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Can you explain the "no backups" part? I'm sure you know about the backups you can create in Steam itself, bundling the application. What is the missing detail?

Can you explain the "no backups" part? I'm sure you know about the backups you can create in Steam itself, bundling the application. What is the missing detail? Being unable to extract the data again, without Steam? Is Steam unable to restore these bundles in offline mode?

crowleysimon 13y ago
Correct. You can backup a game when offline, but steam wont allow you to restore one without being logged in.
ekianjo 13y ago
Steam will require you to be connected to their servers once in a while at least. There's no pure offline mode.
- gcb0 13y ago
  steam is just like any other drm system for your games. it phone home and prevents you from playing without a connection to the mothership. they just have saner fallback times than other ill talked solutions from EA. but besides its pretty eyes, its the same virus. good luck running online games as root.
  - jeena 13y ago
    I once bought and downloaded SuperHexagon on Steam but didn't have the time to test it at home. Later on the train (I'm commuting for two hours a day) I wanted to test it. Sadly I wasn't allowed without a internet connection which was really annoying.
    - jamesgeck0 13y ago
      Sometimes the game executable doesn't actually require you to be online the first time you launch it, even though Steam does. If you launch the binary from Windows explorer, there's a chance it'll work.
- Svip 13y ago
  Only for games that require Steam. A game bought through Steam does not necessarily require Steam. Europa Universalis III can be run without Steam running. Europa Universalis IV only requires Steam to be run once (and once for every DLC you buy, in order to activate it). These settings are up to the game developer themselves. You are right about the offline mode, but it does not apply to all games.
  - shmerl 13y ago
    Running the game and installing it aren't the same thing. Some Steam can can be probably trivially copied (the game directory), and are backup-able that way, but you never know which ones, and which require more steps for installation. Steam also doesn't mark any such details on the games before you buy them.

crowleysimon 13y ago

Correct. You can backup a game when offline, but steam wont allow you to restore one without being logged in.

ekianjo 13y ago

Steam will require you to be connected to their servers once in a while at least. There's no pure offline mode.

gcb0 13y ago
steam is just like any other drm system for your games. it phone home and prevents you from playing without a connection to the mothership. they just have saner fallback times than other ill talked solutions from EA. but besides its pretty eyes, its the same virus. good luck running online games as root.
- jeena 13y ago
  I once bought and downloaded SuperHexagon on Steam but didn't have the time to test it at home. Later on the train (I'm commuting for two hours a day) I wanted to test it. Sadly I wasn't allowed without a internet connection which was really annoying.
  - jamesgeck0 13y ago
    Sometimes the game executable doesn't actually require you to be online the first time you launch it, even though Steam does. If you launch the binary from Windows explorer, there's a chance it'll work.
Svip 13y ago
Only for games that require Steam. A game bought through Steam does not necessarily require Steam. Europa Universalis III can be run without Steam running. Europa Universalis IV only requires Steam to be run once (and once for every DLC you buy, in order to activate it). These settings are up to the game developer themselves. You are right about the offline mode, but it does not apply to all games.
- shmerl 13y ago
  Running the game and installing it aren't the same thing. Some Steam can can be probably trivially copied (the game directory), and are backup-able that way, but you never know which ones, and which require more steps for installation. Steam also doesn't mark any such details on the games before you buy them.