diff --git a/src/blowfish.cpp b/src/blowfish.cpp
index 12e7003..50a7a3c 100644
--- a/src/blowfish.cpp
+++ b/src/blowfish.cpp
@@ -4,27 +4,25 @@ BlowfishSession::BlowfishSession() {
     mbedtls_blowfish_init(&ctx);
 }
 
-void BlowfishSession::setKey(QString key) {
-    std::string keyStr = key.toStdString();
-    mbedtls_blowfish_setkey(&ctx, (unsigned char*)keyStr.c_str(), key.length() * 8);
+void BlowfishSession::setKey(unsigned int key) {
+    mbedtls_blowfish_setkey(&ctx, (unsigned char*)&key, sizeof(key) * 8);
 }
 
 QByteArray BlowfishSession::encrypt(QString string) {
-    QByteArray finalArray;
-    for(int i = 0; i < string.length(); i += 8) {
-        unsigned char input[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE];
-        memset(input, 0, 8);
+    std::string inputStr = string.toStdString();
 
-        std::string inputStr = string.toStdString().substr(i, 8);
-        strcpy((char*)input, inputStr.c_str());
+    QByteArray finalArray;
+    for(int i = 0; i < inputStr.length(); i += 8) {
+        unsigned char input[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE + 1];
+        memset(input, 0, 9);
+        memcpy(input, (char*)inputStr.c_str() + i, 8);
 
         unsigned char output[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE];
         memset(output, 0, 8);
 
         mbedtls_blowfish_crypt_ecb(&ctx, MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_ENCRYPT, input, output);
 
-        QByteArray arr((char*)output, 8);
-        finalArray.append(arr);
+        finalArray.append((char*)output, 8);
     }
 
     return finalArray;
@@ -33,18 +31,21 @@ QByteArray BlowfishSession::encrypt(QString string) {
 QString BlowfishSession::decrypt(QByteArray data) {
     QString finalString;
 
-    for(int i = 0; i < data.length(); i += 8) {
+    for(int i = 0; i < data.size(); i += 8) {
+        int adjusted_length = 8;
+        if((i + 8) > data.size())
+            adjusted_length = (i + 8) - data.size();
+
         unsigned char input[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE];
         memset(input, 0, 8);
-        memcpy(input, data.data() + i, 8);
+        memcpy(input, data.data() + i, adjusted_length);
 
-        unsigned char output[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE];
-        memset(output, 0, 8);
+        unsigned char output[MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_BLOCKSIZE + 1];
+        memset(output, 0, 9);
 
         mbedtls_blowfish_crypt_ecb(&ctx, MBEDTLS_BLOWFISH_DECRYPT, input, output);
 
-        QString str((char*)output);
-        finalString.append(str);
+        finalString.append((char*)output);
     }
 
     return finalString;
diff --git a/src/blowfish.h b/src/blowfish.h
index 9014b55..eb9bf26 100644
--- a/src/blowfish.h
+++ b/src/blowfish.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ class BlowfishSession {
 public:
     BlowfishSession();
 
-    void setKey(QString key);
+    void setKey(unsigned int key);
 
     QByteArray encrypt(QString string);
     QString decrypt(QByteArray data);
diff --git a/src/xivlauncher.cpp b/src/xivlauncher.cpp
index cd1f9e3..d1e21d7 100755
--- a/src/xivlauncher.cpp
+++ b/src/xivlauncher.cpp
@@ -15,11 +15,17 @@
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QMenuBar>
 
+#if defined(Q_OS_MAC)
+#include <sys/sysctl.h>
+#include <mach/mach_time.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "xivlauncher.h"
 #include "sapphirelauncher.h"
 #include "squarelauncher.h"
 #include "squareboot.h"
 #include "settingswindow.h"
+#include "blowfish.h"
 
 void LauncherWindow::setSSL(QNetworkRequest& request) {
     QSslConfiguration config;
@@ -39,6 +45,52 @@ void LauncherWindow::buildRequest(QNetworkRequest& request) {
     request.setRawHeader("Accept-Language", "en-us");
 }
 
+// from xivdev
+char ChecksumTable[] = {
+        'f', 'X', '1', 'p', 'G', 't', 'd', 'S',
+        '5', 'C', 'A', 'P', '4', '_', 'V', 'L'
+};
+
+char GetChecksum(unsigned int key) {
+    auto value = key & 0x000F0000;
+    return ChecksumTable[value >> 16];
+}
+
+#if defined(Q_OS_MAC)
+// this is pretty much what wine does :-0
+uint32_t TickCount() {
+    struct mach_timebase_info convfact;
+    mach_timebase_info(&convfact);
+    return mach_absolute_time() * convfact.numer / convfact.denom / 100;
+}
+#endif
+
+QString encryptGameArg(QString arg) {
+    unsigned int rawTicks = TickCount() / 10000;
+    qDebug() << "raw tick count: " << rawTicks;
+
+    unsigned int ticks = rawTicks & 0xFFFFFFFFu;
+    qDebug() << "ticks: " << ticks;
+
+    unsigned int u = ticks & 0xFFFF0000u;
+    qDebug() << "key: " << u;
+
+    BlowfishSession session;
+    session.setKey(u);
+
+    QByteArray encryptedArg = session.encrypt(QString(" T =%1 ").arg(ticks) + arg);
+
+    qDebug() << "decryption attempt: " << session.decrypt(encryptedArg);
+
+    QString base64 = encryptedArg.trimmed().toBase64(QByteArray::Base64Option::Base64UrlEncoding);
+
+    qDebug() << "base64: " << encryptedArg.toBase64();
+
+    char checksum = GetChecksum(u);
+
+    return QString("//**sqex0003%1%2**//").arg(base64, QString(checksum));
+}
+
 void LauncherWindow::launchGame(const LoginAuth auth) {
     QList<QString> arguments;
 
@@ -64,7 +116,20 @@ void LauncherWindow::launchGame(const LoginAuth auth) {
             arguments.push_back(QString("DEV.LobbyHost0%1=%2 DEV.LobbyPort0%1=54994").arg(QString::number(i), auth.lobbyhost));
     }
 
-    launchExecutable(arguments);
+    bool encryptArguments = true;
+    if(encryptArguments) {
+        auto executable = arguments[0];
+        arguments.removeFirst();
+
+        QString argJoined;
+        for(auto arg : arguments)
+            argJoined += " " + arg;
+
+        auto earg = encryptGameArg(argJoined);
+        launchExecutable({executable, earg});
+    } else {
+        launchExecutable(arguments);
+    }
 }
 
 void LauncherWindow::launchExecutable(const QStringList args) {
@@ -221,6 +286,13 @@ LauncherWindow::LauncherWindow(QWidget* parent) :
     squareLauncher = new SquareLauncher(*this);
     squareBoot = new SquareBoot(*this, *squareLauncher);
 
+    // test case for encryption
+    BlowfishSession session;
+    session.setKey(327680);
+
+    auto enc = session.encrypt("a little lamb jumps over the fence, it falls.");
+    qDebug() << "first decryption attempt: " << session.decrypt(enc);
+
     readInitialInformation();
 
     QMenu* fileMenu = menuBar()->addMenu("File");