This here is a massive post explaining what you get where and just what the hell you actually need to buy.


Contents

- Foreword
- Service Accounts FAQ
- All Possible Service Account Items
- Product Codes and Platforms
- Examples
- Early Access / Pre-Order Items


Foreword

Before starting, one thing needs to be made clear: If you already bought Final Fantasy XIV, you get A Realm Reborn for free. There is absolutely no obligation on your part to purchase anything.

As long as you're willing to pay for your subscription, you can play A Realm Reborn with everyone else. This FAQ is mostly for people who either don't own the game yet, or want some or all of the bonus items on offer.


Service Accounts FAQ

• What is a service account?
  
  Unlike PlayOnline days of old, you can attach multiple copies of the game to a single Square Enix account. Each copy of the game is a service account. This lets you log on with just one username and password, but still allows you to have multiple copies of the game attached to it. By purchasing multiple copies of the game and attaching them to the same Square Enix Account, you're able to log in multiple characters at the same time, as long as they exist on separate service accounts.
  
• Wait. I could log in with multiple characters at the same time? With the same account?
  
  As long as they were attached to separate service accounts, yes. This of course means buying two copies of the game and paying two full subscriptions still. The benefit here is mainly that you log in with the same account in both instances. The game will actually ask you which service account to use at the character select screen, and then present you with the characters on that service account.
  
• Why do I have two service accounts? I only ever bought one game.
  
  This is most likely because you were part of the 1.0 beta. When you started 1.0 back in November 2010, you were supposed to migrate the beta service account into a full service account. This wasn't explained particularly well, so some people ended up making a whole new service account. There wasn't really a downside to this though, it just meant you couldn't use your beta character name because it got reserved by yourself.
  
• What about character slots? Are they bound to service accounts too?
  
  Although this process is being simplified with A Realm Reborn, in 1.0 you had to buy character slots separately to the account itself. A character slot was attached to a particular service account. By putting your characters on separate service accounts, you can log in with them at the same time. However, multiple service accounts require multiple copies of the game.
  
• What about attaching bonuses to my account?
  
  All bonuses, including the ones outlined in this post, can only be attached to a service account, not the entire Square Enix account. This not only includes pre-order bonuses, but covers "Legacy" status. Legacy status is on a per-service account level, and not granted Square Enix account wide. When you attach any bonuses to your account, you must make sure to attach them to the correct service account.
  
• Why does all this matter?
  
  A service account can only have one product code (per platform) attached to it. You cannot buy two copies of the PC version of FFXIV and attach them both to the same service account. This is important when deciding what you need to buy. You can, however, buy a PS3 copy of the game, and attach the PS3 product code to your existing PC service account. This creates an account that can log in on both platforms.
  
• What about the old Buddy Pass? Is my account different?
  
  The "Buddy Pass" that was distributed with the original 1.0 Collector's Edition was an entire, completely independant, product code. It entitled you or somebody else the ability to create a whole new service account. Essentially, the Buddy Pass was a whole extra copy of the game. It is not different or inferior to an actual bought copy in any way.

All Possible Service Account Items
(and where they come from)

• Final Fantasy XI
  - Hermes' Boots *
  
• Final Fantasy XIII
  - Asuran Armguards
  
• Final Fantasy XIV
  - Product Code (PC)
  - Garlond Goggles
  
• Final Fantasy XIV: Collector's Edition
  - Product Code (PC)
  - Onion Helm
  - Helm of Light
  - Coeurl Mount
  - Behemoth Barding
  - Baby Behemoth Minion
  (These are ARR specific, but granted by owning 1.0 CE)
  
• Final Fantasy XIV: Legacy Status
  - Permanently Reduced Subscription ($9.99)
  - Exclusive Chocobo
  - Early Access
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn (PC)
  - Product Code (PC)
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn (PS3)
  - Product Code (PS3)
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Pre-order Bonus (PC/PS3)
  - Early Access
  - Cait Sith Minion
  - Mog Cap
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Digital Collector's Edition Upgrade
  - Helm of Light
  - Coeurl Mount
  - Behemoth Barding
  - Baby Behemoth Minion
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Collector's Edition (PC)
  - Product Code (PC) **
  - Helm of Light
  - Coeurl Mount
  - Behemoth Barding
  - Baby Behemoth Minion
  
• Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Collector's Edition (PS3)
  - Product Code (PS3) **
  - Helm of Light
  - Coeurl Mount
  - Behemoth Barding
  - Baby Behemoth Minion

* The Hermes' Boots are not a bonus linked to your service account. Instead, you need/needed an active PlayOnline/FFXI subscription on your Square Enix account at the time your character is/was created.

** A Realm Reborn's Collector's Edition bonuses are attached directly to the product code. Because you cannot attach more than one product code (per platform) to the same service account, buying the PC Collector's Edition and attempting to link it to your existing PC service account will A) not work, and B) prevent you from obtaining the collector's edition items.


Product Codes and Platforms

*** A service account can only have one product code (per platform) attached to it. Do not buy the PC version of A Realm Reborn if you already own FFXIV 1.0, unless you intend to create a new service account.

Among the items above are Product Code (PC) and Product Code (PS3). Both the PC and PS3 version can co-exist on the same service account, but you cannot link two PC codes or two PS3 codes to the same service account. This is especially important for the new Collector's Edition, because the bonus items are tied directly to the product code. If you can't link the product code to your account, you also cannot obtain the collector's edition items.

When you register your a product code, you will be given the option of either linking it to an existing service account, or creating a new service account:

• Linking to an Existing Service Account
  
  If you link your PS3 product code to your service account that already contains a PC product code, you will have a single service account that can log in on both PC and PS3. However, you cannot log characters on this service account in on both platforms at the same time.
  
• Creating a New Service Account
  
  If you create a whole new service account, that service account and it's characters will only be able to log in on a PS3. You won't be able to log any of your PC service account characters in on the PS3 either. However, you will be able to log both of these service accounts in at the same time.

Examples

- Example 1 - 1.0 Enthusiast
- Example 2 - 1.0 Disappointist
- Example 3 - Slacker
- Example 4 - New PS3 Player
- Example 5 - Collector Upgrade
- Example 6 - Dual Boxer
- Example 7 - Ultimate Collector

Example 1 - 1.0 Enthusiast

If you had the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV: Collector's Edition
- Final Fantasy XIV: Legacy Status

And purchase nothing, because you bought it once already. You will have an account with:

- Product Code (PC)
- Permanently Reduced Subscription ($9.99)
- Exclusive Chocobo
- Early Access
- Onion Helm
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

Example 2 - 1.0 Disappointist

If you had the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV: Collector's Edition

And quit the game disappointed, never obtaining legacy status, and then purchase nothing. You still get the new Collector's Edition bonuses. So you will have an account with:

- Product Code (PC)
- Onion Helm
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

Example 3 - Slacker

If you had the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV

And purchase absolutely nothing. You will have an account with:

- Product Code (PC)
- Garlond Goggles

If you don't have legacy, and don't pre-order the new game, you don't get early access. You still get A Realm Reborn for free, of course, but there'll be a period between Open Beta (Phase 4) and release where you won't be able to play.

Example 4 - New PS3 Player

If you had nothing at all, and decide to join the PS3 movement by pre-ordering the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn (PS3)
- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Pre-order Bonus (PC/PS3)

You will have an account with:

- Product Code (PS3)
- Early Access
- Cait Sith Minion
- Mog Cap

Without an existing PC product code, this account will not be able to log any of it's characters in on PC. As a new player, you won't have the PC product code on your account by default. To get this later, you'll need to purchase a copy of the PC game and link it to your service account.

Example 5 - Collector Upgrade

If you didn't have the original Collector's Edition, but want the new 2.0 collector's edition items, you can use the digital upgrade package to convert your game into the collector's edition. This gets you the new 2.0 collector's edition items, but doesn't give you any of the old 1.0 bonuses unless you already had them.

So if you had:

- Final Fantasy XIV

And you purchase the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Digital Collector's Edition Upgrade

You will have an account with:

- Product Code (PC)
- Garlond Goggles
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

To my knowledge, it's not possible to "pre-order" this, it's something you can use to upgrade your account later. If you want to get the pre-order bonuses, such as early access or the Mog Cap, you need to pre-order the PS3 Collector's Edition (not the PC one, see product codes).

Example 6 - Dual Boxer

Feel like dual boxing? You'll need another copy of the game. The important thing here is that when you create your new service account, it will NOT get any of the existing bonuses on your old service account.

That includes legacy status, your new account will not get it, even if it's tied to the same Square Enix account.

So if you had the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV: Collector's Edition
- Final Fantasy XIV: Legacy Status

And purchase the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Collector's Edition (PC)

But create a whole new service account for it, you'll end up with:

Service Account 1
- Product Code (PC)
- Permanently Reduced Subscription ($9.99)
- Exclusive Chocobo
- Early Access
- Onion Helm
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

Service Account 2
- Product Code (PC)
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

Important to note here is that your second service account does not get the permanently reduced subscription fee offered by legacy status. That is bound to a service account, and you just made a new one. You can however log both of these accounts in at the same time, as long as they're both on PC.

If you bought a PS3 copy of the game instead, your second account would be able to log in on a PS3, but your first account would not be able to. However, your second account would not be able to log in on PC. If you're gonna use a PS3 as a dual box character, that character is stuck on PS3. You can buy another copy of the PC version and link it later to fix it though.

Example 7 - Ultimate Collector

To get (almost) everything, you need to have already had everything else, and then pre-order the PS3 version. You do not need the PS3 Collector's Edition. You already have the Collector's Edition content by owning the 1.0 CE. So assuming you already own:

- Final Fantasy XI
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Final Fantasy XIV: Collector's Edition
- Final Fantasy XIV: Legacy Status

And then purchase the following:

- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn (PS3)
- Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn: Pre-order Bonus (PC/PS3)

You will have an account with:

- Product Code (PC)
- Product Code (PS3)
- Permanently Reduced Subscription ($9.99)
- Hermes' Boots
- Asuran Armguards
- Onion Helm
- Exclusive Chocobo
- Early Access
- Cait Sith Minion
- Mog Cap
- Helm of Light
- Coeurl Mount
- Behemoth Barding
- Baby Behemoth Minion

The only item you'll be missing is the Garlond Goggles. While technically possible, it's very unlikely anybody bought both the Collector's Edition and Standard Edition of FFXIV 1.0 at launch and then linked both bonuses to the same service account.


Early Access / Pre-Order Items

Consider this a final reminder. If you want the following pre-order bonuses:

- Mog Cap
- Cait Sith Minion

You must pre-order a new copy of A Realm Reborn. While Legacy status entitles you to Early Access, it does not entitle you to the Mog Cap or the Cait Sith Minion. You get most other things automatically for free simply by owning 1.0 CE, but those two items require a pre-order of a new copy of the game.

As mentioned many times in this post. If you already own 1.0, you need to pre-order a PS3 version of the game. If you pre-order a PC version, you won't be able to link it to your service account.

Early access is given to both pre-orders and legacy players. It's been confirmed to be approximately one week. Progression will work like this:

• Open Beta > Pre-order > Release

Although everybody can play in open beta, if you don't have the early access bonus, there will be at least a week where you cannot play. People who pre-ordered will be given a download code to download the game in advance of receiving the game from stores, even on PS3. Your release date will not change from August 27th.

Wow they're saying they support dual boxing? I always thought that was a no no very RMT to them interesting...I like it I might dual box seeing how I am going to get another copy of FFXIV:AAR.

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It's not really that they support it rather than it just happens to work.

I don't know if running two copies of the game on a single PC works, never tried it. My definition of dual boxing is that you actually have two boxes.

If the game supports UI add-ons like they promised, it might be possible to script the ability to control a second character from the first character's UI, which would be pretty neat.

Incidentally, didn't mention above, but the pre-order bonuses are a separate code and can be tied to your old account even if you create a new account for the new game you pre-ordered.

Besides all that i'm pretty sure Ket wrote all of this because he's awesome lol. I don't think SE advertised the dual boxer exammple, Ket was just explaining how that's an option.

A lot of us dual boxed in 1.0 with a windower. I can't recall if my mule reached legacy status before I cancelled it's account. I need to find the password and try logging in!

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I'm still mad that I missed out on Legacy status. The goobue mount and some other speciality chocobo mount make me sad.

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I had the 1.0 CE, so I guess I'm all set, with regard to these items.

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RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya

sticky plz

Just read. Top job, Ket.

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[In Yarr we trust.]

all that matters to me is that i can pre order the ps3 Collectors Link to account, get the early access to obtain my name, and change my surname from Rageslayer lol. Hopefully they release the server names well ahead of time so we can all agree on a server to own face on.

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It's possible the server choice nonsense might happen before/during Phase 3, or at the latest before Phase 4. Just like it did back when they did the server merging all that time ago.

When you start up Phase 3, your character will likely already be listed on the character select screen, which means they must already be allocated a server. I'm pretty sure they said, like before, if nobody does anything, all characters will end up on the same server as everybody else.

But with the new regional servers, it's very likely lots of people are suddenly going to want to move around. Phase 4 is basically "release" for us guys, so all the server migration is going to need to happen before then.

Incidentally, I'm pretty sure they said that the ability to change what your existing character looks like may only come at release and not during beta. It will also be a one-shot deal, so it's probably a good idea to try out different ideas during beta. I know lots of people made a male Mi'qote for beta, but some people ended up not liking it a few weeks later. Better to check whether you'll actually like your new character's looks while you can still change your mind.

Are we sticking with our default server? What location would both suit US and UK players? I'm pretty sure a server in Japan is a shitty ping for both right? Where is the compromise? lol

I was shocked at how many people disliked their Male Mi'qote, Ket is 100% correct. You have to play around on it for a bit to decide if you really like it, which many didn't. It would be frustrating to change your main character and become stuck with something you dislike.

I'm sticking with it!

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Female Roegadyn FTW

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Compromise is most likely the US east coast.

My pings:

Japan: ~300ms.
US West: ~160ms.
US East: ~100ms.
UK: ~20ms.

They surprisingly don't look bad. I thought they would for some reason.



It seems like 75% of the people we play with live near the east coast, so that should be perfect.

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The live producer letter is tomorrow. Hopefully they'll discuss what's going on with all the servers. We really don't know anything other than the fact they're going to have regional data centres.

We know that there'll be brand new servers. Existing characters cannot transfer to these servers. Only new characters. This is so people who are new or want to play ARR like it was a brand new game can play somewhere that isn't already littered with people at level cap.

We also know there'll be regional servers, presumably at least two per "region". Going by every other MMO in existence, regions are generally US West / US East / Europe / Asia (Japan).

What we don't know is the actual allocation of servers. Will all the existing servers be left in Japan? Will random servers just become random regions? Will Hyperion suddenly be a "Europe" server and anybody who doesn't like it is forced to move? If they want to avoid that they'd have to just leave everyone in Japan. But will they? We just don't know.

Sounds good

So if i want all this new snazzy shit and play on pc, i have to order ps3 ce even though i don't even own a ps3?

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WHM75 RDM75 SMN75
Leather 100+2+lv3 moghancement Cloth 60 Smithing 60 Gold 50

That really depends which snazzy shit you want. If you want CE stuff, you get it automatically if you own the 1.0 CE.

If you want a Mog Cap, the ONLY way to get that is to pre-order another copy of the game.

You can, theoretically, buy another copy of the PC version, but you won't be able to register the product code. The pre-order bonuses (Mog Cap) is in a separate code though so you can register that to your main account regardless. You could use the extra PC code to create a second service account for dual boxing though.

Nice job on the write-up Ket.

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So will this even work if i preorder ps3 ce but just play pc? Would i have to set things up on a ps3? would i just download arr update for pc and enter codes and shit from the ps3 box and be set?

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WHM75 RDM75 SMN75
Leather 100+2+lv3 moghancement Cloth 60 Smithing 60 Gold 50

I'll be honest, I'm not 100% certain.

I did see a post that said something along the lines of that you need to enter PS3 codes from a PS3 (but can attach them to a PC account). I'll have to see if I can find it, but I can't check the ARR forums from work, so it'll be later.

At the same time, they've said that the pre-order code is separate from the version you buy and can be attached to any old account, presumably from the pre-order redemption website.

I'd suggest that you could just get someone to do it from a PS3 for you if it turns out to be the case, but they also said something like that each Square Enix account has to be attached to a PSN account. So someone would need your PSN account details too.

So I'll be honest, I'm not sure when it comes to what to do if you don't even own a PS3. Maybe a rep will post some more info on the ARR thread on their forum eventually. They seem to be posting Q&A responses there every so often.

So... if I don't give a damn about the pre-order bonuses, and people are essentially re-buying the game for pre-order codes. Does this mean I might be able to secure a copy of the game from someone who will essentially have an extra copy lying around ( and has no interest in dual boxing/maintaining two accounts). Obviously the details about the pre-order are up in the air but if the pre-order is seperate from the extra copies folks are ( apparently) buying I'd be willing to trade like 10 bucks on steam for one or similiar.

Can't speak for other people, but assuming people are willing to give up the "PlayStation rights" for their account, yes. Part of the reason you buy the PS3 one instead of the PC one is because linking the PS3 code to your account allows your account to work on a PS3 (and maybe PS4 in future). Not like the FFXI days where as long as you had the game installed somehow, your account would work on any platform.

The pre-order code is definitely separate from the game code. I've already received my pre-order bonus code.

I pre-ordered for the items that come with the CE edition, such as the art book and cd. as well as the ps3 access and the online items. the moogle hat :D.


I can also put the box next to my 1.0 box.

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Take my hand, brave adventurer. We face this dungeon together - with FRIENDSHIP!

Found it:

ok so correct me if im wrong, but the best option for me would be the PS3 CE, right? I have the 1.0 CE anyway, but i want the preorder item and the PS3 access.

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COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh