Does the steam version of this have DRM?

[m0rogfar]

I want to know.

Edit: Was referring to copy protection.

 

[Puppeteer]

Steam kind-of *is* DRM. That said, I have so far been able to put in graphics mods and edit config files. I haven' tried a patched executable or adding the PTW executable and files from my CD Civ/PTW/Conquests yet. (Steam version does not include vanilla Civ3 or PTW.)

I would presume they did something to prevent you from copying the files to another computer and running without Steam, but I haven't tried that, either.

There was another digital purchase place that reportedly didn't have DRM. I thought it was GoG, but I can't find Civ3 on there right now.

There is also supposedly a legal-to-obtain no-cd patch which combined with the CD version gives you no DRM. I may check into that when I get my next laptop as it may not have an optical drive.

 

[tjs282]

Steam kind-of *is* DRM. That said, I have so far been able to put in graphics mods and edit config files. I haven' tried a patched executable or adding the PTW executable and files from my CD Civ/PTW/Conquests yet. (Steam version does not include vanilla Civ3 or PTW.)

I would presume they did something to prevent you from copying the files to another computer and running without Steam, but I haven't tried that, either.

There was another digital purchase place that reportedly didn't have DRM. I thought it was GoG, but I can't find Civ3 on there right now.

GoG has never offered any of the Civ games (apart from Alpha Centauri) during the time that I've been a member. I bought a download-copy of Civ3Complete from Gamer's Gate earlier this year, for next to nothing (50% sale price was about Euro 2.50, IIRC) -- that's probably what you're thinking of, since it was you who started this thread, where Quintillus (and I) posted about it...

Beyond the one-time authorisation key that you need to finish installing the zipfile, the GG version doesn't seem to have DRM -- obviously it doesn't need the CD, and (like GoG but unlike Steam) the game doesn't try to connect back to GG each time you start it, either. IIRC, the GG-EULA says you can (re)install/(re)download as many times as you need to.

Downside is, the installation wasn't actually quite 'complete' either (although more so than the Steam version). The Vanilla1.29 .exe was included along with all the Conquests stuff, however there was no PTW1.27 .exe -- even though the installation-process created a PTW directory (including the PTW goodies such as the Dinosaur units)! Though from an end-user PoV, this really only means that I can't play the CFC PTW-only GOTMs, I would have liked to be able to show my boys the PtW 'Dino-barb' scenario/mod I'd heard about (what small boy doesn't like dinosaurs?!), rather than having to build one myself...

 

[Quintillus]

The Steam version does start up Steam if you start it before starting Steam. So it does have some form of copy protection, yes. It sounds like the Gamersgate version is probably the best bet for DRM-free.

There was another digital purchase place that reportedly didn't have DRM. I thought it was GoG, but I can't find Civ3 on there right now.

It may have been Impulse, which was bought by GameStop. Or perhaps Direct2Drive? I don't recommend Impulse/Gamestop anymore as you have to install the games via their rather poor client. I'm not familiar with Direct2Drive (and I don't think it exists anymore), but that may have been what you were thinking of.

GOG has never had any of the mainline Civ games, but in addition to Alpha Centauri it does have Call to Power 2. That's on my try-someday list.

Side note, just realized that Civ3 Complete has a different start video than Conquests and Vanilla. It's kinda based on vanilla, but has additional soldiers and whatnot, too. Never knew that before. Guess I'd never watched the intro video from the Steam installation (versus my CD-based Conquests that I usually use).