Why can't I download the current patch first then resub?

[kaynide]

Because of course allowing every single computer on Earth to simultaneously download the software and clog bandwidth is a good idea.

Goodbye 10 min download, hello 8 hours.

[Alpheus]

On console, patches download before I even get to the login screen. Doesn't check my sub until I try to actually log in.

We do get the downside that if PSN goes down but XIV doesn't you can't log in until PSN goes back online, as it will fail to authenticate the added PSN check that the console version has. You'll never get kicked out of the game (once you're in) if PSN goes down, but if you do get 90k'd after dodging a PSN outage so to speak you will remain locked out if the game kicks you back to launcher (unless your error code rolls a saving throw and kicks you to title screen rather than launcher). So there is a con for us console players in this regard sadly, because otherwise yea being able to download updates independently from launching the launcher is pretty dang neat.

[Avatre]

We do get the downside that if PSN goes down but XIV doesn't you can't log in until PSN goes back online, as it will fail to authenticate the added PSN check that the console version has. You'll never get kicked out of the game (once you're in) if PSN goes down, but if you do get 90k'd after dodging a PSN outage so to speak you will remain locked out if the game kicks you back to launcher (unless your error code rolls a saving throw and kicks you to title screen rather than launcher). So there is a con for us console players in this regard sadly, because otherwise yea being able to download updates independently from launching the launcher is pretty dang neat.

While that is true, I find it happens very rarely that I get kicked back to the launcher, except in the early stages of EW release at least. Very rarely(as in I can count it on one hand) has it happened outside of that time frame.