PhailQuail

You will have to subtract one, since I originally pirated it, due to lack of a demo, but I have since purchased the game.

Another benefit of dual-booting is the modification of one boot for maximum performance, and the other for maximum usability.

Although I can't say for certain, I know of no previous games that have only been Steam-compatible, I would expect it to be extremely likely that the Steam version would be compatible with the non-Steam version. Steam offers an offline-mode, which allows you to play games when not connected. Maps/Mods/etc will all work fine, the only difference would be the directory where you put the files. I am uncertain about beta-testing patches. There is a possibility that Steam will allow you to extract the CD-key associated with your "copy" of ArmA2, and there is a possibility that you would be able to use this key with the retail version, as possible with some other games on Steam, but I am unsure how applicable this is to ArmA2.

IIRC there is no artificial limit on the amount of players that can connect to a server, the immediate limiting factor would most likely become the PC the server is run on.

I am a Linux user, and it saddens me that there are no Linux ports of BI-titles.

I would definitely appreciate a Linux-compatible server, but if there wasn't one to begin with, there probably won't be one, as it is the kind of thing best developed along with everything else from the start.

I don't see why it wouldn't work, but you would most likely need to use a 'clean' disc image (no modifications by the ripper), this is assuming that there are no CD checks, and if there is (sigh, but this isn't a copy-protection hate thread). I also have a question, and seeing as it is on-topic to this thread, I will ask it here. I intend on doing the same thing as pogoman979, right down to buying from the same place, but I am interested to know if any region locking exists for using serials with a DVD from another country, as I wouldn't want to download 9GBs to find out that the region of my serial number doesn't work with that version of the game. I don't see why asking these questions would result in a ban, as what is being discussed isn't piracy or copyright infringement.