Are there any Differences between getting NWN:EE from Steam or Beamdog?

Ugly_Duck

Bonus', restrictions, anything different from getting the game from one or the other?

JuliusBorisov

You should choose whichever place suits you more. Some people prefer to have all the games on Steam, others are not against supporting developers directly. When you buy from beamdog.com you get a Steam key, so in this regard (Steam features) it's the same.

Drewbert_ahoy

Go with Steam for sure. It's a much more polished streaming service. Beamdog client is extremely clunky.

BelleSorciere

Beamdog client lost my NWN install twice.

Xorina

Drewbert_ahoy said:

Go with Steam for sure. It's a much more polished streaming service. Beamdog client is extremely clunky.

The GOG client is better, but the BD client doesn't recognise BD games on it, which can lead top much confusion.

Proleric

The crucial differences : you can play the Beamdog version standalone, whereas you need Steam running on your PC to play the Steam version.

By default, Steam runs on your PC all the time. If you disable that, starting NWN is slower, and you have to disable Steam manually when you stop playing. Also by default, Steam collects info from your PC, though you can force it into offline mode (whatever that means, exactly). Whether any of that is an issue depends on your views on lurkware, DRM & privacy.

The other big difference is that you don't need to know how to drag a file into a folder to download mods from Steam Workshop. It's a pretty slick one-touch process. Conversely, if you actively like to manage your folders, Steam is a pain because it hides stuff in anonymous numbered directories that are hard to find. So builders and savvy players will almost certainly want the Beamdog version.

As a builder, I have the Beamdog version, with the Steam key, but only enable Steam for the few seconds it takes to upload finished works to the Steam Workshop.

dTd

Same as Proleric for me though I'd like to add that I wanted BD to get the money and not Steam, they have enough of mine already.

Grymlorde

@Proleric is spot on. All of those issues are why I no longer use Steam.

Ugly_Duck

Well, crap.. I ended up getting the Steam version. Is there any way to switch to Beamdog?

Drewbert_ahoy

By default, Steam runs on your PC all the time.

Usually several dozen applications run in the background of a pc all the time. The bigger question is what is the CPU/GPU resource cost of any given application.

It's a bit different, but I've not had much trouble finding things with the Steam install... the toolset for one. I've noticed that the hak folder is gone but that was a Beamdog change that has nothing to do with Steam.

Proleric

Drewbert_ahoy said:

By default, Steam runs on your PC all the time.

Usually several dozen applications run in the background of a pc all the time...

...and savvy users know what they are and kill unnecessary ones like Steam. Some people are fine with sharing their entire life with Big Brother, others aren't. Personally, given the recent track record of the big players, I'd say, don't trust anyone, ever, and never grant permissions or share information unless there's no alternative.