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Szuran

Is modern PC gaming all like that?

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Whenever I can play a game on a console, I choose it over PC. For many reasons. To take a break from the keyboard and monitor after work, but also beacuse I can't stand the digital sales model. However, I couldn't resist to buy a box with The Quake Collection when I saw it in a store.

 

Quake!

All parts!

Nicely working on modern systems!

For like $10!

A physical copy! (I like to actually own my games, I avoid digital downloads because it made so many games extinct. I really hate it.)

 

So I bought it, I popped the disc in the tray, and... Hmmm? I don't think there is any game on this disc. It lauches Steam and tells me to redeem a code.

 

What?

 

I mean, I haven't bought a PC game for ages, but... what?

 

Alright, there's a code in the box. It doesn't work. After trying dozens of times, I notice it's not even a Steam code. It's some other site's code.

 

What?

 

I have go there, create an account and enter the code so I can get my Steam code? Whaaaaat?

 

Alright, I did this, and now I own a digital copy of Quake, which is something I haven't planned on. I don't know why there's even a disc. It doesn't hold any game data.

 

Why bother? Why even make a physical release? Well, I guess to fool idiots like me.

 

I don't know about you, but gaming, especially PC gaming, for me is a mess. You don't own anything. You can be banned from playing your own games. And most new games are visually overdesigned but creatively shallow cookie-cutter, hand-holding experiences anyway.

 

That's sad. I guess that's why this forum does so well and why I'm here in the first place.

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I doubt there was no game on the disc, they pretty much need to have all the files (look at these games that have like 5 CDs for instance).

 

But it is indeed useless as with digital distribution services all you really need is to activate the code. It's also no surprise that you needed 2 accounts (there are plenty of games that require a uPlay account and these can be linked to Steam). GOG is typically DRM-free however.

 

And not all games are like that, that's a pretty bad argument. Sure, triple-A games are no longer as consistent in quality and living up to their names, but calling most new games "visually overdesigned but creatively shallow cookie-cutter" is ignorant. There still are plenty of good games out there, you just have to look out for them. Indie is pretty much where it is these days.

 

I'm not a fan of how many digital services are out there today, but it is only natural for people to want to create their own platforms to maximize profit and other things.

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I think there was no game because the entire game had to be downloaded via Steam despite me having the disc in the tray.

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I can't think of any physical releases of Quake that would require Steam or "some other site" to download; they are older games after all so it wouldn't really make sense.

 

Are you sure the games are not on the disc?  All the physical Quake collections I know of can be installed from the discs; the CD keys (when needed for installation) should still work even if they have been used before.

Edited by TheUltimateDoomer666

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These are the files (there's a couple more depotcaches and a Visual C++ install). Te Quake4.exe is a Polish language version update. The only other executables launch or install Steam. Autorun's "Install" option launches Steam. Even if these depotcache files are game files, they're useless because you can't install the game without Steam, which locks you out of owning an actual physical release.


When I installed it, it didn't even use the disc, all the data was downloaded via Steam.

 

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It sounds like a Steam-only compilation from 2007 or later (though I see the files on the disc are dated up to 2016), which is unfortunate because the activation code can only be used once.  It's kind of silly that they would make a physical Steam-exclusive release for such an old game, especially since the soundtracks for Quake and Quake II would not be included (the original games used CD audio tracks for music).

 

I think a similar thing happened with later physical Half-Life compilations.  I have the Adrenaline Pack which is an older, pre-Steam release, but for the later-released Half Life 1 Anthology disc, they apparently made the game require Steam activation which is stupid.

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This is beyond stupid. These are 20 y.o. games that already sold as much as they could. I think I'll see if there's an actual physical collection available. Or try to somehow work around this limitation because I really don't want to be able to play Quake only under the condition I have Steam installed.

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There are several physical pre-Steam compilations, although no single one contains every game in the Quake series.  None of them have online activation/download requirements, however (except if you buy a digital copy online).

Collections include:

 

The Offering (Quake I plus both QI Mission Packs), Quad Damage (Quake II plus Netpack I [compilation of free multiplayer mods] and both QII Mission Packs), Colossus (Linux versions of Quake II and both QII Mission Packs), Quake III: Gold (Quake III Arena plus Quake III: Team Arena), Ultimate Quake (Quake I, Quake II, and Quake III Arena; Mission Packs are not included), and Quake 4: Special DVD Edition (includes Quake 4, Quake II, and both QII Mission Packs).  Be aware some online stores (including eBay) may sell the digital-only versions of the Offering, Quad Damage, and Gold compilations rather than the original boxed versions.

 

Unfortunately, as these are older compilations, they are often sought after by collectors and as such can get very expensive.

 

Since you already have the Steam versions of the games, you could try to run them without Steam by copying the games' data files into a source port folder.  For example, you could download a Quake II source port and then copy-and-paste the baseq2, rogue, and xatrix folders from the Steam version of Quake II.  You would still have to find a way to obtain the music however, and I don't know if this method will work with all the games; there doesn't appear to be a source port available for Quake 4.

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A Google search should find source port-compatible soundtrack downloads for Quake I and II plus all Mission Packs (I won't link soundtrack downloads here as the files are copyrighted).

 

When I use Quake source ports, I prefer to have each port in its own folder, and simply make additional copies of the games' data files.  This takes up more space, but I find it less cluttered when multiple ports' configuration files aren't scattered about in a game's folder.

 

There are several ports available, but some are less faithful than others.  Quakespasm and DarkPlaces are popular ones for Quake I.  Ports for Quake II include Yamagi (faithful to the original gameplay), KMQuake II (adds new effects and such), quake2xp (graphics overhaul), and Berserker (another graphics overhaul).

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I'll do that, but... That's just so stupid. I bought a game to add it to my collection. Turns out there was no game, just a service that lets me play the game as long as it's operational and I fulfil very specific conditions. I haven't bought it to now make my own rips and whatnot. I just want to have the game, pop it to the disc drive, boom, there it is. That's how it had been for decades. What the hell is happening to gaming. It used to be so simple and foolproof.


Good thing I got my X360 Q4+Q2, and I'm still stupidly waiting for a port of Q1.

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Why did you just not buy the version without Steam?

Also, only old games really have this problem, or second hand gaming.

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Two reasons.

 

1. I assumed that when I buy it on disc, I wouldn't have to register it on Steam. I was wrong.

2. There is no non-Steam disc version currently available.

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yes, i got a Quake 4 without Steam, but welp, it's better if you are not without second hand buying.  Digital media don't works like that

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Quake 4 downloaded from Steam seems to work just fine without the Steam client, at least it doesn't automatically restart it on startup if I close it (unlike Doom 3's Steam version for example). You need to launch the game once from Steam to get a CD key though. If you backup file q4base/quake4key after it has been generated then you probably don't ever need Steam again to run the game.

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