STEAM REALLY SCREWED ME GOOD!!

[hunter301]

I know this isn't about sub games but I thought it was relevant because from what I've read on these forums a lot of the games purchased are made thru STEAM.I was actually considering getting Cold Waters on their site until they did this to me. ...Anyway this is a post I just put on the STEAM forum page. Don't really care if they like it or not. I don't like being dismissed like I'm nobody and that how they made me feel.

I purchased The game bundle of Homeworld Remastered Collection. (The one I really wanted from my past) and Desert Sands of Kharak. I didn't even know Sands of Kharak existed until I went looking for Homeworld Remastered game. I was fully intending to download the game from Amazon which I usually do but decided I'd give Steam a chance.
Well all I got for my trouble is screwed!!
I bought the bundle with both games. I played Desert Sands because I had never played it before and wanted to try it out. Only played it for 2 hours.
Then when I tried to play Homeworld remastered collection I got an OpenGL 3.3 issue. One that after much research I come to find cannot be resolved with my particular system.
So instead of paying $65.00 for one game I asked for a refund. At the time I only showed playing Desert sands for 2 hours no more. Did not play it again because I did not want to violate the refund policy. All of a sudden they come back today saying that I play over 4 hours. Total bulls*t.
I never turned that game on after that. The only thing I did was look at the expedition file for Sands of Kharak that I paid ANOTHER $5.95 for. So what do they do they added the time I was reading a file to my game time.
To be honest I don't think anybody took more than 5 minutes to even review my situation. IMHO I think it was an automated system that looked at my "total" gametime and applied it to the bundle as a whole and said...

"SO SODDY BUT YOU NO GET REFUND!! AT THIS TIME PLEASE BEND OVER SO WE CAN INSERT ROUGHLY!! "

And that was my first WELCOME to STEAM... Should have known as soon as I saw all the automated selections on the refund screen my ass started hurting right then.
NEVER TRUST ANYBODY WHO WON'T GIVE YOU A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THEM!!

WELCOME TO STEAM/ BUYER BEWARE!!!

[Reece]

Hi, I don't use steam so the only advice/help I can offer is to purchase some Anusol medication!

[Sailor Steve]

Many years ago I tried to purchase something from STEAM. I got a message that at that time they only sold to people in the United States. I thought that was pretty funny, since I live in Utah, which the last time I checked was a red state in the US of A. Maybe there's something I don't know.

More recently I joined STEAM because it's the only way I could get MS Flight Simulator X. I had to jump through some serious hoops, but when I really needed help I lucked across a CSR who was actually helpful, and he got it sorted out. I guess the CS experience is a matter of random chance whether you get a good one or a bad one.

I don't like STEAM in general, because I don't like being tied to an online service and subject to their whims. I want to buy the game and own it.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I want to buy the game and own it.

Right on!

[HunterICX]

I've personally had no issues with Steam, even had a CD key transfered with their help from my brother's account to mine when he accidently installed a game I purchased physically (but required steam to play) on his account.
but that was years ago.

I don't have issues with Steam but these days my primary store is GOG (www.gog.com) new games and classic games in digital copy but no DRM so you can store installers on external drives for safekeeping for example. Or you can use their goggalaxy program which is similar to steam in the way that it keeps your games up to date and have game's achievements if you care for them.

I rather have games without DRM's but if I have to because it's not available on gog I use Steam as my experience Steam compared to others like Origen, Uplay, Epic games etc etc has been good in my opinion but always fully understand the terms and conditions before you commit to buying something.

and in your case befor starting playing it I'd suggest if it's in a bundle to try each title by launching them and see if it works so if it doesn't you won't run into issues with refund policies how absurd they may be.

[Platapus]

I hate steam and resent that I need it for way too many games


I still have the disks for a game and steam still won't allow me to play it. I have exhausted my patience with Steam's customer non-support.


They suck


If there was any other way I could play some of my games, I would.

[hunter301]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I hate steam and resent that I need it for way too many games
I still have the disks for a game and steam still won't allow me to play it. I have exhausted my patience with Steam's customer non-support.

IMHO I don't think a human being even looked at my request for refund. It was so fast and so canned a response it sounded almost automated.
Actually felt like somebody slapped me in the face. No interaction, nothing.
All I wanted them to do was charge me for what I should have been charged for the game that I could play and refund me for the game I couldn't.
But no...I don't think anybody even bothered to take a look at my proposal.
As I said I always buy my DLC direct from Amazon. I love Amazon. Have always had great service from them no matter the situation.
This was my first and last exposure to steam.
Also didn't realize they did DRM. The only reason I did Steam was because Amazon no longer was carrying the Windows version of the "Homeland series".

[hunter301]

The worst part of it is I am recently renovating my entire house since my son went to Florida State college this past year.
When I cleaned out my back office where all my old gaming computers were packed away. I found a box that had all the old greats.
Jane's F15.
Jane's WW2 fighters. (Absolutely loved this game)
All the Howeworld series. (Sands of Kharak wasn't out yet)
All the Silent Hunter series since SH2.
Destroyer Command
EAU (For those that don't know...European Air War. Can't name the nights spent playing this one.)
Jane's Sub Command
Jane's 688
Jane's Fleet Command

Didn't think I would ever play any of them ever again. Didn't know they could be played on laptops..
I can't find it anymore..Hope I didn't say the hell with it and throw them away...

[mapuc]

He who have patients...

There's a game on STEAM, I really wanted, however my experience with STEAM or my experience through others who have or is using STEAM is enough for me to only dream about this game.

That is until I read a few month ago…..the game will be released for pc in May.

Markus

Edit
Another reason is I prefer my pc-games on disc/DVD. addons is another thing, I try to download those from the their homepage.
End of Edit

[Reece]

Originally Posted by hunter301

EAU (For those that don't know...European Air War. Can't name the nights spent playing this one.)

I loved that and played it to death, I think I still have it somewhere with EAW STAB. I think I played it on Win 98 so probably won't run on systems today.

Edit: Just checked and can get most of those old games on eBay.

[hunter301]

Originally Posted by Reece

I loved that and played it to death, I think I still have it somewhere with EAW STAB. I think I played it on Win 98 so probably won't run on systems today.

Edit: Just checked and can get most of those old games on eBay.

What I loved about it is that the game was so easy to hack to make it more realistic with the faster computers.
At the beginning they would send you out escorting a couple dozen B17s.
Not very realistic or historically accurate.
I had a shortcut to my main file system were all you had to do was go into the game file, not more than a notepad setup at the time and you could increase the count and the skies were full of B17s.
It was great like you were actually flying over the countryside escorting hords of bombers.
At the time I had Thrustmaster F16 controllers with rudder pedals.
Had all visual controls linked to joystick controls.
My favorite was the view player to target.
It was great. Your vision followed you target around your cockpit as if you were sitting in the cockpit looking at him.
if you knew where out the plane you were looking you could get into some kickass dogfights.
He would pass under me and because my view was following him all I had to do was hard bank and I was on his tail.
This was no slouch sim either. Those guys could fly and know how to get away from you.
Being a private pilot since I was 16 this was so badass for me.
Can only imagine what it would be like with the VR of today.
Sadly I don't have any of those controls setup anymore.
Part of all my recent gear I've been finding lately.

[hunter301]

Originally Posted by mapuc

He who have patients...

There's a game on STEAM, I really wanted, however my experience with STEAM or my experience through others who have or is using STEAM is enough for me to only dream about this game.

That is until I read a few month ago…..the game will be released for pc in May.

Markus

Edit
Another reason is I prefer my pc-games on disc/DVD. addons is another thing, I try to download those from the their homepage.
End of Edit

Question;
Am I able to download the game onto another computer since I own it.
I did notice that I didn't download the file to my HD but that it was loaded up directly from STEAM. Does that mean I don't actually own the game, only the ability to play it thru STEAM only?
On Amazon you download it to your HD and then load it up.
You only need the access key they give you. Same as when you buy the DVD version.
I like the DLC because I do a lot of traveling and with it on my laptop I can play it any were anytime without needing to take a bunch of disk with me.
Lately I have added an HDMI cable to my gear and hook it up to whatever flatscreen TV they have in the hotel.
Works pretty cool.

[BarracudaUAK]

Originally Posted by hunter301

Question;
...
I did notice that I didn't download the file to my HD but that it was loaded up directly from STEAM. Does that mean I don't actually own the game, only the ability to play it thru STEAM only?
......

You do download and install the game on your PC.
You then Run the game from your Hard Drive.
Some games will launch before they finish downloading.

SOME (not all) game require the "Steam Client" to be running (that would be the "drm").
Some others, like "Kerbal Space Program" do *NOT* require Steam to be running.


I copy KSP out of the steam game install directory and run it from there. I have KSP versions 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 (2x), and 1.6 each in their own directories in my /home (I'm running Linux) and all will launch with out steam.

It depends on the game.
I have a few others that are like this (varies by company).

Originally Posted by hunter301

Question;
Am I able to download the game onto another computer since I own it.

...

I'm on my FX-8350 right now, with Steam installed.

Half-Life 2 Episode 2 installed, and playable (and many many others).


Sitting off to the side is my old Athlon 5600x2, also with Steam and Half-Life 2 Episode 2 installed. It is also playable. (I installed it here mainly to compare FPS between video cards.)


However, both "Steam Clients" are in "offline mode".
(I haven't tried to go online with both at the same time.)


Unless it is a Multi-player game, you can go into "offline mode" and play the game.
(I would advise starting the game once before going into offline mode, just to be safe.)

I did this very thing with Fallout: New Vegas.
Played for a year before I got back online with Steam to update.


Some Multi-player games will let you play solo (with bots) or a LAN game while in off-line mode.
Although it might not let you do it with the same account.





NOTE: Since I am running Linux, I have the Linux Steam Client installed.
I ALSO have *2* copies of the WINDOWS Steam Client installed.
There is a program that lets me run Windows programs (like SH3 and SH4, Homeworld, Cataclysm, and Homeworld 2) on Linux.
It stores config info in a directory/folder. I then setup this "prefix" to mimic a certain version of Windows.
I have 1 set to mimic WinXP 32bit, and 1 set to mimic Win7 64bit.
I can set directories on my PC to be windows drives (D:\, E:\, etc).
I installed one Steam Client in the 32bit prefix, and the other into the 64bit prefix.


EACH of these Steam installations is seen as a *DIFFERENT* Computer.


Short version of Note: Yes you can install Steam/games on different computers at the same time, even different Operating Systems.



If I need to clear up any of this (particularly the 'note' section, it's messy) please let me know.



Barracuda

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by mapuc

He who have patients...

There's a game on STEAM, I really wanted, however my experience with STEAM or my experience through others who have or is using STEAM is enough for me to only dream about this game.

That is until I read a few month ago…..the game will be released for pc in May.

Markus

Edit
Another reason is I prefer my pc-games on disc/DVD. addons is another thing, I try to download those from the their homepage.
End of Edit

Check if they game is also going to be available on gog.com , it's still digital but no DRM. You can use the installer or goggalaxy (similar to steam but 100% optional and only maintains your game up to date & achievements)

Originally Posted by hunter301

Question;
Am I able to download the game onto another computer since I own it.
I did notice that I didn't download the file to my HD but that it was loaded up directly from STEAM. Does that mean I don't actually own the game, only the ability to play it thru STEAM only?
On Amazon you download it to your HD and then load it up.
You only need the access key they give you. Same as when you buy the DVD version.
I like the DLC because I do a lot of traveling and with it on my laptop I can play it any were anytime without needing to take a bunch of disk with me.
Lately I have added an HDMI cable to my gear and hook it up to whatever flatscreen TV they have in the hotel.
Works pretty cool.

Yes since STEAM is the DRM you need to run it for most of the games you purchase through STEAM, however offline mode is available when you don't have acces or don't want to be connected to the internet (public wifi for example).

So it is possible to install games on the laptop you wish to take with you when traveling, flip steam into offline mode and play wherever you'd like.
Though make sure that the game hasn't got his own DRM next to the STEAM Client (Yes, they do excist and yes it's absolutely ridiculous) that does require a constant internet connection even for single player. Also Multiplayer games require you to be online in Steam for a reason that some games use the steam service to connect or create servers to play with others.

While I don't have a bad experience with Steam recently most of my purchases if available is on gog.com . No DRM is best DRM. It gives me a option to use a program called goggalaxy or the seperate game's installer so I can install games the old way, the way I want, where I want and on how many devices I want.

''but piracy has to be stopped'' Yes, but you're not making a good case if you prevent, interupt or spoil my gaming experience by chaining my PC to a god awful DRM service.

[Platapus]

One of my other complaints about Steam is that it automatically updates/patches my games and there does not seem to be a way to turn it off. I keep telling it to not update and to keep me offline, but I think there is code that keeps resetting it so I get game updates with no choice.


Really messes up things if you are playing a modded game.



Steam allows mods, they even have a download library, so knowing that people like to play with mods and knowing that when a game is updated a lot of the mods will cause the game to crash, why can't Steam offer a way of locking in games?


Because
Steam
Does
Not
Care
About
The
Player





I am trying to play Civ6 and it keeps crashing because of all the updates that the modders have a hard time keeping up with.



I hate Steam