Senethro
Overlord
DLCs can't be mods because mods are modifications to the core game while DLC is official Firaxis produced extensions to the core game.
Heh.
Heh.
Civilization 5 Steamworks questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ
- Thread starter 2K Greg
- Start date
Ok so yes your right, mods then refers to the mod browser and all mods contained and the Civ Mod folder and all mods contained. Now I hope your happy with this HUGE correction. Honhestly you people and your semantics.
The mods will not be hosted or available through Steam, the Mod browser is hosted by Frix/2k, Steam has nothing to do with "mods", as it has been stated several times now. Thier is two seperate systems, the Steam app, and the game itself, the "ingame chat" and "mod browser" are not linked into the Steam app, they were developed by the Dev Team.
You are confusing Steam with Ubisoft's online validation. If you have installed and validated Civ5 once, you can still play Civ5 while the servers are offline - just like playing in offline mode.
I need to know this for sure because I have actually saved a week from my summer vacation at work just for Civ's release in September, and I need to know what date to tell my boss I'll go on Civ leave!
No I don't think you will be able to trick steam into giving you the American release date. If you live in Europe you will get the "rest of the world" release date, even if you get an American to buy and gift the game to you.
Actually he was bring up the "what if Steam goes out of business and servers shut down, will I be able to play my games", I answered the question, the answer was moved to the other thread.
You are buying it at the European prices (in ), so you will be able to start the game (if you have preloaded, and the option is given) or download the game on the European release date.
Steam uses ip-adresses to determine in which region you are living currently. If you happen to be in the US on the American release date, you can start playing at that date, or else you cannot!
P.s Btw people thinking that "you wont be able to play LAN unless you buy more than 1 copy of the game" this is not true, it was confirmed in the FAQ that LAN is available in offline mode, with 1 copy of Steam even though it breeches Steam EULA rules, you can run multiple versions on different computers at the same time using offline mode, and then because LAN is available in offline mode, you can play LAN against your own Steam account.
Unless of course they have coded something in to stop this, i.e In a game, if two or more people share the same Steam ID they are kicked out. Which is possible but we can't know till someone tries it out.
Unless of course they have coded something in to stop this, i.e In a game, if two or more people share the same Steam ID they are kicked out. Which is possible but we can't know till someone tries it out.
Shurdus
Am I Napoleon?
AFAIK they confiormed that LAN works in offline mode, but they have not confirmed that you can play LAN with only one copy.
Yeah infact Greg said you would need to buy more than one copy to play LAN, but unless theirs some extra "DRM" to kick players sharing the same ID out of a LAN game, I don't see how this is correct. So we won't know for sure just yet.
tom2050
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By going along the route of forced auto-patching, someone does have an interest or just doesn't care at all about causing mods to break, which is a highly likely fact of what will happen. This is known by doing something as simple as viewing past history of modding and program updates. (to be fair, there is probably a slim chance that updates won't effect mods from working - ever)
If you say you had no choice in going the forced auto-patching route, well we all know that that is not true, so it would be appreciated if you just don't say that. If that is the case though, it is terribly sad that Valve is controlling this aspect of the game and there is nothing 2K or Firaxis can do about it.
It's just a bad modder-unfriendly decision. Thanks 2K; you have yet to actually help Firaxis, the Firaxis name, or the Civilization name in any positive aspect at all. The only thing 2K have brought to these threads is confusion, spin, and a bunch of odd stuff like marketing 9 seperate products with all different content at different prices. 2K = Bad for Firaxis.
The fact that people will have to worry about updates so much to begin with is bad. It's even worse that it has been a big issue on these forums for a long time with no answser. It just looks terrible for the most moddable game ever.
Tylerryan79
Emperor
Tom, other users who use steam all the time (perhaps you included?) say that patches are released before hand as a beta patch, giving modders time to adjust their mods. I dont know if this will be the case with Civ, I hardly, if ever, use steam.
In general with the move for forced patching, it is likely they view the vast majority of users and potential users of the game as...... non tech savvy. They cant trust everyone to patch, therefore making possible problems for them when they are unable to play mp, and whatever else having an out of date game effects. The auto patch is one way to avoid emails and tech support for simple fixes, that can be preempted by auto patching. Also it is one of steams greatest "features", blah.
Edit:
Originally Posted by 2K Greg
This is an excellent question and as someone who is a big fan of multiplayer gaming I completely understand your concern.
I personally looked in to this for you and I have some good news: While the SteamID of players in a game may not be in the interface by default, I have verified that the modding API will allow you to get this information very easily. This means that it would be pretty trivial to make a mod that adds the SteamID to the interface, which you can use to verify the identity of the players in your game.
I didnt know we can play mp with mods enabled.... could you do this for civ iv to? Thats pretty cool. However if you can play a game with mods, then you should be able to set up mp games with different versions of the game, kind of negates my above argument for forced patching.
In general with the move for forced patching, it is likely they view the vast majority of users and potential users of the game as...... non tech savvy. They cant trust everyone to patch, therefore making possible problems for them when they are unable to play mp, and whatever else having an out of date game effects. The auto patch is one way to avoid emails and tech support for simple fixes, that can be preempted by auto patching. Also it is one of steams greatest "features", blah.
Edit:
Originally Posted by 2K Greg
This is an excellent question and as someone who is a big fan of multiplayer gaming I completely understand your concern.
I personally looked in to this for you and I have some good news: While the SteamID of players in a game may not be in the interface by default, I have verified that the modding API will allow you to get this information very easily. This means that it would be pretty trivial to make a mod that adds the SteamID to the interface, which you can use to verify the identity of the players in your game.
I didnt know we can play mp with mods enabled.... could you do this for civ iv to? Thats pretty cool. However if you can play a game with mods, then you should be able to set up mp games with different versions of the game, kind of negates my above argument for forced patching.
tom2050
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There are simple ways around this, and 2K knows it.
If you go to play MP, a prompt comes up and says "You must auto-patch to play MP" Select Yes or No.
The vast majority of users are more tech savvy than they are made to seem like. Downloading a patch exe and double clicking it most 5 year olds can do today. Steam could have a big sign on the side saying "Update is available, click here to install it!". 1 click is all it takes.
No one ever had 'Tons of Problems' doing this in the past, so to say everyone is too dumb to do it now is just not true.
Great mods that have been made, but perhaps the modder has left, will be forever unplayable for a possible long length of time with the 'impossible to revert back to certain patches, or to stop the auto-patch' without going all through a whole offline mode 'block Steam in your router' non-sense (which is much more difficult than installing a patch I will add).
Why 2K is even around is tough to gauge. It's like a fly that won't leave Firaxis alone.
I thought mods would be hosted somewhere, and available only if you were online. I think being online would mean being online from Steam point of view, but I can be wrong.
We have very little info about what the mod browser is.
Well, yes it's important.
If the mod browser restricts access to certain mods for instance, then the difference matters a lot.
I don't know whether it will, and 2KGreg says mods aren't validated, so probably this is not an issue.
Dale
Mohawk Games Developer
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Dale
Mohawk Games Developer
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People, this is called piracy!
True but so Is playing Civ-Pirates, nothing wrong with that
No, there is not a simple way around it. It would require updates from Valve to their steam infrastructure which is out of Fraxis' control. For the vast majority of people they always want the latest and greatest because most gamers don't mod on a regular basis. This puts features like this low on Valve's priority list and as with most software companies low priority features never get done.
I've only been around these boards for a few months and I haven't seen anyone with more negativity than what you bring Tom. I'm skipping over your posts form now on.
tom2050
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2K pays Firaxis bills. Pretty important reason if you ask me.
Right, Firaxis by making Civilization 5 is making no money; 2K pays all bills; and just takes a loss. You think Take-2 acquired Firaxis so they could just pay their bills, and you believe they weren't acquired to increase their source of income.
Good thinking, Dale. That was thought out very well indeed and presented in a terrific manner!
Good.. cya later. So your statement is verifying Valve is controlling the high possibility that mods will become unplayable if an update is released. And 2K/Firaxis went along with it for the most modable game ever. 2K should just say this then, instead of giving no information about it and not answering the question.
Valve should have more options for Steam then... because forcing patches isn't exactly a company or user-friendly way to go in this regards. If you think that is so horrible, then great; more power to you.
Dale
Mohawk Games Developer
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Right, Firaxis by making Civilization 5 is making no money; 2K pays all bills; and just takes a loss. You think Take-2 acquired Firaxis so they could just pay their bills, and you believe they weren't acquired to increase their source of income.
Good thinking, Dale. That was thought out very well indeed and presented in a terrific manner!
So you think the fact 2K provides the investment money, pays Firaxis salary, pays Firaxis infrastructure bills, pays Firaxis electricity bill, pays Firaxis hogi bills is not an important reason for 2K to be around?
Let's put it simply.........
Without 2K there would be no Civ 5. Or a Firaxis for that matter. That's what happens when one company totally owns another. They keep them in business.
A VERY important reason to keep 2K around wouldn't you say?
tom2050
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Who ever said 2K is the only possible thing in the world to provide capital? No one did except for you right above ("Without 2K there would be no Civ 5). If they left 2K somehow, there are more publishers in the sea. Yes, 2K is not the only publisher in the universe Dale! OMG!
And I never claimed any specifics either...So far, and not necessarily from me, 2K has not brought an overly positive light upon Civ 5. Too much controversy about things has lowered expectations of the game it seems to me. They did not handle these very well at all. They would (or may be) better off with another company IMO.
If you love 2K that much, i don't really mind at all; I just happen to like Firaxis more than I like 2K. Perhaps you like 2K more than Firaxis. That is fine also.
I say they would be better without 2K. I never said anything about any other companies, nor did I say they should be all alone and by themselves.
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