Server congestion - solutions wanted

[Packetdancer]

And something else i really dislike is the pre-order system. You get 2 different codes. Why? Why do i need a special pre-order and then a second key to avoid being locked out after i've already started playing the expansion, and this key you sometimes don't even get mailed to you, i don't think i've encountered such a bizarre system with any other digital game purchase, ever.

The reason is because you get the pre-order perks well before they actually charge you for the order. Most games, if you pre-order a thing, they eventually charge you, and when you enter that code you now have access to the thing. They either issue you a "pre-order edition" code when the payment goes through that's different from the later normal retail code (and has early access), or they charge you two weeks early or whatever and then say "if you enter the code now, prior to launch, you get early access and these perks".

However, FFXIV gives you a perk immediately (an XP-generating accessory to let you catch up classes to the cap level prior to the expansion), long before they charge you for the pre-order. If they had you register the entire expansion, they'd either have to charge you the full price immediately, or else not offer that item (i.e., no code until the pre-order was actually charged).

Otherwise, if they had only one code and gave it to you immediately, folks would pre-order, register the expansion... and then could cancel the pre-order and not be charged for it, even though they'd already registered it to their account.

So instead they give you two codes: one immediately (that gives you the XP-generating earring, and the early access perk) and without charging you when you make the order, the second when they actually charge you for the pre-order and the payment goes through (that gives you the actual expansion). If you cancel the expansion pre-order before it comes out, yeah, you still have the earring (and early access during the early access window), but you don't get the actual expansion.

It feels clunky, I don't disagree, but there is actually a (semi-)rational reason to do it that way.

[Geirskogul]

I'd honestly much rather just pay for the expansion in advance and not have to think about it later and fumble around with different codes. I mean, that's what pretty much every other game does. I haven't played WoW in a long time but i really wish FFXIV had a launcher similar to the battlenet launcher. WoW may have gone down the drain along with every other neglected Blizzard franchise at this point but if there's one thing Blizzard does well nowadays it's user interface.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

I'd honestly much rather just pay for the expansion in advance and not have to think about it later and fumble around with different codes. I mean, that's what pretty much every other game does. I haven't played WoW in a long time but i really wish FFXIV had a launcher similar to the battlenet launcher. WoW may have gone down the drain along with every other neglected Blizzard franchise at this point but if there's one thing Blizzard does well nowadays it's user interface.

Isn't that cuz battle.net is for more than just 1 game? the XIV launcher is.. just for xiv.