If you're unhappy with this game then unsub... forever.

[Kes13a]

I'm also not the one making complaint threads every single day though and talking about how unhappy I am with this game every single day.

yet.

I am sure the people doing so started out small....

[Myrany]

Yes, you are correct. I have a very small glimmer of hope combined with the fact that gaming landscape is mostly desolate of good options that don't have psychological warfare on the players, aka nickel and diming. I will 100% stay true in my word though and unsub permanently should Dawntrail continue the trend. I'm also not the one making complaint threads every single day though and talking about how unhappy I am with this game every single day.

Then there is no point telling people to unsub. If someone has truly hit the point of no return with a game they leave. If they still hold out hope they either continue like you or make posts trying to get the things that are annoying them fixed.

The only reason for a post like this is the occasional person who has decided to leave and wants to take as many people with him/her/they as possible. If you are planning to remain in game until the new Xpac the thread would make far more sense being posted after release and you discovering that your suspicions were right.

The reality is NO COMPANY gives 2 darns about those of us who have already paid them. In the case of a recurring subscription game the real money comes from initial game purchase. As such the company's real focus is on new players and not those of us who have been around awhile. As long as there are new players coming in the company is never going to care about us.

[Fawkes]

He kept the old fanbase of 1.0 while successfully creating an entirely new MMORPG that would draw in new players to a fresh, exciting world.

I mean most of us got a discount on our subs and we didn't have to re-buy the game.

And a lot of 1.0 players didn't like ARR and didn't stick around.

[Zabuza]

Then there is no point telling people to unsub.

What 'point' is there to any posts made on this forum? Words that are unseen by those who can truly implement the desired changes? This post has no lesser or greater value than those. But, I'll make sure to bump this during Dawntrail if I decide to leave, if it makes you happy.

[Kes13a]

The reality is NO COMPANY gives 2 darns about those of us who have already paid them. In the case of a recurring subscription game the real money comes from initial game purchase. As such the company's real focus is on new players and not those of us who have been around awhile. As long as there are new players coming in the company is never going to care about us.

my first introduction to loyalty to customers was SOE and StarWars Galaxies. they completely, and I mean completely changed the game unannounced with an expansion. the head of SOE said essentially "dont let the door hit you on the way out" when a large portion of the player base not just complained, but wanted refunds. I think it took a class action to get those, but regardless, its a good lesson, and one that has made it far easier to leave a game I dont feel is worth my time. they owe me nothing, and I owe them nothing. once the fun is over, plenty of other things to play out there.

[Mr_Gyactus]

Maximize profits while putting in minimum effort.

I think this is true for the whole human history, since they began to hunt mammoths as a group.

nowadays they do market research, in the past it was the number of broken ribs.

[Myrany]

You realize of course, that with the point you are making, no one could possibly make a post on the forum like this then? Because according to you, only someone who has already unsubbed can make this post and yet people who are unsubbed can't post on the forum. I do not see the harm in trying to bring awareness to the issue. As much as you do not like to think so, people do get victimized by predatory practices in gaming. Otherwise, why would microtransactions even exist? Why does the cash shop exist? Why not just build it into the game like it used to be? You understand how much cash that brings in?

Really? I am saying posting this when you are going to stick around for a year is useless. Post it on your way out the door and it will carry some weight.

Engagement with Microtransactions is the choice of the player. If they see something they will enjoy, and can afford it there is no reason they should not buy it. It enhances their enjoyment of the game. Nothing in the shop is game changing. It is fluff.

Before you bother to profile stalk me for store items yes I have several nearly all of which were gifts (when things could be gifted). I did buy myself a couple of things over the 4+ years I have played this game. It is fluff. It adds to my enjoyment to run around on a giant panda or a motorcycle. I am not the one lacking enjoyment in the game.

Now I say that as someone who played the entirety of LOTRO (up to 3 years ago) without paying a single cent for the game. I did the grinds to buy the content with in game currency. Why? well for one it was a challenge, and for two I found their cash shop highly in your face and annoying and decided NOT to engage with it. They DID have things that gave you a big game advantage in the shop.

Well obviously the existence of the cash shop is not bad enough to make you leave. Kinda reinforces what I just said, The cash shop is totally optional in FFXIV. How much money they make from it is gravy to any company. Game purchases are the meat and potatos.

Raging against the cash shop will do no good. SE would be stupid in modern gaming climate not to have one. Any company would be stupid not to have one. Use it or don't as you wish. You have free choice there. Gaming is not going to go backwards on that one.

[Myrany]

my first introduction to loyalty to customers was SOE and StarWars Galaxies. they completely, and I mean completely changed the game unannounced with an expansion. the head of SOE said essentially "dont let the door hit you on the way out" when a large portion of the player base not just complained, but wanted refunds. I think it took a class action to get those, but regardless, its a good lesson, and one that has made it far easier to leave a game I dont feel is worth my time. they owe me nothing, and I owe them nothing. once the fun is over, plenty of other things to play out there.

For me it was TSO/EALAND. They allowed people to make huge cash purchases right to a minute before the permanent and unannounced shutdown of the game.

[Zabuza]

Really? I am saying posting this when you are going to stick around for a year is useless. Post it on your way out the door and it will carry some weight.

Engagement with Microtransactions is the choice of the player. If they see something they will enjoy, and can afford it there is no reason they should not buy it. It enhances their enjoyment of the game. Nothing in the shop is game changing. It is fluff.

Before you bother to profile stalk me for store items yes I have several nearly all of which were gifts (when things could be gifted). I did buy myself a couple of things over the 4+ years I have played this game. It is fluff. It adds to my enjoyment to run around on a giant panda or a motorcycle. I am not the one lacking enjoyment in the game.

Now I say that as someone who played the entirety of LOTRO (up to 3 years ago) without paying a single cent for the game. I did the grinds to buy the content with in game currency. Why? well for one it was a challenge, and for two I found their cash shop highly in your face and annoying and decided NOT to engage with it. They DID have things that gave you a big game advantage in the shop.

Well obviously the existence of the cash shop is not bad enough to make you leave. Kinda reinforces what I just said, The cash shop is totally optional in FFXIV. How much money they make from it is gravy to any company. Game purchases are the meat and potatos.

Raging against the cash shop will do no good. SE would be stupid in modern gaming climate not to have one. Any company would be stupid not to have one. Use it or don't as you wish. You have free choice there. Gaming is not going to go backwards on that one.

I don't care enough to stalk your profile. Also, I don't use the cash shop as I said. If I were to limit myself to playing any recent title that did not have a cash shop, my options would be almost none. I do not engage in the cash shop because I do not support those practices. Everything should be built into the game itself and would have continued to be had players not shown them it was okay to double-dip on them, to nickle and dime them. Or are you telling me you'd rather buy an item out of the cash shop than earn it in game for free?

[Myrany]

I don't care enough to stalk your profile. Also, I don't use the cash shop as I said. If I were to limit myself to playing any recent title that did not have a cash shop, my options would be almost none. I do not engage in the cash shop because I do not support those practices. Everything should be built into the game itself and would have continued to be had players not shown them it was okay to double-dip on them, to nickle and dime them. Or are you telling me you'd rather buy an item out of the cash shop than earn it in game for free?

I am telling you that a cash shop is inevitable. That is how games structure these days. Engage or don't as you choose. Everyone has their line. Apparently enough people have no problem with it for many games to make one.

My line has to be when it becomes necessary to engage with the cash shop to have any prayer of success with the game. Fluff items? who cares.