Valve = The Lose

Alcapwn · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (spinviper @ Jan 30 2005, 12:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Skidzor @ Jan 29 2005, 09:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> My letter email to Valve:

<i>From: ***** <balexandro@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ***** <balexandro@gmail.com>
To: contact@valvesoftware.com
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:17:54 -0500
Subject: Steam

To Whom it May Concern,

I am sending you this email with some complaints that that I have
about your Steam client. Today I went to go play some Counter-Strike
Source with some friends and what do I get? An error message saying
that I can't connect. I thought that it was just my computer, until I
posted a message on some forums that I frequent, and people are saying
that they are having problems as well. My other complaint is about the
Steam friends network. The Steam Friends is a good concept, but you
have failed to make it practical. Whenever I want to organize a game,
it so happens that every single time, it tells me that it is down for
maintenance. If you have to take the Steam friends network down for
maintenance almost twice a day, then you might want to think about
removing it or explaining to the several hundred thousand Steam users
why the network is always undergoing maintenance. AOL Instant
Messenger does a better job than Steam Friends, and I do not like AOL.
Do not take this letter the wrong way. Steam is a work in progress,
work that has been going on for a little over a year now. All I ask is
that Valve tries a little harder to maintain what could be an awesome
game organization client.

Sincerely,
********</i> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Any reply?  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
its pretty early for a reply...

Apos · January 2005

Do you really think they WANT all these problems? What do you think writing them to complain is going to do? Make them suddenly realize that it's a BAD thing that their entire authentication network crashed? Duh?

Shoot_me · January 2005

I think we all know that VALVe didn’t want to be burdened with these problems. But then again, when they decided to switch over to STEAM, they knew what they were getting into. Otherwise, they aren’t too intelligent.

STEAM is an…. OK idea when everything works as intended. But it just all falls apart when these things happen… which they WILL…

I just wish I could load STEAM up into offline mode, but since I wasn’t able to connect to the STEAM servers earlier… no-can-do now. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' />

MedHead · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Apos @ Jan 30 2005, 01:30 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Do you really think they WANT all these problems? What do you think writing them to complain is going to do? Make them suddenly realize that it's a BAD thing that their entire authentication network crashed? Duh?  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
There are consequences to every action. Customers are allowed to complain. It's the way things are fixed.

intensityrising · January 2005

My steam isn't working aswell, I've read that the 1 and 2 auth servers are down so anyone with the steam id STEAM_0:1:yournumber or STEAM_0:2:yournumber, your account will not work. We'll just have to wait it out.

Codeman · January 2005

That's pretty weak, surely they'd have some kind of redundancy, since we can't play games when their servers die.

Had to happen on my day off too. I hate you Valve. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' />

Sandstorm · January 2005

For those who don't visit the Steam forums, one of the more common types of posts tend to have the message that "Steam sux". Since their forums are down, we are now seeing these posts appear on our message board.

Remember, Steam going down isn't the end of the world. I've probably lost power more times than I've lost Steam access.

Edit: spelling

panda_de_malheureux · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Skidzor @ Jan 30 2005, 02:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> My letter email to Valve:  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
LOL

Sorry but that made me laugh. There is approximatelly 2 people working on steam. Give them a break. The steam friends network is nothing to get worked over. I would rather have them work on things that let me play the game than something you get for free on the side.

kida · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>That's pretty weak, surely they'd have some kind of redundancy, since we can't play games when their servers die.

Had to happen on my day off too. I hate you Valve</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

had to happen when i realized i have nothing to do everyday and suddenly got interested in cs again.

Necrotic · January 2005

Mines working fine but I'm on 0:0:xxxx SteamID band
...In fact steam is working faster for me at the moment, maybe its a good thing you lot can't get on <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />

raqualevangel · January 2005

steam is not what it has been cracked up to be. some of their anti-theft mechanisms are very questionable. like having to log in to steam in order to use the offline mode. or having to log online in order to play at all. valve banning use from all games (even legal games) if one is found to be stolen. no-cd cracks warranting bans. steam can become subscription based whenever valve chooses for whatever price they choose.

i'm still not sure if steam is good or bad, for the consumer. obviously for valve it's awesome. but i don't like the idea of having to ask valve's permission in order to use my property. additionaly many of the "features" only inconvenience my game play, especially since i have 56k connect.

as far as im concerned having cd-keys bound to accounts and emails is overkill.

blah. i can deal with steam as it is now but i'm afraid as to where it may lead.

i would just hate to be among the few companies (microsoft) that require product activitation. however, i'd like to see your guys' thoughts on product activation. i need to get zzzs but someone should start a thread.

kida · January 2005

straight and simple: money makes the world revolve.

UKchaos · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Skidzor @ Jan 30 2005, 02:18 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> My letter email to Valve:

<i>From: ***** <balexandro@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ***** <balexandro@gmail.com>
To: contact@valvesoftware.com
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:17:54 -0500
Subject: Steam

To Whom it May Concern,

I am sending you this email with some complaints that that I have
about your Steam client. Today I went to go play some Counter-Strike
Source with some friends and what do I get? An error message saying
that I can't connect. I thought that it was just my computer, until I
posted a message on some forums that I frequent, and people are saying
that they are having problems as well. My other complaint is about the
Steam friends network. The Steam Friends is a good concept, but you
have failed to make it practical. Whenever I want to organize a game,
it so happens that every single time, it tells me that it is down for
maintenance. If you have to take the Steam friends network down for
maintenance almost twice a day, then you might want to think about
removing it or explaining to the several hundred thousand Steam users
why the network is always undergoing maintenance. AOL Instant
Messenger does a better job than Steam Friends, and I do not like AOL.
Do not take this letter the wrong way. Steam is a work in progress,
work that has been going on for a little over a year now. All I ask is
that Valve tries a little harder to maintain what could be an awesome
game organization client.

Sincerely,
********</i>  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Ugh i hate letters like this.

"to whom it may concern"?

Who talks like that anyway?

"I ask you try harder?" hahahahahaha

Valve are well aware of Steam's shortcommings, dont waste your time complaining to them.

Thaldarin · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (raqualevangel @ Jan 30 2005, 11:41 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> steam is not what it has been cracked up to be. some of their anti-theft mechanisms are very questionable. like having to log in to steam in order to use the offline mode. or having to log online in order to play at all. valve banning use from all games (even legal games) if one is found to be stolen. no-cd cracks warranting bans. steam can become subscription based whenever valve chooses for whatever price they choose.

i'm still not sure if steam is good or bad, for the consumer. obviously for valve it's awesome. but i don't like the idea of having to ask valve's permission in order to use my property. additionaly many of the "features" only inconvenience my game play, especially since i have 56k connect.

as far as im concerned having cd-keys bound to accounts and emails is overkill.

blah. i can deal with steam as it is now but i'm afraid as to where it may lead.

i would just hate to be among the few companies (microsoft) that require product activitation. however, i'd like to see your guys' thoughts on product activation. i need to get zzzs but someone should start a thread.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Steam is a good addition for 56k. I have the connection myself, no more the days when you go to resume a download after a week and find out its expired.

twoflow · January 2005

Still working here. My ID is STEAM_0:0:X

Is that Jordan Capri in your signature, kida? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' />

kida · January 2005

nope. just a couple of hot chicks who go to my school and this place called nexopia.com

twoflow · January 2005

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' />

Invader_Scoot · January 2005

Alright, well the day after this strange steam error started happening, I can <b>finally</b> log in again.

Quaunaut · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (raqualevangel @ Jan 30 2005, 03:41 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> steam is not what it has been cracked up to be. some of their anti-theft mechanisms are very questionable. like having to log in to steam in order to use the offline mode. or having to log online in order to play at all. valve banning use from all games (even legal games) if one is found to be stolen. no-cd cracks warranting bans. steam can become subscription based whenever valve chooses for whatever price they choose.

i'm still not sure if steam is good or bad, for the consumer. obviously for valve it's awesome. but i don't like the idea of having to ask valve's permission in order to use my property. additionaly many of the "features" only inconvenience my game play, especially since i have 56k connect.

as far as im concerned having cd-keys bound to accounts and emails is overkill.

blah. i can deal with steam as it is now but i'm afraid as to where it may lead.

i would just hate to be among the few companies (microsoft) that require product activitation. however, i'd like to see your guys' thoughts on product activation. i need to get zzzs but someone should start a thread.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Since its incarnation, I've only thought good of the steam network.

Sure, the friends system sputters a lot, but everything else with it works just fine with me.

And when it comes to banning entire accounts on the fact that someone stole a single CD key, I say good riddance: You effin deserve it. Its bad enough these guys went through 6 years of development on this thing(from the moment dev stopped on HL1, according to them), but then they get crucified for the code stealing and delays, and then almost no one says "Sorry" to them when they make a game that easily beats out every other retail game in existance to most of those that played it?

And I for one have been lucky enough to never have problems with steam. But hey, I was also a beta tester for it XD

Invader_Scoot · January 2005

A couple of times back when I made maps for cs, whenever cs would update it would delete my mp.dll file in my cstrike directory. This was keeping me from testing my maps, and boy I got pretty mad.

NakedDave · January 2005

right. Well, on topic it's been working again. I find it frustrating that they think that, y'know, telling their customers that steam is broken, would be pointless. Even for a day. Because how many people game on saturdays? Asshats.

Then again, this kind of "customer service" is prevalent these days. Ask anybody who plays World of Warcraft, or some other MMO. Or any online service. How many have "Honest, and quick" responses about their own failures and outtages? Very few, and probably none of the for-profit ones.

I'm honestly trying to decide what I'm going to do about this. I'm very mad that this is the kind of courtesy I get from them. I tried to the servers for about 1 hour before I realized that it wasn't my end that had the problems, despite the error message reading like it was my fault. Really mad. Really really mad. What can we do about this?

Quaunaut · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NakedDave @ Jan 30 2005, 05:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> right. Well, on topic it's been working again. I find it frustrating that they think that, y'know, telling their customers that steam is broken, would be pointless. Even for a day. Because how many people game on saturdays? Asshats.

Then again, this kind of "customer service" is prevalent these days. Ask anybody who plays World of Warcraft, or some other MMO. Or any online service. How many have "Honest, and quick" responses about their own failures and outtages? Very few, and probably none of the for-profit ones.

I'm honestly trying to decide what I'm going to do about this. I'm very mad that this is the kind of courtesy I get from them. I tried to the servers for about 1 hour before I realized that it wasn't my end that had the problems, despite the error message reading like it was my fault. Really mad. Really really mad. What can we do about this?  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
You can't schedule an outage. Thats like saying "Okay, tomorrow's apocolypse will be at 2:30 PM, PST."

NakedDave · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Quaunaut @ Jan 31 2005, 12:43 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> You can't schedule an outage. Thats like saying "Okay, tomorrow's apocolypse will be at 2:30 PM, PST."  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
how about a "We realize it's down, no amount of trying will let you on right now. We'll tell you when it's up and running again." Instead of a "STEAM IS UP AND RUNNING JUST FINE THE PROBLEM MUST BE ON YOUR END LOLZ"

I realize they can't make the client realize the problem's on steam's end, but not putting anything on their website just shows they don't give a **** about their customers. I was waiting to buy HL2, now I think I'm tempted to not bother.

Alcapwn · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NakedDave @ Jan 30 2005, 08:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Instead of a "STEAM IS UP AND RUNNING JUST FINE THE PROBLEM MUST BE ON YOUR END LOLZ"
 </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
When did they say that?

TheDestroyer · January 2005

But if they announce Gabe spilt coffee on the Auth server, it would make him look even more stupid than having his forum password as gnewell. And we can't have that, can we?

NakedDave · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (WaterBoy @ Jan 31 2005, 01:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NakedDave @ Jan 30 2005, 08:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Instead of a "STEAM IS UP AND RUNNING JUST FINE THE PROBLEM MUST BE ON YOUR END LOLZ"
</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
When did they say that?  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Skidzor provided this link
<img src='http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2609/steamisgay0tv.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

when you troubleshoot it only gives "your end" solutions. No "our end might have problems" I tried about 5 of their "tips" before I started checking to see if I wasn't the only person. Bastards.

Alcapwn · January 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NakedDave @ Jan 30 2005, 09:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (WaterBoy @ Jan 31 2005, 01:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NakedDave @ Jan 30 2005, 08:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Instead of a "STEAM IS UP AND RUNNING JUST FINE THE PROBLEM MUST BE ON YOUR END LOLZ"
</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
When did they say that? </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Skidzor provided this link
<img src='http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2609/steamisgay0tv.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

when you troubleshoot it only gives "your end" solutions. No "our end might have problems" I tried about 5 of their "tips" before I started checking to see if I wasn't the only person. Bastards.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
...

Technically, for half of us steam <b>was</b> online. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

docchimpy · January 2005

Didn't post here earlier, but...I had no problems with Steam. Except a few lag spikes here and there.

*runs from angry mob*

Valve = The Lose

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