Steam Q&A and FAQ

[Maniacal]

Is there any Steam support at the weekend?

I have been trying to reverify my Steam account because I can not log in and have had no reply for 2 days. I live in Asia and this maybe a time difference problem but I would expect such a minor problem to be sorted so easily and I would not expect to be unable to use the game for such a long time.

I have had no reply from the Support Team and can find now way to break through to a real person.

Afaik I don't think VALVe's tech support works weekends, even if they did, they would still take up to like 5 days to reply. They're really slow and I don't think they have a large support department anyways (they have, like 250 employees in the entire company).

 

[Methos]

How do you add friends, or even find them? I've had two people tell me their IDs, yet when I do a search, it says they don't exist. Is there a setting that you have to do to make yourself available for search or something?

Edit: I found how to add a friend, but I still can't find the actual friend(s). [rant against Steam]

 

[Maniacal]

There are a few ways. The easiest is to share your Steam profile/community page's link and click on add to friends list in the upper right of the profile page.

If I recall correctly the default member ID is a number, but you can set it to a name, such as (and I replaced my id with usernamehere, which ironically was used by a Torontonian, so I added some random numbers).
http://steamcommunity.com/id/usernamehere1

While in a VALVe game (I have no idea if any non-VALVe games that use Steamworks for multiplayer, like Civ5 have this enabled) on multiplayer you can bring up the ingame Steam community (shift+tab by default) and there are options to bring up a list of the people who are playing on the same server you are on or those you have recently played with. You can then look through it and add the person(s) you want to.

You can also open up your friends list for two other ways, you can add them via their e-mail if they have verified an e-mail with their Steam account (its in the Settings menu). Or their username (the one you use to log in with, not the nickname you can change at anytime in the settings).

 

[CanuckSoldier]

Yes the easiest way is if they send you the ink to their Steam profile, ie this is mine http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198021954438 and then it is easy to add them as friends.

CS

 

[PawelS]

When I turn off automatic updates of Civ5, why does it change back to turned on after restarting Steam?

I modified some of the game XML and LUA files (it's more convenient for me than making a mod using ModBuddy), so I need to replace them with the original files before updating. This forced me to run Steam in offline mode to prevent automatic updates.

 

[Maniacal]

Yeah I read into it a bit after stuff brought up in another thread yesterday, and automatic updating is something VALVe needs to work on. The only way to be sure it won't mess up is to run it in offline mode. Though this differs from person to person, it works always for some people and not very well for people like you.

Firaxis also really needs to have some kind of mod-foldering system for Civ5, hell that should be bloody standard for games that are going to be modded. (IE lIke Morrowind/Oblivion/Fallout 3/Fallout New Vegas, or Mount&Blade/Warband).

 

[PawelS]

Thanks for the answer.

I agree that a mod-foldering system is needed, I think civ4-style mod folders that can be automatically loaded at startup would be a good idea.

 

[cugel]

I didn't reply properly yet to some mails that gave me advise eg PieceOfMind and Piksou. That is because I want to try their solutions first and then give a more sensible reaction than just "thank you". But I have been too busy lately to try these tricks that to me sound difficult. So I'd like to say thanks anyway to all the patient people here (especially of course PrinceScamp) that are doling out advice. I do play CIV5 a lot to relax a bit from my work but yes, it would have been easier to me if you just could stick in the DVD Rom from the shop without all the Steam hassle that i described in some earlier post. Thanks anyway for this great online resource of info!

 

[Gwyndster]

Hi

I'm not sure if this is a Steam problem or a Civ5 problem, I hope someone here understands this because it's driving me nuts.
I can play Civ5 if on-line mode without difficulty, ditto off-line mode, what I can't understand is why, when I am playing Civ5 in either on-line or off-line mode, I can't get my internet connection to allow me to surf the web?

Is Steam or something else in the game taking up my entire internet bandwidth for some reason, if so, surely it shouldn't need to use it when in off-line mode?

I have followed these instructions from Steam to no avail.
USING OFFLINE MODE ON A PC.

Please follow the instructions below to configure Offline Mode on your PC:
Start Steam online - make sure the Remember my password box on the login window is checked
Verify that all game files are completely updated - you can see the update status for a game under the Library section (when the game shows as 100% - Ready it is ready to be played in Offline Mode)
Launch the game you would like to play offline to verify that there are no further updates to download - shut down the game and return to Steam once you have confirmed that the game can be played
Go to Steam > Settings to ensure the Don't save account credentials on this computer option is not selected
From the main Steam window, go to the Steam menu and select Go Offline
Click Restart in Offline Mode to restart Steam in Offline Mode

Any ideas folks

Thanks
Gwyndster

 

[Maniacal]

snip to save space

Your welcome and best of luck

Hi

I'm not sure if this is a Steam problem or a Civ5 problem, I hope someone here understands this because it's driving me nuts.
I can play Civ5 if on-line mode without difficulty, ditto off-line mode, what I can't understand is why, when I am playing Civ5 in either on-line or off-line mode, I can't get my internet connection to allow me to surf the web?

Is Steam or something else in the game taking up my entire internet bandwidth for some reason, if so, surely it shouldn't need to use it when in off-line mode?

I have followed these instructions from Steam to no avail.
-snip-

Any ideas folks

Thanks
Gwyndster

That is... really weird and definitely should not be happening. Try updating the firmware for your router and check out this page.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1456-EUDN-2493

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Are you able to load webpages really really slowly or just not at all? And what browser are you using?

 

[Gwyndster]

Your welcome and best of luck


That is... really weird and definitely should not be happening. Try updating the firmware for your router and check out this page.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1456-EUDN-2493

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Are you able to load webpages really really slowly or just not at all? And what browser are you using?

Thanks PrinceScamp

Pages don't load at all in either IE8 or Chrome, Router has latest firmware, I'll work my way through the other stuff and get back to you.

 

[Maniacal]

Weird, trying another browser probably won't help then (not that Steam should affect them anyways). Hope you get it working, good luck!

 

[Gwyndster]

Weird, trying another browser probably won't help then (not that Steam should affect them anyways). Hope you get it working, good luck!

Things I have learnt in my attempts so far.

Connection works okay until I actually load a game, Civ5/Steam does not block the connection when running, or during the time that the intro screen plays, only when the game is loaded.

I am going to try the following and will then update this post

1 Surfing web on laptop when Civ5 playing on desktop.

Laptop, which is on a separate wireless network connection (both are on draft n) to the desktop appears to work fine.

2 Surfing web with a new rather than loaded game, no difference and oddly if I then go back to the main Civ5 main menu, I still can't connect to the internet. I receive this message:

'This web page is not available.

The web page at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=8978983&postcount=48 might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.'

3 Remove Steam from my AVG permissions and then add it again
Made no difference

4 Disable AVG- not my favoured option
Made no difference

5 I also set this lot in my router, even though it was already allowing steam through.
Which ports do I need to open on my router or firewall for Steam? ANSWER:Your network must be configured to allow Steam access to the following ports (in order from highest to lowest priority for QoS users):
Steam Client
UDP 27000 to 27015 inclusive (Game client traffic)
UDP 27015 to 27030 inclusive (Typically Matchmaking and HLTV)
TCP 27014 to 27050 inclusive (Steam downloads)
UDP 4380

Dedicated or Listen Servers
TCP 27015 (SRCDS Rcon port)

Steamworks P2P Networking and Steam Voice Chat
UDP 3478 (Outbound)
UDP 4379 (Outbound)
UDP 4380 (Outbound)


One other thing, I don't think that it's actually preventing me connecting to the internet, it's preventing browsers connecting to my router. If I have a connection when I start the game, then the connection shows up as okay. If I disconnect then it won't let me reconnect.

 

[Maniacal]

Weird, well you can press shift+tab when ingame to bring up the ingame Steam community features, and there's a button by the bottom of the screen to bring up the web browser. Try using that and see if it works.

 

[Edi_Grbin]

Can someone please tell me how to get the Civ 5 mod for historically accurate starting locations? I apologise if this question has been asked before.

Thanks,

Edi

 

[Cump]

I bought Civ V a couple of months ago to take with me and play on my laptop while I was on a 6 week road trip, most of it in wilderness and other areas where I could not access the Internet. I was never able to get the game to run unless I was connected to the Internet. It would always say that connection with Steam had failed and pop back to operating system level.

Is there any reason I should respect Steam or Firaxis after this experience. Steam seems to be a rip-off joint dedicated to trying to sell more games and Sid Meir has apparently gotten too old to keep his company in line.

No more Firaxis games for me and I will avoid anything to do with Steam -- which was my principle before but Firaxis/2K sucker punched me.

Cump

 

[Maniacal]

I bought Civ V a couple of months ago to take with me and play on my laptop while I was on a 6 week road trip, most of it in wilderness and other areas where I could not access the Internet. I was never able to get the game to run unless I was connected to the Internet. It would always say that connection with Steam had failed and pop back to operating system level.

Is there any reason I should respect Steam or Firaxis after this experience. Steam seems to be a rip-off joint dedicated to trying to sell more games and Sid Meir has apparently gotten too old to keep his company in line.

No more Firaxis games for me and I will avoid anything to do with Steam -- which was my principle before but Firaxis/2K sucker punched me.

Cump

Did you save your account credentials/log in info on your computer? From having used offline mode a number of times before it always checks for a connection, says it can't find one then it should offer you the option of starting in offline mode...

 

[Bubonic]

Three questions I never had to ask with any previous version of Civ:

1. How can I, after purchasing and installing Civ 5, allow my 12 year old son to play the game without i) giving him access to my Steam account or ii) giving him access to my Windows user account?

2. I still play games that are almost 30 years old. 30 years from now, if valve is no longer around, will I be able to install and play Civ 5 on my Windows emulator from my legally-purchased dvd?

3. 5 years from now, when my computer dies and I replace it, how do I reinstall Civ 5 given that I have completely forgotten my Steam login details (but still have the disc)?

 

[Maniacal]

Three questions I never had to ask with any previous version of Civ:

1. How can I, after purchasing and installing Civ 5, allow my 12 year old son to play the game without i) giving him access to my Steam account or ii) giving him access to my Windows user account?

2. I still play games that are almost 30 years old. 30 years from now, if valve is no longer around, will I be able to install and play Civ 5 on my Windows emulator from my legally-purchased dvd?

3. 5 years from now, when my computer dies and I replace it, how do I reinstall Civ 5 given that I have completely forgotten my Steam login details (but still have the disc)?

1. He will have to use your Steam account, but you can install/play it on any account on your computer or as many computers as you'd like.

2. Nobody knows. VALVe isn't likely to go away anytime soon, but we will only know when/if it happens.

3. You should be able go through the usual forgot username/password thing, never looked it up though. You should write down your username/password somewhere safe, and you can enter your username into your profile here on CFC (its safe). Could also use your Steam account for more games so you don't stop using it for years.
Plus you can still install the game from steam digitally without using the DVD too.

 

[prof2962]

OK so I tried to load it, I dont have Internet at home just my office, so I drove to the office installed it, and then when I came home you cant start a game until "Steam" does something. So my question, do you have to be online just to launch the stupid game? A second question, does anyone know who the Idiot was that made this decision to tie the game so closely to the internet? I only ask so I can write him or her a letter and tell them what a foolish, customer unfriendly action that was?