Information regarding rFactor 2 Steam (FAQ)

[Christopher Elliott]

There seems to be so much anti-steam sentiment, and I'm sure there are horror stories like there are with anything, but pointing at its terms of use and saying how terrible they are when you've already agreed to something quite similar for rF2, and indeed nearly everything you've bought in the last 10 years at least (online services being what they are), isn't really accomplishing anything.

Actually there isn't 'so much' negativity about this in regards to rF2, but you know when someone is passionately against something they're always much louder, and vocal

 

[tpw]

But this isn't anything new. You never 'owned' software you bought. It's not yours to do with whatever you wish. I know it's splitting hairs a bit, but when people think they actually own something they automatically think certain rights belong to them. Whether you pay for something that's forever offline or you're using an online service, you're only paying for the right to use the software in accordance with the conditions you agreed to when you bought it. Any sort of online service or something you expect to have continual updates, you are putting faith in the seller to provide what you hope in the future, but that doesn't give you any right to demand it.

ISI could have stopped at Build 660 (just an example) and no one would be able to do anything about it. A lot of us would have hung around regardless and just kept playing on Build 660, and there's a fair chance quite a few people will do that with the build after 1084.

There seems to be so much anti-steam sentiment, and I'm sure there are horror stories like there are with anything, but pointing at its terms of use and saying how terrible they are when you've already agreed to something quite similar for rF2, and indeed nearly everything you've bought in the last 10 years at least (online services being what they are), isn't really accomplishing anything.

I didn't like the look of steam when it first started up, mainly because I read about it being a resource hog and it seemed risky to 'own' a game that needed an online service to keep using it. A friend of mine didn't get rF1 until it came out on DVD for that second reason also (what actually happened? Trymedia wound up [or whatever], so ISI released a new version they took control over). Well Steam's still going, a couple of members of the league I'm in have switched in the last 2 days and steam itself is light, rF2 is just about as flexible as it was non-steam, so I can't see an issue with it and will switch when I get closer to my renewal date.

Gday Lazza, thanks for your thoughts.

My post wasn't anti-Steam as much as a soliloquy about the current state of software/content delivery which is pretty much skewed entirely in favour of the provider/rights holder rather than the consumer.

As I've alluded to in this thread and others, I've used Steam for 10 years without a single problem and had zero issues transferring my rF2 over to it. If it stays out of way and respects the sovereignty of my computer then I have no problem with it. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about the whole "software as a limited licence with a restrictive EULA" that has been foisted on us over the last 10+ years.

Personally, if the move to Steam helps ISI with development and deployment of features and content then I'm all for it. If it gains them some new customers and income then that's also great. If Steam's content delivery infrastructure, analytics, and multiplayer support add user value much beyond that provided by the existing rF2 infrastructure then I'll be happy too. Such a move is entirely ISI's prerogative and well within the scope of their TOS. But it has disgruntled some proportion of their existing loyal supporters and I can empathise with them.

 

[Lazza]

What I was saying wasn't really directed at you either, I have to say

 

[rhamm]

Explain me the point of paying for lifetime online access and not being able to join servers because they are in higher builds.

If that is not forcing to move to steam it is pushing quite hard DONT YOU THINK MR?

Enviado desde mi ONE A2001 mediante Tapatalk

Lifetime of the product, not your lifetime. The lifetime of the non-Steam version is considered over after the next build. Yeah, it's parsing things thinly but that's how it goes. I personally don't mind steam but understand how this move is pretty crappy for some others.

 

[Euskotracks]

Lifetime of the product, not your lifetime. The lifetime of the non-Steam version is considered over after the next build. Yeah, it's parsing things thinly but that's how it goes. I personally don't mind steam but understand how this move is pretty crappy for some others.

The matchmaker of the non steam version will be maintained and will be 100% functional. It is the updating to newer builds what is dropped. Hence the lifetime of the non steam version will not be over after the next build. That's your invention.

The problem is that with majority of people moving to steam, the number of servers using The Last Non Steam Build will be less and less until they disappear. Hence you will have paid for lifetime online access that you will not be able to enjoy any more.

If I had to provide some advise to ISI it would be the following:

Freeze rF2 development in 2 or 3 months time with the possibility to stick to non steam version of it. Focus for sure on bug fixing rather than on implementing anything new.

Start rF3 development only for steam. Implement dx11, dx12 or whatever is required to improve both performance and graphical quality and for sure VR devices.

That would actually provide a bigger revenue for ISI and it would be more fair from an ethical point of view.

Enviado desde mi ONE A2001 mediante Tapatalk

 

[MarcG]

The matchmaker of the non steam version will be maintained and will be 100% functional. It is the updating to newer builds what is dropped. Hence the lifetime of the non steam version will not be over after the next build. That's your invention.

The problem is that with majority of people moving to steam, the number of servers using The Last Non Steam Build will be less and less until they disappear. Hence you will have paid for lifetime online access that you will not be able to enjoy any more.

If I had to provide some advise to ISI it would be the following:

Freeze rF2 development in 2 or 3 months time with the possibility to stick to non steam version of it. Focus for sure on bug fixing rather than on implementing anything new.

Start rF3 development only for steam. Implement dx11, dx12 or whatever is required to improve both performance and graphical quality and for sure VR devices.

That would actually provide a bigger revenue for ISI and it would be more fair from an ethical point of view.

Enviado desde mi ONE A2001 mediante Tapatalk

Based on what figures and evidence would it be "bigger revenue" exactly?
Look, ISI know what they're doing, they've been doing it since 1992 so you need to just let them get on with it instead of being the armchair chief executive. Nothing you say will change the fact that the non steam version will cease to get updates after the next build, that's life, deal with it...simple as that.

 

[mrsmr2]

Just thinking, if someone doesn't migrate to Steam and upgrades their PC thus incurring the wrath of the licensing server, will the licensing server still be running in the future?

 

[Marcel Offermans]

I installed RF2 on my laptop last night, whilst unsubscribing from all workshop items it occurred to me will this mean my main pc will be unsubscribed from all items too? Or are they kept separate? (Can't check until later)

Before you ask, main pc for everything and racing, laptop for modding so I only need the bare essentials! Thanks

Marc, I can confirm that Steam keeps track of your subscriptions per user account, so all your computers that use that same account will also use the same subscription.

You can probably get away with hand copying only the files you need to your laptop if it's really that constrained on resources.

 

[MarcG]

Marc, I can confirm that Steam keeps track of your subscriptions per user account, so all your computers that use that same account will also use the same subscription.

You can probably get away with hand copying only the files you need to your laptop if it's really that constrained on resources.

Excellent thank you Marcel, I'm not worried about resources on the laptop (actually more space than on my main pc!), it's just the hassle of downloading mod updates a second time when I won't need them on there at all, but I'll live with it, thanks for the reply

 

[smbrm]

I had a question about steam and single player. Once converted to steam, do you need to be online to connect to steam in order to play single player? Whatever the answer regarding steam, is it the same or different for non-steam? I don't think I have seen this discussed? Just wondering.

Cheers

 

[Christopher Elliott]

I had a question about steam and single player. Once converted to steam, do you need to be online to connect to steam in order to play single player? Whatever the answer regarding steam, is it the same or different for non-steam? I don't think I have seen this discussed? Just wondering.

Cheers

Yes, you need to be logged in and have Steam client running before launching Single Player, but you can put Steam in offline mode if you need to.

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
Well my online subscription is do preety soon. So should i make the move to steam and save a buck. Or pay my subscription to isi and move over later.

Will my payment move over to steam ?
I think i read that it doez not

Ruben

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

[Christopher Elliott]

Hello
Well my online subscription is do preety soon. So should i make the move to steam and save a buck. Or pay my subscription to isi and move over later.

Will my payment move over to steam ?
I think i read that it doez not

Ruben

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

If you're up for renewal now, it would probably be better to migrate to Steam.

 

[smbrm]

Yes, you need to be logged in and have Steam client running before launching Single Player, but you can put Steam in offline mode if you need to.

Thank you for the reply Christopher, however I am still interested in the 2nd part of the question.

Your link suggests that offline will only work if everything on steam is up to date before going offline. I understood that description. This suggests that once converted, connection to steam is "required" to even play single player offline; if for no other reason than not being up to date may prevent single player. I tried playing single player with no internet connection active with the current ISI interface and was able to play single player. This suggests to me that the Steam setup may be different than the ISI setup. In other words the Steam account is "required" to even play single Player once converted. Appreciate your further clarification. I'm just trying to understand the differences.

Cheers

 

[mrsmr2]

Just thinking, if someone doesn't migrate to Steam and upgrades their PC thus incurring the wrath of the licensing server, will the licensing server still be running in the future?

So after migrating but before allowing the install to start (otherwise it will install it all), I have to go to this page, click on each ISI workshop item in turn, and un-subscribe from the content I don't want?

Is that correct because that doesn't sound like fun.

Having not used Workshop before, is there any easy way to see what I'm subscribed to?

Any answers to my questions? Thanks.

 

[Christopher Elliott]

Thank you for the reply Christopher, however I am still interested in the 2nd part of the question.

Your link suggests that offline will only work if everything on steam is up to date before going offline. I understood that description. This suggests that once converted, connection to steam is "required" to even play single player offline; if for no other reason than not being up to date may prevent single player. I tried playing single player with no internet connection active with the current ISI interface and was able to play single player. This suggests to me that the Steam setup may be different than the ISI setup. In other words the Steam account is "required" to even play single Player once converted. Appreciate your further clarification. I'm just trying to understand the differences.

Cheers

Well you will always need to connect to and run the Steam client to be able to run rFactor 2 single player, even in offline mode.

As for updates, I think what this means is, if "rFactor 2" is in the middle of updating it will not let you switch to offline mode, until it's done.

 

[Christopher Elliott]

I had a question about steam and single player. Once converted to steam, do you need to be online to connect to steam in order to play single player? Whatever the answer regarding steam, is it the same or different for non-steam? I don't think I have seen this discussed? Just wondering.

Cheers

Sorry, I should probably try to be clearer, you don't need to be "online" to run single player if you've previously set Steam to run in "offline mode"

 

[Christopher Elliott]

Just thinking, if someone doesn't migrate to Steam and upgrades their PC thus incurring the wrath of the licensing server, will the licensing server still be running in the future?

We will give you another activation code if that's what you mean?

So after migrating but before allowing the install to start (otherwise it will install it all), I have to go to this page, click on each ISI workshop item in turn, and un-subscribe from the content I don't want?

Is that correct because that doesn't sound like fun.

Having not used Workshop before, is there any easy way to see what I'm subscribed to?

You can try this that I mentioned earlier:

http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/26744-rFactor-2-on-Steam-Q-A?p=422479#post422479

 

[smbrm]

Sorry, I should probably try to be clearer, you don't need to be "online" to run single player if you've previously set Steam to run in "offline mode"

Thanks for your clarification Christopher. By virtue of the words we have shared I interpret that there is a difference between how the ISI process and the Steam process manage access to single player, with Steam exhibiting more control.

Cheers

 

[mrsmr2]

I can't remember how I activated rF2 initially, but if it's a code and the server is still on-line in the future to check the new activation code, then great.

Thanks for the tip on the workshop items.