Steam with Disc Version

[Les]

Originally Posted by timholt

Les,
thank you very much for your lengthy and informative response(s).

The swamp is getting shallower but still murky for the likes of me. I find it hard to comprehend why this is still so unclear this close to release.

Methinks the whole enchilada involved with this release is sadly lacking in marketing skills.

However, that aside, as a IL2 buff and offline player (with a brief unsatisfactory on line experience) since the original game was released, my hat goes off to Oleg and crew for what will be another creme de la creme of flight simulation for many years to come I would envisage.

No worries mate, it is hard to understand how the individual pieces work, how they'll work when combined, and why we haven't been told exactly what the individual pieces are and how they'll be combined.

It can be summed up as a lack of communication, for whatever reason/s, but I think too there are some aspects of all this that won't be known by anyone until the thing's released and in the hands of the end users.

I'm sure you're right though and that Oleg will come up with the goods. However, it might a bumpy ride for some of us, as individuals and as a community.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by Les

Lot's of stuff that made sense.

Pretty solid assessment in all your posts there.

I'm hoping it's like one of the options you described and the boxed editions won't have me installing anything extra if i don't try to access multiplayer.

I'm going to be late in getting the game anyway (a relative will bring me a collector's edition from the UK about two weeks or so after release) by which point i guess stuff like Hyperlobby will already support CoD, so if it works that way i may be able to completely sidestep steam.

[Les]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Pretty solid assessment in all your posts there.

Thanks, just wish I knew more about how things like Hyperlobby and servers actually work (without having to gain first-hand experience or do proper research into it ), that way I could make some more definite assumptions. As it is, there are too many things that I think should be possible, but which might not actually be possible at all.

I'm pretty sure there are people here who have set up dedicated servers with Il-2 and other games, and who probably also know all the ins and outs of Steam. They should be able to make more educated guesses as to what we're in for, but they're either keeping quiet about it, or we all really are being kept in the dark and even the experts don't have enough information to be able to say for sure what we can expect.

[Gimpymoo]

You will need to use Steam, as a Steamworks title, Steam integration is within the game.

Hyperlobby support may well be possible post launch, but you will definitely still need to have Steam running REGARDLESS as it is part of the DRM.

The DVD will contain files which allready have Steam integrated into them so to speak.

I dont understand why soo many are soo opposed to running Steam yet will happily install hyperlobby? Crazy.

For those unfamliar with Steamworks titles, how it works is that the DVD will contain game files (.gcf files - http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/GCF) the Steam client and a Steam activated product key.

Steam will install and update as likely the client on the disc would well have been superceeded, then the files from the disc will be installed into the Steam folder.

You will need to create/sign into the Steam service and enter the product key which comes in the box.

This will permanently tie the game to your Steam account so it can be downloaded in the future as many times as you wish, without the need for disc or the product key.

By default, CoD will be installed to \Steam\Steamapps\CoD (I have made up the game folders name).

To backup the game, copy the "Cod" folder to your preferred backup device, job done.

If you format the computer, install Steam and restore the folder to its default location and Steam will upate as needed and the game will run.

No Steamworks title in my knowledge as ever had standalone "offline" patches released as they are all delivered through the Steam platform.

[Fritz X]

^ Very well put, pretty much the same I've experienced so far in all the years I used Valve's service.

Honestly, I feel like the whole communication between the developer and us customers is a pretty big let down so far. Lot's of confusion and very few detailed information so far. Especially the whole statement about "The boxed version will only use Steam for match making" seems to be a major element of confusion.

In the 8 years the Steam platform already exists, there were those games that made use of it, and those that didn't. And with "making use of it" I mean making full use of it. There's no such thing as making "partly" use of Steam features so far. And I honestly doubt this will change just for CoD.

[Les]

Originally Posted by Fritz X

...Honestly, I feel like the whole communication between the developer and us customers is a pretty big let down so far. Lot's of confusion and very few detailed information so far. Especially the whole statement about "The boxed version will only use Steam for match making" seems to be a major element of confusion...

Abysmal communication.

However, the Ubisoft representative has again stated the physical (boxed) version of the game "only uses SteamWorks for match-making and not the Steam DRM."

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/t...9/m/1751069519

She could be wrong, she could be right, she might not really know what she's actually saying, but she's quite clearly stating the boxed version doesn't use the Steam DRM, or require installing the Steam client. To me that means the game, when you first install it, doesn't have to be tied to an active Steam account.

If, however, you choose to use the games default server browser, which relies on using the Steamworks Match-making feature that's built into it, then yes you will need an active Steam account in order to do so (and will therefore need to have the Steam client, the program that is generally known as 'Steam', installed on your system.)

Going purely by what we've been told and taking it at face value, it does look like the boxed version of the game is a stand-alone program that can be integrated into Steam later on if you want it to be.

But this only makes sense if a distinction can be made between the Steam client, (the program the end-user installs and interfaces with and which is generally referred to as 'Steam'), and the Steamworks Match-making feature, which is essentially lines of game-code that will be included in the game whether it's a boxed or downloaded version.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Les

She could be wrong, she could be right, she might not really know what she's actually saying, but she's quite clearly stating the boxed version doesn't use the Steam DRM, or require installing the Steam client. To me that means the game, when you first install it, doesn't have to be tied to an active Steam account.

Going purely by what we've been told and taking it at face value, it does look like the boxed version of the game is a stand-alone program that can be integrated into Steam later on if you want it to be.

... if only you could be right ....

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by Gimpymoo

You will need to use Steam, as a Steamworks title, Steam integration is within the game.

Hyperlobby support may well be possible post launch, but you will definitely still need to have Steam running REGARDLESS as it is part of the DRM.

The DVD will contain files which allready have Steam integrated into them so to speak.

I dont understand why soo many are soo opposed to running Steam yet will happily install hyperlobby? Crazy.

For those unfamliar with Steamworks titles, how it works is that the DVD will contain game files (.gcf files - http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/GCF) the Steam client and a Steam activated product key.

Steam will install and update as likely the client on the disc would well have been superceeded, then the files from the disc will be installed into the Steam folder.

You will need to create/sign into the Steam service and enter the product key which comes in the box.

This will permanently tie the game to your Steam account so it can be downloaded in the future as many times as you wish, without the need for disc or the product key.

By default, CoD will be installed to \Steam\Steamapps\CoD (I have made up the game folders name).

To backup the game, copy the "Cod" folder to your preferred backup device, job done.

If you format the computer, install Steam and restore the folder to its default location and Steam will upate as needed and the game will run.

No Steamworks title in my knowledge as ever had standalone "offline" patches released as they are all delivered through the Steam platform.

Well, it may work well for you but that's exactly the kind of thing i'm trying to avoid. For example, i prefer to have a backup copy of the game disc and keep the individual patches saved on my hard drive, rather than making a backup of the entire decompressed game folder for each patch version i might want to revert to

The reason i doubt it will be completely integrated is a few recent posts on the ubi forums. They said that the boxed versions don't require you to use Steam, other than if you want the matchmaker functions. Boxed editions won't use the steam DRM and steam is only there to give you a server browser.

Granted, this is Ubi and many things are still unclear, but if i don't need to register with Steam to activate my copy (which is the only thing that seems to be clear, that boxed editions don't use steam's DRM), there's no reason to hurry up and install the steam client: by the time my copy arrives and i finish mucking around in single player there will be alternative methods.