Opened an account on the Shroud of the Avatar site, downloaded the demo, fired it up, and then tried to log on to the SotA site forums and then the Steam SotA forums to ask why the *offline mode* was disabled in the game demo, and to inquire as to whether the game would be fully voiced at some point--and guess what? Even with a SotA site account you are not permitted--not even in the Steam forum--from posting and asking questions unless you have already bought the game...!

My God, Garriott must believe his game is horrible at the moment to do this. I do not think I have ever seen or heard of a game with this sort of forum Q & A restrictions--especially mind boggling to see it on Steam--although Steam is more than willing to accommodate any developer who wishes to lock up his game with DRM. First time I have ever seen a game *forum* locked up with DRM! Incredible!

I can't even find any *Ultima* forums on Steam--so either Garriott has taken them down, too, or else GOG is the only company to sell the Ultima titles these days! Weird.

So the SotA demo has been deleted from my system and I will never even consider this game so long as such draconian restrictions exist--little better than fraud, imo. If Garriott thinks this sort of thing will fool people and increase his sales I feel really, really sorry for the man. Sad.

while this is bad practice, not allowing you to post on the form is not DRM, not by a long shot.

Can't even find an Ultima game on Steam any longer using the store search function--so I guess that GOG has exclusive distribution rights to all of the older Ultimas--so wtf isn't Garriott releasing SotA on GO, too?--Gotta' be for the Steam DRM. On the blinking *forum*, too! Amazing.

Nah, just censorship...

removing a forum is also not DRM

Reminds me of what Bungie is doing....

I am not justifying it, it is bad practice - but it is not DRM in the slightest.

DRM =/= things I do not like.

Yes, this kind of thing is just mind-boggling, it's so stupid...;) Garriott couldn't do much more to discourage sales of the game, imo. So he restricts the forum at his own SotA site to those who have paid full price for the game, then he censors posts on the site by people who *bought* the game, and then he *evidently* ties up the game with Steam DRM (which is not required--I have several AA games from Steam that have no DRM attached to the at all--and Steam doesn't have to run to fire the up.) I'm not buying it--he's blown it unless he opens up and I see some improvement and a willingness to respond to input instead of trying to avoid it altogether. Geez!

I've actually never seen a forum locked down to game *purchasers* before. Usually, most game forums ask you to create an account to post, not actually buy something. The SotA forum actually says that in order to post I have to spend at least $5 in the SotA store! What a racket--no way. I created an account--still can't post--and on Steam, no posting until you *buy* the game...Good Lord...;)

I feel like a fool--thanks to Garriott--for downloading and installing the demo and its myriad patches--just to be told I must buy something at the SotA site just to post or buy the whole game just to post on the Steam forum! I simply wanted to ask about a couple of things! What a way to lose a potential sale.

None of the Ultima games were ever released on Steam. I don't know what rights Garriott has for the Ultima series, but EA is the publisher of all the older Ultima games here and on Origin (minus Akalabeth).

by the way, the reason why you can't find any Ultima forums on Steam is that they don't sell them there, nor have they ever done so, AFAIK

OK, you obviously are being far too literal. He's locked up the game itself on Steam and he's locked up the only forums for the game that exist. Would you feel better if I said that locking up the game with Steam = DRM and locking up the game forums = censorship? Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other...;)

sigh... what is DRM? time to define it now then, before continuing

Yes, as I said in my original post. Apparently only GOG has had the distribution rights--except for this Ultima game. Oddly enough. I wasn't aware that GOG had an exclusive on the IP which is why I searched for the games and their forums.

I wasn't aware the shroud was out yet, i do recall Spoony being a big fan of the series having an interview with him a few years ago and some of that was quite intereseting... but meh.


I can only hope they learn their lessons. But most of the large game companies are too corrupted, and the easy money will dry up sooner or later that encourages these bad practices.