Steam questions.....

[DoctorQuest]

Ok. I've done some searching and I've poked around the Steam sites but you guys use this thing day in and day out and I trust your technical knowledge.  O0

I finally broke down and bought a game that requires Steam activation. (Wargame: AirLand Battle). Hard to pass up on sale. Damned summer......

What is really involved here?

1. I get I need to install the Steam "client" to perform the initial activation.

2. Once activated do I need the Steam client again to play the game?

3. Do I ever need to "re-activate" the game (like with stupid Windows on a hardware upgrade.??)

4. Some games have no issue being backed up to a zip file and restored. (so you can save any progress in campaigns, etc.)? Is that an issue with Steam games or does it depend on the individual game? For instance, I can do this just fine with my GoG copy of Wargame: European Escalation..... among others...

Any other "gotchas" would be appreciated.

[Jarhead0331]

Jesus, dude. Welcome to the present age.

1. Yes, you need to install the client.
2. Yes, games in your steam library must be played through the steam client. However, most games can be played in offline mode.
3. No. In the ordinary course of things, you should never need to "reactivate a game". Once it is purchased or activated it will be in your library and you can simply reinstall it at any time on any computer.
4. I'm really not sure what you are asking here. Its not something that I have ever wanted to try, and Im not sure why anyone would want to back-up an entire game just to save progress...can't you just save the save file? I'll let someone with more technical knowledge tackle this one.

Take off the training wheels and just jump in. Steam is a revolutionary system that has changed the face of digital gaming. I'm shocked any PC gamer has made it this far without ever using it. Congrats!

[Bison]

1.  Yes, but be warned Steam sales are like crack and your single game will soon become several dozen.  >:D

2.  You can play most games with Steam in offline mode, but you will always need to have steam installed.  Some games like those from paradox allow you to copy the .exe file to your desktop and start the game from there without Steam running.  Don't know about this one however as I run from RTS games like they are carrying the bubonic plague.

3. Nope.  Uninstall and reinstall with no issues unless future OS or hardware changes are incompatible with the game.

4. I've never had reason to do so, but I'm like 99% sure you can copy your steam file and save it to reinstall on a new hard drive or something of the like.

Welcome to the Dark Side...

[Bison]

Damn it JH your fast!~

[Jarhead0331]

Damn it JH your fast!~

...and our answers are nearly identical too. lol

Great minds.

[Sir Slash]

Hey DoctorQuest. I've got a bunch of games on Steam and you do have to play them through Steam but it's no harder than just connecting to Steam then going to "Your Games" section or I can play through a shortcut from my desktop. I can save anytime during the games and Steam will update and add patches automatically for all your games and let you know when new content is available. But if Steam is down(only rarely) or a game is updating, you cannot play or you can only play any game not being updated. Steam makes modding a breeze for any game in their mods section for that game-- like Skyrim for instance-- and there are hundreds of mods available, all rated by the mod users. Steam lets you know when a game on your "Wishlist" is on sale and in the Greenlight section, you can follow hundreds of upcoming games being developed by independents. The only real problem I've had is downloading demos, they sometimes won't download but that maybe as much on my end as theirs. It's not perfect but it does have it's advantages... for me.

[Sir Slash]

You're both faster then me. But then so is a turtle on crutches.

[Marty Ward]

Jesus, dude. Welcome to the present age.

Hey some of us are just a little more cautious than others. We need a decade of proof that it works. One day I'll add an app to my phone too! :)

[Toonces]

You can back up and transfer save games.  I did this when I had Oblivion installed on two computers; I copied the save file onto a thumb drive and put it into my other computer's save folder.  Worked fine.

I think once you start using Steam and get used to it you will greatly appreciate how damn convenient it is.  I recently bought a new laptop while my desktop is in storage.  Installing my library of games on the new computer was as simple as updating the Steam client and then selecting the games I wanted to install.

I contrast that with the many other digital downloads, like Matrix, that aren't immediately accessible, and to install I'd have to search my email for serial numbers years old in some cases.  Certainly not as idiot proof as logging onto Steam, clicking a game on my library and selecting "install."

[weateallthepies]

I think the Wargame: Airland Battle does cloud saving too. So basically your save file gets backed up to the cloud linked to your account, if you ever delete and install again or on another PC via steam, your save game will be waiting for you. I delete and reinstall many games to save space, and it's handy having the cloud save as I can just pickup where I left off.

[Toonces]

^ Yeah- I meant to mention that and then forgot.  I know Skyrim saves to a cloud, so that really simplifies things.

[Nefaro]

Ok. I've done some searching and I've poked around the Steam sites but you guys use this thing day in and day out and I trust your technical knowledge.  O0

I finally broke down and bought a game that requires Steam activation. (Wargame: AirLand Battle). Hard to pass up on sale. Damned summer......

Wargame: ALB is an unusual game, in that you must also create a login in-game IIRC.

I don't recall if you must log in to the dev's servers every time you play W:ALB but I recall it being very heavily multi-player oriented, even though there is plenty single-player to be had in it.

Most Steam games just download and hit play.  This one was one of the oddballs.  Don't let that dissuade you because it's an enjoyable one, especially if you like to play with a huge variety of Cold War hardware.  :)


I think Steam has two great advantages.  Many games have Cloud save options, so you can play the same Saves on different computers.  The other is the Mod Workshop which makes finding & installing mods easier.  Both are only supported if the developer implements them in each specific game, but it's becoming more commonplace.

[Arctic Blast]

Jesus, dude. Welcome to the present age.

Hey some of us are just a little more cautious than others. We need a decade of proof that it works. One day I'll add an app to my phone too! :)

Some of us are still waiting to buy a phone... ;D

[Staggerwing]

Jesus, dude. Welcome to the present age.

Hey some of us are just a little more cautious than others. We need a decade of proof that it works. One day I'll add an app to my phone too! :)

Some of us are still waiting to buy a phone... ;D

You can save a lot if you get an older model...

[undercovergeek]

Ok. I've done some searching and I've poked around the Steam sites but you guys use this thing day in and day out and I trust your technical knowledge.  O0

I finally broke down and bought a game that requires Steam activation. (Wargame: AirLand Battle). Hard to pass up on sale. Damned summer......

What is really involved here?

1. I get I need to install the Steam "client" to perform the initial activation.

2. Once activated do I need the Steam client again to play the game?

3. Do I ever need to "re-activate" the game (like with stupid Windows on a hardware upgrade.??)

4. Some games have no issue being backed up to a zip file and restored. (so you can save any progress in campaigns, etc.)? Is that an issue with Steam games or does it depend on the individual game? For instance, I can do this just fine with my GoG copy of Wargame: European Escalation..... among others...

Any other "gotchas" would be appreciated.

im not saying you will, but if you need to slow the game down a notch theres a thread around with a link to some 3rd party software thats brilliant