Trying to get started (Need help with how to purchase... sorta...)

[xTheCanadian]

Hello, my name is Hugh and I am hoping to become a GM.

I recently signed up for the basic subscription on the FG website and I downloaded the program and got my stuff all set up so it sees my account and subscription. I've linked my steam account as well (Though I have not made any purchases on steam yet)

I was given a steam gift card for my birthday and I need to buy the PHB, MM and DMG modules for Fantasy Grounds Unity but I do not own FGU through Steam.

Can I buy modules on steam and use them with my sub or do I need to own FGU on steam to use the modules from steam?

[Zacchaeus]

Hi TheCanadian, welcome to FG.

Now that's a good question because if you didn't have a subscription then I'd say yes, you can activate your license on Steam (although the process of sending license to Steam is only done every few weeks so you might have to wait a while). But since you have a subscription I don't know if that works. At any rate until someone who knows for sure if you can activate a sub on Steam the process that you would follow is simple enough. Go to the Games menu at the top of the Steam UI and select 'Activate a Product on Steam' and then add your license key into the box. As I say though keys are only sent to Steam every few weeks so you will get an error until your key finds it's way to Steam.

[xTheCanadian]

Sorry, I don't think I was clear enough.

I am not trying to activate my sub on Steam, I have my sub through the website and I have already set up Fantasy Grounds Unity to use that information.

What I would like to do is, if possible, keep my sub through the website but buy the modules through steam and use them, if possible. Without spending $204.14 on the ultimate license. I'd like to just keep my subscription that I am doing on the website proper. When I do purchase the Ultimate license I also want to purchase it through the website proper, not steam. I am just curious if I can purchase modules through steam and use them without owning FGU on steam.

[Zacchaeus]

I was obviously not clear enough either since I thought I was answering your question.

The answer is yes you can buy DLC on Steam but only if you activate your license on Steam otherwise Steam doesn’t know you have a valid license and won’t let you buy DLC if FG isn’t activated on Steam.

Now, as I said this works for purchased licences but I don’t know if you can activate a sub on Steam. I have a feeling you can’t.

[xTheCanadian]

Oooh, okay, sorry I must have misunderstood you. My bad, buddy! Thank you for clearing that up, I get ya now.

So it would make more sense to cancel my sub and use the 50 dollar card buy FGU on steam (The non ultimate license $45 in CanaDough) and then pay the $154 (According to steam) whatever later to upgrade to ultimate, if I were going to go the steam route.

Steam takes a cut of the money though, don't they? Unless I'm drastically saving money (And by the looks of things I'd only save a dollar or two... but by buying through the website directly I save a few headaches of "Why isn't this working? Oh because I forgot to update and sync my steam account, and my dumb *** would." which to me is worth the couple bucks anyways.) I'd rather buy it directly from the source. My plan was to use the gift card to buy the one book and then just continue to make any other purchases directly through the website. I don't see a reason to involve a third party when it's not needed (Unless there's some benefit I'm not seeing.)

Thanks for the help! It's greatly appreciated. I'll use the card to buy a game or something and continue with my original plan to do it all through the website.

[LordEntrails]

Contact [email protected]. They might have a way for you to activate your sub on Steam through a manual process that they support on the back end. Not sure, but I seem to remember that coming up before and them being able to help. But maybe not, though always worth asking :)

[JohnD]

Welcome fellow Canadian. :)

If you buy from Steam Smiteworks and their contract DLC people get less of your purchase because Steam takes a 30% haircut off the top. This may or may not be important to you... but more money to Smiteworks and to the people who do the work to enter and create the modules and other DLC products is preferable in my books.

Steam can save you some money because of the exchange rate they give which is likely better than what PayPal delivers.

[xTheCanadian]

Welcome fellow Canadian. :)

If you buy from Steam Smiteworks and their contract DLC people get less of your purchase because Steam takes a 30% haircut off the top. This may or may not be important to you... but more money to Smiteworks and to the people who do the work to enter and create the modules and other DLC products is preferable in my books.

Steam can save you some money because of the exchange rate they give which is likely better than what PayPal delivers.Yeah that's why I mentioned in my previous post that I'm going to be buying everything through the website and use my gift card to buy a game for myself.