Steam/PC Mega Thread

[Plubby]

The point of a Beta is not for everyone in your house to play the game before it comes out. It's not for you to kick around playing drunk. It's to test for bugs.

Take better care of your shit, and take some responsibility for the privilege you've been given in beta. Don't like it? Don't play the beta. Buy it. You're not owed it for free in Beta, fer chrissakes.

[Herr Matzat]

JA MEIN FÜHRER!

[Quom]

I'd argue there's a massive difference between the two. If you are a reasonable person, then the circumstance in which they would act on this would never come up. It's akin to someone telling me it's now against the law for me to wear a beige dress while I play golf. Big deal, I wasn't going to do it anyway.

I can't see how a timed demo is a true effort at catching bugs rather than a PR/demo which is what makes this so stupid. What they basically seem to be saying is 'take your role as beta tester seriously' whilst making it impossible for a lot of bugs to be found (I mean I would imagine the system gets more strained as the game goes on as it needs to track more and more).

Also you must be a lovely person, loads of people moan on twitter about airlines or products or companies without seeking redress first and Youtube is full of videos showing humorous bugs in games.

Even if we state this is a beta, moral obligation, not an indicator of final version etc. I'd point to the damage done to NBA whatever it was renamed to before being canned based on the demo.

Finally what is a bug? EA is claiming it is anything not specifically documented. So stringing a long bow anything that you aren't aware of is a bug and must be reported.

Final finally it might not be a story to you but it's big enough news that every major PC site is running it and none of the stories are positive.

Edit. Although your example likely shows the divide in our thinking. You wouldn't care if beige dresses were banned for golf since it doesn't effect you. I would be annoyed for the people it did unfairly effect.

[Plubby]

Fair point re: your edit, but I just don't understand what portion of people that this DOES unfairly affect (unless the developer takes unreasonable approach to "what is a bug" as you mentioned. But it's very tinfoil hat to say AH BUT THEY COULD!). They've made a rule against something that people shouldn't be doing in the first place. Sure, you might feel your "online civil liberties" or whatever are being violated but I don't feel one has the right to feel like they've been wronged here. It's annoying, and it's probably unnecessary - but it's not wrong. It's their product, they are offering it to us, and it's a condition of entry to access the product.

Let's say that this is simply a PR/sales move rather than legitimate public QA as you propose. Is it not looking a gift horse in the mouth to say "How dare you give me this free sample in this fashion? I demand you give it to me in this OTHER fashion!" There are better ways to make this point. One could just not download the demo - one could not buy the game. One could do any one of a number of things that weren't download their free sample and then complain about the manner it was delivered. Maybe i've engaged in hyperbole by stating "how is this a story". It's clearly a big deal as you've illustrated. I am simply unable to grasp the nuances of any reasonable cause for concern. The only risk I can see is a fear of the developer unreasonably and aggressively interpreting that part of the EULA. And I think if you follow that thought through from its start to its conclusion, it is irrational to think that it would actually happen. I'm willing to wait to be shown how it would reasonably happen though rather than assume that it can't be. Show me a plausible scenario in which a reasonable-thinking developer enacts this. Let's see if ol' Godwin's Law above you can do that.

[Herr Matzat]

And I think if you follow that thought through from its start to its conclusion, it is irrational to think that it would actually happen. I'm willing to wait to be shown how it would reasonably happen though rather than assume that it can't be. Show me a plausible scenario in which a reasonable-thinking developer enacts this. Let's see if ol' Godwin's Law above you can do that.

We are talking about EA here. They earned their right to be doubted in the way they do business.

[King Ellis]

EA is the Devil and regularly performs blood sacrifices of animals and children at Stone Henge. Keep up, Plubster.

[thatshortguy]

EA is the Devil and regularly performs blood sacrifices of animals and children at Stone Henge. Keep up, Plubster.

Entirely the reason I didn't buy Madden '12.

[TKz]

EA is the Devil and regularly performs blood sacrifices of animals and children at Stone Henge. Keep up, Plubster.

I hear if you pre-order the apocalypse, you get the first three plagues free. Otherwise it's day 1 DLC. :/

[Herr Matzat]

I just noticed that i have 13 DOTA 2 invites. In case anyone is not in yet on that drop me a line.

[Quom]

EA is s publisher Maxis is the dev. I'd argue you are looking at it around the wrong way. If it isn't needed then why the fuck is it in there? It's like the current anti-discrimination changes, the church is all 'oh no we are happy with gays working for us as if we would fire them once the law changes' well then why do they need the law to change?

Also I understated what is written in the EULA, it's not just if you find one, it's also if you hear about one. So they also reserve the right to lock your account for failing to notify them if you see a tweet or watch a Youtube video containing a bug.

[thatshortguy]

Finally bit on Terraria at $2.49 (btw, that and Sims 3 @ 7.49 are the two Steam deals going). I know I asked during the Holiday Sale, but what's the status of a EWB server?

[Quom]

I don't even get how the fuck to play it. Needs more dudebro, or well anything really.

[Ruki]

I think the EWB server died forever ago.

[Herr Matzat]

And the public pressure worked. EA promised to change the EULA till Friday when the beta begins.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[KONGO]

Needs more dudebro

What?

[Quom]

I was being somewhat facetious. It needs more purpose or at least a tutorial. It just dumps you with nothing and no explanation. I'm all for exploration to learn game mechanics but to me there needs to be something to show you what to do.

I could consult the wiki but I don't want to spoil the game by learning too much. So instead I boot it up, cut down some trees, shrug my shoulders and switch it off.

[KONGO]

Oh. I just didn't know what the phrase "Needs more dudebro" meant.

[Quom]

Dudebro games are nearly totally linear. You're given a gun or a quick car and are forced to do a-b with limited if any scope to improvise (well you can swap to a different gun). It's like playing a movie in that regard where the game is focused on always moving forward with plenty of hand holding to make it happen.

Basically I want a tutorial that lays out how to get started. Or to at least know what the premise of the game is.

I can sort of cope with Minecraft as you can see what you're doing, your character in Terraria is so damn small.

[King Ellis]

Yeah, there's no EWB Terraria thing anymore but you could replicate the experience by programming an NPC to occasionaly blow holes in your walls and take shit from your chests.

And you name that NPC Cloudy.

[Ruki]

Yeah, there's no EWB Terraria thing anymore but you could replicate the experience by programming an NPC to occasionaly blow holes in your walls and take shit from your chests.

And you name that NPC Cloudy.

You would also need an NPC who occasionally floods everything.