Installing without internet: heeelp!

[zonk]

This shouldnt need an answer, steam has an offline mode, right? If its purely there only to be used when there is physically no internet connection, i would assume there would be no need for an option, it could simply check if you have activated, see no internet connection, and automatically go in offline mode, and back online mode when it finds a connection. But it gives you the Choice.

Its a choice, at least for me, i dont want steam collecting data, reguardless of what that data is. And as it stands now, with my own findings, if you go into offline mode, steam is still trying to transfer data when there is an internet connection.

Back to the OP, everyone ignores me quoting the official system req's posted on the civilization website. It states you need an internet connection the first time you Play, and the poster is having issues installing, as is stated not only in his post, but in the title of this thread.

Like I said, I think this was the heart of my problem --

It wasn't NO internet connection -- it was a rollercoaster connection that would never quite putz out.... just hang for a few minutes, then crawl -- then zoom to full speed for a few seconds, then crawl again, etc...

I'm not exaggerating when I saw that while I was having this issue -- I was literally dealing with 20 minute boot times.... until I realized just unplugging entirely cut that significantly.

 

[Wardancing]

Like I said, I think this was the heart of my problem --

It wasn't NO internet connection -- it was a rollercoaster connection that would never quite putz out.... just hang for a few minutes, then crawl -- then zoom to full speed for a few seconds, then crawl again, etc...

I'm not exaggerating when I saw that while I was having this issue -- I was literally dealing with 20 minute boot times.... until I realized just unplugging entirely cut that significantly.

Yep, youre proving my point, there is massive delay in offline mode when you have a connection cause steam is trying to use it (the connection).

 

[The_J]

Moderator Action: If this thread degenerates into a bashing/trolling thread it will get closed.
Back to topic, and please in a friendly manner.

 

[THE_COW_IS_OK]

Note the poster above claiming you need to download a 2GB patch is just wrong. The patches to date have been no more than about 30MB. Unfortunately they can't be avoided during the installation of the game from disc.

Internet activation is one of the installation requirements for civ5. There are various solutions for hooking up temporary internet to your computer (e.g. 30 days free dial-up internet with some providers) but someone more local to you would be able to help you better.

Also, what sort of laptop do you have? Are you sure it can even run civ5? The system requirements are pretty steep.

The 2GB download was required in my install even before the release of the patch mentioned in your post. I bought my DVD from amazon on pre order. And I had to download a 2+GB Update right after intallation and I COULDN'T play a single game before that. It happened twice during my install (one time on vista, another on Win7!) and on 2 laptops.

As for steam offline mode. Well, on vista I used to have error msg saying "can't go offline" and stuff most of the time. On win7, the problem was not showing up.
Anyways, if some of you hadn't experience problems, it doesn't mean others aren't...

 

[ori]

if I understand various posts here correctly, the problem is that the DVD installer sometimes installs the Steam client and then proceeds to download the game instead of using the files on the disc - you can stop that by installing the steam client and then running the installer from the dvd, apparently - but I feel that this is what is causing the confusion - the DVD installer does not seem to work in a logical manner in many cases...

 

[Capone's Vault]

Your best bet is to find a solution

Absolutely brilliant advice.

 

[jlvfr]

Well, I've sent another question to Steam. Last time, it took 5 days for a answer to arrive, so...

 

[Capone's Vault]

Well, I've sent another question to Steam. Last time, it took 5 days for a answer to arrive, so...

It's not going to do any good. You're going to need internet to install this game and get it working. I'm not aware of Valve having ever made an exception to this rule in the past, and I'm 100% certain that they're not going to change their stance on your behalf.

 

[Willem]

Even with a DVD, you ll still need to download a 2+GB patch. (took me 2 days here).

Wow, you've got to be kidding! I definitely won't be buying this game then, a download that size is simply out of the question for me. Not that I want to play the game anyway, judging from alot of the posts I've been reading lately. It just doesn't sound like it's been very well done. So after many years of playing every Civ title yet made, here's one I'm going to pass on.

 

[Capone's Vault]

Wow, you've got to be kidding! I definitely won't be buying this game then, a download that size is simply out of the question for me. Not that I want to play the game anyway, judging from alot of the posts I've been reading lately. It just doesn't sound like it's been very well done. So after many years of playing every Civ title yet made, here's one I'm going to pass on.

There is not a 2 GB download. I don't know what that guy is talking about, but the patches to be released so far have been less than 50 MB combined.

 

[Willem]

if I understand various posts here correctly, the problem is that the DVD installer sometimes installs the Steam client and then proceeds to download the game instead of using the files on the disc - you can stop that by installing the steam client and then running the installer from the dvd, apparently - but I feel that this is what is causing the confusion - the DVD installer does not seem to work in a logical manner in many cases...

The very same problem is occurring with Fallout New Vegas as well. There's no way I'm going to involve myself with a company that can't even get an installer to work right. That sort of technology has been pretty much perfected for many years now, there's absolutely no excuse for having things screw up like that. If they can't even manage to get basic code like that right, it does not inspire confidence in me one bit. And I simply won't deal with a company I can't trust. If 2K insists on using Steam as their form of DRM, then I won't be buying any of their games. Especially when I realize that pirated versions of both Civ 5 and Fallout New Vegas were available within days of their release. Only one day with New Vegas. It's a classic example of the honest user being inconvenienced in order to provide the illusion that their intellectual property is actually being protected.

 

[THE_COW_IS_OK]

There is not a 2 GB download. I don't know what that guy is talking about, but the patches to be released so far have been less than 50 MB combined.

k, for the last time, the 2GB was an update made before the release of the 30MB patch. Maybe DVDs holds different version of the game. I don't know and I don't care.
The OP bought his copy from Amazon and so did I. Hence I though important to mention what happened during my install. Next time I need to re-install the game, I take a screenshot since you don't even give the benefit of the doubt...

 

[Gyathaar]

If there is some "always play in offline mode" checkbox I missed - I would love to see a screenie... I've deselected/disabled everything from auto-updates to notify me... I've created multiple shortcuts from different exes of the game -- no matter what I do, Steam always wanted to go online until I just forced it to realize that wasn't happening... THEN it gave me the offline option.

When online.. go to the 'steam' menu, and select 'go offline' .. it will then stay offline until you tell it to go online again

 

[ori]

k, for the last time, the 2GB was an update made before the release of the 30MB patch. Maybe DVDs holds different version of the game. I don't know and I don't care.
The OP bought his copy from Amazon and so did I. Hence I though important to mention what happened during my install. Next time I need to re-install the game, I take a screenshot since you don't even give the benefit of the doubt...

As I pointed out: it is very likely that the 2GB download was not an update being downloaded, but rather the game itself - which seems to be the installer misbehaving...

 

[THE_COW_IS_OK]

As I pointed out: it is very likely that the 2GB download was not an update being downloaded, but rather the game itself - which seems to be the installer misbehaving...

This makes sense. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Senethro]

So did the OP flush his game down the toilet or plug his laptop into his router/modem?

Wow, you've got to be kidding! I definitely won't be buying this game then, a download that size is simply out of the question for me. Not that I want to play the game anyway, judging from alot of the posts I've been reading lately. It just doesn't sound like it's been very well done. So after many years of playing every Civ title yet made, here's one I'm going to pass on.

You aren't going to buy the game anyway because you decided to boycott it, remember? Wouldn't want to go back on something you said ON THE INTERNET.

 

[jlvfr]

So did the OP flush his game down the toilet or plug his laptop into his router/modem?

Waiting for more answers from Steam. Last time took 5 days...

 

[Senethro]

Waiting for more answers from Steam. Last time took 5 days...

But you're not going to get the answer you want. They're not going to give you a special secret code so you can install offline because such a thing doesn't exist.

You need to plug your internet into your laptop and complete the installation. Then once fully installed you put Steam into Offline mode (and make sure you do it correctly) and then you can play the game offline.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Wow. The poor guy asks for help and it doesn't even take a page of replies before the hostilities surface. He gets insulted for asking, for playing on a laptop, for not knowing the game's requirements, and so on.

We're in pretty bad shape around here, guys.

EDIT: To the OP - I hope you can install Civ5 on your desktop or somehow get it working on your laptop. I'm not a Steam expert (and I play on a PC with a cable connection) so I can't offer much. Good luck.

When did he get insulted for playing on a laptop? I'm not seeing it.

 

[Bad Brett]

Yeah, how stupid the OP must be for not realizing that a single player game needs access to the Internet.

I really believe that this kind of DRM's should be illegal. Neither Steam or Internet has anything to do with actually running the game. Another lie was that "Civ 5 was built on Steam, so it would be very difficult to release a Steam-free version". Fact is that pirated Steam-free copies got spread on the Internet within days and from what I heard, multiplayer works just as bad as those versions as on the Steam version. They might not be able to play against each other, but I guess it's a decision of whether you play against pirates or whether you play against the arrogant steam fans (Haven't even tried multiplayer yet... But I can imagine the "lol! Totally pwn3d y ass w/ my GDR. TOTAL PWNAGE!!!!!111111").