Quick Question regarding Empire: Total War and STEAM

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

So I've just pre-ordered the special forces edition as a disk from GAME (a games store in the UK)and I was wondering, if I install this game on a different HDD from the HDD STEAM is on along with all my other Steam games will I be able to play it one Steam and will Steam know to download any patches etc to the right Hard drive?

I hope this makes sense.

 

[bue519]

I don't think you can unless you buy the Steam version on the game. The disk version and steam version are two different sets of the game.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

I don't think you can unless you buy the Steam version on the game. The disk version and steam version are two different sets of the game.

I was looking at the website and I got the impression you register with Steam

Just found this:

"Steam activates and launches your copy of Empire: Total War?. If you don?t already have Steam installed, everything you need to play will be included on the Empire: Total War? disc and will be installed as part of the standard, step-by-step, installation procedure."

On the Total War website

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

but you can put steam on both HDD's so I think you are fine.

 

[sgtshock]

I've been wanting to know this too. The drive Steam is on is full to bursting, and there's no way I could fit a 15gb game on it. Can you even play multiplayer at all without it being on Steam?
EDIT:

but you can put steam on both HDD's so I think you are fine.

Really? I never thought of that.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

but you can put steam on both HDD's so I think you are fine.

I see, this may be helpful.

 

[oliveira8]

Unless you download the game from Steam you can install the game in another drive and he will get updated automaticaly and have all the steam options so no worrie.

I dont know if you can do the same for games you download directly from steam tho. Going to check later.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

Unless you download the game from Steam you can install the game in another drive and he will get updated automaticaly and have all the steam options so no worrie.

I dont know if you can do the same for games you download directly from steam tho. Going to check later.

I don't think you can, which is kind of stupid but hey.

 

[oliveira8]

Unless you download the game from Steam you can install the game in another drive and he will get updated automaticaly and have all the steam options so no worrie.

I dont know if you can do the same for games you download directly from steam tho. Going to check later.

I don't think you can, which is kind of stupid but hey.

If the games you downloaded are not Scource games(wich all use the same HL2 folder to run the engine) you can take the paste of the game and put it somewhere else and Steam will still run it. At least is working for my Empire:Total War demo.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

If the games you downloaded are not Scource games(wich all use the same HL2 folder to run the engine) you can take the paste of the game and put it somewhere else and Steam will still run it. At least is working for my Empire:Total War demo.

I pasted TF2 to a different HDD once and it worked fine but then it had to update and STEAM got all confused and I had to re-install the game.

 

[oliveira8]

If the games you downloaded are not Scource games(wich all use the same HL2 folder to run the engine) you can take the paste of the game and put it somewhere else and Steam will still run it. At least is working for my Empire:Total War demo.

I pasted TF2 to a different HDD once and it worked fine but then it had to update and STEAM got all confused and I had to re-install the game.

Well that makes sense I guess. Steam installs the game in a folder, and when he wants to update the said game and finds out the game is not there, he gets confused. Poor Steam.

Also I just made Steam a person...

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

but you can put steam on both HDD's so I think you are fine.

I just tried doing this after receiving the game, and it refuses to work. Have you been able to do this yourself?

 

[pionk.cx.s]

-I pre ordered etw and upon recieving it attempted to install. Despite tons of trouble with the installation, I managed to install it by using the following instructions..

1.First of all make sure you are connected to the internet.
2. Insert DVD 1 into your drive, it will either automatically run the DVD or you will have to do it manually dependant on what your system setup is.
3. The first program to install itself on your system will be the much needed STEAM which allows you to get important game updates and access the multiplayer functions (but also is the major problem when trying to install the game from the DVD?s) and is needed to run the game in offline mode as well.
4. Once this has installed, choose a username and password and enter your email address, once this process is done you should be able to access the STEAM control panel. Left click Games on the title menu at the top, left click Activate a product on steam, now enter the code which is on the back of the game manual this will activate the game, for people who have special forces codes do not enter that code here. May not need to do this bit as it asks for your serial number in the registration process.

Edit: Some people were confused what i meant by the STEAM control panel, its what appears whenever your run the STEAM program which was installed on your computer.
5. Now the Empire: Total War game will appear under the My Games tab, it may or may not of started to download the game off the Steam server, if it is downloading click the stop download then close the STEAM program completely (Left click File then Exit)
6. Now create a shortcut on your desktop by right mouse click>>>new>>>shortcut, now a box will appear for you to enter some text.
7. Copy and paste the following into the box:
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install e:
press next, name the shortcut press ok.
(please note the e: should be the drive letter of where your installation dvd is inserted, this is dependant on how your system is set up)
For example if your DVD drive is d, then the only amendment to the above code would be:
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install d:
Edit: People were having problems with the copy and paste of ?C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe? -install e: getting file not found errors when trying to create the shortcut, it was how the text on this page was formatted which was affecting the copy and paste, i have corrected it now sorry about that.
8. Double Click the shortcut you just created and the STEAM program will appear and indicate that the game is being installed from DVD 1, after everything is installed from DVD 1 you will be asked to insert DVD 2, do this then press ok to continue the install.
The installation process from the DVD?s should take between 40 minutes and 60 minutes dependant on your system speed.
Edit: Reports say for some people the DVD install can take over 2 hours, 15 gigabytes is a massive amount of data to install!!!
9. Once installation has completed steam will download a patch for the game which may take a further two hours dependant on internet connection speed and also how busy the STEAM server is, once everything is downloaded a box will appear and you will see a tick box to run the game, run the game to make sure everything is installed ok and running.
Edit: Steam have just released the first Empire: Total War game patch, and also an update to the STEAM program itself, so i suspect that these will automatically download via STEAM and the download will take much longer than usually, especially so if you are using a slow internet connection.
10. Exit the game and run the STEAM program again, once the STEAM control panel appears click the My games tab, you should now see the Empire: Total War with the 100%-Ready next to it.

11. Now right mouse click on Empire: Total War a submenu will appear left click on Create desktop shortcut, this will create a nice little shortcut for the game on your desktop.
12. The next step is for people who wish to play the single player game without being connected to the internet, for online multi-player just double-click the Empire:Total War shortcut you just created.
13. Make sure you are not connected to the internet, double-click the Empire: Total War shortcut you just created a Connection Error box will appear from the STEAM program, you will see a choice box ?Start in Offline Mode? click this and now the game will start without you having to be connected to the internet, so you can enjoy the single player mode.

-Having successfully installed the game I went on to enjoy hours of great gaming. However, when I later attempted to update my game, the only way I could find to do it was to uninstall and reinstall the game. I attempted to do so by using these instructions.
1. Make sure you are connected to the internet.
2. Uninstall STEAM and Empire: Total War from within the control panel and the add/remove program menu in Windows. Usually START>>>Control Panel>>>Add/Remove Programs.
3. Insert DVD1, the game dvd will either autorun or you will have to do it manually, the STEAM program will now prepare to install and updates to the STEAM program will automatically start to download from the internet this will take anything from 15minute to 2hours to complete dependant on internet connection speed.
4.Once the STEAM program is installed a box will appear asking whether you want to create a new STEAM account or use an existing account. You need to choose the existing account options, enter your username and password.
5.Now the installation will start from DVD1 this will take anywhere between 45minutes and 3hours to complete 11GB will be installed, then you will be asked to insert DVD2 to complete the last 3GB of installation which may take another 5 mins to 30 minutes.
6.Once the game has installed a box will appear asking if you want to run the game, run the game then another box will appear saying the game is about to run.
7. After a minute or so, another box will appear indicated that the game will start in xx amount of minutes due to it having to install the recent Empire: Total War Patch, this download will take anything from 15 minutes to 2 hours dependant on internet connection speed and STEAM server not being busy.
8. Once the patch has been installed, a selection box will appear ?Play Game?, click this and your game should now run and be available for you to play.
GOOD LUCK

-However, when I reached four, the game asked for my CD kay, and after entering it said that it had already been used, which it had when I installed the first time on this computer, and would not install. I am about ready to just throw out this game and wait for the next tw to be released. If anyone can figure out how to get around these problems and get this game installed and working, please leave a response. Thanks.

-Aries