Civ5 - shipping with Steamworks * plus Digital Deluxe Edition

[Sterf]

stuff

You don't have to let it automatically download updates, you can turn that off per-game. As for modded games, I never had any trouble in any of the games on steam. About the last question, you can install it on any computer you want but only one computer at a time will be able to play. Unless you can do something with the offline-modus, haven't tried that.

 

[Hadlock]

I actually signed up for Steam already and bought Civilization III from them. I had bought, downloaded, installed and sat there playing Civ III within half an hour. So OK. that's the future of game distribution, at least.... Last, but not least, I'd like to install the game I've bought on my girlfriend's computer too without having to buy two copies. I don't know if Steam lets me do that with the Civ III I bought today.

Yep, it lets you do that Download the steamclient off of steampowered.com, login under your account, go to your library and double click on the Civ3 icon and it will start downloading and open when it's finished. If you're short on time, copy your steam directory to a flash drive, take it to her house, once you have steam installed on her computer, copy the steam folder on the flash drive overtop of her existing install and you won't have to wait to download anything. You won't be able to both play on the same account on different computers at the same time though (you only bought one copy). You can always buy her a copy for $1.25 though

 

[Bluetooth]

Will Steam require me to buy two copies of the game if I want to install it on my wife and I's two laptops to play a LAN game? I'm not going to spend over $100 on the game just to have mult-player LAN functionality.

Interesting question. I've seen the same question in other forums. Let's hope we get an answer from Firaxis. I believe no family will buy two or more copies of the same game. The answer might be that they don't buy the game at all.

 

[MqsTout]

I'm not trying to start a discussion but, really all those people won't buy it just because its on steam? Even though they've been following it for months?

Really, Crazymaxy. I cannot tolerate a company wanting to take my money for, essentially, nothing in return except a pile of restrictions and fine print. Some of us have ethics to stand up for and aren't swayed easily by new shiny pretty objects.

 

[Sterf]

Really, Crazymaxy. I cannot tolerate a company wanting to take my money for, essentially, nothing in return except a pile of restrictions and fine print.

Hmm...and a game? Rather a big thing to forget.

 

[CivWarlord]

Translation: Steam (and Steam DRM) is the only way to get Civ5. Other people might be able to re-label it, but it's still a Steamworksed game.

The fact remains that you can purchase it from different stores (its already up for pre-order on Amazon). You will only need the Steam client to run the game. If you don't want to purchase/give money to Steam, you can do that and purchase from any other store and then run the game using the free Steam client.

 

[MqsTout]

Hmm...and a game? Rather a big thing to forget.

You don't get the game. You get an encrypted lot of bits that you can briefly use for the time they decide they want you to and how they dictate to you, and not a moment longer.

The fact remains that you can purchase it from different stores (its already up for pre-order on Amazon). You will only need the Steam client to run the game. If you don't want to purchase/give money to Steam, you can do that and purchase from any other store and then run the game using the free Steam client.

And they're just coasters you're buying. It's all Steam all the way. No matter where you buy it, Steam, its DRM, and its client, its activation, its online-requirements, its mod-unfriendliness, and all its so-called features are rammed down your throat. The "game" is nothing until you install Steam, create an account, sign away all your consumer's rights, "decrypt" it, forcibly patch it, and pray.* (Some steps may have been omitted.)

 

[Le Sage]

Right. Now I want to create a great mod for the Civilization III I bought from Steam today too. Where are the files? I need to edit the files to create my mod!

 

[Sterf]

Right. Now I want to create a great mod for the Civilization III I bought from Steam today too. Where are the files? I need to edit the files to create my mod!

In the '[Your Steam Folder]\steamapps\common\sid meier's civilization iii' folder.

You don't get the game. You get an encrypted lot of bits that you can briefly use for the time they decide they want you to and how they dictate to you, and not a moment longer.

Steam only encrypts the exe file. And they won't let you stop playing suddenly, why would a company commit suicide like that? Your tinfoil hat is hindering your ability to have common sense.

 

[CivWarlord]

You don't get the game. You get an encrypted lot of bits that you can briefly use for the time they decide they want you to and how they dictate to you, and not a moment longer.



And they're just coasters you're buying. It's all Steam all the way. No matter where you buy it, Steam, its DRM, and its client, its activation, its online-requirements, its mod-unfriendliness, and all its so-called features are rammed down your throat. The "game" is nothing until you install Steam, create an account, sign away all your consumer's rights, "decrypt" it, forcibly patch it, and pray.* (Some steps may have been omitted.)

Steam is the least intrusive DRM available. In fact activation is a one-time process. Once activated you can access the game via the Steam offline mode, so you won't need a constant internet connection. also Steam does not effect your Consumer Rights at all. In fact you can install and uninstall your game as many times you want without any restrictions and even install all the mods you like. With regards to the auto-patching feature you can easily disable it and patch the game when you feel like it.

Try installing the Steam client, download a free game or a demo and you'll see that Steam is not as bad as you think!

 

[MqsTout]

One time activation is one time too many. My interaction with the company should stop after I buy the product in a store. I shouldn't have to say "Derr, run in offline mode now, pretty please?"

 

[arstal]

Steam is the least intrusive DRM available. In fact activation is a one-time process. Once activated you can access the game via the Steam offline mode, so you won't need a constant internet connection. also Steam does not effect your Consumer Rights at all. In fact you can install and uninstall your game as many times you want without any restrictions and even install all the mods you like. With regards to the auto-patching feature you can easily disable it and patch the game when you feel like it.

Try installing the Steam client, download a free game or a demo and you'll see that Steam is not as bad as you think!

GOO is less intrusive then Steam. As is what Mount and Blade uses.

 

[MqsTout]

Buying a disk in a store, inserting it, installing it, and playing whenever, however I want is also less intrusive than Steam (and even GOO).

 

[SammyKhalifa]

Steam is the least intrusive DRM available. In fact activation is a one-time process. Once activated you can access the game via the Steam offline mode, so you won't need a constant internet connection. also Steam does not effect your Consumer Rights at all. In fact you can install and uninstall your game as many times you want without any restrictions and even install all the mods you like. With regards to the auto-patching feature you can easily disable it and patch the game when you feel like it.

Try installing the Steam client, download a free game or a demo and you'll see that Steam is not as bad as you think!

If it's that unintrusive, can I uninstall it after I register? Can I register the game I want without setting up an account with Steam?

 

[Eejit]

I am worried about modding as well. What are the implications for modding? How will modding work with Steam and how will those automatic updates touch my mods? I already have my first mod for Civilization V planned, so I'd really want to get the details. For if I'm not happy, I will make my mod for 4 instead.

As for distribution of games Steam is really great. But what worries me and what I want to know is how it affects the games I've bought from them and what the implications are. I do not want any outside interference in my games. Last, but not least, I'd like to install the game I've bought on my girlfriend's computer too without having to buy two copies. I don't know if Steam lets me do that with the Civ III I bought today.

Modding support varies from game-to-game really, the best implementations do it very nicely imo while other games are very poor in this regard.
Off the top of my head the L4D games manage things quite well with applying mods ingame, while several standalone or semi-standalone mods based on the Source engine can be downloaded through the game browser just as you would the free demo for a full game.

You could install the game on both computers, and you could probably both play simultaneously single-player if one or both started Steam in offline mode. I doubt this would allow LAN play however.

Right. Now I want to create a great mod for the Civilization III I bought from Steam today too. Where are the files? I need to edit the files to create my mod!

HDD:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\nameofciv3folder

 

[ChristofferC]

I WILL NOT buy this game if it has intrusive DRM such as the one on Steam. It is a matter of principle.

It is sad because I really want to support the Civilization series so that it can live on.

 

[cccv]

ok, we have some people claiming you can turn off updates, and other people claiming that while that's technically true, you wont be able to play the game until you turn it back on and let it update. Can we get an official word on this? Will we be forced to update if we want to continue to play or not? Because that would be worrisome. One of the reasons I didn't go for BtS is because I didn't like some of the AI tweaks. That could be the case in a patch as well.

 

[Sterf]

ok, we have some people claiming you can turn off updates, and other people claiming that while that's technically true, you wont be able to play the game until you turn it back on and let it update. Can we get an official word on this? Will we be forced to update if we want to continue to play or not? Because that would be worrisome. One of the reasons I didn't go for BtS is because I didn't like some of the AI tweaks. That could be the case in a patch as well.

You can turn off updates. The second claim is likely said by someone with no experience with steam. I have a few games on steam where I turned it off since their updates were so large, and I can still play it just fine.

 

[Eejit]

I believe turning off auto-updates under settings generally means you still can't play until you do update (this coming from my experience with mostly MP and Valve SP games on Steam however) - BUT this may not be the case depending on how Firaxis choose to tie the game in with steamworks. If there were a seperate single-player from multiplayer client for example the MP could perhaps force updates while SP left them optional?
Aside from that if you consistently use offline mode Steam won't be able to check for updates in order to force them on you anyway.

 

[evrett37]

Can anyone confirm or deny that media members, moders and community leaders in the beta have been muzzled about this issue due to the NDA. I havnt seen a lot of veteran community members weighing in.