Link Frontier to Steam account - Which benefits?

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Hey,

im bought ED years ago on steam. When i want to play, i just start ED with steam, and the launcher opens. There i click "Log in" and use my E-Mail and PW. Now im ready to play.

But there is also the button "Link Account" at the launcher. If i click on that, a website opens where i can link my frontier account to my steam account.

Should i do this? And if i do, what benefits/advantages i would get if i link both accounts?
Maybe someone of you could explain this to me, thanks!

[TiberiuS]

If you bought it years ago on steam then your account is already linked, as you would not have been able to play otherwise. Go to the frontier store and check under "third pary accounts". If it says "unlink from steam", it is obviously linked to steam.

https://www.frontierstore.net/

[Laurreth]

IMO you should stick with the "normal" store version from back when Steam only resold Frontier Store key since it is less hassle.

If you want to buy future expansions or cosmetics/Arx through Steam, however, you will probably need to do that link though.

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Hey, thank you both for you quick replies!
I didn't knew that Steam sold only frontier store keys in the past, i think thats the difference at my account in comparion to today sold accounts when you buy it thorugh steam.

I looked into my account under "third party accounts", and it says: "You have no linked third-party accounts."

So it seems i bought a "normal" store version years ago through steam (23/12/2016). So my only benefit would be that i could buy cosmetics/Arx and future expansions through steam, if i would link my accounts?

Would there be any sort of downsides if i would link both accounts now?

[Laurreth]

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

Would there be any sort of downsides if i would link both accounts now?

It just seems to be a bit of a process that some people fail at, what with the number of posts about it on these forums. I'm not really sure if it would actually change anything about your current license or how things work with the "new" account link model, but I simply prefer having one set of abusive parents instead of two ;-)

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Oh there were already some posts about this account thing with frontier/steam?
Haha ok i understand what you mean about the parents. I will not change anything and dont link both accounts, that seems the better way for me ;)

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

So my only benefit would be that i could buy cosmetics/Arx and future expansions through steam, if i would link my accounts?

Only the benefit of ARX. Cosmetics you can buy directly from the game, without linking your account with Steam, as long as you have enough of ARX on your account. It worked for me.

[Uriel]

If you bought the game years ago, there isn't much of a reason to link both accounts.

If, like me, you bought it weeks ago, then you MUST link your accounts or else you won't be able to play.

Guess that makes you the lucky one ;)

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Originally posted by Uriel:

If you bought the game years ago, there isn't much of a reason to link both accounts. If, like me, you bought it weeks ago, then you MUST link your accounts or else you won't be able to play.

Originally posted by Shadowdancer:

If you want to buy future expansions or cosmetics/Arx through Steam, however, you will probably need to do that link though.

I have some new questions, as the expansion "Odyssey" is coming in a few weeks, and as i want to buy it, here are my new questions:

1.) If I understood it right, when i bought the game in late 2016, i bought a real "Frontier Key" at steam. I had to create an Frontier Account and added the Key on their Website. I can also play the game without steam, just open the Frontier Launcher and it works.

So Question to @Uriel or others who bought ED not so long ago:
Can you also play the game without steam, even if you bought ED with a "real" steam key, so your steam and frontier accounts are already linked. But can you also open the ED Launcher without Steam?


2.) I didn't linked them yet, and don't want to. If i would buy the Odyssey Expansion on steam now, would i have to link both accounts for it to work? And/Or would this affect the ability to play the game without steam?


3.) Or could i just buy the Expansion at the Frontier Store and would not need to buy it at steam (like ED + Horizons back in 2016)? Could this work, or i have to buy it on steam? But as i bought "Frontier Keys" in the past with steam, i should be able to buy the expansion just at the Frontier Store, or not...?


4.) Question for a Friend: If he would buy ED at the Frontier Store, he would never need to use steam, or have to link it, right? As he doesn't want to use steam in any way.

Thanks for any help!

[Uriel]

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

So Question to @Uriel or others who bought ED not so long ago:
Can you also play the game without steam, even if you bought ED with a "real" steam key, so your steam and frontier accounts are already linked. But can you also open the ED Launcher without Steam?

The vbersion I bought was "keyless", so no, I can't play without Steam. My authentification to the game IS Steam itself. You bought a key through Steam and registered that key to Frontier. I bought the right to link both accounts so Steam can tell Frontier that yes, I'm allowed to play.

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

2.) I didn't linked them yet, and don't want to. If i would buy the Odyssey Expansion on steam now, would i have to link both accounts for it to work? And/Or would this affect the ability to play the game without steam?

That I don't know for sure, but I suspect anything new on Steam will have that same keyless system, thus you'll probably need to link accounts.

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

3.) Or could i just buy the Expansion at the Frontier Store and would not need to buy it at steam (like ED + Horizons back in 2016)? Could this work, or i have to buy it on steam? But as i bought "Frontier Keys" in the past with steam, i should be able to buy the expansion just at the Frontier Store, or not...?

Again, not sure, but I suspect buying from Frontier should work.

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

4.) Question for a Friend: If he would buy ED at the Frontier Store, he would never need to use steam, or have to link it, right? As he doesn't want to use steam in any way.

Yep, normally, if you buy from Frontier, you're "safe" :)

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

Can you also play the game without steam, even if you bought ED with a "real" steam key, so your steam and frontier accounts are already linked. But can you also open the ED Launcher without Steam?

I don't have my Frontier account Steam-linked because I don't want to add an extra point of failure to my authentication. My game is bought before April 2019, so it has a normal game key, and a normal login/password authentication.

2.) I didn't linked them yet, and don't want to. If i would buy the Odyssey Expansion on steam now, would i have to link both accounts for it to work? And/Or would this affect the ability to play the game without steam?

That is correct. If you buy Odyssey on Steam, you will have to link your Steam account to your Frontier's one to be able to play Odyssey. Even if your main game didn't need linking. Otherwise it will not work. Confirmed by FDevs.

3.) Or could i just buy the Expansion at the Frontier Store and would not need to buy it at steam (like ED + Horizons back in 2016)? Could this work, or i have to buy it on steam? But as i bought "Frontier Keys" in the past with steam, i should be able to buy the expansion just at the Frontier Store, or not...?

You can buy Odyssey directly from Frontier, and then it will be linked to your Frontier account without any Steam linking. Then you will be able to play it even without Steam. Confirmed by FDevs. That's how I bought my Odyssey.

4.) Question for a Friend: If he would buy ED at the Frontier Store, he would never need to use steam, or have to link it, right? As he doesn't want to use steam in any way.

That is correct. If he buys the game at Frontier store, no Steam is involved in playing it. Steam is not required to play this game, it's only a reseller.

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Thanks for your helpful answers @Uriel and @Dolphin Bottlenose !

So i did like you said/confirmed, and bought Odyssey at the Frontier Store. but now some new questions have occurred to me ...

Now i read that there will be two different versions running at the same time, Horizons and Odyssey, and i have to choose which version i want to play before i start the game.

Will steam update my game always with all needed files for Odyssey, even its thinking i dont own Odyssey? Because as i said, i bought it at Frontier Store. Steam still "thinking", im without Odyssey.

So my question is: Will steam always download all the updates for Odyssey too, even when i don't own Odyssey officially at steam? Or will there be two different update files for Horizons and Odyssey?

Or, what would be the worst, if steam would not download any odyssey files: Will Steam update it again even after i update the game with the ED Launcher, because as far as it’s concerned you only have Horizons.
So you could still update it via ED Launcher instead and just not start Steam, but any time you would start Steam for other games, it would try and “fix/repair” your ED install which would mean you would have to download some files again the next time you want to play ED with the ED Launcher again......

Confusing situation :D

[InsaneMatt]

As Odyssey and Horizons players are separated, I'd assume that Steam would only download Odyssey-specific files if you have the DLC here.
A workaround would be to have two Launchers; one from Frontier directly and the other through Steam. At that point, however, you may as well stick to the Frontier one only as you'll be downloading "core" updates twice.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by -:TSSL:-DarkWG:

Now i read that there will be two different versions running at the same time, Horizons and Odyssey, and i have to choose which version i want to play before i start the game.

Not exactly two different versions. Odyssey just unlocks extra content that will not be available for Horizons players. It will be the same way as Horizons was unlocking extra content comparing to the base game.

Will steam update my game always with all needed files for Odyssey, even its thinking i dont own Odyssey? Because as i said, i bought it at Frontier Store. Steam still "thinking", im without Odyssey.

Steam most probably will be updating everything, including the DLC that you don't own on Steam. In this game extra DLCs are being unlocked during a login. Which means that everything should already be downloaded and installed before the login procedure.

But even if Steam wouldn't download Odyssey - the Frontier game launcher will show you an Update button when you have Odyssey chosen there every time when there is a new Odyssey update.

So you could still update it via ED Launcher instead and just not start Steam, but any time you would start Steam for other games, it would try and “fix/repair” your ED install which would mean you would have to download some files again the next time you want to play ED with the ED Launcher again......

It probably wouldn't happen unless you explicitly choose to repair the installation. But we will know very soon. :)

[-:[TSSL]:-DarkWG]

Hey CMDRs,

well finally the following happend:

Steam still downloading updates for Horizon. I could not install Odyssey when i loaded the ED Launcher via steam, it was greyed out. I had to open the ED Launcher itself without steam, and could download the Odyssey files after it via the ED Launcher.

When it finished, i can start the game. I can now also start the ED Launcher via steam, and now i'm able to play Odyssey too.

But steam is not updating the files for Odyssey. I have to start the ED Launcher and than click "Upgrade". So atm, steam i updating Horizons, after it i have to update Odyssey via ED Launcher. This is much slower, because steam servers are much faster for updating.

I have talked to the frontier support, they don't give me any answers about a steam partner key (so steam could know i own odyssey and would do the updates). They said i can refund the game and buy odyssey at steam.

BUT they never give me an answer if this would mean i could not open/play ED without steam anymore. Because this was the reason i bought odyssey at the frontier store.

Support told me also to link my frontier & steam account, and said:

"I do notice that you haven't linked your Steam and Frontier accounts yet - this replaces Steam keys, and could well solve the issue for you here. This tells the launcher you're playing via Steam which flags up a number of things and should then allow you to access Odyssey without issue."

But well, i do NOT have any issues to access odyssey. I only have the issue to update the game via steam, as steam still thinking i do not own it. And they don't give me a clear answer it linking both accounts would solve that issue (updating odyssey via steam), and if it would take away the ability to start the game without steam,

Do anyone of you know this and could help me about my open questions, which the frontier support seems is "unable" to answer me ....

[Uriel]

Yeah, Steam doesn't know you have Odyssey, so logically it wouldn't know to update it. it you REALLY want that speed boost, you'll have to link.

And yes, if you do, chances are you won't be able to play without Steam anymore. Especially if you refund at Frontier and then buy from Steam, there it's not "chances", it's 100% certain.

I suppose you can't have the milk, the money for it, and the milkmaid giving you a kiss.