Slight rant about Steam

[Waco]

...seem like your forced to be online.

Unless you sign in with offline mode.

[TOMisCHEEZE]

In my experience, almost all scholls block the ports that steam needs to connect and play games. If anything, I would blame this on the schools network, and not steam.

 

Yes, and it seems like Steam should be able to at least start in "offline mode" if there's a problem, so that you can at least enjoy the games in single player. And there's no excuse for CSS not being available.

 

I like steam because it is extremely convenient 98% of the time. All my games are there and they get patched automatically etc. Steam also makes installing most games super easy, and purchasing them fast and easy.

 

The thing is that we don't really have a choice anymore about whether or not to use steam because almost everything is on there now.

 

There is an Offline Mode.

 

Steam really should have an offline mode, and a few other features, but meh, doesn't bother me too much. I like more than I don't so it's all good.

I can find easily find better things to complain about.

 

/endallyourfutilerants

[Waco]

Steam really should have an offline mode

It does.

 

Excuse the quality, trying to save attachment space...

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2011 by Waco

[Deathmineral]

It does.

 

Excuse the quality, trying to save attachment space...

 

 

 

Glad someone wasn't as lazy as me to make a screenshot of it.

 

Alos, I see me.

[Guest_Jim_*]

The pc gaming market does when you buy real disks. Furthermore the used games market does indeed work, ask anyone who can't afford a nasty pc. By the way How can you even say it doesn't force you to be online? Mandatory downloads and updates plus sign in kind of seem like your forced to be online.

If you're in offline mode then it won't know there are mandatory updates. Also, updates to games aren't always needed, but when it fixes a crash or two and ups your frame rate, it is a good thing. Unless the disc installed game has an auto patcher built into it, then you'd have to monitor when there are patches and install them yourself, which not everyone does. With Steam you can disable a game auto-updating for you (), and once it is updated, you can then make a backup of the game with the patches included (for example, I still have a pre-Firepower install of Shattered Horizon) so when you reinstall, you've got it all. Same thing with DLC, the backup will include those, so you don't need to redownload if you reinstall the game. Plus, you don't always need to then put in a key because Steam saves those (sometimes you do, like with two of the four DLC for Borderlands) and they are a right click away, so you don't need to worry about losing them. Also, those keys are the reason you can't always use a preowned game, because if the game requires an account and the license is tied to that account, then you need that account to play. You couldn't just reuse the license, at least not without contacting the publisher and explaining the situation. They may help you or they may not.

I will say that Steam should have an offline mode flag, so you don't need to enable it from online mode (that is pretty stupid). At least they finally fixed it so you are still connected if you set your status to offline. I've killed a few downloads in previous versions by switching to that.

Now I have a question, that I could test, but I'm too lazy to install AC2 to check. Will Steam, even in offline mode and disconnected, still pass you through a games DRM (I seem to recall hearing that AC2's DRM, outside of Steam, was horrible and needed you to be always online to work, but please correct me if I'm wrong) because it sees that you do legally own the license by checking your account, which is also stored on your computer?

I will try to make two final points here before posting this long thing. First, why are we debating about buying used games through Steam? How often are games put on sale from anywhere from 20%-85% I've seen. The current sale is 80% off, and Gamestop doesn't have it listed for used on their website, and definitely not that cheap. Second, I do believe there should be a game lending system within Steam, just like many ereaders now allow, because this can increase sales. I lend you Metro 2033, because it was on sale and you weren't sure if you wanted it or not, well now you play it, decide you want your own copy, and then purchase it. That's more money for them! (Just disable achievements until the game is bought, or something, so that people aren't just rushing through lent games to avoid spending their own money.)

That's my two cents. (The dollar is falling and the penny is rising?)

Edited April 28, 2011 by Guest_Jim_*

[Deathmineral]

Second, I do believe there should be a game lending system within Steam, just like many ereaders now allow, because this can increase sales. I lend you Metro 2033, because it was on sale and you weren't sure if you wanted it or not, well now you play it, decide you want your own copy, and then purchase it. That's more money for them! (Just disable achievements until the game is bought, or something, so that people aren't just rushing through lent games to avoid spending their own money.)

That's my two cents. (The dollar is falling and the penny is rising?)

I think that sort of thing is difficult to get publishers and developers onboard with. Besides, if the publishers and developers really wanted more sales they would make a demo for the game anyway, which is basically what that lending system would be, a demo. Of course that depends on how long you can lend a game, not to mention they have to add servers to keep track of that sort of thing, then you have to consider the amount of time it might take to download an entire 8gb game compared to a 400mb demo. I just don't know if the lending system would be more practical than demos as they are now. However I do think it's an idea that Valve would push for before anyone else would, since they like to experiment unlike most companies.

[sYstEmATiC]

I've been using steam since 2003 (6 digit account), and have had only 1 problem (maybe 2) in the 8 years I've been using it. Even back in steams flaky days, it never gave me too many issues as far as game access went. The one time I did have an issue, was because a hurricane knocked out the cloud that my info was stored on. Even then, it was only down for a day.

If your having trouble connecting to steam, disable your wireless adapter, or unplug your connection for just a min, then attempt to log on again. That will give you the start in offline prompt. If your already connected, its in the options menu to "go offline", thats the other way.

[Waco]

I've been using steam since 2003 (6 digit account), and have had only 1 problem (maybe 2) in the 8 years I've been using it. Even back in steams flaky days, it never gave me too many issues as far as game access went.

Ditto. I'm in the low 6 digits and I've never had a single problem with Steam.