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

[Johners]

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?

I'm not nay-saying, it's just the reality of how distributing on Steam and other major platforms actually works. The Steam requirement was always there from day one, it's not them adding DRM after the fact. An actual complaint would be them migrating the entire game from the standalone launcher to Steam or implementing an anti-cheat system like Easy Anti Cheat.

[Avidria]

I'm not nay-saying, it's just the reality of how distributing on Steam and other major platforms actually works. The Steam requirement was always there from day one, it's not them adding DRM after the fact. An actual complaint would be them migrating the entire game from the standalone launcher to Steam or implementing an anti-cheat system like Easy Anti Cheat.

The requirement to launch the game through Steam was not there from day one. Until their last update - I think in 2017? I didn't even need to have Steam installed on my computer to download, launch, and play FFXIV. The only steam requirement I ever had to deal with was buying all expansions through Steam, but I also started playing within the first patch of Heavensward. I didn't use steam to play the game at all before they decided to make it a requirement.

[MintnHoney]

The Steam requirement was always there from day one

Speaking as one of those players who's been around for a long time, no, it actually was not, even when I joined, which was not from day 1. In fact, there are a lot of games that don't require you to launch the game directly from steam in order to access and play them. That's not a big secret.

You're being called a "nay-sayer," "victim blamer," and regarded as acting "holier than thou" because you're being dismissive of an issue that was created (because it has not always been an issue) specifically in relation to a platform while actively trying to tell people that they can't ask for access to an alternative platform because "they should have known better," just like you did (I guess) when you joined (however long ago that was). The ability to change platforms would not affect you in the slightest, and is a valid request. The complaint of being unable to play the game, either due to this issue, or the many others that have come up over the years, is a valid complaint. Your opinion and viewpoint of the "reality of the situation" is noted, if that makes you feel better, but it's too narrow for the broad scope of the situation and doesn't actually address anything other than to try and rub people's noses into something that not everyone could have planned for.

inb4 the "I'm not trying to rub people's noses in" response where you try to justify another round of "but you should have known better."