A couple of quick questions from someone itchin’ to buy a big-ole package of spaceship explodiness. Do copies purchased on Steam post/download challenges to/from the same place as every other version? Does Steam send you an email with a number to register the game before unlocking multiplayer? Conversely, is it possible to have a registered version bought straight from cliff added to your game list on Steam without any issues?
I’m probably going to buy the core game first (looks like it’s cheapest to buy directly from cliff ATM, unless I missed a sale somewhere), and pick up the expansions later. Unless of course there is a bundle deal, but it seems that a lot of people have been suggesting one for a while now, and I still don’t see one anywhere.
When I pick up the expansions later, would an expansion bought from Steam work fine with the core game bought here, and vice-versa? Are there additional registration codes for each of the expansions, and does Steam email those or do they verify purchases in some other way?
Yes, the challenges are identical and hosted on the same server, and steam will give you the code to acces it. If you bought the game from steam you can buy the expansions from cliffski, but not the other way around. There are no extra codes or anything for the expansions, they function just like a mod but with better art.
So regardless of where you purchase, everyone gets access to the same board of challenges — this is a “very good thing”™ Only downside in any of this is that it seems if I buy the core game direct from cliffski, I’m apparently locked-in to cliffski for all future expansions/upgrades. The upside being that he tends to release patches a day to two (or more) ahead of the other online portals. The downside being that if any portals decide to run a bundle pack or other discount offer I’m just SOL. And a simple ‘plug-n-play’ system for the expansions sounds nice… now come on cliffski, release a 4-pack gold or platinum edition already!! ;o)
If you enter your reg key to play online, then the game auto-checks each day for a new patch (regardless where you bought it) and auto-downloads and runs them as they become available, so in a sense, it’s no different to having a steam copy (but you dont need to have steam running :D).
Okay, so I misspoke when I said upgrades — but if I buy the core game directly then I need to buy the expansions directly as well, correct? If there aren’t any bundles forthcoming, and since I don’t imagine anyone is going to be running a special on the expansions alone, it’s mostly a moot point since they’re the same price everywhere. And seeing as how you’re currently selling the core game for half of what the various portals are; A WINNAR IS CLIFFSKI. I’ll likely ‘splurge’ on the expansions soon enough, if this game is half as addictive as I fear/hope it is.
BTW it looks as though Gamer’s Gate has put together their own bundle. It still doesn’t make up for the price difference of buying the core game from cliffski, but I thought it was interesting.
Cliffski: are you at liberty to say how much $ actually reaches you if I buy the game here for $10 vs on Steam for $20? Even in terms like ‘a little more’ or ‘2 Steam sales are worth about 3 direct sales’ or ‘nearly the same amount’?
I can’t due to contractual reasons, but it always benefits the devs more if you buy a game from them direct, where possible.
I;m currently experimenting with a lower price for the core game, but that may revert once I have enough sales to work out if it makes more sales or not
I’m not sure what the situation is regarding buying the packs on steam but the core game from me. In theory you could just move the installed files from where steam puts them to where my version puts them, but I wouldnt particularly recommend doing it that way.
I bought the game on Steam and I for one will wait for a weekend deal or so having all three packages for one cheap price (I assume there will be deal before a 4th (if one will ever come) package will arive). The current price is simply to high for the content and the fact that I have 1000+ hours of dvd’s to watch and dozens of games to play/finish makes me wait till the right moment. Steam is simply more usefull and I prefer to have all the games at the same location with a high reliability.
Well hold-off on reverting for at least a couple of days, if you would. I’m entirely too busy and don’t need the additional distraction right now, but things should be easing up a bit soon, so I’ll most likely buy the game Wednesday. And the lower price will make for an additional sale in my case anyhow. I’ve been straddling the fence, trying to decide whether or not it was “worth” $20 for the amount of content included, for a while now. But at $10 I can’t pass it up.
No trying to derail the OP, but the discussion is lot like the Steam vs. the Positech version. I have the Positech version of GSB and is wondering if its possible to use the three addons bought from Gamers Gate?
it is. the main game can be bought from anywhere. but the dlc can be bought from GG or Positech and work fine with the Steam and Impulse versions. the dlc packs install just like a mod so there’s no additional exe, ini, dll, etc that would otherwise throw the game off kilter (and probably crash). just DL, and install to the main GSB folder where its located, boot GSB, enjoy.
I personally bought the game and the tribe expansion on impulse then realized it was better for cliff to buy direct and I bought both the order and the swarm expansions direct…the impulse version does add a serial (blame impulse for that) but the game auto updates whenever Cliff does an update, you just have to tell the update where the base game is and it works great…
So did I miss the lower price by a few days? A few hours? Life went and got even more complicated and crazy on me last week (when I was planning on finally buying GSB), but I was just now sitting down to start off an early weekend with some multiplayer challenges… only to see that the price has been bumped back up to the standard 23. Sorry, but I have to be pretty selective about where I spend my at the moment, and $23 for what quickly amounts to a multiplayer-only game — particularly when you have to throw another 18 at it to experience all of the content — just doesn't hold up well to the constant online sales that one can find on both newer and older games alike; the majority of which seem to offer a better gameplay/ ratio.
I’ve got nothing but respect for you though, Cliffski, for being able to create such a game, actually market it “all by your onesies”, and to keep this thing going for as long as you have with no real end in sight. Whenever a single dev remains so open with, and accessible to, their player base; it’s good to see them manage to scratch out whatever sort of living they can from their hobby/passion-turned-career. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this site, and the various distributors, watching for a decent sale and/or the launch of the campaign for some more legitimate single player action (or whatever strange hybrid of multiplayer and single player that it turns out to be). But for now I think I’ll be picking up Flotilla, the full Sword of the Stars collection, or Company of Heroes for less than half the price.
