Question about Steam

Well, I can't speak about the differences between a boxed version and steam, but I can tell you that I've only had the steam version crash on me 3 times (twice when I fiddled with settings in the settings.txt - I want Bigger solar systems dangit!) and the processing speed has been rather good for me so far. In the later turns this release, the computer has started to take a bit of time, but I only have a 2.0 GHz so, it's to be expected. With 15 non-neutral AIs on turn 100 (year 10), takes about 1-2 minutes from when I click end turn untill I see my ships moving.

As for the balance mod, I've not tried it so... again I can't speak to that.

To compete is the winThe Dom-Sithe

The boxed SEV comes with a 77-page printed manual, but the PDF manual is much more detailed.

Personaly, I dislike stock.
balance mod is far far better, Kwok has time to think about and balance things.
aaron is so busy with the game hardcode that he doesnt.

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an se5a is a ww1 fighter, it is also a car.

I have the steam version and have had no performance issues running the game(3700+ Athlon, 2gb mem, 2mb DSL)

Steam is a little slow starting (takes about 30 - 45 seconds to get to the SEV launch menu from scratch) but other than that is fine.

So far the only problem I've had with Steam is that the patching updates info hasnt update (although its downloaded & installed the patches fine).

The steam version has one big issue. It's steam. It will run only if you are running steam, and it will install only in steam's default directory. I found out about that the hard way. I dislike using the resource hungry spyware style steam application. I expected I would download the game, activate it via steam, install wherever I wanted and then run steam only to get the updates. It isn't so. So in the end I had bought the steam version but I'm currently using an ISO downloaded version (in other words pirate). I don't feel guilty for that, because after all I have bought the game.

Steam is anything but "spyware style.." Annoying and evil, yes. But try to keep these insults you bandy about grounded in reality.

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You should not buy steam. I have a steam version and an originional one now.

Steam auto upgrades. And when you play by web you will often want to decide yourself when you want to upgrade... or you will have multiple versions on your system. That simply doesn't work with steam.

Better to use a local version.

Unless you don't want to do multiplayer... But then you're missing out on the best part of the game.

~Myrath

That's exactly what I meant when I said spyware style. Annoying, evil : ), resource hungry (cannot imagine why such a simple application should take half a minute to start up on a X2 4200+ 4Gb RAM. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Unless it's written in Java, which it probably is : ). Whatever, any application that behaves the way it wants and not the way I want is malware/spyware/shitware in my eyes (yes, I know that by such a definition I should include windows in that list too, although XP is not nearly as bad as chicken (Vista is similar to a word in lithuanian which actually means hen). : ) : ) ). I wrote to steam's technical support haven't received an answer from them in three or four months. So I don't recomend it. Better pay the additional 10 dolars for the CD version, or you can do the way I did it, although unintentionally. Buy the steam version (so as to have the license, and the satisfaction of giving support to a great developer) and download and install the ISO version. : ) : )

I actually expected a clean downloadable version of the game when I bought SEV by steam, and instead I got the game bundled with a malware application that would not let the game run, unless it was running too, using my bandwith and processing power. : )

Then you obviously screwed up and did not read properly. Only you are to blame for thinking Steam purchases would not use Steam DRM. Again, Steam is anything but malware. It does exactly what it says it will up-front. There is no illicit, hidden behavior going on.

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Having used Steam for my original purchase I have now bought the disk. I won't use Steam again. Their annoying software is like a bad piece of spyware on your system trying to sell you crap all the time.

Using the box version is great for me for I decide when to upgrade and easily make old version copies so can play any game on PBW.

I have also read complaints about Steam upgrading then having to wait a few days for PBW to upgrade causing a game to go on hold or you to loose a turn or two.

Probably I did, Fyron. The thing is, that on Malfador´s site it was advertised as the "downloadable" version (I didn´t expect that a downloadable version would be tied to the third party program used to download it, it wasn`t written there anywhere. Steam working in the background was advertised as a feature, not as a "this is the only way the game you bought will work, and you will have no choice about it whatsoever, not even installation directory" (as I don´t play stock I had to search a little till I found where did steam hid the gamefiles). I did what almost all do and didn´t read the fine print of the terms of use. Of course it was my mistake. The point I´m making here is not a technical description of what their software is. I´m making a point of what using that software is like for the end user, or in this case me, so Baelthazar wouldn´t make the same mistake I did. Besides if steam weren´t the resource sucking, ineffective and mediocrilly written, I wouldn´t mind it so much, but I hated it so much, I deleted it completely. I consider myself having a valid license (I could be legally wrong, but morally I think I´m right), that I have paid for the product, so I downloaded a normal CD copy from the internet and I´m using it since. I wrote to Steam about the issues I didn´t like in a respectfull manner asking for a possible solution or workaround for steam´s user incoveniencing telling them I like the principle of downloading games, but not of not having the option to install the game in the directory I want and being forced to run third party resource hog programs to be able to run the product I bought. I told them I would recomend to others such an internet game/software shop and keep using it myself (because I like the principle), but I wouldn´t do so if those problems weren´t going to be solved. Whatever their response could have been, it never came. This further shows the utter disrespect and disdain the company has for their users. Not even a "we got your message, but really can´t do anything about it, because it´s company policy". Nothing I mean nothing. Whatever I suppose it´s better to buy the CD version and that´s what I´m expressing in this discussion.

Your lack of understanding about the Steam platform isn't Malfador's fault or responsibility.

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Sorry to tell you what I read.

Why are you sorry? Its a common misperception.

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Right-click your game, properties, updates tab, select the 'dont auto-update' option.

I like steam, I just wish it would load quicker, be more responsive in general, and not have to be loaded for me to play the game! Despite that...if a game is available on both DVD and steam at the same price, I will go for the steam version. Its just less hassle, with too many advantages.

I would add to what draxis said that I would like to be able to choose where the game gets installed. It's not like steam couldn't have a dynamic database where the location of the installed game is registered for update management and the rest of the functions it needs to know where the game is. As I said, I like the idea of downloadable legally licensed soft, and I expected steam to do that in a way that doesn't inconvinience users. I wrote them about that, and got no response, Zero, Nilch, Zip... Such behavious shows another characteristic of steam - they actually don't care/don't give a shit about their clients opinions, comfort or otherwise their feedback. If these issues where to be solved it would surely be my prefered game (and if regular software were to be offered) regular soft store. Not only that, I do have a lot to say what many people around me do with their home IT, the same with several small companies (in cases where steam offers, or would offer regular soft too). It may not be much, but those people and companies may share their experience with their own contacts. So it's not a very wise strategy from Steam's part to ignore their clients observations and request, not even responding to them. I for one, won't ever again use their shop, unless something changes drasticly. The same will surely be the behaviour of all the persons and companies I can influence, and so on. : )

That's how companies loose clients : )

BTW, Fallout rules forever! : ) Let's hope Beteshda won't ruin it completely. : )