Digital download of expansions?

[Fritobandito]

So earlier this month I decided to start up my account again, and start a new character over from scratch. I reactivated my account, and confirmed my expansions are still applied to it (up to ToAU).

I tried to install from my old install discs, but the software will not install correctly. I'm not sure why. I thought it might be because I'm running Windows 7 64bit, and maybe some of the software on those discs just won't install onto it? Anyway, so I downloaded the free trial software instead, and have been playing on that using my account.

I got my THF to 40something, and got rank 3 on Bastok missions. I decided I wanted to unlock Ninja to use as a subjob, but I am unable to receive the quest to get the Kazham airship pass. I have the three keys necessary, but when I talk to the NPC he just gives me a generic message with no quest options or anything. Someone said to make sure Zilart is installed, so I logged out to the title screen and sure enough it's not highlighted (nor are any other expansions).

When I decided to download the free trial software, I expected it to be like newer games, and would update itself automatically according to what software tokens are tied to my account. I guess it's just been so long since I played this one. So, no expansions are installed. What I'd like to know: is there a digital download for the software I already have tied to my account without paying for it again?

TL;DR Old install discs aren't working. Installed the game from free trial, using 10+ year old account to play. No expansions are installed. How do I get the expansions without paying again for them? Does SE offer such a service?

[Dragoy]

Teegrins and welcome back, Fritobandito!


The short answer I believe is: no.

As far as I am aware, there is to this day no official free download available, so the only way to get the expansion data is to purchase the installation media from a legal distributor.

They did provide a free download of the full game and all the expansions to date some time ago (http://www.playonline.com/ff11eu/campaign/11th/wcb.html), but that was a limited-time thing, unfortunately.

Perhaps there should be another such opportunity soon!

As for the installation, unless the media is utterly broken, I'm not sure it should fail on Windows 7. I am aware of a 'Windows 7 compatibility version' of the PlayOnline viewer that is available via the official website, but I forget what issues it is supposed to get around (obviously it wont help installing the expansions, unless it's the PlayOnline viewer's installation alone that you can't complete).

Obviously you also have PlayOnline viewer installed now. Have you tried installing the expansion(s) after? If memory serves, they suggested uninstallation of the trial software when going full, so I'm not sure if that would work at all even if the install media was working.

Which discs do you actually have?

I have a faint memory of installing the game and expansions for Windows 7 from discs dated back to 2004 (total of 7 discs, before Aht Urhgan et al.). I might remember wrong, though. I've not used Windows full-time since 2010 when I switched to Linux, so that may saturate my memories even more...

That said, I might ask: how does the installation fail?

[bungiefanNA]

I saved a copy of the Adoulin Collection files they put up for download in December to my external drive. I've seen several other people rehosting it. You can borrow install discs from someone else with them, or you can find your own source for the files. SE doesn't provide any download links on a permanent basis without purchasing a downloadable copy (which is funny because FFXIV's installer is a download that downloads and installs the whole game and is easily accessible), so you get a DigitalRiver download link from the SE store, an Amazon download link from the Amazon store, or a Steam download inside the Steam application when purchased on that platform.

[Fritobandito]

Dragoy if I remember correctly, it would seem to have installed fine but then when I tried to start Playonline, Windows would display a message saying the program stopped working (immediately), and offered options to stop the program or "search online for a solution." Or something like that. So, now that I have the working version of POL, maybe I should try installing the game again.

It would really be nice if they took a lesson from Blizzard and would simply allow the launcher to download whatever software the customer has tied to their account.

At any rate, thank you both for your input.

[Fritobandito]

UPDATE:

OK so I uninstalled the free trial version and am attempting to reinstall the game from the discs. The first three discs install fine. When it completes, I put in the fourth disc to install Zilart. My disc drive won't read it. It sounds like it's trying to, but it won't. I checked for scratches on the disc, and it looks perfect. Nice shiny mirror finish, no finger prints, it looks new. I have tried a few times, but no luck. :(

UPDATE:

I put the disc in my laptop and it reads it perfectly there. For some reason my desktop optical drive doesn't like the disc >_>

So what I did is copied the files onto my laptop, copied them over to the desktop, and it seems to have installed fine. I'm gonna go forward with installing Chains and Treasures next, see how that goes.

[bungiefanNA]

PlayOnline Viewer on your disc is for Win98-XP. Vista and higher need a different POL Viewer installer, which is provided on the official site for free. XP version stops working as soon as it is run.

BTW, Adoulin Collection is half price on Amazon right now ($15).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWEMODK/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

That makes it $5 cheaper than buying just the Adoulin expansion ($20).

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-XI-Seekers-Download/dp/B00AZNBP1A/ref=sr_1_6?s=videogames-download&ie=UTF8&qid=1381393161&sr=1-6

That's a good deal considering you are missing WotG, the Crystalline/Moogle/Shantotto add-ons, Abyssea, and Adoulin.

[Fritobandito]

Cool maybe I will jump on that. Thanks for the heads up!

And I'd just like to update one last time that I did get the expansions installed successfully!

I did have a really hard time logging into Playonline tho. I was using the exact same login info that I had been using before, but for some reason it wasn't working. I logged into the account management site without any issue.

I decided to change my Playonline password. When I tried the new password, it still wouldn't let me log in but this time I got an actual error code rather than the generic "incorrect ID or password" message.

I decided just for kicks to try the password I was using before I changed it, and that one worked!! That's really weird since I had just changed FROM that password on the website, and it's now working on POL viewer.

I'm so glad SE dropped the use of POL for FFXIV.

[bungiefanNA]

POL Viewer was from a time when consoles didn't have centralized online services like PSN or Xbox Live, and a lot of people with consoles didn't always have a computer (especially in Japan), so they didn't want account management in a web browser. It was supposed to be Square/Enix/Namco's central online hub for PS2, but then you had the merger, and Namco never signed on fully. They did use it for about seven games, but only two got an American release.

POL uses two passwords, your POL password, and your SquareEnix Account password. You may have had them out of order.

[Fritobandito]

I double and triple checked everything that I entered. It's also worth mentioning that I didn't use a different password for those two, so mixing them up couldn't possibly happen.

Somewhere on this forum I had found where someone described the hoops they had to jump through to get it to work. If I ever find that again, I'll post a link here.

[Dragoy]

Dragoy if I remember correctly, it would seem to have installed fine but then when I tried to start Playonline, Windows would display a message saying the program stopped working (immediately), and offered options to stop the program or "search online for a solution." Or something like that.

Okay. That's more or less something I was guessing/hoping for.


It would really be nice if they took a lesson from Blizzard and would simply allow the launcher to download whatever software the customer has tied to their account.

I certainly can't think of a reason as to why they do not provide a download full-time. They really could have, in my opinion, left it available after the campaign I mentioned. It's not like one can do anything with the data without actually having paid for the game previously to obtain the registration codes.

Heck, it would make it easier for people to come back, as has been displayed in this very thread. I can easily imagine some users giving up the thought simply because they lost their installation media.

It would also make any (more or less) dubious sources unnecessary to even consider (I would never trust unofficial sources for something like this, but that's me...). Not to mention they are also in clear violation of the Software License Agreement(s), as far as I understand. ^^;


I put the disc in my laptop and it reads it perfectly there. For some reason my desktop optical drive doesn't like the disc >_>

So what I did is copied the files onto my laptop, copied them over to the desktop, and it seems to have installed fine. I'm gonna go forward with installing Chains and Treasures next, see how that goes.

Cool. That's actually something I had in mind to suggest trying out depending on the previous replies.


And I'd just like to update one last time that I did get the expansions installed successfully!

Very cool!


I did have a really hard time logging into Playonline tho. I was using the exact same login info that I had been using before, but for some reason it wasn't working. I logged into the account management site without any issue.

I decided to change my Playonline password. When I tried the new password, it still wouldn't let me log in but this time I got an actual error code rather than the generic "incorrect ID or password" message.

I decided just for kicks to try the password I was using before I changed it, and that one worked!! That's really weird since I had just changed FROM that password on the website, and it's now working on POL viewer.

It certainly could be less confusing/hoopy. Adding the SqEX account added yet another step, which many users trip over, since the account needs to be manually set to be used, and the PlayOnline password needs to be saved in the PlayOnline account settings.

It may not have been the reason for your problem, though, from the looks of it. Great you got past it in the end!


I'm so glad SE dropped the use of POL for FFXIV.

I might imagine it's simply too much work to get rid of it currently for FFXI, since it's so tightly knit to it, and they still support Playstation 2, which probably doesn't make it any easier.

I feel it's more or less equally unfortunate they use Internet Explorer for X|V. ^^;