My LAST Steam Rant. Plus an idea for those stuck on 13.9Gb

[Xerces]

Firstly here is the ticket I have just raised with Valve/Steam:

"Hi,
I am having some major issues in downloading Empire Total War. I started downloading at 17:00 GMT yesterday. And obviously due to such a large download left it overnight. I did have issues overnight in that I had to keep on getting up every hour to double click it, to get it to start downloading again as it kept stopping. But no biggie been waiting for this game for a long time, and such is life! lol! This morning I get up for the day (have taken day off work today), and my countdown tells me I have 2 hours left, again exactly what I had expected, so I sit and get my daughter ready for school etc, and then it gets to 47 mins left, I go and make a coffee come back, and BANG its shot up to 7 hours. So my first thought was to re-start Steam just to make sure its not a mistake. And no, it wasnt, same time is there. I check my Empire folder in SteamApps and it was currently at 13.9Gb, so I simply leave it to carry on doing its thing. And my percentage in my games tab next to updating seems to be moving faster than the time it is telling me, again though I dont interfere, and sit and wait. The percentage hit 100% and then changes to 100% ready. So like any user I double click, and Empires starts up. nd I begin to play.

I then notice stright away that none of my units have textures. So I shut down the game, and scan the forums, and find that I seem to be one of the ones where Steam hasnt fully downloaded the game, and by re-strating Steam it will download the rest. So I do this, and it begins to update again. This now where I notice that although it is telling me its updating, my Empire folder is not increasing in size, and is and has now been stuck (for 6 HOURS NOW!) on 13.9Gb. I have followed all the support advice from here, I have re-named the ClientRegistry.blob and then when that didnt work deleted every file other than the Steam.exe and the SteamApps folder, but still nothing. And as I am typing this it is still telling me its updating (oh I have also tried restarting, selecting different regions, changing my d/l speed, and pausing the update/dl for 10 sec, 20 secs, 1 min and unpausing etc you get to try EVERYTHING in 6 hours!).

And now whilst typing this to you I have checked my Empire folder again and still its at 13.9Gb? Even though (at the 13th attempt now) my update is up to 65% with a dl speed of 164,0 KB/s (which is slow yes, but if it has downloaded 13.9Gb in 15 hours then it surely would have gotten over the final 1.1Gb thats left by now?).

So all I would like to know really is are you aware of this? And any info/support you can provide would be most welcome. I am not expecting miricales, would just like to know whats happening and at the least that you ladies and gents are aware of such issues, as I can assure you I am not the only one. (But I am sure you are aware of that anyway!). Thanks for your time, and I would like to point out (as you can see from my account) that I have many games purchased from yoursleves and this is the first time I have ever had to raise a ticket, and have always been very happy with Steam. Thanks."

So will wait to see the response from them if any!

And I was just thinking it might be that it is indeed 13.9Gb, and its simply overwriting files as its installing that phantom day 0 patch I have seen mentioned everywhere today? Just a thought. Anyway I am simply going to just sit here now and wait for a response from Steam with I do not expect, leave my update on 100% for the rest of the evening and hope that it is doing SOMETHING. And who knows I might get to play it by the end of next week. I am now just too tired and frustrated now at the total lack of any form of communication from ANYONE official from anywhere, that I just cannot be bothered, my day off (Which means I have taken a days holiday for this debacle!) has now been totally wasted, so sour taste etc just doesnt quite sum up how knackered I am now, from staying up all night and clicking the download to start every hour, to sitting here ALL day just trying to find out how I get my game up and running etc. Again just a simple "Its just updating and 13.9Gb will stay at that size as its overwriting." Or "It is an issue, but we are working on it, and it may be resolved on March 22nd" or uninstall and re-download, anything and I would have been happy rather than just waste my day!....blah, blah, blah, blah too tired now. I will now only post on here to let those of you having these issues that I am up and running, and if indeed I have any useful info to give you.

Rant over and out! Enjoy your evening/s!

[MyOwnSling]

I'm sorry to hear you're having such a huge problem. I posted in another thread in response to your problem, but I'll say again here: I'm almost at a lost as to what you should do. The last thing I can think of to do is to just wipe it clean and start anew. You shouldn't have to do this, but if you are desperate, then maybe it's an option :\

[Sigurd Fåvnesbane]

I am at 13.8 gigs! any response?

[Cougar109]

My game just finished downloading not to long ago after about 9 hours, and seems like I'm having a similar problem to you guys. When the game finished downloading I went to launch and and boom, soon as I do CTD. Ok, so I re-load Steam and a update starts to download, Curious I go check out my game folder, and see it's 13.9. So I figure it's just installing the rest of the game, no big deal. So the thing it's 100%, but the download keeps going. So I lauch the game for the hell of it, and boom CTD again as soon as I do. So this time I let the download continue even after it hit 100%, took another 45 minutes after that fact but finally it got done. Went to launch game and then again CTD. So I validate the game, and it does nothing when the check up is done, then all of a sudden the update decides to start again.

This is where I'm at now, I got a few tricks I've learned over the years for Steam I'll give them a try, but really it seems like our download got corrupted somehow and we're missing a file or two and this "update" keeps trying to put those files in. Like I said going to try a few more things, but it looks like I'm going to have to spend another 9 hours re downloading the thing. This is really starting to turn into one of the worse launches I've ever seen for a single player game, hopefully either Sega, CA, or Valve decide to do something to help stop the bleeding soon because it's getting a bit sad now.

[Sigurd Fåvnesbane]

now wheres that "phantom day patch"?

[Gunfreak]

I think your only option is to redownload it, i'm doing it now, and at 50% I had 7.5 gig, if this truly is 50% I should have the 14.7 gig when I hit 100%

[ffssteam]

6 hours to install a game... common wtf ppl are serious, do they test them ?
I dont like that service and the only think ... "Give me a Pirate Copy"
I am tired to subsribe to steam, game for the windows, social rockstar club .... zillion codes to activate a feauture of a game... was the last time. No more money for you suckers, make better support.

i just want to play... so i guess RAPIDSHARE TORRENTS... download and install, job done!

I would blame Sega also, seeing as they are the primary publisher, getting the software into user's hands is their responsibility, Steam is just doing some of the work.

[Xerces]

I think your only option is to redownload it, i'm doing it now, and at 50% I had 7.5 gig, if this truly is 50% I should have the 14.7 gig when I hit 100%

Ok so no response from Steam/Valve, and with no offence to the CA post it basically answered none of our questions on our issues at all. Simply gave me answers to future question I MIGHT have if I can actually get the game downloaded. So I am now doing the same. I have uninstalled, and have started again. If this doesnt work then I shall asking for my money back from Valve, and buying the retail copy, which had I known all of this .... would have happened in the first place!

[Gunfreak]

Dosn't look like it's going to make it, I'm at 11.3 gig and only 14% left of the download,
I doubt I'll get those 3+ gigs in just 14%

[Edelward]

Can't man just instal ETW from game disc?

[Sigurd Fåvnesbane]

Not any solution? anyone? Please! i don't want to delete my 13.8 gigs of files! My download speed is 130 KB/s... I am truly desperate. Please.

"here I and sorrows sit; Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it."
I might misanterpretate the sentence, but I really feel like that. My emotions are boiling in me after 35 hours of constant stress and problems. Please, I (and we) need some help.

[dbgager]

My Empire Total War folder with the game completelly installed is 14.7GB..so it looks like your only missing about 800MB worth of files..

[Gunfreak]

BY GOD IT WORKED, after sweating and compearing the downloead % and the size of the folder it worked, I now have 14.7 gig empire folder, and I can play battels and it all,
I was real scared when I was at 11gig and only 15% left to go, but it made it

[IndoPruss]

Try to verify the integrity of the game files from Steam.

[Sigurd Fåvnesbane]

Hello!
I did it! The solution.... to the 13.9/13.8(In my case) stop! Ok. I cannot say its 100 % going to work, but maybe... Here's what I did.

Copy all that you have downloaded (empire folder) on to you desktop or whatever.
Then right click on Empire in steam and select "delete all local files"(Direct translation from Norwegian, so I don't know the exact)
So, then Empire will be "Not installed".
THEN! copy the gamefiles you laid on the desktop INTO the steamfolder again....
And clik install. Then it would update, like hyperfast, because it finds all these files you know.
And the result i going to be subjective, but it stopped at 66 % and started downloading files. Then I laid myself to bed not believing it would work. And now I just woke up and its 100 %, 14.7 gigs and I was on the main menu until I remembered you poor soul. Then I wrote it. I hope yours will work! I really do!

NB: I take no responsobility if it completely s up!

Ask if you have some questions....
-Sigurd Fåvnesbane

+Rep would be :awesome:

[Cainrae]

Hello!
I did it! The solution.... to the 13.9/13.8(In my case) stop! Ok. I cannot say its 100 % going to work, but maybe... Here's what I did.

Copy all that you have downloaded (empire folder) on to you desktop or whatever.
Then right click on Empire in steam and select "delete all local files"(Direct translation from Norwegian, so I don't know the exact)
So, then Empire will be "Not installed".
THEN! copy the gamefiles you laid on the desktop INTO the steamfolder again....
And clik install. Then it would update, like hyperfast, because it finds all these files you know.
And the result i going to be subjective, but it stopped at 66 % and started downloading files. Then I laid myself to bed not believing it would work. And now I just woke up and its 100 %, 14.7 gigs and I was on the main menu until I remembered you poor soul. Then I wrote it. I hope yours will work! I really do!

NB: I take no responsobility if it completely s up!

Ask if you have some questions....
-Sigurd Fåvnesbane

+Rep would be :awesome:

I'll try that once i get home If it works, i'll Rep spam you