Pre-order/Steam question, Before buying... Options

[davidcavalcante]

Ok. I've got one question before I pre-order my Special Edition.
I know theres a FAQ (http://www.naturalselection2.com/preorderfaq) telling that there's nothing confirmed about being able to play on Steam with pre-ordered version.

I really want to pre-order the game, but I really want to put NS2 on my Steam account, too.

Is there any new information about this? Can I play alpha if I buy NS2 AFTER the alpha has already started?

Thanks.

This post has been edited by davidcavalcante: Jun 9 2009, 12:19 AM

[whocareswc]

Ok. I've got one question before I pre-order my Special Edition.
I know theres a FAQ (http://www.naturalselection2.com/preorderfaq) telling that there's nothing confirmed about being able to play on Steam with pre-ordered version.

I really want to pre-order the game, but I really want to put NS2 on my Steam account, too.

Is there any new information about this? Can I play alpha if I buy NS2 AFTER the alpha has already started?

Thanks.

im pretty sure u can.. looking for link now.

[whocareswc]

im pretty sure u can.. looking for link now.

i was wrong.. on twitter they sid they could then they said

If I pre-order NS2, can I play on Steam?
There's a good chance of this, but we can't promise it yet. Once NS2 is officially on Steam and Steamworks, Valve will probably be able to make this happen. But that will be determined later. For now, we can't promise that pre-ordering NS2 will let you play on Steam.

[WhiteZero]

Yeah, it's still kind of up in the air at this point. But we have high-hopes. It seems very likely it will all work out.

[davidcavalcante]

I've got the money on my hand and the only thing that won't let me buy is that question...

[foreone]

same here. i only buy steam games.

[Dalin Seivewrigh...]

Why is the pre-order via Steam such a concern? The game itself can be downloaded from mostly anywhere (like Steam) and it will (AFAIK) incorporate Steamworks so you'll have your friends list, etc. What about Steam has you purchase Steam only games?

[ljcrabs]

UWE need to clear this up with a front page update because it's confusing a lot of people. As far as I can see, the ONLY difference between a steam store version and a direct download version is that one will show up in your Steam games list automatically and the other can be added using the 'Add non-steam game..." button. Everything else, steam friends list, steam community overlay, automatic updates etc. are part of Steamworks, which will identical in both versions. References: http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Releases

[Xirvus.rei]

UWE need to clear this up with a front page update because it's confusing a lot of people. As far as I can see, the ONLY difference between a steam store version and a direct download version is that one will show up in your Steam games list automatically and the other can be added using the 'Add non-steam game..." button. Everything else, steam friends list, steam community overlay, automatic updates etc. are part of Steamworks, which will identical in both versions. References: http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Releases

Yeah unfortunately I'd like to know if it would also be associated with Steam accounts, and be able to be downloaded via Steam.

Well, seeing as I ended up pre-ordering, I guess the urge to get pretty armour and alpha access was greater than me caring about whether it was on Steam or not.

I just think of it as, if it ends up being associated with our Steam accounts in the end, then that's just a bonus.

[ljcrabs]

Yeah unfortunately I'd like to know if it would also be associated with Steam accounts, and be able to be downloaded via Steam.

Define associated?

[WhiteZero]

The way I understand it: Is that Steam is FOR SURE used for everything, except actually downloading the game through Steam is still up in the air.

[gustavo00]

There are other downloading methods than steam.

Is it a good platform? Yeah, it is. What is the fracking difference between downloading NS2 from a dedicates UW server and adding the game to your steam games list and downloading the game via steam... and have the really same game?

Since it is going to be full digital, at least in the begining, you bet they will have a way to let you download the game anywhere you want and just login to play.
Don't worry, black armor and alpha always speaks higher!

[Max]

UWE need to clear this up with a front page update because it's confusing a lot of people. As far as I can see, the ONLY difference between a steam store version and a direct download version is that one will show up in your Steam games list automatically and the other can be added using the 'Add non-steam game..." button. Everything else, steam friends list, steam community overlay, automatic updates etc. are part of Steamworks, which will identical in both versions. References: http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/wiki/index.php/Releases

Actually, Steamworks games will automatically show up in Steam, you don't have to add it. The confusion actually comes from talking about a Steam version and a non-Steam version, but really there is only one version and it should be called the Steamworks version.

Here's the breakdown:

* Steamworks is the set of services that includes, friends, matchmaking, anti-cheat, anti-piracy, updates, achievements, DLC, etc.
* The Steam store is a place where you can buy games
* Steam is an application which gives an interface to the Steamworks services and the Steam store. Running Steam is required for any Steamworks game

The right way to think about it is like Team Fortress 2. It's a Steamworks game that you can buy from the Steam store. You can also buy it in Best Buy in a box, but you're getting exactly the same thing and exactly the same services. Once you've installed it, you have exactly the same experience as if you bought it from the Steam store.

[dazvid]

...

The right way to think about it is like Team Fortress 2. It's a Steamworks game that you can buy from the Steam store. You can also buy it in Best Buy in a box, but you're getting exactly the same thing and exactly the same services. Once you've installed it, you have exactly the same experience as if you bought it from the Steam store.

Thanks for the clarification, I hope this will relieve a lot of concerns for people who are holding back from pre-ordering.

[ctd]

Actually, Steamworks games will automatically show up in Steam, you don't have to add it. The confusion actually comes from talking about a Steam version and a non-Steam version, but really there is only one version and it should be called the Steamworks version.

Here's the breakdown:

* Steamworks is the set of services that includes, friends, matchmaking, anti-cheat, anti-piracy, updates, achievements, DLC, etc.
* The Steam store is a place where you can buy games
* Steam is an application which gives an interface to the Steamworks services and the Steam store. Running Steam is required for any Steamworks game

The right way to think about it is like Team Fortress 2. It's a Steamworks game that you can buy from the Steam store. You can also buy it in Best Buy in a box, but you're getting exactly the same thing and exactly the same services. Once you've installed it, you have exactly the same experience as if you bought it from the Steam store.

Sweet... So we will just be adding a code from you guys to steam to activate the game? Similar to Dawn Of War 2 if you bought it from a store. Just curious about downloading the content as in AUS we have relatively small download caps and steam content is provided as free usage to a lot of ISP's in Australia.

This post has been edited by ctd: Jun 10 2009, 08:24 AM

[aeroripper]

The right way to think about it is like Team Fortress 2. It's a Steamworks game that you can buy from the Steam store. You can also buy it in Best Buy in a box, but you're getting exactly the same thing and exactly the same services. Once you've installed it, you have exactly the same experience as if you bought it from the Steam store.

As I understand it, the only difference with the pre-order and the eventual steam version is where you download it from. Say you just formatted and need to re-install, instead of going to download off of steam, you just go to the unknownworlds.com website and download it. The game installs and now acts just like all your other steam games. I don't really see it taking Valve that long to let users get the steam version by authorizing their cdkey. Everything else would already be integrated and would be an easy transition.

[chopper]

Actually, Steamworks games will automatically show up in Steam, you don't have to add it. The confusion actually comes from talking about a Steam version and a non-Steam version, but really there is only one version and it should be called the Steamworks version.

Here's the breakdown:

* Steamworks is the set of services that includes, friends, matchmaking, anti-cheat, anti-piracy, updates, achievements, DLC, etc.
* The Steam store is a place where you can buy games
* Steam is an application which gives an interface to the Steamworks services and the Steam store. Running Steam is required for any Steamworks game

The right way to think about it is like Team Fortress 2. It's a Steamworks game that you can buy from the Steam store. You can also buy it in Best Buy in a box, but you're getting exactly the same thing and exactly the same services. Once you've installed it, you have exactly the same experience as if you bought it from the Steam store.

Thanks for the clarification. I'll pre-order the game for my wife and myself and if it could be downloaded through Steam in the future I'll consider that a nice bonus. Definitely something that I'd like to see (reason: when I need to transfer my games from one HDD or computer to another I just copy the Steam folder content and delete a .cfg file => results: I have all my 20+ games ready in 10 minutes or less without the need to reinstall anything + saved games, configurations etc; If the game is not part of steam and just linked to Steam then it needs separate install)

[Max]

Thanks for the clarification. I'll pre-order the game for my wife and myself and if it could be downloaded through Steam in the future I'll consider that a nice bonus. Definitely something that I'd like to see (reason: when I need to transfer my games from one HDD or computer to another I just copy the Steam folder content and delete a .cfg file => results: I have all my 20+ games ready in 10 minutes or less without the need to reinstall anything + saved games, configurations etc; If the game is not part of steam and just linked to Steam then it needs separate install)

That feature is part of the Steamworks service. A game that uses Steamworks isn't "linked" to Steam, it IS a Steam game, it's just not necessarily purchasable in the Steam store.

[chopper]

That feature is part of the Steamworks service. A game that uses Steamworks isn't "linked" to Steam, it IS a Steam game, it's just not necessarily purchasable in the Steam store.

Point taken. Only good news today.
thanks

[davidcavalcante]

Just pre-ordered my Special Edition. Hope the alpha doesn't take too long to come out.