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Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine ver... - 6/26/2020 4:41:33 PM

U235

Posts: 103
Joined: 5/7/2000
From: Chesapeake, Virginia USA
Status: offline

I like to purchase my Matrix/Slitherine games on their respective home websites as they provide the installers for each game. I do however use the Steam Keys when available. I've noticed an issue and it seems to affect all installed games. The installed games seem to "lose" the ability to update if a Steam version exists, this occurs even though the file path are for obvious reasons different. The update.exe gets deleted. Is Steam searching for other copies of identical games and altering them? I have quite a few Matrix/Slitherine games in my library.

I like Steam for the convenience, but I also like to own my purchases. Anyone that for whatever reason cancels their Steam account can attest to what happens to "there" games purchased through the service. So what I'm asking is there a way to prevent the update.exe file from being removed without permissions? Do I need to manually lock down the file? While it isn't a big deal, it is an annoyance.

Post #: 1

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 5:41:55 PM

Lobster

Posts: 5104
Joined: 8/8/2013
From: Third rock from the Sun.
Status: offline

I have an install for Steam and for Matrix for a couple of games. This is because I test them and I feel to test them properly there should be no third party interference. The Steam installs are on one drive, not the C drive. The other non Steam version is installed at the default locations, typically the C: drive. I update the Matrix installs manually and they update just fine.

BTW, no one owns a game. They are licensed to you and the owner is typically the game publisher. Look at EULA at the end of your manuals. You can download any Steam game you have although why you would I don't know. Maybe going someplace where you have no internet connection and want to be sure you have a backup?

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RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 5:53:46 PM

MrsWargamer

Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline

Life is NEVER going to get perfect.

Discs get damaged. Which is why even free, I wouldn't want one if offered here for free.
Installers go bad. Which is why I store in more than one location. But how do you know the installer is bad? Short of routinely using it.
This is why a service can be handy, if you can always get a new download of the install.
But what if the service dies? Well, sure, it can happen. But it seems someone is always reselling old classics.

Steam is handy. But it needs you to be online. Having the full installer is handy until the file dies on you.
There are NO perfect solutions.

Slitherine Group dying, would likely be about the same week the world crashes and burns too.
I think I'd have greater worries to be honest.

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RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 6:24:59 PM

Zorch

Posts: 7087
Joined: 3/7/2010
Status: offline

I get both versions, when a Steam key is available. I play using the Matrix version.

Supposedly you can play the Steam version of some games, even if offline. Please see this old thread for details https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3738746

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Post #: 4

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 8:59:27 PM

Lobster

Posts: 5104
Joined: 8/8/2013
From: Third rock from the Sun.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrsWargamer

Steam is handy. But it needs you to be online.

Why haters continue to perpetrate this hoax and people continue to swallow the BS is beyond me. I tend to find information for myself instead of believing garbage handed out by those who are obviously opposed to something.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE ONLINE TO USE YOUR STEAM GAMES. There.

The only games you need to be online for are the games that are 'online games'. EVE, Wurm, any game that requires an online presence.

Steam dying, would likely be about the same week the world crashes and burns too.
I think I'd have greater worries to be honest.

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RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 9:01:59 PM

Simulacra53

Posts: 632
Joined: 5/16/2015
Status: offline

I use both depending on the situation, desktop almost all via Steam.
Really appreciate the current approach by Slitherine.

It would be completely perfect if you could register your Steam games at Slitherine.
Call it OCD but it bugs me that my Steam only games - I own a few - cannot be registered like all my other Slitherine games. Just nitpicking...

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Post #: 6

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/26/2020 9:21:07 PM

Lobster

Posts: 5104
Joined: 8/8/2013
From: Third rock from the Sun.
Status: offline

I don't think that's nitpicking at all. It makes sense. It's not like Slitherine/Matrix are completely unaware of your purchase. I have a couple of games like that. After I realized what was happening I no longer buy them on Steam. I buy them through Slitherine/Matrix and then get a Steam key.

< Message edited by Lobster -- 6/26/2020 9:23:35 PM >

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Post #: 7

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/27/2020 12:16:45 AM

demyansk

Posts: 2840
Joined: 2/20/2008
Status: offline

I like both servicessm. I like Steam for convenience and I don't play any of the old games out there anyway. Just bought the PC Building Simulator, interesting

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Post #: 8

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/27/2020 5:21:49 AM

Simulacra53

Posts: 632
Joined: 5/16/2015
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: U235

I like to purchase my Matrix/Slitherine games on their respective home websites as they provide the installers for each game. I do however use the Steam Keys when available. I've noticed an issue and it seems to affect all installed games. The installed games seem to "lose" the ability to update if a Steam version exists, this occurs even though the file path are for obvious reasons different. The update.exe gets deleted. Is Steam searching for other copies of identical games and altering them? I have quite a few Matrix/Slitherine games in my library.

I like Steam for the convenience, but I also like to own my purchases. Anyone that for whatever reason cancels their Steam account can attest to what happens to "there" games purchased through the service. So what I'm asking is there a way to prevent the update.exe file from being removed without permissions? Do I need to manually lock down the file? While it isn't a big deal, it is an annoyance.

This is not anything I have ever experienced when having copies existing side by side.
The installer is installed with the game installation and as such a non-Steam and Steam version exists completely separate from each other.

That�s not the same for the config and save game information that most of the times gets stored in My Documents and/or Appdata. Same could be for your registry data, at least partially.

But again that should not affect your updater file.

If you start the non-Steam game, do you use the original game menu short cut?
Have you checked your Non-Steam game install directory?

What specific game(s) are we talking about?

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Post #: 9

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/27/2020 3:14:21 PM

budd

Posts: 2972
Joined: 7/4/2009
From: Tacoma
Status: offline

I install both versions if i going to load mods into a game. I usually mod the Matrix version and leave the Steam version vanilla. Been doing it for years without problem.

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I don't buy all the wargames I want, I just buy more than I need.

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Post #: 10

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/27/2020 3:19:51 PM

VPaulus

Posts: 3630
Joined: 6/23/2011
From: Portugal
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: U235

I like to purchase my Matrix/Slitherine games on their respective home websites as they provide the installers for each game. I do however use the Steam Keys when available. I've noticed an issue and it seems to affect all installed games. The installed games seem to "lose" the ability to update if a Steam version exists, this occurs even though the file path are for obvious reasons different. The update.exe gets deleted. Is Steam searching for other copies of identical games and altering them? I have quite a few Matrix/Slitherine games in my library.

I like Steam for the convenience, but I also like to own my purchases. Anyone that for whatever reason cancels their Steam account can attest to what happens to "there" games purchased through the service. So what I'm asking is there a way to prevent the update.exe file from being removed without permissions? Do I need to manually lock down the file? While it isn't a big deal, it is an annoyance.

It sounds more like an interference of an anti-virus. Unless you are installing the Steam version in the same path, which already you said you aren't. Steam version only installs the game, it's not looking if there's a standalone version of the game.
I have both versions, standalone and Steam, of several games installed in my system, and have never experienced any similar issue as the one you're reporting.

< Message edited by VPaulus -- 6/27/2020 3:21:06 PM >

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Post #: 11

RE: Observations owning both Steam and Matrix/Sitherine... - 6/27/2020 7:09:55 PM

Zorch

Posts: 7087
Joined: 3/7/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: VPaulus

quote:

ORIGINAL: U235

I have both versions, standalone and Steam, of several games installed in my system, and have never experienced any similar issue as the one you're reporting.