NwN/NwN2 style updater, please!

[Pipyui]

The trouble isn't in the functionality of Steam, many of us just don't like supporting DRMed games is all. A personal issue, and one for a different thread.

Since my copy of PE will not come through steam (okay, I might make an exception if I can get it for linux through steam but not GOG ), I would just like to be sure that the game isn't insistent on self-updating. I don't need a game tied to the internet (Blizzard gets enough flak for that), or that even tries to connect to the internet without my consent. Update button in the game menu is fine, and if (when) it doesn't work I can just manually patch.

[teknoman2]

The trouble isn't in the functionality of Steam, many of us just don't like supporting DRMed games is all. A personal issue, and one for a different thread.

Since my copy of PE will not come through steam (okay, I might make an exception if I can get it for linux through steam but not GOG ), I would just like to be sure that the game isn't insistent on self-updating. I don't need a game tied to the internet (Blizzard gets enough flak for that), or that even tries to connect to the internet without my consent. Update button in the game menu is fine, and if (when) it doesn't work I can just manually patch.

i have over 30 games on steam both of the latest AAA releases and older games. none of these games has ever demanded of me to download the update in order to work, except for the online games for obvious reasons. the single player games i can just use in offline mode with or without the latest patch (except for Assassin's Creed 2 for ubisoft reasons).

anyway i dont really get the indiscriminate DRM hate. some DRM like the ones used by ubisoft or blizzard must be burned, then tossed in a barrel of acid and then loaded into a rocket and sent to the sun along with their creators to make sure they wont be back, but others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

[Jelei]

i have over 30 games on steam both of the latest AAA releases and older games. none of these games has ever demanded of me to download the update in order to work, except for the online games for obvious reasons. the single player games i can just use in offline mode with or without the latest patch (except for Assassin's Creed 2 for ubisoft reasons).

anyway i dont really get the indiscriminate DRM hate. some DRM like the ones used by ubisoft or blizzard must be burned, then tossed in a barrel of acid and then loaded into a rocket and sent to the sun along with their creators to make sure they wont be back, but others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

 

Requiring to have a intrusive third-party program that, unless properly configured starts at launch is so subtle DRM that people don't notice it?

 

Um. Not so.

 

I kind of gave up on my Steam & DRM hate for a while, given that a lot of games that I wanted required steam. So I gave up. I soon got my hate-vigour back when steam updated a game I had even when I had specified the auto-updates off and if I recall correctly, I was even running steam in offline-mode. The problem was, the update broke the game for me, in addition to breaking the mods I had.

 

Never again to Steam.

[teknoman2]

i have over 30 games on steam both of the latest AAA releases and older games. none of these games has ever demanded of me to download the update in order to work, except for the online games for obvious reasons. the single player games i can just use in offline mode with or without the latest patch (except for Assassin's Creed 2 for ubisoft reasons).

anyway i dont really get the indiscriminate DRM hate. some DRM like the ones used by ubisoft or blizzard must be burned, then tossed in a barrel of acid and then loaded into a rocket and sent to the sun along with their creators to make sure they wont be back, but others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

 

Requiring to have a intrusive third-party program that, unless properly configured starts at launch is so subtle DRM that people don't notice it?

 

Um. Not so.

 

I kind of gave up on my Steam & DRM hate for a while, given that a lot of games that I wanted required steam. So I gave up. I soon got my hate-vigour back when steam updated a game I had even when I had specified the auto-updates off and if I recall correctly, I was even running steam in offline-mode. The problem was, the update broke the game for me, in addition to breaking the mods I had.

 

Never again to Steam.

intrusive how? it just sits quietly in the status bar doing nothing unless you give it an order, and uses no more than 17-20MB ram. now if the guys who make a game and its patches, change the files in a way that renders mods incompatible, it's not steam's fault for breaking the game (and i think you mean a TES game because the only people i know who change file names with each patch, making mods incompatible are the idiots at bethesda. it's their idea of blocking pirated versions from being patched i think).

anyway i never had something like what you say happen to me (or any other steam related problems that i read about for that matter) so i have no reason to be anything but happy with the service... excluding the 1$=1€ pricing policy

[Pipyui]

I don't hate all DRMs per se. I actually see steam as a great platform for indie developers. However, I don't like to have my games tethered inexorably to a third-party client service, and I don't like at all supporting the movement of ALL games to this model. I can hardly buy a PC game anymore that doesn't require a client service to run. I don't need my games to "phone home." Then you've got steam, and EA's Origin, and Gamestop/Stardocks Impulse - I don't want everyones' client installed and have to pick which to run at any given time to play any given game.

It's a personal issue, nothing more.

 

...

 

Sorry about that. Anyway, Steam debate aside, I'm just arguing to not have the game itself phoning home regularly. If I want to update the game, I'll download a patch or click the "Update Now" button in the main menu. This is the only time when PE should be connected to the interwebs (unless the devs decide to add multiplayer after all).

 

I'm not saying that Steam is bad and that you should feel bad for using it. Just different strokes for different folks - I want the option to avoid it or use it as I choose.

[Archmage Silver]

Personally I like to archive the patch files, so automatic updaters aren't really important to me at all. Hopefully manual patches will be available.

[Valsuelm]

A very vehement: 'Please No!!!!' to any kind of automatic updating.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Valsuelm

[AwesomeOcelot]

i have over 30 games on steam both of the latest AAA releases and older games. none of these games has ever demanded of me to download the update in order to work, except for the online games for obvious reasons. the single player games i can just use in offline mode with or without the latest patch (except for Assassin's Creed 2 for ubisoft reasons).

anyway i dont really get the indiscriminate DRM hate. some DRM like the ones used by ubisoft or blizzard must be burned, then tossed in a barrel of acid and then loaded into a rocket and sent to the sun along with their creators to make sure they wont be back, but others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

 

Requiring to have a intrusive third-party program that, unless properly configured starts at launch is so subtle DRM that people don't notice it?

 

Um. Not so.

 

I kind of gave up on my Steam & DRM hate for a while, given that a lot of games that I wanted required steam. So I gave up. I soon got my hate-vigour back when steam updated a game I had even when I had specified the auto-updates off and if I recall correctly, I was even running steam in offline-mode. The problem was, the update broke the game for me, in addition to breaking the mods I had.

 

Never again to Steam.

 

Was that the re-organising files into a more efficient format? Yes, Steam did update all or most games to a new format that you didn't want to update. It was a system/steam client update for a new content delivery system, not a game update. It was done for important reasons and there are benefits to it, but it did break people's mods and unofficial patches.

[terryrayc]

I've not ever had a problem with steam and I probably have 120 to 140 games on steam. Some games I turn off the auto updater but for the most part the games that support mods are not that many so I've never been burned. As for people asking about steam and having different versions or rolling back, the answer is no. You canot unpatch nor can you have more then 1 version, I'm not even sure if you can install steam twice, I'm guessing no, but steam will only install the most current version it has.

 

DRM as a concept is fine, I understand the need for it based on the number of products I see on the internet that are either cracked or home made iso's with volume licenses posted that people didn't pay for. I know if I invested a lot I'd expect to get paid for my work...but that's kinda off topic.

 

I think a game like this should allow you to check for updates and download them if you want (The non-steam versions). I understand why most online games force updates(Client and server must match) but for offline games, sometimes I like to wait for reviews of the patch before I apply it.

[LadyCrimson]

I've not ever had a problem with steam and I probably have 120 to 140 games on steam. Some games I turn off the auto updater but for the most part the games that support mods are not that many so I've never been burned. As for people asking about steam and having different versions or rolling back, the answer is no. You canot unpatch nor can you have more then 1 version, I'm not even sure if you can install steam twice, I'm guessing no, but steam will only install the most current version it has.

If you like to play offline, Steams "don't update" checkbox doesn't work. At least, it never has for me. As soon as you switch to online mode to do anything, Steam starts downloading every single update for every game even if you have "don't update" checked. If it's a big update and you're quick, you can go to the DL screen and pause/stop them before they DL and install, but that's iffy and annoying.

 

However, you CAN copy the entire game install of a Steam game to another place, so if you want to play a specific version of the game, go into offline mode and copy back that old version. Of course, this can be a ton of HDD space eventually, if you wanted to keep a copy of every single "version", say, and it means you have to play the game's older versions in offline mode, so it's not exactly something to do very often. (and it only works if you bought the game on Steam before any patches you don't like were put out)

[AwesomeOcelot]

 

i have over 30 games on steam both of the latest AAA releases and older games. none of these games has ever demanded of me to download the update in order to work, except for the online games for obvious reasons. the single player games i can just use in offline mode with or without the latest patch (except for Assassin's Creed 2 for ubisoft reasons).

anyway i dont really get the indiscriminate DRM hate. some DRM like the ones used by ubisoft or blizzard must be burned, then tossed in a barrel of acid and then loaded into a rocket and sent to the sun along with their creators to make sure they wont be back, but others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

 

Requiring to have a intrusive third-party program that, unless properly configured starts at launch is so subtle DRM that people don't notice it?

 

Um. Not so.

 

I kind of gave up on my Steam & DRM hate for a while, given that a lot of games that I wanted required steam. So I gave up. I soon got my hate-vigour back when steam updated a game I had even when I had specified the auto-updates off and if I recall correctly, I was even running steam in offline-mode. The problem was, the update broke the game for me, in addition to breaking the mods I had.

 

Never again to Steam.

 

Was that the re-organising files into a more efficient format? Yes, Steam did update all or most games to a new format that you didn't want to update. It was a system/steam client update for a new content delivery system, not a game update. It was done for important reasons and there are benefits to it, but it did break people's mods and unofficial patches.

 

Apparently Steam forces available updates, and the "do not automatically update" option is only for games that don't get patched, and it stops Steam from "fixing" modded files. Never wanted to keep the old version of a game on Steam yet, but when I got FarCry I later learnt that a patch not made by the developer but the publisher has turned the game into an unplayable mess, well done Ubisoft.

[WorstUsernameEver]

it seems for gog, they update the installer, (I could be wrong) but there aren't any patches for any of their games as you download the whole package again

 

now concerning PE, if they do the same system, it would be a massive burden for those that have limited bandwidth, especially if patches do come out fairly quickly, (there will always be a few patches) steam version will be fine, as it will auto update, but I think for the gog version, they should offer patches along with the game installer, but as there won't be any DRM attached, then maybe OE could offer these patches? or some gaming site? I'm still not sure which version of the game I'm going for, so would be good to have some ideas on how the GOG version (patches) will be handled,

 

The Witcher 2 always got patches, so I'd assume PE would get them too. Since it's a DRM-free version, I'd expect Obsidian could also distribute the patches themselves.

[Heresiarch]

NWN updater? This was sarcasm, right?

 

Because the damn thing never worked for me once. I had to go through patching manually every time if I wanted to make sure I end up with a working game. I even have a dedicated folder for NWN2 with all the necessary updates in the right order and the custom patcher.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

You can't go back to a previous patch on Steam can you, or keep two versions of the same game?

 

You cannot go back, nor can you keep two versions.

[Sensuki]

I'm quite happy to just download patches from an FTP server or via torrents (seems a popular way now).

 

Does depend on how the files are packed, if we have to download the whole modified files, rather than an installer patching our current files then that can get annoying, but whatever.

 

If I can avoid getting a Steam game I will, I'd prefer to own my game, not a license to play it.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Sensuki

[Deadly_Nightshade]

...others, like steam, are so subtle that most people dont realise they are DRMs at all.

 

R00fles! You're joking, right? Steam is one of the most controlling forms of DRM used and, frankly, something I would prefer to avoid if it wasn't needed for so many titles (I still buy my games on disc when I can, provided the DRM used on the physical version is not more horrendous than that used on digital copies).