Steam

[Thomas Kenobi]

If they have suspended your account and you had games tied to that account, then I suspect you may very well file a lawsuit. You might want to ask for professional advise on that matter.

My personal gripe with Steam has to do with the application itself. I resent being forced to launch an application for no other reason than to verify I own the game, especially since said application is poorly optimised and takes forever to launch and connect to the servers. When you have been using a computer for so long, you tend to have a particular way of doing things and you don't usually want to change that, unless there is a valid reason to. Subjecting myself to the Steam app, when I can go to Gamer's Gate or the local retailer instead is not a valid reason.

And then, there is the issue of Steam controlling my ability to play games I already bought and paid for, with only their good word to guarantee I won't lose that ability at some point in the future. And that is another can of worms.

 

[Pal]

Also if you have to log on to steam for playing, what happens during internet downtimes? I used to live in a student dorm, and we had downtimes lasting several days when a bulldozer accidentally cut the cable. Three days without any games? *shiver*

I have never understood why you would want to use steam as a platform... It offers no obvious advantage over gamersgate but does have disadvantages to it.

Please tell me what benefits I get using steam!

 

[Baneslave]

Please tell me what benefits I get using steam!

Automatic patching, which depending who you ask might be advantage or disadvantage, I guess. :wacko:

 

[Syntalynder]

I purchased Empire Total War at a store and had to install Steam just to play the game. That broke it for me. No thanks.
Also, you get patches faster if you buy from the developers rather than waiting unitl the 3rd-party vendor formats the patch for their vending software.

Gamers Gate every time for me.

 

[Will Lucky]

Automatic patching, which depending who you ask might be advantage or disadvantage, I guess. :wacko:

There is also the fact if you have friends who have games such as CS:S and L4D its easy to join them in those games and the fact you can use Steam to chat too friends, personally I prefer it over Xfire and Steam is one of the first programs I open at boot up.

 

[dankidus]

Also if you have to log on to steam for playing, what happens during internet downtimes? I used to live in a student dorm, and we had downtimes lasting several days when a bulldozer accidentally cut the cable. Three days without any games? *shiver*

I have never understood why you would want to use steam as a platform... It offers no obvious advantage over gamersgate but does have disadvantages to it.

Please tell me what benefits I get using steam!

You can use an "offline" mode, basically you only have to log in once every thirty days, but still can play your games if im not mistaken. So you are not necessarily stuck without games if the bulldozer cuts the cable without vid games. The advantages I see are that they retain your saved games, they tell you whether the game has DRM on it, no silly activation limits, obviously no CD in the tray, no finding the stupid cd-key, and Steam has special offers such as half price on games and great bundle packages you cant get in stores. However I do understand the complaints against Steam, and all these features aside, I'd STILL rather have the physical medium if there is a guarantee of no DRM. Paradox is great about that, so I have HOI2 anthology on disk!

 

[alanschu]

Also if you have to log on to steam for playing, what happens during internet downtimes? I used to live in a student dorm, and we had downtimes lasting several days when a bulldozer accidentally cut the cable. Three days without any games?

You can set the games (and Steam itself) to offline mode.

 

[Baneslave]

There is also the fact if you have friends who have games such as CS:S and L4D its easy to join them in those games and the fact you can use Steam to chat too friends, personally I prefer it over Xfire and Steam is one of the first programs I open at boot up.

AFAIK, none of Paradox's games support this.

 

[Will Lucky]

AFAIK, none of Paradox's games support this.

Can still chat to people...although I can do that just by adding EU3 and Rome to the list and I assume I'll be able to do it with HOI3. But I don't mind it and personally would rather more games used Steam and keep it all in one place.

 

[Baneslave]

Can still chat to people...although I can do that just by adding EU3 and Rome to the list and I assume I'll be able to do it with HOI3. But I don't mind it and personally would rather more games used Steam and keep it all in one place.

Oh, sorry I missed the chat part completely. o

 

[LaDoncella]

You can set the games (and Steam itself) to offline mode.

only if you set first in offline mode when you have internet conection, wich defeats to a great degree the offline mode

 

[seattle]

Does aquiring the game via Steam mean, that my copy will forever be bound to my steam account?

AFAIK HoI3 has no copy protection. If the steam-version will only work in combination with my steam account, then it would be a major disadvantage compared with the other versions.
I like to store downloaded games on different hard drives and burn them on DVD, just to be sure and to have them available anywhere, anytime.
If your steam account gets lost/hacked/fubar then your copy of HoI3 will be lost? F--- that!

I'm tending towards Gamersgate right now. Does their version only work in combination with the Gamersgate account? Is payment via pay pal possible?

 

[208]

only if you set first in offline mode when you have internet conection, wich defeats to a great degree the offline mode

IIRC if steam can't connect to the server it will ask you if you want to start in offline mode.

 

[dankidus]

I have *never* had an issue playing a game on steam, had it since HL2 came out and I have approximately 15 games on there (not including expansions). This is going through a router that would occasionally drop connections without notice, and I never once had to jump through any hoops to play a video game through Steam. That being said, it does have its disadvantages (such as selection of what hard drive to save to). I do not know how gamersgate works, never bought a game through them. I have done D2D and I know they have a 3 install limit on many games before having to ask for another activation key.

 

[unmerged(15561)]

I'm tending towards Gamersgate right now. Does their version only work in combination with the Gamersgate account? Is payment via pay pal possible?

You only need the Gamersgate account to download your copy of the game. You can then install it and run it without being connected to the web, but only once you have completely downloaded it onto you HDD.

Heres some additional info that may help:

http://www.gamersgate.co.uk/info/faq

 

[Kombatdoctr]

If they have suspended your account and you had games tied to that account, then I suspect you may very well file a lawsuit. You might want to ask for professional advise on that matter.

My personal gripe with Steam has to do with the application itself. I resent being forced to launch an application for no other reason than to verify I own the game, especially since said application is poorly optimised and takes forever to launch and connect to the servers. When you have been using a computer for so long, you tend to have a particular way of doing things and you don't usually want to change that, unless there is a valid reason to. Subjecting myself to the Steam app, when I can go to Gamer's Gate or the local retailer instead is not a valid reason.

And then, there is the issue of Steam controlling my ability to play games I already bought and paid for, with only their good word to guarantee I won't lose that ability at some point in the future. And that is another can of worms.

You account will never be suspended, it might be disabled if your account information is stolen, Valve will disable it until you get your account back.

Also it only takes me 30 seconds to a minute to start up Steam, you must have a problem with your internet connection if it's taking you a long time, or you're an impatient kid that can't stand waiting a minute for a program to start up.

Also if you have to log on to steam for playing, what happens during internet downtimes? I used to live in a student dorm, and we had downtimes lasting several days when a bulldozer accidentally cut the cable. Three days without any games? *shiver*

I have never understood why you would want to use steam as a platform... It offers no obvious advantage over gamersgate but does have disadvantages to it.

Please tell me what benefits I get using steam!

There's a offline mode, you can still play the games you have on Steam, just not any multiplayer.

 

[dankidus]

You account will never be suspended, it might be disabled if your account information is stolen, Valve will disable it until you get your account back.

Also it only takes me 30 seconds to a minute to start up Steam, you must have a problem with your internet connection if it's taking you a long time, or you're an impatient kid that can't stand waiting a minute for a program to start up.



There's a offline mode, you can still play the games you have on Steam, just not any multiplayer.

30 seconds? Wow you are waiting too long!

Takes me all of 5 seconds at most. The popup box says connecting after running the shortcut, and 3 seconds later it disappears and the game is launched.

 

[LaDoncella]

IIRC if steam can't connect to the server it will ask you if you want to start in offline mode.

ONLY if you have activated the offline mode at least ONCE WITH INTERNET conection

 

[Registered]

Can still chat to people...although I can do that just by adding EU3 and Rome to the list and I assume I'll be able to do it with HOI3. But I don't mind it and personally would rather more games used Steam and keep it all in one place.

Chat? what of it? Paradox games have always had chat built in no?
If you want to speak to your fellow players you can always use teamspeak.
Personally i see no reason to choose Steam over Gamersgate. You get more potential problems and Paradox gets less money. It's a lose lose situation.

 

[seattle]

You only need the Gamersgate account to download your copy of the game. You can then install it and run it without being connected to the web, but only once you have completely downloaded it onto you HDD.
Heres some additional info that may help:
http://www.gamersgate.co.uk/info/faq

Splendid! Thanks, mate! Even Pay Pal is available.