Skyrim and Steam...

[gigantibyte]

please try to remember steam fans...you don't buy, you lease. for an indeterminate amount of time at steams discretion. they can cancel that lease at any time, then you just end up with well, nothing. simple rule of thumb, if a game requires an internet connection to run, you don't own it.

 

This could be bad if a user is banned for some reason while playing online in an unrelated game, then not be able to play every other game because they can't log into their account. Isn't it possible though to play Skyrim in offline mode without logging in but still running the steam client? Would suck for updates, and the mods requiring those updates. Has this ever happened, or is it just fear mongering?

 

Losing access to the game will more likely come from a disk getting scratched or lost. For me. the cons of steam are outweighed by its major selling points like no need for the disk, unlimited re-downloads, easy backup system (for an extra hardcopy), free trail plays of various new games, and convenience.

Edited December 21, 2011 by gigantibyte

[Handofbane]

Not many people have actually had their Steam accounts totally banned, and in most cases it is due to the purchase of games with stolen credit cards. While some games do have VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat), those are almost exclusively multiplayer online games, and the penalty more often than not is just banning from those servers rather than account loss. They also have an appeal process in place, and will do what they can to help prevent unwarranted bans from going into effect, as they see it better to have one more long term potentially paying customer than someone angry because they got an account ban they may not have deserved.

 

So yes, it is mainly just fear-mongering and paranoia when the idea of account loss is brought up.

 

Quick edit: There was a small scam going on for a while where some people would offer up free gifted games on other forums, and the gifts were bought with stolen credit cards. Valve is aware of this, and accepting such gifts should only at worst get your account suspended briefly while it is sorted out - under such a circumstance you could talk to customer support directly to get it straightened out and your account restored minus the stolen games. So be smart, don't take candy from strangers.

[spikies]

Not many people have actually had their Steam accounts totally banned, and in most cases it is due to the purchase of games with stolen credit cards. While some games do have VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat), those are almost exclusively multiplayer online games, and the penalty more often than not is just banning from those servers rather than account loss. They also have an appeal process in place, and will do what they can to help prevent unwarranted bans from going into effect, as they see it better to have one more long term potentially paying customer than someone angry because they got an account ban they may not have deserved.

 

So yes, it is mainly just fear-mongering and paranoia when the idea of account loss is brought up.

 

Quick edit: There was a small scam going on for a while where some people would offer up free gifted games on other forums, and the gifts were bought with stolen credit cards. Valve is aware of this, and accepting such gifts should only at worst get your account suspended briefly while it is sorted out - under such a circumstance you could talk to customer support directly to get it straightened out and your account restored minus the stolen games. So be smart, don't take candy from strangers.

 

 

Since your connection to Steam is obvious, maybe we can have a serious conversation. I don't come here for the heck of it or to complain just because i have nothingelse to do in life and will complain about all and everything. If you've noticed I have been a member here for 3 years now and have few posts, half of them recently and on this topic. So obviously I am concerned. Companies can sometime make changes to accomodate customers desires. So i guess I'll tell you what it is that bothers me, in the hopes, you will treat me with respect and give me a decent answer as I don't come here to be insulted by anyone either (ie, don't insult my intelligence). I spend a good amount of money anually related to games at gamers gate and even facebook games, music downloads and so on. The very fact of having Steam on my face all the time is what bothers me the most. Hey, I get a huge amount of emails, even from the red box everyday advertising something which I read and I don't mind as I am in the mood to review my email then. With Steam, i feel like when you go into a store and have a sales person on your face every other second asking you if you need any help, or do you want to add this or that to your order...Look, no, I don't want any help, please, get out of my face. For example, itunes will pop up evrey now and then and make me aware that an update is available and I choose to install it or not, that doesn't bother me whatsoever. So all I ask from Steam is, I'm not playing an online game, I've registered, you know i "own" a legitimate copy of my game and you will let me know whenever an update is available. The offline option for some reason I don't like, I want to be able to press on that shorcut and go straight into the game without being reminded I am playing offline as I'm not an idiot, I know I'm playing offline. Anythingelse, such as money saving offers on new games and what so ever, email me about it, or let me be sorprise when maybe once a week I go check on my Steam account, just don't be on my face when I want nothingelse but to press that shortcut and go straight into my game. Now, is that so extraordinarily crazy thing to ask. Is that Steam hating or bashing or whatever? No, i think what i ask is reasonable and what is unreasonable is to try to force me to accept something with which i don't feel confortable enough having bought a hardcopy of the game at a store. I know many people (steam customers) enjoy all the social network features and so on, hey keep that platform for those customers, but some of us rather have something more simple so make a variation in web desing and give me the choice, for example as a Gamers Gate store, I can redownload Assasins Creed and TwoWorlds Two which I bought from them as many times as I want also, and have bought many other games from them also. I think that would work on Steams behalf not against it, but what doesn't help Steam is to go into a war of insults with potential customers just because it rathers try to force their way on people, hey, let there be only one Microsoft, please.

[Handofbane]

As far as offline mode not working completely as it would appear to be intended, I cannot answer that. I can answer a couple other things though, and will say outright that I do not work for Valve in any way, but have used Steam for a very long time (even as far back as when it truly was invasive and could only be classified as malware/spyware).

 

Steam's documentation for changing its settings sucks. There is no getting around this. But they have included a way to effectively completely disable the popup ads and such, so that you literally will only see ads when you intentionally open up the Steam browser then click on the Store tab. Here is how: Open the Steam browser, then click Steam in the top left corner, now choose Settings -> Interface -> then uncheck the box "Notify me" near the bottom and hit OK. You now will no longer ever see pop up ads upon starting Steam or closing any game. There is also an option to tell Steam to not even start when you boot up your computer, though you cannot really get around having it start (even in offline mode) to run Skyrim. Some other Steam games will let you run without the browser, but most do require it running at least at the bare minimum level.

 

Many of your other points are not really something that can be responded to beyond "it's your preference, nobody is stopping you from using Gamers Gate/Direct2Drive/GOG/whoever", or things you would need to try to discuss directly with Valve themselves. They do listen to feedback, but the channels to provide that are almost exclusively through either their forums (forums.steampowered.com), or through their customer support service - posting complaints about it here or on the official Bethesda forums don't really accomplish anything more than the "Skyrim sucks and anyone who likes it is dumb" posts accomplish here - which is to say they both accomplish next to nothing.

 

Edit: And for the record, Valve has listened to customer feedback and changed in the past. Steam used to be extremely invasive, prying in places it had no business being, and would throw up every possible flag under spyware, malware and adware detectors today. After many complaints and much discussion amongst their users and users who shut down their accounts because of it, they went back in and reworked nearly the entire system to almost the state it is in today. They may be a company "only about the money", but they do recognize that keeping customers long term is more important than short term profits at the expense of upsetting everyone who buys a single game and refuses to come back. They wouldn't be in the position they are today if they had kept that attitude beyond the first year or two of business.

[Brittainy]

As far as offline mode not working completely as it would appear to be intended, I cannot answer that. I can answer a couple other things though, and will say outright that I do not work for Valve in any way, but have used Steam for a very long time (even as far back as when it truly was invasive and could only be classified as malware/spyware).

 

Steam's documentation for changing its settings sucks. There is no getting around this. But they have included a way to effectively completely disable the popup ads and such, so that you literally will only see ads when you intentionally open up the Steam browser then click on the Store tab. Here is how: Open the Steam browser, then click Steam in the top left corner, now choose Settings -> Interface -> then uncheck the box "Notify me" near the bottom and hit OK. You now will no longer ever see pop up ads upon starting Steam or closing any game. There is also an option to tell Steam to not even start when you boot up your computer, though you cannot really get around having it start (even in offline mode) to run Skyrim. Some other Steam games will let you run without the browser, but most do require it running at least at the bare minimum level.

 

Many of your other points are not really something that can be responded to beyond "it's your preference, nobody is stopping you from using Gamers Gate/Direct2Drive/GOG/whoever", or things you would need to try to discuss directly with Valve themselves. They do listen to feedback, but the channels to provide that are almost exclusively through either their forums (forums.steampowered.com), or through their customer support service - posting complaints about it here or on the official Bethesda forums don't really accomplish anything more than the "Skyrim sucks and anyone who likes it is dumb" posts accomplish here - which is to say they both accomplish next to nothing.

 

Edit: And for the record, Valve has listened to customer feedback and changed in the past. Steam used to be extremely invasive, prying in places it had no business being, and would throw up every possible flag under spyware, malware and adware detectors today. After many complaints and much discussion amongst their users and users who shut down their accounts because of it, they went back in and reworked nearly the entire system to almost the state it is in today. They may be a company "only about the money", but they do recognize that keeping customers long term is more important than short term profits at the expense of upsetting everyone who buys a single game and refuses to come back. They wouldn't be in the position they are today if they had kept that attitude beyond the first year or two of business.

 

^ I'd settle for being able to shut down / delete my account in the first place. I find it intensely annoying when the decision to destroy an account is taken out of my hands.

 

But anyway, I understand that plenty of people have no problem with Steam. If it fulfills your needs and doesn't give you any trouble, then by all means keep enjoying it ;) I just really hate being given no choice in the matter. It's Steam or no game. (Or alternate pirate copy of the game without Steam.)

 

If they're open to feedback, that's good. But I can't see them doing anything (short of ceasing to exist) that will satisfy some users such as my fickle self :whistling: I just think third-party, online software is absurd in relation to single-player, offline gaming.

[ChickenFatMan]

I wish skyrim wouldn't use steam. I'm having an odd problem where none of my games work with steam, but all the other games work that don't use steam. Only on windows xp the games work, not on windows 7. Its a shame because I wanted to have more than 2gb for skyrim.

[DrunkPirateRobert]

Okay, so the Boss shuts down the office early today and lets us all go home.

 

I drive home looking forward to playing a bit of Skyrim.

 

I try to log into the game but am greeted with:

 

"Steam -- Error The game is currently unvailable. Please try again at another time."

 

 

 

This is INFURIATING.

 

How can people NOT understand how INFURIATING this is? Sure, I realize some people apparently never have this problem, but for those of us who do, surely you can see how much experiences like this make us HATE steam.

 

Btw -- I am running in Offline mode.

 

"Offline mode" is a lie. It isn't truly, completely offline at all.

[DrunkPirateRobert]

Follow up to my above post:

 

I was just able to log in, finally. Steam was "unavailable" to me for at least 7 hours earlier today.

 

And some of you have the gall to ask why others don't like Steam!

[Handofbane]

@DrunkPirateRobert - have you checked your network settings lately? Had any issues with your internet connection at all? Because Steam was definitely not down for that time period, neither did it prevent myself or many others from being able to play Skyrim at that time (and I am not just pulling numbers from my nethers, Steam has the "how many people are playing what" tracker built into the Community tab, typically 40-50,000, with a peak of just under 80,000 at one time). The problem is likely on your end, not theirs.

[DeadSpace]

@DrunkPirateRobert - have you checked your network settings lately? Had any issues with your internet connection at all? Because Steam was definitely not down for that time period, neither did it prevent myself or many others from being able to play Skyrim at that time (and I am not just pulling numbers from my nethers, Steam has the "how many people are playing what" tracker built into the Community tab, typically 40-50,000, with a peak of just under 80,000 at one time). The problem is likely on your end, not theirs.

 

not particularly my place, but i have to ask a question, and make a statement.

Q. are you sure you don't work for valve?

because~>

S. You fail to see that it doesn't matter who's fault it was that he couldn't play a game he paid money for, the fact that he couldn't is what's important.

if skyrim never had steam>he could have played

if pirated>he could play

with steam>could not play

doesn't matter if it's his connection, his isp's connection, steams servers/connection, or a monkey swinging from transmission lines screwing up the connection.

he could not play because of steam. steam is what's at fault, nothing else. because no steam he would have never had that problem.