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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: jambo on February 12, 2010, 07:24:08 pm

Title: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jambo on February 12, 2010, 07:24:08 pm
I have a press account on Steam and "Descent: Freespace - The Great War" just showed up in my list today. I couldn't find it on the store site or anywhere through Google. FS coming to Steam? :D :yes:

(http://gfxlink.com/images/62381900426572868484.jpg)

(http://gfxlink.com/images/55527338205450735649.jpg)
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Tarvis on February 12, 2010, 07:56:01 pm
Sounds fishy to me.

If this is true though, it would be a great move. And would certainly instill in our minds that Volition hasn't forgotten about Freespace...
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: SpardaSon21 on February 12, 2010, 07:58:57 pm
If it is true, Interplay is probably trying to resurrect themselves from the dead.  They should also try to contact Stardock to see if they can get FS on Impulse for more market penetration.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Tarvis on February 12, 2010, 08:00:09 pm
If it is true, Interplay is probably trying to resurrect themselves from the dead.  They should also try to contact Stardock to see if they can get FS on Impulse for more market penetration.
Interplay's been risen from the dead from quite a while. Noticed all the old Fallout, MDK, Earthworm Jim, etc. games on Steam?

EDIT: This also means that it's likely Interplay isn't looking to sell the rights to Volition. If they did though, they might make money, just like they did with Fallout to come back from the dead.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jambo on February 12, 2010, 08:22:36 pm
http://steamcommunity.com/id/jambo/games

go there and Ctrl+F for Descent and it shows up.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Bob-san on February 12, 2010, 09:58:25 pm
If it is true, Interplay is probably trying to resurrect themselves from the dead.  They should also try to contact Stardock to see if they can get FS on Impulse for more market penetration.
Interplay's been risen from the dead from quite a while. Noticed all the old Fallout, MDK, Earthworm Jim, etc. games on Steam?

EDIT: This also means that it's likely Interplay isn't looking to sell the rights to Volition. If they did though, they might make money, just like they did with Fallout to come back from the dead.
Or, more likely, Interplay wants to mark up asset values. Imagine how well Interplay could do selling FS1 for $5 on two weekend specials over the space of a few months. Steam has proven to be a reliable and popular distribution method; a hundred or more thousand sales in a weekend would "revive" Interplay's finances and prove that Freespace IP has a real value greater than the price of a lower-middle-class suburban home. Similarly, they've released Earthworm Jim and MDK on Steam. If it's available to buy, it'll be bought. If it's sold on promotion, it'll be bought en masse. Just think of all the indie games that appear on weekly special; IIRC, sales of those titles tend to be 400+% higher than without promotion. Imagine what'll happen if Freespace 2 appears with decent art and a 91/100 metascore. It'll sell like hotcakes, especially if priced at <$5.

Here's a question: can you install it? If you can, does it run?
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Tarvis on February 12, 2010, 10:14:57 pm
I wonder how it will be run.

Will it run the launcher? Or FS.EXE directly?

Hopefully the former. I don't particularly want to be stuck with a broken 3D Acceleration mode.

I will be curious to see how they put movies on the hard drive however.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Bob-san on February 12, 2010, 10:29:54 pm
I wonder how it will be run.

Will it run the launcher? Or FS.EXE directly?

Hopefully the former. I don't particularly want to be stuck with a broken 3D Acceleration mode.

I will be curious to see how they put movies on the hard drive however.
I'm guessing it'll be FS.EXE directly, or a fixed/updated version at least. I'm hoping they'll release it with 1024x768 mode at least; 640x480's WAYYY too small. Then again, 1024x768 is too. Ohhh! The arrogance of one used to using dual monitors.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Tarvis on February 12, 2010, 10:36:25 pm
I don't think they're going to do any serious modification to that effect
(keep in mind graphics do not exist for 1024x768 so both hud and mainhall will look terrible when scaled up to it)

They're probably going to use the same version gog has I'm betting.

Not sure what that is though, since I have the CD release.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jambo on February 13, 2010, 12:40:06 am
I'm downloading it now so I'll let you know how it turns out.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Bob-san on February 13, 2010, 04:42:29 am
If Interplay ends up too stupid to cut a deal with Steam about a Weekend Deal, I'm going to write them off and the stupided PC gaming company ever... maybe second only to EA.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: karajorma on February 13, 2010, 08:49:58 am
I'd still rather get the GoG version if I had to choose. :p
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: headdie on February 13, 2010, 09:00:11 am
still using my ancient 3 disk set that came in an old school card box  :nod:
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Dragon on February 13, 2010, 09:21:40 am
I thought 3-disk one is FS2, FS1 (which is what they sell) was shipped on two CDs.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: headdie on February 13, 2010, 09:37:23 am
install disk and two play disks though it uses all three in the install process if you set complete installation,
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Klaustrophobia on February 13, 2010, 03:06:23 pm
you sure you aren't thinking of FS2?  my FS1 is also 2 disks, the third would be ST if you count that.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: headdie on February 13, 2010, 03:30:04 pm
Sorry mix up on my part I was meaning FS2 though i did have FS1+ST once but gave it my mate when i got FS2
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jr2 on February 13, 2010, 03:31:28 pm
you sure you aren't thinking of FS2?  my FS1 is also 2 disks, the third would be ST if you count that.

I'm pretty sure FS1 is one disk, second one is ST...

*goes to check*

... nope, FS1 is 2 disks, ST is the third, and FS2 is 3 disks.  I don't know 'cause I back my games up to the HD - I hate CD flipping. (And scratched disks! - although, the Game/CD/DVD/whateverelseitscalled DR device helps with that.)
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Fenrir on February 13, 2010, 08:33:44 pm
I'd still rather get the GoG version if I had to choose. :p
Same here. But the increased exposure to FS is always good for the people who don't know about GoG
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Tarvis on February 17, 2010, 03:27:11 pm
So, any word on how it runs?
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Gamma_Draconis on February 24, 2010, 01:53:11 am
What's a Steam press account? I'll definitely pick up a few copies of FS1 and FS2 and gift them out if there's a good sale on them.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jambo on February 25, 2010, 05:29:59 pm
Press account means I get games dropped in to it for free, cause I'm a reviewer. It's like we normally get sent games in the mail to review, except now it's via steam.

Can't get it to download, keeps doing little bits and stopping. Will try again tonight!
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on February 25, 2010, 05:33:51 pm
I wants your copy of Grim Fandango! :nod:
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: jambo on March 06, 2010, 09:16:37 pm
FYI

(http://gfxlink.com/images/57162163340814947778.jpg)

(http://gfxlink.com/images/57274015509042300424.jpg)

(http://gfxlink.com/images/50978665139306822539.jpg)

(http://gfxlink.com/images/28207382768833275102.jpg)

I have a Q6600 @ 2.4Ghz and 6GB DDR2 btw
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 07, 2010, 11:10:30 am
Interplay's been risen from the dead from quite a while. Noticed all the old Fallout, MDK, Earthworm Jim, etc. games on Steam?

To hell with Steam, I'm seeing these games being sold in CDs at my local retailer again at knockdown prices. Even Descent 3's being sold in some crap cover art.

I've yet to see FS1 or FS2 being sold, though. :blah:
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Thaeris on March 07, 2010, 11:11:41 am
GOG! Fight the DRM!!!
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on March 07, 2010, 02:37:07 pm
Cam i see your fred.hlp file?

I'm intruiged to see if it's been added to.............
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: paul1290 on March 08, 2010, 07:09:32 am
I already have both games in disk form and have purchased Freespace 2 from GoG already, but I think it would be nice if they found their way on Steam too.

If I had to buy again given the choice between GoG and Steam and assuming the Steam version doesn't have any compatibility problems, I'm not sure which one I would pick.


I mean, yes Steam is DRM.
On the other hand it has some nice benefits (easy replacement of bad files, in-game chat, ect). Also, it's done a lot to keep some of my favorite indie developers going (Introversion and Frictional among them). There's also the fact that I probably wouldn't have found some of my current favorite games without it.

It's like the evil umbilical cord that's giving me so much candy that at this point I usually don't care that it's an evil umbilical cord anymore.  :P

As always your milage may vary.




Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Angelus on March 08, 2010, 08:38:32 am
Steam is a big pile of ****, which sells/ hosts average games ( in shiny disguise ) to the masses, and forces the user to update the games even if he don't want to. There is more, but i'm to lazy to write an essay about steams slavedriver methods, so i leave it at that.

They should stick with new games, and leave their filthy hands of the classics.

Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: The E on March 08, 2010, 08:41:30 am
Right. Updating is evil. Suuuure.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: karajorma on March 08, 2010, 08:46:39 am
It is when you don't want to. And there have been quite a few times I've not wanted the latest patch for some reason or other (for instance what do you do when the patch breaks savegames?).
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Angelus on March 08, 2010, 08:46:39 am
Right. Updating is evil. Suuuure.

No updating itself not, at least in most cases.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Colonol Dekker on March 08, 2010, 08:54:20 am
Imagine if SCP made you download every single nightly build, media tweak, revision, upgrade, downgrade, ship fix, effect patch and overwrote your FS2/data folder every time.
 
That's how annoying I find steam.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 08, 2010, 09:46:26 am
Imagine if SCP made you download every single nightly build, media tweak, revision, upgrade, downgrade, ship fix, effect patch and overwrote your FS2/data folder every time.
 
That's how annoying I find steam.

Good point. The SCP is updated at almost the same frequency as Avira's antivirus definitions.

And there have been quite a few times I've not wanted the latest patch for some reason or other (for instance what do you do when the patch breaks savegames?).

A bad update is something not unheard of either. While updates in general are good, there are some cases where getting the newest update is actually a worse option than not updating.

Yes, I'm looking at whoever frakked up the light reflection settings in one of the 2008/9 nightlys.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: General Battuta on March 08, 2010, 09:48:24 am
Imagine if SCP made you download every single nightly build, media tweak, revision, upgrade, downgrade, ship fix, effect patch and overwrote your FS2/data folder every time.
 
That's how annoying I find steam.

Can't you just turn off automatic updates?
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: 0rph3u5 on March 08, 2010, 10:54:18 am
Yes, we can!

"My Games" tab -> dropdown-menu (right click on game) "Properties" -> "Updates" tab
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 08, 2010, 11:28:29 am
In that case, there's no issue then. :nervous:
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: redsniper on March 08, 2010, 12:20:31 pm
Imagine if SCP made you download every single nightly build, media tweak, revision, upgrade, downgrade, ship fix, effect patch and overwrote your FS2/data folder every time.
 
That's how annoying I find steam.

It'd probably cut down on a lot of the tech support threads... :nervous:
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: SpardaSon21 on March 08, 2010, 12:51:23 pm
No, you cannot turn off Steam updating your games.  You can turn off auto-update, but Steam will still force the update on you if you attempt to play the game.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: General Battuta on March 08, 2010, 12:59:46 pm
Good to know.
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: QuantumDelta on March 10, 2010, 05:15:49 am
No, you cannot turn off Steam updating your games.  You can turn off auto-update, but Steam will still force the update on you if you attempt to play the game.
Circumvent with play offline mode :p
Title: Re: Freespace on Steam?!
Post by: Droid803 on March 10, 2010, 05:07:46 pm
Imagine if SCP made you download every single nightly build, media tweak, revision, upgrade, downgrade, ship fix, effect patch and overwrote your FS2/data folder every time.
 
That's how annoying I find steam.

It'd probably cut down on a lot of the tech support threads... :nervous:

No it wouldn't. You would end up with MORE because of people getting  errors because the newest build broke something. Not all builds are as backwards compatible as they would seem. For one, I remember the AI change back to retail behavior severely messing up bomber ai resulting in a number of missions made with the "bugged" AI in mind basically unplayable. Also, since they're pushing for integration of INF builds, all your old pilot files will "disappear" (the game reads INF pilots from a different directory). You wouldn't hear the end of it.

Forced updating is BAD. It only helps n00bs, if that, and could potentially punish people that actually know what they're doing (ie. testing an older version to see if the chnage resulted in bugs, etc).