Steam ain't worth it

[DeVry Student]

The SteamPowered.com forums are down. Has been since at least 10 PM Last night (Central time).

It took 2 hours of waiting to download the CS:S patch yesterday - and I was unable to play CS:S while this was happening. Additionally, I couldn't join any servers due to the fact that Steam was "overloaded".

Valve - fix Steam. Better yet, do away with it - the lack of functionality and security (anyone can get anyones Steam User ID just type in "status" in the console, requires one to enable Internet servers on their firewall, and requires one to submit their credit card information and license key to Valve - no server is 100% secure even when it is shut down - so why risk all that money of user's private information if you don't have to?) is not worth the "ease of use" tradeoff.

 

[The Hulk]

Devry - I am willing to bet that their forum issues have nothing to do with your Steam issues. Different platforms, different physical servers...
I did the CS:S updates and SDK updates last night as well - 12ish CST, and I didn't have any issues at all - updated in about 5-10 minutes.

Hulk

 

[Dill0n]

forums/message boards/websites/etc go down all the time. i highly doubt they're not doing anything to get them back online. steampowered.com being down is not news to anyone, but i hadn't realized it's been down for that long.

as for steam, it's not perfect. sure, when it's not working properly and overloaded it can be a pain in the rear. but valve knew what they were doing by hiring the creator of bittorrent to help perfect steam. again, id be surprised if they're not in a constant state of tweaking/perfecting/streamlining their proprietary file transfer application.

 

[Varsity]

The problem isn't lack of bandwidth but poor nay abysmal load balancing. Every update, there is one or perhaps two servers in each continent that are maxed out while the others are barely above normal usage. The solution is to delete your clientregistry.blob file which will make Steam look for a new server.

 

[Chimp]

[..]anyone can get anyones Steam User ID just type in "status" in the console

So? it's not like they can do anything with it.

requires one to enable Internet servers on their firewall

What? The only thin I can think of is that Steam client requires port 80 access to get the latest new etc. Hardly a security concern, if it bothers you that much just block it. it won't harm the functionality of Steam.

and requires one to submit their credit card information and license key to Valve

How else are you going to buy or activate a game? if you don't like putting your cc info through Steam don't buy anything through Steam, simple.

If you don't like online activation then, well, there's not a lot we can do, give it 3-4 years and I bet at least 50% of the software we use will require the same thing.

no server is 100% secure even when it is shut down - so why risk all that money of user's private information if you don't have to?) is not worth the "ease of use" tradeoff.

Valve do not handle the cc transactions when you buy a game, this is routed through a secure third party who specialise in these things. Also, Valve do not store any cc information except the last four digits of your card, which on their own are worthless.

I'm not a great fan of Steam, it has many flaws, but if you're going to criticise the program and/or Valve at least save your effort for something based on fact.

 

[Blinxx]

Chimp, you can totally tell you've had too much practice in doing that, lol

 

[Logic]

It's easy to complain about steam, and pay no attention to the benefits. Small bugfixes can now be circulated instantly, instead of having to be left for the next big patch release. The result is problems being removed faster, and new content being acquired without effort on the user's part. The system has merit, and as it gradually improves and problems are ironed out, such delivery systems will probably become pretty standard in the gaming world.

There is no way whatsoever that Valve is going to stop using steam.

 

[john121]

I was at an internet cafe a few days ago, asked if a PC was open to play HL2. They tried it, and it wasn't connecting. Now, yes I was bummed but I figured hey, things don't always go your way. Also, Steam wasn't designed appropriately for internet cafes. But I do have one small question (probably answered someplace else, i know) do you have to log onto steam EVERY time you play HL2?

 

[NJspeed]

I don't think that the Steam model will take hold.

Imagine if it did.. you'd have a SECOND, DIFFERENT, internet program running for every single program on your computer?? Every program would actually have ANOTHER program that hooks into the publishers servers just to make sure theres no software piracy? Cmon, Steam sucks. We could just as easily go to a website and download a new patch, why do you actually need Steam? The last thing we need is a Steam for Doom 3, one for FarCry, one for something else, blah blah blah. It's just a waste of system resources and a PAIN IN THE A55!

Last night I wanted to play my friend in CS, only hold on one second, "I'll call you back in an hour when this is done downloading." I could have downloaded that same patch in seconds without Steam being a lagged up peice of 5hit.

 

[^Ben]

Dont like it NJspeed dont use it and get out of theese forums trying to mix opinion with fact.

john the cafe has to have the specialised cafe client and it works good, if they just have the normal steam client it dosent work well with a cafe enviroment.

 

[Absinthe]

Whoah, I don't have these problems. Sucks for you.

 

[Chimp]

Chimp, you can totally tell you've had too much practice in doing that, lol

lol, what, the quoting? don't these forums look cool compared to the steampowered ones... avatars, sigs, etc etc... Valve should move to vBulletin 3 post haste... hey, maybe they will if the current db and system is fuxxored.

BTW, did you have to put that in your sig.. don't you have any time off from that place?

 

[^Ben]

Pft, knowing the average steampowered user there would be pictures of goatse galore.

 

[CR33P]

The SteamPowered.com forums are down. Has been since at least 10 PM Last night (Central time).

It took 2 hours of waiting to download the CS:S patch yesterday - and I was unable to play CS:S while this was happening. Additionally, I couldn't join any servers due to the fact that Steam was "overloaded".

Valve - fix Steam. Better yet, do away with it - the lack of functionality and security (anyone can get anyones Steam User ID just type in "status" in the console, requires one to enable Internet servers on their firewall, and requires one to submit their credit card information and license key to Valve - no server is 100% secure even when it is shut down - so why risk all that money of user's private information if you don't have to?) is not worth the "ease of use" tradeoff.

face it mate your machine is ****ed

 

[Mountain Man]

The alternative is, of course, scouring Google trying to find a decent download site, making sure its compatible with your installed software (certain patches are required for different program versions), waiting in line to download it, installing the patch, then more waiting as the admins update their servers.

Steam isn't perfect, but it's certainly forward progress over the old way.

 

[Blinxx]

lol, what, the quoting? don't these forums look cool compared to the steampowered ones... avatars, sigs, etc etc... Valve should move to vBulletin 3 post haste... hey, maybe they will if the current db and system is fuxxored.

BTW, did you have to put that in your sig.. don't you have any time off from that place?

I was copying the cool kids! Smash and MATT!

Hell, believe me, we've been bugging them for vB3 :]

 

[justmatt]

My whole beef with steam is merely that it is required. I think it is a great tool, but the fact that it was required to even play the game struck me as a bit ridiculous. I mean what...you're requiring people to have Internet to play the game to crack down on piracy...but how is someone without Internet going to download the ****ing game illegally?

 

[Blinxx]

My whole beef with steam is merely that it is required. I think it is a great tool, but the fact that it was required to even play the game struck me as a bit ridiculous. I mean what...you're requiring people to have Internet to play the game to crack down on piracy...but how is someone without Internet going to download the ****ing game illegally?

You can easily acquire copies of an illegal/pirated game without the Internet. Think about it.

 

[tuintje]

Just re-install steam already I got the update in less then 1 minute

 

[$kelet0r]

my problem with steam
what other game has caused so much hurt and anger while at the same time being brilliant
ans. = none all cos of steam
bloody useless piece of spyware if u ask me

 

[Blinxx]

my problem with steam
what other game has caused so much hurt and anger while at the same time being brilliant
ans. = none all cos of steam
bloody useless piece of spyware if u ask me

How is Steam "spyware"? It isn't at all.

Please read Valve's privay policy (found here).

 

[Chimp]

I was copying the cool kids! Smash and MATT!

What, smash and MATT are on here too! lolz, we're all just forum junkies...

 

[Chimp]

How is Steam "spyware"? It isn't at all.

Ahem, Steam monitors our usage patterns, much like every other piece of spyware, it also collect personably identifiable information (damn, try to spell that whne ur pished), it's all in the EULA.

I trust Valve with any info they have about me though.

 

[Blinxx]

Ahem, Steam monitors our usage patterns, much like every other piece of spyware, it also collect personably identifiable information (damn, try to spell that whne ur pished), it's all in the EULA.

I trust Valve any info they have about me though.

It does, yet it isn't in the same class as "spyware" at all. Even Microsoft doesn't recognise Steam as spyware.

Haha, forum junkies is the perfect analogy.

 

[NJspeed]

Dont like it NJspeed dont use it and get out of theese forums trying to mix opinion with fact.

john the cafe has to have the specialised cafe client and it works good, if they just have the normal steam client it dosent work well with a cafe enviroment.

Hold on a second sport. Isn't that the point of this thread? To give our opinions on the facts? How are you gonna tell me to leave for presenting my opinion? My opinion is that Steam is pointless, so what? Obviously a bunch of other people agree with me. Why don't you leave?

 

[winterisnofun]

It seems like Steam is the MOST contraversial(sp?) topic in pc gaming right now. Valve did a good job of making a name for it i guess, lol.

Personally, I think its a royal pain in the ass that basically punishes the actual paying customers for Valve not being able to keep its code under wraps.

Hl2 is a great, and i mean GREAT game, but coming home and having to wait about 3 hours on a 56k connection to play a single-player game is a little over the top. I did upgrade to broadband, but that is something i really shouldnt have to do get a single player game to work imo.

 

[CyberPitz]

I love steam with all my heart. problems are rare for me, resources don't get cloged enough for me to bitch about it (I only have 512 meg o' ram too!) There are some plus's to Steam as well!:

The ability to push escape and going to options. That takes a good 1.3 seconds. Now any other game, it would take a bit longer to load the starting menu from the game. Now go into the video tab and change video modes/resolution/advanced properties. Notice you don't have to exit the game at all! (only in source games?) That seems worthwhile to me.
The update system is unbelievable. I love it. I don't have to go searching for a damn patch, and I don't have to waste the space on my HDD by holding them just incase I gotta reinstall! And speaking of reinstalling, it's so easy. Due to the GCFs, you can delete the entire CSs/hl2 directory, and have it up and back in under 30 seconds. It's just like a clean install! (unless the gcf is currupted )

Having all the Valve games under one location is just neat. Keeps my computer less cluttered hehe. The way it handles installing mods, just put it in the "source mod" folder....awesome. And it even appears in the "Play Games' tab, which is also dandy.

Now there are a few downsides, sometimes the slow downloads, or the inability to play games, but really, if you are going to die over not playing a certain video game....yeah. I'm a HUGE computer geek, but I know I can live without my precious computer

My 2 cents...plz dont flame too hard, my fire suit is in the wash

 

[Varsity]

Personally, I think its a royal pain in the ass that basically punishes the actual paying customers for Valve not being able to keep its code under wraps.

Steam is several years older than the leak.

 

[azz0r]

lol with Won you could get peoples id with status too.

What exactly is the problem with that? It allows admins to ban you and users to track you.

 

[Lemonking]

I say we hang him

 

[CriYam]

Steam works great. Your problems with steam are imaginary. credit cards,spyware and steam ID's, wow, you're either severely mis-informed or have a wild imagination.

 

[NJspeed]

It would be okay if Steam was a central platform for every game, not just Valve games. Lets be honest, how many games do you actually play from Valve that you need an entire management system for it? Do you actually play Codename Gordon, and do you really need Steam for a game like that? lol.. I love HL1 and HL2, I like playing CS and HL DM on occassion.. but I don't need Steam to do any of those things. I only need it cuz Valve says so. We're talking about Valve here.. yeah they make the world's best game, but thats it. Their a boutique software publisher, they got a niche among first person shooters.. thats it. It's not like they are Activision, whose publicly traded and one of the biggest video game publishers in the world. I can actually put up with Steam, but it's the thought that other video game publishers will follow is what scares me. Cmon, the last thing we need is a Steam type program from every software company. Like I said in a previous post, that would mean there'd be one for Doom 3, Far Cry, etc etc etc. It would just get out of hand and be annoying. And while I always play on my PC hooked into the net.. what if I wanted to take HL2 on vacation with me on a laptop? I couldn't do that. But I could with every other game that's ever come out.

 

[Kirkburn]

Games that one runs through Steam (which is 1 program):

Bronze and retail: HL2+CSS+CG = 3 games + SDK +mods
Collector's Edition: HL2+CSS+HLS+CG= 4 games +SDK +mods
Silver & Gold Editon: FIFTEEN games at the moment, more coming. + SDK. + Mods.

With additonal online game buying facility and handy server browser. For ALL games. Oh, yeah and news updates straight to your desktop once a week.

So, er, how is that not efficient?

 

[NJspeed]

Cause it would be just as easy to go to a website and get update info or download a patch. How's that less efficient? Do you really need a seperate list of games in another window? You could find them just as easily in the corner of your desktop.

 

[Jintor]

The problem is, once a update is released, EVERY man and his CS-hackbot enhanced Dog (uh... yeah.) logs onto Steam, and they need to download it.
And that's why Steam is overloaded!

 

[PTSD]

I love steam, and dont like ''desktop clutter''. Steam works fine, my only prob is getting Norton Internet sec. to stop being a bully. I got norton 2002 and my dad said I dont need to buy 2005 because I can just upgrade, yeh sure, that explains why nortons live update gets nothing.
Steam gets everything for me. It upgraded CS:S and I didnt know it.
I would rather have everything I need in that one prgm than having to search on websites for the stuff. Plus, Steam is always up-to-date, websites are manually updated, so they fall behind some.

 

[PTSD]

The problem is, once a update is released, EVERY man and his CS-hackbot enhanced Dog (uh... yeah.) logs onto Steam, and they need to download it.
And that's why Steam is overloaded!

Ummm, steam automatically does it once they log in.

 

[Grundlegod]

I dont really find anything wrong with steam other than the almost non-functioning Friends menu. 90% of the time It's down for maintenance which is bull. if you guys want to have the uber system get that to work and I would almost make love to it... then assimilate it

 

[Kirkburn]

Cause it would be just as easy to go to a website and get update info or download a patch. How's that less efficient? Do you really need a seperate list of games in another window? You could find them just as easily in the corner of your desktop.

You misunderstand my post: it was in reply to the idea of having a program for every single game on your PC (though how is that different to the situation now?).
Steam IS efficient in that 15+ games are contained within ONE program. ONE. I'd rather that and automatic updates than having to update each game individually (lets face it, you'd have to).

Oh, and my desktop has 2 icons on, and that's how I want it. (See attachment, shocking quality due 100kB limit)

PS. I've used Steam since the start on the beta - never had a problem. Same install as the original.

 

[Dekstar]

I don't think that the Steam model will take hold.

Imagine if it did.. you'd have a SECOND, DIFFERENT, internet program running for every single program on your computer?? Every program would actually have ANOTHER program that hooks into the publishers servers just to make sure theres no software piracy?

To clarify:
Even if there was a steam-like program running on your computer for every installed game you have, then there will always be programmers who make programs that act like central hubs for these applications, like a big steam, filled with lots of little steams that you can load up without using many more resources.

Also, you're talking quite a distance in the future now. This is when the new 64-bit processors come out. You'll have plenty power you won't notice any slow-down due to system resource hogging.

And about the publishers - Do you even know the purpose of steam? Yeah, that's right. To get rid of publishers. That means more quality games for the average joe like you and me, because publishers aren't stealing 60% of the profits the developers spent so long making.

those are just upsides. I've never had any trouble with steam as I bought Half-life while it was still WON, and not steam. But I'm sure a lot of you are really having problems. Though that doesn't determine whether you have the right to mix fact with fiction.

-Dekstar