..are all broken in FFXIV.
Cash shop options didn't directly influence game design decisions, because there isn't one to tempt the devs. - Retainers are one of the biggest culprits of this on XIV but you will also see more as the game progresses (toning down of the look and prestige of "free" ingame items, mounts and pets as to add prestige to cash shop ones is very common in cash shop games and has already happened in XIV). "we can't have extra inventory because server limitations"...but you can have as many retainers as you want! please buy!"
RMT were destroyed on FFXI, the devs were ruthless and decimated them. On XIV they are rampant and allowed to be due to very slow bans, which means they can easily make profits to offset buying the game. This appears to be intentional.
The lore and aesthetic of FFXI is never compromised, because they want you to believe in it and accept it as being a real place. No out of place cash shop items, as you see in f2p games to ruin the aesthetic and pull you out of the game. - In XIV the cash shop items and collaboration events make it look completely ridiculous and the devs don't care at all, pink unicorns with an afro are not something you can rule out of being added at all. How long till XIV get a hello kitty collaboration event?
The developers don't destroy things you have obtained while paying to play the game, nothing you have obtained in FFXI will be taken away from you as punishment from a time when you paid to play. Everything, every single thing I ever obtained in XI is still on my characters (including my mog house and all items in it). In XIV housing is destroyed if you dare to unsub for a period of time (nor do they give you back all the gil and items from destroying it), this is a fair tactic when used on f2p games but not on a p2p one.
FFXI is a proper play to pay game, comparing it to any f2p game the differences and benefits are available for all to see. The same cannot be said for XIV.
Edited, Apr 30th 2016 6:18am by Runespider