Online Store is Getting Worse!

[Illmaeran]

Isnt sub 15 euros? am I stupid for paying that much?

I don't know what a sub costs in Euros, but I don't think you're stupid for paying it if you enjoy playing the game.

The "just cosmetics" argument is complete nonsense. The biggest most sought after rewards in this game are all cosmetic in nature, ilvl holds very little value in the long term. Ultimate weapons, relics and savage gear are primarily useful as glams, savage mounts are purely cosmetic.

The point of the paragraph you quoted from is that the Mogstation is not predatory, given the context of what I said in that paragraph. Purely optional and cosmetic, not "just cosmetics". I disagree that the argument of mogstation items being optional and cosmetic in nature is nonsense. I agree that the items most desirable over the long term are so due to their cosmetic potential. Reading between the lines, I get the message that because things in the game are highly sought after for their cosmetic qualities the Mogstation is a bad thing because it sells items for cosmetic purposes; therefore, making the sale of things bad because people do in-game activities to get cosmetic items. Am I understanding that correctly?

On the topic of mounts, I agree that they are a cosmetic thing. Given how a person acquires them, they give visual proof that the person riding it has accomplished something in the game; whether that be trials, dungeons, PoTD, or what have you. We know that someone on the Nightmare mount has put in the time and effort to get it and we respect the player for that. We also know that someone riding the Megashiba bought it and as such, don't hold that player in regard the same way we do a player with the Nightmare mount. Yes, both are cosmetic, but I would argue their cosmetic importance is based on the mode of acquisition, not the mount itself.

The sort of item you referred to are all available in the game, through in-game actions, and are not sold on the Mogstation. Also, some of the items in question, such as armor and weapons, have substantive benefit to the player. We're not seeing items that provide anything other than cosmetic benefit being sold on the Mogstation. Therefore, the Mogstation doesn't fit the definition of predatory I provided. We may disagree on the definition of predatory, but we must agree that everything sold on the Mogstation is optional, cosmetic in nature, and has no substantive impact on the game, barring the Fenris motorcycle's speed thing.

Which seeing it written down sounds a lot more reasonable (2 bil? Really?) .

The Yen to US dollar conversion is usually around 100:1, so 237 million USD is roughly equal to 237 billion Yen. It's really easy to see the 2 billion and think it's in USD rather than Yen, which is likely the cause of misunderstanding/mis-stating reported income.

[Saraide]

I don't know what a sub costs in Euros, but I don't think you're stupid for paying it if you enjoy playing the game.



The point of the paragraph you quoted from is that the Mogstation is not predatory, given the context of what I said in that paragraph. Purely optional and cosmetic, not "just cosmetics". I disagree that the argument of mogstation items being optional and cosmetic in nature is nonsense. I agree that the items most desirable over the long term are so due to their cosmetic potential. Reading between the lines, I get the message that because things in the game are highly sought after for their cosmetic qualities the Mogstation is a bad thing because it sells items for cosmetic purposes; therefore, making the sale of things bad because people do in-game activities to get cosmetic items. Am I understanding that correctly?

On the topic of mounts, I agree that they are a cosmetic thing. Given how a person acquires them, they give visual proof that the person riding it has accomplished something in the game; whether that be trials, dungeons, PoTD, or what have you. We know that someone on the Nightmare mount has put in the time and effort to get it and we respect the player for that. We also know that someone riding the Megashiba bought it and as such, don't hold that player in regard the same way we do a player with the Nightmare mount. Yes, both are cosmetic, but I would argue their cosmetic importance is based on the mode of acquisition, not the mount itself.

The sort of item you referred to are all available in the game, through in-game actions, and are not sold on the Mogstation. Also, some of the items in question, such as armor and weapons, have substantive benefit to the player. We're not seeing items that provide anything other than cosmetic benefit being sold on the Mogstation. Therefore, the Mogstation doesn't fit the definition of predatory I provided. We may disagree on the definition of predatory, but we must agree that everything sold on the Mogstation is optional, cosmetic in nature, and has no substantive impact on the game, barring the Fenris motorcycle's speed thing.

I think you definition of what qualifies as predatory monetization is a bad one because it only considers pay to win aspects. In reality looking good and showing off is a considerable driving force in any game that allows for customization, the acquisition of that is evidently only one aspect of it. If the acquisition was the only thing that mattered no one would buy mogstation stuff for their looks. It would only be a questionable means to show off wealth. It is then no surprise any greedy salesperson would drive up prices on what people care for most and within their own game they have an absolute monopoly.

You say that everything sold on the mogstation has no substantive impact on the game (excluding the bike) but looking good has a substantive impact on our enjoyment of games in general.

[Clover_Blake]

You say that everything sold on the mogstation has no substantive impact on the game (excluding the bike) but looking good has a substantive impact on our enjoyment of games in general.

Personally, I would understand this argument if the game didn't already offer a huge variety of great glamour options. But it does. Glamours are my favourite part of the game and I for one am very satisfied with the amount and quality we get.

If it comes down to people simply wanting to own EVERYTHING, I think that's people's problem.

[Jojoya]

I think you definition of what qualifies as predatory monetization is a bad one because it only considers pay to win aspects. In reality looking good and showing off is a considerable driving force in any game that allows for customization, the acquisition of that is evidently only one aspect of it. If the acquisition was the only thing that mattered no one would buy mogstation stuff for their looks. It would only be a questionable means to show off wealth. It is then no surprise any greedy salesperson would drive up prices on what people care for most and within their own game they have an absolute monopoly.

You say that everything sold on the mogstation has no substantive impact on the game (excluding the bike) but looking good has a substantive impact on our enjoyment of games in general.

If all of the "free" gear looked like crap in the game and the only way to get good looking gear was to pay extra on the cash shop, you'd have a good example of predatory monetization.

That's not what is happening with FFXIV. It's a small percentage of cosmetic options that are only available through the cash shop, and most of those on the shop are to give JP/NA/EU players access to past event and China/Korean "exclusives".

Not buying from the cash shop does not prevent anyone from looking good. It just prevents them from using a relative handful of specific looks. We've got hundreds of looks to choose from that are available directly from game play so it's not predatory monetization.

[Stormpeaks]

If all of the "free" gear looked like crap in the game and the only way to get good looking gear was to pay extra on the cash shop, you'd have a good example of predatory monetization.

That's not what is happening with FFXIV. It's a small percentage of cosmetic options that are only available through the cash shop, and most of those on the shop are to give JP/NA/EU players access to past event and China/Korean "exclusives".

Not buying from the cash shop does not prevent anyone from looking good. It just prevents them from using a relative handful of specific looks. We've got hundreds of looks to choose from that are available directly from game play so it's not predatory monetization.

Considering you are the person who said that island was long lasting content and repeatable by "changing the places of the landmarks and swapping their spot", this post is not a surprise in any way.

Compare the store glams and in game glams and tell me the quality of the in game ones is anywhere near the shop ones.

Also "a small percentage" is laughable

[Deveryn]

Considering you are the person who said that island was long lasting content and repeatable by "changing the places of the landmarks and swapping their spot", this post is not a surprise in any way.

Compare the store glams and in game glams and tell me the quality of the in game ones are anywhere near the shop ones.

What are you even talking about? Are you really trying to compare shop glams to raid gear, dungeon gear, etc.?

[Stormpeaks]

What are you even talking about? Are you really trying to compare shop glams to raid gear, dungeon gear, etc.?

I am comparing all the in game looks agaisnt all of the shop ones, and yes, the shop ones are vastly superior and of higher quality, if you deny that, I have no idea what to tell you.

[Deveryn]

I am comparing all the in game looks agaisnt all of the shop ones, and yes, the shop ones are vastly superior and of higher quality, if you deny that, I have no idea what to tell you.

Yeah. You have no idea alright.

[Illmaeran]

I am comparing all the in game looks agaisnt all of the shop ones, and yes, the shop ones are vastly superior and of higher quality, if you deny that, I have no idea what to tell you.

I disagree with this statement. I've bought a fair number of glams off the store: Yukata + sandals, maid outfit, songbird outfit, valentione's strawberry shortcake outfit, white bikini, black bosom outfit, butler outfit, princess dress outfit, and the heavenward armor + weapon. Other than the maid outfit, the rest of the glams on my plates are 100% in-game items. The purchased of the stuff gets used for specific RP, seasonal, or theme events and are not everyday wear. In my case, I find the in-game stuff to be superior to the Mogstation stuff in look, versatility, and ability to make full outfits with.

Personally, I find the majority of glamour outfits not to my taste as they don't look how I would like on my characters. It may be because I don't play a Lala or a female Au Ra/Miqo'te so most of the outfits I might want don't look good on my characters.

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, as they say, so we may disagree about the superiority of the Mogstation vs. in-game items and I respect your right to do so. From my point of view, the sheer amount and variety of in-game items is staggering compared to what's available on the Mogstation. Also, I tend to see fewer people in Mogstation glams than ones made with in-game items by a country mile as their daily wear when not in an RP or social event.

[Midareyukki]

Compare the store glams and in game glams and tell me the quality of the in game ones is anywhere near the shop ones.

That honestly depends. Are we talking about the general quality of game items vs store items, or personal preference on specific/popularly worn items from the store vs stuff given to us in the game?

Because if it's the latter, then some items like the Palaka set, Skalla set or the Neo-Ishgardian set at least look somewhat good for an adventurer style, while other stuff in the cash shop look awkward. Especially against stuff from the Chinese/Korean stores, which aren't made by Square and don't have the same care for quality. The reception at the time of the white and black gowns with the angel wings was that the wings looked like they were made of cardboard. And, well, this is keeping in mind that it's subjective anyway.
And it really hinges on the players wearing it. There's always someone who would wear something, no matter how ugly we think it is. I personally find the Bonewicca casting gear absolutely gross on large bodies, but some people will still wear them. Same as the Faerie Tale dress, that looks way too bad. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that.

If it's the former, well... Generally speaking the store does have more diverse and "cooler" stuff than the game, which all look rather standardized. At least across the roles; sure, there's variety in shape, but the design philosophy for casters is nearly always the same. With a lot of models being reused, so if there are flaws with the original design, odds are we're getting those flaws on clones. Whereas the cash shop tends to go for more "original" designs, so they'll usually try to keep the quality somewhat higher than expected.

Though do keep in mind that the Fat Cat onesie is glitched for Lalafell emotes. That shouldn't really happen, especially not in a store-bought item.

Yeah. You have no idea alright.