Posted June 07, 2013
It's DRM free unless you want to install, patch, use any of the inevitable several dozen dlc, buy anywhere other than Steam, use multiplayer, and are happy to copy folders out after every single patch/ dlc. Paradox insisting that it's DRM free (which their FAQ has rolled back on slightly, to be fair) is about as big an insult to one's intelligence as EA saying that SimCity's DRM is actually essential MMO features, and their whole rationalisation is full of utter rubbish and an even greater insult to intelligence.
1) They hate DRM and make DRM free games! While a lot of people think DRM = bad and Steam = good therefore good != bad so steam cannot be DRM, QED! it's a load of rubbish by any sensible definition and if it had to go through 'SecuROM' instead all the steam types would be outraged. They gate everything from the download itself to patches, MP and dlc through a closed, peripheral, verification system. And they've been using steam DRM on all their 3rd party titles for the past two years.
2) Paradox does not have a preferred digital distributor! Except the one whose storefront they bundle with their products, of course.
3) Patching is hard! They have to make lots of patches! This is complete, provable fabrication. The same people making that case (eg Johan) have themselves repeatedly stated, and it's easily verifiable independently, that all windows installs of Paradox games are identical wherever bought. There are no additional patches needed, one patch works for all versions. See also 6.
4) Looking forward to going onto GOG, per Fred Wester's twitter, near 18 months ago now. Yet somehow despite being on every DD site so much that the local kids were offering Paradox game downloads at their lemonade stand they never quite make it here. Baffling, for such champions of DRM free and who don't have a preferred digital store, you'd think they'd be a natural fit far more so than EA, Activision and others already here.
5) Transparent spam incentive 'loyalty programs'. Yeah, unsolicited referrer links and the like annoy me as much as anything utterly peripheral to my life can.
6) DRM free doesn't sell enough to be viable! But we'll make Linux versions! And Mac! Don't worry though, while the non existent different patches for the single windows version is hard and costs lots of money making and supporting a version for Linux and Mac, completely different OS requiring different and unique testing, is easy and viable!
7) Everyone complaining will just buy it anyway in the end! You're our digital crackwhores!
FOADIAF, would you kindly? My annoyance at that attitude makes my dislike of spam incentives pale into insignificance.
Going back and reading Johan et al rail against steam back when they delayed Divine Wind for six weeks or didn't publish patches multiple times or refused certain games access and saying that Connect (nuked after steam changed their service contracts, per the Origin/ EA controversy; the dlc system is actually the one used in the Gamersgate version of CK2 which occasionally refers to ducats, Paradox's virtual currency, not blue coins) would be their steam alternative essential to all of Paradox's games is pretty hilarious given their current pro steam stance.
1) They hate DRM and make DRM free games! While a lot of people think DRM = bad and Steam = good therefore good != bad so steam cannot be DRM, QED! it's a load of rubbish by any sensible definition and if it had to go through 'SecuROM' instead all the steam types would be outraged. They gate everything from the download itself to patches, MP and dlc through a closed, peripheral, verification system. And they've been using steam DRM on all their 3rd party titles for the past two years.
2) Paradox does not have a preferred digital distributor! Except the one whose storefront they bundle with their products, of course.
3) Patching is hard! They have to make lots of patches! This is complete, provable fabrication. The same people making that case (eg Johan) have themselves repeatedly stated, and it's easily verifiable independently, that all windows installs of Paradox games are identical wherever bought. There are no additional patches needed, one patch works for all versions. See also 6.
4) Looking forward to going onto GOG, per Fred Wester's twitter, near 18 months ago now. Yet somehow despite being on every DD site so much that the local kids were offering Paradox game downloads at their lemonade stand they never quite make it here. Baffling, for such champions of DRM free and who don't have a preferred digital store, you'd think they'd be a natural fit far more so than EA, Activision and others already here.
5) Transparent spam incentive 'loyalty programs'. Yeah, unsolicited referrer links and the like annoy me as much as anything utterly peripheral to my life can.
6) DRM free doesn't sell enough to be viable! But we'll make Linux versions! And Mac! Don't worry though, while the non existent different patches for the single windows version is hard and costs lots of money making and supporting a version for Linux and Mac, completely different OS requiring different and unique testing, is easy and viable!
7) Everyone complaining will just buy it anyway in the end! You're our digital crackwhores!
FOADIAF, would you kindly? My annoyance at that attitude makes my dislike of spam incentives pale into insignificance.
Going back and reading Johan et al rail against steam back when they delayed Divine Wind for six weeks or didn't publish patches multiple times or refused certain games access and saying that Connect (nuked after steam changed their service contracts, per the Origin/ EA controversy; the dlc system is actually the one used in the Gamersgate version of CK2 which occasionally refers to ducats, Paradox's virtual currency, not blue coins) would be their steam alternative essential to all of Paradox's games is pretty hilarious given their current pro steam stance.
