Understanding Steam

[Evessa]

Technically, this isn't a problem with the game - I haven't been able to play it yet...I need help understanding how Steam works. I bought Skyrim, I have a Steam account, but what I want to know is if I have to be on the internet to actually play Skyrim? It says that I must sign into my Steam account to play the game...can I not play it just off my hard drive without connecting to the internet. If so, then I just wasted $70.00 on a game that I can never play. I hope that this isn't the case, but I've learned with the world of the internet not to hold my breath. I'm tired of buying games I can't play ever, if this is the case. I had thought that I needed Steam just to activate the game, which is fine, but it's not fine if I can't play the game without being on the internet. Edited November 12, 2011 by Evessa

[moarx]

You should only need an internet connection for the initial activation/setting up offline mode, after that's done you should be able to run it without an internet connection.

[zetenrisiel]

I have to say I'm kinda pissed(sorry if that's a bad word here) that this is a thing now. I just picked up a copy and loaded it up only to read that I need a steam account. Fine, whatever, everyone and their brother wants you to have an account with them. What glazed my donuts is that I don't have the option of playing it on a computer without initial internet access. I got hooked on oblivion specifically for time when (like now) I cannot have internet access on my gaming PC. I looked online and it seems like everyone just accepts this as the way things are. I don't mind inputting a key-code and getting an activation code back and I appreciate all the benefits steam is offering, but I'm sitting here having just paid $60 for an admittedly sweet map and a shiny new coaster.

 

I mean, if you need internet access and a steam account to activate the game why go through the trouble of making a disc and selling it in stores? I'm sure I'm in the minority here and to be fair quite a bit of this is QQ, but It seems strange to me that I've never even heard of this whole online registering thing until after I bought and opened this game.

 

Sorry for hijacking your thread Evessa but it seemed a bit wasteful to post a new topic when we seem to be having the same issue, and better to fling my rage into the electronic abyss than give the poor kid at the gamestop an earful.

[Wertoret]

you don't need to have constant internet connection: just activate the game, then be sure to "remember my password on steam", turn off computer, disconnect from internet, start computer, then press on start on offline mode.

[OBtech]

You should only need an internet connection for the initial activation/setting up offline mode, after that's done you should be able to run it without an internet connection.

 

I agree with you 100%. I also don't have internet where I live, and as a result, it is very hard to be a PC Gamer. This is the first game I have bought since Dragon Age mainly due to my lack of internet. Fortunately, I was able to take my PC to a friend's house with internet to install Skyrim, but it was a huge hassle., and I will have to do so again to install updates. At least I can play the game without internet.

 

The game makers tell us this is to combat piracy, well Oblivion had NO copy protection and was a massive selling game. I have 4 store bought copies of the game in my house right now (3 PC copies and an Xbox copy plus 2 Shivering Isles and I am about to purchase Oblivion GOTY) and 4 copies of Morrowind ( 2 PC, 1 PC-GOTY and 1 Xbox) . I used to be a huge fan of Blizzard software, but I can no longer play the new games as they require an full time internet connection. No Diablo III for me.A fine thanks to someone who bought 2 copies of Diablo, 3 copies of Diablo II and 3 copies of the Diablo II Expansion.

[Raidernick]

There is actually a way to make the game perform better and solve your problem at the same time. If you extend the address space of tesv.exe to greater than 2gb(if you have more than 2gb of ram) it will no longer load in steam. You can just click the tesv.exe and the game runs without steam started plus you get the larger address space so it will lag/stutter less. Use cff explorer to change the address size in the file header. Just remember that everytime steam updates the game, it will redownload texv.exe and you will have to make the change again. Alternately you can just set the exe to run as administrator and it should run without steam.

 

 

WARNING: only do this fix on games that are not vac secured or you will get your account vac banned.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Toxic_Tripod0

[Tropxe]

The reason for selling it in stores is partly to raise awareness of the product and give it visibility, and to open it up to people that don't already have Steam, and also because if people have a monthly limit on their download cap, or an incredibly slow speed, they won't want to download something that's over 5GB. I know this is an annoying thing to say since it doesn't really help things, but I don't think I've been on a PC that isn't connected to the internet in about 10 years or more.

[theuseless]

Steam is a completely different company than Bethesda. What this means is that you don't own your software. In other words you can't sell it on an after market. Only the original purchaser of the game can play it. If you buy this game in a pawn shop 2 years from now, you won't get it. The company (or companies in this case) retain the resale distribution rights, not the consumer. While I agree that pirating games cheats the programmers, I think that people smarter than I am can come up with a better solution.

 

Copy-write laws are getting tricky these days. You can completely wipe your drive and re-install programs (or even delete or lock the file which tells the computer how long it has been since you downloaded said file). I would suggest making each disk have a unique activation code. Each disk could be printed with a unique bit of code which corresponds to said acrivation code. Then the disk has to be matched to the code, only available online or by phone. If too many people request the code, you could then argue piracy.

 

I got taken twice because of bethesda company before. My roomate allowed some homeless people to stay over at my house. Cool, whatever. I then found they were playing on my computer (in the living room) and downloaded fo3. I got the letter in the mail saying my ip had been tracked. I paid in full for the game with a credit card. When my game didn't show in the mail (after trying to make it right for something I didn't do), I complained. They said they shipped the game and weren't responsible for my loss. I hate random homeless people now. Thanks homeless and thanks bethesda. You both ripped me off.

 

theuseless

 

-edit-

I completely removed the game from my computer after finding the piracy. I don't condone or support such rip off tactics. People spend a lot of time making these games, from textures to the actual engine. I thank all the programmers and artists working on such projects. It sucks that it has to come down to an argument such as this.

Edited November 16, 2011 by theuseless

[theuseless]

All things I said aside, Steam activation is a small price to pay for play. I support bethesda in their anti-piracy actions. Not as a capitolist, but as an artist.

[Wyrdfire]

All things I said aside, Steam activation is a small price to pay for play. I support bethesda in their anti-piracy actions. Not as a capitolist, but as an artist.

 

When Steam works it may be seen as a small price to pay. For me it didn't (details here) and I wasted hours to make Skyrim run. In my opinion those who say that Steam is harmless and unobtrusive have the video game equivalent of Stockholm syndrome, but to each his own I guess.