Activating Medieval II on steam after installation

[AssyrianKing]

Hey guys, I already have my Medieval II installed on my PC. I just now activated my copy on the steam platform, but it doesn't recognize that it is already installed. Do I need to uninstall and re-download the game or is there a way to fix this?

Regards

[Dark Angel]

Right click the game and select 'Programs / Local Files / Verify Game Cache' to install the latest patches and any missing files. The game is badly supported but it should work once you've run this simple update.

Enjoy the game! :)

[AssyrianKing]

It's installed on my PC (it's a retail version), but after activating on steam it says it's not installed. When I right click it wants me to install o.O

[Dark Angel]

Originally posted by AssyrianKing:

It's installed on my PC (it's a retail version), but after activating on steam it says it's not installed. When I right click it wants me to install o.O

Okay, so not a steam copy, then you can't verify it, you have to download a patch from the TWCenter website that will make the game compatible and allow you to also use the Steam server.

I don't have the link.

[AssyrianKing]

I can't seem to find this, does anybody have a link or a way to do this ?

[Dark Angel]

Two second search ... http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?96588-Patches-M2TW-Update-1-5-1-3-amp-1-2-Download-Links

[LSD]

I think you're both confused.

The retail copy is completely different to the Steam version of the game. So yes, you will need to download Steam's version in order to play Steam's version of the game -- or instead, just stick with your retail version you already have installed.

The only real reason to use the Steam version is to play multiplayer. The recent patch led to a number of unresolved issues, so you'll typically be better off sticking with retail. Plus it's an extra 20GBs to download...

[Dark Angel]

Originally posted by LSD:

I think you're both confused.

The retail copy is completely different to the Steam version of the game. So yes, you will need to download Steam's version in order to play Steam's version of the game -- or instead, just stick with your retail version you already have installed.

The only real reason to use the Steam version is to play multiplayer. The recent patch led to a number of unresolved issues, so you'll typically be better off sticking with retail. Plus it's an extra 20GBs to download...

Well that was helpfully confusing LOL!.

The non-Steam patch is required if OP wants to use their game online on the Steam server.

Your answer only applies to SP, which he can still play with or without the patch. As OP says he wants to activate the game on Steam, it's obvious a patch is required.

Sorry to pick you up on this.

[LSD]

Originally posted by Dark Angel Ascendant:

Originally posted by LSD:

I think you're both confused.

The retail copy is completely different to the Steam version of the game. So yes, you will need to download Steam's version in order to play Steam's version of the game -- or instead, just stick with your retail version you already have installed.

The only real reason to use the Steam version is to play multiplayer. The recent patch led to a number of unresolved issues, so you'll typically be better off sticking with retail. Plus it's an extra 20GBs to download...

Well that was helpfully confusing LOL!.

The non-Steam patch is required if OP wants to use their game online on the Steam server.

Your answer only applies to SP, which he can still play with or without the patch. As OP says he wants to activate the game on Steam, it's obvious a patch is required.

Sorry to pick you up on this.

To play online (through Steam's servers), you specifically have to install the Steam version of the game; there's no patch to play retail through Steam -- the retail and Steam versions are completely separate from each other.
1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.5 are all balance patches, for retail copies of the game.
1.52 is the recent update for Steamworks integration, which can only be downloaded through Steam itself (and thus is only for Steam's version of the game).

[Dark Angel]

You activate your product on Steam using the 'Games/Add a Non-Steam Game to Library', you can then play on the server using a registered retail version with the correct mod.

To do this you need the non-Steam patch at the link I posted above.

Read the link I posted above.

Quote:

"Installing Patch 1.3
Patch 1.3 was released so that players without the Kingdoms expansion would be able to play online against players with Kingdoms installed. Obviously, this would only apply to vanilla Medieval 2: Total War games. It is a small patch and won't take long to install. You can download it here. If you install Kingdoms, your M2TW game is automatically patched to 1.3."

[LSD]

Originally posted by Dark Angel Ascendant:

You activate your product on Steam using the 'Games/Add a Non-Steam Game to Library', you can then play on the server using a registered retail version with the correct mod.

To do this you need the non-Steam patch at the link I posted above.

Read the link I posted above.

Quote:

"Installing Patch 1.3
Patch 1.3 was released so that players without the Kingdoms expansion would be able to play online against players with Kingdoms installed. Obviously, this would only apply to vanilla Medieval 2: Total War games. It is a small patch and won't take long to install. You can download it here. If you install Kingdoms, your M2TW game is automatically patched to 1.3."

That's for the Kingdoms expansion, from years ago. It's nothing to do with Steam. As it says, it's so people with the expansion could play with people without the expansion.
Since then, GameSpy shut down, multiplayer died, and Steamworks took over GameSpy's server hosting role with the 1.52 patch last year. You can't get that patch without the Steam copy.

"Add non-Steam game" has nothing to do with it either. It just lets you talk to friends while playing a game you don't own on Steam.

[AssyrianKing]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your help, and sorry for making you argue hehe ><
I just moved the Medieval II folder to the steam folder and just clicked install, it saved me a good 5GB of download so ill just wait it out. Thanks for all the help :)

[Dark Angel]

A robust discussion is never an argument. There was nothing personal in it. Glad you sorted your problem.

[AssyrianKing]

Actually it didn't work, I got a disk write error haha, i'll just download it from the beginning ><