Skipping MSQ

[Stanelis]

I would like to know where you are getting these so called numbers of the active XIV population dropping as a result of the Heavensward content.

Lots of metrics show that. As the activity on the forums, activity on reddit, google trends under the FFXIV tags, number of concurrent viewers on twitch.

Well, proof is in the pudding. They've already told us Stormblood has 3x the budget as Heavensward. Do you want a photo of the interview? It'll last longer.

It's not a proof as a) the potion hasn't been implemented b) as I said people were leaving FFXIV. I know they are increasing FFXIV's budget, but you have to understand the reason they do this is to make people stick to the game, and it isn't linked to the cash shop profits. The fact that they targeted their communication on the aspects which didn't please the players in HW during the NA fanfest (amongst them, lack of storage space) reinforces that point.

Also, let me remind you we used to have 3 dungeons per patch at some point, which dropped to 2 over the course of HW.

[ErryK]

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Cop out answer, you'd need hard subscription numbers as well as potential income from said subscribers. If the profits of 2.0-2.5 are higher than 3.0-3.5 come June, then I'll be glad to accept that I am wrong, otherwise, I'm sure XIV is doing just fine.

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You can perceive the budget increasing as a means to getting more customers, but I know for a fact cash shop profits are being used to aid XIV, and you can laugh all you want about it, but in the end, if you're disinterested in XIV, why do you even come here?

We used to have 3 dungeons, yes. We also didn't have Aquapolis, Lord of Verminion (Bad at the start but they fixed it by putting it in the DF), the GS TT Battlehall, Chocobo Race challenges, SSS dummies, Diadem (it was actually popular when it was new), The Feast, etc. Let's just act as if nothing new was introduced to XIV through 3.0 to 3.5, shall we?

[Violyre]

b) as I said people were leaving FFXIV. I know they are increasing FFXIV's budget, but you have to understand the reason they do this is to make people stick to the game, and it isn't linked to the cash shop profits.

So if the budget increase isn't due to cash shop sales, where did the money come from? Did it come from their asses?

[Stanelis]

So if the budget increase isn't due to cash shop sales, where did the money come from? Did it come from their asses?

Basically yes, or the bank, or the subs, or the flat sales on the boxes. But the last financial report didn't point in the direction of increased investment in FFXIV despite increased incomes from online operations. The fact that profits increase doesn't mean the investment increases.

We used to have 3 dungeons, yes. We also didn't have Aquapolis, Lord of Verminion (Bad at the start but they fixed it by putting it in the DF), the GS TT Battlehall, Chocobo Race challenges, SSS dummies, Diadem (it was actually popular when it was new), The Feast, etc. Let's just act as if nothing new was introduced to XIV through 3.0 to 3.5, shall we?

That's typically what I was talking about when I mentioned content below the industry standards. Aside from PoTD (which is content based on FFXI design), every piece of content you mentioned has been abandoned very quickly by the player base due to very low quality standards.

Despite all the efforts the dev team did put in FFXIV's pvp, it's still a part of FFXIV which is being forsaken by the gaming community.

Also, I m glad you talked about chocobo races. Back in 2015 I had the opportunity to let a potential new player interested in FFXIV partake in a chocobo race. Do you know what he told me when I asked me if he wanted to do another race ? He replied "No, I had a good memory of FFVII's races, but this piece of content totally ruin them".

Cop out answer, you'd need hard subscription numbers as well as potential income from said subscribers. If the profits of 2.0-2.5 are higher than 3.0-3.5 come June, then I'll be glad to accept that I am wrong, otherwise, I'm sure XIV is doing just fine.

Please note I m talking about the number of players. Not the income from FFXIV.

[Violyre]

Seeing a lot of threads about level jumping potions and one of the excuses thrown about a lot is new players. Thought I'd offer an alternative, buying the game and expansion(s) would automatically unlock the following:

Character select - create new character - select to start at 'A Realm Reborn' lv.1, 'Heavensward' lv.50 and eventually 'Stormblood' lv.60.

Problem solved right?

Why would anyone start at level one if they had the immediate and free option of starting at 50/60? Why don't we just cut ARR, and eventually Heavensward, out completely? Removing all of those old zones would do a lot to help their profits, not to mention no longer needing to make things work between expansion zones.

Terrible idea, both level jump and yours. Your method just makes less sense.

[Jandor]

So if the budget increase isn't due to cash shop sales, where did the money come from? Did it come from their asses?

Probably the millions and millions of dollars the game brings in from sales and subs. This is the game credited with saving SE as a company after all, saving it way before it had a cash shop as well.

Why would anyone start at level one if they had the immediate and free option of starting at 50/60? Why don't we just cut ARR, and eventually Heavensward, out completely? Removing all of those old zones would do a lot to help their profits, not to mention no longer needing to make things work between expansion zones.

Terrible idea, both level jump and yours. Your method just makes less sense.

No, the terrible idea is introducing tangible progress in exchange for money.

Treating 'A realm reborn/Heavensward/Stormblood' as a trilogy and letting weird people start with the 3rd one if for some reason they want to isn't something I particularly want, but considering the push for it (oh please won't someone think of the newbies!) it's by far the better option.

As for why anyone would play it, I've argued for a 'new game+' option before. I'd actually quite like to go back through the story on my character, if I'd started with 4.0 and never done it before it'd be great doing it the first time and getting xp for a 2nd or 3rd class at the same time.

E: In fact, typing this out has made me come around to the idea a bit more, new guy hears about FFXIV from his friends, dives straight into the latest expansion with them, and then can unlock 2.0 and 3.0 from the Wandering Minstrel and play them to level alt classes. New guy is happy, the old MSQ stuff is still useful, cash shop is kept in check, everyone's happy?

Still... this idea is dead in the water anyway. Topic basically opens up with "this shouldn't be in the cash shop" and the first reply is "but then how would SE make money from it?"

[Belhi]

Probably the millions and millions of dollars the game brings in from sales and subs. This is the game credited with saving SE as a company after all, saving it way before it had a cash shop as well.

Subs are generally a static source of income. If you want new features or more resources spent on the game or overhauls like the EU servers or the server upgrades we are getting their expense needs to be justified to the investors. The Cash shop allows that. If we want more from SE, they will need more revenue to justify it. After all its not like not upgrading the servers or hiring new staff would negatively effect profits that much. All that Sub money you mention is already been taken into account. Unless FF14 sees a massive growth in subs it's unlikely you would see substantially more money being reinvested into the game otherwise.

No, the terrible idea is introducing tangible progress in exchange for money.

Treating 'A realm reborn/Heavensward/Stormblood' as a trilogy and letting weird people start with the 3rd one if for some reason they want to isn't something I particularly want, but considering the push for it (oh please won't someone think of the newbies!) it's by far the better option.

As for why anyone would play it, I've argued for a 'new game+' option before. I'd actually quite like to go back through the story on my character, if I'd started with 4.0 and never done it before it'd be great doing it the first time and getting xp for a 2nd or 3rd class at the same time.

E: In fact, typing this out has made me come around to the idea a bit more, new guy hears about FFXIV from his friends, dives straight into the latest expansion with them, and then can unlock 2.0 and 3.0 from the Wandering Minstrel and play them to level alt classes. New guy is happy, the old MSQ stuff is still useful, cash shop is kept in check, everyone's happy?

Still... this idea is dead in the water anyway. Topic basically opens up with "this shouldn't be in the cash shop" and the first reply is "but then how would SE make money from it?"

The problem with a new game+ system they already said is due to how the Quest system is structured. Even things like Airships wouldn't be accessable till you re-unlocked them. You would loose all your progress. That is a system issue and unless they overhaul that system it is likely problematic to do.

As for why they wouldn't offer this for free, it's simple. It's to limit access for RMT and botters to later points in the game.

I would also ask, how does someone else skipping that game experience negatively impact you? Did you find playing that content a bad thing? I can find the only real issue is their potential performance endgame and that can be mitigated with Tutorial systems. Otherwise there isn't much logic to your argument.

Its like you go out for dinner with people and someone arrives after the main course and before dessert and you insist that they cant have any of the dessert unless they eat the main course too because everyone else had to. How is that you loosing out? Was eating the main course that unpleasant? Isn't it there loss for missing most of the meal?

[Spy]

stuff

Or you could compare it to climbing a mountain. On the one hand, you have the climbers that put in all the effort, blood sweat, tears and time to reach the top...and then you have others who found an elevator and were just taken to the top. Wouldn't that make your own efforts feel diminished and worthless?

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Or you could compare it to climbing a mountain. On the one hand, you have the climbers that put in all the effort, blood sweat, tears and time to reach the top...and then you have others who found an elevator and were just taken to the top. Wouldn't that make your own efforts feel diminished and worthless?

Nope. Because I don't base the value of my accomplishments on others. It's like my current goal of eventually reaching a good enough percentile I'm happy with on FFlogs. It won't bother me in the slightest that The Creator will inevitably become a complete pushover because I'll have reached my personally goal. Regardless, it's a false equivalent. Climbing a mountain requires both effort and skill. Completing the MSQ may be a time investment, but there is no skill nor does it teach you anything. You do it because you enjoy the story or leveling that way. A skip option is for people who don't find enjoyment in that particular aspect. MMOs cater to broad varieties of people after all. Some only care for gameplay, and that's okay.

[Belhi]

Or you could compare it to climbing a mountain. On the one hand, you have the climbers that put in all the effort, blood sweat, tears and time to reach the top...and then you have others who found an elevator and were just taken to the top. Wouldn't that make your own efforts feel diminished and worthless?

Strickly speaking this isn't entirely correct cause the Jump Potions wouldn't take them all the way to 'the top'. It would be more like them using the elevator to catch up with people already walking up the mountain so they can walk the final stretch to the top together.