To Steam, or not to Steam.. that is the question

[SturmChurro]

If I have the option to run a game not on Steam, like directly via a launcher, I will typically do it that way.

[Jojoya]

Unless someone can't live without the Steam overlay on their games, I would avoid buying through Steam unless that's the only way to purchase a game (which it isn't in the case of FFXIV). If you want to be connected to your Steam friends while playing, you can always run Steam separately and get desktop notifications for messages.

That way access to the game isn't dependent on Steam verification, Steam security compromises (had that happen to me twice in the earlier years of Steam where my account was compromised due to a data breach on Steam's end, not mine), etc. Some people think using Steam is an extra layer of security for your account but it's really just an extra Valve hand on your wallet.

Setting up your game account for PC via normal purchase may be annoying but it's only that initial set up and then adding expansion keys in the future. Day to day play is just starting up the launcher and logging in.

[Ilisidi]

The Steam version is just the standard version with an extra step and extra third party, and thereby extra point of potential failure. I suggest you avoid that if you can.

[Avidria]

Go native
Steam locks you to steam only, literally every other platform let's you play the game cross platform on the same account as long as you buy the game separately for that platform
Plus I've had two cases so far where I couldn't log in at all because of problems with Steam

Just to correct the above. You can only own one of either Windows OR Steam, you can then add the Playstation version on top of that, regardless of what you pick. So, Windows/PS is fine, Steam/PS is fine.

Hm can you? Was pretty sure I read somewhere you couldn't. Less egregious than I thought but still annoying.

[Tlamila]

I always get MMOs out of Steam, plus my FFXIV account is much older than my Steam account.

On the other end, if you pay with Paypal Steam makes it a lot easier than squeenix does. On mog you gotta buy crysta every time to buy anything, with paypal, and even if you have set auto sub renewal you need to add crysta every time before it renews so basically there's nothing automatic and it's pretty annoying. Buying stuff from the store too, every time you need to calculate how many crysta you need, add those before paying. With Steam you can just do all with Paypal directly without much fuss, so it's much easier.
Of course if you use credit cards instead that's not a problem for you.

[Imora]

ND if your steam account gets banned you're hosed.

[Varilyon]

There were many good points. So I have to add only some (for me important) ones.

- Native version has more sales (you pay less)

- Native version will not give an extra cut to valve.
Maybe stupid, but I don't want the company of my favourite game go bankrupt and the servers go down (even thought right now it seems like they are steady).

- Valve gives no extra value. If I want to have all games at one spot, I can add the game manually (GOG Galaxy is better btw)

[Mapleine]

I like Steam plenty but never attach additional DRM to something you don't need to. If there's a plain version and a Steam, go plain unless there's some added incentive from Steamworks or the like.

[Denji]

the benefit of the steam version is that streaming it to the TV is less finicky and you can pay for gametime using steam instead of mogstation which also means using paypal without having to purchase crysta or whatever its called.

its still infinitely inferior to the standalone ver. but as someone who has multiple friends who have never played an MMO in their life who then wanted to try FFXIV, it's a life saver. the mogstation site even after the update is both confusing and also kinda shady looking when it suddenly reverts to the older look on random pages.