Shame on you for using STEAM !

[Thee_oddball]

Originally Posted by TheGrunch

What that post meant is that you will need a Steam account to activate your game to play offline, oddball, not that you will be required to be online all the time.

from what I read Solidshield will do the activation and Steam will provide "services"

Important:

The Steam client application's files must be updated to allow for the use of Offline Mode. If your game's status is "100% - Ready" but you receive the message "This game cannot be started in Offline Mode" when attempting to play offline, the Steam client application's files need to be updated.

Using Offline Mode on a PC.

Please follow the instructions below to configure Offline Mode on your PC:

1. Start Steam online - make sure the Remember my password box on the login window is checked
2. Verify that all game files are completely updated - you can see the update status for a game under the Library section (when the game shows as 100% - Ready it is ready to be played in Offline Mode)
3. Launch the game you would like to play offline to verify that there are no further updates to download - shut down the game and return to Steam once you have confirmed that the game can be played
4. Go to Steam > Settings to ensure the Don't save account credentials on this computer option is not selected
5. From the main Steam window, go to the Steam menu and select Go Offline
6. Click Restart in Offline Mode to restart Steam in Offline Mode

the above seems like a bit much just to play SP...with that being said i have a steam account (not used in a couple years) and will buuuuuuuy the game...box addition if i can .
I like many people like to keep there windows install lean and clean...mine is so striped down it looks like win98 and i only have 2 things installed BC2 and IL2 (LIKE A 427 IN A PINTO ) , I think the only thing that needs changing is there not be ANY steam association with offline play besides that I think it should work out.

[TheGrunch]

The only thing I can say about this whole debate is that seriously, everything in life has its pros and cons, and some of you guys need to stop getting your knickers in a twist about the most insignificant cons. Just chill out. You can play in offline mode if you want, you can turn off auto-updating (and honestly doing those things eliminates all of my *personal* issues with Steam), and if you choose to actually use it as it is intended it is an excellent server browser and a very good way to keep track of squadmates and other people you enjoyed playing with online.

I don't see how activating the offline mode is a lot of hassle either, you just have to login once, make sure the game is working and then click Go Offline. They make it sound more difficult in the article by including every single insignificant step so as to make the instructions idiot-proof.
As for the activation thing, it's true that Solidshield is the actual form of DRM chosen, but due to the way Steam works you'll still have to login to install the game, the Solidshield part is kind of implied by the actual installation process.

[jameson]

You guys really don't get it do you? I don't want this steam crap on my machine, end of story.

[Defender]

Originally Posted by jameson

You guys really don't get it do you? I don't want this steam crap on my machine, end of story.

That's fine mate, you've made your case. But hanging around doesn't seem to make much sense now does it? You've decided therefore your contributions to this forum seems quite limited and a bit conflicted.

Perhaps after launch and consumer reports start flowing in about what a great sim it is, the urge to fly the best WWII combat sim available will trump your desire to not have this "steam crap" on your machine.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by jameson

You guys really don't get it do you? I don't want this steam crap on my machine, end of story.

Well - bye bye then!

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by mazex

Well - bye bye then!

The main thing I have picked up from these threads is that steam users seem to be childish arrogant smug and generally a pain in the butt to try and discuss things with.

Which doesn't make playing online in a community full of steam users overly enticing

[jimbop]

I love the thread tags! I'm waiting for the steam version before I order - much prefer the DL versions over boxed. Most people don't understand that even if you buy a physical copy of a piece of software you are usually just buying rights to run it, not buying the software itself.

Anyway, that's my understanding and even if I'm wrong there are far more important things for me to worry about!

[Luftrofl]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

The main thing I have picked up from these threads is that steam haters seem to be childish arrogant smug and generally a pain in the butt to try and discuss things with.

Which doesn't make playing online in a community full of steam haters overly enticing

See how that works. The benefits have been shown over and over but some literally can't seem to "think outside the [game]box". I don't understand people afraid of using Steam for risk of somehow losing access to one copy of the game, then claiming to be cancelling pre-orders for a dozen boxes of it. I would bet money Steam will outlast Ubisoft. The developers have decided to use it, either embrace it or punish yourself by missing out on the game you've all been foaming at the mouth for. Not a hard decision.

Funny part is that most of the haters will actually like steam once they understand it.

Funniest part will be all the people who buy the game then can't run it because it isn't Il2 1946 and blame their PC's shortcomings on Steam.

[Vyper]

Originally Posted by Luftrofl

See how that works. The benefits have been shown over and over but some literally can't seem to "think outside the [game]box". I don't understand people afraid of using Steam for risk of somehow losing access to one copy of the game, then claiming to be cancelling pre-orders for a dozen boxes of it. I would bet money Steam will outlast Ubisoft. The developers have decided to use it, either embrace it or punish yourself by missing out on the game you've all been foaming at the mouth for. Not a hard decision.

Funny part is that most of the haters will actually like steam once they understand it.

Funniest part will be all the people who buy the game then can't run it because it isn't Il2 1946 and blame their PC's shortcomings on Steam.

So why are you for forcing people to use it? Would you be for being forced to use AOL? All anyone posting so far is concerned about is the lack of getting a choice in the matter, when clearly steam isn't needed to perform multiplayer functionality yet the rumblings are saying it will be required to do so. (And begs to question how dedicated servers will work in that situation).

The funny part, as you put it...is that some of us have had this off and on and off again relationship with steam/valve for over 12 years. There isn't anything to understand, so your point is moot.

Limiting choices and creating control bases in favor of companies like valve are not good for the gaming community as a whole. It is not good for any business market.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

The main thing I have picked up from these threads is that steam users seem to be childish arrogant smug and generally a pain in the butt to try and discuss things with.

Which doesn't make playing online in a community full of steam users overly enticing

Not at all like the anti-steam (anti-everything) bunch then? Personally I'm fed up with all negativism here and all this whinig about everything does not lead anywhere. They have chosen to use Steam for some parts and certainly will not change due to the fact that 20 people whine here and in some other forums. It just make them stop reading the constructive criticism that is stuck in between all the crap. Trust me as a development manager myself - after a certain level of negativism in open channels you stop reading and focus on other channels... It's very obvious that this is what has happened here, but people just don't get it. Why do you think Oleg and Ilya are not here any more?