Arma3 steam only

[MengJiao]

I back-tracked to this from SimHQ:

http://www.bistudio.com/english/company/developers-blog


This is fine with me.  I have reluctantly accepted the steam thing, problematic as it often is.

I think steam is getting better.  After my first experiences, I hunted it down and wiped it off my machine.

Now it is always there doing something or other. 

[Huw the Poo]

I understand their reasoning from their own point of view, but it's disingenuous to make up some thin excuses for the "good of the customer".  Monopolies are never good for the customer.  Plus I hardly think Steam is the best platform; I'd have preferred Desura if there had to be only one.

[DoctorQuest]

I'll wait until it's released on gog.

[Jarhead0331]

Steam is my favorite of the third-party digital programs.  I'll never understand why so many people detest it from a technical standpoint.  When there is a problem, yes, it can be extremely frustrating, no question...but at least for me, 99% of the time, it has run everything flawlessly and has been extremely convenient when changing computers.

[Yskonyn]

Yeah I am with JH on this. In fact, I've been buying games I already owned a harcopy of in Steam for rediculously low prices. Just so I can get rid of all the boxes and still have the same game library where I do not have to worry about finding DVD's or such back. ;)
Steam has never given me any problems in all those many years I've been using it.

[Longdan]

I have been using steam forever and have well over a hundred games there.  When it works it is great and that is almost
always.  When it doesn't work right you are out of luck.  As in out of luck.  99% is about right.  A couple of things won't or
can't work and I have given up even trying to deal with their customer service robot.  Overall 99% is good.  I have never
had a problem with Desura and GG's customer service is excellent.

[Arctic Blast]

I understand their reasoning from their own point of view, but it's disingenuous to make up some thin excuses for the "good of the customer".  Monopolies are never good for the customer.  Plus I hardly think Steam is the best platform; I'd have preferred Desura if there had to be only one.

Never going to happen for one simple reason...how much of this does Desura offer for free?

-Integrated patching
-multi player matchmaking
-achievements
-integrated DLC and microtransactions
-full system support regardless of where the game is sold
-cloud saves
-optional anti-cheat
-community features (groups and the like)
-in game chat.

Plus, there's apparently a lot of background stuff for devs and publishers that gives a lot of sales/play information. And of course things like higher level DRM options and key creation and so on. I can't blame a developer for going with that when the other option is to pay to set up that infrastructure themselves, and then be stuck with maintaining said infrastructure.

[GDS_Starfury]

ARMA3 is the one with the Zmod isnt it?

[Huw the Poo]

Arctic: Yeah I realise all that, I'm just saying that I would've preferred Desura.  As I said, I don't doubt their reasoning and that the move is good for the devs.  The best scenario would be multiple distribution platforms so that the customer has some choice.

[Toonces]

I'm with Jarhead and Yskonyn on this one.

I'll even go further and say that I have no problems with Steam 99.9% of the time.  About two weeks ago my internet crapped out and Steam even defaulted to offline mode without me needing to go through that connect-select offline-disconnect thing.  It just puttered on without internet like nothing.

I also have started buying games I already own again on Steam just to not have to worry about the disk anymore (Oblivion, numerous Total War games, etc.).

The best, though, has been modding Skyrim.  I go to the workshop, find a mod that looks interesting, hit subscribe...done.  No hassles, no sketchy downloads from rapidfire or any of that crap, no hoops.  Just subscribe-done.  Don't like it?  Unsubscribe-done.

Honestly, it's just so doggone convenient anymore that I don't even shop at any type of gamestore.  In fact, I'd go so far to say that I've almost stopped buying games unless they're on Steam.  Now that's nuts.   ???

[jomni]

Steam is a good platform for gaming since it is very convenient.

The biggest problem of the model is the big question mark when Steam bites the dust. 
But like anything else, there will be catastrophic failures... even with your beloved HDD or CD backups (they might die or get lost in the future).

[Jarhead0331]

From a technical perspective, I find that the biggest problems arrive when there is an added unnecessary layer of DRM, such as with Ubisoft or EA games.  Why buy them through steam if you still have to run uplay or origins in order to play the game.  It is through these third third-party systems that I've experienced some difficulty.  It is unfortunate when select AAA titles operate this way.

As for what happens when steam is no longer around?  Keep buying games to help avoid that, but in the end, if it happens without any reasonable concession being offered?  Well, that's a class action lawsuit I'd love to take.

[TheCommandTent]

ARMA3 is the one with the Zmod isnt it?

No thats ARMAII you are thinking of.

[MengJiao]

ARMA3 is the one with the Zmod isnt it?

ARMA3 isn't out yet.  The standard misgivings about it are that it is futuristic and maybe even a bit Sci -Fi -- which is fine with me.

Some good things about it might be underwater stuff and other improved representations of a complete world (such as all the armas have tried to do: working clocks, constellations, clouds, sun and moon etc.).

I'll get it as soon as it comes out as I've done with all the ARMAs since the first one (the original operation flashpoint).  I was a year late on the first one.  I got it in 2002.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

You can sign up for the alpha now.  It goes live on Mar 5.  $25 to do so but you get the final release of the game when it's released.