I am wondering why the need for another program running, i.e. steam. It seems to be welded to Fallout New Vegas. I tried to uninstall steam and New Vegas went out with it. So I tried to reinstall FNV off my DVD I bought and it's downloading the whole program from the steam website instead of installing it off the DVD, at a measly 1Mbit/sec. I don't like programs that take over like a "unsolicited testamonial". Will FNV run by itself? Why won't my game load off the DVD?

You should be able to install it off the DVD without downloading it through Steam. I saw some people mentioning similar problems at release - I'm not sure what the fix is but if you do some searching in the PC issues forum hopefully you can find it.

Steam is used to authenticate the game. You can set Steam to offline mode and FONV will work fine - you do need it running but Steam won't be looking for updates or what not.

Steam : FNV :: GFWL : FO3

[but worse]

As with other games tied to Steam (ie FEAR2; Dawn of War II, Fallout3:NV) it uses the Steam client to patch the game automatically. If you bought a disc version of Fallout3:NV it will still load the Steam client and display a download-like interface, but its still installing from the disc. You can tell because the install/download rate is very fast compared to most Internet connections.

To make sure you are indeed installing from the disc, make sure you start the installation by double-clicking the executable on the disc. Do not load Steam first. If you don't have Steam installed prior to installing Fallout3:NV then it will automatically install that first.

OK, I bought the disc (54,95 €) and it still does not start to install from it. Installs Steam first (no way around it, as far as I can see) and then says an Internet connection is needed. Stops there (my gaming PC is not and will never be connected to any network but my own).

So : how do I really install it without Steam ?

Sorry, but you're NOT allowed to do that.

At least until Beth realizes that Steam isn't for everyone.

Oh I thought that you were simply hampered by a slow Internet connection. New Vegas requires Steam be active, it uses it for DRM. Now initally with all Steam DRM based games require that Steam check for patches for the first run through. After this check you may set Steam to Offline mode and play it without a connection.

This requirement should be stated on the box, so it warned you.

***

If you are adamant at not connecting your gaming PC to the Internet then you should attempt to return the game for a refund. Steam DRM requires Online activation for the first run. period.

Ok it beenawhile from the forums and such and just noticed new vegas. I want to buy it and nearly did today, but didnt bc i not sure if the game needs the internet which i dont have at this second. And wont get the internet until next year at least. does fall out new vegas require the net? im not worried about patching as mentioned above right now but just want to play the game with out the net right now..... (using a friends internet right now if your wondering lol )

If you have the DVD trying installing it by running the setup.exe on the DVD. Hopefully that will force it to install off the DVD instead of trying to do a download from Steam (I read that someone else was able to do this).

You will still have to register your game code with Steam because that is the DRM Bethesda chose this time instead of GFWL, but if you bought the DVD you shouldn't have to actually download the entire game.

I bought the DVD and installed from DVD. The only thing I used Steam for was registration and then (later) an automatic patch came out.

i don't get all the hate on Steam? if you are in any way serious about gaming you already have it and use it on the regular. Not only is it awesome for great deals on games, it cuts down on packaging waste, and keeps all of your game purchases cataloged for life. Also, as mentioned above, it keeps everything up to date.

I pretty much have it running 24-7, and honestly can't imagine PC gaming without it.

You may as well just get used to it because it's not gonna change. If you're worried about needing internet connections and/or Steam, go buy a ps3 or 360.

Steam itself isn't hated, just the forced usage of it is (via Steamworks) & there are reasons, (Slow connections, no connections, lack of real ownership even with a physical media, the way Steam patches even) & no not all "serious" gamers use it at least not yet

& how does steam cut down on the waste of a game on a disc?

I only use Steam for Modern Warfare 2. I have other games on steam as well but that is just because I was too lazy to go buy the disc, or was only offered through steam (Shattered Horizon, Alien Swarm, etc) And before you say I am not a gamer, I have over $1000 in hard copy games and I spent over $1200 on a computer to play said games on.

I prefer physical copies that I can install at any time, anywhere, without an internet connection if necessary.

I don't really get the whole complaining about Steam.

Ok if you want to install FONV without Steam downloading simply shut down Steam and put the bloody DVD in your PC....or just put Steam in offline mode.
These are things other people already suggested...read better please.

I used to hate Steam....but the last few years it's OK as far as I'm concerned.

When it comes to DRM and that kinda stuff Steam is the least annoying one. If you still Hate steam you can thank all those internet pirates.

And the least effective one as was shown shortly after release.

I don't think Steam is about controlling piracy,IMO it's about controlling the paying customer so they don't do insidious things like sell their PC games & play without Steam's approval.

Dinosaurs & retail boxed PC games
<---------------------- PAST

Steam & digital distribution
FUTURE ----------------------->

*deleted*

Doh, reading comprehension failure.

P.S.

Ok, I'll post this anyway for anyone without online connection and really wants this to work. (Does nothing for the install through Steam issue and needs a friend/family member with online capabilities.)


Install Steam/FNV on a friends/family members PC with internet.
Log into your account, verify the game and wait for the patches.
Now copy/paste the Steam folder, and the My Documents\My Games\FalloutNV folder to a disk/MEM stick (Deleting/Ignoring your friends account folder if he uses Steam. "Wherever"\Steam\steamapps\"Your friends account name".) and copy/paste that over top of your gaming rig install overwriting everything.

Now you should be able to put Steam in offline mode and be able to play your game.

Did you know that you cant turn off updates while running steam?
Even thou there is an option "Do not automatically update this game" it always resets to auto-update ... and why is that?
Steam support: If you restart steam, this will trigger the automatic updates, as starting steam is seen as a manual update itself.

...This doesnt make any sense, does it? And with all the problems steam caused me, where it wanted me to go online and disabled the offline mode, because of some updates or whatever, i cant really like it.
I mean: Fallout is an offline game. Singleplayer. No internet needed.
If they want to validate my copy of the game...fine, but to have an additional program (steam) always running in the backround :confused:

I personally like steam, much better than GFWL.

I've been with steam for years. And it fine but when this came out I didn't understand how they could go with steam and games for windows at the same time. When steam is a much better DLC provider then windows. I don't know if this could be the cause of our problems playing this game. But it surely looks like it can be.

best thing you can do with steam-crap is

1. activate the game
2. get a decent firewall
3. block steam forever

maybe sometime they will get it, that they are hurting the customer and not the pirates with this crap

everybody is complaining about steam, but no one mentioned GFWL with more than half a breath.

yes, GFWL grants access to DLC, if available, but you need to buy (with money) another currency (GFWL Points (which is money as well)).
and since the prices aren't always fitting the amount of points you can buy in a store, i was left with some small change of points i can't spend, because there isn't anything for the amount of points i still have for the games i own who need GFWL.

steam on the other hand supports creditcards, so you can pay with money from your bank account without being forced to do a monodirectional currency exchange.

besides, steam doesn't prevent you from messing with the memory of a game.
GFWL does!
try changing the amount of money you have with cheatengine or artmoney.
changing values in the memory of a game while GFWL is watching over it will simply crash the game.

but when i want to change some values in the memory of a game, let alone a single player game, i don't want some nany-program to screw this attempt up.



but before i end this post, GFWL has some similar issues like steam does.
i live in germany, and the law here about violence in video games is pretty strict. some ppl say it's at least as strict as in australia, if not even stricter.
since valve/steam is selling games all over the world and i guess is trying to keep it that way, they have to abide the laws of a lot of different countries. including germany.
thats why germans can't get a uncut version of L4D2. i heard it was not even possible to activate a version gifted from someone from america or some other country where that game would be uncut.

GFWL only allows you to download the version of DLC thats localized to your country. in my case, german.

but what is possible is, to buy the DLC from GFWL, download it via GFWL, download the english version through some different channels and switch the data.
GFWL doesn't check that and allows the use of the changed data.

since steam is pretty concerned about the well being of the data it's governing this doesn't work with steam.

so, there are upsides and downsides to all DRM methods.
and the only ppl that are suffering from it, are the customers.


just like with mass effect 2, where only pirates where able to play the game with all the pre-order DLCs available, since regular customers where only able to have ONE.


[edit]
yay
wall of text! =)

I don't understand why people complain about having to connect online period for game activation. Its pretty much been the norm for a while now. If you want to see some [censored] DRM go take a look at the last few ubisoft games which force you to have an always on internet connection. Steam by far is the most tame one out there. If you don't have the net at home go to somewhere that dose activate it and go home and put steam into off line mode and enjoy. Hell if your on the net in here [censored]ing you could have done this by now and be playing.

in addition to that, steam doesn't restrict you to "3 installs per key" or "installed on 2 computers at the same time".
if you have a game in your steam account and log onto that account on another computer, you can download and play any game on that computer.
the only restriction is, that you can only be logged into your steam account from a single machine at a time.
but since reality prevents you from being at more than one place at a time while all your vital organs are intact, functioning and inside your body, this shouldn't be too hard to understand why this restriction is active. =)

(do you still remember bioshock in the first few weeks after release?)

steam fails as DRM, isn't needed for auto patching, and doesn't stop or even hinder piracy. soo...what exactly is it good for? well, it keeps tabs on all steam users, has a huge database of user preferences, game preferences, games played, how many hours, purchasing habits by age/region/country, etc, etc, etc...all that = MONEY to the right people (ever heard of demographic data?) all free via all the steam users. how much money do you think they've made off you all you loyal steam fans?

that IS it's only real service...to itself.