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Veneke
Veneke
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Steam as distribution or drm?

December 11, 2013 6:34:28 AM from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quick question about Steam and I apologize if this is answered elsewhere but is Steam being used as distribution or drm? There are some games which use Steam to distribute but allow you to launch and run the game outside of the interface, the majority (if not the entirety) of Paradox's games for example.

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Veneke
Tridus
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #1 December 11, 2013 7:56:12 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

It's using Steamworks for multiplayer and such, so Steam will have to be running.

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Veneke
Veneke
Join Date 07/2006
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Reply #2 December 11, 2013 9:12:08 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Even for single-player?

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Veneke
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Reply #3 December 11, 2013 9:16:13 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Yes, the "and such" covers other stuff that also applies to single player.

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Veneke
Ryat
Join Date 06/2006
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Reply #4 December 11, 2013 9:17:26 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quoting Veneke,
reply 2

Even for single-player?

As for Steam Overlay I hear that is always up. Doesn't matter to me as I find it useful. As for internet and single player yes you can play without internet once its installed and registered but you don't get access to the improved AI which uses the internet, from what I understand, to study other GalCivIII games and develop tactics and ships that will give you a challenge.

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Veneke
Veneke
Join Date 07/2006
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Reply #5 December 11, 2013 9:20:43 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Doesn't change my pre-order either way but it is a little unfortunate that they're not providing the capability to run the game without Steam active in the background.

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Veneke
charon2112
Join Date 02/2009
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Reply #6 December 11, 2013 9:35:57 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Many programs run all the time on your PC and it's fine.  Steam uses very little resources and is more than worth it IMO for the convenience of organizing and updating my games.  I actively seek out Steam versions of games if I can find them.

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Veneke
Tridus
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Reply #7 December 11, 2013 9:58:41 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quoting Veneke,
reply 5

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Doesn't change my pre-order either way but it is a little unfortunate that they're not providing the capability to run the game without Steam active in the background.

When you're using Steamworks, enabling that requires either shutting off all the parts of the game that use Steamworks, or providing replacement functionality (which is expensive). So there's cost involved in doing that.

If you're not using Steamworks, then providing a version that doesn't need Steam is pretty easy.

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Veneke
Veneke
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Reply #8 December 11, 2013 10:14:05 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quoting charon2112,
reply 6

Many programs run all the time on your PC and it's fine.  Steam uses very little resources and is more than worth it IMO for the convenience of organizing and updating my games.  I actively seek out Steam versions of games if I can find them.

I don't think you quite understand what I'm asking. I've no problem with steam, I have a great many steam games and it is, at times, quite useful. That said, the option to boot a game up when Steam isn't working or is having trouble switching to offline mode when the internet cuts out or I have no access is nice. It also proofs against *taps wood* steam failing.

 

As for Steamworks I'm not fully sure about the specifics but it's my understanding is that achievements are part of that? Paradox games have achievements (though only recently) but are only counted when running the game from the steam interface rather than directly from the .exe. Frankly though I'm not fully sure about it and, at any rate, that's all rather beside the point.

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Veneke
Tridus
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Reply #9 December 11, 2013 10:19:28 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quoting Veneke,
reply 8

As for Steamworks I'm not fully sure about the specifics but it's my understanding is that achievements are part of that? Paradox games have achievements (though only recently) but are only counted when running the game from the steam interface rather than directly from the .exe. Frankly though I'm not fully sure about it and, at any rate, that's all rather beside the point.

Achievements are one of the things, yes. Here's a list of some of what Steamworks provides: http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/gameservices.php

AI War works the same way, in that it has its own achievements, then also the Steam ones if you run with Steam enabled. But it wasn't originally on Steam, so they had to do their own there. Paradox is probably doing something similar in providing another implementation if Steamworks isn't available (or just not having achievements available at all if Steamworks isn't available).

 

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Veneke
satoru1
Join Date 07/2008
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Reply #10 December 12, 2013 12:24:43 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

ITs 'technically' possible to have a game

1) use steamworks

2) be able to be run without steam running

The only game taht has currenlty done this is Larian Software's Dragon Commander. If steam is running you get all the steamworks stuff like matchmakking achievements,etc. if its nto you get a more basic multiplayer thing no achievements.

Note though that FE:LH is 'supposed' to not run without steam but it dose require it.

SO it's 'possible' but it 'depends' on the implementation

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Veneke
Tridus
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Reply #11 December 12, 2013 9:25:58 AM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

That's what I just said. AI War does the same thing, but it replaces the Steamworks stuff with something else. Dragon Commander just shuts it off.

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Veneke
Wintersong
Join Date 07/2006
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Reply #12 December 12, 2013 2:52:17 PM
from Galactic Civilizations III ForumsGalactic Civilizations III Forums

Quoting Veneke,
reply 2

Even for single-player?

(For those who know what it means)

 

Gal Civ III will be awesome enough as to "suffer" Steamworks. Or else....

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