What if instead of a normal cash-shop, you have to "unlock" certain options?

[Seraphor]

It would be nice if some of the more sought after cash shop items found a place in limited currency in game stores. Like the Silver/Gold chocobo feathers you get from recruit a friend. There's already Twintania in there, I think Cruise Chaser would have fit in there perfectly, as an additional way to obtain it, not the only way, but they don't update that anymore, like a lot of redundant systems.

[kaynide]

I get what your saying, but the cash store’s purpose is to generate cash.


For me, if I’m going to put in game effort just to end with a paywall, I’d be pissed.

Alternatively, I wouldn’t be happy if Cruise Chaser came out and required me to clear..say.. Alexander Savage.

Either I’m gonna bust butt to get it in game, or pay for something; not both.


Personally I like how they did the 4 seater mount- they had a limited event for the car, a permanent harder option in Eden Savage and a real money chocobo carriage. All same functionally, just different means to get.

[Eldevern]

Seriously? No. Stop. We have subcription fees. It's enough.

The cash shop? Things should be account wide and absolutly NOTHING worth to be "locked". It's not acceptable.

Current cash-shop already goes too far with seasonal event items.

[Seraphor]

To be fair, many games have something a bit like this, usually called a 'battle pass' and while sometimes it's a rip off, sometimes it's actually good value.
For example, a completely different type of game, but Dead By Daylight has 'The Rift' which has a premium version you can buy for 1000 Auric Cells (cash shop currency, about $10). You can upgrade to premium at any time even when you've already completed it, and if you complete the rift, you will end up gaining back 1000 Auric Cells in total, plus about $30 worth of cosmetics. If you play enough, it pays for itself and much more.

A similar implementation in FFXIV might be something like... a premium Mogtome event.
You get to purchase access to the premium Mogtome store for $10, which has things like Cruise Chaser for 400 tomes, or a Fantasia for 200 tomes. So you could grind out your 600 tomes first, then purchase premium, and get a $30 mount and a $10 Fantasia for just $10 in total.

I'm not suggesting they actually do this, because I'm not confident they'd actually price things in such a way that it was actually a substantial saving, but it's an example of how it could work out. Basically, it's not a totally bad idea, but... it's unlikely to be implemented in a way that's actually good.

[Jojoya]

I'm almost hesitant to suggest this, because I can see where such a suggestion could also be used for evil. But hear me out...

What is, instead of just putting things up on the cash-shop -- which essentially robs it of any "cool factor", other than being whatever the item itself is -- you instead had to "unlock" cash-shop options?

Here's an example:

Right now, each expansion's Trials introduce a series of mounts (horses, lanners, wolves, dragons). Collecting them all gives you a sort of "super-mount". Well, what if collecting all of THOSE mounts, unlocked a new item in the cash-shop? Something you could ONLY get for having gotten all those items, but still in support of the cash-shop.

Now, obviously the knee-jerk reaction is "well, why wouldn't you just make that an actual reward?". But I view it more as an alternative to "just another thing tossed on the cash-shop".

Here's another example; if you clear Ultimate Coils, Ultima Weapon, or Alexander -- what if that unlocked the option to purchase a mount based on that content? Like a "Bahamut clone" or something?

That way, cool stuff doesn't feel "wasted" as a cash-shop reward. Because honestly, that new mech-robot thing? Maybe that WOULD'VE been cool, but because it's just a cash-shop mount, it has no "meaning", there's no weight or status to having it.

Just a thought. As a HUGE fan of Odin, even though I bought Sleipnir, there's still a part of me that hates using it, because I know it's "just a cash-shop mount". But if it was, say, tied behind an "Unreal" version of Odin? Then I'd be pretty stoked about it!

Why force players to unlock access to cash shop items through grindy achievements when they can sell to all players and make even more money instead?

It's not going to happen.

[Terin]

There is little to no "status" to having anything in FF14, especially mounts since they are all functionally identical.

Okay, that is DEFINITELY not true. In MMO's, there are TONS of items with "status". The "Legacy" items are a huge status symbol -- well, when you can actually see or notice them (the Legacy Chocobo is admittedly a little weak, I have to look at its beak to even notice). But the new Landerwaffe mount? Sure, it helps that the mount is ALSO super sick, but that I would consider to be a status symbol. Or the weapon glams you get from the Ultimate-mode raids.

Even if my idea sucks -- and it's pretty clear nobody here likes it (which is totally cool) -- I think MMO's DO and SHOULD have "status" rewards. It's just kind of a moving goal-post, since things that are difficult to get now, might not be later (or available in cash-shop, as most holiday items are).

[Kes13a]

I kinda like the cash shop the way it is. it isnt in my face in the game. there is not a link to it in the game. even the Official Sites director IN THE GAME doesnt list the cash shop. Really not sure why people fixate on it.

Do I check the shop if the launcher says they have new things, sure, sometimes I like a look or an item.

I have more outfits, mounts and minions FROM IN THE GAME that I will never use to feel like I am forced to pay money for something. If you dont have the real life cash.. dont spend it. If you dont like the look, dont buy it. but the incessant whining and complaining about something they could remove tomorrow and have virtually zero effect on how you journey through the game is amazing.

[White_Wolf_X]

No.

/10char.

[ItMe]

Okay, that is DEFINITELY not true. In MMO's, there are TONS of items with "status".

I'm not discussing MMOs in general, only FF14.

The "Legacy" items are a huge status symbol -- well, when you can actually see or notice them (the Legacy Chocobo is admittedly a little weak, I have to look at its beak to even notice). But the new Landerwaffe mount? Sure, it helps that the mount is ALSO super sick, but that I would consider to be a status symbol. Or the weapon glams you get from the Ultimate-mode raids.

I said FF14 has "little to no status symbols," not literally none. If there are a few items you think signal status power to you.

At risk of splitting hairs over every example, personally, I don't think any of the examples you listed confer any kind of status.

I don't see "I played in 1.0" as a signal of player achievement or excellence.

I have the Landerwaffe mount. I don't see it as a status symbol. The mount is more or less locked behind multiple grind walls.

And as for the ultimate clears, they may have been a cool status symbol at one time, but considering how rampant Ultimate clear selling has gotten, on top of the fact that better food, better potions, and better gear have done MUCH to dull the difficulty of those raids.
It's super hard for me to even try to care about a rando's title/weapon.

If you do that's fine. But it also doesn't refute the point that for status symbols FF14 has little to none.

Even if my idea sucks -- and it's pretty clear nobody here likes it (which is totally cool) -- I think MMO's DO and SHOULD have "status" rewards.

Should it?
Possibly.
But that's not what I was addressing, and that argument is pretty tangential to the topic.

[Fellgon]

I kinda like the cash shop the way it is. it isnt in my face in the game. there is not a link to it in the game. even the Official Sites director IN THE GAME doesnt list the cash shop. Really not sure why people fixate on it.

Do I check the shop if the launcher says they have new things, sure, sometimes I like a look or an item.

I have more outfits, mounts and minions FROM IN THE GAME that I will never use to feel like I am forced to pay money for something. If you dont have the real life cash.. dont spend it. If you dont like the look, dont buy it. but the incessant whining and complaining about something they could remove tomorrow and have virtually zero effect on how you journey through the game is amazing.

agreed. i dont like all windowns of cash shop popping up inside others MMO too.