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Thinking of cancelling my pre-order

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Thinking of cancelling my pre-order

I still love GalCiv though!

from GalCiv3 Forums

As we get closer to the alpha of GalCiv3, one thought haunts my brain; "no, this is not the way."

First of all let me clarify where I come from. I am thirty years of age and can be considered an old-school gamer. My first "gaming rig" was an Atari 2600. The black plastic one from 1984, also known as the 2600 Junior. After that I got a Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I still remember the smell when I opened the box for the first time and playing Super Mario World for the first time. It's my fondest childhood memory and probably the reason I like physical media so much.

I got my first PC at the end of 1995. It had Windows 95 and a I got a bunch of games for both DOS and Windows. For those of you who don't know; this was the time period where the first 3D accelerators appeared and DirectX was on it's first iteration; it was not the massive beast we know today. My fondest memories of those times were coming home with a new game and opening the box. Believe it or not but most games had printed manuals, some even in colour! There is something about having the box displayed on a shelf, as if it's saying; "Look at me! My owner bought me and is proud of it!"

And that's where that haunting thought comes in. Though I don't have anything against digital distribution, it just doesn't feel right to not have a box standing on the shelf. Something you can hold in your hands and be happy about, thinking; "Yeah, I bought this. It was a good decision.". But that's not the only thing about GalCiv 3's digital distribution that bothers me. From what I've read, you need internet and Steam and that is the most bothersome.

What if I want to play it on a computer without internet and Steam? What if I don't have it installed and lose my internet connection (money problems, moving to Pluto or somewhere else without internet access) ? How will I be able to install the game then?

This troubles me to the extend that I am seriously thinking of trying to cancel my pre-order (if still possible).

(It is also stuff like this that drives me to download an unauthorized copy of a game. Because those, you can install on any computer without internet or Steam.)

I understand it's probably too expensive for Stardock to have physical media but is there any chance we will be able to download the game, burn it on a disc and install it on a computer without an internet connection and Steam? That would make me feel a whole lot more comfortable.

164,713 views 174 replies
Reply #101 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tridus, reply 100

I'm big on coop MP, but I also like single player games. Used to play more competitive MP in the past, but I kind of got away from that as I got older.

 

Never been playing competitive MP, unless you can call hockey, or shooting as being one, :) so I don't really know. Don't mind coop, but go find fellows to play when you scattered around the Globe. :)

Problem with steamworks (or any other "exclusive" service") is that you putting all your eggs into one basket, with all possible backblasts, that's my main concern, mostly.


Quoting Tridus, reply 100
That'd be neat. I can't imagine it's huge, but it can help you sell copies.

 

As long as other components of game are uneffected, I'm fine with anything else, as long as new content is optional. Yes, I'm very conservative guy.

 

Quoting Tridus, reply 100
I'm buying either way, but my best friend likes playing games like Civ with me. He's not buying right now, but if the coop works he'd pick up a copy so we can play together.

 

Judging by that symbol under your avatar, we already bought. ;)

To be honest, I don't really know if any of my friends are going to buy GC3, probably only one, and only if I give him three green whistles. :D Guess most of them are in decline on latest "hits" not being ones. I told them they should concentrated on well-known areas, not on Call of Crysis Battlefield...

 

Quoting Tridus, reply 100
Having it also gets you publicity and reviews on some gaming websites that would ignore (or penalize) a SP only game.

 

Unless your name is Bethesda, and nobody cares about multiplayer, bugs, outdated engine, and odd animations, it's always above 95 and GOTY.

:D


Quoting Tridus, reply 100
That was a great little game. I tried to make a MMO and it bankrupted me!

 

Somehow I managed through 35 years safely with around 250M on account and around 1.2M of fans. Had even personal console.

Guess my studio's specialization. :D

Reply #102 from GalCiv3 Forums Top


As we get closer to the alpha of GalCiv3, one thought haunts my brain; "no, this is not the way."

First of all let me clarify where I come from. I am thirty years of age and can be considered an old-school gamer. My first "gaming rig" was an Atari 2600. The black plastic one from 1984, also known as the 2600 Junior. After that I got a Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I still remember the smell when I opened the box for the first time and playing Super Mario World for the first time. It's my fondest childhood memory and probably the reason I like physical media so much.

I got my first PC at the end of 1995. It had Windows 95 and a I got a bunch of games for both DOS and Windows. For those of you who don't know; this was the time period where the first 3D accelerators appeared and DirectX was on it's first iteration; it was not the massive beast we know today. My fondest memories of those times were coming home with a new game and opening the box. Believe it or not but most games had printed manuals, some even in colour! There is something about having the box displayed on a shelf, as if it's saying; "Look at me! My owner bought me and is proud of it!"

And that's where that haunting thought comes in. Though I don't have anything against digital distribution, it just doesn't feel right to not have a box standing on the shelf. Something you can hold in your hands and be happy about, thinking; "Yeah, I bought this. It was a good decision.". But that's not the only thing about GalCiv 3's digital distribution that bothers me. From what I've read, you need internet and Steam and that is the most bothersome.

What if I want to play it on a computer without internet and Steam? What if I don't have it installed and lose my internet connection (money problems, moving to Pluto or somewhere else without internet access) ? How will I be able to install the game then?

This troubles me to the extend that I am seriously thinking of trying to cancel my pre-order (if still possible).

(It is also stuff like this that drives me to download an unauthorized copy of a game. Because those, you can install on any computer without internet or Steam.)



I understand it's probably too expensive for Stardock to have physical media but is there any chance we will be able to download the game, burn it on a disc and install it on a computer without an internet connection and Steam? That would make me feel a whole lot more comfortable.

 

My Old skool gamer credentials outrank yours by 10 years... and several systems (aquarius, vic20, commodore64, spectrum, amiga... etc. etc.)

 

Warped tapes, lost manuals and authorisation keys, corrupted floppies, scratched disks, manual patching....

 

Screw physical media man!

Star Control: Origins
Reply #103 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Love the digital media all you want.  It's gonna get wiped out...20 years, tops.

Reply #104 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tharios, reply 103

Love the digital media all you want.  It's gonna get wiped out...20 years, tops.

 

Yea, just like when I threw my 90's games to trash. I should have probably saved them as relics, but there was no real use for them. Besides, the very best of them seem to have made comebacks as more or less modernized digital download versions.

Reply #105 from GalCiv3 Forums Top



What if I want to play it on a computer without internet and Steam?

You set Steam to offline mode. It doesn't require an active internet connection to function. I played Fallout New Vegas for a couple of years without having any sort of internet at all. I still play all my Steam games in offline mode, only going online if I want to buy a game or check one of their forums. You really should find out how things actually work before complaining about them.

Reply #106 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Frogboy once stated that 20 million dollars would be needed to make a non-Steam version, don't know how serious he was, but it was the best answer I could find.

Quoting Frogboy, reply 59
Give me $20M and I'll hire the people necessary to make it non-Steam works. May the check payable out to me directly please.

Reply #107 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tharios, reply 103

Love the digital media all you want.  It's gonna get wiped out...20 years, tops.

20 years is quite a long time for a game, though it'll make historians and archivists cringe.

Reply #108 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I used to stay far away from anything digital. Even further from anything Steamy.

 

Then I realized I play individual games only a limited period of time, so even if they all got wiped out, I'd really only be a game or two short. Also, I have nowhere to put them boxes.

 

I still dislike Steam to some extent. But only its demand to be turned on when playing a game I bought. If I want to play one game (program), it seems kinda perverse to have a demand for another one. My opinion is that this demand is completely artificial. Otherwise Steam has brought a lot of good for small indie developers who would never be able to get their game out without it and credit must be given when due. Also, a lot of casual gamers have no interest or even knowledge to install updates, patches and so forth, they want to start a game and play.

 

That said, if I have an option to buy a non-Steam version of a game, I will buy that one always.

Reply #109 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Overall I like the online distribution of games through steam.  I moved from 2300 miles (for a job) with next to nothing I previously had.  Luckily I still have access to a lot of the games due to steam (which I never really used)

Yes you can play games in offline mode after downloading it.  Even if you have dial-up you could eventually download the game and then be able to play it.

While it's nice to have hard copies, overall I think it just ads to the clutter and can really make the amount of stuff you have seem like junk.  I do miss the concept and idea of having a hard copy and playing it and letting people borrow games though (as if I haven't played it in over 5 years I probably won't have time to play it).  

Company stand point it really does open up finances and reduce burdens for companies to release games digitally and it has already helped add in a plethora of new games we haven't seen before because of the ability.  

 

And to be honest, you REALLY wouldn't want to support a company for a game you like?

Pirating hurts everyone except the pirater as the people that pay for the game often have to put up with security methods to avoid the c r a p you caused to be implemented in the first place.  I'm all for modding or legitimately altering a game I own (because I paid for it) such as SimCity to try to make it barely playable but the previous Galactic Civilizations games were far from broken or unplayable.  You really can't justify theft.

End Rant.  o___O;

Reply #110 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting CuriousLary, reply 109

Overall I like the online distribution of games through steam.

I was very reluctant about the whole idea of using Steam, but now that I've had some experience with it I kind of like it. It makes it very easy to get my hands on a game. These days, retail stores have next to nothing as far as computer games goes. My local EB Games has just a small shelf devoted to them, and they tend to only carry the latest blockbusters. Then those are only around for a very limited time. The other stores in this area are even worse, with mainly crap titles that I have absolutely no interest in. Plus Steam is always running really good sales on a regular basis. If you're patient, you can get pretty much any title you want for up to 60% off.

Reply #111 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tharios, reply 103

Love the digital media all you want.  It's gonna get wiped out...20 years, tops.

http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2012/04/source/

Physical Media has larger problems than you imagine

Reply #112 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting satoru1, reply 111


Quoting Tharios, reply 103
Love the digital media all you want.  It's gonna get wiped out...20 years, tops.

http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2012/04/source/

Physical Media has larger problems than you imagine

Physical media isn't really going to be any better when the time comes, admittedly, but I can't very well come on here and say, "get used to only having books and live music. by candle or firelight.

Reply #113 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Physical media is just as bad, if not worse. Every once in a while at work we find some old stuff in storage on floppies, and it's a miracle when we find the correct type of floppy drive and the disk still works. (Or the hilarious stuff on old tape reels where the younger employees have no idea what it even is.)

 

Old burned CDs that are decaying now also give folks at the archives fits.

Reply #114 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tridus, reply 113

Physical media is just as bad, if not worse. Every once in a while at work we find some old stuff in storage on floppies, and it's a miracle when we find the correct type of floppy drive and the disk still works. (Or the hilarious stuff on old tape reels where the younger employees have no idea what it even is.)

 

Old burned CDs that are decaying now also give folks at the archives fits.

Could be worse...could be people like Ray Kurzweil thinking it's possible to "download" a mind into a computer...or that it's even a good idea for that matter.

Reply #115 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I'm an old-school gamer.  But I'm glad that I can buy games digitally.  The only thing I miss are the "extras" like cloth maps and the awesome trinkets that only losers (like me) wore like an ankh that from one of the Ultima games that I put on string and wore around my neck.   :S

 

 

But I'll chime and and affirm the stance against pirating games.  And for all its early foibles, Steam has ended up being good for the gaming industry.  I was slow to accept it, but I've given in. And I think I'm better for it.

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Reply #116 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I love physical editions too, I always splurge on collector's boxes, but to completely miss out on a great game because they don't put it on CD is one of the silliest things I have ever heard. The games I would have missed out on if I had that policy...

Braid

Cave Story+

VVVVVV

Super MeatBoy

Europa Universalis IV

DOTA/DOTA2

Awesomenauts

etc. etc. etc. etc.

You are really doing yourself a disservice by keeping to that principle. You can still buy physical copies when they are available, and that's great, but to not play a game at all without physical media is bordering on neo-luddism.

Reply #117 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Dumhed, reply 115

I'm an old-school gamer.  But I'm glad that I can buy games digitally.  The only thing I miss are the "extras" like cloth maps and the awesome trinkets that only losers (like me) wore like an ankh that from one of the Ultima games that I put on string and wore around my neck.  

Ultima Ascention may not have been great but that Ankh pendant was awesome sauce incarnate. Hell I still wear the thing on occasion. People think it's some rediculous 'spiritual charm'. Idiots :P

Reply #118 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting satoru1, reply 117


Quoting Dumhed, reply 115
I'm an old-school gamer.  But I'm glad that I can buy games digitally.  The only thing I miss are the "extras" like cloth maps and the awesome trinkets that only losers (like me) wore like an ankh that from one of the Ultima games that I put on string and wore around my neck.  

Ultima Ascention may not have been great but that Ankh pendant was awesome sauce incarnate. Hell I still wear the thing on occasion. People think it's some rediculous 'spiritual charm'. Idiots

 

I think it is time to convince Derek and Brad to have one of their artists make a cafe press store to sell necklace pendants with popular race logos... or better yet, underwear with the logo right where it ought to be.

Reply #119 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting CuriousLary, reply 109
Even if you have dial-up you could eventually download the game and then be able to play it.

 

Don't even remind me of dialup. XO 28.8 kbps considered to be "Fast" (in comparison to slow 14.4 kbps), 1$ per 1 hour, plus 1$ per 1 Mb downloaded.

Good luck, McLane!

 

Quoting AlexOnFyre, reply 116
Cave Story+

 

How is it?

 

Quoting Dumhed, reply 118
I think it is time to convince Derek and Brad to have one of their artists make a cafe press store to sell necklace pendants with popular race logos... or better yet, underwear with the logo right where it ought to be.

 

Toilet paper rolls with your "favorite" race printed there...

Reply #120 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Rudy_102, reply 119


[quote who="AlexOnFyre" reply="116" id="3431761"]

Cave Story+

 

How is it?

 [/quote]

 

It's really good, even if you played the original, I would highly recommend it. It's the best modern "Metroidvania" style game I have played.

[EDIT: This board needs to work on its BBCode...]

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Reply #121 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting AlexOnFyre, reply 120

It's really good, even if you played the original, I would highly recommend it. It's the best modern "Metroidvania" style game I have played.

 

I haven't played in original, I didn't even knew about its existence before you told me. :)

Thanks, I'll look up on next Sale. Or maybe next after that - my backlog is pretty long anyway. :)

 

Quoting AlexOnFyre, reply 120

[EDIT: This board needs to work on its BBCode...]

 

Use brackets for guidance. I was confused for the first time, and still prefer not to create ladders of quoting the quoted, but it's managable. Much easier than one of software packages I use as work.

Reply #122 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Rudy_102, reply 119


Toilet paper rolls with your "favorite" race printed there...

Yes please.

Reply #123 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

First of all, I too am in my 30's and there was nothing I loved more than flipping through the manual on the train home. Piracy has no excuses. It's theft plain and simple, to try and justify this with the excuse that it doesn't come with a manual or a box is nothing short of pathetic.

 

Those times are gone my friend. Let it go. I miss those days too and they were fun but they are over. The fact is digital is actually an improvement over physical. I cannot count the amount of times I scratched a disk in a drunken stupor or lost them in a moving process. Having stuff digitized doesn't make you less of a gamer. It just means you don't have to fork out another wallet full of cash when you accidently drop the disk down the toilet. (don't ask I drank a lot back then).

Reply #124 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

What if you don't want to play it with a keyboard and mouse? What if you want to play it without being connected to a power source to save money.

Oh come on. 

I do agree with wanting to not be tethered to the internet to be able to play every game, but this came about mostly to thwart Piracy (I assume).

You won't be tethered to the Internet to play just as GalCiv 2 is now.  I want a multiplayer without hackers.

 

 

Reply #125 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Wintersong, reply 5

I must say that I love not have to worry about the box. I have no room for more. Game boxes, board/card game ones and books already have land feuds in my house!

 

I've actually repurchased most of my old games (including GalCiv I and II) to keep them updatated and on steam. Yeah, I know I can load non-steam games into my steam client, but honestly half of them no longer work, won't install correctly, or won't have the latest updates and patch fixes. It is just easier to own and maintain my library on steam. And offline mode is awesome and works for most games there too.