Dear PA Devs, So when you say offline...

So when you say offline do you mean like supcom 1 were you drop $50 to pop the disk in your cpu install the game and play with the added bonus of when you turn on your router you can play with your friends via the interwebs...
Or are we talking supcom 2, were you drop $50 to pop the disk in your cpu to install the game only to find the disk installing some third party stuff that you must accept then create an account then activate the game then download it then update it then play it and in the event your interwebs dies or is otherwise unavailable then you cant play it thus wasting $$$... as much as i like supcom 2 i hate steam and online activation of games (and mind you the actual box didnt even mention that it required steam/internet conection/online activation hence why i was pissed) becasue im not always guaranteed to be equipped with interwebs given my onthego military lifestyle

my question is : is the game online only, is one time activation, or can i just pop ye ol' disk in meh cpu and play without ever having interwebs and play to my hearts content

~thnx

During the kickstarter, the community asked for "no DRM" and Uber agreed, so I think there won't be any activation once you install, unless you want to do multiplayer (in which case I suspect you need to make an account). Also, to save costs it sounds like they will not have a physical disk or anything, it will be download only.

As for the alpha and beta, (PURE SPECULATION) they may want to keep a tighter rein on things and require authentication every time you start the game (so people aren't just passing out a half-done game to their friends). In any case they're going to be iterating quickly so I think there will be weekly or bi-weekly updates.

They may or may not be offering a steam version. That aside, the default will be a pure offline install with internet capability.

From the Kickstarter link posted in the Confirmed Features thread:

This sounds to me like confirmation that, after install, you will be able to fire up PA and play it without the need for any connectivity whatsoever. You may (read: most likely will) require an internet connection for the initial install though.

Edit: if you've pledged for the version with PA on a memory stick, you won't need internets as the install will be on the stick when it arrives. Other than that I think you'll be stuck requiring internets for the initial download though.

Okay first you don't put disks in the cpu that would be very damaging to your pc. :mrgreen:

Second there is no disk, game is digital only and will probably be available for you to download whenever you want from your Uber account and play immediately.

You will need to start a server and play, no need for anything else. Many people don't understand how that works and think its something very complicated but in fact its very simple. The game will be played online the same way its played offline, just using different servers. If your pc serves as a server then there is no need for internet. For multiplayer you will use Uber's servers to play and for that you need internet.

I assume starting a server off your pc will be done with 2 clicks so you don't need to worry, you'll be able to play on a plane, just don't tell anyone on the plane what you're doing.

Just to nitpick, but that's not true. For multiplayer you just need at least 2 computers. One each for both players. And connect them, somehow. The only online requirements are for things that are by definition online only. Ie. stat tracking doesn't work well when you have to send a pigeon after each match... eh, I ment to say: Players can make their own servers, for offline and online multiplayer.

Uber will provide the beefy servers for larger matches, but you should be able to eventually use your old laptop to set up an online multiplayer server too, without any involvement with uber.

At least, that's the way I understood it.

Well its kinda obvious that LAN offline multiplayer can be played on a home server, I just didn't mention it directly :mrgreen:

If your friend is in another country then you obviously need internet to connect the pcs, I assume it would be more efficient for both players to use Uber servers than make one themselves.

i dont think u follow my meaning im saying:
1 is it on disk i'd like conformation
2 if not wat is it wat do u mean thumbstick like usb thingy
3 does it hav a skirmish mode built in like supcom or do i gotta create a interweb server which defeats the idea of offline.... or are we talkin offline lan server
4 if it needs interwebs for install then tht defeats everythng since i dont actually hav it (wifi hotspot)
5 i pledged $250 and it says i get a Commemorative Limited Edition Game Box
so i would assume it is on disk then but then i could be retarded and wrong...
6 on a side note theres a guy spamming porn **** on both the backers and regular forums how do u report tht guy?

Then I would assume you'll either be getting a USB memory stick with the install, or possibly a physical DVD with the game install, alongside all the other goodies for the Cosmic edition (you lucky person). :mrgreen:

I'm not sure which, but I do know that beyond the $100 kickstarter level Uber were already offering the install + key on USB stick, so I'm assuming that Cosmic edition gets one of those alongside the books / miniatures / other goodies. Worst case you can PM Garat and ask, he should be able to confirm which pre-order level(s) will get a physical install.

Underneath each post is an exclamation button [!] to report the post.

If it's an account spamming the backers forum though, I'd assume someone has had their account hijacked, as this is only for people who've pre-ordered (i.e. paid moneys). The normal forums you can register for free, so you are bound to get spam accounts sometimes.

Not on disk, there's a game box if you pledge for alpha, but it will not have a disk in it.

Can't remember if it comes with the game box, but I know that there is a USB stick with the game that is or was available to purchase separately. Otherwise it's completely digital.

Presumably it will have a setting for skirmish where you don't need to mess with setting up a server, yes. I would also hope it has a way to host lan games without needing a separate server.

I thought neutrino/Mavor cited production costs as a reason that there will be no disk.

The box as explained in the kickstarter is mainly just a pretty box for your shelf (and maybe to keep extras in). The game will be digital only (from several different stores most likely including direct from uber), and if people want a hard copy they could add a USB flash memory drive with a copy of the game.

When people say server there are several types, there are the big uber hosted ones on the internet, user hosted ones on the internet, and the game can create (probably automatically) a local server for LAN/single player play (skirmish). That last option requires no internet connection after the game is downloaded (or any connection at all if you have the USB drive).

To install the game the only reason an internet connection is required is to download the files it needs to install. This is I think everything we've been told so far related to these subjects.

This help?

There is no physical copy of the game. Just digital.

The box is a PA style box to put stuff in. It isn't a typical box with the game disk and stuff inside, its just a box, commemorative box.

The USB-stick was only available as an extra during the KS, if you did not select it you will have to download the game at least once. You are free to store it on a disc and install it from that disc afterwards, online activation of any kind is not required.
The reason why there is no official disc is that the disc would be outdated the moment it is printed, since UBER plans to update the game on a regular basis.

As I understand it the level of DRM in PA is dependent on what you want to do:

Play skirmish games offline:
No DRM.

Play LAN games:
No DRM.

Play online games by directly connecting to the host via their IP:
No DRM.

Play online games through what I assume will be a lobby/matchmaking service:
Needs unique key.

Play online games with the persistent multiplayer campaign thing or using stat tracking/social features:
Needs unique key and an Uber account.


So it's about as DRM free as possible if you aren't playing online you won't need to ever be online, and if Uber was unable to continue providing their support with servers you will still be able to play the core game online without issue.


Note: I'm not sure how reliable all that is since it's basically guessing based on the info GOG.com provided when conducting a survey about what people thought about that sort of DRM in a game GOG.com might distribute.

Well, just as an FYI, you can run steam in offline mode (albiet you need to run it online at leaset ONCE) so you can play supcom 2 offline; but if you already knew that then i am sorry for ever posting this.

Pretty accurate summary.

How many times does this have to be asked?

It's on the website, stated numerous times on the kickstarter page, its all over the forums (you don't even have to look very hard, or even use search).

People ask because the games industry as a whole over the last 10 years has made it their mission to fark us up the arse, dry.

I think it's quite forgivable for people to keep asking.

If Uber can stick to their guns and deliver the kind of experience we are looking for, they are going to rise above the pack for sure.

Hard to blame them though, people have have been doing the same to the games industry except for longer and with a rusty mace. There's no denying that things like piracy and in particular stores doing trade ins have been undermining the games industry but I have to agree that the nasty DRM that some companies are using these days is not the right solution and is probably just making things worse.

Also the idea of a server in common knowledge is a magic computer in the net, the idea that they can have one on their own computer (including for single player) without being an IT guy is still new to them. They don't understand that it's going to be about at the level of "There's an app for that" for starting a Server for things, if not totally invisible to them.

It's a problem with the Devs being more open than normal, but I think it's a good problem to have.