Valve indicate Microsoft Flight Simulator download time won't be counted towards refund request

[Arthands]

In a rather unique case, you only download the 500MB+ game client of Microsoft Flight Simulator from Steam, and then download the remaining (bulk of the) game from the game menu. The full game is 127GB (according to PCgamer). In other words, you have to launch this 500MB+ client to download the 100GB+ of the game, and the download time will have eat into 2 hours refund window, which is pretty unfair.

Fortunately Valve clarify that the time you download the additional content will not be counted for the refund eligibility. Not sure if they are making this an temporary exception here and disregard the 2 hours window for this game.

We asked Valve about the issue, and VP of Marketing Doug Lombardi replied. "The time it takes your machine to download the additional content will not be counted against the Steam Refund Policy," he wrote in an email.

"We are working with Microsoft to see if we can improve the download experience," Lombardi also told us, though he didn't elaborate further.

Click to shrink...

Hopefully Microsoft will improve it. Makes no sense to have the players taking 2 steps to download the game.

Valve says the time it takes to download Microsoft Flight Simulator won't affect refund requests

Spending hours just downloading the files counts as 'play time' on Steam, but it won't be counted in the refund process.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[TyrantGuardian]

I just hate launchers in general. The only useful thing they ever have is graphics settings and/or mod management. Both of which should always be fully-functioning (without requiring a restart) in-game to begin with, so uh... yeah. Delete launchers please.

 

[SunBroDave]

That's awesome. Valve's refund policy continues to be one of the best features of the platform

 

[LumberPanda]

I initially read this wrong and thought that this was them saying "suck it up". It's good that they are working with MS on this. I don't know if it's possible to bake it all into the Steam download, as I assume much of it is up-to-date Bing Maps data.

 

[Komo]

Not surprised they did this for ESO as well if I remember correctly.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Valve stays winning.

 

[Alvis]

That's awesome on Valve's part, but I really wish they would make a rule enforcing that all the game data and updates must be server via Steam downloads. I really dislike the concept of games not using Steam itself for downloads and updates, and thus not updating automatically, but only when you open them. :/

IMO "all the game data must be served through Steam" should be a basic requirement to have your game on Steam. I'm fine with games using third party launchers even if it's a bit dumb (Uplay, Origin, etc), but Steam should be handling all downloads.

 

[Kinthey]

Hopefully Microsoft will improve it. Makes no sense to have the players taking 2 steps to download the game.

Valve says the time it takes to download Microsoft Flight Simulator won't affect refund requests

Spending hours just downloading the files counts as 'play time' on Steam, but it won't be counted in the refund process.

www.pcgamer.com

Click to shrink...

Just guessing, but I wonder if this makes it easier to keep all the game data up to date. This way every player is directed to the same server farm.

 

[Mass Effect]

Excellent. Good on Valve.

 

[BasilZero]

127 GB for flight simulator...damn I am gonna need a bigger SSD

What's the point in downloading a client and then installing the rest of the game? Why not all at once?

 

[Naga]

Thank god. This download process is such a mess.

 

[cakely]

That was honestly pretty nice of them.

 

[Big-E]

While not in the same download scale, Master Chief Collection does the in game downloading thing as well.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

Hopefully Microsoft will improve it. Makes no sense to have the players taking 2 steps to download the game.

Click to shrink...

There are probably technical reasons why the game is patching the way it is: UWP preventing file tampering interfering with future mods, or something like complete parity between Steam and Xbox App versions. Whoever is modding the game, they don't have to care about Steam/Xbox differences, or any of the file locking of Windows Apps.

There are plenty of service games installing the launcher first, and then using it to download the actual game. There is usually no problem if the launcher does its job, but given the scope and freshness of the Flight Simulator, it is bound to have inconveniences.

 

[Jedi2016]

Not sure how they're going to tell what was download and what was gameplay.

I started the download before I went to bed that night, and when I got up, it was sitting at the main menu ready to go. And had clocked me at "9 hours" of game time.

I have no intention of refunding anyway, but I have no idea how long that download actually took.

 

[NPTinker]

Valve is such an awesome store

 

[StrangerDanger]

Just guessing, but I wonder if this makes it easier to keep all the game data up to date. This way every player is directed to the same server farm.

Click to shrink...

Having your own launcher means you can put patches up faster and don't have to deal with issues of compatibility with steam or their maintenance, etc
War Thunder can be run off steam, but they have their launcher and it will frequently check for patches when you open it, which is helpful since they have a lot of updates.

But yea it's annoying.

 

[Dakkon]

Not sure how they're going to tell what was download and what was gameplay.

I started the download before I went to bed that night, and when I got up, it was sitting at the main menu ready to go. And had clocked me at "9 hours" of game time.

I have no intention of refunding anyway, but I have no idea how long that download actually took.

Click to shrink...

That's actually trivial on their end, as the launcher and the actual .exe are two different programs that the Steam Overlay hooks into. They can just ignore the time it was hooked into the launcher executable. (for instance, by not having Steam hook into the launcher at all, so the time wouldn't show up on your profile or be registered at all)

 

[Jedi2016]

That's actually trivial on their end, as the launcher and the actual .exe are two different programs that the Steam Overlay hooks into. They can just ignore the time it was hooked into the launcher executable. (for instance, by not having Steam hook into the launcher at all, so the time wouldn't show up on your profile or be registered at all)

Click to shrink...

It's not that kind of launcher. The program that did all the downloading is still "flightsimulator.exe".

 

[AndreGX]

Good move

Spoiler

I just wish Steam would make an exception for a game I apparently forgot to close down after playing for 30 minutes and it showed a play time of 38 hours when I requested a refund a few days later...

 

[Ploid 6.0]

I just hate launchers in general. The only useful thing they ever have is graphics settings and/or mod management. Both of which should always be fully-functioning (without requiring a restart) in-game to begin with, so uh... yeah. Delete launchers please.

Click to shrink...

I love launchers on Steam for games that update a lot. I had to get the stand alone version of Path of Exile because of how Steam patch games. A small patch would take a long time because of how Steam patching works. After I got a SSD I didn't want to mess around with all the unnecessary writes with how often POE patch and hotfix.

 

[Dakkon]

It's not that kind of launcher. The program that did all the downloading is still "flightsimulator.exe".

Click to shrink...

Oh okay, thanks sorry I haven't attempted it yet as you can imagine.

Even then the same thing applies, if Valve needs to know if you're actually to the game part of the exe they can just provide a way for MS to implement a trigger through the Steamworks API that would only activate once you're past the downloading launcher part of the exe.

 

[TyrantGuardian]

I love launchers on Steam for games that update a lot. I had to get the stand alone version of Path of Exile because of how Steam patch games. A small patch would take a long time because of how Steam patching works. After I got a SSD I didn't want to mess around with all the unnecessary writes with how often POE patch and hotfix.

Click to shrink...

Hmm, I guess that's a fair point. It never bothers me and you could always just disable auto-updates, opting to manually patch the game only when you want to run it. If you have a fast connection most patches are ready in the blink of an eye.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

Hmm, I guess that's a fair point. It never bothers me and you could always just disable auto-updates, opting to manually patch the game only when you want to run it. If you have a fast connection most patches are ready in the blink of an eye.

Click to shrink...

I turn off auto update for all my games. The games that I play often are GAAS, and they patch often, like Path of Exiles. If Warframe didn't have a launcher I would have gotten the stand alone client for it too. I'm a bit worried about how Avengers will handle patching, how often it'll patch, because there's no stand alone client, or launcher. New SSDs will be coming, so I guess it's whatever if I chew through some life of the ones I got now since I'll be looking to upgrade. I'll probably put it on a SATA SSD and call it a day.

When I used to play Path of Exile on Steam, most of the time spent patching it was on duplicating the files so they could be patched I believe, it had to be. Sometimes the hot fix patches would only be something like 40 - 200MBs and still take ages, which is why a lot of people looked into what was going on I'm sure. Imagine participating in a new league race after a big update, then suddenly disconnect and find there's a hotfix but it is taking so long for a small patch. While people on the stand alone client patch it quick and get back to racing.

 

[Kucan]

I just hate launchers in general. The only useful thing they ever have is graphics settings and/or mod management. Both of which should always be fully-functioning (without requiring a restart) in-game to begin with, so uh... yeah. Delete launchers please.

Click to shrink...

Fairly sure that messing around with potentially code-alternating mods while the program the mods alter it running is usually a terrible idea.

 

[Deleted member 1476]

Thank god, because that would be fucking bullshit.