Shurdus
Am I Napoleon?
Woot! Thanks for the update Greg!
It does to be effective. Otherwise, if you jettison steam later, you'd be able to make copies of the steam-less version of the game, bypassing authentication.Bold by me.
The authentication requirement does not require a constantly running DRM program. The Steam DRM could start when the game starts, do the authentication, and then shut down if the computer is offline and/or if the player requests it.
Yes, Steam enforces DRM. It does this by keeping a record of what you have installed, and what what you are authorized to play. Except for VAC, it does not scan your games for anything. If it did this would fall under what other information valve collects via steam.You seriously can't see how the Steam DRM "could possibly enforce further DRM restrictions"? It's a DRM program - that's what is does is enforce DRM.
It is running while the game is on. If it finds banned content or mods that use existing content or DLC content the Steam DRM can prevent Civ5 from playing. This is exactly what Bello and others are concerned about and why the mod/DLC content questions keep getting asked.
If this concern is unfounded then all Greg had to do was make a simple statement to dispel our fears. As no such statement has been made, then the concern still exists.
It does to be effective. Otherwise, if you jettison steam later, you'd be able to make copies of the steam-less version of the game, bypassing authentication.
But, since Steam provides functionality other than DRM, it stays on to support that functionality. The Steamworks API says this. Greg has said this. Greg has also said that Steam has nothing to do with mods. You can continue to disagree all you want, but that will not change the facts. The Steamworks API provides functionality that has been built into the Civ V engine. That functionality requires that steam be running to support that functionality. No Steam, game crash. There is no hidden agenda.I disagree. Once the DRM authentication is completed then continuing to run an active DRM program after that is only some form of monitoring/tracking/spying/scanning/copywrite protection activity. If the initial authentication is done correctly then keeping the program running after that point doesn't make it more effective at authentication.
Yes, Steam enforces DRM. It does this by keeping a record of what you have installed, and what what you are authorized to play. Except for VAC, it does not scan your games for anything. If it did this would fall under what other information valve collects via steam.
If someone release a Mesopotamia map, how "similar" to the paid DLC must it be to be classed as "infringing copyright" and removed? That is an extremely grey area. Similarly, if I make WW2 with Stalin, and then 2K release Stalin as paid DLC, am I then in that grey zone and risk removal?
Greg has said that Steam has nothing to do with mods. Is it safe to assume that Steam will have something do with DLC?
This then leads me to ask in what way will modding of DLC content be allowed/disallowed?
My guess is that DLC will somehow be locked away from modders (e.g. via encryption) so the statement that "steam has nothing to do with mods" would be technically correct.
Most probably. I'm pretty sure that from the dev or publisher's point of view they will definitely make a distinction between mods and DLC. For starters, they will be selling DLC so there are obviously reasons/incentives for them to try and protect DLC.DLC (Down-Loadable Content) is a mod. Am I mistaken as to the agreed upon terminology somehow?
I appreciate that is technically correct but then so does a computer virus have the potential to modify your game. We don't call viruses mods.An additional civ (or unit, or whatever) modifies your game.
If that civ was purchased DLC then the Steam DRM program has "to do with it" the guarding of that content to prevent it from being used by players who did not pay for the right to do so and to prevent unauthorized redistribution of the mod. Thus, Steam DRM interacting with DLC mod content.
That answer is still not even technically correct. The Steam DRM interacts with mods, locks them away, and decides who is authorized to use what mods and helps to protect them from unauthorized redistribution. Hardly "nothing to do with".
Will the Steam Application police mods that for example replicate DLC?
Mods are not handled by Steam in any way,
This is completely incorrect. I can guarantee 100% that if that option is set to "do not update", then it will not update, regardless if you're online or not.
If the Steam Servers are offline, we won't be able to play a legal version of Civ5, right?
If I change to a new hard disk, or I change from Windows XP to Windows 7, or if I need to format
my hard disk:
Do I keep my Steam account, can I play the game?
My thanks in advance.
What I've been implying is that I beleive official DLC (e.g. downloadable civs) will be in an encrypted format so that modders have no ability to modify them anyway, except perhaps to simply break it by trying to edit it.
I think it's obvious that Steam will have something to do with DLC, and so I think the question is being sidestepped a tad by Greg when he tells us "Steam will have nothing to do with mods".
If one is happy to not classify DLC as mods, then it's perfectly reasonable to consider Greg's statements as being "technically correct". I am pretty sure not calling DLC mods is something that 2K is happy to do.
STEAM WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MODS.
Yes, the mod library mentioned in that answer is referring to the "mod hub" or "mod browser" which has been mentioned by previews and in interviews, but the details have not yet been released. The mod hub doesn't have anything to do with CFC.
2k Greg will not be able to answer valid questions if people keep spamming the same questions that have already been answered.
So please stop this right now, you know who you are.
If someone release a Mesopotamia map, how "similar" to the paid DLC must it be to be classed as "infringing copyright" and removed? That is an extremely grey area. Similarly, if I make WW2 with Stalin, and then 2K release Stalin as paid DLC, am I then in that grey zone and risk removal?
If Steam has nothing to do with mods then can I purchase a bunch of Civ5 DLC game mods (on Steam of course) and pass them out to everyone? No? Well why not? What's stopping me you might ask? STEAM DRM!
That's not necessarily the case. It may be possible to include DLC resources as part of the mod package. From an implementation standpoint, you'd expect that to be defacto. From a licensing and copyright standpoint, of course that's a problem. But given how mods worked it civ 4, and how we can reasonable expect mods to work in civ 5, it's not at all clear how mods would work together with DLC.DLC = content created by Firaxis and available for purchase through the Steam store.
Mods = content created by users, available for free through the mod library
If you create a mod that makes use of content that was made available through DLC, people who didnt purchase that DLC will not be able use the mod (the mod will not work).
It's pretty obvious tbh.
If you are in offline mode, technically there is nothing preventing you from using the same account on 2 machines at the same time, but keep in mind that it's against the eula.
It may be possible to include DLC resources as part of the mod package.
Not only it would be clearly against the EULA, but I can easily think of a means to control this:
Just have the installation routine create an internal number based on your individual DVD or your login data to Steam.
Then check each time a mp functionality is called up, if the same two numbers appear. If so, terminate the game.
DLC = content created by Firaxis and available for purchase through the Steam store.
Mods = content created by users, available for free through the mod library
If you create a mod that makes use of content that was made available through DLC, people who didnt purchase that DLC will not be able use the mod (the mod will not work).
It's pretty obvious tbh.
Mods are made by the general public or a developer...
They can include new items, weapons, characters, enemies, models, textures, levels, story lines, music, and game modes.
Due to the increasing popularity and quality of modding, some developers, notably Firaxis, have included fan-made mods in official releases of expansion packs.