Quote:
Originally Posted by rdonj
Personally though I hate the idea of direct download. All availability issues aside I much prefer having something concrete and solid that I can hold onto, so if my computer goes to hell or a file gets corrupted I'm not suddenly out $50. You have to keep track of a disc and keep it safe, but with dominions you don't even need the disc in to play, so wear and tear on the disc is extremely minimal.
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My sentiments exactly. Digital copies are all fine and well, but what happens if your HD conks out? And if your backups get shot too? I've had one external HD suffer mechanical failure and that cost me six months worth of accumulated schoolwork because there was a virtual server environment on it that I couldn't run on my home machine due to lab work requirements. I managed to recover the important documentation files that were on the HD before it gave out all the way and making up for the rest of it in two weeks was a real pain in the ***.
As long as you keep track of a commercially produced CD, it generally doesn't degrade, whereas self-burnt ones can die in anywhere from one to ten years depending on CD quality due to the laws of physics that govern chemical reactions.
And if you lost a digital copy, how do you arrange for a redownload? Verification of purchase etc, but that goes back into the need for a downloads management system and we're right back in square one.
Obviously your mileage may vary on how long and how often you would play Dom3, but considering I've been managing the bug reports for near enough two years now and have had time to do the DB and otherwise put all kinds of extra effort into this, it's certainly been worth it in my opinion.
And that's
before considering that the hobby project of the Dom3 DB and the bug list actually helped me secure a second professional IT degree. With just minimal modification, I was able to present a working prototype database and project experience that I could present as fait accompli for some sections that were required to demonstrate prior experience. I'd already invested my time into making them, so I used them to my advantage. As games go, for me Dom3 has been an investment that has paid itself back many times over and will keep on doing as long as stay in the IT profession precisely because of this. I'd be (literally) a poorer man indeed if I'd be that hung up on instant downloads.