News For Space Sim Fans: X2 and X3 on Steam

meisdavidp

All your belief cannot absolve your sin.
Steam News said:
The space game X3: Reunion and its predecessor X2: The Threat are now available via Steam. Regularly $19.95 and $14.95 respectively, they are being offered with an additional 10% discount during their first week of release. Both feature lush graphics and have been called the best in class by several publications.
Source: http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=news

I saw that 2 days ago and had a look around. No more Starforce protection on them (Steam doesn't need it). Also, since Steam is a piece of software that a large (as in enormous) percentage of computer gamers are likely to have (Can't play counterstrike without it) it means that the games are much more accessible than in the past when they were just this strange little game you might see in an EB or Funcoland. A pair of very high quality space sims in the public eye... Seems like a big step in the right direction.
 
The interface isn't exactly perfectly intuitive, but once you get the basics, the rest comes pretty easily. The one potential turn-off about the game is that it's hard to go straight into being a fighter.
 
Choosing between Steam and Starforce? Thats like choosing between pest and cholera, really.
 
cff said:
Choosing between Steam and Starforce? Thats like choosing between pest and cholera, really.

I've never had a problem with Steam. Then again, I've never had a problem with Starforce, either.
 
t.c.cgi said:
I've never had a problem with Steam. Then again, I've never had a problem with Starforce, either.

Very few people have I guess. The majority are probably pirates that are very vocal ;-)

Personally my bigger grief lies with Steam as two of its problems are immediately obvious (other then the technical problems both are causing):
Steam is a problem with privacy and it might be discontinued at any time, resulting in the loss of the games you bought once you upgrade your machine.
 
cff said:
Steam is a problem with privacy and it might be discontinued at any time, resulting in the loss of the games you bought once you upgrade your machine.

Privacy? Is there any proof that the service sends personal info anywhere? I suppose the potential is there but how is this any different from what windows already does. And you can back up your games to DVD. There's no reason think that should the steam client be discontinued whence Windows Live kicks in with vista that Valve or another party won't provide a patch to switch the system over.

As far as privacy goes, theres no evidence that valve is stealing peoples personal info. Any online program has the potential I suppose though. Yet, with the exception of playing the games online (counterstrike: source, HL2 deathmatch, DOD:S, etc) once the game is registered you never have to actually connect to anything. Disable your internet before you load steam and play the games offline, which can be purchased retail on a DVD/CD as well.

Just an example of one bonus for the service though is, should your PC die and you don't have a backup, your purchased games are connected to your steam account. ONce you have a new PC up an running and are reinstalling things and get steam loaded, you can connect to the same steam account and all your purchased games are accessible to download still. Though It would have been a lot simpler just to have burned a backup previously as some of these are 1GB+ (this happened to me recently and I was able to download everything without a hitch and a day or so later I was back playing where I left off)

Yes, granted it is irritating (especialy if you happen not to have internet) for the game to require an internet connection to decrypt, even if it's a retail CD/DVD, yet beyond that, I haven't experienced anything that would significantly deter me from using the service.
 
cff said:
Steam is a problem with privacy and it might be discontinued at any time, resulting in the loss of the games you bought once you upgrade your machine.

The only data Steam collects is strictly related to the games themselves, such as the SiN episode polling. And frankly it's a very smart and non-destructive way to "spy" on users: the developers can see what levels people are having the hardest time playing, what things players prefer for skirmishes, etc, and fix problems or focus on furthering preferred elements for the next release. However, since I haven't 'subscribed' to SiN I can't say whether this data collection is done with or without consent.

And as for it being discontinued at any time... that doesn't match up with all the games that keep being listed on Steam. You could also say services like Metaboli, Gametap, and Direct2Drive could just as easily fall by the wayside, but that doesn't seem at all likely given the lengths many companies have gone to keep subscription-based projects alive. Sure, someday Steam will be closed down, but Valve are professional cow-milkers... it's not going to be any time soon.
 
t.c.cgi said:
You could also say services like Metaboli, Gametap, and Direct2Drive could just as easily fall by the wayside, but that doesn't seem at all likely given the lengths many companies have gone to keep subscription-based projects alive.

Those might not be good examples. Metaboli, Gametap and Direct2Drive very well could disappear suddenly any day, just like other game delivery services have in the last few years. Valve is reliable because it's owned by a multi billion dollar company, not because there's a few other internet startups that deliver games that haven't gone out of business yet.
 
AD said:
And you can back up your games to DVD.

Fully? That is can you then install then without the need for a I-Net connection?

AD said:
There's no reason think that should the steam client be discontinued whence Windows Live kicks in with vista that Valve or another party won't provide a patch to switch the system over.

If the client is discontinued or not is my least concern. Rather Valve closing down or simply just deciding that the don't make enough and close the service or move it to pay per month. We've all seen similar things happen multiple times. Heck I've seen Games that needed the I-net rendered unplayable in less then 6 months after purchase.

AD said:
Disable your internet before you load steam and play the games offline, which can be purchased retail on a DVD/CD as well.

After the forced registration and downloading hundreds of MBs worth of data/patches (HL2...)
 
No, the grace period for coming up with fun new slang to refer to the internet ended roughly a decade ago.
 
Well we all live a decade ago as far as games go, don't we :-P
 
Sorry to ressurect this...
Anyone got the Steam version of X3?
I bought it, it is pretty nice. especially because it is the patched version.

The game is a lot better than I expected. No WC, sure, but does what it's supposed to do very well (something like a Spaceship Tycoon with lasers).

BTW, I have no complaints about Steam. It is efficient and economic... I wouldn't be able to buy X3 without it.
 
I've got it... not surprising since I brought the whole thing up... It could do with some patching still... has some minor sound related conflicts if you have X2 installed as well. Otherwise, works as smoothly as all my other Steam games.
 
I'm fortunate, I had no trouble playing X3. I did buy and install X2, but never ran it :p
on another news, Steam will start selling Popcap games too. Awesome.
 
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