Account's Nationality and Its Issues

[Kjara]

Hello, I've got a question regarding the 'account's region' and its problems, and would like to get an answer from the devs, assuming that the topic is possibly related to them as to Square Enix in general:

I'll mention my own personal experience but I'm sure others out there may be wondering about this...

I'm an European player, and of course I'm playing with an EU version of the game and a EU Square Enix account. However, though this is still a not-so-concrete project, I plan to move to the United States in the future, and am concerned about my account.

I know for example that one cannot use a NA code to get a special item... say, the Onion Helm in XIV if they have an EU XIV account, as well as I know that an EU version of the Playonline Viewer will not play an NA version of FFXI (Or something like that. I had a friend during the Vista release that had to download a whole different patch of POL because its region didn't match with his EU account). Also I've heard rumors that if someone in EU is caught playing with an NA account or viceversa they may be banned. Is this true?

And if it's true, what will happen to my account if I move to the United States and play with it? Will it get banned? Will I have to restart all over again...?

I truly hope not, I don't think I'd have the will to even begin...

[Kristal]

Hello, I've got a question regarding the 'account's region' and its problems, and would like to get an answer from the devs, assuming that the topic is possibly related to them as to Square Enix in general:

I'll mention my own personal experience but I'm sure others out there may be wondering about this...

I'm an European player, and of course I'm playing with an EU version of the game and a EU Square Enix account. However, though this is still a not-so-concrete project, I plan to move to the United States in the future, and am concerned about my account.

I know for example that one cannot use a NA code to get a special item... say, the Onion Helm in XIV if they have an EU XIV account, as well as I know that an EU version of the Playonline Viewer will not play an NA version of FFXI (Or something like that. I had a friend during the Vista release that had to download a whole different patch of POL because its region didn't match with his EU account). Also I've heard rumors that if someone in EU is caught playing with an NA account or viceversa they may be banned. Is this true?

And if it's true, what will happen to my account if I move to the United States and play with it? Will it get banned? Will I have to restart all over again...?

I truly hope not, I don't think I'd have the will to even begin...

Don't know where you get these rumours..

Only thing you have to worry about is buying disc expansions matching your game region. So if you live in the EU and play the NA client of the game, then you need to buy the NA version of SoA. (Unless SE changes that to SEA account instead of POL account.)

You do not get banned, unless you remove the OTP token from your account and are suddenly playing from mainland China and channeling large sums of gil around. Or take monsters from a cleave party that has the personal number of a GM.

Some reward codes are restricted to regions, but I think all of FFXI reward codes from RL items are omniregional with the exception of special event codes. (The ones you need a JP account to even purchase a ticket for, for example.)

[RagingAvatar]

I've used US and EU accounts for years. Everything Kristal says is true.

[oliveira]

JPN account + USA or JP software.

Funding the account is not a hassle ... It's a "gynnormous" headache. -_-;
Buying expansions are a nightmare and god forbid I am put in a situation I need to request support. I take the utmost care to not need it.

[FrankReynolds]

I could no longer pay for my JP account after 8 years because I don't have JP address to use anymore and they won't let me pay for it with an american credit card. So I attempted to transfer it to my NA SE account. Complete and utter fail. Had to start a whole new character, as SE basically said "We don't care about your problems. No one here will fix this.".

As far as I can tell, they don't care where you play from, as long as you can link the account to an address in the region where the account is from. Seriously the most out of touch and convoluted account management / customer service I have ever dealt with.

[Lushipur]

to frank: i had the same issue. just started using webmoney to pay. and now with the crysta stuff, i just use webmoney to buy crysta. never had an issue with this just need to get the hang of it. im sorry to ear u had to restart.

to the op: u can ask on the support chat to get your pol account unlinked from the square enix account. then if u create an usa square enix account and link to that one, u can start using the usa version of the game (mainly the code). or u can just buy the european version of the game via steam and keep to use it.

[FrankReynolds]

to frank: i had the same issue. just started using webmoney to pay. and now with the crysta stuff, i just use webmoney to buy crysta. never had an issue with this just need to get the hang of it. im sorry to ear u had to restart.

I was using webmoney up until the billing changes back in august of last year. Then it would no longer accept the address I had used when I started the account. I spoke with customer support and they told me I could unlink it from my JP SE account and link it to my NA SE account and just pay for both accounts one my credit card. This was a lie.

[Raksha]

When WotG came out I had to buy two copies:

One for an EU registration code and another for the NA install files.

Be prepared to do something like that if/when the new expac comes out.