The conpainon app

[Niwashi]

Speculatively speaking, the app appears in the Mog Station account-type list, so it's very likely they can't make it account-wide (eg all characters given an additional retainer)

Actually, the fact that it's registered to the account means it would be far easier to make it account wide, just like extra retainers you buy are account wide, platforms registered are account wide, collector's edition benefits are account wide, veteran rewards earned are account wide, etc. They went to extra effort to make this one (and only) piece of account information limited to a single character. It makes no sense.

Between that and not letting you use the app while logged in to the game, they've pretty completely eliminated any usefulness from this app. I've often been interested in something for one character and wanted to check whether one of my alts already has it, but both the one-character restriction and the not-while-in-game restriction eliminate that possibility. As someone mentioned earlier, it would also be nice to check MB prices while out gathering, but you can't do that either.

So with both the inventory view and the MB view made useless, what's left? Chat? With such a plethora of messaging apps out there, the only difficulty in getting your FC, static, or any other group of friends to use one is getting them all to agree on which one to use. Adding one more generic chat app into the mix doesn't help that. (Now if this made use of the fact that it's supposed to be associated with the game, so could give us access to the same FC and Linkshell chat channels that are used within the game, then it might have something to recommend it, but apparently it doesn't.)

I'll probably still go ahead and download and register the app, just to get the favored teleport destination, but I don't anticipate ever actually using the app for anything. It doesn't even offer the nice item/recipe/quest database that Libra Eorzea did.

[KisaiTenshi]

Actually, the fact that it's registered to the account means it would be far easier to make it account wide, just like extra retainers you buy are account wide, platforms registered are account wide, collector's edition benefits are account wide, veteran rewards earned are account wide, etc. They went to extra effort to make this one (and only) piece of account information limited to a single character. It makes no sense.

It takes no effort to see how it works. The App is registered at the account level, which means they could have added the additional retainer/free teleport account wide, regardless if it's used. However the APP itself can't have other characters logged in, or at all. It warns you straight up that only one character can ever be registered to it. Like I said earlier, it likely operates on SOAP protocol, so they likely can't serialize multiple character updates because it can only maintain the state of one character. It could probably be chalked up to developer cheapness/not-wanting-to-put-the-effort more than anything else.

Between that and not letting you use the app while logged in to the game, they've pretty completely eliminated any usefulness from this app. I've often been interested in something for one character and wanted to check whether one of my alts already has it, but both the one-character restriction and the not-while-in-game restriction eliminate that possibility. As someone mentioned earlier, it would also be nice to check MB prices while out gathering, but you can't do that either.

Yes, it's basically not useful other than setting of some kind of raid schedule for players who don't use other communication tools.

[worldofneil]

It takes no effort to see how it works. The App is registered at the account level, which means they could have added the additional retainer/free teleport account wide, regardless if it's used.

And they have done. I have 6 services accounts on the same account, but as you know in the app I could only select a single service account/character.

However, both of my service accounts that are currently active has the additional free destination. My service accounts that aren't active don't have it enabled, but then I'm guessing if I were to start their subscription up again, they'd get it too (see below).

Also just to confirm, I've only ever installed the application the one time, and only ever selected the single service account/character.

So the big question I'm wondering now, is the premium sub per actual Square Enix account, not per service account? I still hate the idea of a sub within a sub... but it's slightly more palatable if its per main account.

[Bebekurenai]

Very disappointed with this app. Could have been fantastic, able to talk to players in the whole data center, what am I saying, the entire server list, since we can't PM on Lodestone and these forums (I mean, for real SE? it's 2018 soon 2019...) but nop. Only same server, chat is like the worst feature, takes ages to connect, send etc, and omgosh, the options tab is just about language hehe.
I don't know if we are being trolled or what. Whoever pays for the extra nuts and whatnot needs to reconsider their lifechoices. And those who play more than one character, poor guys, can only use one character and never change it.
Very bad Yoshi, much fail, no wow.

[Alrin]

In its current form it is usable only by few players. However there is a potential in it and if it will be expanded it can be really good (and not charging these incredible prices for it...some payment can be justified but this is to much for to little)

[Hamada]

The retainer is free at no additional charge, according to the premium list in the app. Here is the exact text: "Hire an extra retainer in-game for no additional cost."

then explain to me why an AAA company has translation problems when releasing information? When they first announced the app they made it sound like you needed to pay more for the retainer after buying the premium. Regardless my point still stands, it costs too much money for a sub model, and all that extra fees is not going into the game otherwise it would be 1000 times better.

[K3KW4RCHILD]

I'm afraid of getting banned from these forums if I say bad things about anything SE does. So let's just leave it at this: This app is useless in its current state. It's in the 1.0 stage and I am fully confident that FFXIV Companion, the App Reborn, will at least be useful. As far as cash grabs go, this one is not only blatant, but it is also inept.

[Noodle_Trinidad]

To be honest its probably one of the most insulting things I have ever seen from a AAA studio and a game that requires a monthly subscription to even play after purchasing the game.

https://imgur.com/a/FCV7iLr
This is the Warframe Companion App, an app for a Free to Play game that has easily put the XIV app to shame. You'd think that out of all kinds of games a F2P would have the most incentive to monetize its app to squeeze more money out of its playerbase considering it doesn't have the luxury of falling back on a constant stream of monthly subscriptions. So the question arises why a F2P game would release a Free Companion App that not only serves its purposes, passing with flying colors I may add, but at the cost of nothing? Its baffling really especially when you consider that FFXIV's Companion App has been structured to paywall its users when its already meant to be paired with a game that offers a monthly subscription. You'd think that with the constant revenue they get from people playing to even play the game to begin with the Companion App would at least be that supplemental piece of content to make the experience that little bit better but no alas as this whole expansion has shown it's just another attempt to generate more money.

Also to anyone that says "We dont need it" or "The servers cant handle the load" then you must then ask: "Why even waste resources on this in the first place?"
or if you're one of the ones defending it on the sole server load itself: "Why have they let the rushed rebuild of 1.0 -> ARR keep being an issue and not slowly work thru it patch by patch instead of letting it compound with every new expansion?"

Honestly all these recent Mogshop additions, the continue used of rentable inventory in the form of retainers on top of this is really really bringing my hopes down for 5.0 and the game's future.

[ern815]

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I would like to check with premium users to see if the app worth the subscription? Other than a free retainer and an extra bag of space, it seems rather basic.

[worldofneil]

Why do you have 6 service accounts though :x

Why not? Only two of them are active though (and with all the extra retainers they cost enough as it is...). But the base game has been included in multiple Humble Bundles and Square Enix mystery boxes etc, so I just registered those copies to myself. You can have up to 8 service accounts under each main account.

I would like to check with premium users to see if the app worth the subscription?

There are no premium users. SE haven't launched that yet and no date has been given as to when. Hopefully they're rethinking it.