned 1 for every job to experience it all

here you can do every job on 1 character so there is no true need for more


so this game doesnt cost more, its less

[Mrfox0707]

I don't really care for the F2P mmos out there. mostly because you have to pay for extra content. Just like Yoshi-P said in the interview.

[Starlord]

I'm nnot really to worried at all to think about a subject like, "Turn FFXIV into F2P game". Because, just by his patches he's throwing at us, the time he take to do them to give us Quality Patches,And most important, his Vision for the game ( In Which I DIDN'T like Tanaka's Vision AT all) If Tanaka was still in Charge (besides Hamlet Defense) would we still get:

- Materia
- Instance Raids
- Settlements
- Player Residents
- New and Improved Player Search
- Jobs ( biggest one so far IMHO)
- Stats that actually work ( Point Allotment)

Also, taking a look at the road map and getting a good Grasp for Yoshi-P Vision

By 2.0 we alot of stuff like:

- New Character Creation ( With Male Cats and Female Hulks) I believe this alone will Draw people to this game " at least from the start anyhow) and who knows maybe will get more Races.

- Maps with Meaning (No Copy and Pasta stuff and I can tell Just by that lone SS, that its not a Copy/Pasta Game anymore, They are putting out all the stops for an Immersion related Scenery.)

- Grand Companies go into Full Potential Mode (Another words, by 2.0 the Rank system will be going up to like Commander "or maybe higher who knows", Items within the Seals Shop will be through the roof, etc etc)

- Free Companies ( Quest/Mission~ing with your Free Company to Reach a certain goal)

- PvP Coliseum ( Alot of people are looking forward to this, and it also doesn't effect the Gameplay of the PvE players, In which Players that want to do PvP Content will be happy as well as the People that just want to do PvE, or even if they like both sides Its there.)

- Crystal Tower/Labyrinth (This is what I'm looking forward to the most, Climbing up this Tower, Plowing through my Enemies to reach the top to "hopefully" Beat a Mega Boss with my Party. Labyrinth Same Concept, just you have to go through a Maze of Sorts all the while to also Destroy your Foes as your Progress.

- New Primal Battles ( I'm, Sure the whole Gang will be there Garuda/Ifrit/Odin/Shiva/Titan/Leviathan etc)

- Dragon Battles of Ishgard ( For all those Dragon Lovers out there, will be Pleased with this Content, as well as I am, I love a good Dragon Fight and being Breathed on by Massive Fireballs coming at you =))

- New UI ( Just by the SS of the New UI that will be coming to us, I feel Confident that this Version of FFXIV will Succeed, and the Graphics look Amazing).

- Treasure Maps ( only Viewable to DoH Classes) will be able to find Treasure Map Related Chests

- Item Signatures ( Allows Crafters to Embed their names on the Armor/Weapons they make)

- In-Game NPC Voice Acting ( ALL NPCS will be Voiced, thats how I read what they said)

- New Classes ( Either Beastmaster or Summoner, Maybe both) will be in 2.0

You get my Drift, While I understand F2P Option for when and if FFXIV 2.0 Fails to meet up to the Consumers expectations. I on the other hand, I Look on the Brighter side of things, Too much Doom and Gloom around now in days on this games Ver 1.0.

I rather look at what is to come, and just by Seeing Yoshi-P Vision if everything he says is in 2.0, I feel as a Player to myself, this game is a Success. and I truely hope Players that played FFXIV ver 1.0 and left within weeks on Launch, to give this game another go at 2.0. You maybe Surprised on the outcome of this game.

[Northman]

the average player doesnt even need more then 1 character though, i still dont see why anyone would want more when you can do everything on 1

so of course other games give you more, when you have 8+ jobs you can be, you ned 1 for every job to experience it all

here you can do every job on 1 character so there is no true need for more


so this game doesnt cost more, its less

True. I know families where members share their only character. Still cheaper. I have had always 2 in different servers. Slightly different cultures/players, somehow the chars feel also different and can be very different level (I enjoy to stay long below 50, I wd get bored 5050505050505050...)

[RolandDebreton]

Freemiums - free to get into, costly to enjoy premium - content have become the norm as a business model in a huge variety of entertainment and electronics venues. Businesses eat that stuff up as it becomes the thing to do.

Freemium content or f2p in the video game model has largely been dominated by younger and more casual people. While from SE's point of view it would most assuredly result in more income from the purist point of view its an unmitigated disaster, filled with beggars, lazy people, pay-to-buy collectors, the immature, and an entire clique culture of, "if you don't buy this thing, you don't belong." Don't be surprised, with an income increase possible, if they don't consider it.

Having said that, this is your chance to speak up, to set a precedent. Don't turn this thread and others like it into a trolls vs. whiteknights shtick like this community does so very often. Respectfully stand up and make sure that SE knows that a f2p cashshop freemium model will not work for their main target audience. However, be aware that those still willing to pay at this point, the purists and the hopefuls are going to be minority stock in the future.

[Silversnow]

Quite a few f2p lock content behind microtransaction. However I can think of two off the top of my head that are totally free but make it harder to do without. Now some will say 'Omg its not as easy as the person that pay so its unfair!' but depending how SE did a hypothetical f2p I would not be adverse to trying it out. Some even have one time payments for world chat to keep the cursing trolls at bay since they tend to find it cost prohibitive. The smart ones simply troll the retarded that respond within the rules and since this game you use one character for everything its VERY easy to blist people and be reasonably sure that they are not hopping onto alts to get around it.

But I think they are mostly just toying with the idea as a backup in case 2.0 flames out horribly. I'm kind of hoping they start using their crysta to sell their in game things for real world items. I'd love for them offer 3d model print outs of our characters. Canvas prints. Even actual metal and glass/crystal guild leve cards. Right now its weak keychain straps.

[Dibria]

I wouldn't be adverse to them introducing the WoW model of being free to play up until level 20 at which point you stop earning experience.

However if they were to do that in XIV they'd need to lock crafting and resource gathering as well to stop a ridiculous influx of gold farmers so maybe the system would need a few extra stipulations. Perhaps free to level 15 but you cannot access market wards or run your bazaar, that way people can try out making themselves new armor but it stops them running around and harvesting to sell on. Blocking at level 15 also stops access to things such as grand companies, chocobos etc. while still letting people get a good feel for the class system and the easy switching in between.

This would be additional to the free 30 day trial though, you can download the client and play free to 15 but if you want to go passed that you need to buy a copy of the game which still comes with one months subscription included, and if you don't want to bother with it you can just go out and buy the game and play immediately without the blocks.

Attracts people in with the 'it's free I may as well try' mentality without being flooded by gold farmers... in theory anyway - hey, it works for WoW.

[Altera]

I prefer P2P over F2P any day.