Unsure what platform to purchase my DCS modules.

[MasterTheHero]

Hey gang,

A bit of backstory. I bought the original LOCK ON at Electronic Boutique on disk (back when that was still a thing.) Then Ubisoft got their hands on it and suddenly I was left out in the cold without a game I could play.

Then I saw KA-50 Blackshark came out. Naturally, I bought it on Steam, but then Black Shark 2 came out which was only available through the DCS store. When I bought it through the DCS store this created a mess for my Steam version. I couldn't install BS2 without the original Steam version, but I also couldn't run DCS world with the Steam version.

I tried contacting support but they couldn't help me.

ARRGGGH!

Fast forward to 2018, I do believe the key issues are now resolved since they ditched Starforce. I can now play BS2 through DCS World but I'm afraid of buying more modules on the wrong platform.

I want Flaming Cliffs 3 but the website says it is Steam incompatible. https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/modules/dcs_flaming_cliffs_3/

Yet, Flaming Cliffs 3 is available for sale on Steam.

I basically want advice from you guys. Should I exclusively buy my games through the DCS store or should I buy my games through Steam? I hate having games on two different platforms and just want my games to be in one place with full customer support.

Please let me know your experiences, thanks!

[Gunnar81]

The modules seem to come out quicker and are on sale more often on the stand alone version. But if you like having everything loaded through steam you can do it that way as well if you are willing to wait a bit longer for new modules (aircraft, terrain etc). Just be aware that most steam purchased modules only work for steam and most stand alone modules only work for stand alone.

[MasterTheHero]

So it sounds like unless they want to go 100% steam store, going through the DCS Store would be better and more reliable in terms of purchases. I just don't want to run into the issue I had with BlackShark or LockOn where I already spent the money and now the product I own is no longer being supported.

[NineLine]

You shouldnt have an issue with it not being supported going forward, this is all Eagle Dynamics now, so shouldnt see those issues. Steam and Standalone are the same versions of the game, but generally new things, and early access items come to the Standalone first.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

I personally wouldn't want to rely on Steam servers in order to play online, that's why I always choose standalone when given the choice... but that's just me.

[Dr. Jester]

Originally posted by Gramer Natzi:

I personally wouldn't want to rely on Steam servers in order to play online, that's why I always choose standalone when given the choice... but that's just me.

Steam servers have nothing to do with DCS multiplayer.
The only time you will need a steam server is for downloading patches. Which are MUCH faster than P2P

[MasterTheHero]

I guess I'll have to write a support ticket to Eagle Dynamics to see if they will give me Steam keys for A-10. If ED is fully planning to support Steam, I'd much rather prefer their download service vs. the DCS torrent through DCS World. I thought I wanted to go through the DCS store but the usage of torrents for downloads really bugs me. I like to know I'm going to get a fast reliable download vs. hoping people are going to be online to torrent it.

[Drakoz]

Unless you strongly prefer Steam as a delivery method, it is best to buy DCS modules direct from the DCS store. Thankfully the game is the same in both cases, but when and how you buy new aircraft, or other DLC is what is different. Different sales or bonuses and different release dates (Steam is usually later than the DCS store).

Steam is a great platform for managing games, but I assume DCS on Steam works the same as all Steam games in that Steam forces you to update. Or did the devs create the ability to change your installed branch and run an old version? Regardless, it is kind of a pain because Steam might auto-update DCS on you and mess up your mods, or gives you less control over running multiple versions. With the release of DCS 2.5, maybe that doesn't matter as much anymore, but it was a big factor before v2.5. For that reason, when it comes to complex games or sims like DCS, I always buy the non-Steam version if I can. For more normal games, Steam is great otherwise.

I'd say, if you only have 2 or 3 modules for DCS on Steam now, start buying new modules on the DCS website. You should be able to install both your old modules in Steam on the computer at the same time with your new modules in a stand alone version of DCS, so you don't loose your Steam version investment. But that doesn't lock you into buying Steam versions of new aircraft. In time, if you care, you can buy the old aircraft again on a good sale and eventually drop the Steam version to save disk space.

[Drakoz]

Originally posted by MasterTheHero:

I thought I wanted to go through the DCS store but the usage of torrents for downloads really bugs me. I like to know I'm going to get a fast reliable download vs. hoping people are going to be online to torrent it.

For DCS Standalone, you can always click the button and have it do an HTML download direct off the ED servers. But there's no need. ED's torrent download works just fine. It was a little rocky when they first introduced it, but that was a couple years ago. It is stable now because they fixed the issues long ago, but also because many of the torrent seeds _are_ the ED servers. You aren't depending only on other uses to seed the torrent.