Why I love Steam

[Solver]

Yuh, good point on Steam transfer speeds, got to give it a thumbs up for that.

 

[Platinum]

i like steam ... no problems here ...

 

[Narcolepsy]

As for Total Conversions, agreed. Running such a mod from Steam is less hassle than setting up a separate folder, etc.

As for the patch handling, the reason I don't like it is that I have no control and can't revert. Suppose a patch get installed and screws things up (it has happeed a lot in the industry). Now, I can't revert it in any easy way. With non-Valve games, before I install a patch, I always check what it modifies (if it isn't obvious already) and back up the according files, so that I can in that or another way restore the game. With Steam, the only way to backup and revert would be to back the huge GCF files up and then try to put them back... much more complex. It just seems the whole system is designed for users who don't want to do anything technical, which is OK, but it's extremely inefficient for power users.

That's a really interesting paradox, come to think of it. Steam caters to non-computer wizards who don't want to figure out what a patch changes, backup, troubleshoot, etc. It is kind of like a virtual game console, come to think of it.

But at the same time, it REQUIRES power users, for you must work through all kinds of technical trouble to actually get it to work much of the time. You have to have a well configured system, etc.

But I think this just proves my thesis that the world isn't ready for Steam yet - the latter issue will be resolved in time.

 

[Edcrab]

I always say this, but when Steam works its the best program in computing history, but when it doesn't work it can drive a sane man to commit murder.

Offline mode is quirky, and the worst part is there's sometimes no rational explanation why. Sometimes it screws up if a Source game crashes, and that's understandable, but other times it insists that Steam has encountered network issues and can't connect- without even trying to launch OM.

Automatic updates are a mixed blessing- I agree entirely on the point regarding reverting. For most of my games I have a small archive of patches, so rolling back installs and even outright reinstalls aren't such a massive hassle. I also don't like how you have to download the patches to run the game. What if I want to play HL2 SP right now, without waiting to patch? Even if I cancelled the update the OM of the game refuses to function properly until I finish the download. And why can't I run other Steam games with others updating (via the menu rather than the monitor, there's a difference between their functionality for some reason) in the background? Bah...

 

[Solver]

That's a really interesting paradox, come to think of it. Steam caters to non-computer wizards who don't want to figure out what a patch changes, backup, troubleshoot, etc. It is kind of like a virtual game console, come to think of it.

But at the same time, it REQUIRES power users, for you must work through all kinds of technical trouble to actually get it to work much of the time. You have to have a well configured system, etc.

But I think this just proves my thesis that the world isn't ready for Steam yet - the latter issue will be resolved in time.

Well, of course, if it always worked the way it's intended, it would not require a power user. I appreciate Valve (and anyone else) trying to make software easier to use. However, I think that on the global scale, the general computer-literacy level still needs to be raised.

By the way, many games now have tools that can check for updates without having to visit any site, etc.

 

[kingthebadger]

ive always liked steam, so i have nothing to complain about

 

[Muhahahaha]

Yep, no complaints here about steam. It does take a long time to download on a 56k modem though, lol.

Something I don't like, which doesn't really have to do with steam, is that the "back log" games don't always seem to work that well. Like, there are three of the HL1 mods that don't load after installing, and even HL1 has its problems. There are random parts of the game (load points) where it will freeze rather than turning the corner. I also have the non-steam HL on my comp as well, so when that happens, I just move my saves over and play on the original. I'm not sure what's wrong with the old games, but hopefully they will fix anything that's wrong, if its not just me.