It's time to reevaluate the idea of adding a PLEX/Chronoscroll-like system to FFXIV

[Interstella]

By replacing monthly subscription with tokens that can be purchased with in-game currency, you are in effect reducing RMT costs, which they can then use to buy new game versions to bot with.

More bots = more in-game currency = reduction in real-money price = more people buying illegally generated in-game currency = more money for RMT = more game version being bought = more bots...

SE charges: 130,000gil = 1 token = 1 month of subscription
But due to the above scenario, RMT can charge: $10 = 130,000gil = 1 token = 1 month subscription (Nice, legacy prices!)

And SE will see none of this money...
= less money for game development
= more items in the cash shop to try and generate real-world money (because let's face it, it makes the world go round)

With this system, you are in effect putting SE in direct competition with RMTs, who do you think is going to come out on top here?!

Also, pay-to-win: isn't just buying gear, it's buying a spot on a raid team that will clear content for you.


Le edit...

In contrast to what you think, this system isn't putting SE in competition with RMT, it's putting players in competition with RMT.

Anyone can buy a token, players who buy tokens are indirectly selling gil if you think about it ... More competition = cheaper goods (gil is the good in this case). Throw in the existence of a legal route, players will feel safer taking the legal route, token selling will have a competitive advantage v.s. buying from a shady spammer.

The end result is that it screws over RMT because they no longer have a monopoly on RL money to gil conversion.

Thank you, I think I see how this works now.

So, $13 is 1 token from SE which can be sold on the MB for price dictated by the player, say 130,000gil
- It's secure
- Not against TOS

But for those who don't want to pay real-world money for a subscription, or those who can't, wouldn't they have to take up a currency generating style of play (130,000gil is really little, it'll probably more expensive I think)

So for example, say $13 will get me 130,000gil
But what if an RMT says $10 = 200,000gil?

Wouldn't I be getting more gil for less real-world money?

So some people might buy $20 worth of gil from an RMT = 2 months game time and a little extra, I can spend on a house, so no money goes back into the economy or I spend it on items on the MB I wouldn't have purchased otherwise
- so circulating more money into the economy causing inflation (am I right?)

Wouldn't that be detrimental to other players?

What if the RMT bought tokens off the MB and resold them for higher prices?
- Wouldn't those who rely on the tokens for game time either leave the game or be forced into a currency generating style of play?
- Wouldn't this encourage botting by actual players to keep up with RMT?