After the next expansion they should consider expanding the F2p experience

[Tanis_Ebonhart]

To Stormblood.

Going up to Heavensward has been extremely beneficial to FF14 but with the market getting more and more crowded it's gonna get harder and harder to get more new players. Expanding to 2 expansions would be a really big carrot on the stick to get them to bite. Stormblood also introduces a lot of stuff, like Eureka and Bozja, that could greatly benefit from a flux of new players.

Course, like with Heavensward, I do see most players becoming paying players, if they can, before even finishing the expansion or post-game of the expansion. Since if they get through the Stormblood MSQ then odds are they're severely invested into FF14 at that point.

So it's really a win-win situation for everyone just like making up to Heavensward free was a win-win and has helped FF14 continue to grow even as other MMOs struggle to get new players or even retain the ones that they have.

Edit: - I meant with the release of the next expansion, not 2 expansions down.

[Ardeth]

To me what the free trial is currently is way more than any other games free trials. It's so generous I don't think it should ever change.

[sharknado]

T more and more crowded it's gonna get harder and harder to get more new players. Expanding to 2 expansions would be a really big carrot on the stick to get them to bite.

Well, they are moving to support the single-player type of FF fans so not sure if a free trial on its own needs more expansions (still not something to complain about). I would say they could give a bit more recognition to free-trial players that went way beyond the normal gameplay and like farmed relic weapons or something similar maybe a bit of housing with some custom apartment option?

[Jeeqbit]

They have mentioned being open to this idea in the past.

But it's important to remember it's a free trial. This is not meant to be a free to play game.

If the trial keeps getting increased, then it sets a precedent that all expansions will eventually become free and that allows the free players to wait it out and get everything for free.

The purpose of getting access to Heavensward is for it to be just enough to help you decide if the game really is for you or not. The only reason to go higher is if Heavensward is not a good enough representation of what the game is about. But it does show you a lot of design patterns that are repeated in every other expansion, and has a story that was at least at one time regarded as the best without dispute.

[alibutterfly]

I worry that expanding it to Stormblood would actually make conversion-to-paying-subscribers/retention worse than it is now, because I don't feel like Stormblood's narrative is as strong as Heavensward's. I feel like people would get to that story, kind of shrug and be like "what are people always so hyped about with the narrative of this game, I don't get it," then peace out before it REALLY gets good in Shadowbringers. But then, even in the next expansion, I wouldn't say it should go free all the way through ShB, because that's TOO much of the game, so IDK.

But then again, I'm definitely a story girl, and not everybody else is, so maybe this wouldn't be as much of a factor as I imagine it would be.

[Stormpeaks]

Well, they are moving to support the single-player type of FF fans so not sure if a free trial on its own needs more expansions (still not something to complain about). I would say they could give a bit more recognition to free-trial players that went way beyond the normal gameplay and like farmed relic weapons or something similar maybe a bit of housing with some custom apartment option?

No. Housing is already congested enough as it is, fix the issues for the scarcity for subscribed players of the game by adding a lot more wards, then get to free trial players.

[Midareyukki]

If FF11 hasn't gotten that treatment despite being so old and with fewer players, I doubt they'd pursue it on one of their most popular projects at the moment...

[hagare]

no need.
HW is doing a fine job as is

[Tanis_Ebonhart]

To me what the free trial is currently is way more than any other games free trials. It's so generous I don't think it should ever change.

Don't fall for that mentality. That's the mindset on why WoW, and its population, are so slow to accept change.

Expanding it to Stormblood wouldn't hurt at all.

[Curisu]

End of HW is a great place to stop the free trail.
It ends in a high note with a good cliffhanger.
It is a point of a story were you feel no real urgency to continue it and that gives the trail player the chance to explore the other important content.

Imagine you have to stop after stormblood, with all the scions gone.
The free trail player might rush to buy the game to continue the story without doing side content and then hit a wall with CT because he haven't done it.
It then get rushed and the big EW reveal will have no real impact to them.
He most likely have not done the Alex raid, so part's of EW will also not make sense to them.