Why doesn't ANYBODY from SI or SEGA answer this question? (regarding Steam)

My original post from the Activation Q+A thread:

My previous thread was closed because I was told that my answers were here... which obviously wasn't the case.

My question, summarized, is:

How do multiple activations (as in VARIOUS PCs) and deactivations work if you activate the game through Steam?

And more specifically, how are installation seats spent/recovered when you use Steam to play?

I read through all 7 pages of the thread, and all I could find was something I already knew:

Steam auto-activates the game for you when you first buy/enter the code in Steam.

However, I would like to know:

1. What happens when I install Steam in another computer and download the game there (as it's already added to "my games" in Steam, so no new activation needed). Is every download through Steam a spent activation seat?

2. How do you recover an installation seat if you installed the game through Steam? Somebody said in a thread that "deleting local content" of the game does NOT work.

I hope I made myself clear after posting this for the 9087213th time...

This has been already posted in several places in the forum, including the "Official Q+A Thread - Activation / DRM" thread, so please, PLEASE, don't close this thread and send me back there, as the LAST post in that thread is already mine, but it seems like it's being ignored since I posted it (not a single post in 24h).

And I've read through the full 10 pages of the Steam thread and no, this isn't answered by anyone from SI/Sega in there either.

Only somebody (a user) that "thinks" that the 5 seat limit works the same way as with the boxed version, but I have several doubts and would like to get an official answer before activating.

I hope someone finally answers this...

1. What happens when I install Steam in another computer and download the game there (as it's already added to "my games" in Steam, so no new activation needed). Is every download through Steam a spent activation seat?

I dont see it using up an extra seat, as i believe steam will have it registered with them just like Half life etc, with their use of the good old CD keys(without DRM) that you dont have to re-enter. Surely it must be the same.

To be honest, I don't think you've got a response because they don't know.

Steam is an independent platform and it's them that the question needs to be directed at rather than the creators and publishers of the game.

I'm sure they'll be willing to ask on our behalf, but we can't expect an instant answer regarding a piece of third party software.

1. What happens when I install Steam in another computer and download the game there (as it's already added to "my games" in Steam, so no new activation needed). Is every download through Steam a spent activation seat?

I dont see it using up an extra seat, as i believe steam will have it registered with them just like Half life etc, with their use of the good old CD keys(without DRM) that you dont have to re-enter. Surely it must be the same.

Yes, that's the way I see it too, just like it works with each and every single Steam game I own.

But then again, this means that either:

a) A copy of FM can be installed in an unlimited number of PCs if you use Steam to activate it.

or

b) Steam itself detects which PC you are using it on, and doesn't allow you to download the game more than 5 times (as there's no such thing as "installation" in Steam). Then each download uses one of the installation seats. But then: how do you recover one of those "seats"? It's been said that using the option to "Delete local content" does not work.

To be honest, I don't think you've got a response because they don't know.

Steam is an independent platform and it's them that the question needs to be directed at rather than the creators and publishers of the game.

I'm sure they'll be willing to ask on our behalf, but we can't expect an instant answer regarding a piece of third party software.

Well, if that's the case (which I highly, HIGHLY doubt), I would appreciate a post like "we're looking into it" or "we'll try to look for an answer" or even "we're too busy right now fixing other important stuff, but we'll try to look into it when we have time". Any of those, I would happily understand.

But after having posted it so many times in different places (one of them in this same place, which got closed by a mod saying that "it was already answered in the Q+A thread", which wasn't true), and seeing how it's been completely ignored by everybody at SI or Sega, it even leads me to think that they just don't want to answer the question, which doesn't feel right.

I guess I'm probably wrong and it's just that they've been really busy these days. Actually, if I put myself in their place I even wonder how the heck do they have enough time left to hang around these forums answering our questions.

But it's still quite strange that most of the other questions get answered, and this one doesn't. And it freaks me out because I have my original FM09 box sitting here, right next to me, waiting to be activated because I want to know the advantages/disadvantages of both methods in detail before carrying on with the installation.

Don't worry mate, we could probably all do with a bit more patience and I understand the frustration, but SI can only do so much and it they're working furiously on the next patch as well as a host of other post release-problems, so I'm sure questions will get answered in time.

Given the amount of rants on the forums at the moment it's difficult to sort out the genuine questions from the whinges.

Try Steam forums. forums.steamworks.com

unfortunately they have a long cue to register , at least when I tried last time, it took up to a week to get activated.

If you can't register and post on the boards, if you want I can ask a question on those forums for you (just not right now I'm going to bed, it's 3AM here).

ok than...what is not understandable?when you use steam, the application will recognize your pc's ip(i think)and will know if/if not you have the fm09 installed on the specific machine...that is that...now,when you have the game installed on a pc, you have one license used(out of 5)...if you go to another pc, and install steam, and enter your steam account, the game will be shown at the "not installed" category...than, you have to install it again(doh!)...if you do this, you will be using another license(second out of 5)...and so on until the fifth(if you will install the game on five pc's)....uninstalling:well, after you uninstalled the game, the license that you have used will be given back to you...so, if you installed on 2 pc's, and uninstall from one, you will get the "seat" back and you will have 1 license used(out of 5)...that is how you get the license back, by simply uninstalling(it does not have anything to do with deleting the local content(if you want to try, uninstall the game and enter in your steam account...you will see the game at "uninstalled" category)...at number 1 VMX, it is a partially no, every download to another pc will not mean that you have used a license...you use the license only when you want to play the game on the pc where you downloaded it(so, if you just download the game on a pc, without activating it, you will have not used any license).... and i think that at number 2 i already answered above...if there is still doubt VMX, or i just wrote too much and not quite understandable, i will sumarise everything like to "little kids"(sorry for this, but i do not think that i can be more accurate with everything like i already did)...anyway...VMX, feel free to read and feel free to answer if you have other questions

just now i read everything from this topic, and as captainplanet said, SI hasnt got that much time to answer questions that were already clarified(i know that miles had a thread were he said what i just told about steam)...working on the future second patch(i will be part of it too, cause i am now a researcher for romania-not hired at SI, but "hired" by the guys from the romanian fm forum)they(SI) will want to update/improve the bugs that have been written by everyone here...so their main focus is on that...ok...now, i will be on the way to continue my rennes save, cause i have to buy some AMC's...i will be back soon though, to see if anyone still has problems understanding

ok than...what is not understandable?when you use steam, the application will recognize your pc's ip(i think)and will know if/if not you have the fm09 installed on the specific machine...

That's absurd. You can be on the same house with a single router and multiple PCs, and they'll all have the same IP to the outer network.

Plus, your IP usually changes overtime.

Everyone "thinks" stuff but the fact is that most of those arguments are a bit flawed because their just guesses by regular users, and no official answer from SI or Sega has been given on the subject.

About the rest of your post:

I see what you mean, but what if you don't use a boxed version, but rather purchase and download the game digitally through Steam? Once you download the game through Steam and play it, will you get such an "uninstall" option?? Because as far as I know, all Steam games I own can only be managed from inside Steam, so you cannot "uninstall" them as such once you own them. You can only delete their local content and little else.

I guess for the boxed version you still the get the "uninstall" thing, but not for Steam.

And moreover, you said that you can download the game through Steam but it still won't be activated, right? Then the game gets activated by the moment you want to play it. Have you tried this yourself?

Can anybody confirm that, no matter in how many PCs you download the game through Steam, the activation occurs when you actually play it?

well, i DO HAVE a router(one)and my room mate has another pc...i gave the game to him and worked VERY WELL...for the rest, as for uninstalling, there might be an issue here...i have bought the game from steam, cause in romania, the game will have arrived a couple of days after 14th, and i wanted the game then...so i bought it from steam...as a matter of fact, i thought that the game will be in the control panel(install/uninstall programs)cause the demo WAS there(i got that from steam too)...it appears that is not there(even though, cs is)...so, the uninstallation thingy must be told/clarified by SI/STEAM...and as a reply to "And moreover, you said that you can download the game through Steam but it still won't be activated, right? Then the game gets activated by the moment you want to play it. Have you tried this yourself?" this, i can say that i already answered above, at this post...i gave one install to my room mate and i had to activate it when i pressed "Launch game", so yes, i have tried that...as for the uninstallation process, i think that i will not bother my head with that anymore(on the forum or in my life)cause the game will absolutely NOT be uninstalled...so ok, one mistake from me, but that is the only one, cause i did not knew how to uninstall the game...but for the rest i said, it is true, cause miles said those things, they are not invented(pls visit this too, http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=60817 )...there are responses to different questions..

and i will also try to find the thread where miles explained everything about installation/activation of the game...

tried to find the thread with the activation announcement(that was made by miles)but there are too many threads and i do not have time for that...so the thing is you just have to look through them(if you have time)or expect a SI/SEGA response...sorry