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

[NaoSen]

If this is due to monetisation then one can still keep this in place via the following method.

Process IF steam license is still required:
1) Choose option to migrate account to windows version account (Either required to purchase a new one or issued for free).
2) Install the launcher via steam (Game files are only downloaded after login as things are now so it would be a small install)
3) On game launch attempt (After login) state that your account has been migrated and the official launcher is required.
4) Require all expansions to be purchased on steam.

The above option would let steam keep all its purchase revenue from expansions yet allow you to use the windows client.

[Maxmaximillian]

And now that they've finally forced this garbage through I'm having difficulty even launching the game now. I'm so disappointed that this ended up happening. For the eight billionth time SE, please just let us unshackle our accounts, this is neither helpful nor desired. I'll rebuy every single expansion if necessary, but this is truly terrible. Not that I expect a single word of this to reach the actual Dev team unfortunately.

[Cyreil]

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...f76a93bed68004

Supposed to be fixed now.

[Nyxs]

Yes let us get away from Steam if we wish to. We are the ones paying our subs and all the extras. The change was a terrible idea. Most do not like it and are willing to PAY MORE just to get the desired results even. I dont even like the idea of rebuying it all over but it beats the alternative.

[Youkulm]

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...f76a93bed68004

Supposed to be fixed now.

Fixed or not, doesn't change what we want.

[Ohnono]

At this point in the discussion I'd like to request any forum mod or manager keeping an eye on this discussion to please pass along our concerns in this matter. Steam users are hard done by these changes, which we had no reason to expect would be added when we made our accounts. These changes are trampling over us, causing considerable problems with regards to how we can approach playing XIV, and we've been getting no satisfactory response on the reason why any of this is necessary.

We would appreciate restrictions on our accounts being the same as other PC copies, or at least as close to as is possible. To most of us who purchased the game through steam initially, it seemed like this would be implicitly the case. This ever growing divergence between the standard PC release and steam version's restrictions is becoming an unwarranted pain in the neck to the end user and it's making us feel like second class citizens. Offering us the option to expand our liscences to the non-steam version would be appreciated by most at this point. (Allowing existing non-steam users to link a steam account with a steam copy in order to utilize steam wallet payments if they wish to do so would be a common sense measure alongside this, as well.)

[Soulfruit]

The new steam linking system does not look for product keys, I'm happy to announce
It only seeks that the steam account has the base game

Even if it's not the cd key that's registered to the account you linked, it'll link and launch with no problem

Hope everyone has no problems with their linking

Did anyone else manage to check his saying? :/ . I am in that case where I no longer have the steam account associated with the key and I want to know if buying the base game would solve the problem. (not endwalker, just the cheapest option)

[Youkulm]

Did anyone else manage to check his saying? :/ . I am in that case where I no longer have the steam account associated with the key and I want to know if buying the base game would solve the problem.

Your only option is to contact support and wait for an answer. It sucks I know, but they've not been at all transparent about how this works for mix region players or players who lost their Steam. What little info we have, people got from contacting support with their concerns. The community team has utterly failed us on this.

I will say this though: if you have the base game already on your account for Steam, you cannot buy the base game for PC. That's why this whole thread is here. We think that is trash and they need to fix it.

[Yodada]

I dont want to defend Square here but do we know which Contracts are existing between Square and Valve? I mean Steam/Valve are well known fur abusing market share power be it Region Blocking, you are not allowed to sell your game cheaper on other platforms clauses in contracts etc. Maybe Square cant offer the Option to Buyout from Steam even if they wanted.

At least some recognition of this issue from the official side would be helpful. Where are the CMs when we need them.

[Youkulm]

I dont want to defend Square here but do we know which Contracts are existing between Square and Valve? I mean Steam/Valve are well known fur abusing market share power be it Region Blocking, you are not allowed to sell your game cheaper on other platforms clauses in contracts etc. Maybe Square cant offer the Option to Buyout from Steam even if they wanted.

At least some recognition of this issue from the official side would be helpful. Where are the CMs when we need them.

Yeah sadly we know nothing. They've said nothing. The only news we've ever gotten is on the lodestone saying these things are coming not the why or how it will effect the players. AFIAK There is still some people that cannot login to their accounts via steam because of the change yesterday and I feel bad for them. Possibly years and years of playtime lost.

I just wish they'd tell us what is going on. Not everyone has a completely uncomplicated situation which was demonstrated yesterday when a lot of us couldn't get into our accounts.