i enjoy paradox's stuff for the most part, but subscriptions aren't really my thing.

"Interesting"! :P

I'm already not interested in a lot of their newer games because of the DLC mess. As long as this does not get a global trend I'll probably ignore them. A filter option to suppress games with more than n DLCs in the catalog would be nice though.

Most of their newer games are already on a subscription service anyway- Xbox Game Pass is cock full of Paradox games, both on PC and console.

Subscription services are great, so long as you go into them knowing what they are and are not.

Publishers love them because a lot of people don't cancel them when they should or get hooked on MP so have to pay continuously, but if you have decent self control there's literally nothing better value than GamePass, and Origin Access is also good value. You don't 'own' the games, you will have to be online and when you cancel you can't play any more etc etc so there are definite drawbacks, but if you just want to play a couple of games in a month and can stick to that it's fantastic value- just treat it as a rental instead of a buy.

For Paradox subscriptions have been the obvious endgame for ages.

For stores that work with DRM, leasing would be an option: you pay as you play, until eventually you own the game. That might help some struggling titles. Something like an evolved version of shareware.

That said, streaming of PC games is something to abhor and avoid, IMHO, althoug others will surely love it. You will need robust internet connections and computers that are not that good. But with computers becoming cheaper and cheaper, that should not be an issue.

The best way, the DRM way.