Civilization 5 Steamworks questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ

[Sahkuhnder]

@Sahkunder: well, they did answer some stuff, that was all I meant to say. They did not completely walk back on their promises, though I agree that what was delivered is ... suboptimal, to be polite.

Not "completely", but very close.

"Polite" is nice but I usually reserve polite for people who prove worthy of polite. Corporate PR reps who make promises and then ignore the promises they made are not such people.

2K corporate Steam FAQ threads for the record for all to see:

Civilization 5 Steamworks questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ

Opened May 24, last 2K post was July 26 (one month ago) announcing that the one-month late FAQ thread was finally posted. Last 2K question post was July 14 (six weeks ago).

Total number of questions added to the FAQ since it was posted = 0.


Official Civilization V Steamworks FAQ

Opened July 26, last 2K question post was July 29 (one month ago).


I think it's fair to say "walk back on their promises" is an accurate description of 2K's abandonment of their threads.

 

[12agnar0k]

I don't believe they ever made a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread, merely show us the FAQ on Steamworks they had aquired and answered.

 

[Sahkuhnder]

I don't believe they ever made a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread, merely show us the FAQ on Steamworks they had aquired and answered.

On what basis would you assume that?

I disagree because if 2K only intended to have this thread open until the FAQ thread was opened then 2K Greg would have closed this thread when he last posted here a month ago that the FAQ thread was finally open.

Nowhere does it say this thread is only valid until the initial version on the FAQ is posted. The fact it is still open, and that the moderators currently move new posts to this thread, supports that it is still valid.

272 posts have been added to this thread since the FAQ thread was opened and not a single one has been answered by any of the 2K corporate PR reps.


Do you have any excuses for why 2K has abandoned their Steam FAQ threads for over a month now and ignore the questions posted on those threads?

 

[Senethro]

Curiously such a question was not actually posed. Dismissing valid questions by arguing against questions not actually posed is not an optimal discussion technique.

Yes it was but I'm not digging through nearly 60 pages of this thread to find it.

The common questions have been answered or are easy enough to work out. The unreasonable ones that are obviously going to get ignored like Steam technical details or questions involving distribution in areas that haven't even had a release determined yet are all that remain.

Nowhere does it say this thread is only valid until the initial version on the FAQ is posted. The fact it is still open, and that the moderators currently move new posts to this thread, supports that it is still valid.

The great thing about a gulag is the false hope of escape!

 

[Thormodr]

Yes it was but I'm not digging through nearly 60 pages of this thread to find it.

The common questions have been answered or are easy enough to work out. The unreasonable ones that are obviously going to get ignored like Steam technical details or questions involving distribution in areas that haven't even had a release determined yet are all that remain.



The great thing about a gulag is the false hope of escape!

Asking about whether the game is regionally locked is not an unreasonable question. It has been repeatedly asked in multiple places by multiple people and there hasn't been any attempt at all by 2K Games to answer the question.

Also, just because you are too lazy to do a little spade work doesn't mean you are correct. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Perry Mason you're not.

 

[tom2050]

Regional locks are somewhat rare I believe but they do exist, so it is a perfectly valid question. 2K Greg should at least ask his uppers about it for us.

It's a disgusting tactic when they do use it. So let's hope they don't go down that road.

Because regional lockout is commonly used to enforce price discrimination (or "price differentiation"), the disparity in the price of an item between different locations encourages consumers to import goods privately.

price differentiation is the politically correct term.

 

[12agnar0k]

On what basis would you assume that?

Do you have any excuses for why 2K has abandoned their Steam FAQ threads for over a month now and ignore the questions posted on those threads?

I didn't assume anything, your the one assuming 2k wants your questions asked. (I merely stated the fact that they didnt promise to answer questions on this thread)

Not caring whether anyone in the CFC community asks questions about Steam, is not the same as not allowing them to ask questions (i.e Closing the thread after posting it).

I'm not here to make excuses for 2k, I was merely stating the facts that are different to what you wrongly assumed.

Good luck in getting whatever questions you need answered... answered.

I know some information on Steam so if theirs any specific you lack knowledge of I may know the answer. If I do I will share it with you.

Toodle Pip.

 

[Sahkuhnder]

I didn't assume anything,

I don't believe they ever made a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread, merely show us the FAQ on Steamworks they had aquired and answered.

Your assumption #1 is in bold, your assumption #2 is in red.

As I already asked you:

On what basis would you assume that?

Your assumption #1:
"I don't believe they ever made a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread".

See the title of this thread (written by 2K Greg), i.e., a solicitation for "questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ", i.e. a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread.


Your assumption #2:
"merely show us the FAQ on Steamworks they had aquired and answered".

They have not "answered" the Steam questions yet. This thread and many others are filled with unanswered Steam questions. Please provide any supporting evidence that the promise made in the title of this thread has a time limit or expires or is no longer valid or is completed. I already provided evidence to the contrary of your assumption in that 2K Greg left this thread open (still soliciting questions) and the forum moderators still move Steam questions to this thread.

your the one assuming 2k wants your questions asked.

Yes, I assume that 2K wants Steam questions asked based on the fact they created, and still currently have, two threads requesting we do exactly that.

(I merely stated the fact that they didnt promise to answer questions on this thread)

Fact?

The first post on this thread in which 2K Greg promises he will answer questions:

One of the first things I want to do as your new Community Manager is to create a comprehensive FAQ to address many of the questions and concerns regarding Civilization 5's Steamworks integration.

Above is 2K Greg promising to answer "questions and concerns" on this thread but he hasn't answered a single question from this thread for six weeks now and has never added a single question to the FAQ since it was posted a month ago. EPIC FAIL.

Not caring whether anyone in the CFC community asks questions about Steam, is not the same as not allowing them to ask questions (i.e Closing the thread after posting it).

Your claim makes no sense. Why would 2K Greg open this thread soliciting questions and then ask other forum members to please refrain from trying to answer other people's questions or start discussions about things other people have posted unless he was planning to be the only person to answer questions here?

Since he was the only one who would be the question answerer then if he planned to only answer questions until the FAQ was posted then it would make sense for him to have closed this thread once the FAQ was posted and he knew he would not be returning. Having a thread for questions, but without anyone to answer those questions (2K now absent and others told not to answer) makes no sense.

I'm not here to make excuses for 2k

Now THAT is comedy. You really should go back and read your hundreds of posts splattered all over the threads of this sub-forum. Have you ever made a single post that wasn't strongly pro-Firaxis/2K/Steam? If so would you mind posting them for us?

I was merely stating the facts that are different to what you wrongly assumed.

Please provide even one "fact" that is in opposition to a statement I made.

Good luck in getting whatever questions you need answered... answered.

I know some information on Steam so if theirs any specific you lack knowledge of I may know the answer. If I do I will share it with you.

Thank you.

At this point I strongly doubt that despite my great efforts that my question will ever be answered. But I also strongly doubt that 2K will ever be getting any of my money. I love Civ and that saddens me greatly.

Gamers voluntarily purchase this game. Treat your customers with disrespect and you can expect the same disrespectful treatment in return.

 

[Thormodr]

Your assumption #1 is in bold, your assumption #2 is in red.

As I already asked you:



Your assumption #1:
"I don't believe they ever made a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread".

See the title of this thread (written by 2K Greg), i.e., a solicitation for "questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ", i.e. a promise to add new questions and answers to the FAQ thread.


Your assumption #2:
"merely show us the FAQ on Steamworks they had aquired and answered".

They have not "answered" the Steam questions yet. This thread and many others are filled with unanswered Steam questions. Please provide any supporting evidence that the promise made in the title of this thread has a time limit or expires or is no longer valid or is completed. I already provided evidence to the contrary of your assumption in that 2K Greg left this thread open (still soliciting questions) and the forum moderators still move Steam questions to this thread.




Yes, I assume that 2K wants Steam questions asked based on the fact they created, and still currently have, two threads requesting we do exactly that.




Fact?

The first post on this thread in which 2K Greg promises he will answer questions:



Above is 2K Greg promising to answer "questions and concerns" on this thread but he hasn't answered a single question from this thread for six weeks now and has never added a single question to the FAQ since it was posted a month ago. EPIC FAIL.




Your claim makes no sense. Why would 2K Greg open this thread soliciting questions and then ask other forum members to please refrain from trying to answer other people's questions or start discussions about things other people have posted unless he was planning to be the only person to answer questions here?

Since he was the only one who would be the question answerer then if he planned to only answer questions until the FAQ was posted then it would make sense for him to have closed this thread once the FAQ was posted and he knew he would not be returning. Having a thread for questions, but without anyone to answer those questions (2K now absent and others told not to answer) makes no sense.



Now THAT is comedy. You really should go back and read your hundreds of posts splattered all over the threads of this sub-forum. Have you ever made a single post that wasn't strongly pro-Firaxis/2K/Steam? If so would you mind posting them for us?




Please provide even one "fact" that is in opposition to a statement I made.




Thank you.

At this point I strongly doubt that despite my great efforts that my question will ever be answered. But I also strongly doubt that 2K will ever be getting any of my money. I love Civ and that saddens me greatly.

Gamers voluntarily purchase this game. Treat your customers with disrespect and you can expect the same disrespectful treatment in return.

You got that exactly right. Disrespecting your customers and not being honest with them is a sure way to make sure a wonderful game series is ruined.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Firaxis/Civ series is the goose and 2K Games is the man. The woman and other animals are the consumers.

 

[12agnar0k]

Yes 2k wanted questions to create the FAQ, which was done, why do you assume they want to add more questions to the FAQ or answer more questions not already answered in the FAQ was what I was saying.

And I was not assuming 2k did not ask for such additional questions, This is a fact

Official Civilization V Steamworks FAQ
The Official Civ5 Steamworks FAQ has been posted over on the 2K Forums:
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/sho...015#post944015

And it's up before the end of July, just like I originally estimated!

I have reproduced it in full here, as a courtesy to you:

No where does he say "please ask any more questions you may have, and I will answer them" nor does he ever promise to update new questions into the FAQ, infact the reason why the FAQ was delayed because they were finalizing the answers.

So as I said, I was not assuming anything, the reason why I said "I think It was X" was because I hadn't checked the original FAQ post to see if he did ask for more questions or not, but from how I remember it he did not, and indeed as confirmed by my quote.

 

[Senethro]

Asking about whether the game is regionally locked is not an unreasonable question.

I don't believe the US version of a STeam game has ever been limited by territory, so asking if it will be without cause to think it will be, while not unreasonable, does seem a little unwarranted. Why not ask about all the other problems that have never happened before?

Sakhunder, you're getting mad over something that isn't going to be a problem for you.

 

[12agnar0k]

Their has been regional restrictions for Thailand and Russia as people were buying games thier at a much cheaper cost and then taking them home to play, so Steam region locked thier Thailand/Russian games, whether thats still in effect I don't know.

 

[ori]

If anyone cared to compile a list of unanswered questions we might be able to put them into a new thread for either the 2k people to see or users here to attempt to answer. I looked through the FAQ thread and found a bunch of not actually steam questions, quite a few questions about region locks either for purchase or for online play and questions about whether steam will allow the game to run in debug mode (which is actually an important question for modders) that were left unanswered (and unacknowledged). I didn't go through this thread for lack of time. What more are there? I am trying to figure out whether there is sufficient reason to start a questions thread.

 

[Thormodr]

If anyone cared to compile a list of unanswered questions we might be able to put them into a new thread for either the 2k people to see or users here to attempt to answer. I looked through the FAQ thread and found a bunch of not actually steam questions, quite a few questions about region locks either for purchase or for online play and questions about whether steam will allow the game to run in debug mode (which is actually an important question for modders) that were left unanswered (and unacknowledged). I didn't go through this thread for lack of time. What more are there? I am trying to figure out whether there is sufficient reason to start a questions thread.

Thank you very much. This is quite constructive. Personally, I'd like to know about whether the game will be region locked as I will be living in Thailand from October 2010 to August 2011. Thailand seems to be a special case, along with Russia unfortunately. I'd also like to play online with my friends in Canada if possible.

This could influence whether I actually buy the game in September or wait until I get back from Thailand. Otherwise I'd simply buy it next year and cancel my preorder from Steam now.

This is my only real question regarding Steam.

 

[12agnar0k]

I dont think it works both ways, i.e if you buy a US copy of Civ5 it should work in both the US and Thailand.

The region lock was only in place on games brought for cheap in Thailand, so it wouldnt apply the other way around. I don't think Valve cares if people from Thailand pay twice as much for a US version of the game .

 

[Senethro]

If you pre-order the game via Steam now before you go to Thailand then you'll certainly have a US version and will have no problems.

 

[wolfigor]

I dont think it works both ways, i.e if you buy a US copy of Civ5 it should work in both the US and Thailand.

The region lock was only in place on games brought for cheap in Thailand, so it wouldnt apply the other way around. I don't think Valve cares if people from Thailand pay twice as much for a US version of the game .

This is an assumption based on personal experience but not an official position of 2K.
Given that region lock can block the user ability to play a game legally purchased, it would have been "gentle" of the representatives of 2K to answer it.

This is just one example in which 2K has not been transparent about implications of using steam, and users have all the right to feel concerned about 2K intentions.

 

[evrett37]

If anyone cared to compile a list of unanswered questions we might be able to put them into a new thread for either the 2k people to see or users here to attempt to answer.

How about a question thread asking Firaxis devs or actual game testers rather than the marketing/advertising sales reps at 2k? I am still looking for answers regarding get patch from outside sources and how mods will be handled/managed.

 

[ori]

I doubt that and game testers would be allowed to answer given a likely Non Disclosure Agreement and Developers are not actually terribly present currently - and if they are they are only stating what the PR strategy for this game is allowing them to, or at least that is the impression I get.

I do not think directing questions away from the 2k reps is going to do anything constructive since testers won't be allowed to say anything prior to game release and devs and 2k reps are all governed by the same PR policy set for the release of this game - devs will not post something that they are not allowed to by the marketing department. At least if 2k runs a somewhat professional business that is

That said, questions like patches available as download outside the Steam client are just as valid to post somewhere as modding related questions that have not yet been answered. I am not terribly sure what the best venue for such questions is - but I think we will come to a decision about that quite soon. In the meantime please point me to any unanswered questions - either via a post or pm (to not derail any threads please only post on-topic though ).

Of course for most things the answers will be known after release of the game in a few weeks

 

[Wezqu]

I doubt that and game testers would be allowed to answer given a likely Non Disclosure Agreement and Developers are not actually terribly present currently - and if they are they are only stating what the PR strategy for this game is allowing them to, or at least that is the impression I get.

Usually that Non Disclosure Agreement also states that you can't even tell anyone you are beta testing the game.