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Latest Comments by Eike
GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
10 May 2023 at 5:39 pm UTC

Quoting: GroganI've never had a stupid game that made me do any kind of challenge/response with booklet text, though I've heard of it.
I think Monkey Island did that.

Goodbye to Roblox on Linux with their new anti-cheat and Wine blocking
10 May 2023 at 4:41 pm UTC

Quoting: MarlockAlso there are bare minimal requirements (even with the workarounds) that may already preclude usage of a significant fleet of old machines:
It is important to note that successful Windows 11 installations will still require TPM 1.2 or better and UEFI boot capability. This will also only work for the 64-bit versions of both operating systems. Those requirements are immutable.
Win11 is just not possible where any of the above is missing, and that would include perfectly fine gaming machines like my AMD Phenom II x4 (recently broken, donated to a friend electrician and put back to use by him, gaming included). It's a nice 4 core cpu @ 3,4ghz but no UEFI.
Windows 11 can be installed without TPM [External Link].
At least some of the workarounds for older hardware are registry keys, so they have been explicitly implemented by Microsoft.

But of course, they don't officially support it, there's no guarantee it will work or continue to work.

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
10 May 2023 at 3:46 pm UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: EikeThe perspective I took (it's not my own, I like using Steam) is like... You've already gamed in the Nineties. You got a game, you installed it, you played it. Nothing keeps you from copying it to somewhere else, and play it there, too, simultaneously if you like. You're not caring for "accounts", you don't need and you don't want an "account" to play a game. Because, why would you?!?
Oh, come on. Pitching a bit too strong there. I remember games from back then, and they did their best to stop you from copying them. They just didn't have modern tech for it. So they'd have popups within the game asking what the fifth word on page three of the little booklet that came with the game was or some dang thing--no answer, no more game. People would just photocopy the little manual, but they were sure trying and it was annoying.
Yeah, I thought about leaving out the nineties part. (I should have.) It was more about the idea you had of gaming back then: Get a game, install, play. Nobody had any accounts back then. If you take it from that view, not starting Steam but just the game feels all natural, not like "tricking" the system or anything alike.

Combat Master is a cheesy indie free to play Call of Duty
10 May 2023 at 11:37 am UTC

I was looking for a Battle Royale game lately. (To be honest, what I really want is PUBG...) Now I see Combat Master has at least some similar mode, ingeniously called "Combat Master".

Any other recommendations for non-hero(!) Battle Royale games for Linux? It should be native or free to play for me.

Goodbye to Roblox on Linux with their new anti-cheat and Wine blocking
10 May 2023 at 9:59 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: MarlockHere is a plausible reason why people might be more motivated to try Linux at home and at work there now, besides govt policies:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/microsoft-ending-support-to-windows-10-current-version-to-be-final-updates-101682831410557.html [External Link]

Combine India's huge mass of old PCs that can't be changed to a new PC and Win11's official minimal supported hardware restrictions, and you have effectively Microaoft to thank for any uptick in Linux usage there

ps: win11 can be installed on older hardware, but MS makes it abundantly clear this is not supported and puts several roadblocks on it
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-install-windows-11-on-older-unsupported-pcs/ [External Link]
Strange enough, the means (provided by Microsoft) against the roadblocks for updates are different ones than those for the installation. So you might end up with an installation that you cannot update one day - when not being able to update made you change from 10 to 11 in the first place...

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
10 May 2023 at 8:50 am UTC

Quoting: denyasis
Quoting: Eike"Access control" fits I guess, though what rights would that be that are managed? Copy protection is managing - literally - copy( )right...
In a way, same thing. Unauthorized use of the account leading to unauthorized "distribution". There's more DRM than straight copy protection, especially in a world where streaming content is becoming more prevalent. Steam client's DRM is account/password sharing protection. It's restricting your right to share your account with other people. Valve doesn't want you to do that. Neither does Netflix or Disney or any other digital distributor.
Well, Valve does explicitly allow and support sharing to some extend - except that you cannot play simultaneously. Of course, this is a restriction, yes. But I guess this needs to be in place to (copy) protect the DRMed games. If we could all just share credentials and play with the same account, copy/run protection wouldn't make sense anymore, right? So in effect, we both could not play a DRM'ed Steam game bought once simultaneously - but we could play a non-DRM'ed Steam game bought once simultaneously.

The perspective I took (it's not my own, I like using Steam) is like... You've already gamed in the Nineties. You got a game, you installed it, you played it. Nothing keeps you from copying it to somewhere else, and play it there, too, simultaneously if you like. You're not caring for "accounts", you don't need and you don't want an "account" to play a game. Because, why would you?!?

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
9 May 2023 at 5:39 pm UTC

Quoting: denyasisOk... up until this point I was finding this conversation really amusing since it appeared to me that we completely agreed on all the facts, but disagreed on the labeling of the Steam Client as DRM.
I was wondering the very same. :D

Quoting: denyasisI get that you can directly launch some games from the executable without using the Steam Client, but that's not the point. After all, what is the reason for bypassing the client? To use the software freely, without restrictions? Wouldn't that mean the Client is a DRM tool if we have to bypass it to play the game how we want?
But that's exactly what I recommend to do if you don't like DRM! If you can just use software freely, without restrictions, it's obviously not DRMed! Nobody is managing the developers'/publishers' rights - you can do what you want with it. It's just like on Gog, Itch, pirated, whatever, just that you're using the Steam client as a download tool.

So, we do completely agree on all the facts but disagree on what that means. :D

Quoting: denyasisI'd conclude that yes, Steam (the Client) does appear to attempt to regulate how and when you can play games under the same account, hence why I would call it a form of DRM. Like I mentioned before it's not copy protections (There's other DRM tools for that), but rather access control, which is still DRM.
"Access control" fits I guess, though what rights would that be that are managed? Copy protection is managing - literally - copy( )right...

Goodbye to Roblox on Linux with their new anti-cheat and Wine blocking
9 May 2023 at 2:58 pm UTC

Quoting: Perkeleen_VittupääWhy do they specifically want to take this game away from so many people? "Sorry kids on Linux, we took the ability to play Roblox from you and there is nothing you can do about it haha!".

Why is this company like this!? Or is it possible that some other instance has influenced them behind the scenes?
There might be trouble in it and it's very little they lose by not supporting it. Sad, but true.

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
9 May 2023 at 11:13 am UTC

Quoting: denyasisThe Client will prohibit you from playing two different games on different machines at the same time (almost any 2 games).
This is the point. To the very best of my knowledge - we can test it if you don't believe it - this is not the case. You can copy the game a hundred times and play it simultaneously on a hundred PCs. You don't need to log in anywhere, therefore, there's not anything that could inhibit you from doing things at once. You just got an executable and the data needed and can run it.

GOG reveal some stats on how they're doing
8 May 2023 at 7:36 pm UTC

Quoting: denyasis
Quoting: Frawo
Quoting: InstallSteam is drm
This is simply not true, and I'm surprised that this superstition still persists. While Steam actually offers their DRM to publishers, I haven't heard of any game sold on Steam and GOG that got DRM on Steam (though there might be a few exceptions). If you don't believe me, try to launch the *.exe of Witcher or Cyberpunk on Steam without having the Steam client open. I suppose that 99% of what is DRM free on GOG has no DRM on Steam either.

Here is a list of DRM free games on Steam:
https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games [External Link]
Steam is DRM. You must use it to download the game. Steam limits when and how you can play any game.
No, it doesn't. You download the game, and then - as long as there's isn't actual DRM - you can play it when and how you want, without even having Steam at the time of playing.