# Steam summer sale and activities are here! (June 30-July 10) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 1, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448 "2011-07-01T00:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/161 "2011-07-09T21:33:46Z")
I would like to know more about this X series. I kinda grew up on the Escape Velocity series, and I get the impression that this might be a spiritual successor to it (and much larger in scope, of course). If so, it’ll be right up my alley. Is there any reason to get the superbox with the first two games, or are the first two not really worth playing if you have the third installment? ETA: Oh, and I think I heard somewhere that Neverwinter Nights 2 at least used to have some rather onerous DRM. Like, SecuROM stuff that you can’t get rid of without totally reformatting your hard drive. Does anyone know if the Steam version has that? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/162 "2011-07-09T21:41:29Z")
I recorded some of our [post apocalyptic mayhem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LduEOWbyMs) session earlier. (Everything I do must be recorded for posterity!) Anyway, that’s pretty much it. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/163 "2011-07-09T22:06:17Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > I would like to know more about this X series. I kinda grew up on the Escape Velocity series, and I get the impression that this might be a spiritual successor to it (and much larger in scope, of course). If so, it’ll be right up my alley. Is there any reason to get the superbox with the first two games, or are the first two not really worth playing if you have the third installment? They’ve remade the same game at least three times now with small (to large) improvements each time. There is no reason to buy anything but Terran Conflict. There’s some story in each game but it’s nothing you should care about typical space opera _war crazy AI interdimentional beings etc etc_ and the interface has gone from horrendous to just awkward. There’s pretty much limitless playtime in each version of the game so at best you’ll just burn yourself out on the series before you get to the improved one. I started playing at X2 so I was actually burned out by the time Terran Conflict rolled around. It’s the best of the bunch by far but after about 300 hours in the previous games I just felt I had seen everything in the series twice before already and even the improvements weren’t enough to put another 100+ hours into the game (and 100+ hours isn’t enough time to do everything in any of these games either). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/164 "2011-07-09T22:34:02Z")
Just to clarify: Do you mean don’t even bother with _X3: Reunion_? One isn’t an expansion pack for the other, is it? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/165 "2011-07-09T22:46:46Z")
The price of Terraria just doubled. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/166 "2011-07-09T22:54:33Z")
That’s… unusual. I don’t think I’ve seen that happen before. I wonder if it was selling so wildly that the company decided that they’d underpriced it, and petitioned steam to increase the price. That’ll piss some people off. Or maybe it was a pricing error at the beginning and they sold a bunch of copies under the intended price. It did seem underpriced - no reason to put a game that’s new and still selling like hotcakes on 75% off. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/167 "2011-07-10T00:18:24Z")
Terraria’s been at 25% off for the entire sale. What probably happened was when they applied the 50% off for today, it and the sale 25% off stacked for 75% total, and they only just now noticed. I mean, hell, it’s Saturday after all; they probably queued up the sale changes yesterday. The game’s worth a full $10, $5 is still a total bargain. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/168 "2011-07-10T01:24:49Z")
I’m thinking of buying X3, but which one should I get? There are several choices here…X3 Terran Conflict, X3 Gold, and something called X-Superbox. I’m on travel atm, so I only have a laptop with me, but I thought I’d pick this one up. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/169 "2011-07-10T01:56:15Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I’m thinking of buying X3, but which one should I get? There are several choices here…X3 Terran Conflict, X3 Gold, and something called X-Superbox. I’m on travel atm, so I only have a laptop with me, but I thought I’d pick this one up. > > -XT I decided to gamble five bucks and get only _X3: Terran Conflict_. Wikipedia says that it’s stand-alone, so my guess is that _X3: Terran Conflict_ is to _X3: Reunion_ as _Mount & Blade: Warband_ is to vanilla _Mount & Blade_. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/170 "2011-07-10T02:14:17Z")
I think I’ll go that way as well. Rather risk $5 than $10 I guess. -XT ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/171 "2011-07-10T02:40:07Z")
Word is that each iteration of the X series is essentially the previous game with better graphics and new features and that (aside from the plot, which apparently is very generic) there is no reason to not buy only the latest one. The Warband comparison seems apt. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/172 "2011-07-10T05:44:36Z")
Just to clarify they’re all standalone so **Terran Conflict** is the only thing you need. There is no need to get X3 The Reunion or X2 The Threat. If you’re curious about them here’s the differences. X2 The Threat had some really really terrible cutscenes and terrible menus/flight/AI (the AI didn’t even replace stations or ships so people that played it for a really long time ended up in an empty universe after awhile). X3 The Reunion tried (and failed) to have a better story, had slightly better graphics, sectors that weren’t grids, the AI would rebuild and even add new stations, and improved a lot of the station handling options. X3 Terran Conflict features a re-done menu system, better flight for mice and the graphics got a slightly better boost plus all the improvements that came before. Aside from the story moving forward each chapter it is the same game over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/173 "2011-07-10T05:58:28Z")
I don’t know if it’s just the weekend or if today’s games were especially popular but my downloads are taking _forever_ today/tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/174 "2011-07-10T06:21:53Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I don’t know if it’s just the weekend or if today’s games were especially popular but my downloads are taking _forever_ today/tonight. Steam has been getting _hammered_ all day today. I’d say both your reasons, really. If I were to guess, a ton of people bought Portal 2 today (I know I did) and that by itself is a ~10 gig download. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/175 "2011-07-10T13:00:00Z")
I got Portal 2 as well. I don’t blame Steam for it, I was just surprised because none of the other days of the sale had the same server issues. But, yeah, I bet a good number of people were waiting on P2 to go on sale+download size+weekend. Got a lot of good stuff this week. Should keep me busy for a long while 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Juggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/juggler/32/3194_2.png) [@Juggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juggler)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/176 "2011-07-10T13:18:23Z")
In settings you can chose a different server to download from. I’m in Sweden but downloaded at a good speed from aus when the nordic servers were over capacity. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/177 "2011-07-10T15:27:18Z")
I just bought: Valve Pack 2k Pack ID Software Pack X3: Complete ---
**Author:** ![Toffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@Toffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toffe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/178 "2011-07-10T15:42:44Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > [QUOTE=Toffe] > > I refuse to buy the last (Forgotten Sands) since it has Ubisoft’s always-on internet DRM. Thanks. You just saved me $5. [/QUOTE] Anytime. Ubisoft’s DRM is so daft that I boycott the company completely; and spreading information about games with the worst DRM might eventually reform the industry’s attitude towards DRM. Hopefully CD Projekt (makers of the Witcher series) will be seen as an example to follow (Witcher 1: DRM removed in an enormous patch and content upgrade about a year after release. Witcher 2: All DRM removed in a patch the week after release. Company seems to be doing well despite both games so far being PC-only while people say that “PC gaming is dead”). Thanks everybody for the information on the X series. I got X3: Terran Conflict. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/179 "2011-07-10T16:03:13Z")
About a month ago I had a hankering for something in the tradition of Elite or Privateer and bought the complete X package. Timing could have been better I guess. I started with Reunion and have moved into Terran Conflict, and would agree that you’re fine with just TC. If you’re curious about the story I’m sure you can find a plot synopsis somewhere. I do have to say that at least Reunion has voice acting - TC seems to be using mechanical text-to-speech for a lot of the dialogue. Ah well, in spite of the sub-optimal interface it’s got range of game mechanics I was after. Unlike Freelancer, it’s a proper space sandbox game. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448/180 "2011-07-10T17:05:25Z")
Thanks - an updated Privateer was exactly what I was looking for. I got X3. (Incidentally, am I the only one who loved Privateer 2? It may have been as buggy as all hell and its space combat was basically broken, but what atmosphere - and what a cast for the cutscenes! 15 years later and I still think of Clive Owen as “that Privateer 2 guy”). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-summer-sale-and-activities-are-here-june-30-july-10/587448.md?page=10)