Mogstation taking another step to the darkside

[linay]

I overall agree with what you're saying here.

I've mentioned in earlier post that players likely aren't ready to pay for higher sub despite inflation, which leads me to believe Cash Shop practices will only get more significan in the future. It's this standard of 15$/month since forever that I don't think any MMO would dare to question any time soon. WoW might have had the opportunity to set a new standard but they seem to have gone the Cash Shop route.

Personally I'd gladly pay more for sub if it meant no Cash Shop at all. It's out of principle and desire for greater sense of immersion in the game and also prevent potential slippery slope (I realize slippery slope might be fallacy, but it would still put my mind more at ease knowing it's out of the question).

However it's pretty likely I'm in minority with this opinion (for now at least) and there is no solid niche game at the moment that would satisfy this principle. Thus you make a good point imo.

Your principle doesn't make sense, though.

You don't want to be charged separately for things that you want, but are willing to be charged more for things that you may not even want.

In principle alone, I would oppose the latter and accept the former.

[SamRF]

Players in general aren't that principled, if anything player behaviour has shown quite the opposite that there's almost none. Basically every major planned boycott by players due to company decisions gets ridiculed when the most fervent players ends up being the first to break from their supposed values.

If SE's sub went up to get rid of the cash shop you'd see far more people leave over the extra money, even if it's inconsequential- because regardless of what people signal regarding their feelings on MTs (and right now it's generally considered hip and progressive to hate it when companies make money of any kind), at the end of the day everyone's out for themselves and other people buying cash shop items to keep their own sub lower is always preferable.

It's a different story when the RNG elements of loot crates or the p2w aspects of the cash shop actually start to affect your in game content, but in this case that's not happening to anyone other than the few who both greatly want the new mount, and also greatly despise MTs.

I overall agree with what you're saying here.

I've mentioned in earlier post that players likely aren't ready to pay for higher sub despite inflation, which leads me to believe Cash Shop practices will only get more significan in the future. It's this standard of 15$/month since forever that I don't think any MMO would dare to question any time soon. WoW might have had the opportunity to set a new standard but they seem to have gone the Cash Shop route.

Personally I'd gladly pay more for sub if it meant no Cash Shop at all. It's out of principle and desire for greater sense of immersion in the game and also prevent potential slippery slope (I realize slippery slope might be fallacy, but it would still put my mind more at ease knowing it's out of the question).

However it's pretty likely I'm in minority with this opinion (for now at least) and there is no solid niche game at the moment that would satisfy this principle. Thus you make a good point imo.

[MikaIto]

For me it just boils down to "Dang wish I could have earned that."

[StriderShinryu]

For me it just boils down to "Dang wish I could have earned that."

Yeah, pretty much the same here. It's a great looking mount and I'd love to have it. Them putting it store only, and especially at that price, has basically meant I won't be getting it if/until it goes on major sale. It sucks but that's just the way it works. It's definitely not the first thing on the store that I've thought looked great but is priced out of what I consider personally worth the cost but they wouldn't price the items the way they do if there weren't others who were willing to pay up.

[Gemina]

Yeah, pretty much the same here. It's a great looking mount and I'd love to have it. Them putting it store only, and especially at that price, has basically meant I won't be getting it if/until it goes on major sale. It sucks but that's just the way it works. It's definitely not the first thing on the store that I've thought looked great but is priced out of what I consider personally worth the cost but they wouldn't price the items the way they do if there weren't others who were willing to pay up.

I bought the Spriggy mount last night. I also felt the price tag was too high, but also know that is what account wide mounts typically go for. So they are even more pricey for players like myself who only have one character to take advantage of it. Despite that, as soon as I hopped on that Spriggy I immediately did not regret the purchase. I honestly cannot remember the last time 24 bucks made me so happy, as I knew it would, because I asked for a Spriggy mount the moment I knew both Spriggans and mounts existed in this game.

It was a rare feeling. As someone who can't trust anything positive due to a feeling of an awareness of a universal latent effect that will undoubtedly bring about the balancing negative; I feel like this was a steal at 24USD. You can't put a price tag on that kind of elation.

Whether or not it is affordable is another matter, but I think most of us could and probably do spend that 24USD on things that don't bring anywhere near the same benefit.

[Gemina]

For me it just boils down to "Dang wish I could have earned that."

If you make an honest living and purchase something from the cash shop; consider it earned. Just in another way. The people making stuff and placing them in the cash shop are also trying to make an honest living. Both the cash shop and the game should be filled to the brim with items players want.

[SamRF]

If you make an honest living and purchase something from the cash shop; consider it earned. Just in another way. The people making stuff and placing them in the cash shop are also trying to make an honest living. Both the cash shop and the game should be filled to the brim with items players want.

It should be understandable that some don't want to earn things that way in a video game.

Also breaks some kind of immersion when you pull out your real life wallet to get specific item in the game.

[Gemina]

It should be understandable that some don't want to earn things that way in a video game.

Also breaks some kind of immersion when you pull out your real life wallet to get specific item in the game.

This game is pay to play, dude. You can break your 'immersion' at anytime just by looking at your bank statement. It is most certainly not pay to win, which is what your argument implies. Not one thing in that cash shop affects your ability to earn things in the game by playing the game.

[Payadopa]

It seems to me that you have no common sense. Every current day MMO has a cash shop. No one is "shilling for SE" when the simple fact is that EVERYTHING on the Mog Station is completely optional. None of it is predatorial. There's nothing anyone NEEDS from the Mog Station. It's all optional stuff that doesn't impact character stats, gameplay, or overall enjoyment factor. None of it. In fact, the Mog Station isn't even directly tied into the game. You can't open a menu in XIV and access the Mog Station through it. This is literally the most easy going and non-invasive cash shop I've seen in an MMO. Calm the calamity that is your mammeries

So you're part of the 'It's optional' crowd. Fair enough. In a game that has glamour as true end-game wanting to like your best is not optional. It's part of the intended experience.

It it wasn't SE would just release the same looking gear with different stats. If nobody speaks out against these practices they'll continue to tighten their grasp. It's common business sense. Look no further than EA or Nintendo's (clumsy) steps over the years. It has happened and has been documented countless times and yet... here we are. It's sad, really.

Also, what does least intrusive even mean? I'm paying for the game and a subscription. This isn't F2P. Goes to show how indoctrinated people already are. That stuff wouldn't have flown 15 years ago.

[SinisterJoints]

So you're part of the 'It's optional' crowd. Fair enough. In a game that has glamour as true end-game wanting to like your best is not optional. It's part of the intended experience.

It it wasn't SE would just release the same looking gear with different stats. If nobody speaks out against these practices they'll continue to tighten their grasp. It's common business sense. Look no further than EA or Nintendo's (clumsy) steps over the years. It has happened and has been documented countless times and yet... here we are. It's sad, really.

Also, what does least intrusive even mean? I'm paying for the game and a subscription. This isn't F2P. Goes to show how indoctrinated people already are. That stuff wouldn't have flown 15 years ago.

And yet it existed 15 years ago. Just because you pay a sub doesn't mean an MMO isn't allowed to have a cash shop. The game is not advertised as "endgame is glamour" The endgame is whatever YOU want it to be. If that happens to be glam, well then so be it. If it happens to be raids, then so be it.

Don't like the cash shop? Don't buy the items, like any other adult