Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General Steam and Original Sin's FAQ

The DVD contains a steam installer, so yes, steam will have to be installed
to be able to download the game.
This is mentioned on our larianvault page, but apparantly not on the amazon
page.

The game does not contain any DRM though, Steam is just used as a download
and update platform.
Once the game has been downloaded, you can copy the game and uninstall steam
if you want.

To answer your specific questions:
1. Is Steam required to install Divinity:Original Sin from the
Collector's Edition?
>> yes it is required (install steam, activate game via steam with steam
key)
2. Is Steam required to update D:OS from the CE?
>> most likely a first day patch will have to be downloaded once installed,
yes
3. Is Steam required to play D:OS from the CE in multiplayer?
>> you can play d:os in multiplayer via connect to ip or via LAN on the drm
free version (without steam).
if you want to play with other users on steam (without connect to ip - so
via the steam lobby framework), you will have to login to steam.

We apologize for any confusion and thank you for (trying) to purchase our
game .

Kind regards,

Octaaf

And there start the problem, Steam will ask for internet after install. What was Larian talking about ? DRM-free ?

I'm sad as I was waiting for this game and was a huge Larian fan.

Thanks for confirming i'm locked with steam to get proper game support.

It means i should comply with Larian's EULA and Valve's one. I don't agree with Valve's politics of inspecting what i do with my computer, i don't agree with their not-so-anonymous statistics mining, i don't agree running a potentially flawed software as System. I don't agree with Valve's auto installation of unnamed software in their EULA (2A). I don't agree that i have no rights on software provided by Steam platforms (meaning i don't have the right to do backup of games i download from Steam). I don't agree with Steam politics to automatically installing/replacing/updating unnamed software without asking me. I don't agree with steam's politics to keep my games private, if a friend come at my house, i want to let the friend play on my computer without breaking any EULA. I don't agree with Valve collecting personal data.

I understand i can uninstall Steam once the game is running, but i won't get steam running on first place, so the game won't too, because of Steam's requirements itself. I will be forced to re install Steam for each game's update, making what would take few seconds for an update a hell, because steam will sync my saves without asking, may even delete them and try to re install the game because i moved the game to a proper location (Program files folder instead of some shady faillure-ish hidden folder that generate problems due to too long path).

As i must log to Steam, there is a Digital Rights Management system in place, the installer will check if I did bought the game using Valve's services before installing the game while i have the bloody DVD on tray. Not checking again later doesn't make the game DRM free, it makes it a DRM game with questionable methods of checking as any one could copy the game's folder to anybody later.

Maybe Larian's wish was just to annoy the end user and not to put a DRM, i don't know, but the game isn't DRM free, it is a fact, and I feel betrayed.

Thanks for the information.

I don't understand well why the key cannot be reedemed on GOG instead of Steam then.

Personally, I don't mind Steam, but yes, Larian could certainly do a better job of communicating with and supporting non-Steam users, even if it's just hosting patches on the Larian Vault.

Hopefully for Larian's next game they will have the resources to finish plenty of time before release. That would at least make a non-Steam retail release more feasible, though I don't know if it would be any more likely.

When trying to get as much as possible in the game right up until the release (including delaying the release 10 days to finish adding the voice work being done), a non-Steam disk version wouldn't necessarily be updated, so could have features lacking. There would also be triple the amount of QA for the release (testing the disk installer and game, the digital install and game, and then the disk version patch to bring it up to par with the download version), as well as possible additional complications supporting the original disk save format for any future updates.

As you can see in the kickstarter comment Darth_Trethon linked to above, Larian does not consider Steam to be DRM inherently. It is not a question of considering things, but miss-communication; what some people asked/assumed was not exactly what Larian answered.

As you can see in the kickstarter comment Darth_Trethon linked to above, Larian does not consider Steam to be DRM inherently. It is not a question of considering things, but miss-communication; what some people asked/assumed was not exactly what Larian answered.

We use Steam because it's the best digital delivery system we have at our disposal. When a better one will pop up, we'll use that. Our focus is on developing the game and not on developing all the logistics it would require to come up with an alternative. We *cannot* develop this game if we can't patch and I frankly think the way we're doing it now is vastly better than the way it used to be where it was a rare thing for people to actually get your patches. Now at least the large majority (i.e. everybody except those who refuse to connect) get the best version of the game.

All Kickstarter backers have the option to use a Steam or a GOG key, even if they have a box in their tier, they will still get that option. Steam currently has better services than GOG and D:OS will use those, hence it makes sense we offer a Steam version to our retail customers. Digitally, you can make the choice yourself.

If this is not sufficient, I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do, so in that case you are better off asking for a refund and we will give one. We want people to have fun, not feel like they're being taken advantage off.