FSTDT Forums
Community => Entertainment and Television => Topic started by: dietcokewithlemon on December 31, 2012, 09:36:35 am
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Steam is shit and I hope Valve and all its employees burn in a chemical fire. I know some people like it but I have bought several games from them over the years and none have worked properly.
Europa Universalis 3 is now finally playable offline - it wan't for a long time - but I still have to block automatic updates or it screws my machine. Gave it another try one holiday a couple of years ago and to my amazement it worked.
Mount and Blade Warband is now playable but was not for the first year where it sat idly on my machine, happily crashing 15 minutes in. I only gave it another try when I had the flu and time to kill. Thanks Valve for whatever update you finally made that enabled me to play a game I purchased with my hard earned money in good faith.
Trying to play Crusader Kings 2 but no luck. Almost an hour so far and I just can't get it to run. Occassionally on holidays or when ill I give it a try and waste an afternoon trying to start a game I bought in a shop but have never actually played. Someday perhaps...
Don't give me any shit about how cheap it is or how convenient. Its not. When I buy a game I expect to PLAY IT.
And then there is their "customer support". You type in and send your problem, you receive an automated response saying they will get back to you, and then...... they never do. Thanks.
Is Steam actually a game supplier or is it a scam? Seriously. I have actually bought games - i bought them as DVDs in shops not realising Steam activation was required - and never actually played them.
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And now its crashed!!! Steam has hung up on my machine and even task manager can't fix it. It just sits there as a big static frozen window. Apparently it was updating Crusader Kings for me. I didn't ask it to but anyway...
So what now. I suppose I have to reboot my machine and try again. Anyone actually played CK2? Is it good? I would love to know. I waited so long for it to come out. I really did look forward all summer. I read most of the Game of Thrones books and was looking forward to some intense medieval politics but sadly no.
My ambition is to get stinking rich, buy Steam and go to their HQ and fire the entire lot. Then as they leave I would beat the shit out of the CEO. With a Crusader Kings 2 DVD case.
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(http://i46.tinypic.com/2ur9n4i.jpg)
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What are you running steam on? I've had it open for probably a month solid on my home machine and the only crashes I deal with are due to shitty games released long before they should have been. Though I don't have the three you mentioned, I think at least one is published by a group that fucked me a few times this year.
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Nevermind, Paradox is invovled in all three of those.
Yeah, avoid Paradox titles. I'm not buying shit from their asses again after this year. Paradox titles comprise at least 80% of the games I own that have major failures associated with them. I'm the idiot who preordered sword of the stars 2.
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[Facepalm] It isn't Valve's fault the games aren't working properly on your computer. Blame the developers.
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I do despise Steam's site. I'm glad I don't use it for many games.
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Paradox's games are relatively unique in that they are extremely simple to run without Steam, to the point where just like any other game you simply navigate to their folder and open them normally. If that does not work, it is pretty likely it's a problem with your computer and not with Steam.
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The only sensible reason I can think of to dislike Steam is that your games are tied to your account, so if you lose your account, you lose your games. But that can be easily rectified by:
1. Keeping your account information in a safe place.
2. Not doing anything ban-worthy.
Really, if you can think of a better (realistic) way to stop piracy, I'd like to hear it. Seriously, I'm all ears.
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Steam is shit and I hope Valve and all its employees burn in a chemical fire. I know some people like it but I have bought several games from them over the years and none have worked properly.
This is probably your machine, in all honesty. All of my Steam games run fine except the ones that won't run on Windows 7 no matter where you get them from, but those are still usually fixed with unofficial patches.
Mount and Blade Warband is now playable but was not for the first year where it sat idly on my machine, happily crashing 15 minutes in. I only gave it another try when I had the flu and time to kill. Thanks Valve for whatever update you finally made that enabled me to play a game I purchased with my hard earned money in good faith.
Valve doesn't make updates for games, they just release the patches that the developers put out. It doesn't help that Paradox games tend to be a little buggy anyway.
Is Steam actually a game supplier or is it a scam? Seriously. I have actually bought games - i bought them as DVDs in shops not realising Steam activation was required - and never actually played them.
Steam is actually a legitimate game supplier that's been around for years.
If you can post the error messages you've been getting as well as your computer specs, I can probably help you. Honestly, Google searches are more helpful than customer support on any platform if you know where to look.
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*Joker* And here... we... GO! */Joker*
*breaks out the booze*
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I'd say something about this not being Steam's fault, but then I'd just be redundant.
So I'll instead say this:
Purple blumkupf ichigo statutory bump bump.
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(http://blog.wtfconcept.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/doggy-lol.jpg)
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1) It's your own damn fault for not checking out the publisher and seeing how good they are.
2) It's your own damn fault for not checking what all is required to be able to play a game. Do you also not bother to check the system requirements?
3) It's not Steam's fault that it wants to make sure you have updates. It's not Steam's fault your machine can't handle updating or the client.
4) You need to take a damn chill pill. Wishing death on every single person involved in Steam and Valve is a shitty thing to do, regardless of how upset you are.
5) Take a bigger chill pill as you reply to people who you will probably accuse of being Steam Apologists.
Also if you want medieval politics you don't need crusader kings.
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Yeah. I have to say... I own tons of steam games. Not a single one gives me problems. Dawn of War used to have trouble launching, but that wasn't Steam's fault, it was the game install file screwing up, and that was on the developer. Steam only distributes the product they're given. It's not their job to make it work.
I mean... really. Steam is just a middle man. All it does is offer a place for companies to sell their games. The makers of those games are who ultimate decide if the damned things work right. Being mad at Steam for this is as silly as being mad at Wal-mart if you bought a disc there and the game was a pile of shit that didn't run right.
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Steam only distributes the product they're given. It's not their job to make it work.
Though I would like them to vet their products a bit more. Having at least one person install something and make sure it plays at all would be kinda nice.
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Steam is shit and I hope Valve and all its employees burn in a chemical fire. I know some people like it but I have bought several games from them over the years and none have worked properly.
Europa Universalis 3 is now finally playable offline - it wan't for a long time - but I still have to block automatic updates or it screws my machine. Gave it another try one holiday a couple of years ago and to my amazement it worked.
Mount and Blade Warband is now playable but was not for the first year where it sat idly on my machine, happily crashing 15 minutes in. I only gave it another try when I had the flu and time to kill. Thanks Valve for whatever update you finally made that enabled me to play a game I purchased with my hard earned money in good faith.
Trying to play Crusader Kings 2 but no luck. Almost an hour so far and I just can't get it to run. Occassionally on holidays or when ill I give it a try and waste an afternoon trying to start a game I bought in a shop but have never actually played. Someday perhaps...
A: All of those are paradox made or produced. Steam and valve are in no way responsible for the content herewithin unless they misrepresent the product upon the steam store. Warz buyers got refunds over that.
B: I do not know what issues you had, but all the games you mentioned have played fine on my computers without issue unless they didn't meet the specs for the game.
C: Try paradox technical FAQ for support over this issue and see if anyone else has had a similar issue.
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Paradox games are always horribly buggy upon release. Paradox tries to cut costs on play-testing by having you do it (niche game company, they whine). That's the downside of Paradox's close connections with their consumer base. If you talk to Paradox- not Steam- I guarantee you the bug will be fixed in the next update.
Steam still sucks, but they're not at fault here.
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Pic
We've got to turn it off,
Flip a switch.
Light up the night!
There is a city that this darkness can't hide.
There are the embers of a fire that's gone out,
But I can still feel the heat on my skin
This mess we're in, well you and I,
maybe you and I,
We can still make it right.
Maybe we can bring back the light.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpSHC1dqX1o
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Pic
Light up the Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDuLiqCmDE
dietcokewithlemon kicked the motorcycle's engine back to life. He spun the bike and raced towards the city. Passing under the cold glow of Big Picture screen after menacing Big Picture screen. Reports coming in of an incident in customer support. Reports of an armed assailant. Reports of a growing threat to gaming safety.
"Climb."
"Climb."
dietcokewithlemon tore through the streets. A missile aimed at the Valve logo towering above the city. The great steel valve holding back the freedom of online gaming. The main telescreen showing Big Picture was designed to be visible from almost anywhere in the city. The destruction of that screen would be felt by every man and every woman in the city. He thought of the children. How, for the first time, they would know a world without Steam, without instant updating, without always online mode. Without the constant, mind-numbing barrage of gaben memes. Silence. Had he ever encountered silence? Soon.
"Climb to the top of the world."
The street was ending. dietcokewithlemon revved the engine. No hesitation. No fear. The motorcycle bounded over the curb, launched off the steps in front of the tower, and landed jarringly upon the hard, slick marble of the plaza. Losing traction, the tires skidded out ahead of the heavy iron frame. The bike pitched. dietcokewithlemon kicked hard against the bike. Inertia kept him glued to it. He rolled over on to his stomach and clawed frantically at the smooth marble, trying to slow himself.
"And as you stand tall, you will see..."
The bike would not be slowed. It slid rapidly toward the main entrance. The steel doors secured tightly for the evening. The wheels caught on the final few steps leading up to the doors. The bike spun upright and left the marble floor. 600 pounds of iron and chrome roared, end over end, towards the entrance, crashed into the steel doors, and exploded. dietcokewithlemon's momentum halted just inches from the steps. Sirens erupted around him.
"That when you fall..."
He pushed himself to his feet and ran towards the flames. Hurdling the mangled carcass of the bike, he entered the tower lobby and headed for the stairs. Flight after flight, dietcokewithlemon took two and three steps at a time. His chest nearly collapsed under the strain. His legs never hesitated. Finally, he reached the door leading to the roof. dietcokewithlemon kicked hard and stepped into the cool night air. There he was. Gaben sitting upon his throne with his overpowering girth. He had to act quickly. He threw his bag down and reached for the chocolate pudding. Reaching inside, he grabbed and threw it with all his might. Gaben reacted like lightning, swallowing it down without a hint of mercy. But it was too much to handle, Gaben began to reach critical mass. dietcokewithlemon quickly darted back toward the stairs.
"You will fall from a height most men will never reach."
He'd taken three long strides when the explosion ripped his feet from the tarred roof. dietcokewithlemon didn't hear the explosion. The shock wave of the blast knocked him unconscious instantaneously.
Stu had nearly reached the plaza. He watched as the flames erupted from the top of the shimmering tower, setting aglow the clouds above. Among the debris cast off the bulding by the explosion, he spotted what could only be a human body, twisting lifelessly as it plummeted towards the earth. Stu held onto the hope that the falling body was not the one he feared it must be. As it approached the ground, Stu's fears were confirmed as he made out the glare of the flames above reflected in a scarred blast shield. He watched as dietcokewithlemon's body landed with a dull thump upon the small patch of grass in a courtyard on the south side of the building.
By the time Stu had reached the boy's body, a crowd had gathered. As he stood in the center of the circle of onlookers, another explosion rattled the ground. Then another. And another. In the distance he could see, one by one, the telescreens splintering and erupting into flames.
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Steam only distributes the product they're given. It's not their job to make it work.
Though I would like them to vet their products a bit more. Having at least one person install something and make sure it plays at all would be kinda nice.
They really should have done that with War Z
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Steam only distributes the product they're given. It's not their job to make it work.
Though I would like them to vet their products a bit more. Having at least one person install something and make sure it plays at all would be kinda nice.
They really should have done that with War Z
And at least two other games I bought this year, both from paradox, surprise surprise.
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I dunno the thing about War Z was the packaging in a sense was a LIE. IE they said 400 km world and it's only 75
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I'm a huge fan of Steam, and I almost never have problems with it. OK, right now, it isn't working on my desktop, but neither are a bunch of other programs. I need a new desktop.
And yes, Paradox does tend to release their games in a buggy state.
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I dunno the thing about War Z was the packaging in a sense was a LIE. IE they said 400 km world and it's only 75
Good thing they were giving out refunds, I suppose.
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I dunno the thing about War Z was the packaging in a sense was a LIE. IE they said 400 km world and it's only 75
Good thing they were giving out refunds, I suppose.
Steam is giving refunds.
The WarZ devs are actively ignoring those asking for refunds from them directly.
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I dunno the thing about War Z was the packaging in a sense was a LIE. IE they said 400 km world and it's only 75
Good thing they were giving out refunds, I suppose.
Steam is giving refunds.
The WarZ devs are actively ignoring those asking for refunds from them directly.
That's what I meant.
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How the hell did the devs get away with that? They seem right assholes- or maybe just the chief dev, I'm not sure.
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How the hell did the devs get away with that? They seem right assholes- or maybe just the chief dev, I'm not sure.
Well, their game was removed from Steam.
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Steam only distributes the product they're given. It's not their job to make it work.
Though I would like them to vet their products a bit more. Having at least one person install something and make sure it plays at all would be kinda nice.
They really should have done that with War Z
And at least two other games I bought this year, both from paradox, surprise surprise.
They have been trying to make up the craptastic SotS 2 release by giving away the upgrades for free. It's pretty much working order now at least, but its still very different from the original. What's the other game you've had issues with? Maybe I can help.
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I dunno the thing about War Z was the packaging in a sense was a LIE. IE they said 400 km world and it's only 75
Good thing they were giving out refunds, I suppose.
Steam is giving refunds.
The WarZ devs are actively ignoring those asking for refunds from them directly.
Valve should take action. And by "take action" I mean "unleash Gordon Freeman to break their kneecaps with a crowbar".
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They have been trying to make up the craptastic SotS 2 release by giving away the upgrades for free. It's pretty much working order now at least, but its still very different from the original. What's the other game you've had issues with? Maybe I can help.
I've managed, I've just gotten completely fed up with their release tendencies. I shouldn't have to unfuck software manually on release day. Betas, sure, 10 years later, sure, release day, no.
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OP here.
I gave up trying to get Steam to do anything and messed around with minecraft xbox instead. fun. built a castle.
Lots of comments that seem to imply/state it is my fault and Steam are wonderful. For all those expert fanboys who helpfully suggested that Steam works fine....
1) My PC is a less than 6 months old Dell Inspiron - about as off the shelf as you can get - running latest windows. The only change is the addition of a pretty good graphics card. All of the games I mentioned are WELL within my machine's hardware specs. Steam does not like my current machine or indeed any machine I have ever owned. My PC is not the problem.
2) My internet service is 20M supplied through my cable TV. I live in the city centre of a major European city with first rate infrastructure. My internet connection is not the problem.
3) I am a software developer with a professional career spanning back to the mid nighties. I also have an honours degree in electronics. My technical skills are not the problem.
My problem is not that games necessarily crash or are buggy. My problem is that Steam refuses to run them in the first place. Games simply don't start and Steam frequently acts up. Some titles run for a few minutes and then bomb out when trying to communicate with the Steam site. I have sent several requests to technical support and have only ever received an automated reply. NOT ONCE have Steam ever actually bothered to fix any of my problems or answer any of my questions.
As for the suggestion that Steam is the only sure fire way to fight piracy. Is it? Customers buy the product and are unable to use it. How does shitting on your customers fight piracy?
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Clearly my rant was just a rant. I obviously do not literally want everyone involved with Steam to be executed. That would be cruel and impractical, not to mention illegal in most civilised countries. I believe the UN has declared collective punishment to be illegal under international law.
I would also like to thank everyone who told me to calm down or take a chill pill. When someone has a real complaint it is always helpful to suggest that they are emotionally disturbed or suffering from some kind of breakdown. As it happens, when I wrote that I was smoking top quality Cheese skunk and couldn't have been more chilled if I sitting in a bath of ice on Titan.
My annoyance was that of someone who has worked in the IT industry for many years and is disgusted at the sheer lack of professionalism and common courtesy displayed by Steam towards its customers. I have bought games through Steam and been unable to play them. Any attempts to contact technical support have been ignored. I have not been offered a refund or any kind of solution yet Steam still has my hard earned money.
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So windows 8?
If so that might explain why I haven't seen the steam glitches myself, I'm on Seven. However, Steam's business policies are stated up front, and they typically link to a forum typically seperate from the publisher and a metacritic score if anyone bothered to review it. If neither are there, typically there's a reason. They give plenty of chances to look something up before a purchase, and it's not like you can return hard copies of games once they've been opened anyway. I'm not going to say the policies are great, but generally speaking when something is utterly nonfunctional or packed full of blatant lies(Sots2, WarZ) they've at least offered a refund, if your pursue it hard enough.
For practical fixes you might want to check out paradox's forums, their fans are so used to bugs the tech support forums generally have running lists of dissagreeable hardware. It could well be you've got an oddball graphics card they never bother to test even if your drivers are up to date. Steam can't make paradox's business practices suck less short of no longer selling their games, which I might advocate for, but I doubt it'd actually happen.
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Clearly my rant was just a rant. I obviously do not literally want everyone involved with Steam to be executed. That would be cruel and impractical, not to mention illegal in most civilised countries. I believe the UN has declared collective punishment to be illegal under international law.
I would also like to thank everyone who told me to calm down or take a chill pill. When someone has a real complaint it is always helpful to suggest that they are emotionally disturbed or suffering from some kind of breakdown. As it happens, when I wrote that I was smoking top quality Cheese skunk and couldn't have been more chilled if I sitting in a bath of ice on Titan.
My annoyance was that of someone who has worked in the IT industry for many years and is disgusted at the sheer lack of professionalism and common courtesy displayed by Steam towards its customers. I have bought games through Steam and been unable to play them. Any attempts to contact technical support have been ignored. I have not been offered a refund or any kind of solution yet Steam still has my hard earned money.
So you're in Europe and running Windows 8. Not knowing any of European individuals that well, it might be something involved with the steam region in your country since there's different regions for steam that operate a little differently. Might be something with 8 as well, but I can't be sure of that.
That said, last time I used Steam technical support they got my problem resolved in less than 48 hours, which is pretty good when I'm only communicating by e-mail.
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Dude, it's definitely either your computer or the people who made the game.
And since you said you have problems with Steam itself... it's your computer.
I don't fucking care how new your computer it, new doesn't always mean "good".
Also, Dell. there's your problem right there. Or Windows 8. That could be it, too.
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Also, Dell. there's your problem right there. Or Windows 8. That could be it, too.
What's weird is, my Alienware computer has been serving me surprisingly well, despite being a Dell computer. Maybe they made mine not suck by accident.
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Dude, it's definitely either your computer or the people who made the game.
And since you said you have problems with Steam itself... it's your computer.
I don't fucking care how new your computer it, new doesn't always mean "good".
Also, Dell. there's your problem right there. Or Windows 8. That could be it, too.
This. That said, I'm running on an Asus laptop with Windows 8 and have no issues with it. Any issues with Steam itself are probably regional.
Also, seconding the pointing out of Dell. Dells are generally terrible. Their gaming branch (Alienware) is allegedly pretty good and I've heard good things about the XPS series, but I still wouldn't trust them due to being Dell.
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I think Valve said Windows 8 is unusable due to being closed shop