Steam

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PIP_36

PIP_36

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PIP_36
Note: Hi Mods, wasn't sure where this should go, please gently move this thread if there is somewhere else it should be!

Hi all

Been a long time PS3 sim racer and now I'm looking to leave the console sim racing world behind and take the plunge into PC sim racing.

Been trying to justify to myself the expense of a half decent PC and (eventual) triple screen set up but I think I have managed to convince myself!

Anyway, I have been looking at Steam and have a few questions if I may...

  • Is steam basically just like the PSN for PC games and gamers?
  • If I buy a game from Steam, can the game be launched independent of Steam or do you have to log into Steam and launch from there?
  • After looking at the Steam site, I can see that once you have a few friends on the network you can challenge them to online races and compare stats etc, can this only be done from games bought from Steam? Or can I use a game bought on disc and use that version to play on my steam account and still enjoy the multiplayer features?
  • Are games generally the same price on Steam as say Amazon or Play.com?
  • Once a friend is added on Steam, is that friend tied to your Steam account or to an individual game only?

Many thanks in advance to anybody that takes the time to answer my questions, hoping to have a PC up and running by the release of pCars (which is the time I would have bought a PS4) and of course, will be looking into iracing!

Regards

P36
 
If I can answer quickly:

Yes.
Yes, but I don't think the online MP will work without being signed into the Steam lobby system (ie, log into Steam).
No, Steam has a seperate overlay and stat layer, so it won't work with Origin games either. It's a bit like trying to compare games on PSN and XBL; unless the game has a seperate website to upload stats to (like GTA V), it's a non-starer.
Generally cheaper than Amazon or Play, especially during the sales; there are some real bargains to had if you can keep an eye out. I have a feeling the Euro Truck Simulator 2 is going to be in the next Steam sale, so keep an eye out for that one.
Steam account, like PSN and XBL. You can also see what games they have/play, so you can chat to them about their collection, RTC text.
 
PIP_36
1. Is steam basically just like the PSN for PC games and gamers?

2. If I buy a game from Steam, can the game be launched independent of Steam or do you have to log into Steam and launch from there?

3. After looking at the Steam site, I can see that once you have a few friends on the network you can challenge them to online races and compare stats etc, can this only be done from games bought from Steam? Or can I use a game bought on disc and use that version to play on my steam account and still enjoy the multiplayer features?

4. Are games generally the same price on Steam as say Amazon or Play.com?

5. Once a friend is added on Steam, is that friend tied to your Steam account or to an individual game only?
Click to expand...

1. Yes, and a bit more on top. Steam is a storefront, DRM platform, game launcher/updater, screenshot manager, social network and more. It's more accurate to say that Steam acts like an entire console rather than just PSN.

2. It varies. Some games can, most can't. It's generally said that yes, you must log in, but there is an offline mode if you're worried about requiring a constant internet connection.

3. That's a Steamworks thing, I believe. Some games will allow you to join a friend's game from inside Steam itself, but even if a game doesn't use that feature there are other options; some games have in-game friend lists, for example, but if nothing else your friend can send you their IP address (or that of the server they're on) via Steam's chat, for example. I played some Descent 2 co-op last week that way. As for comparing stats, that depends on the game; Grid 2 shows you your times compared to people on your friends list, but, for example, Killing Floor doesn't show you your kills vs. your friends as a globally tracked statistic. If you're in a server with them it'll show your scores on a scoreboard though.

4. Consult isthereanydeal.com for prices if you're unsure where to get the best price, or even Enhanced Steam (a browser plugin) will show you better prices and whether or not a game is in a bundle from somewhere else. Generally speaking Steam is a little more expensive than other options until there's a sale, but even in sale periods there are often other outlets undercutting their prices; Amazon US is often the cheapest, Green Man Gaming are quite good too, and they usually sell Steam keys for things. Oh yeah, that's a thing; some games are available as Steam keys from elsewhere so they work exactly as if you'd bought them on Steam directly, others are not Steam keys so you can't benefit from auto-updates and friends lists, that sort of thing.

5. Add a friend to your Steam account and they're tied to your account, the same as PSN. Some games have separate friends lists though so if you add them there they won't be on Steam and vice versa. I can't think of any examples of that though, but they do exist.

You can also add non-Steam games to your library as shortcuts, sometimes that then allows you to use the Steam overlay to chat with people which helps to co-ordinate things like server hopping.
 
Many thanks for the replies gents and taking the time to explain.

Looks to me that Steam has a lot of 'pros' with little to no 'cons'!

Looking forward to joining the PC sim racing world soon...will be a bit of a learning curve for me!

Thanks again guys.
 
As for the cons, when it was introduced, a lot of people didn't like the way it ate up a lot of processor cycles being sat in the background, nor did they like the DRM method. However (with the advent of faster processors), we have got used to it, and it's ignored now.

Also, look out SteamOS coming soon, it's going to be a much faster platform for playing games, with smaller overheads and running on OpenGL, we should see master faster and more detailed games.
 
I couldn't live without Steam. But do also note that not every game goes to Steam, EA have Origin for example.
 
Handy tip for steam users, if the small font size of the interface is also hurting your eyes sitting on the couch, you can download the file in the following post, unzip and extract it in your steam/skins folder, et voila; you don't have to screw up your eyesight anymore:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/916373-pc/69857972

Works like a charm and doesn't change nothing apart from the font size 👍
 
mister dog
Handy tip for steam users, if the small font size of the interface is also hurting your eyes sitting on the couch, you can download the file in the following post, unzip and extract it in your steam/skins folder, et voila; you don't have to screw up your eyesight anymore:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/916373-pc/69857972

Works like a charm and doesn't change nothing apart from the font size 👍
Click to expand...
Works but as usual, the original author left out some steps for pc dummies like me:dunce:. You unzip the "Big Skins" folder and drop it into Steam>skins on your pc. You have to then go to Steam and go to Views>settings>interface>select skin>ok>reboot...then it works.

Thanks for the tip:tup:👍
 
I simply use the UI scaling feature in Windows 8.1, works great with Steam as well as other software. And there's Steam Big Picture of course (though I don't particularly like that UI).
 
Johnnypenso
Works but as usual, the original author left out some steps for pc dummies like me:dunce:. You unzip the "Big Skins" folder and drop it into Steam>skins on your pc. You have to then go to Steam and go to Views>settings>interface>select skin>ok>reboot...then it works.

Thanks for the tip:tup:👍
Click to expand...
Seems i was suffering from a placebo effect then :lol:
I also found that in the top right you can choose a different grid view and one has a zoom function.
 
PIP_36
Note: Hi Mods, wasn't sure where this should go, please gently move this thread if there is somewhere else it should be!

Hi all

Been a long time PS3 sim racer and now I'm looking to leave the console sim racing world behind and take the plunge into PC sim racing.

Been trying to justify to myself the expense of a half decent PC and (eventual) triple screen set up but I think I have managed to convince myself!

Anyway, I have been looking at Steam and have a few questions if I may...

  • Is steam basically just like the PSN for PC games and gamers?
  • If I buy a game from Steam, can the game be launched independent of Steam or do you have to log into Steam and launch from there?
  • After looking at the Steam site, I can see that once you have a few friends on the network you can challenge them to online races and compare stats etc, can this only be done from games bought from Steam? Or can I use a game bought on disc and use that version to play on my steam account and still enjoy the multiplayer features?
  • Are games generally the same price on Steam as say Amazon or Play.com?
  • Once a friend is added on Steam, is that friend tied to your Steam account or to an individual game only?

Many thanks in advance to anybody that takes the time to answer my questions, hoping to have a PC up and running by the release of pCars (which is the time I would have bought a PS4) and of course, will be looking into iracing!

Regards

P36
Click to expand...
  • Yes
  • It goes into Steam automatically, and you are signed in automatically when you start up your PC
  • Steam games only but multiplayer will still work for disc versions.
  • Same price, not including the daily sales
  • Your whole account
 
So I got a problem..

Recently got a new laptop and trying to get my current Steam account up and running on it but it doesn't send the email with the verification code to either of my email address's, its making me starting to wonder if my account name is correct, I haven't been on steam for a while..

any advice welcome..
 
So I managed to get my account back but now a game wont load because it says servers are too busy, I have been on Steam Support and it said that disabling McAfee virus scanning helps and the game should start but I don't have McAfee so it doesn't scan, any advice??
 
MUSC4EVER
So I managed to get my account back but now a game wont load because it says servers are too busy, I have been on Steam Support and it said that disabling McAfee virus scanning helps and the game should start but I don't have McAfee so it doesn't scan, any advice??
Click to expand...
Try verifying the game's local files (rightclick, properties). Also, check whether your firewall/Windows Defender might be interfering. That might help.
 
I tried puting steam on a My Book Elite (portable hard drive) it worked for some time then I tried puting it on another computer and it new I wasn't using my computer so it didn't work then one day steam stuffed up the portable hard drive and I had to erase everything on it so the portable hard drive could work now steam doesn't work on my computer anymore.
 
My Firewall is off, still showing that message, I don't really have Steam up and running on my computer....its complicated to explain....
 


http://store.steampowered.com/app/353370/?cc=us

  • Dual trackpads
  • HD haptics
  • Analog stick
  • Dual-stage triggers, each with 10° of travel, a magnetic flux sensor, and a tactile switch
  • Gyroscope and accelerometer sensors enabling tilt-to-steer racing wheel functionality and other motion-controlled input
  • Configurable controls
  • Local multiplayer capability, as supported by games
  • Wired or wireless (dual mode)
  • USB 2.0 via Micro USB port (cable not included)
  • Estimated 5 meters of wireless communications range. Actual results may vary.
  • Provides up to 80 hours of standard game play using the included AA batteries during preliminary testing. Battery life will vary based on usage and other factors, such as type of batteries used. Actual results may vary.

  • In-box
  • Steam Controller
  • 2 AA batteries
  • USB wireless pairing dongle
 
I will be getting one of those for sure. BTW there is a program on Steam called Controller Companion that enables your Xbox360 controller to work like a KB+M. Pretty useful if you don’t want a wireless KB+M around you all the time.
 

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