Steam FAQ's now on website

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

# Release Dates and Activation Times
If you have purchased Empire as a digital download...
You will be able to activate your digital copy and play Empire on Tuesday 3rd March from 18:00 CET / 09:00 PST. Pre-load will begin 48 hours prior to this time and date, where available.
If you have purchased a boxed copy...
You will be able to activate your boxed copy of Empire and play on Wednesday 4th March.

# When & where do these units appear in the game? (Single player)

* 3 pre order units
o USS Constitution: this unit is available when playing as the USA and your technology has sufficiently advanced. It may also be captured by opposing factions.
o Death’s Head Hussars: this unit is available when playing as Prussia and your technology has sufficiently advanced. Prussia must also hold Brandenburg.
o Dahomey Amazons: this unit is available when holding territory in North Africa.
* 6 special forces units
o Bulkeley’s Regiment: this unit is available when playing as France and/or controlling Ireland.
o Ghoorkas: this unit is available when controlling the Kashmir territory provided the territory requirements are met.
o Corso Terrestre Guerillas: this unit is available when playing as Spain and your technology has sufficiently advanced.
o HMS Victory: this unit is available when playing as Britain and your technology has sufficiently advanced. It may also be captured by opposing factions.
o Ottoman Organ Gun: this unit is available when playing as the Ottoman Empire and your technology has sufficiently advanced.
o Rogers Rangers: this unit is available in American theatre when playing as Britain and your technology has sufficiently advanced.

# When & where do these units appear in the game? (Multiplayer and single player battle modes)

As long as you have properly unlocked these exclusive units through Steam, they will be available in multiplayer and single player battle modes when playing with the appropriate factions.

What???

[KozaK13]

So if i buy empire the game in the box, i cannot play empire at all without activation on steam?

[Barkhorn1x]

So if i buy empire the game in the box, i cannot play empire at all without activation on steam?

Correct.

[KozaK13]

Thats abit stupid..what of any people who buy the game but have no interent? or the many who won't understand steam? Seems they are cutting out a chunk of the market...surely single player you wont need activation for?

[Belgolas]

Thats abit stupid..what of any people who buy the game but have no interent? or the many who won't understand steam? Seems they are cutting out a chunk of the market...surely single player you wont need activation for?

This is the future of PC gaming. Either people adapt or they will fall behind. Plan and simple.

It is a one time activation so you should be able to get internet at least once.

[Zenicetus]

This is the future of PC gaming. Either people adapt or they will fall behind. Plan and simple.

There's an alternative to "falling behind." People aren't forced to buy the game. Those bothered by this sort of thing will simply go to another company that offers games with less hassle. If enough people do that, then the game companies will have to adapt, or go out of business. Plain and simple.

I'm taking a position between the extremes of blind acceptance and total avoidance. If a game is really good, I might put up with invasive and insulting DRM. But it has to be that good. It means I won't pre-order a game like Empire without seeing a ton of user feedback first, and that's something I wouldn't have done in the past. It would have been a no-brainer to buy the game on release, based on reputation of the game content, not the DRM wrapper around it.

[Lusitani]

Thats abit stupid..what of any people who buy the game but have no interent? or the many who won't understand steam? Seems they are cutting out a chunk of the market...surely single player you wont need activation for?

Thats actually making me have second doubts on this....its really annoying to be "forced" to do something.

Back to Arche Seleucheia i guess... lol


V.

[Belgolas]

Oh if you can't unerdstand how to run steam then you can't understand how to run a computer.

[Sir Beane]

By choosing to release the game only on PC CA are cutting out console users. By choosing to give the game high graphics they are cutting out those without a powerful PC. By charging £35 for the game they are cutting out those who cannot afford to buy luxuries. The game will be on a DVD, cutting out those who own a CD player only. They have made a series of decisions that cut out certain parts of the market, and they probably know exactly who their target audience is and how to get the game to them.

At this point not having any access to internet at all is rare. It sucks, but if you are unable or unwilling to get internet access then you'll find that more and more games and programs will cut you out.

The army of technology marches on gentlemen, you have to struggle to keep up with it or be left behind for the vultures of obsolescence.

And I have to agree with Belgolas. If you cannot understand how to use Steam then you are going to struggle with a computer, let alone Empire. I doubt you'd be posting on these forums either.

While I don't necessarily agree wit CA's decision to make an internet connection mandatory, I do understand it.

[Husar]

Thats actually making me have second doubts on this....its really annoying to be "forced" to do something.

Yes, you may have to move on from your 486 CPU with 4MB of RAM and your 500MB HDD, it's unbelievable.

[pevergreen]

Oh don't go down that route Husar, my High School IT teacher (finished last year) kept going on about he was the first person in Australia to set up the internet, and how his awesome computer had, get this, 16kb OF RAM. WOW.

[Lusitani]

Yes, you may have to move on from your 486 CPU with 4MB of RAM and your 500MB HDD, it's unbelievable.

The point is...if i pay 50 euros for something (not the end of the world but...thats money, for me anyway) I expect to get the "finnished" product when i purchase it. Its not the lack of internet connection that worries me or anything (even the african hell hole i am in has it....otherwise i wouldnt be writting this), its the principle of having to subscribe this or that to use a product i bought.


V.

[Crazed Rabbit]

As long as you have properly unlocked these exclusive units through Steam, they will be available in multiplayer and single player battle modes when playing with the appropriate factions.

What???

Yeah, that's a real **** move.

CR

[Fondor_Yards]

# When & where do these units appear in the game? (Multiplayer and single player battle modes)

As long as you have properly unlocked these exclusive units through Steam, they will be available in multiplayer and single player battle modes when playing with the appropriate factions.

What???

What indeed. Isn't this counter to the last several months of them saying the 'elite' units WON'T be available for multiplayer?

After a little checking, it seems this isn't breaking news.

Blah