Please allow Steam License holders to buy a standalone PC License.

[Johners]

I dislike posting publicly about this sort of thing but honestly I hope they here this.

This is not a good change. It's increasing the points of failure in the product. It's already impacting users. Even if it worked as intended it's extra steps in the user experience.
This affects users that may not have known about other options to purchase the game. It leads to regret from the people that have actually purchased the game on steam.
If I had known it would affect me the way it has before I purchased the game I would have 100% used their website instead. However I purchased the game on steam because of the ease of access and the local currency.

For those saying this is how it has to be due to user agreement I direct you to look at games with similar launchers on steam. Warframe for example doesn't have this sort of DRM and it uses a very similar style of launcher.
I would also like to point out this also impacts users on non-windows platforms.

While I don't expect anything to come from posting this, I do help that is lets SE hear the community.

The Steam version only officially supports Windows so using macOS/Linux via WINE/Proton is entirely your own choice. Beyond that, it seems like they might eventually be doing more with their Steam release but they should really have dropped the entire set of changes at the same time and not slowly integrated them. There's plenty of online games which feature their own accounts but otherwise use the entire Steam stack (CDNs for game files etc) but Square Enix basically use none of it right now. Realistically they should be using all of it though, it's a much better UX that way rather than this current launcher-in-launcher situation.

[Arccharger]

The game doesn't need a launcher, that is steam. But thats not what this update does. All this does is add a second layer of fluff between users and actually playing the game.

I agree that Linux support isn't a given. But this change affects linux users in a negative way when this update doesn't actually add anything beneficial. It would genuinely be a net positive to revert the launcher ver.

[Socram]

I already lost an account 4 years ago when I had to left my old non-steam account behind and buy a new one on steam. Yes, I did the opposite, because in my country the subscription on steam is cheaper while SE charges an astronomical price. It was a painfull decision to lose thousands of hours of progress so I fully support the idea of just allowing to have both version on the same account

[Youkulm]

If you don't care about Steam, why did you buy it on Steam?

Just wanted to answer your question really quick even though its been answered about 50 times already in this thread

A lot of us were gifted the game and weren't given an option.

A lot of us chose Steam 8+ years ago when this wasn't an issue. Like everyone has said, hindsight is basically 20/20. If I had known about these issues on the distant horizon I would have never bought this game on Steam.

We don't expect miracles but that doesn't mean we don't have the right to ask for the option to purchase a PC License. I wont say more because I'll just be repeating things I've already said in this thread time and time again.

So if you're truly curious about our concerns or why we don't like steam, please go back and read the thread.

Edit to add: What I don't understand is everyone coming in here nay-saying rather than supporting their fellow Eorzeans. I really will never understand the level of disparagement on the OF for any suggestions people post, frivolous or not. I really don't feel like what were asking for is so insane that people need to jump on the thread and scream copium.

Then again its the OF, what can I expect when I step into Titanman's lair?

[Johners]

This is victim blaming. If steam users had been made well aware they would be signing up for extra DRM they would have avoided it entirely. Besides, the same is fucking hard enough to purchase on its own. Am i supposed to perform research on how to buy the game before even buying it?

The smug holier than thou attitude is palpable.

Victim blaming? Smug? Holier than thou? I knew exactly what I was getting into when I purchased FFXIV on Steam and the requirements have always been the same. I'll agree on the account system being a bit of a joke but the moment you purchased on Steam and activated on your SE account, that SE account/game license has always existed under your Steam account and thus requires a link and use of Steam to play the game. You're not a victim of anything here, the system is working as intended.

[HisShadowX]

This thread has been very informative and I was thinking about buying the Steam Version to get a Steamdeck and play this game on it but it seems that would merge my accounts.

I like the fact I can play on my PS4 or PC and all my settings are the same.

[Youkulm]

I knew exactly what I was getting into when I purchased FFXIV on Steam and the requirements have always been the same.

I wont comment on the other poster attacking you but I will comment on this:

I see your forum account is newer, and I know this is an assumption but I'm going to guess you're a newer player? It's nice you got to sign up for Steam knowing exactly what cards you were being dealt but that isn't the case for those of us that have played since 1.0 and 2.0. I'm sorry if this is difficult for you to understand.

Is there any reason in particular your white-knighting this policy so hard? If you check the forums there are plenty of people ( myself included ) whose accounts are broken and can't login because of this change. I'm genuinely happy if we are in the minority and most people aren't having issues but is it really that difficult to have some empathy or understand why we want to buy a PC License?

This thread has been very informative and I was thinking about buying the Steam Version to get a Steamdeck and play this game on it but it seems that would merge my accounts.

I like the fact I can play on my PS4 or PC and all my settings are the same.

I may be wrong but: you wouldn't even be able to buy it for Steam, you'd need to open a brand new SqE account and start a brand new character. So yeah, kinda silly all around for everyone, even PC users.

[JinM]

Edit to add: What I don't understand is everyone coming in here nay-saying rather than supporting their fellow Eorzeans. I really will never understand the level of disparagement on the OF for any suggestions people post, frivolous or not. I really don't feel like what were asking for is so insane that people need to jump on the thread and scream copium.

Then again its the OF, what can I expect when I step into Titanman's lair?

Imagine if SE ever forced their One time password on all non-steam users with no way of opting out.
Those people are the ones who would say "Well I always had OTP enabled so i don't get whats the big deal".

I really don't get how people here are ok with having even less control over their accounts.
For example if you always launched FFXIV through the steam launcher and you were not affected by this, you will be if the steam servers ever go offline.
I remember times where the steam servers were down for hours, and with this new change you won't be able to login to FFXIV until the servers go back online.

There's not a single benefit from this change other than reducing your options if your main option ever becomes unavailable.

[Avidria]

Victim blaming? Smug? Holier than thou? I knew exactly what I was getting into when I purchased FFXIV on Steam and the requirements have always been the same. I'll agree on the account system being a bit of a joke but the moment you purchased on Steam and activated on your SE account, that SE account/game license has always existed under your Steam account and thus requires a link and use of Steam to play the game. You're not a victim of anything here, the system is working as intended.

The requirements have not always been the same. When I bought the game seven years ago I didn't even need to have Steam running at all to launch it. This was also the first multiplayer game I ever bought through Steam, and I'd had zero issues with Steam previously, so had no reason to believe it would become a problem in the future.

All these changes are doing is creating problems that don't need to exist, (allegedly) to solve a problem that, as far as I can tell, didn't need solving. Would love to know what is actually the driver behind these changes because from what I've seen folks saying, it sure doesn't seem to be Steam itself.

[Youkulm]

Imagine if SE ever forced their One time password on all non-steam users with no way of opting out.
Those people are the ones who would say "Well I always had OTP enabled so i don't get whats the big deal".

I really don't get how people here are ok with having even less control over their accounts.
For example if you always launched FFXIV through the steam launcher and you were not affected by this, you will be if the steam servers ever go offline.
I remember times where the steam servers were down for hours, and with this new change you won't be able to login to FFXIV until the servers go back online.

There's not a single benefit from this change other than reducing your options if your main option ever becomes unavailable.

Exactly this. People would lose their minds if they were suddenly forced to use a OTP keychain or app. Yet unhappy Steam users can just go kick rocks according to some of the people in this thread.

Also Steam having downtime is a real issue. What a headache.