CE physical copy - possible, yet expensive work around for steam issue?

[Rekenber]

I don't think it actually flags it visually. The flag is, from what I can gather, the code that's attached to the account. Steam codes are probably a different format from normal PC codes.

Oh boo. I wonder how I could work that out? Or I could just go the expensive and convoluted route of buying the physical CE, and see if I can trade the physical CE code to someone in return for the Steam CE code. Blergh.

[TheRogueX]

I purchased a physical copy of FFXIV before the Steam version was released. When the Steam version came out, I bought it but gave the key to someone else, who just installed the game off my disk and then played it normal. I play via Steam, with a regular Windows account, and she plays via Windows with a Steam account. It's kinda funny. However, this is going to make it odd when I go to play Heavensward, unless I do something similar with it, I'm guessing.

Honestly, there's no reason for this; we shouldn't have to jump through hoops. They need to figure this out, and soon. We should be able to register a Physical copy of the game via Steam. No questions asked.

[Snootles]

No, classic PC and Steam edition are identical. Read here.

So I am summarising, but would be nice if we can get a confirmation, that you can buy your physical copy and use that. But you would have to forego Steam. You'd have to instal FFXIV with the free installer from the FFXIV site.

[Keydah]

No, classic PC and Steam edition are identical. Read here.

So I am summarising, but would be nice if we can get a confirmation, that you can buy your physical copy and use that. But you would have to forego Steam. You'd have to instal FFXIV with the free installer from the FFXIV site.

That doesn't mean the code is identical. Of course the game you get is identical! But your account is still flagged as owning it a different way. The Steam FFXIV is identical to the normal PC FFXIV, but the account you're logging into it with is still different, and the account is what is keeping people from being able to connect a physical copy. It doesn't matter if you can launch it without Steam, the account is still Steam-locked when it comes to code. This is the same exact thing as people who own a EU FFXIV then move to NA and can't connect an NA code to a EU account because it doesn't match up.

This is NOT an issue of the installed game. This is an issue of the account logging into the game.

[Anera]

No, classic PC and Steam edition are identical. Read here.

So I am summarising, but would be nice if we can get a confirmation, that you can buy your physical copy and use that. But you would have to forego Steam. You'd have to instal FFXIV with the free installer from the FFXIV site.

the game is identical yes but not the cd key

[Wilhelm_Frost]

So it sounds to me what we need is some kind of steam CD key exchange, let us prove our steam cd key ownership and register a standard pc edition to the account as well. Would that not fix it?