Stop forcing update

[I'mDirtyDan]

You should allow us to force a game that needs an update to play without updating the game. some people like me work full time and only have a laptop and have NO way to update a game without sitting a public wifi spot for 6 hours to update.

Edit. Okay so I got some morons on here in the comment section I'm going to save this. I play war thunder with my mobile hotspot, I don't mind updating that game because it's what I'm using my hotspot for, if I want to play snowrunner and it requires a 5 GB download, that kind of makes it difficult for me to do, steam should allow us to play a game that needs to be updated by allowing us to bypass that update, no other gaming store blocks you from being able to play the game when it needs an update if it's a game that doesn't require you to be online.

[Fake]

Offline mode.
No updates.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

This.

Steam is seriously lacking such a feature.

And internet connectivity issues aren't the only reason that this should be a feature. There's also the fact that updates can mess up mods, or even simply compatibility with players' machines.

Steam should have an option to just let people play literally what's already installed on the computer.

Also, inb4 people coming in here insisting that Steam was made to push updates. No, Steam was made to make updates more convenient. Forcing updates isn't a convenience; it's actually an inconvenience.

Sure, default updates to enabled. But offer people an option to turn them off it they so choose.

Meanwhile, here's a few ideas for ways to make your games playable again:

0. First, set the game to only update on launch -- not automatically.

1. Try to run the game without Steam running. You may need to tweak the game in order to get it to work. Also, this doesn't work for all games.

2. Launch the game through Steam's Offline Mode. This might not work, but I've heard that it might be more likely to succeed if you launch it from a shortcut rather than directly through Steam.

3. Modify the game files, or their corresponding appmanifest files, or their respective file permissions, so that Steam either thinks the update is already applied or otherwise can't be modified. These approaches may or may not work, but I know you can at least find guides regarding how to edit appmanifest files to make Steam think the update is already done.

4. Back up your existing game files, and let the game update. Doesn't save you from having to wait for an unreliable internet connection, but at least lets you keep any mods you've installed.

5. Get an old version from Steam via an app called Depot Downloader. Last I heard, this doesn't work anymore. Also it wouldn't save you from having to wait for the download anyway; all it would do (if it even works) is just give you an old version.

6. Just buy the game from someplace that sells it DRM-free, rather than something that forces you to run it through an forced updater like the Steam client. This is a bummer for any games you already have on Steam, but at least you can keep this in mind for future purchases.

Unfortunately, in the absence of Valve actually doing something useful here, we're stuck trying these methods to get our games to work again. But it is what it is.

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

This.

Steam is seriously lacking such a feature.

Solution for OP was answered in reply #1

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

This.

Steam is seriously lacking such a feature.

Solution for OP was answered in reply #1

I actually addressed that in my second suggestion. TL;DR I've heard it doesn't let you run the game, except maybe if it's been launched from a shortcut while in Offline Mode.

I can't check this right now.

[I'mDirtyDan]

Originally posted by Fake:

Offline mode.
No updates.

I play warthunder with mobile hotspot... I can't afford to download 3 gigs for an update on snowrunner if I chose to play that game offline

[I'mDirtyDan]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

This.

Steam is seriously lacking such a feature.

Solution for OP was answered in reply #1

No that is not a solution. I play warthunder with mobile hotspot

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

Originally posted by Fake:

Offline mode.
No updates.

I play warthunder with mobile hotspot... I can't afford to download 3 gigs for an update on snowrunner if I chose to play that game offline

You're not in the target demographic then, and such a game is going to receive constant updates, of which you need, in order to play with everyone else.

So you either get a singleplayer game, or a connection that allows you to stay up-to-date with the developers wants to release new content. That being said, a land line such as coax/fiber, or Starlink satellite or other providers would be more suitable if you with to play PvP games.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

I play warthunder with mobile hotspot... I can't afford to download 3 gigs for an update on snowrunner if I chose to play that game offline

You're not going to play a multiplayer game without having it updated to the latest version, very few exceptions aside.

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Solution for OP was answered in reply #1

No that is not a solution. I play warthunder with mobile hotspot

You didn't say what the game was in your OP, nor did you specify that it was a hotspot..

In that case, you will not be able to play a non-updated version of that game.

Try to get some talking to the devs started to see if they can issue patch updates that would be far smaller to download. Some online games that had regular large updates were able to retool their game so to cut the size of the downloads down. Might be a long shot. Other than figuring out a better network solution for you, you're dependent on the devs for the frequency and size of their updates.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

You should allow us to force a game that needs an update to play without updating the game. some people like me work full time and only have a laptop and have NO way to update a game without sitting a public wifi spot for 6 hours to update.

Developers force updates unless they use version choice via branches, an option available to them.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

You should allow us to force a game that needs an update to play without updating the game. some people like me work full time and only have a laptop and have NO way to update a game without sitting a public wifi spot for 6 hours to update.

Developers force updates unless they use version choice via branches, an option available to them.

Nope; it's the Steam client that forces the updates.

Game developers can release the same update to different platforms and Steam forces the update while others don't.

And game devs can't even modify the Steam client's mechanism of removing access to playing the game when an update is pending.

Branches are but a workaround that game devs have to go out of their way for. They're not dependable, nor do they even actually stop Steam from forcing updates if the updates go to those branches.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by I'mDirtyDan:

You should allow us to force a game that needs an update to play without updating the game. some people like me work full time and only have a laptop and have NO way to update a game without sitting a public wifi spot for 6 hours to update.

Developers force updates unless they use version choice via branches, an option available to them.

Among many others.
BUt i suspect people know this and they know the devs likely won't budge so they're trying the 'Speak to the manager' approach which isn't gonna worjk here.

[Nx Machina]

Developers force updates as you rightly pointed out when replying to:

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

CDPR as all developers can update a game without recourse to anyone.

With.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

Yeah, they can update the game.  That means they get to create and distribute updates.

That doesn't mean they get to force it onto people who don't want it.

Lets break it down.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

Yeah, they can update the game.

The developer.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

That means they get to create and distribute updates.

The developer.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

That doesn't mean they get to force it onto people who don't want it.

The developer.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Developers force updates as you rightly pointed out when replying to:

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

CDPR as all developers can update a game without recourse to anyone.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

Yeah, they can update the game.  That means they get to create and distribute updates.

That doesn't mean they get to force it onto people who don't want it.

Lets break it down.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

Yeah, they can update the game.

The developer.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

That means they get to create and distribute updates.

The developer.

Originally posted by Quint the Alligator Snapper:

That doesn't mean they get to force it onto people who don't want it.

The developer.

Thanks for again reposting my pointing out that they don't get to force updates. Remember that the creation of an update is not the same as forcing the update onto players.

You have this on speed dial at this point don't you? Nice how it's a self-own on your part.

If you still think game devs force updates, then you don't even understand how the Steam client works.

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Developers force updates unless they use version choice via branches, an option available to them.

Among many others.
BUt i suspect people know this and they know the devs likely won't budge so they're trying the 'Speak to the manager' approach which isn't gonna worjk here.

It's not a "'Speak to the manager' approach"; it's asking for what ought to be a basic feature of a launcher client.

Whether the game is multiplayer and whether it can connect to a server successfully is actually besides the question; games that actually need version checks have version checks of their own, even on Steam. Game devs rightly understand that they can't rely on Steam's forcing updates to guarantee version compatibility anyway -- especially right after an update is released, for that matter.

[JPMcMillen]

The devs could get around this by having their own launcher that installs and updates the game. Then they could build in their own options to update, not update, or possibly even roll back to a previous version.