I can`t believe paradox have gone Steam. (there is a non-steam version on GG)

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Is Steam really so terrible to some people that they won't buy CK2? Really? What in the world is so bad about Steam that you'll pass up what appears to be an amazing and unique game just because you have to install Steam on your computer to download it? I personally prefer Impulse for Paradox games (bit faster to update the games), but Steam is by no means so terrible that it will keep me from buying from them (plus they can have some amazing sales).
Answer: "Yes, it really is."

Longer answer: As above plus "But it'll be moot if/when Paradox produce the Gamersgate version."

That's the feeling some folk have, though I'll add on a personal note that what really spooked me was the way it was 'slid in under my nose' - that's the way it felt, anyway.

I could - just about - understand SOTS2 being released through Steam at the last minute the way it was, given the (apparent) behind-the-scenes problems. But still there doesn't appear to be an official policy announcement about Paradox's future distribution methods. CK2 will, it seems, be initially released on Steam only, with a Gamersgate release later "highly likely". What about "A House Divided"? Don't know. What's next after CK2 for the internal teams? Fair enough that they don't want to release the name of the game just yet, but what about a statement regarding future release methods?

If it's "We don't know ourselves yet" then say so. I'll understand. I'll continue to "wait and see."

The devs seem to feel that we're being irrational (and maybe we are) but an irrational fear is still a fear, and a reluctance to part with cash due to fear results in lost revenue - or in the case of CK2, a delay in receiving it, assuming they do produce the Gamersgate version later.

Normally I wouldn't say that it's Company 'A's job to sell something from Company 'B', except that in this case it really is - because it's a major change to the way they're doing business with us. So, if Steam is so good, why? Sell it to us!

  • What's it good at?
  • What's it bad at?
  • How does it help Paradox?
  • How does it help us?
  • If I uninstall it, will I still get the major update patches? (Through the game start menu for example?)
  • How do I prevent it from installing updates I don't want? (Mod-breaking, for example)
  • ...

You get the idea. An FAQ for reluctant Paradoxian Steamers. Some of these - hell probably most of them - have been answered here and there, but nothing's collated, and more to the point acquiescence has been assumed, not sought. You want us to do this with you? Sell it to us!
 
its only a major change for 20% of people
Most of that list that been said over and over again and then asked again when people dont read the threads
 
Could YOU afford a 20% pay cut? ;) That's what you're suggesting Paradox do! :eek:hmy:
Also I said that most of it had probably been answered. But not collated. Not pulled together into an FAQ, if you like. More to the point, I certainly feel I'm being steamrollered.
 
But can you be sure that the 20% split amongst 10 or so different DD's costing them extra time is worth while for them?
 
More to the point, I certainly feel I'm being steamrollered.

I liked that. :p

In a way, its now a mixture of my own experience and annoyance. My own experience with Steam has told me that there's absolutely no way I ever plan on buying a Steam game again. For example, I've had to spend extreme amounts of time getting it to work. After that, I have to deal with advertisements on a game I paid for. Following that, the actual probability of the Steam version of a game working on my machine is dubious at best, though I can't exactly pinpoint why. So then I go to get tech support, and have to do everything just right so that Steam doesn't get mad at me.

Also, it makes me feel like I'm just being allowed to play the game for my money, not that I actually own it.

As for annoyance, after devs from several companies acting in an extremely condescending manner towards anti-Steamers, including myself, my own stubborn nature is essentialyl screaming at me to not buy anything that's Steam-only.

I have my reasons. In addition, with Johan's new plan for releasing internal titles, GG games released later than Steam versions actually penalize non-Steam users because they weren't able to buy their game until Paradox got around to releasing it on GamersGate.
 
Could YOU afford a 20% pay cut? ;) That's what you're suggesting Paradox do! :eek:hmy:
Also I said that most of it had probably been answered. But not collated. Not pulled together into an FAQ, if you like. More to the point, I certainly feel I'm being steamrollered.
Dont forget that 90% of those 20% have no problems with Steam. It leaves only 2% pay cut and considering less hassle with different distributers it sounds like a good deal. :)
 
"I can't believe Paradox have gone Windows."

It's more of a choice of people who purchase via Steam than Paradox' choice.
 
I'm not going to debate with anti-Steam people any further, if your hatred/fear/apathy towards Steam is greater than your desire to buy CK2, it's your choice not to buy it. I don't think we need to "convert" you, we offer a product and you buy it or not as you choose. I will however make a couple of comments:

As far as I know, no one has said a non-Steam version would come later, that is just something you have imagined/assumed. While not confirmed either way, I would expect it to be released at the same time if it happens.

Ads on Steam are yet another thing that can be disabled by clicking one thing in options. Almost all the complaints people bring up about the Steam client itself are settings that can be easily changed, but people just either see them or hear about them and add them to their list of complaints without ever checking or asking if they are optional.
 
1 thing the anti-steamers are right on though is auto-update is not optional. Just ask all the people who turned it off for Skyrim and still had patch 1.2 downloaded for them, much to their annoyance.
 
I don't know about Skyrim, but if it worries you, you could copy CK2 into a new folder. Even assuming your original version gets patched your copy is 100% impossible for Steam to patch.
 
Yeah but here's the thing. You are only releasing it on steam first because you are doing the new patching policy with CK2 where the early buyers (steam fans) get to be closer to Paradox's ear and get their own forum. Thus, you will be able to say the true fans <3 steam and support paradox going steam only now and always. There, I figured out your whole scheme. I'm the world's greatest detective.
 
... no one has said a non-Steam version would come later, that is just something you have imagined/assumed. While not confirmed either way, I would expect it to be released at the same time if it happens.

~Three Posts Later~

Yeah but here's the thing. You are only releasing it on steam first because you are doing the new patching policy with CK2 where the early buyers (steam fans) get to be closer to Paradox's ear and get their own forum. Thus, you will be able to say the true fans <3 steam and support paradox going steam only now and always. There, I figured out your whole scheme. I'm the world's greatest detective.

Is this performance art?
 
Yeah but here's the thing. You are only releasing it on steam first because you are doing the new patching policy with CK2 where the early buyers (steam fans) get to be closer to Paradox's ear and get their own forum. I'm the world's greatest detective.

:mellow:

It's the other way around... new policy because of the need for Steam.

You're welcome.
 
I can't help but think the thread has served it's purpose. Time for it to be put quietly to bed, now. I'm going to stop, and I suggest everyone else does too - one thing I agree with Doomdark about is that we're going round in circles here.
 
:mellow:

It's the other way around... new policy because of the need for Steam.

You're welcome.

They were doing fine without it beforehand. Mark my words, Paradox doesn't care about us—the people who loved them when the were a niche developer—anymore. Like Bethesda or Creative Assembly trying to widen their market and capture a bigger audience, just so Paradox is slowly selling out and twisting the knife into the backs of it's once loyal fans. I will always love Paradox and I even have a Paradox Interactive medal hanging over my bed, but loving something also means recognizing—and being vocal about—its flaws.
 
They were doing fine without it beforehand. Mark my words, Paradox doesn't care about us—the people who loved them when the were a niche developer—anymore.

I think that's a bit of an overreaction, my friend. But in any case, how, in your opinion, could Paradox show that they cared about the people who loved them when they were still a niche developer (they still are)?
 
I think that's a bit of an overreaction, my friend. But in any case, how, in your opinion, could Paradox show that they cared about the people who loved them when they were still a niche developer (they still are)?

Not needing steam to activate CK2, not doing this ludicrous new patching system. Not having the special forum for pre-ordering when paradox games are notorious for being bad on release (basically this system enables paradox to change nothing about the quality of the games on release because they're disparaging everyone who doesn't want a glitched, buggy, incomplete game as not a true fan).

I mean, can you just imagine what it'd be like if CK2 was a HOI3 level failure in terms of playability on release?
 
They were doing fine without it beforehand. Mark my words, Paradox doesn't care about us—the people who loved them when the were a niche developer—anymore. Like Bethesda or Creative Assembly trying to widen their market and capture a bigger audience, just so Paradox is slowly selling out and twisting the knife into the backs of it's once loyal fans. I will always love Paradox and I even have a Paradox Interactive medal hanging over my bed, but loving something also means recognizing—and being vocal about—its flaws.

You don't care about us. Apparently a minor thing like activating your game on Steam is enough to make you stick your knife in our backs and call us evil sellouts. Don't let minors facts like the possible non-Steam version distract you either, get the complaints in ASAP! Also, I guess we're not allowed to expand, ever, to keep you happy? If we've not niche enough to keep you feeling elite we surely must hate our fans, right? Although I'm not sure how you can class yourself as a loyal fan that we're betraying while in the same thread saying you don't want to preorder our games because they're buggy messes.

Sure, sometimes you need to be critical to those you love, other times love turns into a weird, creepy obsession where you end up kidnapping the object of your desire, cutting off their foot, and forcing them to produce only the particular type of work you want.
 
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