Newcomer / Intro Do I need to link Steam and Frontier accounts to play?

[Alex Starwind]

Hi all.
I bought Elite back in 2014 with lifetime free dlc update (at least this what was promised ). Last time was played in 2018 so I'm 3 years behind current situation and need advice.

1) Do I need to link my Steam account to Fromtier account in order to download and play game?
2) What I will gain or loose by linking this accounts together?

Thanks in advance

 

[Chris Simon]

1) Yes, AFAIK you have to have a Frontier account to play Elite, even via Steam.
If you bought Elite through Steam - If you already have Frontier account, log in from Frontier Store, go into your account (the button in the top right corner), select "Partner keys" section and click the "Link account with Steam". A Steam login should appear and after you've logged in, you should be linked.
If you don't have a Frontier account, you can create it either at their store page or follow a link in the launcher when you first start the game.

If it's the other way around (i.e. you bought the game originally on Frontier store but now you want to play via Steam - although I have no idea why somebody would want that ), in the same "Partner keys" section, there are buttons "Claim a key for Elite Dangerous". Select the correct one and you should receive a Steam key which you can then activate in Steam, adding Elite to your library.

edit: Now that I think about it, you say you have a lifetime pass, so you probably bought the game directly from Frontier? Or recieved it as an Kickstarter reward?
In which case I doubly don't understand why would you want to link it to Steam.

 

[Alex Starwind]

Thanks Chris

So, if I understand you right, there is no benefits in connecting Elite to Steam library? I can use just my Frontier account and download lancer as before?

 

[Chris Simon]

Thanks Chris

So, if I understand you right, there is no benefits in connecting Elite to Steam library? I can use just my Frontier account and download lancer as before?

Yes, the only benefit you get from playing through Steam would be if you had multiple accounts. It makes switching between them easier without making the launcher confused. Other than that, Steam is a headache.

Log into the Frontier store, go into your account, select "My downloadable products" and you should see your copy of Elite. Download and install the launcher, then log into the launcher and dowload the game.

 

[Alex Starwind]

Great! Thanks for quick response

 

[Crazy Joe]

Great! Thanks for quick response

If you still have Elite installed you only need to run the launcher and let it upgrade all the entries to the latest status. That might also include updating the launcher itself, but you can do that from the launcher (it will tell you it needs updating) or, if the launcher is really old, you need to download the latest version from the Frontier store as described by Chris Simons.

 

[Chris Simon]

If you still have Elite installed you only need to run the launcher and let it upgrade all the entries to the latest status. That might also include updating the launcher itself, but you can do that from the launcher (it will tell you it needs updating) or, if the launcher is really old, you need to download the latest version from the Frontier store as described by Chris Simons.

This generally works, but I would still maybe advise against that. Letting the updates up to the launcher itself can yield... interesting results if the launcher is REALLY far behind on updates. If it's just updating to a new version from the previous one, it's fine, but if OP had the game sitting there for three years or longer, even if he has the game installed, I'd still recommend uninstalling the launcher and re-downloading the current one from the store. The game files are kept intact by uninstalling the launcher, so that will cut some time from updating the game, but the launcher itself... nah. It's finnicky.

 

[Alex Starwind]

Ok, I download and install launcher. Do I need install all part of the game separately ( like Elite Dangerous first, then Horizons, then Odyssey Alpha) or installing Odyssey will automatically install al other DLC and base game? Sorry for basic questions, but it was long time when I install anything other then on steam.... Launcher give me 5 different modules to install.

 

[Dommarraa]

Ed and horizons are the same install, so only need to do one.
Odyssey is currently a separate download.
Some or all of the training options are also additional downloads.

Install the one you want to play.

 

[Alex Starwind]

Thanks

 

[Para Handy]

Hi all.
I bought Elite back in 2014 with lifetime free dlc update (at least this what was promised ). Last time was played in 2018 so I'm 3 years behind current situation and need advice.

1) Do I need to link my Steam account to Fromtier account in order to download and play game?
2) What I will gain or loose by linking this accounts together?

Thanks in advance

Précis for latecomers:

1. No ('cos it was bought from frontierstore.net)
2. Nothing (Frontier however would have to pay extortion money commission to Steam on any purchases you make when using a Steam-linked account.)