Need Clarification for the Steam Players...

[worldofneil]

I actually just wrote a lot about this in another thread where someone was asking it they were now tied to Steam forever, but since it's relevant here, I hope you don't mind if I repost it rather than type it all out again:

The Steam version and the non-Steam version are technically exactly the same installs and it doesn't even update the game via Steam (if you verify files within Steam it'll put all the old files back (about version 2.2?) and then when you ran the game again it'd redownload all the patches again!). You don't have to play it through Steam, you could just download it directly onto a computer without Steam if you desired:

NA: http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/playersdownload/na/
EU: http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/playersdownload/eu/

(Although both do actually link to exactly the same installer)

However, although you could log into that without actually installing Steam, your SE service account is still technically a "Steam" account and you can't change/remove that. It is literally just a flag on your account, but SE won't change it (or at least I've never heard of anyone reporting they changed it).

The only Steam limitations are that you (apparently) have to purchase Heavensward through Steam and can't purchase normal physical/digital version. I don't know why since you CAN do the digital collectors upgrade direct from the SE Mogstation without going via Steam (I did a few months ago) so it seems very unfair that they're forcing this limitation now. Some people are saying it's Valve forcing it, but I personally doubt that (no actual proof though, it just feels like an SE thing to me!).

Sorry I don't know if this was actually any help or if I've just made it more confusing :S Was just trying to clarify what Steam version is/isn't, but basically unless something changes with SE your account is tied to Steam indefinitely (even if you don't subscribe via Steam or install it). Sorry

Basically, there's a flag on your accounts for the Windows version for if it is Steam or not. If it is Steam you can (According to SE) only get the Steam version of Heavensward.

Because it's exactly the same physical install on your computer you can login with either a Steam or a non-Steam account, it's just the adding Heavensward bit to your account that is specific.

I already do this myself, my main account is a normal Windows account (originally from 1.0) and later I added a second account that I bought via Steam. I run the game through Steam (because I like that it counts my hours and tells people what I'm doing), but I can freely switch between my non-Steam and Steam accounts with no problem (as the install on the hard disk is exactly the same).

I even have both on the same Square Enix account. The Steam one just has an extra "Steam Wallet" option on the Mogstation.

Hope this is of some help!

[Snootles]

It's still not 100% clear if Square means that you cannot play Heavensward on your 'steam-flagged' account out of Steam. I mean, it's pretty damn stupid because they are shafting people out of buying the physical copy for the physical goodies. Plus it means less people wanting to buy the physical boxed edition now.

So I'd still like some more concrete clarification on this from Squeenix. Basically, if you get the client outside of Steam, can you then add the product key from a physical edition and play?
To me it seems they meant that you have to buy Heavensward through Steam if you want to keep playing with Steam. And hey, wouldn't be the first time they weren't absolutely crystal clear.

[Ashkendor]

To me it seems they meant that you have to buy Heavensward through Steam if you want to keep playing with Steam. And hey, wouldn't be the first time they weren't absolutely crystal clear.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/39210

You have to upgrade through Steam.

[Nubian]

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

2: 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?

1. Yes. As long as you have registered a Windows-license to your service-account, the PC-version can be played however you like. There is no separate Steam-client.


2. No. Although there are no differences in the client you download from Steam vs. the one you download from SE, your service-account is flagged if the Windows-license has been redeemed with a Steam-key. For some reason if it has been flagged as a Steam-version, only a Heavensward Steam-key can be redeemed on the service-account.

As has been mentioned earlier the issue here is SE not making the Steam-version a separate license from the Windows-version, even though they obviously treat the two differently. It is not an issue with Valve being greedy as they have nothing to do with how SE engineer their account-system. The problem is SE incompetence and I would love to hear from the devs/mods why the Steam-version is not treated as a separate license even though the account back-end flags it as a different entity.

[RiceisNice]

1. Yes. As long as you have registered a Windows-license to your service-account, the PC-version can be played however you like. There is no separate Steam-client.

To continue on to this;

2. No. If you bought FFXIV through steam, you have to buy heavenward through steam.

[Lillia]

http://steamcommunity.com/games/3921...27248392952369

[Snootles]

I have read the Steam notice, obviously.

My theory is, if you stop using Steam and use the FFXIV installer from the FFXIV site, then you can add your physical copy Heavensward product key to Mogstation. You just can't use Steam anymore to play FFXIV WITH Heavensward.

Basically, buy physical copy of Heavensward means you have to give up playing through Steam. Want to play through Steam, have to get copy of Heavensward through Steam. This is what I want clarified by Squeenix.

Again, I don't care to get a physical copy. Just trying to help the people out there who do want it.

Edit: Read this where it says that PC and 'Steam' version are identical. This would lead one to believe that if you give up Steam, you can just get your physical CE box edition with shiny physical goodies.

[Nubian]

I have read the Steam notice, obviously.

My theory is, if you stop using Steam and use the FFXIV installer from the FFXIV site, then you can add your physical copy Heavensward product key to Mogstation. You just can't use Steam anymore to play FFXIV WITH Heavensward.

Basically, buy physical copy of Heavensward means you have to give up playing through Steam. Want to play through Steam, have to get copy of Heavensward through Steam. This is what I want clarified by Squeenix.

Again, I don't care to get a physical copy. Just trying to help the people out there who do want it.

Edit: Read this where it says that PC and 'Steam' version are identical. This would lead one to believe that if you give up Steam, you can just get your physical CE box edition with shiny physical goodies.

Pls read my earlier post. If you redeemed your Windows-license on your service-account with a Steam-key your service-account will FOREVER be flagged as a STEAM-license. The game does not log if you are logging in every time with a Steam-version of the game as such a version does not exist, the Steam-version only exist as a, to you, invisible flag on your service-account. Nothing you can do will change this fact.

[Vvardenmarrn]

I'm not sure if I agree.
I played 1.0, therefore my product key came from before ARR, and before XIV was available on steam.
I have since bought a copy on steam too and regularly use this to play, however I did not register the steam copy to my account on the mog station.
Surely the steam copy of heavensward should work for me, as I already play through steam, but the non steam version should too? As my mog station account does not have a steam product key registered.

[Karen_Cerfrumos]

I'm not sure if I agree.
I played 1.0, therefore my product key came from before ARR, and before XIV was available on steam.
I have since bought a copy on steam too and regularly use this to play, however I did not register the steam copy to my account on the mog station.
Surely the steam copy of heavensward should work for me, as I already play through steam, but the non steam version should too? As my mog station account does not have a steam product key registered.

Steam copy of Heavensward will work for you.
Steam license key of Heavensward however will not.

You have to realize the key difference here. Actual software client has absolutely ZERO connection with the Steam client - you can launch FF14 without Steam at all.
What you're buying on Steam is a product key. You never used the Steam key with your account, you just used Steam to download the client.
Actual game is identical between Steam and a download elsewhere. What matters here are the product keys, which are separated into Steam and non-Steam ones.