Installing with Steam

[ROFL Copter]

It seams people are having trouble with this, so I thought I would clear it up. I bought the Alexander version of steam (since I forgot to get the real one) and figured this out a little while ago. Firstoff, download EB, and install it into your C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\rome total war gold as you have probably have guessed. Download and install EB 1.2 as well. Now comes the harder part. Normally if you had a disk version of the game merely clicking on the EB shortcut that is installed would work, but it targets itself at the TrivialScript, which in turn targets Rome.exe, which with Steam will not work. So heres how to fix it. In Steam, make a desktop shortcut for RTW Gold vanilla. Right click this and click on properties. Under target it should say something like:

"C:\Program Files\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 4760

But yours may be different, dont use mine. Copy this. Now right click your EB shortcut (or any, it doesnt really matter) and paste this over what is written in target. Leave a space and paste this:

-show_err -nm -mod:EB

And you'll have something like:

"C:\Program Files\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 4760 -show_err -nm -mod:EB

It should work. But I've only tried it with the Alexander expantion, so I'm not 100% sure.

[kdub22]

I've got a way that should work for those of you who are like me and just installed everything the conventional way.
This may take a while, but I'm confident that it can help most people get both regular Europa Barbarorum and the Alexander version running in steam.
Before we get started. I'm going to assume that you already have a working build of EB installed and ready to go. By the way I'm doing this on Windows XP Pro: 64 Bit Edition, and I have installed RTW and all my mods into a directory that I specified myself as explained here. So my target/path is going to look different to yours. Also, because I'm doing this on XP, following these instructions to a T will probably only work on XP. Vista and 7 may structure the directories and the installation differently.

OK. So you've got EB 1.2, you enjoy it, it works fine, but you can't get it to run with steam. What do we do? I'll explain how to get it working with regular EB and EB running with the Alexander Engine.

Regular Europa Barbarorum:
Open steam then go to your My Games list. Click on the "Add non steam game" button at the bottom. Steam probably isn't going to find the application we're looking for on its own, so you're going to have to give it specific directions. Here's how:
Open the start bar, then go All Programs>Europa Barbarorum, then right click on the "Play Single Player" shortcut. From there open the properties of the shortcut so that you can see the file path/target. Copy the target from there. You should have something that looks like "C:\Program Files (x86)\EBTrivialScript\EBTrivialScript.exe" -s ebconfig.xml -runeb -type "Single Player". The exception to this being of course that a lot of you probably aren't using the x64 version of xp, so you'll just have program files instead of program files (x86).
OK, so you've got that target line copied. Go back into steam and the add non steam game window should still be open. Click on the browse button, then paste the entire target line you just copied into the text box next to where it says "File Name". If you click Open, you'll notice that it wont accept the target line that you're trying to add and just sits there. Don't worry, steam only runs .exe files, and additional details can be added in later. Cut everything from the target line that comes after \EBTrivialScript.exe, including the space. Do not delete it, you're going to need it later. Essentially, your target line should end in EBTrivialScript.exe. Be sure to delete all quotation marks from the target line as well.
OK. Click open, to finish adding the target line. Steam should have added an application that is displayed as "Configuration" and will probably look like this:

Click "Add Selected Programs" and you'll be returned to the my games list.
From there, right click on Configuration that is in your installed games list then click on "Properties". From here you should see the target line that you specified earlier. Now paste the -s ebconfig.xml -runeb -type "Single Player" including the space that you cut earlier. Click close to apply the settings. EB still won't run with these settings, but don't worry, we're nearly finished.
By default, steam will try to run EB trivial script from the directory that you have it installed to:

However windows doesn't do it the same way:

Basically all you do here is open the Single Player properties again and copy the text from "Start In" to the Start In command line in the properties for the shortcut in steam. Your command line will look different to mine, but the principle is the same.
So now, the two should look the same:

From this point you're pretty much done, so you might as well change the name of the shortcut from Configuration to Europa Barbarorum.
Click close, it'll save the changes. Click Launch and you should be good to go.

EB with Alexander:
This one is even easier. Because all you have to do is go through the usual "Add non steam game" tools, add your default Rome Total War - Alexander Expansion game file (RomeTW-ALX.exe) then just add the standard -mod:eb -show_err -nm -noalexander command line (again, be sure to include the space), close the properties and you're good to go.

Then you can enjoy your favorite RTW mod, while still being able to be harassed by your less informed friends who are wondering what the hell you're playing:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Enjoy.

[ROFL Copter]

Mines much simpler.

[kdub22]

Mines much simpler.

Yeah. I know mine is a bit of a readathon. But I tried to break it down into as much simple detail as I thought I could. Plus I don't have RTW Gold. So I don't know how different it might be.

[johnhughthom]

I use a third method to play EB with Alex.exe on a Steam RTW!

I won't go into my way though, it's much more convulated than either of yours.

edit: Won't the two methods shown above lead to the immortal faction leader problem?

[kdub22]

edit: Won't the two methods shown above lead to the immortal faction leader problem?

I'm not sure what you mean. What is the immortal faction leader problem? Does your faction leader just never die of old age or something?
I haven't actually played through a campaign since I got EB working with steam. But I'll give one a try now to make sure. Beyond that I can't foresee any real problems with it. I can't speak on behalf of ROFL Copter and his guide. But mine still uses the same EBTrivialScript.exe file that is used when you run EB normally anyway. Similar case with EB Alexander. Essentially all I've done is make sure that the shortcuts in steam match up with the ones you would have in windows in order to get the mod to work.

[debux]

Jesus, I hate steam. Tried ROFL Copter option, but I can't play the campaign (for some stupid reason), and it seems that the installation was missing a file (which is strange, because I had used the same installation thing with success) so I couldn't play custom battles. Then I tried kdub22 answer, but steam doesn't let me cut/copy/paste the target (I even tried writing the whole thing, but once I tried taking the target out after the EBTrivialScript.exe it erased the whole thing.

Next time I'm sure to make get a disk... now I understand why many people hate steam. It's almost mod-incompatible! (considering you have to go over all that)

[kdub22]

Jesus, I hate steam. Tried ROFL Copter option, but I can't play the campaign (for some stupid reason), and it seems that the installation was missing a file (which is strange, because I had used the same installation thing with success) so I couldn't play custom battles. Then I tried kdub22 answer, but steam doesn't let me cut/copy/paste the target (I even tried writing the whole thing, but once I tried taking the target out after the EBTrivialScript.exe it erased the whole thing.

Next time I'm sure to make get a disk... now I understand why many people hate steam. It's almost mod-incompatible! (considering you have to go over all that)

Are you using default EB or EB ALX? Also can you put it in better detail how you're trying to do it?
At the end of it all. If you've installed it the conventional way (not through steam) your shortcut target and launch in details should just look the same as they would for a shortcut in windows.

[debux]

Sorry 'bout that, tried it with RTW Gold. And as I downloaded it from steam, the thing came ready, it seems that steam downloads it and installs it at the same time. So I guess steam did the installation. And it works fine for me (haven't tried BI yet, but there shouldn't be any troubles I guess).

The strange thing is, that when I'm in the stage of adding the Trivial Script thing (what is it, by the way?), nothing happens when I try to paste the target. So I tried writing it down by myself, but when I tried cutting the target that came after EBTrivialScript, the whole target disappeared, so I just gave up on it, since I seemingly had to modify it later on (it was like 11 o'clock after a kinda long day)

[kdub22]

Have you got EB working without launching it through steam yet? Because you still need to have a working version of EB for any of these methods to work in the first place.

[Cevlakohn]

Neither solution works for me. It says "Failed to find Steam", whether I'm clicking on the shortcut in my RTWG folder or when opening the shortcut in Steam.

[Cevlakohn]

Neither solution works for me. It says "Failed to find Steam", whether I'm clicking on the shortcut in my RTWG folder or when opening the shortcut in Steam.

Just my luck that I figure it out *right* after posting about how it didn't work for me. I went into the properties of the Steam shortcut for the game, and in "Set Launch Options" added the -mod:eb -nm -show err onto the blank line.

[kdub22]

Just my luck that I figure it out *right* after posting about how it didn't work for me. I went into the properties of the Steam shortcut for the game, and in "Set Launch Options" added the -mod:eb -nm -show err onto the blank line.

At least it's working now.

[Bonapartist]

I'm trying to use the listed method for installing with Steam, using the "add non steam game" thing to make a new entry and then adding the " -mod:eb -show_err -nm -noalexander" to the command line.

However, when I launch I just get a "steam not detected" error from steam and no go.

PLEASE HELP! I miss this game.

[kdub22]

I'm trying to use the listed method for installing with Steam, using the "add non steam game" thing to make a new entry and then adding the " -mod:eb -show_err -nm -noalexander" to the command line.

However, when I launch I just get a "steam not detected" error from steam and no go.

PLEASE HELP! I miss this game.

I'm assuming you mean the one that I put up, not ROFL Copter's. Anyway, do you have a steam based version of Rome Total War, or a regular one?
My second question is are you making sure that you have all the quotation marks for the file path in the correct place? Because Steam and Windows can both be pretty finicky with this, and if you don't have everything exactly right in the file path, it won't work. I've had that problem on a few occassions, but it was fixed by checking that the file path syntax was correct. I know that while Steam doesn't let you add a .exe file to the list while it's still wrapped in quotation marks, it adds them in later, which helps break up the file path so that you can add in the mod commands later.
Third question. Does your EB Alexander work correctly when you don't use steam and just launch it regularly through Windows?

At any rate. My general rule of thumb on issues regarding the Steam shortcut, itself, is that when in doubt, just make sure that the steam shortcut's path and launch in directories match up with the ones that Windows uses to run the mod. As long as your build of EB is working in Windows, this should mean that it will work in Steam, too.

[Bonapartist]

Hey Kdup, thanks for the awesome reply. To answer your questions

A) Steam version
B) I'm no stranger to installing mods and know the woes of a misplaced quotation
C) Nope, ordinarily it kicking me out moaning about Steam not being detected.

I fixed it. And not in a method of which I'm particularly proud. I (I mean my friend's uncle's shoe salesman) actually resorted to using a *** version as this was the only way to keep Steam from cockblocking me. Hey, it's their fault that their protection is causing issues. Now I'm running it outside of Steam, with a shortcut and the command line we just discussed. I'd love an alternative to this method... I think Steam's protection may of updated some months back and it has made getting EB to work, Alexander or Rome, very difficult. A year ago on my XP system it wasn't half the headache...

Totally worth it, I love EB, it's head and shoulders better than most 60$ commercial releases. I just wish it was better balanced, had more units, and the team was still actively working on it. Also wish they'd fix how a general with a cold manages to make a whole fleet stop dead cold for a whole season, that bug has cost me absurd amounts of in game cash for no good reason.

[kdub22]

That's strange. I would not have guessed that steam would do that, although if that is the case, I must say I'm not entirely surprised, either. Security is a big concern for Valve, and I doubt that a 3rd party mod for a game that they hardly sell these days would be a priority for them.
I dare say that it's not that you're not on XP, anymore (not sure if that's what you were alluding to or if I've just misunderstood you). After all, I've had EB ALX running in Steam just the other week, and I'm on Windows 7 Ultimate x64 these days. Although unlike you, I'm using the regular disc version of RTW and Alexander. The directions that I put after ROFL Copter's post are suited for the disc version. ROFL Copter's guide is for the Steam based build. But, if it is as you've said and Valve have updated something that prevents you from using custom file paths with Steam based games, then I don't know what could be done from there. But that's not my area of experience anyway.

But at any rate, at least you've got it working now.

P.S. I thought they'd stopped working on the RTW/ALX version because they were making EB2 for the Medievall II/Kingdoms engine. Are they not doing that anymore? I haven't been much of an active member in the EB forums for quite some time, now, so I'm quite out of the loop on this one.

[Bonapartist]

More play and I see that I'm getting no "this year in history" notices, and also that type 4 governments don't give me the ability to make allied generals.. I'm running EB lite. I'm going to try a reinstall tomorrow and see what happens.

[kdub22]

More play and I see that I'm getting no "this year in history" notices, and also that type 4 governments don't give me the ability to make allied generals.. I'm running EB lite. I'm going to try a reinstall tomorrow and see what happens.

I guess it couldn't hurt. Those types of problems sound like they're more to do with the mod, itself and not Steam. That's between you and the guys who actually make the mod.

[Bonapartist]

Honestly, I'd blame the crac**d EXE or a bad install on my part. I've had very few problems with EB in the past, it's a pretty clean machine outside of the after-battle crashes, at least on my XP system. Now that I'm off work I'm gonna reinstall and try again, hopefully I'll find some way to accomplish it without the new EXE.