Downloading FFXI legally?

[bungiefan]

I'm scared of viruses, so i'd shy away from using a torrent or w/e (unless somebody trustworthy recommended a specific link to me).

If you're smart about torrents it's very hard to get a virus from one. They fingerprint the files, and any change at all to even a single file changes the fingerprint. You download in pieces, and if a piece doesn't have the proper hash (fingerprint) then it gets deleted instead of assembled into the file. The only way to get a virus from a torrent download is if the original uploader had the files infected when they created the torrent. If they get infected later, they don't match anymore, and the peers downloading from the will reject the pieces, and too many rejects will ban the seeder from the pool for having a contaminated file set.

Most torrent sites link torrents to a forum post, so people can leave feedback on them. If a torrent is infected, someone will notify the site admin, who will check it out and remove the torrent. Thus if a torrent has been downloaded many times and has been online for over a week, odds are very high that the torrent is clean.

The safety of torrents, as long as you bother to read the comments, is why I teach so many people I know how to use them to download whatever you want. The way they work insures you get an exact copy of the original files, and an infection can't be passed from one computer to another through them very easily.

Saying you're afraid of getting a virus from a torrent is a pretty absurd thing in that light. Just make sure you are downloading from a site that allows comments, like The Pirate Bay or Demonoid.

[xopher]

Can I has invite przu?

erm.. demonoid has never required invites.

[TheMysteriousX]

erm.. demonoid has never required invites.

Registrations are closed. If you have an invitation code, click here

wat

[Biggie]

erm.. demonoid has never required invites.

Maybe thinking of the wrong site?? I waited about 4 months till they had open registration to get in. I have been on the site for awhile now, and have yet to see open registration again. PM if anyone wants invite....


EDIT: Sorry I did not realize how many PMs I would get. I can not get anymore registration codes for awhile, as I have given out too many. It does not tell me when I can give more codes, just says to check back. Sorry, if your still interested, PM and I will send it as soon as I can.

[zephr]

http://champloo.org/ff11/

2009 collection, includes all expansions just takes a while longer than 2010 collection to update.

[Ashira]

Thought Demonoid was open reg on Fridays on a regular basis.

[xopher]

PPRXjkaukapo3uuwtwkpaju8rgkgqcb

first come first serve on a demonoid registration code

[Kegsay]

You'll need a disc emulator to run .iso files, aka Daemon Tools Lite.

[MaachaQ]

I have to reinstall the game relatively often (husband likes to do full restore/reinstall of our computers every few months), so I like to have a copy of one of the collections around instead of using my old disks. The most recent one I bought was the 2008 collection, so I was glad to get the link the the newer one ^^; I keep a copy burned to disc and an .iso on an external hard drive so that I should always have it accessible should I need it.

Should they offer another collection in a year or so with the 3 Abyssea codes, I may actually but a new one so I can unlock all 6 mini-expansions for my mule account finally ^^;

[Aelyn]

Some have links on ultimate EU version ? (2009)

[byte]

I know dis~ but steam has jewed me over a few times on games that would have EU and NA versions of the game... Aion was the best one, 10 hour download and it didn't even work. Plus im cheap.

There was a fix for that particular problem with Aion. I know because it happened to me. There is a hack for WoW to change the region of your client also. You should be able to do it for FFXI if you change your registry settings. You can certainly use registry changes to install expansions from a different region. Not sure about the base game.

[Aelyn]

I know registry things about resolution stuff & co, but never seen any region key there. The EU version has english, german and french files. I doubt these files are in NA version.

Its like jp version which cant be played in english, no ?

[Thorny]

They are in FFXI, lol.

[byte]

I know registry things about resolution stuff & co, but never seen any region key there.

The registry entries are under:
PlayOnline = JP
PlayOnlineUS = US
PlayOnlineEU = EU

Also, there is an entry for install path (also determined by your region, similar to above).

[bungiefan]

I know registry things about resolution stuff & co, but never seen any region key there. The EU version has english, german and french files. I doubt these files are in NA version.

Its like jp version which cant be played in english, no ?

All the languages are present in all installs of FFXI. The game just won't let you pick which language to use for the interface and NPC chat.

[Shinsei]

http://champloo.org/ff11/

2009 collection, includes all expansions just takes a while longer than 2010 collection to update.

Sorry to bother you, but on that page, for the files that are into parts "part 1, part 2, part3" etc, are those the individual expansions? And if yes, which one is WoTG?

[bungiefan]

They're a multi-part RAR so you can download smaller pieces in case your connection is unstable. You have to have all the parts to decompress it. It's the ISO just broken up into smaller files if 4.something GB is too much to download in one stretch.

[Shinsei]

Ah, understood. Thanks for clearing that up.

[zephr]

Yeah actually my host doesn't allow files over 700MB so I had to do it this way.

[Volkai]

I was tempted to re-buy the whole set from steam for like 30 dorra(?) which is awesomely cheap, but i decided against it since the download would take untill FF14 was released, lol...

It's fifteen bucks now, you can use the reg code to get yourself the add-on scenarios and any expansions you don't already have, and it doesn't actually take forever to download (as long as you have a decent connection.)

Being able to re-download any time you switch/reformat computers is also a plus.

Also, the Steam version works with Windower, if you're into that. You need to finesse it a bit, but it's quite doable.

Is there such a way to download it legally without paying for it? Since you need a registration key to play the game, I would have thought SE would allow you to download FF as long as you have bought a copy in the past.

Not anymore. There used to be the trial account download, but 1) that only gives you FFXI, not Zilart/CoP/ToAU/WotG, and 2) it was annoying to do, and 3) the online trial account offer is done now.

There is the semi-legal-at-best method of torrenting or otherwise downloading it from a third party, but that's it for without paying.

You can also buy it from D2D (Direct-2-Drive) but why you would do that if you already have a Steam account I don't know.