> On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 10:22 PM, Nicholas Hastings
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > SteamCMD is still just as scriptable, and anonymous login is planned, though
> > not available yet.
>
> I'll wait for the anonymous login feature to become available before
> switching to steamCMD then, since my server isn't running ND at the
> moment but a TF2 MvM game. The main issue I'm having with steamCMD is
> indeed that I need to log in with my steam account, which will
> disconnect the Steam client on my game PC.
>
> </rant>
It second that. I don't run ND. But, the whole idea that you have to use a
Steam account that can't simultaneously be used elsewhere is ludicrous. At the
very least, "Dedicated Server" installs/updates should be excluded from the
authentication requirement somehow. Or, maybe allow ANY Steam account - even a
Free-to-Play account from a different game to be used to install/update any
game.
I tried no to be a whiner, and not to complain too much about stuff; because I
do all this just for fun - not a living. But, the whole logon/authentication
idea on a server-side update function is one of the most wasteful and stupid
things I have ever heard of. The only reason I can even think to have
something like that is legal/content-control/DRM crap. Otherwise, I don't see
it bringing any "benefit" to the players or the server operator "community".
I can see this having all sorts of issues/complications:
1) As mentioned, can't play using an account while using it to install or
update a server.
2) In the case of non-F2P (Free-to-Play) games, consequently potentially having
to "own" another copy of the game just for the purpose of hosting (and
maintaining) a dedicated server for it.
3) Even if ALL games were F2P, what if you need to update multiple game servers
simultaneously? Do you need a separate Steam account on each, so that they can
run concurrently? What if they aren't even just multiple instances on the same
host/IP, but on different hosts/IPs?
4) "work-around's" to "script" the password into the update command-line, etc?
OMG more stuff to have - just because of the logon junk.
IMH(f)O, all that stuff is real "community-killer" functionality. Meaning
killing-off the "community" of people hosting dedicated servers - particularly
those of us NOT doing so for any fee/charge/subscription/membership, etc.
IMH(f)O, what makes many titles successful, and what keeps some viable - is all
the volunteers hosting dedicated servers for them. If we had to depend on
Valve/WON/Sierra hosting the only decent game servers for HL1 death-match back
in the day - Valve probably would probably be a little-known subsidiary of
Sierra, a footnote on Wikipedia. Add Counter-Strike into the mix (which STILL
on many days has more peak players than any other Valve title - including the
"Source" sequel to it!), and ... well , you get my point. "community"
dedicated servers also add variety- with all their wonderful weirdness: custom
maps (some of which eventually get picked-up as official), 3rd party mods, etc.
Heck, doesn't the guy who wrote the original AdminMod for dedicated servers
("Alfred") work for Valve now? (I could be confused about that). That type of
functionality is CORE to almost every dedicated server for almost every Valve
title or mod for a Valve title - and it started with a 3rd party server-side
mod, running on 3rd party dedicated servers. Alfred! if you ARE there, help us
out bother! Can we give you a "Sword of a Thousand Truth's" or something so you
can go slay whatever [censored] decided that logon/auth for server-side
installations/updates was "necessary"?
</rant></lecture>
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