[Megathread] Final Fantasy XIV

[Graeham]

I do feel as though they're becoming rather greedy in regards to the Mog Station. They screwed over European players with the Maid/Butler promotion so it's disappointing that they've not put the items onto the Mog Station despite admitting that they messed up. I don't like Yoshi-P advertising optional items during Live Letters, either. I feel like it's just Square Enix's classic greed at play, though. So he may simply be acting on their behalf.

Being the filthy hypocrite I am, though, I've purchased many items from the Mog Station myself so I am part of the problem.

[Faroth]

I don't remember him promoting Mog Station items as much as merchandise. Square is definitely, let's say... proud of their merchandise.

And damn me if I don't really want a $150 Play Arts Kai Cloud & Tifa for FFVII remake. If they made a Y'shtola, I'd want that too. I just can't justify the price for a figure. $75 and I'd likely bite.

I did finally break down and buy a blue carbuncle plush, but I was at Fan Fest and planned to spend some cash.

Soundtracks are my weakness... $40-$50 (after shipping) is a lot for a soundtrack, but credit to Sokken, there's a lot of music on them and I remember 12 track CDs being $15-$20, so I can self justify it. Art books are my second weakness, but I don't jump on those as quickly.

[Berethos08]

I don't remember him promoting Mog Station items as much as merchandise. Square is definitely, let's say... proud of their merchandise.

It's rare that they advertise the mogshop stuff - Yoshi-P does make comments (at times clearly being cheeky about it) about putting stuff people request in the store. Stuff like "You want this thing?....You may have to pay for it" type stuff.

Officially? Yeah, it's their physical merch - I've seen everything from slippers to statues to underwear make an appearance. They really love their merchandise, you're damn right on that.

Though as long as they keep making soundtracks, art books, and lore books...

[Faroth]

Mmmm, lore books, yes.

I get a kick seeing Yoshida doing a live letter wearing Moogle Slippers, though.

[The Casualty]

It's rare that they advertise the mogshop stuff - Yoshi-P does make comments (at times clearly being cheeky about it) about putting stuff people request in the store. Stuff like "You want this thing?....You may have to pay for it" type stuff.

Officially? Yeah, it's their physical merch - I've seen everything from slippers to statues to underwear make an appearance. They really love their merchandise, you're damn right on that.

Though as long as they keep making soundtracks, art books, and lore books...

I'm still waiting for them to do another printing of Encyclopedia Eorzia =\

[Wrecktangle]

Notable outfits for major NPCs strike me as something that would be less common. Something I wouldn't expect to see everyone and their dog wearing on a daily basis. It would be like a Marvel MMO where everyone is Spider-Man or Wolverine despite NOT BEING Spider-Man or Wolverine or 1000 identical Batmans in a DC MMO. I get the concept of not making major plot figures' outfits not being a readily obtainable outfit.

Likewise, I wouldn't expect Blizzard to make every hunter in WoW a Sylvanas identical set. Inspired/influenced by, sure, but not the exact outfit.

Even still, Y'shtola's new outfit sure was everywhere for a while there.

I'm 100% ok with it being less common. Obvious solution to your idea:

1) Aymerics armor is gated by clearing savage. There few people have it.
2) "" is gated by acquiring all Anima weapons. There few people have it.
3) "" is gated by huge MGP cost. There few people have it.

I could go on and on with examples, but you get the point. When you begin to resort to releasing armor sets and stuff in the shop and not in the game you're directly reducing the impact of your content. While they're at it make it dyeable too .

I strongly dislike when WoW does it and I strongly dislike when BNS does it (the most recent MMO's I've played). BNS at least has a workaround in the currency exchange. I don't like it, but I'd tolerate it.

You'd think that every single Ret would be using the vanilla cashbringer skin, but you don't see it. Hell I see probably 65% of people using some form of the skin (there are like 6 skins 4 colors each), and I have seen maybe 3 people total with my skin (legion dungeon meta achieves). Just like your Yshtola example sure it was popular for a minute, but then its not. Aymeric's would likely be popular right now, but once SB drops people will change it.

Beyond that, it remains akin to WoW's mount/pet model. Completely optional and unnecessary items on the cash shop. I'll concede, however, my favorite cash shop models are the ones where cash shop items are available in game with a fairly heavy cost or even a soul crushing grind with the cash shop being the path of least resistance (and actual money) and I'm not crazy about Square's items being a per-character basis, especially on emotes.

I typically only bought things from Blizzard when they were doing their charity sales. So far I've not bought anything on the Mog Station store either. On that note, I kind of wish their art books and soundtracks came with vouchers for Mog Station cash rather than an specific minion. I don't care about minion collecting and would much rather have money towards a couple of the store emotes when I buy the soundtracks and art books. Alas...

The problem with this statement is even though its identical to WoW's doesn't mean its good or that we should support it. They need to focus on making rewards in the game. Once they start pushing this down the quality of in game rewards will continue to decrease because people can just buy the newest hotness for "insert ridiculous price here" instead of playing the game to earn it. It doesn't need to be some mindbogglingly hard process to earn (i.e. savage, anima, etc.), but make it a fucking reward from in the game, not from in my wallet.

[Kazgrel]

I'm 100% fine with the physical merchandise; I have a copy of the lore book, and I've spent far more on books before. Almost tempted to go back and grab the soundtracks, too, but that would be a pretty penny for me to pick them all up if they are all $40-50 USD each (can't check store currently).

Faroth's point about them not wanting everyone running around like Batman/Wolverine/Thancred/etc. makes sense, but we still have gobs of people running around in those outfits anyway. I mean...if people want that stuff THAT bad, can SE necessarily be blamed? Meanwhile, I sit here and wonder why people would buy outfits they can't even dye.

[Katchii]

Really want my Encyclopedia Eorzea....but still wait listed. And the last time I got notified I checked e-mail 45 minutes after it was sent and immediately went to biuy it and it was ALREADY sold out...less than an hour after going back on-sale. I'd be happy waiting a few months for it if I could pay for it now and get a guaranteed copy. Waiting for weeks/ months to have a CHANCE at buying it again is infuriating. Heaven forbid I get the notification at work when I can't check it or while I'm otherwise indisposed. And I'm not going to pay $300 on e-bay for a scalpers copy, fucking assholes

[Kazgrel]

The problem with this statement is even though its identical to WoW's doesn't mean its good or that we should support it. They need to focus on making rewards in the game. Once they start pushing this down the quality of in game rewards will continue to decrease because people can just buy the newest hotness for "insert ridiculous price here" instead of playing the game to earn it. It doesn't need to be some mindbogglingly hard process to earn (i.e. savage, anima, etc.), but make it a fucking reward from in the game, not from in my wallet.

Sadly, this is an issue that extends far beyond both FF14 and WoW. Number of games from major developers/publishers without any sort of cash shop seems tiny at this point. Far too many people are happy to shell out cash for various things at this point, though.

Not that I am a paragon of all things right, but I sure do wish more folks were like me in terms of their cash shop purchases from subscription MMOs; I bought 2 of the mounts on the WoW shop, ever, and both were during 50% off Christmas sale (the bat and the yellow serpent dragon). Haven't bought any such thing from the SE shop.

Then again, if we venture off into the territory of server transfers and/or race changes/fantasia...the amount of money I shelled out on server transfers in WoW is just...yuck. Thankfully, such habits have been left behind in Azeroth; 1 transfer and 1 fantasia purchase is all I've done here.

[Faroth]

Really want my Encyclopedia Eorzea....but still wait listed. And the last time I got notified I checked e-mail 45 minutes after it was sent and immediately went to biuy it and it was ALREADY sold out...less than an hour after going back on-sale. I'd be happy waiting a few months for it if I could pay for it now and get a guaranteed copy. Waiting for weeks/ months to have a CHANCE at buying it again is infuriating. Heaven forbid I get the notification at work when I can't check it or while I'm otherwise indisposed. And I'm not going to pay $300 on e-bay for a scalpers copy, fucking assholes

That is weird. I don't understand why they just don't do a pre-order system to reserve a copy and as they print more, notify you that you'll be able to confirm purchase when available, etc.

[Katchii]

That is weird. I don't understand why they just don't do a pre-order system to reserve a copy and as they print more, notify you that you'll be able to confirm purchase when available, etc.

Agreed. It would also serve as a great way for them to know how many copies they need to/ should print so it helps them too. Been trying to get my hands on a copy since day 1 =(.

[Aruhen]

There is one silver lining in all of this is that character services like Fantasia potions are incredibly cheap in FFXIV. =/

I do like though that it seems like most of the money they make from the cash shop is used to further develop the game. At least if you believe Yoshi-P as he claims the reason Stormblood has 3x the budget of Heavensward is due to the success of the cash shop.

[Wrecktangle]

There is one silver lining in all of this is that character services like Fantasia potions are incredibly cheap in FFXIV. =/

I do like though that it seems like most of the money they make from the cash shop is used to further develop the game. At least if you believe Yoshi-P as he claims the reason Stormblood has 3x the budget of Heavensward is due to the success of the cash shop.

The real question (and time will tell) is how much of that cash shop money goes into improving the game, vs. into more cash shop dev (thus creating the circle I so terribly fear). Its easy to say SB has 3x budget, except 2/3 of that increased budget is earmarked to the new cash shop dev.

[Remilia]

I don't remember him promoting Mog Station items as much as merchandise. Square is definitely, let's say... proud of their merchandise.

And damn me if I don't really want a $150 Play Arts Kai Cloud & Tifa for FFVII remake. If they made a Y'shtola, I'd want that too. I just can't justify the price for a figure. $75 and I'd likely bite.

I did finally break down and buy a blue carbuncle plush, but I was at Fan Fest and planned to spend some cash.

Soundtracks are my weakness... $40-$50 (after shipping) is a lot for a soundtrack, but credit to Sokken, there's a lot of music on them and I remember 12 track CDs being $15-$20, so I can self justify it. Art books are my second weakness, but I don't jump on those as quickly.

Art books first for me.
I got the topaz carbuncle a week ago to accompany the emerald now. Have to say, after designing / patterning my first plushy (relatively simple in comparison), I have a very very very big respect to those people.

[Granyala]

The real question (and time will tell) is how much of that cash shop money goes into improving the game, vs. into more cash shop dev (thus creating the circle I so terribly fear). Its easy to say SB has 3x budget, except 2/3 of that increased budget is earmarked to the new cash shop dev.

Naah, they don't add THAT much.
I mean, even the armor already existed for NPCs or previous events, so I still think that the actual work which goes into the cash shop is quite minimal.

[Kazgrel]

The real question (and time will tell) is how much of that cash shop money goes into improving the game, vs. into more cash shop dev (thus creating the circle I so terribly fear). Its easy to say SB has 3x budget, except 2/3 of that increased budget is earmarked to the new cash shop dev.

Considering that part of said budget is going towards moving the NA data centers, it's safe to say that such a fear would be alleviated...for the near future. Always worth having a scrutinizing eye on that sort of thing, though.

[Aruhen]

Considering that part of said budget is going towards moving the NA data centers, it's safe to say that such a fear would be alleviated...for the near future. Always worth having a scrutinizing eye on that sort of thing, though.

Yeah exactly. I wouldn't worry about it just yet as like Granyala said most of the stuff inside the cash shop is nearly zero effort as it's already something that exists in the game.

We do get some exclusive stuff here and there like the Moogle mounts but its rare. Of course that might change in Stormblood... but as long as its not a repeat of Warlords of Draenor were WoW barely get any content while they released a new mount every 3 months then I'm perfectly fine with it.

edit; Oh yeah one big plus in my eyes to the cash shop I find is its probably the reason we get new seasonal rewards every year. I mean it gives them a reason to make new stuff right? Put old years junk on there and make new stuff for next year which eventually will end up on there too.

[HAcoreRD]

I wish they'd put wind up Shantotto in mog station. Hell, as a former FFXI player, chuck FFXI glamour looking gear in Station.

[Graeham]

Ouch. Diadem seems to be 'dying' - at least in regards to the queue times on Balmung shifting from 5 minutes up to 15-30. That was as a DPS, though so I may try my luck queuing as a PLD instead.

[Wrecktangle]

Considering that part of said budget is going towards moving the NA data centers, it's safe to say that such a fear would be alleviated...for the near future. Always worth having a scrutinizing eye on that sort of thing, though.

Good point. Curious where they'll end up. I never had any ping issues from the Mid-Atlantic, but it wasn't terribly good either.

I wish they'd put wind up Shantotto in mog station. Hell, as a former FFXI player, chuck FFXI glamour looking gear in Station.

Or instead of putting FF11 inspired gear in the station they could put it in the game to earn. That'd be the better move 100%.