How many expansions will I have to buy ?

A question has been asked for a long time now "Will one expansion be enough to play on multiple platforms ?"

And frankly, every answer I've seen is more confusing than the others.
We might think we got a proper answer at the Live Letter, except, it's not really true (For me, at least)
This is the answer we got on the Live Letter :

You will need to purchase both the Windows and PS4 versions of the expansion to play the new content on both platforms. If you would like the exclusive bonus items from the Collector's Edition, you can get them with either the Windows or PS4 version as they will be linked to a single service account. Heavensward must be installed on the client to access the areas that will be added in Heavensward. If you are planning to log back in on a client that doesn't have Heavensward installed, make sure to log out in an FFXIV: ARR area.

So, the simple answer is "You need one game for each platform", but...is it a "game" or a "registration code" ? Because it's not really the same.

For example, my setup is as follows: I play with my account both on PC and PS4. My girlfriend plays with her account only on PC, but since her computer is not powerful enough, she uses mine.
So, what if I buy one PS4 expansion for me, and one PC expansion for her ? Will I be able to play Heavensward with my account on my PC ? Technically, the client will have Heavensward installed, even if the code is not tied to my account.

So ? 2 Expansions ? 3 Expansions ? I'd really like some clarification here.

I'm a bit confused on how this is confusing.

1. You buy the CE, and the CE items are on your account. They aren't locked to your platform, because they're account items, just like earning a minion on PC and still having it on PS4.

2. You will need to buy the standard edition of Heavensward for other platforms you wish to play on, so that you can play on them. Otherwise, you don't own the game on the other platforms.

3. If you log out in Ishgard on your PS4, but don't have Heavensward for PC and try to log in on PC, you can't log in until you log back in on PS4 and then log out somewhere that's accessible in A Realm Reborn.

Okay, having typed that out, I can see how it's confusing at first. xD

EDIT: You need to own it on your account. It doesn't matter if it's installed to the computer or not - you can't access it if your account says you can't access it.

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Originally Posted by Keydah

3. If you log out in Ishgard on your PS4, but don't have Heavensward for PC and try to log in on PC, you can't log in until you log back in on PS4 and then log out somewhere that's accessible in A Realm Reborn.

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Again, what is "having Heavensward on PC" ? Having is "installed" or having it "registered" ?

Besides, if only the area you logged out is important, does that mean that I can play my freshly new Dark Knight on ARR zones even if I haven't registered the expansion on both platforms ?

It's been answered here http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post2836394

I play on both Windows and PS4. What do I need to purchase?
You will need to purchase both the Windows and PS4 versions of the expansion to play the new content on both platforms. If you would like the exclusive bonus items from the Collector's Edition, you can get them with either the Windows or PS4 version as they will be linked to a single service account. Heavensward must be installed on the client to access the areas that will be added in Heavensward. If you are planning to log back in on a client that doesn't have Heavensward installed, make sure to log out in an FFXIV: ARR area.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keydah

I'm a bit confused on how this is confusing.

1. You buy the CE, and the CE items are on your account. They aren't locked to your platform, because they're account items, just like earning a minion on PC and still having it on PS4.

2. You will need to buy the standard edition of Heavensward for other platforms you wish to play on, so that you can play on them. Otherwise, you don't own the game on the other platforms.

3. If you log out in Ishgard on your PS4, but don't have Heavensward for PC and try to log in on PC, you can't log in until you log back in on PS4 and then log out somewhere that's accessible in A Realm Reborn.

Okay, having typed that out, I can see how it's confusing at first. xD

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He isn't confused about the process.

He's confused about whether or not you need to have a registration code for each platform for the expansion to be accessed on said platform (the fact that the expansion is installed on the client/platform in question is a given).

Essentially, he can borrow someone else's disc(s) and install it, and then give it back and play it on his PS4 while having registered said expansion on his account via the PC purchase he made.

In whole, it's like FFXI: XI allowed you to access any area on any platform provided the client had the expansions for the given areas installed. You just needed ONE code to access said expansion(s) areas, not 3 copies of the same expansion just to play them on each of the 3 platforms available. (XI has 5 expansions total, meaning he would need to buy 15 copies in total to access all areas on all of the platforms available should he choose to; however, the reality is that you only need 1+5 codes if you were a veteran player [1 for the base game and 1 for each of the 5 expansions] or, depending on when you bought the game, 3-5 codes because some codes included entire expansions and the base game itself into one code)

HOWEVER, given SE's recent jaunt into a Cash Shop regime and the like and their (IMO) overpriced pricing schemes, I would go ahead and say to the OP to prepare for the worst and expect to purchase each expansion with their individual codes intact.

This sounds much like how I went about playing FFXI on 360 and PC... I'd buy the expansion disc and code for 360, and use a friend's PC version disc to install the content on my PC. Since registering the 360 edition linked it to my account, I had access to the content on both consoles while only buying 1 registration code. If I'd bought both, I'd be stuck with 1 pointless registration code.

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Originally Posted by Airget

It's been answered here http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post2836394

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I've pasted this exact answer and it's still not precise enough.

They specifically mentioned how you need to log out in an ARR: Area. It's obvious that if you don't have the Heavensward files installed, you wouldn't be able to log back in a new zone. But, same question, if I log out from PS4 as a Dark Knight in Ul'Dah, can I log back in PC if I haven't registered the expansion ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seig345

This sounds much like how I went about playing FFXI on 360 and PC... I'd buy the expansion disc and code for 360, and use a friend's PC version disc to install the content on my PC.

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I'd like to see it that way, but in FFXI, you didn't need two codes to play on both platforms, whereas 2.0 required that. So...still confusing.

Sounds like they are saying you need to registered the expansion for each system you want to play on just not install the data onto said system.

yeah this bit confused me too, I do understand if we need to get the game to install it but not if we need another code for the other platforms. some confirmation would be nice

Their wording makes it sound like the situation with FFXI, but the license thing they've done with ARR suggests otherwise. Either SE could clarify, or someone who's already fine and planning to by Heavensward for both could simply install and register their PS4 version first, try to install the PC version without registering (both for the same account of course), see how far they get, and report the results?