mailing alts

[Skivvy]

Not sure when they added the functionality, but in FFXI you can even mail nearly all RA/EX items to alts on the same server as well. As far as I know the only exceptions are AF2 from dynamis and the rewards from main story missions (like raja's ring.)

Oh yeah, I absolutely LOVED that little surprise when I went back to the game! That could go a long way for XIV as well, although with the game being in its prime, I can see them not wanting to unlock that option yet (sadly).

[Shouko]

Is there any source as to them saying RMT is the reason why they won't unlock the mail system / make alts more user-friendly? I've always chalked it up to SE implementing things in the most ass-backwards way they could imagine.

This would be a massive QOL update for this game. Perhaps find a way to track accounts that send more than X amount of mail daily and investigate further? I'm sure they could find a way to make it work .

No official source that I know of has said this.

I agree it would be nice to have but it's probably tied into coding of the game saying that you need to be online in order to receive an invite of some sort. In order to bypass this they would most likely have to change the way invites work.

I suspect the real reason they haven't changed it, is just not a high on their priority list or they just don't care enough to change it.

[Lokier]

Wouldn't it make sense for them to just adjust the mailing system to recognise alts on your account without removing the 'friends only' buff? Surely all that would need to be done is a slight coding change that would recognise your alt as a mailing applicant rather than a 'friend.' Mogstation, etc, is able to see characters on your account / server, so why can't it in-game? xD

They'd just need to maybe add a panel in FL/BL and make it AL (alt list) or w/e.

In wow, if you had a mail add-on, it would automatically suggest a character in your alt list before friends and guild members by simply reading script (or something to that effect.) Can't be that hard. :S

[kamenkuro]

Because then folks would just grind to make alts with retainers and they make money off people that don't to jump through hoops to move items around

[Lokier]

Because then folks would just grind to make alts with retainers and they make money off people that don't to jump through hoops to move items around

They'd probably have to address that by making it alts can't use the MB to sell things if your main is at its limit.

E.G if you have 2 retainers on your main, with 20/20 on both currently selling then your alt automatically cannot put anything up until something sells. Dunno how that would work via coding though...

[whiskeybravo]

It would create a pretty massive balancing issue for people who don't really use alts, since you'd have a ton more extra storage and MB slots to sell stuff. Yea you can "work-around" it now, but if it were easier it would be abused as everything tends to be. Consider payment practices too. They'd likely lose some money from people who have a lot of retainers as they wouldn't be as required, you can have up to 8 characters on a server or something right? That's a lot cheaper per month than hiring 7 additional retainers or whatever.

Also not sure, are additional retainers account-wide or per character? (I don't know)

[Skivvy]

It would create a pretty massive balancing issue for people who don't really use alts, since you'd have a ton more extra storage and MB slots to sell stuff. Yea you can "work-around" it now, but if it were easier it would be abused as everything tends to be.

Then...make alts and enjoy the same storage? :X

(of course this is excluding us Balmungers. locked server foreveeer, lul)

[AnimaAnimus]

No official source that I know of has said this.

It was in an official statement from Yoshida back pre-relaunch and again post launch he discussed it and blamed rmt. They used RMT as an excuse for many a things back then. But what it comes down to is they are making a lot of money off of extra retainers and they don't want to give that up. Its not something that people will quit over so they can just do it and give an excuse like rmt and it wont make any difference.

I could try to find it but that was 3-4 years ago now so its likely buried as a preliminary search didn't pull it up. But I can dig if I get a few minutes.

There was more than a little hubbub about it as it has made zero sense since day one.

[Lokier]

Also not sure, are additional retainers account-wide or per character? (I don't know)

Yes, you get all retainers you pay for account-wide.

[Aylis]

And why would you want to discourage people from playing alts? I don't get it. Having multiple characters is fun... maybe you should try it.

I actually do play alts, and yes it is fun. I'm just looking at another picture here, No ability to mail things to alts, no house sharing with alts to save on the housing issue, no shared bank with alts/no account wide sharing with alts, going through hoops and ladders in cases just to get the alt on the same server, the armory system which lets you play as any role you want without needing to make an alt. This all tells me this isn't a very alt friendly game due to the lack of convenience in terms of alts.