Yes, Steam is required.

No, they don't disable accounts for no reason. People who say that typically heard it third person or don't want to admit to doing something wrong. Actual issues occur but are pretty rare, the same as with any other service.

There is multiplayer. Don't expect a game balanced for competitive esport style play, though.

Only Windows. Maybe another platform some day, though.

They will eventually place it on another service, if for no other reason than a lot of people want it. Remember those big threads a week ago?

There's an easy way to avoid this.  Stay away from their forums.  That should be easy to do since you hate them anyway.  I avoid their forums mostly out of indifference.

That's doubtful.  It would mean re-writing the code.  I'd like to see it somewhere besides Steam, but it just doesn't make sense from a manpower/return on investment angle.

"A lot of people" is grossly overstating it. It was a few people. You'll also note the threads since then from people who would only buy if they were getting a Steam key.

The amount of sales it'd require to make a version that replaces Steamworks with something else viable is far beyond a few people on the forums. You're talking major numbers of sales. Steamworks has no real competitor in what it offers at the price it offers it.

Don't be surprised to see the game for sale on another store, but that version is going to still require Steam. The only way around that barring someone else releasing a competitive platform is for Stardock to make a "non-Steam" version that just turns off all the Steamworks stuff and replaces it with nothing. I can't see that going over very well.

Sorry man, but it's the truth. A few people who won't buy a steam version simply aren't worth the cost of making a non-steam version. 

Millions use Steam ..... hundreds use the forums - there's a subtle clue there.

Moaners and groaners hit the Web, the other 95% happy bunnies just get on with life, wind Steam up, play a game and get on with life - you never hear from them. To think that millions use it thinking "I don't mind being screwed" is just fantasy.

Developers and distributors love it, its a massive cost saver, but still able to distribute their games, and frankly able to distribute more widely than doing it themselves.

Blaggers hate it as it vastly reduces the chance to blag and pirate games.

I was sceptical when it first started - new way of doing thinks - blah blah - but they soon proved me wrong - its fine, not perfect, nothing is, but they have the balance right, and it improves as time goes on. There is still much work to be done improving it (surprise surprise) which they do, cant do everything at once.

*shrug* ..... pays your money takes your choice ..... the bottom line is anyone who thinks millions of Steam Users stay with them because they love being screwed is living in a fantasy world.