Open Letter to Steam and Firaxis Games

[Aerion]

To Steam:

I do not want your product. Period. I especially don't want YET ANOTHER application running on my computer; connecting to the internet behind the scenes and eating up even more processing power. I don't want to be connected to the internet with Steam because I don't play multi-player games and I don't chat. I just play a few games. So I'm really jarateed off that I had to install your application. I set your application to "Offline" mode. Now every time I boot my computer, I get a freakin pop up telling me I'm in Offline mode. Thanks to your arrogance, I've gone from not wanting Steam to loathing STEAM!!!

To Firaxis:

The only reason I installed Steam in the first place was because I wanted to play your game. SHAME ON YOU for forcing me to install this bloated, big-brother arrogant piece of crap software just to play your game. There HAS to be a better way to distribute software digitally that big-brother app like this. I'd rather buy a DVD in the store than install more bloatware.

[Mr Justice]

Yawn!

I like steam, keeps all my games updated (and mods for the games).

if you cant be bothered investigating the product you should moderate your opinions (in my opinion).

untick the option to start Steam when the OS starts. then its just another click when you want to play civ v (theres definately too many of those!).

[Ming]

Double Yawn...

Is steam the best way... probably not. (I still like D2D better)... but "Arrogance... loathing... big brother..."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

Maybe if you bothered to learn how to use Steam in off line mode properly, and didn't launch it at start up, you wouldn't be "jarateed" and ready to blow a heart valve...

[wodan11]

Man, way to jump on him with both feet, steel-toe boots and all. (Not that I think it was out of line, just slamming the door pretty hard.)

[rah]

1. Yes, I tried the offline mode and yes the popup was annoying. So I just clicked the option for steam not to fire at startup. Problem solved. Now steam just launches when I click on start CIV V. OH the agony.
2. Unless your machine is 20 years old (in which case you can't play V anyway), the amount of processing that steam uses is quite negligible. And if you only use it when you're actually playing civ, WHO CARES.

YES, I'm not a fan of steam but the amount of ignorant hatred about it is surprising. *****ing about how intrusive steam is when you're running microsoft products always amuses me.

[mkorin]

I dislike steam, not to the extent of the poster, and not for his reasons. I play on a laptop on my hour and a half train ride to and from work. Yes, you can play in offline mode, but you can't start that way. If I don't make an internet connection and then start steam, it just won't launch the game. Also, it takes way too long to long to start steam and the game too many clicks and too many minutes. I too would have prefered to buy a CD and do my on updates. I won't even talk about how a steam update destoryed my instal and I had to redownload the 5 gig file or how the Civ V updates fry my saved games.
Mike

[Burticus]

Steam isn't that bad, man. And it keeps your game patches current. I hear what you are saying. But I haven't noticed a resource hit or slowness because of it.

@mkorin : I didn't think about that, I assumed there is a 'totally offline' option? Does this not work? It says once it's activated you can play offline all you want.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-AGCB-2555

[Asher]

I've played many Steam games with no internet connection at all (mostly at airports...)

Staggering how little people know about this stuff, especially when they can easily try it themselves.

[Egbert]

Double Yawn...

Is steam the best way... probably not. (I still like D2D better)... but "Arrogance... loathing... big brother..."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

Maybe if you bothered to learn how to use Steam in off line mode properly, and didn't launch it at start up, you wouldn't be "jarateed" and ready to blow a heart valve...

The main point, for me, is that I don't want to bother to learn how to use Steam. I don't want Steam on my computer. I want only Civ 5 on my computer. I don't want other unwanted stuff coming with it.

Time for me to go blow a heart valve.
Have another yawn old chap.

I hate Steam now and I hate Firaxis now.

[Wiglaf]

Steam

[dannubis]

101°C

[Asher]

How exactly does one need to learn how to use Steam?

Check two boxes, you'll never need to deal with Steam at all.

These boxes are perhaps cryptically named, maybe this is the problem?
"Offline Mode" apparently means allows games to work offline. That could perhaps be made more clear...
Unchecking "Load Steam on Windows startup" is perhaps also cryptically named. If only we could somehow make it obvious how to disable Steam from loading on Windows startup.

[Ming]

True enough... maybe they should have a big red box on the home page that says... for all of you who hate us, and don't want yet another program running in the background like all the other programs you don't b1tch about, check these boxes

[Zoetstofzoetje]

yeah, that sounds like good marketing. "don't buy me! you won't like it!"

sorry, not mentioning steam is simply good business practice. firaxis exists to sell products, not to make you happy. if they can achieve a sale whilst making you happy, that's convenient and nothing else.

[Guynemer]

Three cheers for Steam!

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!