Not so much a gamplay suggestion as a distribution model request.
Keep a version of the game that doesn't require Steam to play.
I hate Steam, I hate it so very much. I hate it's ads, I hate it's constant attempts to shove me into a community I don't want to be in, I hate it deciding to update itself before I can play anything on it (and it always manages to "forget" I have it set to offline mode, not to mention it constantly prompting me to go online every single time I start a single player game), I hate the (albeit minimal) resource cost to have it running, and I hate the fact its DRM for games I have physical copies of.
Unless its a super Class AAA title like Civilization or Elder Scrolls, I won't buy a game that requires Steam to play. I abandoned the new Sim City not because of the bugs, but because I hated Origins and the Always Online excuse for DRM that ruined single player.
So yeah, please, always keep a stand-alone executable.
Keep a version of the game that doesn't require Steam to play.
I hate Steam, I hate it so very much. I hate it's ads, I hate it's constant attempts to shove me into a community I don't want to be in, I hate it deciding to update itself before I can play anything on it (and it always manages to "forget" I have it set to offline mode, not to mention it constantly prompting me to go online every single time I start a single player game), I hate the (albeit minimal) resource cost to have it running, and I hate the fact its DRM for games I have physical copies of.
Unless its a super Class AAA title like Civilization or Elder Scrolls, I won't buy a game that requires Steam to play. I abandoned the new Sim City not because of the bugs, but because I hated Origins and the Always Online excuse for DRM that ruined single player.
So yeah, please, always keep a stand-alone executable.