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ABRed

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#1 ABRed
Member since 2009 • 298 Posts

Hey guys,

I simply want to know if there's a way to play a Steam game via LAN. What I mean there, is like when you have a physical copy, all you have to do is to install the CD on everyone's computer and play the game LAN. I know Steam works by account, but I wondered if there was a way. I know I could download some craked files to replace steam.dll and steam.cfg but that's not really my style. My guess is that you can't and Steam developpers wanted that so everyone has to buy the games, but idk... maybe someone knows how!

The thing is I would like to play Unreal Tournament 3 with my friends but the game is 20$ on Steam and 10$ in a physical copy (which I can't find anywhere where the school is). So before buying it on Steam, I wanted to know if there's a way to play it LAN anyway. And I don't feel like downloading Torrents (I'm not really into pirate and stuff like that).

Thx

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Daytona_178

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#2 Daytona_178
Member since 2005 • 14962 Posts

Steam itself wont stop you playing games on LAN, you just go into offline mode if there is no internet connection. The game is what will determine whether it will support LAN gaming.

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General_X

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#3 General_X
Member since 2003 • 9137 Posts
AFAIK you can't play multiple copies of the same Steam game on a LAN due the whole tied to 1 account thing. Also I doubt Offline mode changes that.
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mkaliaz

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#4 mkaliaz
Member since 2004 • 1979 Posts

Yes, you can. But it really depends on the game and if it allows offline LAN co-op. Me and my housemate just finished playing all the way through co-op Borderlands (plus all DLC) on just the one copy. He played offline and I was online (although I could have been offline too).

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theshadowhunter

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#5 theshadowhunter
Member since 2004 • 2956 Posts

depends on that game really, and you have to log onto offline mode to check.

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ventnor

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#6 ventnor
Member since 2010 • 1061 Posts

Start the game once, go into offline mode, there you go.

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Creigz

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#7 Creigz
Member since 2010 • 187 Posts
From what I have seen you can with older games. After Valve's recent updates to most of their games I don't know how well it would work anymore. You could try what was said in the above, but there's no guarantee it will actually work out for you. If it does, let me know, I wouldn't mind that ability.
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the_mitch28

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#8 the_mitch28
Member since 2005 • 4684 Posts

Yeah I do this with my friends a lot, as other said just log in, go into offline mode then log in on the next computer and switch that to offline mode etc etc

I've only tried this with CS but I have no reason to doubt why other games wouldn't work.

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ABRed

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#9 ABRed
Member since 2009 • 298 Posts

Sweet, I'll try this tonight. The only thing I would like to know is: Is there any other way to put my games from my account into people's computer without downloading it 10 times (we will be about ten)? I doubt there's another way. I'm asking the question because the Internet here is slow (which is why we can only play LAN) and it would take 10 hours to download one game. If there's any other, your suggestions are more than welcomed and thx for the ideas so far.

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Iantheone

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#10 Iantheone
Member since 2007 • 8242 Posts

Sweet, I'll try this tonight. The only thing I would like to know is: Is there any other way to put my games from my account into people's computer without downloading it 10 times (we will be about ten)? I doubt there's another way. I'm asking the question because the Internet here is slow (which is why we can only play LAN) and it would take 10 hours to download one game. If there's any other, your suggestions are more than welcomed and thx for the ideas so far.

ABRed
Copy the game folder into everyones Steam. You have to do it in a special way though. Start the download, stop it, close Steam. Copy the files from an external HDD or something into the computers Steam folder where the games install and replace it. Then start up Steam, start up the download and it will just say that its downloading really really fast.
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ABRed

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#11 ABRed
Member since 2009 • 298 Posts

[QUOTE="ABRed"]

Sweet, I'll try this tonight. The only thing I would like to know is: Is there any other way to put my games from my account into people's computer without downloading it 10 times (we will be about ten)? I doubt there's another way. I'm asking the question because the Internet here is slow (which is why we can only play LAN) and it would take 10 hours to download one game. If there's any other, your suggestions are more than welcomed and thx for the ideas so far.

Iantheone

Copy the game folder into everyones Steam. You have to do it in a special way though. Start the download, stop it, close Steam. Copy the files from an external HDD or something into the computers Steam folder where the games install and replace it. Then start up Steam, start up the download and it will just say that its downloading really really fast.

If that really works, it's going to be awesome. I will have to try it out. TYVM

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MrUnSavory1

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#12 MrUnSavory1
Member since 2005 • 777 Posts

But installing your game on other peoples machine just to play LAN is the same as pirating. The EULA that is displayed when you install licenses you for one use only. Adding cracks is also pirating. Would you like it if someone stole your hard work? I don't think so.

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ABRed

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#13 ABRed
Member since 2009 • 298 Posts

But installing your game on other peoples machine just to play LAN is the same as pirating. The EULA that is displayed when you install licenses you for one use only. Adding cracks is also pirating. Would you like it if someone stole your hard work? I don't think so.

MrUnSavory1

I payed for these games and they won't be able to play unless I sign in on their computer. But if you tell me that buying a physical game, installing it on your computer, then on your brother's computer in order to play LAN is called pirating... I'm probably not the only who "pirates" then.

Anyway, I've tried the solutions proposed but it didn't work. Any other suggestion is welcomed, if not, I'll try to buy the game physically.

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triangle99

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#14 triangle99
Member since 2003 • 34 Posts

Right click on the game in your Steam library list, sleect backup .... then copy the backed up files across the network to the other machine and then just run the steambackup.exe in the copied folder and it will install the game onto the other machine. This is the easiest way to do it and works every time.

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deactivated-57e5de5e137a4

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#15 deactivated-57e5de5e137a4
Member since 2004 • 12929 Posts

[QUOTE="MrUnSavory1"]

But installing your game on other peoples machine just to play LAN is the same as pirating. The EULA that is displayed when you install licenses you for one use only. Adding cracks is also pirating. Would you like it if someone stole your hard work? I don't think so.

ABRed

I payed for these games and they won't be able to play unless I sign in on their computer. But if you tell me that buying a physical game, installing it on your computer, then on your brother's computer in order to play LAN is called pirating... I'm probably not the only who "pirates" then.

Anyway, I've tried the solutions proposed but it didn't work. Any other suggestion is welcomed, if not, I'll try to buy the game physically.

Yes, that would be called pirating. You probably wouldn't be punished at all even if you called them up and told them, but you are supposed to own a different copy for each player for most all lan games. I think it's dumb and immoral for it to be that way, but whatever. Additionally, some games won't let two people with the same cd key play on lan with each other.