I solved the problem with this game.

[Mistyregions]

The problem with the community and developers is the community doesn't understand it takes money to implement even the smallest QoL. So they are always asking for stuff that's unrealistic because the game isn't a fan service it's a business.

So my solution? For every single person complaining about races, housing, whatever it may be Square should allow a crowd funded development option. It's that simple. Square gives an estimate for the development and implementation cost and it's up to "but I want housing now" guy to fund it.

Pretty simple right? Here is a example, "I want developers to implement instanced housing because I feel left out and my feelings hurt and I'm soft". The premise is that a huge amount of the community wants this right? *according to the forums*

Since people are so confident in their stance, square can give an estimate to cover the cost of this because they DON'T HAVE unlimited resources. Let's says its 300k, the community can crowd fund it and get it implemented and since they believe everyone should have access to everything they definitely will let people use it even if they don't contribute right? See, EZ PZ. Want new background colors for the UI? 50k new unisex glamor? 400k.

This solution allows the developers to maintain their business and work towards new content for the rest of us without limiting resources to the new content. This then allows them to take that money and outsource it to smaller companies and get it implemented. This solves everything really. People can get what they want without demanding a company to bend to their personal insecurities.

[Raldo]

Are you put off by people offering suggestions and input? If not for that, what else are we doing here? Most people are complaining from a place of love ("I like this thing and I'd like to see it improve"). I mean, I don't think you can even post here without an active sub. We're already paying for them to do work.

Sure, resources aren't unlimited, but we can't know what their plans are. We voice our opinions in hopes that our opinions are shared and our feedback is heard.

Go tally up how much money they're making per-month off of subs alone, then lets talk.

[Mistyregions]

Are you put off by people offering suggestions and input? If not for that, what else are we doing here? Most people are complaining from a place of love ("I like this thing and I'd like to see it improve"). I mean, I don't think you can even post here without an active sub. We're already paying for them to do work.

Sure, resources aren't unlimited, but we can't know what their plans are. We voice our opinions in hopes that our opinions are shared and our feedback is heard.

Go tally up how much money they're making per-month off of subs alone, then lets talk.

I'm not put off I'm just tired of hearing about it, there is complaining to complain, then there is whining a raging and demanding and insinuating intolerance.

How many active subs are there? 1 million? That's 15 off million dollars, after taxes (I dont know shit about Japan's tax structure) they have to reinvest in this IP diversify their product line by investing into new IPs and the mundane things like, cover 401k investments, healthcare, yearly COL wage increases. So I'm willing to bet it's not much.

[Enla]

Let's not give 'Small Indie Company' Square Enix any ideas please... They already act like they aren't a major AAA company for most of the year, actually treating them like an indie company would be a disaster from which we'd never come back from.

[Mistyregions]

Let's not give 'Small Indie Company' Square Enix any ideas please... They already act like they aren't a major AAA company for most of the year, actually treating them like an indie company would be a disaster from which we'd never come back from.

What do you mean by this comment? Are you insinuating that they have unlimited money to focus on just one IP in their portfolio? That they should not diversify and keep the game withing a budget? That they should not give raises to employees? That they should just return all profit from this game back into the game?

[Enla]

What do you mean by this comment? Are you insinuating that they have unlimited money to focus on just one IP in their portfolio? That they should not diversify and keep the game withing a budget? That they should not give raises to employees? That they should just return all profit from this game back into the game?

I'm outright stating that in the past SE has acted like an Indie company with no money for anything even as a quick look at their financial reports, which are public by the way, shows they're making record profits. I'm also stating it as someone who still very much remembers the hell Yoshi P went through just to beg for the last round of server upgrades even as SE funneled money hand over fist out of FF14 to fund other projects. You should never, ever, let a company like SE treat itself like they're a small start up with barely any money to their name because they will never stop taking advantage of you once you let them get their foot in the door. If they need to wait for funds to be raised internally, fine, but like hell should we ever crowdfund for them.

[Moonlite]

What do you mean by this comment? Are you insinuating that they have unlimited money to focus on just one IP in their portfolio? That they should not diversify and keep the game withing a budget? That they should not give raises to employees? That they should just return all profit from this game back into the game?

For a monthly sub game my sub has cost me $3600 rounded down to an even monthly number. That does not include any cash shop or expansions purchased. Do you think I have gotten a product worth $3600? That enough of my money has gone back into QoL improvements of the game. Neither you nor I are privy to the info, but does it even feel like even a fair percentage has gone back into the game. A fair percentage for me being over 60% which would include staff costs, leaving SE to use the other 40% however they see fit.

I might be misunderstanding the OP here, but I believe this isn't so much aimed at the "Hey, y'know what might be a good idea?" players, but aimed at the "I PAY YOSHI P MY SUB SO THEREFORE I AM ENTITLED TO DEMAND X AND Y BECAUSE I WANT IT AND I ALONE MAKE SURE HE HAS A ROOF OVER HIS HEAD" players.

Could be wrong, but that's the feel I get.

Entitled or question why the game has gotten so much since 2.0 from the players and receive so little improvement. Or why such a beloved team that communicates so well blows smoke at players with the excuse "Housing is for community feel." You know another garbage statement from 2.0 was "GC frontlines is because of lore so its staying." He would get more respect if he said, "we refuse to pay for more instances and world servers aren't over taxed and thats why we refuse to do instances."


Also players might not be so bent out of shape if the cash shop was a little better and they didn't charge for extras that are in game. This is a monthly sub not a phone game.

[Paladinleeds]

It also has to be developed using SE Crystal Tools (or whatever engine they use now... was Crystal Tools the old one?) - the people implementing it have to be understanding of the code of FFXIV. In essence, it'd be a case of hiring new people. Then training them etc. I believe Yoshi P has gone on record saying finding appropriate developers (that can speak Japanese, which is what they communicate with each other using) is extremely difficult. Thus, while I can see where you're going with this, it is not as simple as that.

[Mistyregions]

It also has to be developed using SE Crystal Tools (or whatever engine they use now... was Crystal Tools the old one?) - the people implementing it have to be understanding of the code of FFXIV. In essence, it'd be a case of hiring new people. Then training them etc. I believe Yoshi P has gone on record saying finding appropriate developers (that can speak Japanese, which is what they communicate with each other using) is extremely difficult. Thus, while I can see where you're going with this, it is not as simple as that.

Well then that can be factored into the cost, making more apparent to the "it's so easy" crowd, how monumental the task they ask actually is. I swear I hear how easy it is to put in instance housing ,and how easy it is to put helmets on viera and how easy it is to unisex over 10k peices of gear in the game.

[Paladinleeds]

Well then that can be factored into the cost, making more apparent to the "it's so easy" crowd, how monumental the task they ask actually is. I swear I hear how easy it is to put in instance housing ,and how easy it is to put helmets on viera and how easy it is to unisex over 10k peices of gear in the game.

Asking for us to pay for these western developers to be trained in Japanese (which by the way, requires a minimum of five years of study IIRC to be allowed to take the exam to be considered fluent enough in Japanese for a work visa for this sort of company) won't be feasible due to the timescales involved in getting them on board (like I said, it's a multi year process to get the talent involved with Japanese). Also, because of code issues, NDAs would have to be signed and the staff brought onto the team (remember this is an in-house game engine that they don't allow other companies to use). These developers would have to leave their other jobs (so they'd have to WANT to work for SE), or foreign developers trained up in the language. The fact is that SE runs FFXIV on a shoestring budget. We make stupid amounts of money, and that gets siphoned off to other projects. Also, Yoshi P has gone on record stating that they made the cash shop to be able to try and get more funds to the team (although I don't know whether that's just PR speak he was told to give and SE actually take all that too for other projects). Diversifying yes, I get that. But for years this game has been run on a shoestring budget.

Given Japanese developers aren't likely to move en-masse to SE to work for them, we'd have to train up western developers in Japanese. So, we'd be waiting multiple years to see it anyway, not as simple as this is. Plus, I believe SE doing these sorts of Kickstarter type campaigns as an AAA developer would get them in trouble with Japanese law. So it wouldn't be possible. It's not as simple as the technical and human resources aspects, there's also legal aspects to consider.

I'm not put off I'm just tired of hearing about it, there is complaining to complain, then there is whining a raging and demanding and insinuating intolerance.

How many active subs are there? 1 million? That's 15 off million dollars, after taxes (I dont know shit about Japan's tax structure) they have to reinvest in this IP diversify their product line by investing into new IPs and the mundane things like, cover 401k investments, healthcare, yearly COL wage increases. So I'm willing to bet it's not much.

Once again, they added the cash shop. Not to mention, from my understanding in Japan, they pay for their healthcare with their taxes (and judging from the mention of the 401k, I assume you're American, so that may explain why you added the healthcare part). So, the outgoings might not be as much as we think.