Need Clarification for the Steam Players...

[Soul_Mythrim]

uh oh I just bought the CE edition on the Square Enix store and I have the Steam version... how screwed am I?

[Tommyhawk]

I'm a PC player, but have to admit, this is where consoles rule over PC.

Research should not have to be done to buy a simple video game.

It's buying a simple video game, not launching nuclear rockets.

[AlexValmano]

I don't get it, why should this not work?

I bought 2.0 on Steam, then i noticed that i didn't like to have Steam open for playing ffxiv and so i didn't use it anymore.
I just downloaded the normal win-ffxiv client from SE, and used my service account for playing without problems.

Unfortunately i already bought heavensword on se-store, i'll ask for refund and the buy it on steam when it comes out.

But.. why shouldn't it work? Theorically i could just continue using my normal win-client and when heavensward comes out redeem it in the mogstation and just continue playing.

I don't get it. -_-

[Julebrus]

Let's say you want to buy a book (ARR)... You meet two stores, one selling it at 50% off (Steam) and one selling it for Standard Price (SE).
You go to the 50% off one (Steam) because obviously, it's cheaper. The store sells it to you, smiling with nothing to say at all.

A year later, a 2nd book (HW) which continues the story from the 1st one (ARR) is released. But you get told you can ONLY buy it from the store you bought the first one for 50% off (Steam). That one sells the book for way more than any other store while the other book store (SE) has the same book at 60% off this time....

This would never happen in the real world, so I don't see why we're expected to suck it up even if this isn't exactly the same.
I might have some points wrong but this is how I see it, this is how Steam forces us to stick with them.

I have already given this point many times already, but I will keep at it, being the stubborn idiot I am until I am satisfied!

[AlexValmano]

Ok i talked with support chat, having steam version of the game i'll have to buy heavensward on steam. But after that i'll also be able to continue using the non steam client if i want.
They quickly canceled my order and so.. it's done

[RiceisNice]

uh oh I just bought the CE edition on the Square Enix store and I have the Steam version... how screwed am I?

You won't be able to play heavensward then. You can keep the goodies if its the physical CE copy. Best you can do is refund the transaction and wait for the steam version.

[Seig345]

Steam is basically PC as a console. It's nice in most cases, but this is on of those exceptions. Like Sony with the PlayStatation consoles, Valve wants a cut of each sale through their "platform", which is why Valve and Non-Valve copies aren't compatible.

[Snootles]

I am fairly sure that it just applies if you want to keep playing through Steam. If you download the installer from FFXIV site you can just play it outside of Steam. This should circumvent having to buy two copies.

You can only activate one product key for Windows. Steam counts as a product key for Windows, so if you want the physical boxed edition, stop playing it through Steam.

[Julebrus]

Being fairly sure isn't enough I'm afraid.. We're either gonna have to get someone to try it for real... That or getting a long statement from the devs stating exactly what that prevents us from buying outside of Steam.

[Snootles]

Well, if one of the community folks would be so kind to check with the developers.

First question:
I have bought FFXIV through Steam. Can I play it outside of Steam if I have the FFXIV client independantly installed outside of Steam?

Second question:
If the answer is 'yes' to the first question -> can I then activate Heavensward content with a product key purchased outside of Steam and access this through the FFXIV client that is seperate from Steam?

Edit: if anyone wants to try download the client installer from FFXIV site HERE, no payment required.
I couldn't be bothered to test it myself although I did want to try. I have no interested in the physical stuffs, just trying to help those who do want it.