Forced to run Steam - Not amused.

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Hello my friends, I feel moved to write critically on the one problem I have with Warband. No, it's not couched lance changes, the new battle command interface or any of the stunning and honestly quite impressive improvements that have been made. I'm talking about Steam.

When I pre-ordered Warband from Amazon.com I had no idea that what they would in fact sell me was a Steam-slave handicapped version of the game. Slouching there in the mb_warband.exe's code is the horrible string of ASCII that calls upon steam_api.dll and its looming master every time you try to play Warband.

I have no issues with digital rights management. I have no problem with players who enjoy the community feel Steam brings. But I do have a problem with being forced to run a program that eats my RAM and lowers my performance in the background when I'm just trying to enjoy a good game. I've been enduring it like a splinter in my brain for a few days but it's really starting to aggravate me now.

So I have the following questions:

Is there a release of Warband that isn't married to Steam?
If so, where can I buy it?
And would my Steam-bound version be able to run by itself if I simply replaced its mb_warband.exe with a non-Steam version's?

Hoping that the wisdom of the forums can help, because I'm getting rather desperate.

EDIT

This problem is now solved! Many thanks to all those offering advice!

Method

1. Begin Steam install and obtain CD Key from the My Games section by right clicking on Warband and hitting 'View Game CD Key'.

2. Save this somewhere, this is your serial key.

3. Cancel the installation once you have this. If you completed the installation, uninstall the game. Steam might prompt you to delete the cache, click yes. Your saved games are safe and sound in My Documents, never fear.

4. Open RegEdit from the run command to access your registry. (Type 'regedit' and hit return.)

5. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MountAndBladeWarbandKeys and delete the 'Activation Code' entry.

6. Install Warband using the installer downloaded from the TaleWorlds website.

7. Run the program. When prompted, enter the serial key you obtained earlier and click 'Activate'.

8. Congratulations! You can now enjoy a Steam-free gaming experience.

Kudos to Mpully and WhiteWolf who perfected the technique while I was biking home from work. :smile:

-John
 
I have preordered the German Release (shipping on 15th April) from Koch Media, which is where I bought original M&B "Packaged" from.

I think that one would be Steam-Free, and should also be multi-language.

BUT, at least with "classic" M&B, you could always just download the game installer directly from this website here, and run it with the code from the software package you bought in store. So basically, my German KochMedia M&B was just the installer from the Talonsoft Website burned to disk, with an Activation Code that would work on any version of the game.

If it's the same with Warband, then just download the game files and use the Activation Code from your Steam-plaqued version.
 
Did you apply any patch to your game version? If I remember correctly the first patch that was released removes the steam api thing from non steam versions of the game. Or you try helmut_auts way :smile:
 
Helmut, I owe you bigtime. I didn't even know that the game or its patches (cheers Naagarok) were downloadable from the website, I really should've checked.

I'll give that a go when I get home this evening, fingers crossed!

Much appreciated, both of you.

-John
 
Look int the registry for your warband key, it'll be in like LOCAL_USERS somewhere (Can't confirm while on my iPod), download warband from Taleworlds, use your key to activate and BAM you aren't using steam.
 
Please give us an update if you get this sorted, I would be seriously pissed myself if the German KochMedia release also includes mandatory Steam. Same boat as you, I don't like that bloatware floating around.
 
You don't need to worry about it possibly not working. The serial you get from Steam (if you can't get it from right clicking the game in your steam games list and choosing Vew CD key) will have to be fetched from your registry. Annoying, but there are others here who have done that. I just took a look real quick in my registry for where it stores that, but I couldn't find it where I thought it would be.

Here's a fun fact though: Servers can be VAC secured. This means you'll need to be signed into Steam in order to play on them. I have yet to see a server running in this mode, however.
 
Thanks guys, I'll give it a shot this evening. No worries about the serial key, it's on the back of the manual. *Thumbs up* I'm really hopeful now, it sounds like it'll work.

-John
 
Orion said:
You don't need to worry about it possibly not working. The serial you get from Steam (if you can't get it from right clicking the game in your steam games list and choosing Vew CD key) will have to be fetched from your registry. Annoying, but there are others here who have done that. I just took a look real quick in my registry for where it stores that, but I couldn't find it where I thought it would be.

For a "Boxed" copy including Steam, would the Serial not be in the manual somewhere anyway? Or do you get a "Steam Serial" for installing the game, and the actual Taleworld serial remains "hidden" in the registry?

- oops, John answered that while I posted.
 
Helmut_AUT said:
Orion said:
You don't need to worry about it possibly not working. The serial you get from Steam (if you can't get it from right clicking the game in your steam games list and choosing Vew CD key) will have to be fetched from your registry. Annoying, but there are others here who have done that. I just took a look real quick in my registry for where it stores that, but I couldn't find it where I thought it would be.

For a "Boxed" copy including Steam, would the Serial not be in the manual somewhere anyway? Or do you get a "Steam Serial" for installing the game, and the actual Taleworld serial remains "hidden" in the registry?

- oops, John answered that while I posted.
My boxed copy came with a steamkey which does not work with TW installer. installed through steam and got serial  from steam.
 
same issue with every game purchased via steam... You cant launch the game without using steam... I'm searching a way to bypass steam for every game, but beside manual registery edit (wich might often cause windows wreck) i havent found one. Steam is neat for purchasing games at a fair price and very comfortable for installing/patching, but the big issue is that we cant launch games without running steam, wich is VERY annoying... If anyone knows a way to get rid of steam to launch games, i would be glad to know it!  :shock:  :evil:
 
WookieWarlord said:
Never trust Steam! Don't use anything via Steam! They are trying to control everything! Soon you will have to ask Steam's permission to go to the toilet!

I already do!!!  :wink:
 
Yodarkore said:
same issue with every game purchased via steam... You cant launch the game without using steam... I'm searching a way to bypass steam for every game, but beside manual registery edit (wich might often cause windows wreck) i havent found one. Steam is neat for purchasing games at a fair price and very comfortable for installing/patching, but the big issue is that we cant launch games without running steam, wich is VERY annoying... If anyone knows a way to get rid of steam to launch games, i would be glad to know it!  :shock:  :evil:

In the past (Red Orchestra days) it was possible to extract the game files from their containers and run them without Steam in the background. Of course, no multiplayer that way.

I really hope my KochMedia package will be "clean" - the entire point of buying the package is to have the install files saved on a long-lasting printed CD and not a burned CD-R. The procedure with installing Steam, getting key, uninstalling and reinstall from TW download sounds cumbersome.
 
Ok, i wrote down CD key from steam ,then i unistalled both warband and steam.Then i downloaded Warband from TW main site and installed it.I dont get this message that im running in trial version so i launced game without entering my CD key, and booom when i want to connect multiplayer server "Error invalid CD key" .
The point is how can i get this window where i can add CD key to unlock trial version.
 
Kleidophoros said:
Helmut_AUT said:
Orion said:
You don't need to worry about it possibly not working. The serial you get from Steam (if you can't get it from right clicking the game in your steam games list and choosing Vew CD key) will have to be fetched from your registry. Annoying, but there are others here who have done that. I just took a look real quick in my registry for where it stores that, but I couldn't find it where I thought it would be.

For a "Boxed" copy including Steam, would the Serial not be in the manual somewhere anyway? Or do you get a "Steam Serial" for installing the game, and the actual Taleworld serial remains "hidden" in the registry?

- oops, John answered that while I posted.
My boxed copy came with a steamkey which does not work with TW installer. installed through steam and got serial  from steam.

So, you're saying that chances are that when my boxed copy finally arrives, the key it comes with will not actually work for Warband, but I need to infest my computer with Steam and feed it the key to get the actual license key I paid for?

Sounds like I'll have to send the box straight back to the seller then and demand a full refund, and then buy it again from Taleworlds. No way in hell I'll pay for something that requires to use Steam, even for a moment.
 
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