Skyrim and Steam? Noob questions incoming...

[hector530]

So unless Steam can be deleted from my PC once it is used to authenticate my game disc I am permanetly saddled with a potential trojan. This along with other concerns is making me very uneasy.

 

Then go ahead and cancel your pre order

[TehGorgy]

While I agree that it kind of sucks that Skyrim will be steam only. Steam is great and I love it to death. I pre-ordered Skyrim on steam because preloads are awesome. I would much rather have the physical copy of the game without steam at all. But at least it's not bound to a service like Origin. =P

[moho25]

Many of you have given me some great information. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to comment.

 

Here's a couple more questions/confirmations for some of you:

 

1. So I don't even have to run Steam in order to launch the game, correct? I can put a shortcut onto my desktop or wherever and start the game from it's own .exe file? This is definitely what I want to hear. I'd prefer to not have it running at all when I play the game.

 

2. Game install/save locations. I have my computer set up to save programs/data in various locations. I don't want to have to modify that just to run Steam -- they are exactly where I want them. Is this a problem? Does the game or game saves have to be in a particular file location?

 

3. Keeping it firewalled. Great advice.

 

4. Ads. Thanks for the heads up on this.

 

5. Here's a question: Could I uninstall Steam once I activate the game? I mean, I wouldn't actually go this route as it would screw me for future patches, requiring me to re-download it to have access to them, which would then succeed in mucking up my system even more, but ...this would be possible, right?

 

Again, thanks for everyone's input!. I'm open to the option of liking Steam...but I'm just not counting on it :/

Edited November 2, 2011 by moho25

[Fonger]

That is not true.

You don't have to use the launcher. But if you start the game from within Steam, then it'll use the launcher, but if you just use the normal exe you're allright :)

Just make a shortcut to the normal exe (eg. fallouNV.exe instead of FalloutNVLauncher.exe).

I believe it's not different when using non-Steam Fallout?

that's odd

 

just tried that

 

falloutnv.exe blatently starts steam

[Marthos]

I'm with the others that don't like Steam I'm afraid, consumers SHOULD HAVE the following CHOICES.

 

You like and want Steam? Great, go ahead.

 

Don't like Steam? Buy your games on disc that utilises a different DRM system from a retailer of your choosing and thats it, job done.

 

 

Another thing? Read the Steam End User Agreement: Well big fat hairy facepalm guess what, Steam customers/users aint got no legs to stand on.

 

 

And also bear in mind that bankruptcy happens and one day Steam will turn to dust, all money spent on Steamworks controlled games will be lost.

 

There will now be a que of people that will say "but that won't happen" even though the world is presently in financial crisis and huge corporations have died a bit the dust and goverments and countries are having to be bailed out.

 

 

Whats that? The patch? The mega patch? The so called fantastic patch that would mean you could play all your games without Steam? It doesn't / won't ever exist. If it did those people with wooden legs and parrots on their shoulders would have already figured out how to do it, code breakers are always far cleverer than code writers.

 

 

And besides, if Steam did go belly up we would be the last to find out and the receivers would already have control, and all they care about is how to squeeze the last dime out of a dead company, they certainly wouldn't be concerned about us not being able to play our games.

 

 

When Skyrim gets released I'll have two games on Steam, and that will two too many but my hands are tied as I don't have a parrot on my shoulder, or a wooden leg.

[macole]

So unless Steam can be deleted from my PC once it is used to authenticate my game disc I am permanetly saddled with a potential trojan. This along with other concerns is making me very uneasy.

 

Then go ahead and cancel your pre order

 

Done, got plenty other things to do anyway.

[sesom]

Well that depends where you put the game of course.

I have most of my games in C:\Steam\$gamename (eg. C:\Steam\Fallout New Vegas). Tip: Use Steamtool to put games in custom directories.

Why I have to use third party tools? No need for Steam to put the game in a long complicated path on default. I try to keep my configuration how it's installed by default. The reason is that the users of my mod does mostly the same and it is easier to support them.

That is not true.

I avoid true or not true answers (perfect stuff for flamewars ;) ). Starting NV with FOMM which I need for load order and other things while modding gets the NV splash screen up. This behavior wasn't in FO3. Non-steam NV (which doesn't exists officially ;) ) behaves like you are describing and FO3.

 

A bit more ontopic:

When you've installed Steam you might want to go into settings and turn ads off (of you want), some people don't like it.

(Me on te other hand don't want to miss a sale and don't find them very intrusive).

 

Another tip:

You can make sure you'll always be offline if you simply block Steam in your firewall, this way you can always use Steam in offline mode.

 

A last tip:

Steam might grow on you and you might actually like it :P

About ads: I've bought a game and not a advertising platform.

 

The problem with the so called offline mod (even when it is blocked with firewall) is still the time steam needs for "connecting" (it should be better named "collecting").

 

@moho25

1. No, steam has to run in the background the whole time you want to play your game. It doesn't need to be connected to the internet but it has to be there and monitors you.

2. You can change the location of the game with a third party tool as anandus described. But this can mean troubles with mods.

5.No you can't deinstall steam and play the game afterwards without pirate methods which I don't recommend. Patches are automatically delivered from steam which can be a good or a very bad thing as we have seen in NV.

 

@Marthos

Even if you buy the disc version you are steamed. No change. Sorry misread your post.

Edited November 2, 2011 by sesom

[hector530]

So unless Steam can be deleted from my PC once it is used to authenticate my game disc I am permanetly saddled with a potential trojan. This along with other concerns is making me very uneasy.

 

Then go ahead and cancel your pre order

 

Done, got plenty other things to do anyway.

 

Don't worry no one will miss you

[anandus]

Steam doesn't work for a lot of people including myself. My updating doesn't function and I've tried every fix from replacing exe to other files to firewalls which I don't have.

Unless you're running Windows 95, 98 or ME you do have a Firewall :)

That is not true.

You don't have to use the launcher. But if you start the game from within Steam, then it'll use the launcher, but if you just use the normal exe you're allright :)

Just make a shortcut to the normal exe (eg. fallouNV.exe instead of FalloutNVLauncher.exe).

I believe it's not different when using non-Steam Fallout?

that's odd

 

just tried that

 

falloutnv.exe blatently starts steam

Yes, but not the launcher.

Well that depends where you put the game of course.

I have most of my games in C:\Steam\$gamename (eg. C:\Steam\Fallout New Vegas). Tip: Use Steamtool to put games in custom directories.

Why I have to use third party tools? No need for Steam to put the game in a long complicated path on default. I try to keep my configuration how it's installed by default. The reason is that the users of my mod does mostly the same and it is easier to support them.[/qwuote]Fair enough. I also dislike the way Steam wants to put everything in one place.

That is not true.

I avoid true or not true answers (perfect stuff for flamewars ;) ). Starting NV with FOMM which I need for load order and other things while modding gets the NV splash screen up. This behavior wasn't in FO3. Non-steam NV (which doesn't exists officially ;) ) behaves like you are describing and FO3.

How odd, when I use FOMM (which I often do) I don't get the Launcher? With me it behaves 'oldschool', both Fallouts and Oblivion.

Running through Steam opens up the launcher, running the exe (Fallout.exe/FallouNV.exe/Oblivion.exe) bypasses the launcher.

Does it maybe forget your ini-settings or something that it goes through the launcer?

[sesom]

@anandus

4 Gb patch maybe? One of them isn't a steam version of the game.... Can't say anything about Oblivion because I have a official nonsteam version here.

Edited November 2, 2011 by sesom