Your views on Steam

Chris D

Chris D

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 1, 2003
Messages
11,927
Reaction score
231
We haven't discussed this for a while but after I read a thread entitled "They cant *MAKE* me use steam..." at SteamPowered I thought I'd make a discussion about your general views. I feel very strongly towards Steam. I think it's a brilliant method for everything that Valve intends it to do and it's working pretty well.

I had one or two problems with it in the early days, as everyone did, but ever since we started getting the HL2 media, I've had nothing but good experiences with it.

Rather than me retyping it here, I'll link you to the post I just made on SteamPowered. In it I respond to the very [sarcasm]intelligent[/sarcasm] person who started the thread, his views being quoted throughout my post to get my point across, my constructive opinion.

http://steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=85749#post85749

Discuss!


PS. I'd post a poll but I ****ing hate them.

PPS.
/me dies
 
That was the first flame war were I saw Chris_D in.:p
Anywas, srry to ask. But what's the question? I might have an opinion then.
 
Seems to me that this Cryogen fellow is ranting about beta bugs nothing more.

"8) Steam was too stupid to bring my config file over from the original halflife directory, remapping everything was a chore I didnt particularly enjoy."

Wow copying a file has never been *so hard*...
 
I like Steam. I haven't had any problems with it what so ever.

I agree completely with your reply to that guy. He seemed to be blaming Valve for his own ignorance and incompetence.

I'm hoping that the final version of Steam will have more support from its users. Or at least, some constructive crititism.
 
What are YOUR views on Steam?

Good, bad, hate it, love it? Why, why not? Who, what, where, when? Why? Huh? I don't know, what's the question? ;(
/me dies
 
Originally posted by )[eVo]( Para
Seems to me that this Cryogen fellow is ranting about beta bugs nothing more.

"8) Steam was too stupid to bring my config file over from the original halflife directory, remapping everything was a chore I didnt particularly enjoy."

Wow copying a file has never been *so hard*...
Click to expand...

lmao, although your many many posts, you do add to the conversation quite well. =D
 
The only pet peeve I've had about Steam was the fact that, it takes so long for me to get it started. Not sure if this happened to you guys.
 
i donno man i just don't now i mean i used it for a while but it was beta and all so it could have gotten better. What realy pissed me off was that it took 2 gigs for god knows what now i know what you're all gonna say but for me 2 gigs is a bunch of space i only have 29 gigs combining my two hdds. I suppose it's ok if they could do something about that dman 2 gig eat up.
 
Regarding converting Mods to Steam:

"We will be sending an email this week detailing exactly what is required to interoperate with steam. In short the major change will simply be a change in location for installing your mod.

We have addressed the cache size concern, Steam now shares caches amongst each game so the total size of the caches should be similar in size to the current hl hard disk requirements.

You can still run hl.exe from the command line (it then spawns steam and then runs the game), and you will be able to debug as you always have (by adding your game dll to the list of debug binaries in msvc)."

From: http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?news=1063002876-77785800

Valve are trying to make this change as Seamless as possible.
 
Tredoslop, it is a hungry mother for resources, but I think they may be repairing that. If not then how much RAM do you have? I myself only have 256mb and that is getting more and more out of date with each application I install and my 2.66GHz machine is getting pretty lagged up.

It helped when I freed up 60GB on my HDD though :D

But yeah, if you'e having problems with things or Steam specifically loading then it's probably an indication you need more RAM. I can't imagine it still being really slow if you have 512mb.
 
I also had some problems with the early version of Steam, but if Valve can work out ALL of the problems then Steam may end up being a really cool program. Especially if Valve adds a lot of new features into later Steam releases. The only thing I wonder about (What about the modem users) I use DSL but almost everyone I know uses modem. It would take days to download files from Steam. The only thing I hope is that Valve doesn't use Steam for Greed. I am also worried about using Steam for ALL Valve products including the old stuff. We'll just have to see what happends with Steam. I hope Steam ends up being really cool.
 
Originally posted by Chris_D
What are YOUR views on Steam?

Good, bad, hate it, love it? Why, why not? Who, what, where, when? Why? Huh? I don't know, what's the question? ;(
/me dies
Click to expand...

I actually like Steam a lot, I've been using it since open beta started in January: the only problems I had were due to the lack of bandwidth in the beginning. I believe Valve has already licensed the broadband distribution system to other companies, it's really a great tool for new developers who wish to publish games on their own. All the better for the industry :)
 
Originally posted by Chris_D
Tredoslop, it is a hungry mother for resources, but I think they may be repairing that. If not then how much RAM do you have? I myself only have 256mb and that is getting more and more out of date with each application I install and my 2.66GHz machine is getting pretty lagged up.

It helped when I freed up 60GB on my HDD though :D

But yeah, if you'e having problems with things or Steam specifically loading then it's probably an indication you need more RAM. I can't imagine it still being really slow if you have 512mb.
Click to expand...
I have 512.:|
 
I remember reading that Steam was compiled in Debug mode.

Now I can't remember the difference between Debug Mode and Release Mode but I'm sure someone will. I'm sure it has something to do with the start up time among other things.
 
I Downloaded steam yesterday and im trying to get use to it.
It blew up 3 times and it got 99% through a download and got a problem, ireally dont see why people like it..

Theres hardly any servers with good ping and it just looks shit.
But i can deal.
 
Get 1024 :p

Although another thing I did to help me with Steam loading and closing was increase my Windows Virtual Memory allowance to its max.
 
Originally posted by Gordon'sFreeman
I Downloaded steam yesterday and im trying to get use to it.
It blew up 3 times and it got 99% through a download and got a problem, ireally dont see why people like it..

Theres hardly any servers with good ping and it just looks shit.
But i can deal.
Click to expand...

I have absolutly no problems with it at all. I guess it just comes down to if you are lucky or not.
 
If the download process locks up, just try again: it picks up where it left off. Pings aren't related to Steam, they're server side and client side related. And looks aren't everything :)
 
One thing Erik said was that Steam will support skins. I'm not sure if that relates to in game models or the GUI of Steam, but I'm hoping they meant the GUI. It'd be great to get it reskinned.
 
Originally posted by Chris_D
One thing Erik said was that Steam will support skins. I'm not sure if that relates to in game models or the GUI of Steam, but I'm hoping they meant the GUI. It'd be great to get it reskinned.
Click to expand...

He did mean the GUI. They kinda support Skins now I think, just not fully supported.
 
Hehe, Steam just froze up and stopped responding for the first time ever for me :D hehe
 
I think Steam kicks ass. The only problem I've had is with HL freezing up, and some times it wont DL a level I dont have. Other than that I love it. Its fast for me, and I can play Chess with my friends!
 
The Steam GUI's for Half-Life and Opposing Force are very plain. Yet, it's more handy seeing that you don't have to wait around for the menu to change resolution during gameplay. Also, at times, whenever I die and press fire, my mouse shows up and then, whats worse, I can't pick up anything, I can't pick up weapons, health, and etc... My game is screwed.
 
Steam is aight.. i don't "hate" it.. and i don't overly like it either.. might be because i have only 128mb SD ram currently and it takes forever to load.. but that will fix itself once i upgrade soon :)


the only real problem i have with Steam is.. well actually i dunno if its a Steam problem.. but i think it is..

anyway, when im in Windows browsing around Steam, i have my mouse pointer.. but as soon as i join or enter into CS1.6 i lose my mouse pointer and that sorta sucks big time..

i have trouble muting players and all that sorta stuff u with mouse pointer, anyway i went to the Steam forum for help but nothing has helped so far.

other than that, Steam is good.. obviously it will become an important program..especially for pple that don't have time and don't want to spend the precious amounts they do have in updating their game/mods
 
I haven't had any problems with Steam (probably because I have only ever used it to download HL2 media :cool: ) but I can understand the guy ranting about how Valve is "shoving it down our throats". I'm more than a little upset that, apparently, authentication via Steam will be required even for an entirely offline single-player session, or for a LAN game, once the game has been patched or Steam has been invoked for any other reason. That represents, potentially, a huge inconvenience for people on dial-up who simply want to play through the single-player game; possibly even more so for people trying to play LAN games, who won't necessarily have an internet connection at all. Big bummer IMHO.
 
I've never had a problem with steam, I don't see why so many ppl hate Steam. It's got great dl speeds, I've found it to be reliable, and it's a great platform for mp games (cs 1.6 kicks ass)
 
Hard to say what I think of Steam. I'll have to wait until I use it on a regular basis before making a judgement.
 
I find that the people who throw a big fit about Steam usually don't understand what it's for, or what its benefits are and will eventually be. And they don't realize that ALL software is inherently buggy, until a great deal of time and effort is spent to fix it. Ranting about bugs that will probably be squashed within the next few months is pretty near-sighted.

Let's try to list all things that Steam is and was meant to be, it's extremely ambitious:

Game Installer - Since Steam manages all the files involved in the VFS, installation of games and mods is completely foolproof

Game Launcher - All your Steam-powered games and mods are organized under the Steam app.

Frontend - Steam functions as the server browser, buddy list, configuration manager, and presents the console, all in windows that can be displayed while the game is running. This allows server browsing while playing (which I find fantastic. The old server browser was a pain)

Content Delivery - Perhaps its primary focus, Steam makes games readily available. (Much more convenient that going to fileplanet and waiting in line already)

Marketplace - This is a big one. Instead of all game developers having to sign scary contracts with big bad publishers to get their game on shelves, they will have an alternative. Through a traditional publisher, a developer like Valve might get between 10 and 15 dollars (american) per box sold. With digital content delivery like Steam, developers could easily receive 90% of the revenue directly, with small fees paid to Valve for use of the network. If Steam takes off and major game developers start signing on with Valve, expect the value of every game publisher in the world to drop off a cliff. Overnight. Game publishers (as we know them) may never completely die, but their role as a major force in the market will wither.

Product Promotion - Any game/mod that gets listed in Steam will instantly have its name on the desktop of a few million gamers. It costs millions to buy that kind of exposure with TV ads.

Digital Rights Management - Since Steam uses its own file system, it can prevent people from copying games and playing them without paying through their Steam account. Sure, it can get hacked. But Valve can update Steam with new barriers a lot easier than people will be able to hack them. As Valve demonstrated with the HL2 movies after Chris_D hacked them, Valve updated Steam within a few days and made it much more difficult. Whic brings me to my last item:

Anti-Cheat - Since Steam can 'touch our bits' constantly, hackers are screwed. There's no way they'll be able to hack a game whose code changes every week.

Did I miss anything?

Once Steam 'proves itself' with HL2 and game developers start understanding the huge benefits of the last four items (higher profit margins, free advertising, almost 0 warez, no online cheating), they will start signing up in droves.

And all these items are huge benefits to us as players too. Temporary problems like "Steam takes up too much space on my HD" are pretty insignificant when you realise that Steam is going to shake the foundations of the whole game industry.
 
I had a couple of problems including a very annoying reinstallation but Steam is definitely cool. Launching a game is faster (if you're more casual with gaming it's nice to start it up right away, play for 15min and leave). I actually like the updates and stuff it does automatically. The vgui2 is great. I remember back when people thought the future of gaming was being able to pay for it and play it right away over the internet anywhere on any computer- now that it's here, people are complaining... weird. :)
 
Originally posted by nsxownzme
Steam. Sucks.
Click to expand...

Yes.. interesting. And why is that? or is it too much trouble to type a few sentences using correct punctuation? go bang your head against a brick wall until you find a smart assed reply.
 
man we all had some bad experience with steam. but don't u ****ing people see that steam is getting better and better? remember the first impression is not always the right one. it's a program going through development , just give it some chance, it might serve the community later on.

Man the world is full of ****ed up people like u, judging the other based on the first impression and on some brainless feeling. that's why i can never have chance to do any good to the society and i'm so ****ed up today. **** u all **** ;( ;(
 
Originally posted by gamevoodoo
man we all had some bad experience with steam.
Click to expand...

You make it sound as if it were some sort of derived crack lol :)
 
I like Steam's interface. It is much faster and user-friendly than the old bloated HL menu system. I also like how you can keep track of your buddies with Friends, and the auto-downloading feature (but right now something is wrong with switching it off or making it slower while playing). I have nothing against Steam, really.
 
I don't play CS or HL online anymore but if this "steam only" option takes out All Seeing Eye support as a server browser than Valve = screwed :( - ingame browsers suck.
 
The Steam browser does everything any other browser does.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Krynn72
You guys, what the **** is up.
Replies
11
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
TechnoHippyChic
The Many Diversions of THC's Work Lunches
Replies
3
Views
2K
TechnoHippyChic
TechnoHippyChic
bbson john
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum!
Replies
11
Views
6K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
MFL
Fascinating look at the ongoing psychological evolution of flat hieirarchies.
Replies
2
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
B
Marc Laidlaw releases Half-Life 2: Episode Three's plot
Replies
32
Views
39K
BabyHeadCrab
BabyHeadCrab
Back
Top