Retainers, confirmed, you have to pay for them.

[Adrian74]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...95#post1963395

"

Q33: Is the $2 for an additional retainer a one time fee or a monthly fee?

A33: It will cost $2 every 30 days.

"

Okay.... So, dear people... Let me ask you a few questions here, answer as you please, but always with correction and respect:

1- What's your opinion about this? (Summarize)

2- Do you think we will have more things like this in the future totally changing our idea of FFXIV:ARR?

3- Am I just exaggerating and it's something normal or that, 'doesn't affect gameplay' even if it's confirmed that those 'ventures' will grant us items, and even if it is clear that we will need more space storage in the future?...

4- Is our voice enough for change these things?

5- Should retainers be in-game for guil or any other ways, giving the currency a little more of importance aside of housing?

6- Taking in mind these kind of strategies, do you think eventually the game will become a Pay 2 Win, or, not radically that, but, slowly increase the amount of money we pay per month if we want to play it full advantages?

Important Note: Other members of the forum will explain their opinion, it's just their opinion, please respect it and don't make of this thread a royal battle. Read and express your opinion, just that.

Thanks everyone.

[Shori]

This isnt news to me. Although I didnt play the original FFXIV past the first 60 days, I'm pretty sure the additional retainers were monthly charges then also.

My opinion is that $2 doesnt even buy you a bottle of coke, and certainly not a starbucks coffee, so whats it to me if they charge that? :P

[Merle]

1- This may settle a precedent: "If I can charge you 2$ for this, i can charge you another 2$ for this... and this... and this ...". I was interested in getting another retainer/s and i wouldn't have minded to pay 2$, but... 2$ monthly? No, thanks. I guess i'll create a new "free" character to have 2 more retainers with no monthly costs.

2- I hope not

3- It's ok. I don't think it has a great impact in the gameplay. I guess we really need more space storage in the future... but we had that issue on 1.0, so i guess i won't be so different this time.

4- Since this monthly cost for extra retainers was an idea from 1.0... don't think so

5- I would like it (maybe just 4 retainers maximum). After all, we're HIRING retainers

6- I'm really worried about "how much" it can became a p2w. I mean, i'm ok with "X$ for +5% exp boost"... but if we reach one point where "i really need to buy X if i don't want to be left behind"... Thats a no-no.

[Nenin]

This isnt news to me. Although I didnt play the original FFXIV past the first 60 days, I'm pretty sure the additional retainers were monthly charges then also.

My opinion is that $2 doesnt even buy you a bottle of coke, and certainly not a starbucks coffee, so whats it to me if they charge that? :P

$2 for what, 10kb of data?

I'd be shocked if it cost them more than $0.002 to store that much.

[Kaisha]

$2 for what, 10kb of data?

I'd be shocked if it cost them more than $0.002 to store that much.

Retainers were going to be $1 in legacy XIV also, so I don't even get where they justify $2 in ARR for a much less broken game, with a much higher subscription base, outside of business reasons.

[Nenin]

Retainers were going to be $1 in legacy XIV also, so I don't even get where they justify $2 in ARR for a much less broken game, with a much higher subscription base, outside of business reasons.

Maybe they see a steady decline in subscriptions and they are trying to milk everything they can before going F2P?

inb4 $15 fantasia potions

[Mardel]

Maybe they see a steady decline in subscriptions and they are trying to milk everything they can before going F2P?

inb4 $15 fantasia potions

From a business stand point the "steady decline" is going to be off-set my the chinese launch. Regardless of how many subs we lose in NA/EU I can almost guarantee the China release will more than make up for it. The game is pretty steady and once it launches in a new market it will acquire even more funds. People are just panicking over nothing, and if it went F2P in the far off future I'm sure they probably would have quit the game long before then making their outcry near pointless.

I probably won't buy the extra retainers because I don't need it. Even if there are special items that come from using the retainer I'll probably just buy it off the market boards from selling T5/Leviathan/Moogle kills.

When it comes down to it the retainer ventures will barely scratch the surface of upsetting any market. It requires tokens to send them off in ventures. If you have to waste time to send them off you could have used that time to make money instead. So in a sense it is counter-productive, unless you can somehow make money while earning the tokens to send them off.

[Phaus]

I'll keep this blunt
1- Hate it
2. Yes, it will continue
3. Problem is, where does it stop.. few $ here for this... later on few $ here for that, if i wanted an aspiring cash shop i'd go play f2p
4. No it's not, too many fan boys will defend this with their lives
5. Would've been better in game for gil/unlocked via quest, anything that doesn't result in adding extra ON TOP of the sub fee.

Just my opinion, don't be ignorant

[Royze]

I'll keep this blunt
1- Hate it
2. Yes, it will continue
3. Problem is, where does it stop..

Until we, the 1%, can look at your direction and cause you to burst into flames with our money powers!

[Bacour]

I'll keep this blunt
1- Hate it
2. Yes, it will continue
3. Problem is, where does it stop.. few $ here for this... later on few $ here for that, if i wanted an aspiring cash shop i'd go play f2p
4. No it's not, too many fan boys will defend this with their lives
5. Would've been better in game for gil/unlocked via quest, anything that doesn't result in adding extra ON TOP of the sub fee.

Just my opinion, don't be ignorant

Congratulations, that was quite subtly insulting to anyone who disagrees with your opinion. Someone might actually miss that.