Second Account

[DYSEQTA]

I have a lifetime license (or whatever it was called) from the Kickstarter campaign and have linked that account to steam. I noticed there is a steam sale on at the moment and figured that was as good a reason as any to get a second account that I can do something like self-imposed iron man with or something.

I currently run via steam under Linux using MinEDLauncher. I know MinEDLauncher lets you work with multiple accounts. It's more the technicality of the purchase I am unsure on.

Any idea how I can make this work?

 

[Northpin]

I have a lifetime license (or whatever it was called) from the Kickstarter campaign and have linked that account to steam. I noticed there is a steam sale on at the moment and figured that was as good a reason as any to get a second account that I can do something like self-imposed iron man with or something.

I currently run via steam under Linux using MinEDLauncher. I know MinEDLauncher lets you work with multiple accounts. It's more the technicality of the purchase I am unsure on.

Any idea how I can make this work?

you need a different steam account for that to work (with a different email address than the one used for the first frontier account)
and then you do need to juggle with switching of the steam logins

it would be better /easier to get the second account from a different platform (epic or frontier store)

Edit: alternatively, IF the steam email account is different* from the email account used for that LEP account, you can unlink the LEP account from Steam and use the normal frontier launcher to play that account
then purchase a new Elite game from Steam - and to play that account you will have to go through the Steam login


(not entirely sure if that's true tho it's been years since i got Elite on Steam - but you do need to have different email addresses for different frontier accounts.
So if after unlinking the old frontier account and then buying a new steam account you are prompted to create a frontier account - then you can specify a different email address from your first account and be good with it)

 

[GroG79]

If you want to play it thru steam you will have to get a second steam account

 

[Jack Winter]

I'd imagine that the mini ed launcher is capable of launching 2 different accounts, otherwise i'm starting 2 different accounts with the frontier launcher. I think just another email and frontier account is needed.

 

[Decksmeck]

I was doing a Windows, second account. I finally just decided to do it the easy way. At least for me. I just created a local Windows account. So I just log onto my second Windows account and I can play my second account. And Windows takes care of everything else. Then again, I’m not trying to play them both at the same time. So there’s that. But my second account is just a frontier account. My primary account is my steam account. So I don’t think it would work for two steam accounts. Not sure though.

Edit: although, if you use a second user account, it probably will at least automate the logging onto steam under different credentials.

 

[Northpin]

I was doing a Windows, second account. I finally just decided to do it the easy way. At least for me. I just created a local Windows account. So I just log onto my second Windows account and I can play my second account. And Windows takes care of everything else. Then again, I’m not trying to play them both at the same time. So there’s that. But my second account is just a frontier account. My primary account is my steam account. So I don’t think it would work for two steam accounts. Not sure though.

You can play several accounts on the same windows account/profile.
But it takes some fiddling if you dont use different store fronts (Frontier, Steam, Epic) and/or if you dont have space to keep one install per Elite account and also if you dont have the bandwidth to update several Elite instances when patch days come.

In my case, i do play 3 accounts, i have an Elite Frontier account, then i also have ED on Steam and on Epic - each game using it's distinct install folder and having it's own launcher and shortcut, and having to update 3 games during patch day.
To me that's the most easy way - but i do have the space to keep 3 instances of Elite (around 200GB) and i do have a 1gb internet connections that will take care of updates (Steam and Epic updates are automated, but for the Frontier install i have to update manually)

Luckily, in this setup, all Elite instances are sharing the same keybindings and game options - so no issues here.

 

[Nowski]

I'm running two accounts with Steam on linux. Here's my experience in case it's useful.

I created a second Steam account (same email + payment details as first steam account). Steam makes this fairly easy.

Bought and installed a copy of Elite Dangerous on Steam account #2. It downloaded a bit of stuff, but not the whole game I think. Steam knew there was already a copy on disk. (I backed up journal & settings first, just in case.)

Launched the game from Steam #2, and from the built-in launcher created a new Frontier account (separate email address from existing Frontier account.)

Logged in with 2nd Frontier account, created new cmdr, played tutorials. Settings were copied through from previously existing account.

Closed game and restarted Steam back into main Steam account.

A further download was required to start Elite Dangerous in Steam #1, then I launched and logged in with original Frontier account (linked to Steam #1) and played a little.

Closed game back to the launcher while still in Steam #1, used launcher "log out", logged back in with new Frontier account, played game.

Now I just use my original Steam account and use the logout function on the Frontier launcher to swap between the two cmdrs, so I never restart back into Steam #2.

I might look into separate launchers to avoid the log out/in if I get tired of it, but it's not bothering me at the moment.

 

[Nowski]

purchase a new Elite game from Steam - and to play that account you will have to go through the Steam login


(not entirely sure if that's true tho it's been years since i got Elite on Steam - but you do need to have different email addresses for different frontier accounts.

From my experience (see my other post just above this one) it's not necessary to log into the second Steam account, you can just use "log out" in the Frontier launcher and log back in with the other Frontier account, which does require a different email address as you say.

My original Frontier account remains linked to my original Steam account, mostly, so I usually only need to enter login details for the second account.

I say "mostly" and "usually" because the linkage occasionally breaks - started way before I got second Steam/Frontier accounts - and has to be re-linked.

 

[DYSEQTA]

I'm running two accounts with Steam on linux. Here's my experience in case it's useful.

I created a second Steam account (same email + payment details as first steam account). Steam makes this fairly easy.

Bought and installed a copy of Elite Dangerous on Steam account #2. It downloaded a bit of stuff, but not the whole game I think. Steam knew there was already a copy on disk. (I backed up journal & settings first, just in case.)

Launched the game from Steam #2, and from the built-in launcher created a new Frontier account (separate email address from existing Frontier account.)

Logged in with 2nd Frontier account, created new cmdr, played tutorials. Settings were copied through from previously existing account.

Closed game and restarted Steam back into main Steam account.

A further download was required to start Elite Dangerous in Steam #1, then I launched and logged in with original Frontier account (linked to Steam #1) and played a little.

Closed game back to the launcher while still in Steam #1, used launcher "log out", logged back in with new Frontier account, played game.

Now I just use my original Steam account and use the logout function on the Frontier launcher to swap between the two cmdrs, so I never restart back into Steam #2.

I might look into separate launchers to avoid the log out/in if I get tired of it, but it's not bothering me at the moment.

Thx Nowski. Very helpful.

 

[JCCarven]

I heard that you could be banned for "exploiting" while running two accounts simultaneously in multi-crew. I guess it's fair if you use it to get an extra pip to the distributor, but what if I'm multi-crewing outside populated systems where there's no benefit from that extra pip?

I want to know for sure all potentially bannable activities with two accounts. I couldn't find anything about that in the FAQs. I transferred this DW2 Veteran account from PS, and while I was waiting for several months to be able to transfer it, I started a new CMDR which is now ranked #1725 on INARA. At different times, I put a lot of effort into both these characters, and I don't want to lose either of them for doing something that is not described anywhere and could lead to a ban.

 

[Ashnak]

I want to know for sure all potentially bannable activities with two accounts. I couldn't find anything about that in the FAQs.

You won't find it - simply speaking (as a player), FD basically reserves the right to let you play at their convenience. Understandable, as there would for sure be some people who would try to surf just this side of banning, should a list of exact criteria exist. You could flag (report) your own post to request the attention of a mod who could provide you with the community contact for FD so you could ask your question directly.

 

[JCCarven]

You could flag (report) your own post to request the attention of a mod who could provide you with the community contact for FD so you could ask your question directly.

Turns out this is a violation of forum rules.. I guess I'll just try my luck with Support.

Greetings JCCarven,

This is an advisory notification. No warning points were applied via this advisory. Depending on the severity, you may not be able to participate in the thread for a set duration.

You have submitted a number of false reports via the Forum Report Tool which is a misuse of its intended purpose. The Report tool is a vital forum feature to quickly resolve issues on our forums and misuse of that feature can lead to delays in resolving them.

Although no warning points have been provided on this occasion further misuse of this feature may result in it being removed from your forum account.

 

[Ashnak]

Ooops... sorry.

 

[Rebel Yell]

it would be better /easier to get the second account from a different platform (epic or frontier store)

This, I do the same (1 on steam, +1 from Frontier Store).

 

[JCCarven]

This, I do the same (1 on steam, +1 from Frontier Store).

Same for me: one on Steam and the other is a free base-game from PS-transferring, which I recently upgraded with Odyssey. I mostly play one at a time on the same PC, cause I don't have a second Windows PC that could run Elite, but I tried using the free GeForce Now service on Mac to run the Steam version and used an unlinked Frontier account on my PC just to orchestrate a meet-up in a bar for a screenshot.

However, this has some side effects. Once I launched the Steam version on the GFN platform, Steam on my PC shut down automatically, so I just ran the Launcher from the Steam app folder. Once Steam quit, my DualSense gamepad, which I use for Elite, stopped working because its compatibility depends on Steam. With the DualSenseX app, I got it working again, but it is not recognized as the same device, so Elite gives you default gamepad bindings.

 

[Rip_Steakface]

Could someone give me a quick walkthrough on how to play with a second Elite account on the same Windows PC using Steam? I don't even want to play with both accounts at the same time, so this should be rather easy.

I signed up for a second steam account and saw that Elite was already in the library. I purchased the "Deluxe edition" since it contains the base game and Odyssey.
However, I can't just launch it. Instead, it wants me to install a 36.57 GB update. I am a little worried by this. I thought I didn't neet to install anything, as I already have E and Odyssey installed.

Should I try to get the update installed (not even sure if that works, tried to click "update" once but nothing happend)? Will the game sort everything out? Or is there a problem because I picked "Deluxe edition"?

Should I create a backup of certain files just in case, before I proceed?

Thank you!

 

[Rip_Steakface]

Update: I absent-mindedly launched ED via the Steam icon in the windows system tray (while logged into new, second Steam account) and thus started the download.
I was a little worried because of the download size, but it looks like it worked!

I can play with my main character using my old Steam account and old FDec account.
I can also launch the game from my (new) second steam account linked to my second (new) Frontier account.
Still hesitating a little to click "start" in order to give birth to my alt - do you think I am good to go without any risk of data being overwritten, or is there stuff I should back up first?

 

[migillicutty]

Update: I absent-mindedly launched ED via the Steam icon in the windows system tray (while logged into new, second Steam account) and thus started the download.
I was a little worried because of the download size, but it looks like it worked!

I can play with my main character using my old Steam account and old FDec account.
I can also launch the game from my (new) second steam account linked to my second (new) Frontier account.
Still hesitating a little to click "start" in order to give birth to my alt - do you think I am good to go without any risk of data being overwritten, or is there stuff I should back up first?

Did you get this figured out? I am also looking to set up a second account on steam. Like you I don't want to accidentally over write any information on my main account, from a secondary steam account.

I would also like the second account to pick up all of my settings from my first account as well. I use a HOSAS to play with and don't want to have to go through that setup a second time if it can be avoided.

 

[Gizzard]

Did you get this figured out? I am also looking to set up a second account on steam. Like you I don't want to accidentally over write any information on my main account, from a secondary steam account.

I would also like the second account to pick up all of my settings from my first account as well. I use a HOSAS to play with and don't want to have to go through that setup a second time if it can be avoided.

I use just the FDEV launcher for mine, and its based on windows account for sharing display/key binds. So you can either run them as the same windows account and the settings are shared, or if you want them separate you can create another windows account to run it as and simply copy the settings over.

 

[Rip_Steakface]

Did you get this figured out? I am also looking to set up a second account on steam. Like you I don't want to accidentally over write any information on my main account, from a secondary steam account.

I would also like the second account to pick up all of my settings from my first account as well. I use a HOSAS to play with and don't want to have to go through that setup a second time if it can be avoided.

Yep, I clicked "start" and it simply worked! To sum it up, all I did was create a second Steam account, buy Elite: Dangerous again (in my case, Deluxe edition), install it, creating a second FDev account to link to my new Steam acount and voilà, here's my alt. It shares all key bindings etc. with my main account without me having to do anything.

In my opinion, that was much easier than other processes described here.

Of course, I can only speak for myself. I suppose that backup is strongly advised. And I WAS a little worried about the huge install - others say they didn't need to install anything or just a small amount of files. But it worked, so I won't complain