A Bunch Of Stuff About Hl2

[Dram]

Here's an idea on how to achieve a similar thing to steam:

Instead of using software, use hardware. Basically, when you buy the game, a small usb thingy comes with the game, which you need to insert in order to "Activate" the game, or if you wanted to be a bit more strict, you could make it that it has to be in whenever you play the game. However, this would'nt work for Valve as they are sick of publishers (just as much as Bush is sick of the UN) and would rather sell the game over the internet - nowhere to return it.

 

Either way, my suggestion was but an idea on how to keep the gaming at least a bit fun, prevent piracy (which i do believe is justified in certain circumstances, ie: HL2) and not have to go updating steam every 5 minutes. But that would (OMG!!!!) raise the production price from $3 to $4 OMG!!! NO! WE WANT YO PAY VERY LITTLE AND MAKE SO MUCH!!!!! - F****n Valve

[Darkness_Falls]

Sure. Do you still believe in Santa Claus as well?

I have a good comeback for this one, but I'll refrain.

 

I understand your thoughts, Sparhawk. We'll just agree to disagree on this one.

 

Bottom line: I feel there's a chance Steam and Valve will possibly refrain from intruding in our gaming lives so much in the future. You feel there's absolutely no way this will happen since people have bought HL2 in droves.

 

You know, I also feel there's a chance Steam is changing our gaming lives for the worse forever, too... but I hold on to a glimmer of hope that this is just temporary. That's where we mainly disagree; you don't have any hope on this one.

[sparhawk]

Here's an idea on how to achieve a similar thing to steam:

Instead of using software, use hardware. Basically, when you buy the game, a small usb thingy comes with the game, which you need to insert in order to "Activate" the game, or if you wanted to be a bit more strict, you could make it that it has to be in whenever you play the game.

 

This is called a dongle and is in place for a long time now. It has the same effect as Steam and any other copyprotection. It got removed. The newer versions of dongles are built directly into the machine and are called TCPA (I know they changed the name some time ago). Contrary to Microsofts claims TCPA will not make a machine more secure against hacks for various reasons, but it will help tremendously for DRM.

[sparhawk]

I have experience. :| And there is no reason for me to really believe that something like that will not be used if the technical problems can be solved, which they will eventually. After all Steam is only at it's first version. And as soon as the technicall problems are resolved people will get used to it and accept.

[Dram]

I just hope it dies completely

[Vadrosaul]

Here's an Inquirer article about what you guys are discussing:

 

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21105

[sparhawk]

I read a german article about this as well two weeks ago. The major problem I see with this is that it is mostly about legal fineprint and doesn't really change much. Not written on the package? No problem. Print it on the package. Transfer fee? Well, this can be canceled at least for countries where it doesn't hold. And that's about it. There is nothing providing for the fact that you can't play HL2 in two years if Valve decides to shut down their servers. Or if they suddenly charge a fee for their Steam thing.

 

Steam is a very good name for that. Don't touch it or you burn your fingers.

[Vadrosaul]

Steam is a very good name for that. Don't touch it or you burn your fingers.

 

Now that is a very apt statement

[Darkness_Falls]

There is nothing providing for the fact that you can't play HL2 in two years if Valve decides to shut down their servers. Or if they suddenly charge a fee for their Steam thing.

I'd be able to play it still; you don't need an internet connection to play HL2. I think you only need Steam and an internet connection to install it. I've played HL2 a few times without any internet connection existing. So if you get a new hard drive and want to reinstall it 2 years from now when Steam's doors are shut, THEN you may have an issue. Microsoft would probably bail us out though, so we needn't worry. Hehe, now I'm just pushing Sparhawk's buttons. Don't EVEN get him started on Microsoft

Edited February 7, 2005 by Darkness_Falls

[Domarius]

THere's no way you can rely on just having something installed... you NEED the install disks, or whatever (inthis case, its the Steam servers as well).

 

People with Windows need to re-format at LEAST once every 6 months, give or take depending on what you do with your computer of course.

[Kristus]

People with Windows need to re-format at LEAST once every 6 months, give or take depending on what you do with your computer of course.

Err, ok. If you say so. Windows might not be the best OS but that's simply not true.

[Darkness_Falls]

Totally not true. Maybe for some; but not for me.

 

I had Win98 for a few years, then WinXP Professional for the past however long it's been out. I think I got a new hard drive sometime within the past 4 or 5 years or however long WinXP has been out where I put a fresh install of XP on it; but I think that was like 3 years ago. And it wasn't in need of a reinstall; it just happened because I got a bigger hard drive that I wanted to be my "master." XP is still going strong after like 3 years.

 

I have no complaints about WinXP Professional. Issues have been rare, minor, and easily fixable. The only problems I've had are when dorks like Sun Java forbid Microsoft to put a Virtual Machine preinstalled on the OS. My experience with Sun VM has been sub-par.

[Kristus]

My biggest grief about Window2k is how much of a pain in the ass it is to get my lan to run properly with IPX protocols. (I wish developers would ditch IPX forever, in case they haven't already)

[sparhawk]

I'd be able to play it still; you don't need an internet connection to play HL2.  I think you only need Steam and an internet connection to install it.

 

Yeah. So you r system crashed, and you need to reinstall. What happens? Steam is no longer available, or you have to pay a fee for it. Or another scenario. You start to play HL2 with the latest service pack. Unfortunately HL2 crashes all the time, and after some investigation you learn that the latest service pack has a problem with HL2 but there is already a patch for it. Hmmm. Steam is now feeebased. Quite a problem. You either have to pay or you can't play anymore. You upgrade to a new machine. Up till now I never needed to reinstall a game in usch a case. I keep all games on a seperate partition. When I upgrade my machine or reinstall I never needed to reinstall any game, because they ALL work without any installation (as long as I didn't delete them from my HD). HL2 is the first game where this is no longer true. Because of Steam I already needed to reinstall because my machine crashed and I had to put my backup back. I don't put Steam inot my backup on purpose. I rather have a clean unpolluted backup so I will not have it on the machine once I finished HL2 and deleted it. Uninstalling is not enough because this usually doesn't clear out everything.

 

I've played HL2 a few times without any internet connection existing. So if you get a new hard drive and want to reinstall it 2 years from now when Steam's doors are shut, THEN you may have an issue.

 

And that is IMO quite realistic. Because that Valve shuts down is not really a realistic scenario, though that can not be known. But there are many other scenrarios which are much more realistic.

[sparhawk]

Totally not true. Maybe for some; but not for me.

I also never had any real issues with Windows needing to reinstall. I had it a few times (more often then with Linux, where this was never required) but it was not THAT often that I really would complain about it. At least I only had a few occasions because of Windows crashing. What is usually the cause of new installation is when I do a hardware upgrade. This happened in the last two years three times where I was forced for a complete re-install. Linux is much better in that regard, because I never needed a complete re-install. Compiling a new kernel and that's it. The system works as before without any addtional installation required.

[Guest Guest]

I hate Linux.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOL, j/k. Just pushing your buttons again Sparhawk I've never used it before.

[Dram]

I've tried Linux once - one of the really old versions a long time ago - i hated it.

 

But the new ones look ok.

 

--Dram

[sparhawk]

If you don't have any experience in Unix it is no surprise that you couldn't get to grips with it at that time. Now it is so easy that even my wife can use it without any problems.

[Dram]

Once we finish the Dark Mod I'll try it then

 

Apparently it runs Doom3 like a dream

 

Gotta see it to believe it though

 

--Dram

[sparhawk]

Can't run it right now because I have no driver for my soundcard. Or I would have to connect my internal card because this one works for sure.