STEAM VERSION - New info on release and why you should wait

[Bahamut]

Its shocking that a Rep would post on another thread about steam when theres threads already asking if this is going to be a update download or not but any reply the reps can give us to help clear this whole thing up would be appreciated, seems the rep's are slacking big time 8), but after much forum searching and data gathering... HERES WHY YOU SHOULD WAIT FOR STEAM RELEASE!

Rep confirms that the install "IS NOT" an update download like abyssea was. Its not a matter of just simply putting your registration code onto your account and letting the updater do it.

Okay, I'm not sure what to do here. This has probably been answered already, but I don't have enough time to read through this entire thread.

I have Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection -- Abyssea Edition on Steam. I pre-ordered Seekers of Adoulin from the PlayOnline site a week or two ago. I've already downloaded the Music Box MP3 files, and I've already taken care of the loyalty points thing and registering Seekers of Adoulin on my Square Enix Account (the same site you'd get another Content ID for a new character from).

However, launching PlayOnline and closing it again does nothing to install anything. I tried launching Final Fantasy XI itself from the PlayOnline Viewer, but even after the short update, it said I couldn't access areas that required the new expansion.

I am now staring at the Begin Download link from Digital River, but I don't know where to download it to.

Reply by rep:

You must install the Seekers of Adoulin files to be able to access the new expansion content. Registering the registration code to your account, and downloading the version update files, does not install the files needed for the expansion.

Please download the file you mentioned, which is the Seekers of Adoulin installer. It will install the files to the appropriate directory and you'll be set!

What this rep FAILS TO TELL this player is weather or not it will actually work on his steam account, instead that it will install files to the appropriate directory "OUTSIDE OF STEAM", meaning your copy will now forever be outside of STEAM.

A player in a previous thread already confirmed that he eneded up with an install outside of steam isntead of onto his original install. Which means, that STEAM does not recognize the base software you need installed onto the original install. Which was taken from this thread: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...SoA-and-Steam/

I must be doing something wrong then. I downloaded my purchase from Amazon and followed the "Install" procedures as outlined and it created a separate folder outside the path you show. It did not give me the option of choosing the location for instalation. Any clarrification s you can give me would be much appreciated. Thank You.

I hate to see all these people listen to people without all the facts saying you can just add it as a playonline update or that it will just automaticly add it to the steam files reguardless of the coding that steam uses. I been trying to get an answer from the reps on this for the last three weeks, and it even appears the reps dont even know fully know what the digital install on steam will do, because they failed to say a single thing about STEAM coding on the base install being able to recognize the digital river or other third party install or else Rizon's earlier qoute in this thread wouldn't have said his third party download installed outside of the steam directory folders and had no option to choose specific directories, which ultimatly did not install on his steam FFXI version. Another reason to just wait and can ensure you wont be sorry you did unless reps can confirm otherwise.

[Alhanelem]

I really don't know where anyone got the idea that SoA is downloaded like an update...

You *can* install the actual installer if you have the steam version. What you can't do, regardless of version, is just launch playonline and expect it to download. You have to download it manually.

[Machazareel]

I have the steam version of the game. I got the xpac from Gamesplanet. Registered my code in my service account options in account management, installed using the installer provided by Gamesplanet. Everything worked fine.

[Bahamut]

I have the steam version of the game. I got the xpac from Gamesplanet. Registered my code in my service account options in account management, installed using the installer provided by Gamesplanet. Everything worked fine.

I know its alot to ask, but can you tell us if it installed inside your steam directory or if it installed outside of the Steam directory, and which folders it installed SoA to?

The Steam directory looks like this before SoA install. Any information on additions to these directories or changes related to the SOA install would be helpful. Thanks.

Or does it install in an outside directory outside of these files?

/SteamApps/common/ffxi/directx
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/Final Fantasy XI
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/PlayOnlineViewer
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/TetraMaster
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/install.vdf
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/steam_appid.txt

[Kaisha]

The SoA installer just looks up the game directory via the registry and installs to there. Since Steam has said registry direct to its proper install path (/steamapps/common/), everything works fine.


There is absolutely nothing 'special' about the Steam version of PlayOnline or FFXI. You can even run them without Steam loaded.

[Machazareel]

I know its alot to ask, but can you tell us if it installed inside your steam directory or if it installed outside of the Steam directory, and which folders it installed SoA to?

The Steam directory looks like this before SoA install. Any information on additions to these directories or changes related to the SOA install would be helpful. Thanks.

Or does it install in an outside directory outside of these files?

/SteamApps/common/ffxi/directx
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/Final Fantasy XI
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/PlayOnlineViewer
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/SquareEnix/TetraMaster
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/install.vdf
/SteamApps/common/ffxi/steam_appid.txt

Everything is where it should be. The Version Update of FFXI wouldn't work properly otherwise, nor would my game be accessing the content. As the poster above me stated, the installer refers to your registry when deciding where to install, and Steam updates your registry with the correct paths as it should. There really is nothing special about the Steam version, it's just handy to have the bulk of your FFXI installable at the click of a button.

If people are having issues with the installer installing outside of their steam folder, they've done something to mess up their registries. Or maybe they've moved their Steam folder after originally installing FFXI.

[Alhanelem]

SE reps mentioned that before you install it you should run and then exit the POL viewer from steam. After you do this, the installer should detect the steam install.

[Bled]

I too can confirm that i had no problems installing and playing SoA albeit having the main game installed through steam. I am not sure why you have ignored the vast majority of us who have responded to multiple posts you made confirming that there is not an issue as long as you install properly. Again any error someone has is not steam code related its called human error, the code for SoA has been written into Steam for sometime now.

[Bahamut]

I too can confirm that i had no problems installing and playing SoA albeit having the main game installed through steam. I am not sure why you have ignored the vast majority of us who have responded to multiple posts you made confirming that there is not an issue as long as you install properly. Again any error someone has is not steam code related its called human error, the code for SoA has been written into Steam for sometime now.

You got me really confused now Bled, cause you say that you installed it and everything and have the steam version on this post, when you also said something contary on expansion release date leading me to think you dont even have the steam version. Also there is no way to send the install to the folder of your choice, and even shows up as correct path according to the earlier user, and how would you define a impropper install, if thats even whats causing it, would be nice if a dev commented on how to avoid that kind of error resulting in a full day long reinstall of entire software. You also said that SoA is already written into FFXI when thats not what the dev said.

I can not really attack this from an absolute proof stand point (i no longer have the link). However i know that Steam all ready has SOA written into their program. just like when i bought Last Remnant (hard copy PC release) and installed it onto steam even though it was not yet released on Steam itself. This should hold true also for Final Fantasy 11 and any expansions that are written into the Steam program regardless of its availability on Steam.

If the expansion already was written into the steam program the dev wouldnt have said:

You must install the Seekers of Adoulin files to be able to access the new expansion content. Registering the registration code to your account, and downloading the version update files, does not install the files needed for the expansion.

Please download the file you mentioned, which is the Seekers of Adoulin installer. It will install the files to the appropriate directory and you'll be set!

Next,

Everything is where it should be. The Version Update of FFXI wouldn't work properly otherwise, nor would my game be accessing the content. As the poster above me stated, the installer refers to your registry when deciding where to install, and Steam updates your registry with the correct paths as it should. There really is nothing special about the Steam version, it's just handy to have the bulk of your FFXI installable at the click of a button.

If people are having issues with the installer installing outside of their steam folder, they've done something to mess up their registries. Or maybe they've moved their Steam folder after originally installing FFXI.

its not a version update, and its a third party installer not a steam update.

Idk, can a dev confirm any of these things, or is the offical stance of the reps is just try it and if it messes up and you have to reinstall everything, oh well?

I think I'll just wait, thanks all. I'll be playing other games till its released on steam.

[Volkai]

Using the FFXI collection install from Steam and installing SoA expansion (having purchased SoA expansion, not UCSE, from SE store) works fine. SoA installer correctly installs to the Steam ffxi folder.

If you're using the UCSE installer, you're probably going to have to uninstall Steam FFXI to be able to install FFXI UCSE successfully, and I'm not sure if there's an option to launch an SoA-only installer from the files you get from the FFXI UCSE purchase, so if you want UCSE on Steam you're probably better off waiting until UCSE is on Steam.


I feel your pain, though, because I had a hell of a time getting things sorted out when I originally moved from a retail disc FFXI install to the Steam install. Ended up having to just uninstall everything and install FFXI fresh through Steam to get the registry changes and files all sorted out; what a pain.