SEV on Steam?

Arkcon · #1 December 13th, 2005, 01:39 PM

Well, if Malfador has the time to do another question and answer session on the IRC, I'll get a client program so I can directly ask what STEAM means to Malfador, and what STEAM will mean to the enduser's execution of the game, and we'll see where program updates, Play-by-Web, Play-by-Email, and stand alone execution of the game stands with and without complying with STEAM's requirements.

After a clear response, I'll make a silent, personal decision to purchase SE5, or not.

Phoenix-D · #2 December 13th, 2005, 02:38 PM

Arkcon: SEV is *not* going to be published on STEAM at the moment, so asking would be silly. Its a hypothetical question.

Hugh Manatee · #3 December 13th, 2005, 05:29 PM

if SE5 had it's own built in auto updater/master server lists that would be cool. But beyond that steam and steam like game distributers are unesessary bloated crap. It wasn't broke, it doesn't need fixing. Only one I kinda like is guild wars. All you're account info is saved on their servers. It's like a 1 time subscription fee to buy th e account, then you either install from the cdrom or DL the client. GW isa muliplayer only game(nearly but not quite MMPORG) that is very 56k friendly, so no real single player mode and once a week or so a 3 MB update that installs in less then 20 minutes. It works for GW, and sorta works for CS, but for a game like space empires, hell no, that sort of distribution and DMR wold kill half the fun of the game.

Suicide Junkie · #4 December 13th, 2005, 06:00 PM

Updates: http://malfador.com
Serverlist: http://seiv.pbw.cc

What's so hard about that?

Arkcon · #5 December 13th, 2005, 06:15 PM

Phoenix-D said:
"Arkcon: SEV is *not* going to be published on STEAM at the moment, so asking would be silly. Its a hypothetical question. "

True enough, there's nothing on the Strategy First press release quoted at the start of this thread that specifically mentions SEV ... but then again, it doesn't mention any titles at all! OK, so my question changes, "What does STEAM mean to Strategy First, the distributor of Malfador's product SEV ..." But the query is still kinda there.

Oversway · #6 December 13th, 2005, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Updates: http://malfador.com
Serverlist: http://seiv.pbw.cc

What's so hard about that?

What if malfador and/or shrapnel go out of business? What if you lose or break your cds? What if the pwb server crashes? I'm not at all thrilled about steam but some of the questions seem to apply to more traditional games delivery as well. The point about transferring games is a good one, though. Then again, most software is technically licensed, not sold, right? The L in EULA

Fyron · #7 December 13th, 2005, 08:52 PM

If Malfador goes out of business, the patch is still available all over the web. Playing and updating the game is not dependent on a prorprietary DRM server scheme.

If PBW crashes, you can still play by email, or set up a replacement server easily. It is not dependent on proprietary DRM to play multiplayer, as Steam games are. Everybody has a full copy of the last turn's savegame, so there is little need for any downtime. When PBW was down for a few months a year or two ago, games continued via email or via PBW replacement site scripts. None of this is possible with Steam.

If you break your CD, you use your backup CD. With no shoddy DRM technology, exercising legal fair use rights is easy.

The license for the game is easily transferable. Delete your installation, give the CD away or sell it, bam, its transfered.

Oversway · #8 December 14th, 2005, 06:14 PM

Don't you need a license key to play? Maybe I'm thinking of dominions II, it has been awhile since I reinstalled seiv...

Alneyan · #9 December 14th, 2005, 06:22 PM

That'd be Dominions 2. There isn't any CD-key for SEIV; even if there was, you could still play the game just fine... unless the game servers *have* to be online before you are allowed to play, in which case you go back to the problem with mandatory servers.

Renegade 13 · #10 December 15th, 2005, 11:14 PM

Personally, I very much dislike the idea of buying something that does not exist in any other form than on my computer hard drive. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to have a disc in my hand, something physical that I can sell, copy, etc as I choose. Things like Steam make it difficult to exercise your rights as a consumer. Not to mention the fact that the whole "big brother" thing just isn't for me. I don't need some corporation to know whenever I play the game, how long I do it, etc etc ad nauseum. Not to mention the fact that a whole lot of people don't have high-speed internet, like me. It's just way too expensive if you live outside of a city. Which 50% of the world's population does. That's alienating a lot of your potential consumer base.