SE Please implement a Chonoscroll/PLEX system in FFXIV: ARR

[Alhanelem]

Blizzard tried to stop RMT with the real money auction house. It didn't work. RMT still thrive by trading under the table so Blizzard doesn't collect transaction fees.

I really don't like the idea of trading game time for items.

[Abriael]

Blizzard tried to stop RMT with the real money auction house. It didn't work. RMT still thrive by trading under the table so Blizzard doesn't collect transaction fees.

I really don't like the idea of trading game time for items.

It's a completely different feature. It really has nothing to do with it.

Apples aren't oranges, yanno.

[Heavens]

I started writing a really long reply about how this idea should not be implemented. Then I decided to save myself some time. Everyone is just trying to 1up each other anyway at this point.

The Taru, Duuude, is correct. A system like this seems like it might work on paper, but it's more like an excuse to reduce the responsibility of actually fixing an issue.

Reasons people RMT:
Time investment too large:
Derives from requirement of monetary gains through large amount of dailies, crafting, etc.

Price of entry too high:
If the game does not pace income appropriately the need for quick gain rises. If I'm leveling up and hit the highest level, but everything costs x57 what I have, well then sir (or mam), we have a problem.

Consistency of game rewards lacks:
If you constantly complete content and are not moderately rewarded. How about those endless runs for Darklight gear? I'm not saying they should be easy to get, but COME ON. Also, remember Diablo 3 at launch? I forgot that game was supposed to be about loot until they reminded me on a forum.

Furthermore, if I'm constantly receiving really good gear from completing crafting milestones, quests, or instances, why would I need to purchase in-game currency?

Staying competitive:
There are no systems in place to catch newcomers or casuals up to current content. Why do tier 1 content when the tier 3 patch is out? "Wait, I haven't done tier 1 or 2, so how can I do tier 3? .... Guys?..."

Your game isn't fun:
Read the title. People want to beat it fast and experience what it has to offer. They also want to get out quickly.

In conclusion, fix your game. Don't implement a lame feature for extra income because no one wants to actually pay a subscription. This is a pointless system for users - why do we need it when everything we want is obtainable through moderate play? I actually think this game may already be trying to address this issue with its crafting, gathering, and battle systems. Each can generate items that are good for selling or using. Don't have time to run raids? Go weave yourself a new shirt, brotatoe.

Be careful though and don't make the game one linear tier of content and rewards. World of Warcraft has done a superb job implementing rewards for all play styles. You want the best loot? Well go wipe on bosses and rerun content over and over until your guild breaks up for that highest bracket gear. Want a similar piece of gear, but with less stats? Well go run into a wall while your party kills the boss for you. Either way the different play styles are rewarded.

Using the "But Mom, it worked for EVE and her friend TERA down the street!" mentality - Why not do something a bit more interesting, more Final Fantasy? Why not implement a system like the digital store in Guild Wars 2 (minus the boosting items)? Maybe do it via the Gold Saucer. Spend Gil or real money (which has a controlled and moderated conversion rate) on tokens to play mini-games for character cosmetics or a new rug for your house. Now the developers have more money and I have a badass Mithra rug.

If you're more worried about revenue stream for the developer, well then, the above would suit them better. Knock out a mount skin asset in the afternoon and sell it for $25 starting Friday. Little work for an unforeseeable income over the game's lifetime. Not only that, but the cosmetic addition to the game's store introduces zero balance issues.

Unless, of course, it's unfair to be a badass.

[Davorok]

I would be in favor of the Flex Pass it it acted as a "Buddy Pass" with a Registration & Delivery System outside of the game world.

If it were an in-game trade-able (for gil) item, I do not see how it would limit RMT. In fact I believe it would encourage more RMT. Here is my reasoning:

I would basically have 3 options to play the game:

1) Pay my monthly fee of $10 or $15 USD.

2) Farm enough gil in-game to buy a Flex Pass: Price unknown but let's say 150,000 gil (could be 1-2 mil though)

3) Pay an RMT $10.00 USD for 1 mil gil, buy Flex Pass for 150,000 and still have 850,000 gil left over.
3a) or Pay RMT $5.00 USD for 500,000 gil and still have 350,000 gil left over.

Now if the Flex Passes start selling for 1-2 mil gil, yes the RMT's would have to work harder for less profit but they would adjust and everyone going for option 2 (farming gil) would suffer from inflation.

Bottom line for me though is this: I just don't like the idea of Purchasing In-Game money with IRL Money (which is what "sellers" of the Flex Pass would be doing) and is why I stay away from supposed "Free-to-Play" games and "Cash Shop" games and I would stay away from FFXIV if it takes that route also.

I'm sorry if "I don't like it" is not a good enough reason for anyone else but it's good enough for me.

[LunaticTear]

God please no cash shops...

[Abriael]

In conclusion, fix your game.

There are plenty games that are "fixed", but are still ridden with RMT. The game being fixed has nothing to do with it.

This is a pointless system for users - why do we need it when everything we want is obtainable through moderate play?

Yep, completely pointless to allow people with more revenue to pay the monthly for people with less.

Oh wait...

Using the "But Mom, it worked for EVE and her friend TERA down the street!" mentality - Why not do something a bit more interesting, more Final Fantasy? Why not implement a system like the digital store in Guild Wars 2 (minus the boosting items)? Maybe do it via the Gold Saucer. Spend Gil or real money (which has a controlled and moderated conversion rate) on tokens to play mini-games for character cosmetics or a new rug for your house. Now the developers have more money and I have a badass Mithra rug.

Completely different system with completely different objectives. A cosmetic store simply serves to generate additional revenue (and it's an extremely annoying way to do so, as the developer needs to dedicate plenty development and design resources to keep the store full with items, instead of creating the same cosmetic items, but allowing everyone already paying a monthly fee to enjoy them). Chronoscrolls/PLEX combats RMT and helps retaining more accounts without the slightest expense from the developer.

Retaining accounts isn't just a matter of additional revenue, but also a matter of keeping population stable and/or growing.

People in the game aren't just paying customers, they're also effectively a form of content for the other players to play with. A cosmetic store does nothing in this direction (other that annoying a lot of people).

Unfortunately the P2P market is going in that direction, but I won't sure suggest it, when there are better solutions that have additional perks on top of additional revenue.

1) Pay my monthly fee of $10 or $15 USD.

2) Farm enough gil in-game to buy a Flex Pass: Price unknown but let's say 150,000 gil (could be 1-2 mil though)

3) Pay an RMT $10.00 USD for 1 mil gil, buy Flex Pass for 150,000 and still have 850,000 gil left over.
3a) or Pay RMT $5.00 USD for 500,000 gil and still have 350,000 gil left over.

You assume that RMT gil would automatically cost a lot less, which is not realistic, because the price of this kind of things adjusts between demand and offer.

[Heavens]

There are plenty games that are "fixed", but are still ridden with RMT. The game being fixed has nothing to do with it.

It's adorable how close to the chest you're taking all of these comments.

Features like these were invented to keep interest in a game, because they introduce new ways of play. If you actually solve the problem and introduce true forms of new play, these systems become irrelevant. You are arguing for something that should be irrelevant to begin with.

Yep, completely pointless to allow people with more revenue to pay the monthly for people with less.

This sounds like a bad political tagline. It also contributes zero points to your tally of introducing a game feature that makes sense. What happens the next month when these generous high revenue having individuals raise the price or become no shows? The little guy loses and the amount of active accounts lowers anyway. If your theory of others "helping" out the lower class as a possible scenario is applicable, well then the possibility of them not existing can exist as well.

People in the game aren't just paying customers, they're also effectively a form of content for the other players to play with. A cosmetic store does nothing in this direction (other that annoying a lot of people).

If this system works so well then why are EVE and TERA's numbers so low? A monthly $15 is a minor cost to any individual who spends their time playing games. It is $15 for a reason: consistent content. It makes buying games on a weekly or monthly basis irrelevant because you have something that evolves each month. Something that gives you new content, gameplay, entertainment every week. Something you could never fully beat. This system is a cop out, a mask, a cancer to actually fixing the real problem: make your game something worth the cost.

My remarks regarding the digital store were to service the developing company, which you claim this does as well. This doesn't as much. It requires support, operation costs, and constant testing, just like everything else. This is not a set it and forget it system. This is something that will have side effects on the economy, which will require more balancing. It doesn't matter how many infographs you show me - it's on the AH, it's for sale, it's going to affect it. If you truly want to fight currency selling then maybe you should really analyze the failed designs they are taking advantage of.

The digital store may require a bit more in operation costs and maintenance, but the extra revenue gained in comparison would be dramatic.

[Jynx]

No thanks.

If people want to buy gil to get ahead in the game let them jump through the dangerous hoops of the dark RMT side. While I who spent my own time to get my gil don't have to risk that.

[Abriael]

Features like these were invented to keep interest in a game, because they introduce new ways of play. If you actually solve the problem and introduce true forms of new play, these systems become irrelevant. You are arguing for something that should be irrelevant to begin with.

This is a logical fallacy, as there's no system, no polish, no fixing that can effectively remove people leaving the game and being on the fence about continuing their sub or not. It's just the nature of the market. This system helps keeping a number of them and getting em back.

You talk about it like it's an alternative, but it isn't, as a developer can easily improve a game AND implement this system to tempt those that the improvements don't catch.

This sounds like a bad political tagline. It also contributes zero points to your tally of introducing a game feature that makes sense. What happens the next month when these generous high revenue having individuals raise the price or become no shows? The little guy loses and the amount of active accounts lowers anyway. If your theory of others "helping" out the lower class as a possible scenario is applicable, well then the possibility of them not existing can exist as well.

Sure, find me an example in which that happened. It sure never did on TERA or EVE, where the flow of PLEX and Chronoscroll has always been constant since they have been introduced.

Since people aren't part of some fabulous hive mind, if one decides to raise the price, people will simply buy from those that undercut him, and he'll have to lower the price in turn in order to sell and not just keep a paperweight in his inventory. If one disappears, someone else will take his place.

If this system works so well then why are EVE and TERA's numbers so low?

TERA's numbers aren't disclosed, but the servers have a very healthy population. And lol at EVE having low numbers. It's one of the most successful MMOs of all time, and its numbers are still growing (and they will grow further with the introduction of DUST 514).

A monthly $15 is a minor cost to any individual who spends their time playing games.

For you maybe, but not for everyone. If it was so minor, free to play games wouldn't be so popular.

make your game something worth the cost.

Again, you can do both. Sorry. Doesn't hold water.

My remarks regarding the digital store were to service the developing company, which you claim this does as well. This doesn't as much. It requires support, operation costs, and constant testing, just like everything else. This is not a set it and forget it system. This is something that will have side effects on the economy, which will require more balancing. It doesn't matter how many infographs you show me - it's on the AH, it's for sale, it's going to affect it. If you truly want to fight currency selling then maybe you should really analyze the failed designs they are taking advantage of.

It's a very low maintenance system, as all it requires are a few database calls. After the initial implementation and testing it runs almost by itself,

Comparing it to running a cosmetic store and creating a decent flow of content for it is absolutely ludicrous.

Things don't have side effects in the economy just because you say so. There are failsafes to prevent it, and in both previous experiences, it didn't happen. You have no reason to assume that it would here.

The digital store may require a bit more in operation costs and maintenance, but the extra revenue gained in comparison would be dramatic.

the store only gains revenue, but it does nothing to keep people playing. And players are a resource to a MMORPG, as much as revenue itself. In addition to that, cosmetic stores also act as a strong deterrent for people, that already pay a monthly fee and see the developer working to create content that they can't enjoy unless they pay even more.

Cosmetic stores in Pay to Play games *always* gain the developer a lot of negativity.

[Duuude007]

I would really like to see a rep post here. This debate just keeps going in circles, and personal attacks are getting kind of ridiculous.