XCOM 2 Preload Files encrypted?

[UhuruNUru]

I've Just Preloaded XCOM 2, Steam finished downloading, but no game appeared, the downloading folder normally used was also empty.

I know all the places Steam usually hides downloaded files and have always found the files I've hunted for. I don't preorder much (twice on Steam) though, so don't know much about them.

Fallout 4, the other game, just witheld the games EXE file. all other files were available.

I've redownloded and watched the actual folder grow as the files were downloaded.

DepotCache

 

is the folder and it contains the game files, all still packed in

268502_depotcache_#

 

where # is a number from 1 to 25. Game shortcut gives Steam ID as 26850 and I have 2 more filenames where this last number is 1 and 3, this number may change with download attempts or they may also be needed parts of the game.

Each filename has two files, a .csd and .csm file.

 

They appear to be some sort of multifile compressed archive.

I only preordered to get access to the files early, to start to learn the system used.

I'm disappointed that, I can't even see them.

 

I'm more interested in what the Long War Team is releasing, but that's not a surprise, I never played Vanilla XCOM.

Long War was my 1st playthrough and vanilla was far too limited and easy after that.

 

Just to be clear, I know they'll be unpacked for release, I just expected another missing EXE, and files to examine.

Is this normal for preorders, I only have one example to compare with.

[Zyxpsilon]

Those CSD+CSM(s) are simple Archives which will need to be de-compressed at the correct upcoming release time on your PC. The installation process also occurs right after such extraction steps by a quick executable that 1) verifies integrity and/or adds supplemental fixes/patches made between the moment you & anyone else got the files and 2) needs to activate & validate the game.

In a word; Pre-Load.

 

Best and most reliable way to proceed, AFAIC.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Zyxpsilon