IL-2 Store vs Steam

[Cyph3r]

Just got an email about the sale, so this is the perfect time to pick it up I think. Especially seems my Vintage Black Mamba should hopefully be here soon.

 

But quick question... What's the difference (if any) between the Steam version and the IL-2 Store version? Is there any advantages/disadvantages or even any difference at all between one version or the other?

[Jade_Monkey]

No differences in content.

I *think* that steam gets a cut out of their profits, so i prefer to give it to them through their store. Not sure its its better but that is my understanding.

[J2_Trupobaw]

The differences are cosmetic, they seem to be the same program (steam version even comes with stand-alone .exe file if you know where to dig, letting you play it without running steam). 

The steam version comes with steam features (overlay, statistics, chat etc). Playing  on steam makes hours you put into sim visible in stats and hopefully make it BoS look like a more attractive product. And, the updates download through steam is faster than update mechanism of stand-alone game. 

 

Non-steam version gets updates earlier, and early access version of not yet released versions of BoX are non-steam by default; you still can make them work with steam licence. And, buying non-steam version you're sure all your money goes to developers, without steam taking its cut.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Trupobaw

[Cyph3r]

The non-steam version gets updates faster? So the non-steam is updated sooner, are the two versions not compatible with each other on multiplayer then?

[Jason_Williams]

It's the same product whether you get it from Steam or our store. MP is completely compatible with each other. If you want to help us out,buy direct and because we get more money and then you can transfer to Steam for free.

 

Jason

[Cyph3r]

It's the same product whether you get it from Steam or our store. MP is completely compatible with each other. If you want to help us out,buy direct and because we get more money and then you can transfer to Steam for free.

 

Jason

I can transfer it to Steam after I've bought it direct AND you get more money? I guess that's what I'll be doing then

 

How do I transfer the key to Steam?

Edited April 12, 2016 by Cyph3r

[seafireliv]

There`s a sale? I wonder if my precious LA 5 is on it?

Edited April 12, 2016 by seafireliv

[Cyph3r]

There`s a sale? I wonder if my precious LA 5 is on it?

Yes it is

[Venturi]

It's the same product whether you get it from Steam or our store. MP is completely compatible with each other. If you want to help us out,buy direct and because we get more money and then you can transfer to Steam for free.

 

Jason

That's what I did. I believe the Steam alignment is simply to increase visibility.

[wtornado]

I have over 200 GiGs of  compressed games off STEAM and they give good support and a money back guarantee.

 

!0 years ago I would pull my hair out trying to get STEAM and games to work through STEAM.

 

It sure changed..

 

I like it when you ask them questions they will answer fast and tell if the problem is at their end

or the developers end.

Edited April 12, 2016 by WTornado

[Cyph3r]

I've purchased BoS: Premium, I've sent a support request to transfer it to Steam as I can't figure out how!

[kissklas]

There is a button in your account page somewhere, I think.

 

 Also, another good reason to buy off the store here is the early access!

[Cyph3r]

Yeah I can see the "Get BoS on Steam" but then on that page there should be a "get steam key" button. But I don't have that

[[CPT]milopugdog]

Yeah I can see the "Get BoS on Steam" but then on that page there should be a "get steam key" button. But I don't have that

Also from the same page:

"This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to October 22, 2014"

Sorry, my dude.

[Cyph3r]

Also from the same page:

"This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to October 22, 2014"

Sorry, my dude.

 

Well Jason_Williams said this a few posts ago:

 

 

It's the same product whether you get it from Steam or our store. MP is completely compatible with each other. If you want to help us out,buy direct and because we get more money and then you can transfer to Steam for free.

 

Jason

 

I'm sure he didn't lie to me

[LLv34_Untamo]

It's the same product whether you get it from Steam or our store. MP is completely compatible with each other. If you want to help us out,buy direct and because we get more money and then you can transfer to Steam for free.

 

Jason

 

Won't Valve get a cut if you transfer the game to Steam? I just might transfer, if it doesn't cause you loss in profit

Edited April 13, 2016 by LLv34_Untamo

[Cyph3r]

I've spoken to customer support. It's not possible to transfer my order to Steam.

[SCG_Space_Ghost]

-snip-

 

I'm sure he didn't lie to me

 

Misstating information happens.

 

Jason didn't lie to anybody - that would infer that he made a statement with malicious intent and I find that unlikely.

[Cyph3r]

Misstating information happens.

 

Jason didn't lie to anybody - that would infer that he made a statement with malicious intent and I find that unlikely.

 

No don't get my me wrong, I wasn't suggesting he did it maliciously. I just wanted to push that I'm sure Jason wasn't wrong with what he said as I believe he's a part of the team?

 

Oh well as you say, misinformation happens. Talking to the customer support and I may be able to get a refund and then I can re-buy it on Steam. 200% more faff than I wanted, but I would like it in my steam library!

Edited April 13, 2016 by Cyph3r

[wtornado]

Weird. Usually you open your STEAM library and look at the bottom left hand corner where is says ''add a game''

then agree to STEAM terms and punch in the key.That is it nothing else.

 

Always worked for me.

[7.GShAP/Silas]

No differences in content.

I *think* that steam gets a cut out of their profits, so i prefer to give it to them through their store. Not sure its its better but that is my understanding.

 

 

They take 30%.  If you want to support the sim as much as you can with your purchase, buying from the IL-2 store and transfer it to steam if you like is the way to go.

[Cyph3r]

They take 30%.  If you want to support the sim as much as you can with your purchase, buying from the IL-2 store and transfer it to steam if you like is the way to go.

 

I've already spoken with customer support and transferring to steam isn't possible. only for those who ordered before it was available on Steam.

 

I then asked for a refund so I could get it on Steam, and they've said that they have requested the refund? Either way that was a day later and i told them to save the hassle and not bother, and I'll just leave it as is.

 

Who want's to bet though that they'll refund me in like 5 days after the sale is over so I can't rebuy it.

[Snakeye505]

We are three years down the road now. Did they correct the transfer issue. I am getting ready to order so I would like some help in the best course of action before I purchase.

 

[E69_splash99]

I prefer to buy in IL-2 store and give all my money to the company it develops the game.

[Old49r]

Same question as Snakeye505, please update "website vs steam" purchase - pros & cons. It's been 8 years since this old man flew Cliffs of Dover on Steam and am thinking of purchaseing  Battle of Bodenplatte or Cliffs of Dover BLITZ or both. Would really love Flying Circus, but I guess that's not ready yet?

 

So, is it all still the same as above? Does Steam still get 30%, is transfer from website to steam still ok, and so on.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Old49r

[Dakpilot]

One of steam advantages in the past was faster patch/update downloads

 

Recently work seems to have been done by Dev's and  download speed seems to have improved considerably addressing an oft complained issue

 

Cheers, Dakpilot 

[Tioga9]

Sadly just realized that its one platform or the other.  I bought part on STEAM, and then realized I might be able to better support developing developer's here.  I'm going to thus refund on STEAM.

[CanadaOne]

The updates here, though maybe not always the fastest, are fast enough and butter smooth.

 

Considering the sim gets a good deal of updates and new modules added, the update and integration process so far has been excellent.

[19//Moach]

Steam actually does a lot for the developers for the 30% they take. I've worked with them on my own games before, and no doubt it would have cost more than those 30% to do the pinpoint marketing they do for all games as part of the deal.   

 

It's quite a democratic platform as well, they don't allow companies to pay for getting extra exposure on their ads. I suppose it is in their best interest that all games they offer should have the opportunity to sell as well as possible without being obscured by large publishers with their bottomless budgets.

 

 

If you got it on steam, you can still help devs by writing up good reviews of the game. These are directly integrated into their highly specialized SEO arrangement, and go a long way into affecting what game gets put up in those promotion boxes in their main page (which largely depends on individual players purchase history)

 

Though once you got the game, there's no reason to prevent you getting the newer modules straight from the website. Then you just put in the serial number into steam in the DLCs menu, and it should all work out simply enough. That's what I did on mine, at least.

 

 

 

 

[PO_Baldrick]

Rather than transfer to Steam you just need to link your Steam account to the IL2 store. I originally bought BOS on Steam then have bought pretty much everything else direct from the IL2 Store. It doesn't show up as DLC in Steam but does in IL2. Works simply, everything I buy on the IL2 store (if my wife is watching that is nothing!) gets added to my IL2 installation which I launch from Steam.

[BornToBattle]

The difference is that all of the proceeds from the sale go directly back to the developer as Jason stated when purchased from their store instead of Steam skimming off of the profits.

 

I personally hate Steam unless absolutely forced to do so. I don’t understand the big attraction to it UNLESS you can’t afford to buy any more HD space as in ever. On my rig all games are kept conveniently at one location for simple access.

 

My Games on My Rig...

1. Click on the title in the Windows menu within the Games section

2. Game starts

 

With Steam...

1. Click on the Steam icon in the Windows Game section

2. Steam log in

3. Wait for Steam to update

4. Advertising for Steam games loads

5. Click on the game within the Library menu in Steam

6. Game starts

Edited December 23, 2019 by BornToBattle

[19//Moach]

14 minutes ago, BornToBattle said:

My Games on My Rig...

1. Click on the title in the Windows menu within the Games section

2. Game starts

 

With Steam...

1. Click on the Steam icon in the Windows Game section

2. Steam log in

3. Wait for Steam to update

4. Advertising for Steam games loads

5. Click on the game within the Library menu in Steam

6. Game starts

 

That's strange, mine runs through steam yet it starts up straight away...

 

Have you tried using a shortcut* straight to the game's executable? It should boot up to the loading screen right away

 

*Find Program Files/Steam/Steamapps/Common/IL2 Battle of Stalingrad/Il2.exe - hold Alt, then drag it to your desktop.

 

Edited December 23, 2019 by 19//Moach

[BornToBattle]

6 hours ago, 19//Moach said:

 

That's strange, mine runs through steam yet it starts up straight away...

 

Have you tried using a shortcut* straight to the game's executable? It should boot up to the loading screen right away

 

*Find Program Files/Steam/Steamapps/Common/IL2 Battle of Stalingrad/Il2.exe - hold Alt, then drag it to your desktop.

 

I’ll give that a try I suppose for my other games. All of the ones I have for Steam run that way. I don't use Steam for VR and have automatic updates turned off so it’s not running in the background performing updates while trying to game as bandwidth isn’t the greatest with Bevcomm here.
 

Judging from the reactions I suppose I have the games set up wrong in Steam, as this is the way it’s been for years upon launching titles through Steam.

Edited December 24, 2019 by BornToBattle