Getting Steamed

[Luddite]

Can anyone tell me if there is a way of getting Steam activation for an installation on a machine not internet connected?

Connection, even temporary, for my games machine is not an option. My internet access is through a work machine where I lack permission for installing programs.

Without a work round I think this is going to be the end of a long and beautifully blood thirsty relationship with the total war series.

[Sir Beane]

As far as I know there is absolutely no legal way of activating a Steam game without an internet connection.

[Luddite]

Thanks Sir Beane, what I thought no other options.

One other question if I installed the game on a third party machine with an active connection getting the activation code from steam. Then copied the installed files to my machine and edited the registry settings to account for the activation (I assume the activation is stored somewhere there), and then deleted the installation from the third party machine to avoid a requirement to buy the game twice, would such an approach:

1. be legal (most important!);
2. be technically possible;
3. and would any further connection be required if not re-installing and only playing sp off-line?

Any advice appreciated.

[Monk]

Ask a buddy to use his comp. Boot up steam and put Empire Total war on your steam account. Click on the games tab and go to the "activate product with steam" option, you'll need Online mode to do this but I don't think you need to install anything, just punch in a CD key. After the verification process, head on home.

At home, put steam in "offline" mode and log in. You will be on your steam account, but not on the net. In this way you will have access to all your steam games but still not net connected. Does this help?

This is all based on the belief that Empire does not need constant net connection, and only needs that first verification mind you. However if that is the case then this should work. Steam doesn't tie games to your comp, it ties them to your account. Therefore as long as you can log into your account, online or offline, you should have access to your games.

edit: I've clarified the first step a bit.

Oh and btw: Welcome to the .Org Luddite!

[Luddite]

Cheers Monk.

Never used Steam before so on a learning curve, but sounds like ETW might not be racked up as a recession saving after all.

[Sir Beane]

I can't believe I didn't think of Monk's solution! I was just assuming that Empire would require being constantly connected to the internet, but I realise that hasn't been mentioned anywhere just yet.

It's great you may actually be able to play the game Luddite!

[Husar]

Can't you just connect your computer to a router/modem just once, get on the internet, activate it and then disconnect it again?

That way it's completely legal and easy as long as you know how to connect a computer to the internet. If you don't have a router at home yet, it's about time to get one anyway.

[Monk]

I was curious so I lurked around the net a little. If you choose the route i suggested you'll need a file that is placed on whatever machine you use Steam to activate your game with. It's called "ClientRegistry.blob". You'll need to move this file from that machine back to your home one, assuming that you have zero net back at your house this might prove a problem.

If you had some kind of net there I'd suggest just emailing the file to yourself as it's under 1 mb. Alternatives to email is the use of a floppy disk (if your comp has one, mine doesn't ), burn the file to a disk, or use a flash drive. Flash drives are pretty cheap, I have one for all my papers. I got it for like $12 US iirc.

If you're into some manual labor you could just move your machine to an internet source, a buddy who is into gaming would likely understand your dilemma.

[pevergreen]

Monk's method is the best.

I got it for like $12 US iirc.

They sell 1gig USB sticks for $4 AUS. Thats like $2.50 USD.

[SirRethcir]

Ask a buddy to use his comp. Boot up steam and put Empire Total war on your steam account. Click on the games tab and go to the "activate product with steam" option, you'll need Online mode to do this but I don't think you need to install anything, just punch in a CD key. After the verification process, head on home.

At home, put steam in "offline" mode and log in. You will be on your steam account, but not on the net. In this way you will have access to all your steam games but still not net connected. Does this help?

This is all based on the belief that Empire does not need constant net connection, and only needs that first verification mind you. However if that is the case then this should work. Steam doesn't tie games to your comp, it ties them to your account. Therefore as long as you can log into your account, online or offline, you should have access to your games.

Pirates are welcome!

Seriously, I don't think that's possible. Otherwise CA/SEGA can drop the online activation altogether.

[Luddite]

Thanks for the up-date Monk. I have domestic connection so that at least is one less problem (just can't link the pc I use for games to the net for work reasons, just not worth the risk).

From looking up Steam authentication before posting I had basically give up on the idea of getting this title as I couldn't see a way round the connection issue.

Best news is I can now risk pre-ordering a whiff of grape shot for March.

[Monk]

Pirates are welcome!

Seriously, I don't think that's possible. Otherwise CA/SEGA can drop the online activation altogether.

How is it pirating? He's buying the game and obtaining a CD key. That is the entire point of the CD key activation, to tie the key to THAT steam account so it cannot be used on another.

[SirRethcir]

How is it pirating? He's buying the game and obtaining a CD key. That is the entire point of the CD key activation, to tie the key to THAT steam account so it cannot be used on another.

Ok, one buys ETW, activates it through Steam, copies the said files and bundles them with a copy of ETW to give away to other people. Millions of software pirates are happy, indeed.

If that's the way it works, why do I have to activate ETW online during installation?
It serves no purpose.
Wouldn't it be the same to register ETW when I would like to play online, except that an annoyance for the honest customer would be missing?

[Luddite]

If I don't copy the game and pass around then should be ok from piracy (part of the risk of installing on a third party machine, which is why I'll try this on my mother-in-laws pc, don't think she shares my meglomaniac dreams of global domination and can be confident that the copy will be deleted).

I hope, given all the trouble of authenticating and linking the cd to my account, if I handed it around (or someone else got hold of it) to people with active connections (someone is bound to) that it wouldn't work. Wouldn't CA / SEGA / Steam be able to track the activity and generally suspend my account and land me with a bunch of legel problems I can do without?

[Monk]

Ok, one buys ETW, activates it through Steam, copies the said files and bundles them with a copy of ETW to give away to other people. Millions of software pirates are happy, indeed.

If that's the way it works, why do I have to activate ETW online during installation?
It serves no purpose.
Wouldn't it be the same to register ETW when I would like to play online, except that an annoyance for the honest customer would be missing?

The CD key would still be tied to that one steam account, which if Steam discovered was being used to pirate and distribute the game they would ban it pretty quick. Steam is pretty diligent about banning CD keys that are compromised.

[SirRethcir]

The CD key would still be tied to that one steam account, which if Steam discovered was being used to pirate and distribute the game they would ban it pretty quick. Steam is pretty diligent about banning CD keys that are compromised.

But an infinite number of 'pirates' can play ETW offline, so the whole "online activation on install" is useless. Furthermore it prevents possible customer from purchasing ETW. (e.g. me)

[Polemists]

But an infinite number of 'pirates' can play ETW offline, so the whole "online activation on install" is useless. Furthermore it prevents possible customer from purchasing ETW. (e.g. me)

Online activation always works this way whether through DRM or Steam. Game companies cannot require you to have a constant internet connection for a non internet game. E.G. Not a MMO. Since a small percentage of consumers for said game dont' have a solid internet connection. So all they can require is that you log on, type in the key online and activate it.

In essence this is no different then when you type in the key normally, except that that database is taking down your account name.

Usually once you activate it, it's then stored. Saying Client A, activated Copy A. Even if Client B tries to play it, the system says, it's already activated, so client B still needs his own key.

Though they do have key generators online somewhere for certain games. It's a number code after all.

[pevergreen]

You can not stop piracy, you can just make a game that great that everyone wants to buy it anyway!

[Haxorsist]

Ask a buddy to use his comp. Boot up steam and put Empire Total war on your steam account. Click on the games tab and go to the "activate product with steam" option, you'll need Online mode to do this but I don't think you need to install anything, just punch in a CD key. After the verification process, head on home.

At home, put steam in "offline" mode and log in. You will be on your steam account, but not on the net. In this way you will have access to all your steam games but still not net connected. Does this help?

This is all based on the belief that Empire does not need constant net connection, and only needs that first verification mind you. However if that is the case then this should work. Steam doesn't tie games to your comp, it ties them to your account. Therefore as long as you can log into your account, online or offline, you should have access to your games.

edit: I've clarified the first step a bit.

Oh and btw: Welcome to the .Org Luddite!

I think he would have to connect to the internet once he's home anyway. If not, how would Steam know that he had validated the game on another PC if he never connects to the internet on his own PC? His Steam account on his own PC wouldn't be updated.

[Polemists]

Usually the internet activation creates a program file, let's call it X.

So when you activate it under Client name A you now have file XA. Now, you do not need to activate everytime you log in to play the game, you only need to do it once, during installation.

So you put file XA on a cd or floppy, put it in the proper folder, then when you get home and you install it does a check offline. Does the folder for X have a file for account A, it dosn't need to go online, only see that a file was created (which previously had to be done online). Then it says okay, you install, you play.


Only the installation requires you to get online once, there's no need to keep getting on. It was the same thing for spore, lots of people put the file on a cd/dvd, on comp, then activated installed and played.