Seems like alot of people want this game to become Free 2 Play. >.>

[LlenCoram]

I would rather not see FFXIV go free-to-play. I believe it would ruin what makes this game, and I'd probably end up quitting if it did. The reasons for this are quite simple, free to play games are by design, built around a microtransaction system and the idea of mass numbers of players whom don't care for the game (most of the time) and can just drop-in and drop-out with no need for social interaction. The microtransaction system can range from pay for vanity items, through to pay to win. Pay to Vanity is okay, but it tends to make all non-real life money purchased gear look boring in comparison.

I've been playing Guild Wars 2 since the release here in EU and I must say; while it is fun, most definitely fun, it has a microtransaction system. An example would be my Level 17 Norn; the gear that I got at 1, 5, 10 and 15 all look the same; this is what happens in Pay4Vanity; I know there is rare drops that look nice, but they are few and far between.

Even though Guild Wars 2 is fun it lacks something that Final Fantasy XIV has. When I often try to describe this, it never comes out properly.I think it's something to do with the aesthetics of Final Fantasy XIV, the attention to detail on equipment, the emphasis on emotions, the shouts, the social; in Guild Wars 2 even though I'm playing with friends and I occasionally get the "thx" for raising some randomer, the game feels very barren and lonely, the chat bar isn't even important to the player, the fact you can hide the chat window is testiment to this.

One thing I keep spotting in f2p games is the developers needs to keep on using static lightning that then isn't accepted by most of the objects in the game; (as they have their own lighting properties), this is what makes most of F2P games look aeshtetically similar; even GW2 has this problem, and looking at FFXIV: ARR; there was the picture of the twelve church that had the same issue, the spires were pre-lit and not accepting dynamic shadows or lighting, though I'm hoping this is just due to pre-alpha.

I'm not really sure what this post is, a rant? Maybe. But I don't want to see Final Fantasy XIV: ARR ever go free-to-play. Final Fantasy XI had a niche, very strong demographic and community and I want to see Final Fantasy XIV have the same strengths. We have a community currently and we do have our characters here and there, our shouts, even our own catchphrases so to speak; "Heck the Bed" anyone? I never see these sorts of familiarities and involvement in a free-to-play game, even a buy-to-play game.

tl;dr - Free-To-Play and Buy-To-Play lack polish, attention to detail and social interaction. They rely on a microtransaction system that by design wether vanity or progress purchases will make people who don't play feel distanced from the experience. FFXI survived, and FFXIV will too.

I know exactly what you mean about GW2, and I also have not been able to put to words why XIV is the better game. Thre's just something about this world, its attention to detail, that GW2 lacks entirely. It almost feels like XIV is presenting a face, an aesthetic,that truly gives you a feeling of being an adventurer in this world, whereas what GW2 presents is really just smoke and mirrors. Play for long enouh and you start seeing the seams.

I wish I could make people understand what I mean.