DRM, STEAM, UBI, release date, Confused!!!

[mjfur]

I've read thread after thread after thread and all it does is confuse me.
Can someone answer some of my questions in simple terms (as if they are trying to explain it to a 5th grader)?

I have been flying IL-2 for years and have all of the CD's/DVD's associated with the game. These games are loaded on my harddrive and I do not need any type of internet connection to fly single player missions.

If CoD uses/has STEAM will the game be loaded on my hard drive or on a STEAM server somewhere?

If CoD uses/has STEAM will I need an internet connection to fly single player missions?

If STEAM goes out of business or breaks down will I still have CoD to fly?

Who, what, where is a DRM? How does this affect me?

I currently have a pre-order in with UBI (USA), should I keep it or cancel it and get the game somewhere else.

Totally confused! Please help!

[Les]

Originally Posted by mjfur

1. If CoD uses/has STEAM will the game be loaded on my hard drive or on a STEAM server somewhere?

2. If CoD uses/has STEAM will I need an internet connection to fly single player missions?

3. If STEAM goes out of business or breaks down will I still have CoD to fly?

4. Who, what, where is a DRM? How does this affect me?

5. I currently have a pre-order in with UBI (USA), should I keep it or cancel it and get the game somewhere else.

1. It will be loaded on your hard-drive like IL-2 is now, but it will be located in a folder within your Steam installation.

2. No, but you will need an internet connection to do a once-off online activation of your Steam account. From there, you can choose to run all your Steam games off-line.

3. If Steam breaks down (at their end, not on your computer), which is highly unlikely, yes you will still have your game installed and be able to play it offline. If Steam goes out of business, which is also highly unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future, you will probably still be able to play your games offline, but nobody knows for sure.

4. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, also known as copyright enforcement. Generally speaking it's there to prevent unlawful copying of your games. DRM takes many forms. In the case of Cliffs Of Dover, it will be implemented by having you contact a company online and giving them a code that's issued to you when you buy the game. This unique code will associate your copy of the game with unique attributes of your computer and prevent you or anyone else from using copies of your copy of the game on other computers. Installing and activating your game to be played through your Steam account will also act as a similar form of DRM, so there will actually two DRM systems in place.

5. Wait and see. As far as we know all versions of the game will be the same no matter where you get them from. The only advantage in having the game on a retail DVD is that you probably won't have to download it like you would with a digital delivery version. Nobody knows at the moment whether there will be a delay between delivery of the disk versions in different regions, or between delivery of the disk versions and availability of the downloadable versions.

I hope that helps.

[ruxtmp]

Thanks for the answer, unfortunately it is not what I wanted to hear. I have had nothing but trouble with STEAM during online play with COD modern warfare. If CoD will use the same online setup as COD then I will probably stay away until the game hits the bargain bin. Offline will be fun but my son is just starting up with IL2 and I was really hoping for some father son bonding online. Oh well there is still 4.11 to look forward to.

[Mabroc]

I assume you are talking about COD: MODERN WARFARE 2 ruxtmp, MODERN WARFARE 1 worked without any problems in DEDICATED SERVERS.

They screw the multiplayer version of MW2 on the PC to CONTROL the game monetary income. MW1 has tons of free mods and maps running on free dedicated servers, they saw that (ACTIVISION, aspiring new evil empire). So they could release MAP PACKS at $15 each.

So instead the having a good PC with a great bandwidth connection, they made some random user PC the host-server (the one that SEEMED to react better at that moment). I loved MW1, preorder MW2, big mistake, got carried away with the hype, nevermore. Luckyly some months later BAD COMPANY 2 got released, with dedicated servers (not free, you have to paid for them a monthly fee and you cant make maps or mods for it, they are in a great SERVER PC you administer remotely) and I still play it from time to time, best team multiplayer experienced ever. They still could control the MAP PACKS and NEW MODS, and charge for them, so is still not as good as totally FREE DEDICATED SERVERS Software.

But at least they didnt lie to your face like the people behind MW2 saying that the "new" multiplayer connection method was the best thing since free porn on the internet

Back on topic, we dont know how the servers will be run, if the players can connect to each others and play a little mission (lets say 8 people) it will be fine, but to have a big mission map and more than 60+ persons playing, you will need a good PC running a dedicated server with a great internet connection. Like it is done now with IL-2.

We only can wait and see