Civilization 5 Steamworks questions/concerns for inclusion in the FAQ

[2K Greg]

Conclusion: 2k as a company is not able or not willing to provide Greg with any information. This means - since he is 'the community manager' - they are not willing to answer their fanbase.

This is definitely not true. There are a lot of factors in play here, not the least of which involve how busy people get around E3, as well as personal issues like one of the key people I need to talk to going on paternity leave

At any rate, it's coming, and I am doing everything I can to make it sooner rather than later. I'm not going to give an ETA because we know what happens when I do that

If anyone is waiting to purchase the game because they want to know some of these answers, I can assure you that you will get the answers well before release. You will have plenty of time to make an informed buying decision.

 

[Commander Bello]

You're reading a lot into that little line. I'd guess the other software under discussion would be DLL libraries, Windows versions, DirectX versions, video drivers, and other things that will actually make a darned difference.

Exactly. You'd guess.

So do I. Why do we have to do so? Because there isn't any clear statement (at least I don't know of any) about which data actually are collected and in which way and when exactly.

I can assure you that you will get the answers well before release. You will have plenty of time to make an informed buying decision.

Wait and see - as we did for more than a month now.

A bright mind will be able to make an "informed buying decision" with just 2 days left until (aka "well before") release.
Since we are all bright minds over here ...

 

[Senethro]

If you're that concerned, then ask someone at Steam. Seriously. If you want actual technical or legal details, who better?

 

[nerd]

From here:


Well, all I can say: "What a big surprise!"

This very thread was opened on May 25th, so more than one complete month ago.
Most of the questions articulated here have been under discussion in other threads since weeks before said May, 25th. Another member of 2K took part in such discussions (2K Elizabeth).

Up to now we haven't got any answer at all (except for things which have already been stated elsewhere like in press statements and the like).

Conclusion: 2k as a company is not able or not willing to provide Greg with any information. This means - since he is 'the community manager' - they are not willing to answer their fanbase.

We are good enough to pay for their product, but exceeding this we should just shut up and accept without any questions what they offer us.

Thanks, 2k, but you just added another reason (next to the wrong decision of forcing the fanbase into Steam) not to buy your product at this time.
********************

In reply to the quotes below:
Steam's privacy policy states:

(emphasis mine)

As having pointed out numerous times already, a bug report may not be that much reliable when the very software to create it has crashed.
Therefore, my assumption is that the additional information like hardware composition and other software has to be collected beforehand.

The right to do so has been granted by the user of that so-called "service" by accepting the TOS. Yet, in clear contradiction of what as been asserted here so often, the user has not actively to give his permission to collect such data and to send these reports.


See above.


See above.


And the info about your hard- and software.
And your playing habits in terms of genre, preferred time to play, duration of playing, maybe with whom you are in contact (so-called "friends" lists)


See above.

I agree completely. At some point the failure to answer even the most basic of our questions, with the excuse that a FAQ is coming, becomes unacceptable.
As I have posted previously, POST WHAT YOU HAVE, Greg, it was your decision to do a FAQ rather than just answer questions. Was this just a delaying ploy?
As for the excuses, and that is all we are getting, You knew about E3, you knew about "paternity leave" (its not exactly a surprise that your wife gives birth), There is no excuse when you knew these events were coming! Would you accept these excuses? Sorry sir, but you car isn't fixed because the mechanic who would have worked on it took paternity leave? HUMBUG!
If, in fact, your organization operates in this slipshod a manor, then I suggest that everyone should be very concerned with the quality of work and quality of game this group is producing.

 

[bjbrains]

I agree completely. At some point the failure to answer even the most basic of our questions, with the excuse that a FAQ is coming, becomes unacceptable.
As I have posted previously, POST WHAT YOU HAVE, Greg, it was your decision to do a FAQ rather than just answer questions. Was this just a delaying ploy?
As for the excuses, and that is all we are getting, You knew about E3, you knew about "paternity leave" (its not exactly a surprise that your wife gives birth), There is no excuse when you knew these events were coming! Would you accept these excuses? Sorry sir, but you car isn't fixed because the mechanic who would have worked on it took paternity leave? HUMBUG!
If, in fact, your organization operates in this slipshod a manor, then I suggest that everyone should be very concerned with the quality of work and quality of game this group is producing.

What? He's not going to release an unfinished product. He'll release it when's it done, and he did *not* make a promise, which you seem to think he did. Basically, you have no right to attack him because his estimated date didn't work out. I can't believe the amount of unjustified self-righteousness in this post. He decided to make this FAQ as a favor for the community. You then *attack* him with personal insults and attacks on the company as a whole when it doesn't come out when he guessed it would. What kind of justification is there for this childlike behavior?

 

[PieceOfMind]

I really don't want to give a date because I would hate to miss it. It'll be before June is over, for sure. That's a pretty conservative estimate.

Posted ~ June 8th.

 

[3 EMS]

He still has an hour and a half. Just relax. Thts a conservative estimate because I set my own time based on something else I set the time on.

 

[bjbrains]

Key notes: Still not a 'promise', still an estimate. He also said he didn't really want to give a date. Perhaps he simply underestimated the amount of questions that people wanted answered? That's still no excuse to attack him.

 

[Tylerryan79]

The fact is 2kGreg got in over his head. Obviously they hired him, he probably thought it wouldn't be too hard to do this job, and found out it wasn't what he was expecting. Sure it sounds easy, "I'll make a steam FAQ". But I'm sure when people are getting emails etc from 2k Greg they go, "Who the hells this guy?" and blow him off. Why else would it take so long? I'm not mad at him, I feel bad for him.

 

[Raneman]

Steam knows how long I play games and what genre I like! Now they'll sell this information to the FBI so they can do something... dangerous or something

Moderator Action: Stop the trolling
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[bjbrains]

The fact is 2kGreg got in over his head. Obviously they hired him, he probably thought it wouldn't be too hard to do this job, and found out it wasn't what he was expecting. Sure it sounds easy, "I'll make a steam FAQ". But I'm sure when people are getting emails etc from 2k Greg they go, "Who the hells this guy?" and blow him off. Why else would it take so long? I'm not mad at him, I feel bad for him.

A more likely answer that doesn't consist of demeaning Greg: He kept having to get clarifications because of the specificity and amount of questions people kept adding/asking.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Raneman, why don't you put forward a real opinion for once?

 

[Tylerryan79]

How is that demeaning? You really think the guys at valve know who Greg is? Or that they care about people waiting for this FAQ? I don't. It's nothing against Greg, he's a small fish in a big pond. Obviously the guys who know the answers to most of these questions probably developed/work with steam. They probably are really busy with that, and don't respond to gregs emails. I'm sure Greg doesn't push the issue seeig as he is new, and not well known, if known at all. So ya I would think they may blow him off. Out of the 1,000 of things to do, this may be near the top for Greg, but it's at the bottom for Valve/Steam.

 

[bjbrains]

How is that demeaning? You really think the guys at valve know who Greg is? Or that they care about people waiting for this FAQ? I don't. It's nothing against Greg, he's a small fish in a big pond. Obviously the guys who know the answers to most of these questions probably developed/work with steam. They probably are really busy with that, and don't respond to gregs emails. I'm sure Greg doesn't push the issue seeig as he is new, and not well known, if known at all. So ya I would think they may blow him off. Out of the 1,000 of things to do, this may be near the top for Greg, but it's at the bottom for Valve/Steam.

2K is a major publishing partner for Valve. Any official emails from 2K would never get ignored. Basic business practices.

 

[3 EMS]

Why would valve know who Greg is? I thought he works for 2k. I am kind of under the impression that he was put here by 2k's marketing dept. to stem the anti CIV/steam tide. I just have that opinion. I'm not sure where it came from. I just can't imagine he was reading the threads and just thought it would be a fun idea to enter and defend 2k from all the heathens. If he was put there by the marketing dept. I'm pretty sure the people at Firaxis know who he is. At least the people who need to know.

bjbrains gave me the answer of why valve would know who Greg is. I would have to think he's right about valve answering his emails.

 

[ori]

You're reading a lot into that little line. I'd guess the other software under discussion would be DLL libraries, Windows versions, DirectX versions, video drivers, and other things that will actually make a darned difference.

actually they sound like they are looking at all software installed or at least all software running concurrently with Steam (which since Steam by default is always running is essentially the same).

Question from Jon - How many crashes are due to other things that are installed on Windows PCs? Can other software interfere with Steam?

Gabe - It's not just a Windows problem, OS X users might download just as much other software as Windows users. The problem may be just viruses and malware. We haven't had the data long enough.

(note: in that interview they are talking about Steam stability and their crash numbers - that data likely refers to crash report data)

 

[PieceOfMind]

The game is less than 3 months from release.
A FAQ was announced more than 1 month ago and has not yet been delivered.

I don't wish to pass judgement but the one comment I will make is that it appears that with the sort of timescales we're looking at, the FAQ is low on someone's priority list. That or it's incredibly accurate and detailed.

 

[cassembler]

I don't mean for this to sound wonderful or anything (it's really not), but I work with software developers all day- specifically, asking them when the broken software will be fixed, delivering that message to client, and later asking why the software wasn't fixed when it was supposed to be, and then delivering that message to the client. (A client who is paying more than $50 for software).

2KGreg, keep chugging man. We all know it's all about managing expectations... (That, and not taking criticism of the product/ process/ company/ industry/ corporate world personally.)

 

[Tonyiomy]

It will release on Steam the same day as it will be available in stores: September 21 in North America, and September 24 worldwide.

Sry Greg i meant do you know a date for pre-Downloading Civ before the release date

Thanks

 

[BobDole]

Seems like some people really like flipping out over the FAQ not being out yet. I think a lot of people assume that Community Managers do nothing but browse forums and make forum posts all day. I'm guessing he's got a lot of things to do besides put together a Steam FAQ. If it's still not out in a reasonable amount of time (like another 2 weeks, give or take), then fine, complain. But people seem to want to crucify the guy just because it's July 1st and it isn't out just yet. Delays happen all the time in everything. You've got till mid September until the game comes out. You'll live.