Empire Steam FAQ

[Roths]

Q: Will Steam be malicious like SecuROM and include a rootkit that permanently infests a computer's hard-drive until reformatting?

A: You can uninstall Steam whenever you want, though you won't be able to play Empire if you do that.

Steam is a virus?

[GroupofSpearmen]

Steam is a virus?

No. And I think he wrote that wrong.

[Aradan]

When you purchase something from steam, is there tax?

Not any more than when you buy the game retail.

But !
what if i dont have internet ?
Will ETW DVD bought in any store , have steam software in it ?
or do i have to download it from the internet ( STEAM software)?
im asking this because , there are lots of people who play the game without internet

I believe Steam has to be downloaded separately.

So what I only have to activate it once and then I dont have to have an internet connection??

Yes, exactly.

Steam is a virus?

No, Steam is not a virus. The comparison with SecuRom is made simply because SecuRom installed a rootkit permanently to the player's system, which annoyed many people. Steam does not do that.

[eddy_purpus]

i Believe Steam has to be downloaded separately.

that sucks man!
if that's true , imagine all the people who will need to get an internet connection just to activate the game , and be able to play it off line ?

[Sargsaft]

that sucks man!
if that's true , imagine all the people who will need to get an internet connection just to activate the game , and be able to play it off line ?

i just wonder everyone that posts in here has to have a internet connection so and it seems that many people argue tat they cant do that

so why can everyone complain about this online activation since the exact same people dont have a connection to the internet....

in what century do they still live?

[Xen]

that sucks man!
if that's true , imagine all the people who will need to get an internet connection just to activate the game , and be able to play it off line ?

It's the 21st century, unless you live in the middle of the amazon, you'll be able to activate it through steam somehow.

[Redcoat69]

No, Steam is not a virus. The comparison with SecuRom is made simply because SecuRom installed a rootkit permanently to the player's system, which annoyed many people. Steam does not do that.

thats why people sued the hell out of EA for securom

[Hardrada992]

Someone asked whether or not there is a sales tax when buying from steam, to which Aradan responded:

Not any more than when you buy the game retail.

But what about states that don't have sales tax? I buy all my somewhat expensive stuff in New Hampshire because that is a state with no sales tax, even though I live in Vermont. Different states have different rates, usually in the 7-10% range.
Now I assume Steam doesn't look at what state you are downloading from and then applies the appropriate sales tax, so I guess that you'd be paying whatever tax exists in the state Steam is run from, or do you even pay tax at all?

I also assume Steam is based out of California, which has a 10% sales tax. This might be something people would want to keep in mind, depending on the way steam handles sales tax.
I'm just wondering if I should buy it from a store in NH for 49.99 exactly or if I can get it off steam for the same price, rather than 54.99 or whatever.

[Knighty]

If I recall correctly, when you buy a game it looks at the billing information (probably primarily zip code) that's attached to the credit card for calculating tax.

[Bema]

But what about states that don't have sales tax? I buy all my somewhat expensive stuff in New Hampshire because that is a state with no sales tax, even though I live in Vermont. Different states have different rates, usually in the 7-10% range.

Now I assume Steam doesn't look at what state you are downloading from and then applies the appropriate sales tax, so I guess that you'd be paying whatever tax exists in the state Steam is run from, or do you even pay tax at all?

You will have to pay tax. In Europe all of our prices already include VAT (bonus of having just the one sales tax across the country). In the USA it's slightly more complicated as different states have different rates (like you said). I assume Steam will look to see where about's you're downloading from. I'm fairly sure they'll be a legal requirement for them to charge you the correct tax rate. When you sign up for Steam, do you have to select your location (I can't remember)? It could go off of that as a very low-tech method.

I also assume Steam is based out of California, which has a 10% sales tax. This might be something people would want to keep in mind, depending on the way steam handles sales tax.

Steam (and Valve) are based in Bellevue. Sales tax there is 6.5% according to Google.

You could just go and try it out - pick a random game & go through to the shopping cart. It should tell you what sales tax you're being charged there.

I'm just wondering if I should buy it from a store in NH for 49.99 exactly or if I can get it off steam for the same price, rather than 54.99 or whatever.

Get it where-ever it's cheapest.

[Brp0650]

My issue with ETW and Steam is the fact i had to install everything in order to be able to activate the game. I use my laptop for internet use and my desktop for gaming. I had a limited amount of resources running to give my game programs all the extra juice it needed. I know i was not forced to purchase this game, in fact i did not, it was a gift from my youngest daughter. A get well soon present if you will. My wife helped pick it out and had no idea what a Steam was or what it did. Yes i understand that the geme can be played in "offline mode" so technically i do not need all the firewall/virus program, and the resources needed for internet use. Typically i would just download a patch, transfer to a flashdrive and move it to my desktop to patch my games. Take for instance today.......I was getting ready to continue my campaign, playing Portugal (have to stick with my roots and all) load up steam and start to get an update....next thing i know comsuck (comcast) goes out right in the middle. So i cannot play for some reason it knocedk out my membership info. In other words, no play until the cable is restored. I was stuck replaying BIA-Hells highway.
I understand that piracy is an issue, but geez there has to be another way to activate and play for cases like this. Its kinda like me having to call Japan and ask " Hey, i want to go for a ride today, mind switching my motorcycle on?"

Other than that i still enjoy playing the TW series

[jim600]

I know you need Steam to register the game.
So is it true that if you are not connected to the web you can`t play the gam

So if I buy it retail and haven`t got internet access I can`t play it. Is that so?

[Gonzo89]

I know you need Steam to register the game.
So is it true that if you are not connected to the web you can`t play the gam

So if I buy it retail and haven`t got internet access I can`t play it. Is that so?

Read the first post. You can start Steam in 'offline mode' and play through that. You will need to register the game online once, and to do that use a public computer at a library or cyber cafe, or even a friend.

After you've registered your CD key, you can play the game without an internet connection through Steam.

[Mr_Inu]

Read the first post. You can start Steam in 'offline mode' and play through that. You will need to register the game online once, and to do that use a public computer at a library or cyber cafe, or even a friend.

After you've registered your CD key, you can play the game without an internet connection through Steam.

I do not think this is possible. My impression was that to install steam itself and connect it to a specific account, you also have to be online once before you go into offline mode.

It's not possible to install steam and Empire on a computer without taking that specific computer online at least once, from what I know.

[Lord of Lost Socks]

I know you need Steam to register the game.
So is it true that if you are not connected to the web you can`t play the gam

So if I buy it retail and haven`t got internet access I can`t play it. Is that so?

how many times has this question been answered?

You have to register it online(in steam) when you buy the game, after that you can play it in offline mode(you are not connected to the internet, but steam is on.)

[NRS]

I have a problem very similar to that of legofingers, I have a computer that is not on the internet, as well as one that is, but is still running windows98 and couldn't play empire in a million years. My good computer probobly isn't going to be internet-connected any time soon. I can't even get past the begining of the installation where I need to put on steam (I need .dll files)... soo, I can't even start the instalation of the program!!! HELP!!!!!

[Laird of Ravescroft]

Installed Special Forces Edition last night. Steam installed Ok Took only 40 Mins. Hoping to get stuck in. Steam confirms 100% ready. But...Game presently not available. Try Later. Why? Why after paying good money can I not play it? We should be able to plat OUR game when we want, on whatever computer we want. CA/Sega should face mass protests from all as disgruntled as me. Many sales will be thru Amazon. Give it a 1 star review there with full moans. That may wake them up.Thousands of CA fans feel defrauded or at best Steam cleaned out. This should not stand.

[Gonzo89]

Installed Special Forces Edition last night. Steam installed Ok Took only 40 Mins. Hoping to get stuck in. Steam confirms 100% ready. But...Game presently not available. Try Later. Why? Why after paying good money can I not play it? We should be able to plat OUR game when we want, on whatever computer we want. CA/Sega should face mass protests from all as disgruntled as me. Many sales will be thru Amazon. Give it a 1 star review there with full moans. That may wake them up.Thousands of CA fans feel defrauded or at best Steam cleaned out. This should not stand.

Delete clientregistry.blob in your Steam folder. Restart your computer, then try again.

[Laird of Ravescroft]

Thanks Gonzo. Not on home machine now, but will try. Not familiar with Steam,so is the blob easy to find?

[Gonzo89]

Thanks Gonzo. Not on home machine now, but will try. Not familiar with Steam,so is the blob easy to find?

Yeah it's easy enough to find. Just go to Program Files, then your Steam folder, and its in there.

It should get it working that, Steam will have to update itself at first again so let it do that, might take a few minutes. After that though, all should be good.

If not, then you can start complaining...