Why is retainer STORAGE not buy once have forever?

[Titor]

I can understand keeping the selling and venture functionality to paid retainers if really necessary, since those are more server load and all that, but the actual storage itself.

The storage is kept forever, if you buy the max amount of retainers the day before your sub ends, fill them all up with some vendor gear, then never renew your retainers again, those items and that data is stored. So this cannot be a matter of server limitations, since the data is there, it will always be there, but will be inaccessible to you until you renew then. Even if you never renew them again, that data and those items will still be there.

It seems like an unnecessary pay gate for using the storage itself. If they want to charge for marketboard space or ventures fine (since I guess that is technically extra data that is not stored when they are inactive). But the inventory part-- that should be buy once have forever, since it is still there anyway.

[Nyalia]

So much this. I'd add on to what you've said, but it'd likely get me banned from the forums again.

[Katana190]

+1. I refuse to buy extra retainers since they were released. The people who rent them are the reason we don't have a glamour catalogue... That's just imo though.

[ValkyrieL]

should have two options

1. Monthly Payment (current)
2. Permanent storage- for ~$36 per retainer x 6 $216 for 6 retainers
The second option is already making a one year 6th month commitment to the game.

[Zojha]

For the same reason they don't use the currency tab more often and all of those stupid beast tribe tokens, ventures etc are cluttering up your inventory.

Storage issues and renting of retainers is not coincidental.

[StrejdaTom]

Why? Umm.. this:

[Kosmos992k]

I can understand keeping the selling and venture functionality to paid retainers if really necessary, since those are more server load and all that, but the actual storage itself.

The storage is kept forever, if you buy the max amount of retainers the day before your sub ends, fill them all up with some vendor gear, then never renew your retainers again, those items and that data is stored. So this cannot be a matter of server limitations, since the data is there, it will always be there, but will be inaccessible to you until you renew then. Even if you never renew them again, that data and those items will still be there.

If your sub is inactive, your characters are inactive and not part of the server load that I think they are talking about. The server load I believe that they are talking about is the data actively held and processed by the game server. All character data (inventory, armory chest, retainer inventory, currency, Gold Saucer, Companions, Minions, etc...) is backed up every 15 seconds. That generates a huge load. The complete backup of the data every 15 seconds is to provide bullet proof rollback of your character, and since everything is stored server side to prevent inventory cheats it's always going to remain that way.

If you're sub is inactive, your character won't be loaded at all, so it imposes no load on the server. With an active sub your character has to be included in any provisioning or planning estimates that they do for server load and capacity - since you could logon at any moment.

A possible solution to the inventory issue is a private storage room that you can access only through your personal chamber, house or Inn room. It would be a separate instance and all you can do is manage inventory. While in the personal store room, you can't craft, glamour, convert, desynth, etc...only manage the inventory. That would allow you to manage your personal and retainer inventories, and store things in 'long term storage' that's not accessible in areas where you actually play the game. Such a provision would have next to no impact on the actual game servers since you're in a separate instance and as soon as you leave that instance the personal storage room is locked up tight and stuffed in the back of the database not to be accessed until you enter your personal storage room instance again.

Of course it does come down to money, and implementing a personal storage room or similar concept would cost them a bit of dev time, but would have no return on that investment other than player satisfaction. Also, as usual, I am certain that there would be endless streams of complain about the Personal Store Room not being accessible in the open world, or not being easy to use, or <insert spurious complaint here>...

[HakaseNyan]

The price you pay for hoarding. Just like real storage; they keep your possessions, which you find valuable, if you can't pay rent. All the more enticing to get you to pay up again. Now think about if they purged your storage if you didn't re-up!

It really is a shame we don't get a glamour catalog or tokens go to currency tab instead of inventory space. Any UNTRADEABLE tokens need to be removed from taking up inventory space. If we can't trade or barter them off, then they don't belong in the inventory.

[Titor]

I do not really think it is hoarding to play the game as intended. With the huge amounts of item bloat for crafting, all classes on one char, different tokens and currency, it is more like general stuff to play the game. Hoarding would be having stacks and stacks of bone chips that you want to keep. Wanting to keep my hard-earned dreadwyrm gear, crafting supplies, etc, is not really hoarding. They devs even stated that there is an inventory shortage and they know about it.

But that aside, that is the point, since they /do not/ purge your items when the retainer expires, the stuff is still there and taking server storage just arbitrarily letting you not use it since you did not pay that month again.

[NoahArks]

Would be great if they gave atleast one free retainer to end the year. Wishful thinking though. Don't expect anything like retainers to be free, ever. Was the same in FFXI, remember? Only one free character slot and any extra would cost 1buck extra month.