SOLUTIONS:
1. Before Steam servers get the chance to mess things up, set the steam application in off-line mode. Wont work if you try after the problem initiated.
2. Use Fallout ModManager! For me this is the best method. Install it and avoid using steam altogether! No online problems for your off-line game, plus it makes it easy to use mods



OLD POST:
So I've been able to play for 5hours total.
I did not know it was a steam game I bought; shouldn't matter, lots of people use steam.
So now I get the dreaded Steam servers are too busy to handle my request to start the game.

I've done some of the voodoo suggested here and on the steam site.
Re-installing wont be done from steam - unavailable.
Will do a DVD re-install tomorrow if it still does not work.

QUESTION:
1. How often does this happen to users of New Vegas?
2. I've only owned the game for two days, can I take it back or is it too late now that I've registered it at Steam?

I had allot of fun when I could play it. Was playing on hardcoe which is my usual style, I mod it in usually.

QUESTION:
Is the game available without involving Steam?

Thanks for your time
Robin

When I first started with Steam (shortly before FONV was released) I had problems connecting several times and it turned out to be a problem on my end - if my wife was doing something internet heavy like Netflix it would sometimes have trouble, if no one was doing something on-line I never had a problem. Perhaps this is affecting you as well?

I've had the same issue for the past hour now. My game was freezing frequently for no reason and then suddenly Steam wouldn't let me launch it, claiming their bloody servers were too busy. I renamed the clientregistry, deleted all mods and validated the cache, restarted my PC, still got the error. I then went into offline mode to try and start the game, only for Steam to tell me "this operation cannot be completed in offline mode" or something similar. I then uninstalled and tried to install again using a backup, only for Steam to shoot out that their servers are too busy to even reinstall the damn game. Why in the hell would Steam servers even be involved in this? Its frustrating to high hell.

Ah well; I've been fighting the game and servers for two hours. Now I am too tired to play anyway, and angry too boot.
I'll see if it will work in the morning, maybe steam needs sleep just like me.

I appreciate the posts folks, makes me feel less lonely in the steam cloud.

Cheers!

Its afternoon for me, so I have the whole evening to grumble about it.

Something is wrong at Steam. I get the same servers too busy message and can"t play

I am also having this problem with New Vegas. In Online mode it says the servers are too busy, in offline mode it says, "this operation cannot be completed in offline mode".

Same problem here. Steam might just be too busy -- but that New Vegas is impossible to play when Steam is having an issue, is still New Vegas' problem. At least some other games are working, but it's frustrating that I can't play the game that I want to play right now.

I'm assuming, like most modern game problems, it's a symptom of DRM. I don't know what kind of protection New Vegas uses, but there's no real reason it would need to check with Steam before running seeing as I've had it installed and working for weeks already, so it must be making sure I didn't somehow magically cease to own a license for the software I purchased weeks ago and isn't letting me play without checking in.

Registered here because this problem has made me so mad.

I have had this game installed and been playing it for some time. Why does it need to go online to start the game?
I thought online was only required for activation!

I've played FONV for many hours over the past few weeks and never had this problem. So the problem must be at Steam. I agree offline play should be allowed. I paid for the game.

Pro-tip. You don't have to be online to play the game. Ive been playing it in offline mode all day.

Tried that. Get "this operation cannot be completed when steam is in offline" mode error.

Just now it is saying that the game is unavailable offline, and when in online mode it says the servers are too busy.

Only way to launch game I have found is through Fallout Mod Manager.

That's why you've escaped this problem. Something happened in the last couple of hours for people who had steam in online mode. Now we can't start the game on or off.

In online mode it tells me that servers are busy and in offline mode it tells me I need to be online.

Sorry, cross-post.

I am glad I am not the only one with this problem. I was able to play NV earlier for hours straight with no problems, but now the game will not launch, it just gives me "server is too busy" message. Also, I cannot start offline for some stupid reason even though I was able to play offline before

I think because you had Steam online when this problem arose you can't now go offline to fix it. If you had Steam in offline mode like Somtaaw has you'd be ok. From now on I will configure Steam to start in offline mode and I'll keep it that way unless I know an update is coming.

thanks Rhomphaia. FOMM worked for me too

I had to update Windows recently as well. I was playing it last night, so I doubt it is a bandwidth issue but maybe Steam is behind the times with a new Windows NET update. I am trying to play as well, but since I can't, I decided to register here and join the chorus of others who can't play. Maybe this is a way for Steam to generate membership for its forums "Hey, lets take out FOLV for an evening and bump up our registered users numbers in time for the yearly reports!".

My guess is that it is a DRM issue and a .NET issue, the two are not playing nice and Steam will have to update soon. Any other guesses?

.net wouldn't interfere with steamworks if it did ALL steam games wouldn't work.

I wouldn't be surprised if New Vegas got a broken patch or somehting.

.net wouldn't interfere with steamworks if it did ALL steam games wouldn't work.

I wouldn't be surprised if New Vegas got a broken patch or something.
[/quote]


Concur, my other ones work so, it is back to the broken patch.

FOMM is working for me too, so going to use that instead. Hopefully they (steam) will fix the issues with the latest patch.

Fallout Mod Manager is available at Nexus. To find it simply search for "fallout Mod Manager New Vegas" and look for the link to the newveagsnexus site. .

the only other possible thing i could think of is that with the MASSIVE flood of people into TF2 not that it went free some server pooped out, but then again all steam games should be down in that case.

I've successfully launched the game with fallout mod manager both online and offline. :celebration:

Working OK for me now

Online mode is working for me now.

SOLUTIONS:

1. Keep Steam in off-line mode all the time so it does not get stuck for off-line games.
2. Install FOMM (fallout modmanager).

I am going to use the modmanager method, seems like the smartest move to me.

Thank you all, the solutions where provided and I hope a moderator will put it in the sticky with the Steam problem that using FOMM will circumvent the internet or server issue.

Cheers!