Possible solution for cash shop?

[Raidou]

Before I begin.

I'm not sure if other players have suggested what I'm about to post. So, please, don't flame me if so. Just post a link or something and I'll abandon this thread.

Moving on.

I've noticed that many players are upset about the cash shop. With each new optional item added, this just continues to get worse.

My personal opinion? I suppose I'm in the middle. I understand why they made the cash shop, I understand why people support it, I also understand why some are disgusted by it.

Square-Enix would be foolish to not have a shop to be honest. How many players do you see pay for subs months in advance, just to get the special minion etc.?

I see this quite often, and this has been going on since they introduced Veteran Rewards. I'm sure they did some research and found that many players are willing to pay up front for the optional items.

I'm sure that was a huge factor in them making the shop to begin with. I don't think it's fair to attack or criticize those that want to use it either.

Video games have far more digital content than ever before. Sure, I grew up playing video games without this. It was a different era of gaming. Others didn't grow up playing games this way.

Buying digital items for games is normal to them.

With all of this in mind, I'll get to my point before I get even more off topic.

I think Square-Enix should introduce a special type of in game currency.

Similar to games like Guild Wars 2. You earn this currency by doing dailies, finishing challenge logs, special events, etc. Players earn this currency at a slower rate, but they eventually save up a decent amount.

You can eventually use this currency to purchase items from the cash shop, without having to use any real money.

Sure, it might take you a month or so to save up for that new mount. The thing is, you eventually can get it without spending any money in rl. Yes, this is grindy and hardcore.

The thing is. FFXIV has plenty of content that would fit here.

One example is the challenge log. What reason do players have to finish the challenge log each week? I guess the most lucrative challenge to finish is for personal chocobo's.
That bonus exp is nice. Besides that, if you are level 50 most of the rewards from the log are not worth the time.

(Example - Yes, I got some gil and exp for gathering! It's too bad all of my gathering classes are level 50. The exp is wasted.. the gil is not enough. Common problem.)

If they added this special in game currency to the challenge log rewards. I think more players would actually try and finish it each week.

They could also add this special currency to daily beastmen tribe quests. You finish them each day and you get some of this currency. Perhaps you get some for finishing every Daily in the Duty Finder? etc.

Another idea is giving it out as a bonus for doing special holiday events. Along with the special achievement.

Lots of gamers remember the days where you would grind and work hard to unlock stuff in game. This provides a way for players to do that.

Wait, doesn't this just kill the cash shop in the end?

No, it doesn't. If players see that shiny new item and want it right away, they can buy it and have it. If others want it but don't want to spend real money on it, they grind away until they can get it.

Who knows? It just might result in players being more active, using the duty finder more often, finishing daily quests and challenges more often, etc.

Thanks for reading all of this. Please! Leave feedback! I'll do my best to check the comments.

[Titor]

I would support this idea. I really think that all items, content, events, buffs, glamours, whatever should be available without spending money on top of your sub.
If people have the want it need it now syndrome, or just want to further support SE and have the funds, they can. If people want something but do not have the money and do not mind waiting this would be a great solution.

[kyuven]

The only way I could see this happening is if they allowed subs to be purchased and traded as well.
But people would complain. They will always complain, and they will never be happy. The cash shop is just an easy target for them.

[FateAudax]

I would support this idea. I really think that all items, content, events, buffs, glamours, whatever should be available without spending money on top of your sub.
If people have the want it need it now syndrome..

So I guess you have the "I am entitled to everything syndrome because I paid for subs". Once again ignorant players not understand that that exactly subscription fees are for. It's for the basic access to the game. It's not a fee to "I want everything made available to me".

[Titor]

So I guess you have the "I am entitled to everything syndrome because I paid for subs". Once again ignorant players not understand that that exactly subscription fees are for. It's for the basic access to the game. It's not a fee to "I want everything made available to me".

Nah. I would be ok if they gated all content then, and had different sub packs.
You have your "I like to raid" players, who pay for the raid sub.
You have the "I play for glamour" Players, who play for glamour, for the glamour sub.
You have the "I am a collector" players, who play to collect mounts/minions, for the pets sub.
You have the "I like to rp" players, who get free fantasias and name changes sub.
You have the "I like the craft" players, who get the latest crafting tiers with their sub.

Lock everyone and make it exclusive, I am fine with that. But do not tell me that what I play the game for is wrong, optional, or missing the point of the game.

Everyone gets different subs based on what they think is optional.

You do not need that wedding mount/premium ceremony for your coil runs? Fine, do not have it.
Do I need the latest end-game raid here? No. I am not even going to see it.

[FateAudax]

Nah. I would be ok if they gated all content then, and had different sub packs.
You have your "I like to raid" players, who pay for the raid sub.
You have the "I play for glamour" Players, who play for glamour, for the glamour sub.
You have the "I am a collector" players, who play to collect mounts/minions, for the pets sub.
You have the "I like to rp" players, who get free fantasias and name changes sub.
You have the "I like the craft" players, who get the latest crafting tiers with their sub.

Lock everyone and make it exclusive, I am fine with that. But do not tell me that what I play the game for is wrong, optional, or missing the point of the game.

Everyone gets different subs based on what they think is optional.

You do not need that wedding mount/premium ceremony for your coil runs? Fine, do not have it.
Do I need the latest end-game raid here? No. I am not even going to see it.

Oh right, so now we're plucking scenarios from thin air.

I don't think you understood the point of Raidou's post. If there was just a few people complaining about the cash shop Id be more inclined to agree with you but not only has there been a decent amount of people who's made forum posts regarding the cash shop there's been a lot of people on my server whom I personally know that has quit the game because of this. I believe SE needs to find a middle ground to all of this and Raidou's idea makes sense in that regard.

Let's have some numbers and statistics please. You're plucking numbers from thin air too?

[Titor]

Oh right, so now we're plucking scenarios from thin air.

No, I am seriously fine if everyone has something that they do not care about gated to them, and should you feel like poking around in other aspects you can pay for them.
I would much rather pay $5 for a week of coil attempts than pay $5 for a few dyes.

Also what scenario did I pluck from the air? I proposed a system that I would rather see and would be ok with. There were no scenarios there o_o No "what ifs" or "This could happen" or "imagine this", just a system that I would rather see.

[lxChrisxl]

Nah. I would be ok if they gated all content then, and had different sub packs.
You have your "I like to raid" players, who pay for the raid sub.
You have the "I play for glamour" Players, who play for glamour, for the glamour sub.
You have the "I am a collector" players, who play to collect mounts/minions, for the pets sub.
You have the "I like to rp" players, who get free fantasias and name changes sub.
You have the "I like the craft" players, who get the latest crafting tiers with their sub.

Lock everyone and make it exclusive, I am fine with that. But do not tell me that what I play the game for is wrong, optional, or missing the point of the game.

Everyone gets different subs based on what they think is optional.

You do not need that wedding mount/premium ceremony for your coil runs? Fine, do not have it.
Do I need the latest end-game raid here? No. I am not even going to see it.

might be hard for you to hear but like it or not if you're not trying to do end game raids you don't really matter in their grand scheme right now. the japanese players like to raid and what they like matters much more than the rest of the world. everything else is fluff and it's not changing unless the japanese player base changes. if they raged at player housing and it still didn't change you guys don't even stand a chance.

[Songi]

They need to let us use some of this useless in-game currency called Gil to pay our subs and whatever items in the cash shop they decide to release. Honestly, with the current rate things are going pretty much all well-designed glamours will be gated by cash shop. With Metallic dyes hitting cash shop its safe to say even those who play the game to dress their character up will be getting locked out of a lot of content unless they swipe their card every minor update.

[Tranquilmelody7]

They need to let us use some of this useless in-game currency called Gil to pay our subs and whatever items in the cash shop they decide to release. Honestly, with the current rate things are going pretty much all well-designed glamours will be gated by cash shop. With Metallic dyes hitting cash shop its safe to say even those who play the game to dress their character up will be getting locked out of a lot of content unless they swipe their card every minor update.

Please no(To the bolded), that is a terrible idea.
I may agree with being able to purchase premium items with gil, but paying for sub's is a terrible idea that could easily break the game.

Also, how is gil worthless?
I feel less items should be untradeable and / or market prohibited, but the majority of players seems to use gil quite often.