CD vs Steam for LAN play

[Specop 007]

So heres my concern with Steam purchased games. If I have a disc, lets say Starcraft for example, I can start it on PC #2 remove the disc then start it on PC #1 and play the game with my kids.

With Steam is there an option like this? If I purchase Starcraft (or any other multiplayer game for that matter) do I need to buy 2 copies on 2 different Steam accounts? Or is there a way to run a multiplayer game on a lan on more then 1 PC?

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

My understanding is that you would need to buy two copies of the game on two different accounts, since you can only be signed into your Steam account from one computer at a time.

I may be incorrect here, since I do not use Steam very frequently, but that sounds about right.

 

[videogames101]

No, and I'd point out that buying SC and having 2 people play it at the same time is almost certainly against the starcraft eula, even though nobody cares. If valve were to add LAN game sharing or something, that would be awesome though.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: videogames101
No, and I'd point out that buying SC and having 2 people play it at the same time is almost certainly against the starcraft eula, even though nobody cares. If valve were to add LAN game sharing or something, that would be awesome though.

I wouldnt be suprised if it were against the EULA. I dont really want to get drug down into the legalities and technicalities of doing multiple game instances from 1 CD at the moment though.

The biggest reason I dont buy games from Steam however is the reason I listed. I can buy the CD and start 2 instances of a game and my son and I can play. With Steam thats just not an option it seems, so I wont start buying games from Steam for a while.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: videogames101
No, and I'd point out that buying SC and having 2 people play it at the same time is almost certainly against the starcraft eula, even though nobody cares. If valve were to add LAN game sharing or something, that would be awesome though.

I wouldnt be suprised if it were against the EULA. I dont really want to get drug down into the legalities and technicalities of doing multiple game instances from 1 CD at the moment though.

The biggest reason I dont buy games from Steam however is the reason I listed. I can buy the CD and start 2 instances of a game and my son and I can play. With Steam thats just not an option it seems, so I wont start buying games from Steam for a while.

The CD version of Starcraft specifically supports the "spawning" concept, where you can install your copy on anybody's machine, but they can only play in multiplayer games that you host.

Ahh, the good old days...

 

[drebo]

Yes, spawning was definitely an excellent idea from back in the day.

Too bad more developers don't use a similar concept.

 

[jdjbuffalo]

Originally posted by: Specop 007
So heres my concern with Steam purchased games. If I have a disc, lets say Starcraft for example, I can start it on PC #2 remove the disc then start it on PC #1 and play the game with my kids.

You generally can't do this with most multi-player games released in the last 5 years. Most will check the install key and if they find that a duplicate one is being used on the same LAN or the same game then it will not let the second person connect. I've seen this happen many times when people have tried to get other people to play games in a LAN party when the person didn't own their own copy.

So, you're basically SOL for most games anymore. To be honest, except for the legitimate game spawning offered in Starcraft, I think you should have to pay for two copies of the game. You're having two people play the same game at the same time. If you were just lending to a friend to try out then that's different and I don't think that you should have to pay for two copies in that instance.

In case you think I'm towing a pro-copyright line or work for a gaming company, I can tell you that neither are the case. I think we need major reforms to copyright law, fair use and no or very little DRM.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: jdjbuffalo

Originally posted by: Specop 007
So heres my concern with Steam purchased games. If I have a disc, lets say Starcraft for example, I can start it on PC #2 remove the disc then start it on PC #1 and play the game with my kids.

You generally can't do this with most multi-player games released in the last 5 years. Most will check the install key and if they find that a duplicate one is being used on the same LAN or the same game then it will not let the second person connect. I've seen this happen many times when people have tried to get other people to play games in a LAN party when the person didn't own their own copy.

So, you're basically SOL for most games anymore. To be honest, except for the legitimate game spawning offered in Starcraft, I think you should have to pay for two copies of the game. You're having two people play the same game at the same time. If you were just lending to a friend to try out then that's different and I don't think that you should have to pay for two copies in that instance.

In case you think I'm towing a pro-copyright line or work for a gaming company, I can tell you that neither are the case. I think we need major reforms to copyright law, fair use and no or very little DRM.

LAN gaming is one of those things where I'd say 1 CD key should be enough. While spawning was unique to Starcraft (and the GBA and I think the DS as well), many other games have allowed two concurrent uses of a cd-key for LAN purposes. (I think, could be wrong)
It's like owning a console game, you can have 4 players playing the game at once, why doesn't the PC offer something similar?
And it's easy enough to find cd keys (that wouldn't validate online) with a quick google search that cd key checks for LAN can be easily gotten around. Though many recent games (like those from EA) get around this by not including a LAN option at all.

BTW, Steam has an offline mode. You could just start Steam in offline mode on each system and after that it's into whatever copy-protection each game has on its own. Some may allow it, some may not.

 

[Absolution75]

Just disconnect the computer from the internet and log into steam offline mode. Do this for however many pc's you want to lan with.

 

[chronodekar]

Originally posted by: Absolution75
Just disconnect the computer from the internet and log into steam offline mode. Do this for however many pc's you want to lan with.

I managed to get L4D with my brother this way. But the usernames ended up digits. Still, it was fun.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: Fox5

Originally posted by: jdjbuffalo

Originally posted by: Specop 007
So heres my concern with Steam purchased games. If I have a disc, lets say Starcraft for example, I can start it on PC #2 remove the disc then start it on PC #1 and play the game with my kids.

You generally can't do this with most multi-player games released in the last 5 years. Most will check the install key and if they find that a duplicate one is being used on the same LAN or the same game then it will not let the second person connect. I've seen this happen many times when people have tried to get other people to play games in a LAN party when the person didn't own their own copy.

So, you're basically SOL for most games anymore. To be honest, except for the legitimate game spawning offered in Starcraft, I think you should have to pay for two copies of the game. You're having two people play the same game at the same time. If you were just lending to a friend to try out then that's different and I don't think that you should have to pay for two copies in that instance.

In case you think I'm towing a pro-copyright line or work for a gaming company, I can tell you that neither are the case. I think we need major reforms to copyright law, fair use and no or very little DRM.

LAN gaming is one of those things where I'd say 1 CD key should be enough. While spawning was unique to Starcraft (and the GBA and I think the DS as well), many other games have allowed two concurrent uses of a cd-key for LAN purposes. (I think, could be wrong)
It's like owning a console game, you can have 4 players playing the game at once, why doesn't the PC offer something similar?
And it's easy enough to find cd keys (that wouldn't validate online) with a quick google search that cd key checks for LAN can be easily gotten around. Though many recent games (like those from EA) get around this by not including a LAN option at all.

BTW, Steam has an offline mode. You could just start Steam in offline mode on each system and after that it's into whatever copy-protection each game has on its own. Some may allow it, some may not.

I believe Total Annihilation supported "spawning" as you call it.

 

[cowgod]

age of empires 2 allowed "spawning" as well.

 

[Elias824]

For steam you can start in offline mode, or just have someone else login to your steam account once your game is open, it will boot you from steam but it wont exit the game. I dont think most games check cd keys on lan games, but their are exceptions. Steam has to go along with the DRM set by each manufacturer so it may or may not work depending on the game.
I played a lan game with my bro on empire total war with just one copy, weve dont it for counter strike, hl2 death match and im sure some others.
Oh something else useful, you can drop you steam folder onto their computer with all your games and it works just fine, no install needed.