Steam??? (with SCS reply)

[JSLTIGER]

OK...so I get home tonight, pop on my laptop at school and get my weekly update from Valve's (you know, the company that put out Half-Life 2) Steam. DW is apparently on pre-order! Is this something that I've missed lurking on these boards over the past few months or is this something new? In any case, it offers the potential to open up the game to a whole new set of buyers.

Additionally, if I'm not dreaming about this, will DW work over Steam if we already own it and have it installed?

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by JSLTIGER

Additionally, if I'm not dreaming about this, will DW work over Steam if we already own it and have it installed?

I hope not, the question is can the steam customers who buy dw play with the rest of us on hyperlobby or gamespy. ?

[Deadeye313]

The idea is for the game to be officially released feb 7th on Steam. Coinciding with this release will be the official patch 1.03. yes, steam players and us will all have the same version so we can all play. I don't know how the LWAMI mod will be affected though.

[Bill Nichols]

This link has been on the Subsim homepage for some time now:

http://steampowered.com/index.php?area=news&id=499

Two From Strategy First On Steam February 7
January 10, 2006, 1:09 pm · Chris Bokitch

Software publisher Strategy First Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSTR), and Valve Corporation, a leading entertainment and technology studio, are pleased to announce the Steam launch date for Dangerous Waters and Space Empires IV Deluxe.

Steam, Valve’s online platform for digital content distribution and management, offers developers and publishers the chance to offer their creations directly to millions of gamers around the world.

S.C.S - Dangerous Watersâ„¢ is a groundbreaking naval simulation game, and will be available via Steam for $39.99. Space Empires IV Deluxe, a grand strategy title in the space 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) genre, will also be available via Steam for just $19.99.

Those with an active Steam account will be able to pre-purchase the games beginning January 24 and save 10%.

More titles from Strategy First will be coming to Steam later in 2006. Stay tuned for more details on those releases.

And, this is the link you can use to purchase via Steam:

http://storefront.steampowered.com/v...me&AppId=1600&

[LuftWolf]

Originally Posted by Deadeye313

The idea is for the game to be officially released feb 7th on Steam. Coinciding with this release will be the official patch 1.03. yes, steam players and us will all have the same version so we can all play. I don't know how the LWAMI mod will be affected though.

Beats me too.

Unless someone gives us money I'm not planning on making any special accomodation for steam at this point, although that may change once I figure out what exactly steam is and how it works.

But I'd prefer money to knowledge in this matter... :|\



:rotfl:

[Deadeye313]

well can you at least comment on whether the LWAMI mod will works with 1.03 retail or if you're going to update it for retail 1.03?

I'm surprised you don't know what steam is. It's valve's online system that allows gamers to play all the half-life and half-life 2 multiplayer games and mods, like counterstrike, counterstrike Condition Zero, team fortress and Day of Defeat.

It's very popular and will open this game up to over a million customers. it was a very smart for SCS to offer this game there.

[LuftWolf]

LWAMI 3.00 will be released for 1.03 as soon as the final 1.03 patch is released to the public.

I'm surprised you don't know what steam is. It's valve's online system that allows gamers to play all the half-life and half-life 2 multiplayer games and mods, like counterstrike, counterstrike Condition Zero, team fortress and Day of Defeat.

That's why I don't know what steam is.

[JamesT73J]

Steam is mod friendly. I doubt there will be any issues integrating LWAMI with it.

I've got a hunch that over the next six months you're going to see alot of new people into DW.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by JamesT73J

Steam is mod friendly. I doubt there will be any issues integrating LWAMI with it.

I've got a hunch that over the next six months you're going to see alot of new people into DW.

No its not, Steam is an invasive centralized system, any mods have to be approved by Valve to be distributed via Steam, the games must have steam running in background and even if you play only single player Steam requires you connect to the internet for authentication otherwise you won't be able to play your games.

Steam customers can do what they want, but I don't want to be obbligated to use a steam client just to play multiplayer or use mods.
That would be completely ridiculous.

[Fandango]

Well,

I hope they'll put a link to the forum here...

[JamesT73J]

Originally Posted by goldorak

No its not, Steam is an invasive centralized system, any mods have to be approved by Valve to be distributed via Steam, the games must have steam running in background and even if you play only single player Steam requires you connect to the internet for authentication otherwise you won't be able to play your games.

Steam customers can do what they want, but I don't want to be obbligated to use a steam client just to play multiplayer or use mods.
That would be completely ridiculous.

Trust me, as someone who has actually used the product that:

• - You can mod games.
  -You can play offline.
  -Steam is no more invasive than any other executable.

Please don't state opinion as fact, when you quite clearly don't know what you're talking about. Steam is a very positive step forward for this title, and the community as a whole. Rather than rambling on about sticking it to the man by not using the system (which is the future, whether you like it or not) you should be supporting it.

Cheers

James

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by JamesT73J

Trust me, as someone who has actually used the product that:

• - You can mod games.
  

• I never said otherwise, I only stated that mods to be delivered by Steam have to be approved by Valve.
  The updating of games and that includes mods have to carried through Steam because you can't install patches, mods outside of Steam and thereforce require previous approval by Valve.
  Did you even read the terms of service of Steam ?
  
  

  Originally Posted by JamesT73J

  -You can play offline.

  Never said otherwise, I only said that to play your games you have to be authenticated online, then you can play offline if you want.
  But after n days if you want to continue to play offline you have to reauthenticate online again.
  And if during that moment the Valves authentication servers are offline you're out of luck because you won't be able to play.
  
  

  Originally Posted by JamesT73J

  -Steam is no more invasive than any other executable.

Not true, just read the terms of service.
I now a lot of people just install software without reading eula, licences, terms of service etc... but you should just to see how much control you are giving away.
I don't like a software to be tied remotely to some server on the other side of the planet and whose software decides when, how, what updates I can and can't install.

Originally Posted by JamesT73J

Please don't state opinion as fact, when you quite clearly don't know what you're talking about. Steam is a very positive step forward for this title, and the community as a whole. Rather than rambling on about sticking it to the man by not using the system (which is the future, whether you like it or not) you should be supporting it.

I know perfectly well what I'm talking about, using a system doesn't mean you know how the system works or how it impacts on your privacy.
Steam as of now is not a positive system, if it were only an online delivery system then I would agree with you but it is not.
It still is a beta service, has a miriad of problems and I don't appreciate to be a beta customer for Valve.
I won't support Steam at the same level as I don't support publishers who use starforce protection systems.
Online delivery systems are the future (maybe), but Valve's system is not the future.

[JamesT73J]

You can mod titles without drawing the mod files down from steam - you've got full folder access. it's straightforward enough, and is most likely what will happen with LWAMI ,although I suspect valve will place their mod on steam anyway.

The policy on updates is controlled by you. As soon as an update is available, steam will download it - but only if you have it set to do so.


After you've downloaded a game, you can play it offline as long as often as you like. Technically, the only time you even need to connect to steam is to download the product, after that it need never trouble your bandwith again if you so desire. I'll repeat this because it seems to be commonly misunderstood with steam - you do not need to connect to steam AT ALL to play offline, no authentication, nothing.

In terms of problems, I've been using it since 10/04 and I've not had one crash, or one failure to connect, not one.

[Fish]

Any idea what happens when Steam users want to play online with none Steam users? Is that even possible?

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by Fish

Any idea what happens when Steam users want to play online with none Steam users? Is that even possible?

That's the 100 $ milion dollar question.
Seriously though I hope that Steam users can access without any problems Hyperlobby or Gamespy.
I wonder what happens if a Steam user decides to host.
Do we need a Steam client in order to play with him or not ?