Serious problems with content IDs

[Kraggy]

So I have three POL IDs linked to one SE Account. On all three there are no unused Content IDs yet today each one of them is offering Create Character, yet my SE Account shows none of them have a spare ID to which a new character can be attached.

Further, when logging into one account I got a message telling there was a content ID not linked to a 'handle', I have no idea what a 'handle' is but it suggested linking to the account I was logging in to so I accepted that .. to get another message telling me the Contnet ID was already linked to EIGHT handles.

On one account with 5 IDs all in use, the character select screen shows TEN purchased, but my SE account shows only 5 are active. On one account there is 1 active and FIVE purchased, but again the SE account shows only 1 active, same with the third account with 1 active but allegedly FIVE paid.

WTF is a 'handle'? I have only three accounts, hoe can it be linked to EIGHT of these handles?

Why am I being offered the option of creating characters for which there is no spare ID to create it on?

Everything was fine when I logged off last night and my systems didn't download any patch today.

I suspect this is a Royal screw-up due to SE's 'welcome back' campaign but the 'handle' error causes me serious concerns about whether at some point I'll not be able to log in .. when told it was already linked to EIGHT I couldn't get past till I selected an account and I had no damned idea what the hell the 'handle' was and what I was supposed to be doing with it.

I hope to God I'm not about to be charged for the five per account that allegedly I have purchased and are available for character creation, but most definitely haven't purchased.

[Aim]

I'm having the same issues, I've got 4 characters active, it says I've got 8.
Moreover, it won't let me log into the game at all, telling me that
"This content ID handle already has 8 characters linked to it, want to see the handle list?".
I choose yes, it just shows me my handle, I unlink the 4 new characters from my handle, it updates. I return to the <play> - screen, press play, it updates the list again & states once more that I have "8 characters to my handle, want to see?". If I choose no it just leaves me on the <play> - screen.

Btw, a handle is your profile, friend list ++ You can link different character to different handles, nice to have when you let friends try out the game on your pc, them having their own handle gives them their own friendlist and so on~

[Kraggy]

I had big problems getting past that 'eight handles' error, the POL application has always sucked totally and this was utterly useless in explaining to me the problem. I was rediced to random clicking until eventually I selected one of the other two accounts without that I'd be in the same boat as you I fear.

Hope SE deal with this soon, I can see many folks getting screwed by this.

As for handles, I really don't 'get it' to be hones,t I got shown names which are those I use to log in to my POL IDs, then when I selected one of this I got another list showing empty slots interspersed with character names .. utterly, totally obscure to me I don't want 'friends lists' but the game seems to want to force me to.

SE: I JUST WANT TO PLAY THE DAMNED GAME, can't we destroy this obsolete POL app. and log straight into the game, you know, like 99% of the MMOs out there?

I'm now terrified if I have to log out that damned error will come back and I'll be unable to get back in.

[Sapphire]

The Return Home to Vana'diel Campaign reactivates (to some extent) any old character that was not deleted. So that is what is likely causing this.

[Mnejing]

So tl;dr version the same thing from last Welcome back campaign that all deactivated content ids are reactivated. Its so easy to create new handles for the excess ids so I don't understand the nerdrage of OP.

[Kraggy]

The 'nerd rage' as you put it is because the handle system is something I've managed to not bother with in the 9 years I've played, the POL app. gives no useful information about what's going on and leaves you in an un-breakable loop of "you're reached the limit of 8" with ZERO idea how to deal with it: was was able to log in only after randomly clicking button on dialogs I've not had to use before until the POL app was happy, I still have no idea what I did!

As I said, I just want to play a game, not used an antiquated 'social media' tool.

Moreover, the game says I have purchased more IDs than the SE Account shows are active ... ALL my canceled ones still show as canceled ... AM I going to get charged for the IDs the character creation screen BUT NOT THE SE ACCOUNT think are active?

So yeah, great for you if you understand this crap, I don't and for 9 years Ive not had to deal with it, so when I'm prevented from logging in by a mechanism I've never had to deal with and an error which gives me no idea how to fix, I kind of get pissed off!

[Kraggy]

The Return Home to Vana'diel Campaign reactivates (to some extent) any old character that was not deleted. So that is what is likely causing this.
But I don't have any of those, yet the game says there are IDs paid for that the account shows as inactive the characters on them were deleted prior to cancelation of the ID .. something is broken here.

[bungiefanNA]

PlayOnline supports multiple handles for the same PlayOnline ID. They are your name on a friend list and in the chat rooms. You can have 16 characters per POL ID, 4 handles, and 8 Content IDs attached per handle. This was a concern when the platform was used to manage Content IDs of 6-7 different games (FFXI, Tetra Master, JongHoLow, Fantasy Earth, Front Mission Online, Dirge of Cerberus). You manage handles in the Navigator menu, right under Final Fantasy XI (previously Games). Link and Unlink can be used to switch characters between handles, since you can only have 8 of your characters there. Friend Lists are per handle, not per character.

If you have any Content IDs not linked to any handle, it will ask you to link them to the current one, which will only matter if you have more than 8 Content ID slots active. It can't link them if the handle is full, hence the error, and thus you need to make an additional handle for them to be able to link to. Otherwise you can say no to linking the unlinked Content IDs.

[Wagewar47]

PlayOnline supports multiple handles for the same PlayOnline ID. They are your name on a friend list and in the chat rooms. You can have 16 characters per POL ID, 4 handles, and 8 Content IDs attached per handle. This was a concern when the platform was used to manage Content IDs of 6-7 different games (FFXI, Tetra Master, JongHoLow, Fantasy Earth, Front Mission Online, Dirge of Cerberus). You manage handles in the Navigator menu, right under Final Fantasy XI (previously Games). Link and Unlink can be used to switch characters between handles, since you can only have 8 of your characters there. Friend Lists are per handle, not per character.

If you have any Content IDs not linked to any handle, it will ask you to link them to the current one, which will only matter if you have more than 8 Content ID slots active. It can't link them if the handle is full, hence the error, and thus you need to make an additional handle for them to be able to link to. Otherwise you can say no to linking the unlinked Content IDs.

Thank you. I linked 6 unused slots to a new "Wagewar8" profile in the handle screen and now I'm back on.

[Kraggy]

Thanks bungiefanNA for that explanation, I now understand what the problem is and how to solve it.