Go through square if you do… going through steam will make you tear your hair out.
careful TC, criticizing the game’s a good way in getting in trouble with some of the FF lurkers here
Everything you have stated is true.
If you can push past that, the reward is more than worth it. If you can’t, I don’t blame you.
If you can’t get past that then I don’t know if you have the capacity to sit through any meaningful content in either of these games.
The thing is that it’s not really all that invasive in FFXIV. There is no option in-game to open up the cash shop. The only major criticism is putting really good glamours or mounts into it that could easily have been put into the game.
Yes, it sells boosts as well, which is available for all Disciples of War/Magic classes and the story in different levels, and the ability to completely change your race, but so does WoW’s? It gives you gear for those boosts but no actual impactful gear is sold on the Mogstation.
Thats the problem I personally have with it in FF. While wow has some cool shop mounts and pets, in game is where players get the really amazing stuff. In game we earn those mounts and pets.