Steam should be optional for Total War: Rome 2

[rakenan]

2. This is part of the problem, they don't take it in to account that for a lot of people, there is no better connection, I have literally by far the fastest connection available in my area, and its download speed is 15kbps. There is no better internet to be had this is what I'm stuck with. Luckily its JUST enough for me to register my game in the first place, without connection I couldn't even play it at all which again is an absolute disgrace.

This is a significant issue that people who live near good sized cities just don't get. People who live in rural areas just flat don't have access to decent internet. There is no DSL from the phone company. There is no cable service at all, much less for internet. There is no cellular tower in range, for phone or internet access. There is dial up, and hideously expensive satellite internet that isn't appreciably faster. I don't feel the hatred for Steam that some folks do, but I at least understand how obnoxious auto-updating and large patches are for people who live in rural areas.

[gumption]

This is a significant issue that people who live near good sized cities just don't get. People who live in rural areas just flat don't have access to decent internet. There is no DSL from the phone company. There is no cable service at all, much less for internet. There is no cellular tower in range, for phone or internet access. There is dial up, and hideously expensive satellite internet that isn't appreciably faster. I don't feel the hatred for Steam that some folks do, but I at least understand how obnoxious auto-updating and large patches are for people who live in rural areas.

Very good point, forgot about that. MP, if even playable, would be a nightmare.

One thing I don't understand is why when you install the game of the disc - it only fills by about 80% - then the rest is downloaded off of steam. Surely that could be more, like 95%.

[Totalheadache]

Humbles right CA dont care as long as it's profitable. The profiteering apect of dlcs is here to stay..

I wont go as far as saying am not getting Rome2 ever..but just not full price or pre-order.

I dont have faith in CA on A)technical stand-point B) Getting full moneys worth @launch.

I could be be proved wrong ofc.

P.S No total wars installed atm as got fed up of patches buggering up mods and forcing me to fiddle around. tbh i'll play something else that involves less hassle and loads a hell of a lot faster..

[SleepySteve]

So, in your opinion, CA/Sega should add an alternate registration and update method, even if it's not profitable for them (or even if it's a net loss) to satisfy a very small segment of their potential customer base?

My, that's...entitled.

Not entitled just expecting freedom and choice from the company. Not a biggie, If don't get that freedom of choice I have the option to not buy the game. Not a big deal for me as I like steam, I do however think it should be optional. I likely won't be buying the game for years to come, mostly because of issues I have already discussed in other threads. Man I find myself saying that about this game quite a bit. Too bad.

Your consistently rude btw, just so you know.

[Humble Warrior]

1. They often block legitimate users for no actual reason. Google for "steam account disabled for no reason" and see how many results it gives.
2. Their steam client is spying on your machine checking if you have any pirated games. In case it believes that there any such games, your account with ALL the games in it will be blocked FOREFER. Often they block innocent users despite they have proofs that they bought every game on steam, and never reply to their support tickets. They may block you only if you are saying something about piracy on their forums.
Proofs:
http://forums.tripwireinteractive.co...ad.php?t=42183
http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=1205792
http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=1126887 3. They will block you forever with all your games in case of a single problem with the payment, like paypal or credit card chargeback. NO REFUNDS. Proof: http://www.slyck.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37355
4. They have paranoid antifraud system that blocks legitimate users from purchasing games while they are traveling (especially during holiday sale). Proof: http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...&postcount=291
5. You are not an actual owner of the games you "bought" via steam. Agreement says: All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the Software and any and all copies thereof are owned by Valve and/or its licensors. 6. They can take all games back whenever they want for any reason. According to Agreement: Valve has the right to terminate or cancel your Account or a particular Subscription at any time. And if it happens you will have to treat them with respect: "and remedy with respect to any dispute with Valve."
7. They leave you no choice. If you want to play games like MW2 or Black Ops you HAVE TO use Steam. Purchasing retail DVD makes things no different - you will not be able to play your game if your Steam account is blocked, even single player version. 8. They guarantee nothing, read chapter 9 of the Agreement.
9. Downloads are VERY slow, especially when new title is just out.
10. Support reply may take weeks, especially when many people have problems at once (like sales season or when new title is out) and there is absolutely no telephone you can call for support.

What remains? A large monopolist enterprise with totalitarian rules, that has right to block a user forever and take back without refund all games he bought before, and that uses this right very often to block innocent users with no visible reason.

Excerpt from a forum I visit sometimes. I know many of you and CA\SEGA don`t care, but for those of you that do. There are many other things wrong with it I have already noted many times, CA\SEGA ignores the issues. They don`t truly care for the paying consumer. The only reason Steam gets away with this is because they have enough fans to ignore the wrongs. That don`t make it right.

I say again, i will not buy RTW2 if it gives me no other choice to play it other than through forced Steam.

All we ask for is a DEMOCRATIC CHOICE, is that so hard to deliver?

[Huberto]

I'd like R2 to be steam optional.

[Anna_Gein]

5. is the greater problem to me.

If steam loose your account data you must buy all your games again. And they don't need any justification.

I wonder what could happen if steam go bankrupt. Every games linked with it become unplayable ?
( to make it clear I don't hope this will happen but it's a point to consider)

[Greve Af Göteborg]

Valve have stated that they would release a patch that "unlocks" all of the games you own from the Steam network, so that you still can play them and make backups of them.
They are however not forced to do so, and if they did that, they would only be doing that to avoid the massive uproar from steam account owners.

[Zimmy]

People still complaining about Steam? I guess there are holdouts everywhere.

I also hear they're letting women vote soon, outrageous, down with change!

[AngryTitusPullo]

Well Rome Total War and Barbarian Invasion don't need Steam. Go play that.

[atheniandp]

Valve have stated that they would release a patch that "unlocks" all of the games you own from the Steam network, so that you still can play them and make backups of them.
They are however not forced to do so, and if they did that, they would only be doing that to avoid the massive uproar from steam account owners.

Massive uproar.

Where was that massive uproar when game developers forced steam on us? Everyone bought into it like the good little sheep they are. You can't count on people to challenge authority, at least not when their life isn't on the line.

Of course I have bought games with steam on them as well. I acknowledge that by doing so I've chained myself to the will of Valve. I take their promises with a grain of salt.. they are a corporation, which means they are flexible and 'pragmatic' and not prone to stick to constraining principles. Or in this case, their word.

[Toasty Fresh]

@OP; just wait ten years. In a country as small as England and the ever-growing popularity of the internet, there's bound to be a decent service hitting your area eventually.

Even though I say that I still think your complaints are unfounded. When I'm capped I get pushed down to 1.5kbps. No, not 15kbps, 1.5kbps, a full 13.5 slower than your horrible connection. I can still play Empire, Napoleon and Shogun.

[The King in the North]

I once was stuck on one of 'em portable internets in USB form. Horrible performance. It could rarely connect to the satellite and if it could it would only allow 200 mb's of download size without capping the speed to 30 kb/s. 't was frustrating.
I had no problem with having Steam in offline mode though, only if you cleaned your computer with Ccleaner or some such, that removes the saved account information.

Point is that I do understand how you feel and optional steam would be superb for everyone but CA.

However, now that I do have a stable connection, I must say that Steam is super.
It keeps all my games in one place while it looks good, makes it easy to chat with friends and meet people with similar taste, take screenshots, fast download speeds and automatic patches if I so choose.

I guess that CA or Sega does find it easier and more profitable to use Steam than not. How, why? I do not know, I am not a great person who sees all the angles.
I only see that it works fine for me, I got what I paid for and Steam does it's job. Those that did not get what they wanted/paid for, sure. They should have an option. I was stuck in that chair and it was indeed horrible.

[Humble Warrior]

People still complaining about Steam? I guess there are holdouts everywhere.

I also hear they're letting women vote soon, outrageous, down with change!

Idiotic comment. You certainly deserve Steam.

Well there you go, I provide details supported with evidence and those that don`t want to know won`t want to know.

Just remember people, it affects ALL OF YOU. And if one day, Steam uses its Almighty power on you, just take a moment to remember us who stood up in protest, whom you IGNORED and derided and heckled, when Steam disables your account and takes away the 500+ games you have and you have no recourse for complaint or protest any where.

Remember.

[leviath]

Since it is possible to play with steam offline, I never understood what is the problem with people having bad connection.
When I'm in vacations and stuff like that in a place without internet, I just launch steam in offline. It works fine.

[Humble Warrior]

Since it is possible to play with steam offline, I never understood what is the problem with people having bad connection.
When I'm in vacations and stuff like that in a place without internet, I just launch steam in offline. It works fine.

Not always. Certainly not for me or many of us. Sure, at the moment I can run STW2 Offline, I do all the time I can, but every few weeks to a month or two Steam will refuse to run telling me `It can find no connection` when I want to play OFFLINE. I am forced back onto the net. Why? there is no peace of mind. And if anyone does lose the net, you know you`re screwed with any long time game such as Skyrim or TW. Longterm games are especially bad with Steam. That`s besides all its others fault. Also, anyone with brains NEVER puts all his egges in one basket. the guy who created Steam (that fat bloke) must be laughing at how dumb people are to so accept its very undemocratic rules.

One guy elsewhere summed up Steam nicely for me, and in a unique way I can`t:

Steam: the condensation rising off of dog $#!+ that has been collected in a baggy and transformed into a state of the art content management/delivery system by one seriously ing magical fairy with a twisted bent and loathsome disgust for gamers.

If Steam allowed choice of use, I wouldn`t mind, but since it does not, I do. There`s also a good reason why I don`t reveal my Steam name to anyone anywhere.

[Greve Af Göteborg]

Massive uproar.

Where was that massive uproar when game developers forced steam on us? Everyone bought into it like the good little sheep they are. You can't count on people to challenge authority, at least not when their life isn't on the line.

Of course I have bought games with steam on them as well. I acknowledge that by doing so I've chained myself to the will of Valve. I take their promises with a grain of salt.. they are a corporation, which means they are flexible and 'pragmatic' and not prone to stick to constraining principles. Or in this case, their word.

There is a difference between having to buy a game that uses steam and losing all the games on your steam account (some accounts have games with over 500€ invested in games) deleted.

The latter will surely make a bigger uproar than "oh noes, total war is using steam".

[B. W.]

Since it is possible to play with steam offline, I never understood what is the problem with people
having bad connection.
When I'm in vacations and stuff like that in a place without internet, I just launch steam in offline. It works fine.

I just love it when someone decides that because they haven't had any issues no one else has either. After I bought ETW I had so many ssues with Steam that I refused to buy NTW. ETW eventually became less of a problem so I bought Shogun.

Initialy Shogun wasn't so bad except it would prevent me from playing occassionaly for the first two months (and, Yes, I was in Off-line mode). My really big mistake with Shogun was buying Fots. It made changes to Shogun that I didn't appreciate. I'm still trying to get Shogun back where it was before I bought Fots and it doesn't seem possible. I tried all the "all you got to do" comments on these forums to no avail, so I won't be buying anymore DLCs when Rome2 comes out and, Yes, I'll buy R2, but that is absolutely the last one unless this BS with Steam is addressed properly.

If CA wants to make more money, they should make a multiplayer version and single player version. They could make the multiplayer version mandatory on Steam and the single player optional on Steam.

So, yes, they could use this idea to make more money and keep most people happy while at the same time increasing their profits and improving their reputation.

[Zimmy]

Idiotic comment. You certainly deserve Steam.

Well there you go, I provide details supported with evidence and those that don`t want to know won`t want to know.

Just remember people, it affects ALL OF YOU. And if one day, Steam uses its Almighty power on you, just take a moment to remember us who stood up in protest, whom you IGNORED and derided and heckled, when Steam disables your account and takes away the 500+ games you have and you have no recourse for complaint or protest any where.

Remember.

You're funny. What makes you think I use Steam? I have two games on there, thats it.

Do you realize how silly you sound, acting like they are taking away you're right of speech or voting?

And to add to that, in any game you get from steam, you can go to the folder and click the .exe, and close steam. There. No steam ever again.

[DC980]

Excerpt from a forum I visit sometimes. I know many of you and CA\SEGA don`t care, but for those of you that do. There are many other things wrong with it I have already noted many times, CA\SEGA ignores the issues. They don`t truly care for the paying consumer. The only reason Steam gets away with this is because they have enough fans to ignore the wrongs. That don`t make it right.

I say again, i will not buy RTW2 if it gives me no other choice to play it other than through forced Steam.

All we ask for is a DEMOCRATIC CHOICE, is that so hard to deliver?

That proof you have seems to be from 2010 and 2007. You got anything more recent because if a guy stabbed you in the eye five years ago it doesn't necessarily mean he'll do it now.