Convince me to pay to play FFXIV again

So basically, I really like FFXIV. It's just my big issue with it is how expensive it can be. Especially if you have a busy schedule and end up wasting your paid days. I do have a separate free account which I like to mess around with since the free account now houses my favorite content of the game anyways. Minus my main job which is only available from Stormblood. (For reference I have done most of the main content in the game, except Savage, Ultimate, and some Extreme fights in Shadowbringer. I have easily clocked thousands of hours from leveling, pursuit of rare mounts, and etc....) In my mind I am like if I am going to spend the money on a monthly subscription or for sets of 60 days, I instead feel like it is more worth while to just buy a singular game or games with the same amount of money that I would be spending once and would not have to continually pay for. Especially considering you have to pay for each expansion on top of all of that, so you spend a lot of money on this game. So tell me, if you play the game, how much is the sub worth it for you? Or should I just stick with a free account?

@tsunpaper I will have a more detailed rundown for you when I have a bit of freetime, but here are a couple things to know. The lead of FF14, Yoshi-P, understands the majority of players of MMOs are not hardcare. He was brought on as the lead of FF14 2.0 a long time ago, because of the very fact that he was an avid WoW player back in the day. Now he plays FF14 a bunch (his main class is BLM). He knows that there will be plenty of people that will sub for a while, then wait for new content, before subbing for a while again. He is perfectly fine with users having on and off subs to the game, and most of the design decisions made now keep that idea in mind. Hell, most of my FC is relatively casual, we have a couple raiding groups for the hardcore players, but most people log in a couple days a week at most. This is coming from one of the OG FCs on the server, we have been around and active since almost the beginning of 1.0

@shinkutsume Thank you for taking the time to respond. Sure, I am in no rush take your time. Yes, this I am aware of, especially since I am a casual player myself. But really 1.0 eh? That's awesome. I first got into the game back when 3.0 was still new and I remember being confused about the whole subscription model back then even. I have no issue with paying for a month and then vanishing for a while and then coming back when new content is available. What does bother me a bit is how I will pay for the month and then randomly get busy and then I will have only used perhaps 5 days worth of my subscription before it runs out for the month. I really like some of the new changes that have been to game like the addition of trusts (thought they can be a pain sometimes) which then makes it easier to complete newer dungeons without having to wait for the dungeon to pop, especially when the two people I play with are not playing the game or are offline. (Too shy to go to a fc or make a party finder strange enough.) It is conflicting to me since I have all of these things I have spent years getting, not to mention other mounts and things I have been gifted or that I have purchased on my main account. It is just hard since I want to back in to my account but I am not sure if even a cost for the month is worth it. The free account is nice but it doesn't have any of my stuff in it for obvious reasons. Basically I am talking from both sides of my mouth. On one hand I want to go back and play main account but at the same time I don't want to spend the money for the sub for fear of not having enough time to actually utilize it fully. Thus why I am like please someone convince me to go back, because I am crazy. I hope that makes sense.

@flare3 Thanks man, I'll keep that mind. XD Obviously you have the upperhand being lvl 95 while I'm stuck at 80 for my red mage. I'm so behind that I don't even have fissels at all. Just stuck with one retainer and trouble getting the gil I need. With the power boost, maybe I finally take on Ultimates solo at long last.

Why do cashapp when I can just mail you my cards and social security number? So much easier that way man. Besides phone too old for cashapp rip.