Steam has some advantages and has parts of it that I detest. I truely understand why some will not support it and why others think its fantastic.
I use steam for games like NTW and ETW. I hated the fact when I first began that steam rewrote any changes that were made on my end with the game. Did I want to go online with my newfound changes. No I did not. Any way I put that game on the do not play shelf for a long while. Until i found this
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index.php
Man did they bring life back into enjoyment of my DVD purchased games. Stop by just to see whats happening. For those who are a little concerned about Steam and the modern abilities of others. I don't even worry about not having a vanila game that I can use online.
I'm more than positive that offliners can find some helpful hints around in this brave new world. Make your own choice and let others do the same. What are you really afraid of when you have to have it your way?