even if I bought it on impulse I'd still need steam?

No matter where you buy the game, you have to use steam. That is the evil of steamworks.

By using Steamworks for multiplayer and updates it reduces costs and programming load from Stardock and Ironclad. Integration with Steam insures that game updates will be easy to roll out and insure that everyone gets them in a timely manner. Steam multiplayer is fast and stable and means less time figuring out bugs in the network coding. It makes it easier to invite your friends into a match. It makes it easier to track usage data for future improvements. It gives them more time to focus on actual gameplay stuff rather than upkeep stuff.

Basically it makes life easier for the developer and makes multiplayer smoother for us, but some people just hate Steam for no apparent reason and so are upset.

Because its less work for Ironclad, which means either a)more helpful features or b)comes out sooner.

Anything that makes the developers life easier is good for us because its less mundane work for them and more actually progressive work. This is good for the same reason the mass adaptation of the Unreal and Havoc engines are good; less repetitive work means more original work. They managed to improve the graphics quite a bit in Rebellion, as well as new phase space effects for each race. Maybe they wouldn't have had time to do that if they had to retool the networking manually.

Easier does not equal lazy. It lets them focus on more important stuff. I said this several times.

So let me get this straight, as near as I can tell, the only reason you (agentx) don't want to use Steam is that you already have Impulse.

Whoop-dee-doo, I always used Steam before I came across Sins and StarClad in general, and I was more than happy to get Impulse just to buy/update their games, why is it a problem exactly? You can just run Steam in offline mode anyway unless you want to update the game.

Steam brings the game to a larger audience, and Steamworks allows numerous improvements to online mechanics, as has already been stated. Putting it on Steam was a good move.

Sorry if I sound bitter, but I swear, if these "I hate Steam" theads keep popping up it's going to be just as bad as the whining about the game not being on Steam and people having to use Impulse years ago.

I never said I hate steam, just that I won't be bothered going though the hassle of using it for 1 game. I only used impulse because thats the only way you could update sins, which i was fine with, and have since bought several games on it. The bulk of my games though are hard copies with a small number bought from direct2drive. My point all along is that it doesnt make sense for me to download, install and run/use yet another client since i'll have only 1 game on it.

Frankly I'm just sick of being told how to run/play/use/mod my stuff that I bought and paid for. I dont feel i should have to use X client for this game now and Y client 2 years later for the same series especially since I've never used steam before or plan to in the future. Which brings me back to running a new client for a single game. No thanks, I'll go without.

@spastic: i never said it was because they were lazy

@Goafan: thanks for that link, I'm gonna look at it now

EDIT: @Goafan: yes i already have a ticket in explaining as much and I'm hoping they understand

possibly but i dont have much interest in games anymore, not many things that I find that fill a gap in my collection. bought kingdoms of amalur on release and liked it, bought ME3 and was greatly disappointed. so I'm rather put off new games atm and rebellion and farcry 3 are just as disappointing. It's all leaving a bitter taste in my mouth quite honestly.

Nope! That was back before i had to use ANY client, now i used impulse and have been, more or less, forced to use origin (because of amalur and ME3). the only saving grace is that i have a few games on impulse and several games on origin (registered not bought), im not using a 3rd just for one game and i'm not buying more games (since i havent seen any good ones) on steam just to justify using it.

Further more from what i've been reading all the stuff that is sooo great and sooo amazing is more about multiplayer than anything else and i've stated before save for LANs i dont do multiplayer

Wait, so you were willing to download Orign for a game you knew was going to disappointing but you aren't willing to download Steam for a game you have already purchased? What kind of awful world do we live in?

Agent, I'm a veteran of the game and community and, sadly, am feeling more and more the way you do. I have my favorites (games and mods), but given our common ground, I advice you to enjoy the classics and find other hobbies to fall back on.

Whatever you do, hope you find enjoyment in it.