I bought Supreme Commander Gold through Impulse, before GameStop purchased Impulse. At that time, Supreme Commander Gold didn't require Steam, but I only ended up installing SupCom, because Forged Alliance was rather large download, and I didn't know if I would like it. Today, I finally got around to installing Forged Alliance, and I learned that Supreme Commander and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are now the Steam version. Now I don't know what I am going to do.
I knew Gamestop would ruin my Impulse purchases eventually. Now I have a game I paid for that I cannot reinstall without accepting a 3rd party contract. Oh well.. guess I'll write it off.
The longer digital distribution goes on the more companies screw us and give me reason not to like it. I'll throw a hissy and when they tell me politely to go screw myself thats the end of my dealings with impulse/gamestop.
not that i support irrational steam hate, but you could check out FAF for all your forged alliance needs:
http://www.faforever.com/
Even the original Sup Com from Impulse now requires steam.
P.S. Its not irrational to not want to submit to a one sided agreement which leaves one with no recourse. Although one could argue it is irrational to agree to it.
Regardless of my feelings toward steam its pretty shady that they would switch a game to the steam version after having sold people the non steam version.
Had they been selling the steam version in the first place I never would have bought it.
can't speak for installation because my copy of FA is still installed. but FAF runs its own match-making service for which you definitely don't need steam.
Yeah, much better to leave new purchasers of the game without the MP client that shipped with the original game, lol. how dare they want to provide the MP infrastructure now GPGnet has gone! those bastards.
irrational indeed.
i am sorry i have to agree. there is a lot of stuff i hate about steam and i am a bit peeved that i now have to have my forged alliance go through steam. and don't tell me i haven't tried steam enough. it is because of the items i have through steam that i bear my dislike of steam. now i have and still buy ocationally through steam mainly things that are at least 75% off or more to be worth me putting up with steam. But the fact that something i bought through impulse because even though it cost a bit more because i didn't have to put up with steam and now i have to put up with steam peeves me. And i have rational behind it.
agreed
MP client change should not equal installation change. period.
The switch to Steam for MP has nothing to do with Impulse or the sale to GameStop. GPGnet service is terminated and needed to be replaced. Here's a post from the Steam forum from GPG that explains the situation a bit.
My own opinion is I'm glad it's on Steam now. Impulse's archive function tends to be unreliable when you try to re-install from the archive. It's why I avoid GameStop purchases when I can.
http://forums.gaspowered.com/viewtop...12cf20b61e107b
Oh jee, they just had to terminate it without any warning ...
and you still trust these people?
And people wonder why I'm content with CD/DVDs. "Oh no, it's so hard to store such a large object and to keep track of it!" Pfft... I can load up FA anytime, net or no.
LOL your response actually fits the definition of Irrational.. perhaps you should look the word up. You repeating the same accusations over and over again don't make them true.
I provided you with a fully logical and rational reasoning for my distaste of steam, and you replied with empty accusations that have nothing to do with logic or rationality. Its pretty amusing that you throw that word around when you actually do well to exemplify it yourself.
Now On topic: A change in multiplayer match making shouldn't change the installation process.. it should be an optional install. Gamespy was never required when it was used for MP matchmaking.
As for gamestop/impulse, no its not their specific doing however since they sold me a game under the pretense it didn't require steam they should still offer the older non steam version for installation. This is the crux of the issue with Digital distribution. Had I bought a disc copy instead I wouldn't be required to install steam if I wanted to install it. It would be an optional update.
Your attitude is so typical, it's nauseating.
loved impulse before gamestop took over... now stardock is selling on steam with DRM?! its the end of an era steam has won.
i bought skyrim hard disc, expecting not having to also install it through steam......why the fuck did I buy the hard disc copy again? Oh ya, I am not a fan of DD.
I'm okay with digital copies that allow archiving, and I know Steam does that. A bigger issue, for me, is accessibility. Whether it be Steam servers or the ISP, I can be blocked from playing an already installed game (and don't give me grief, I have plenty of experience with Steam). There are other little things I don't care for, but those are secondary. Point is that a CD/DVD comes with some certainty that I can insert the disc and play the game with a minimum of technical issues, even if the CD/DVD is required to play. Knowing that some games require Steam even if I purchase a CD/DVD or from another distributor, I make sure to look over the small print and know what I'm getting.
Oh, and I don't do much MP, so arguments concerning stats and match-making mean nothing to me.
how is steam meant to be used for the MP infrastructure (plus patches etc) without having steam installed exactly?
typical of what exactly, somebody that stopped wishing it was 1990 again? move with the times kids.
there was a warning. pay more attention.
it was either that, or lose MP and updating delivery. i suggest GPG did the right thing by still providing those to its customers (not to mention you even got the 3603 update GPGnet users never got). you say you buy some stuff through steam, so you've already got it installed. so, using FAF for the MP service, what exactly is the problem?
That doesn't bother you? Sweet, I'm going to get Stardock to change their forum user agreement without any notice to allow them to share all of your information on file with my "very reputable" company to sell your data to the highest bidder.
And no, I'm not suggesting Steam would do this, but being in any contract against ones wishes shouldn't be taken lightly (even if in this case it might be justified). Maybe you don't care but its rather "irrational" to expect others shouldn't either, right?
And there are people I'm sure who would gladly give up MP to keep there game steam free. Maybe it doesn't make sense to you and maybe it is irrational, but I don't see why you're so determined to try and prove something.
Calm down. No one is trying to offend you. This is a discussion about an unfeeling network of machines.
Yes, he bought the game prior to Steam, thus with the understanding that it was unnecessary. Later they made it necessary. He did not agree to this when the monetary transaction transpired. That is a logical argument.
Like Gamespy, I think he meant that MP accessibility should be optional based on one's agreement with the new EULA. Since the conditions of loading the game changed, he should at least be allowed to sacrifice MP access in order to install only the software he originally agreed to.
Many Steam users, at least the most verbal of them, respond as if they were personally insulted when Steam is criticized as a program. This has given said users a negative reputation.
Yes, that is what he is willing to trade.
Some of us have all the patches we need archived and I have found patches from Steam independently available. It is nice that they offer an easy means of access, but some of us are willing to sacrifice that for various reasons.
I believe the cheap purchases were made expressly to make being forced to use Steam worth it to him. I do not think he would bother with said purchases otherwise.
Example of patching done right.
Civ IV BTS ... the initial launch patch, or one very soon after at least, is the standard for all digital and hard copy purchases for the game.
To get updated to "the here and now" digi copies use a digi patch to get to 3.19, while hard copy patches use a server patch.
In this platform ... if there was ever a 3.20 or 4.11 etc that required steam (for new Steam multiplayer), then only those that are interested in multiplayer should need contemplate whether to get the latest patch or not.
But what do we get instead? All digital availability gets updated, so that 'archaic' patches are never left alone/ standardized/ archived. No, instead, download the game one day and its patch X, download the next and its patch Y.
Automatically doing this across the board just doesn't seem smart for any game with less than 49% multiplayer base.
Is it easier? Yes, probably. Slightly easier for 'newcomers' to multiplayer, and MUCH easier to the company. I think it is ultimately just cutting corners, in the guise of 'convenience' to the customer.
Makes no difference to hardcore multiplayer persons, and makes a HUGE difference to single player persons.
well to be fair other than the OP in question, steam doesn't require you to sign a contract against your wishes. you can simply not use the service if you wish. but i agree, it sucks that someone is forced to use a service they don't wish to, in order for their product to work properly. but given the anti-steamers are in the minority, i think GPG made the right choice in order to provide the same services after GPGnet was taken down. it is unfortunate some people are unhappy with this, but they can't please everyone.
you would've found me in complete agreeance with the OP in 2003, but times have changed. the PC platform isn't quite what it once was, and despite the protests steam is a big part of the continued viability of the #1 gaming system
and i find that argument fair enough. i was commenting on the general steam hate. which is silly. some gamers need to move with the times, it isn't 1990 any more. steam is a huge part of the reason we're still getting some titles (as watered-down and consolised as some may be).
i guess so, but from memory supcom was patched from release => latest via GPGnet as part of the installation process so i can understand why GPG would move that to steam, to save players having to search for the manual updates.
such is life i guess! of course the irrational steam haters also share in the negative reputation.
unlucky i guess! since supcom is only good when played MP, then i think steam is the least of his worries
Since there was none here, it is not an issue.
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