Activation Issues with WSE and Steam

[JendrykGaming]

As you know probably Windyplains, for those of us who recently bought the game on Steam with the new serials, WSE no longer functions as the loader from the previous version requires authentication via keys that the new Steam versions do not issue.  This isn't the 5x5/4x4 problem- the Steam keys you get with a new purchase now are 4x4 but authentication still fails.  There's a thread about it over in the Tech Support forum which is mainly full of people who just bought the game and wanted to play Silverstag but couldn't because of issues with WSE and Steam. 

Thus far, numerous tickets have been submitted, with a few people being told it'd be addressed within a few days.  This didn't happen, and now the tickets aren't being answered at all. 

I'd really love to play your mod, it looks extremely cool and it's kinda agonizing to miss out because I bought a Steam version.  I was wondering if you had any ideas as to any sort of workaround for this... Anything, really.  I know WSE is no longer supported/in development but from what I gathered on the forums and your Nexus page, it shouldn't matter.  Have you heard anything from the devs on this?  I'd kill to try this out. 

 

[Hazzardevil]

Try downloading the non-steam version of Warband and putting in your Steam CD Key, I've got old versions of Warband installed for a handful of mods and my key works just fine.

 

[Windyplains]

Try downloading the non-steam version of Warband and putting in your Steam CD Key, I've got old versions of Warband installed for a handful of mods and my key works just fine.

That was true before.  What's happening for folks right now is that their steam key won't work on the non-steam version.

My understanding is that Taleworlds is aware of it and intends to fix it in the near future, but I don't know that I would expect it in a few days.  After speaking with a few folks I am planning what it would take to overhaul portions of Silverstag's code to allow it to run without WSE.  This would prevent it from crashing, but the features that are dependent upon WSE would be disabled.  Over time I could reintroduce non-WSE reliant versions of those features (like the autoloot system found in Floris or the older version of the tournament system before it became WSE dependent).  Doing so would take considerable time and testing though as Silverstag was built from scratch using WSE as part of its design.

 

[Windyplains]

The serial key activation needed to be changed with the latest version because we reached a point in shipping numbers where our game needed a new kind of key. Sorry for any confusion caused or issues you've had when you bought the game. WSE are developed completely independently of us and it is up to their developers, whether or not they want to extend compatibility to the latest version.

That's taken from the support thread today.  This is more of what I would expect and I can't disagree with them.  WSE is a third party application, though it should have been integrated into Warband's module system a long time ago.  That discussion was held internally at Taleworlds from what I am told and rejected as no further work on Warband was intended.

 

[D3monic]

Ok, I am a little confused. Who exactly is affected by this? All steam copy owners or just the ones who bought the game recently?

 

[McDili]

Ok, I am a little confused. Who exactly is affected by this? All steam copy owners or just the ones who bought the game recently?

Just ones who bought it recently from what I gather.

If I understand correctly, the 1.160 update came with a steam sale where the game was 75% off.

I was one of the ones who bought the game during that sale and I cannot use the Silverstag mod because of it.

I'm not sure how steam handles the serials... they issue you a serial but you're not prompted to enter one when you start the game. I've played multiplayer without ever being prompted.

However if I try to use WSELoader, it prompts me for a serial and the one steam issues us doesn't work... as posted in this thread from Windy, it's a different kind of key apparently.

IF Taleworlds came up with a fix, that'll be nice, but I'm not holding my breath. But I share the same sentiment with the OP, I'd kill to play this mod.

I hate that a non-WSE version would come up feature stripped, but it is what it is I suppose. Not much else can really be done since WSE development isn't ongoing anymore.

 

[Windyplains]

I think once Taleworlds understands that not being able to activate a copy while running WSE is a symptom and not the problem that they'll do what they can to fix the serial code issues.  From what CaptainLust said in the support thread it seemed to me that he was under the impression it was something specific with WSE.

It's these new serial codes though.  I just migrated to a new computer today and had no trouble installing 1.153 and activating my older steam serial code on it so that it would run with WSE.

I don't believe there is anything we can do on our end to correct things beyond removing the requirement for WSE.  For Silverstag that would require redoing a lot of code, but some things were only able to be done via it so those would need to be disabled.  Right now I'm waiting to see how Taleworlds handles the new serial code activation issue itself first.

 

[D3monic]

Well, it's kind of sad, that we who pay for the games must struggle with those kind of problems and the other ones... well you know what i mean...

 

[MaHuD]

You can convert your steam CD-key to a normal one here: https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Account/ConvertSerial
Also people that have the non steam version also paid for the game. They just bought it at a different store.

 

[D3monic]

Well... I wasn't speaking about the ones who bought the non-steam copy... I am actually trying to avoid steam as much as I can, but the 75% off was too much of a good deal to let it go

 

[MaHuD]

Ok.
Anyway try to converter and the non steam version and see how it goes

 

[toxone13]

You can convert your steam CD-key to a normal one here:
Also people that have the non steam version also paid for the game. They just bought it at a different store.

Doesn't seem to work. Nothing happens when I enter my CD Key.

 

[matu90rk]

You can convert your steam CD-key to a normal one here: https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Account/ConvertSerial
Also people that have the non steam version also paid for the game. They just bought it at a different store.

That converter is for 5x5 CD keys. Steam is using 4x4 now, which don't seem to work with older non-Steam versions:

Try downloading the non-steam version of Warband and putting in your Steam CD Key, I've got old versions of Warband installed for a handful of mods and my key works just fine.

That was true before.  What's happening for folks right now is that their steam key won't work on the non-steam version.

My understanding is that Taleworlds is aware of it and intends to fix it in the near future, but I don't know that I would expect it in a few days.

 

[MaHuD]

Another way is to email the support, they will have to manually do it but you will get it eventually.

 

[krnja21]

Sorry for the necro, but is this cd key crap still a problem? I bought Warband on the aforementioned steam sale and was planning to try Silverstag out, should i even try it or what? Is this thing resolved maybe?

 

[D3monic]

From all I know, new CD-keys are incompatibile with older versions of Warband, and since WSE used by v0.23 of Siverstag is using 1.153 version of Warband, yes the problem is still here. However, if i'm not mistaken, creator of WSE has returned from his exile for a while and made an update to WSE, so the next version of Silverstag should be playable by anyone.

However, keep in mind, all those info comes from my ol' rusty brain in 4AM, so there might be en error somewhere.

 

[Leifdin]

This should be fixed now indeed.

 

[krnja21]

Alright so i wait then, thanks for the info

 

[Windyplains]

If you have a newer copy of Warband then you'll need to download the WSE 3.2.0 option file from our Nexus download page.  That version of WSE will allow your newer steam key to work with older versions of Warband.  The copy of WSE that comes packaged in Silverstag v0.23 right now is still WSE 3.1.5 which does not have that compatibility.  It's easy enough to replace, just replace the 3.1.5 folder with the 3.2.0 one.

 

[krnja21]

oh ok, cheers bro will try that!