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A guide to port games bought on Steam!
by cluthz
Updated February 2012.
Thanks to drakulix for helping me with the original guide
So, you went crazy and bought 100 games on the steam summer sale?
And you probably just started to regret it because you cannot port them or use a ready made wrapper,
because installing steam in a wrapper is a huge hassle, and you cannot run steam in cider.
Don't despair here is a quick guide to "How to run games bought on steam without steam"
Doing this is breaking the steam EULA, but usually we porters have to use SKIDROW cracks and all sorts of workarounds to play our own legally bought games.
This method does work with Wineskin and Cider, and it's the only way to get a steam game running in cider unless you crack it (which might or might not work)
Guide:
To start porting a steam game there is a few tools needed and you preferably wanna have access to a PC, bootcamp, vmware/parralells.
It is possible without, since you can use the Steam wrapper by devilhunter but it makes it easier with a windows installation.
You can also use a blank wineskin wrapper and do winetricks "steam".
Part one:
Launch Steam and install the game.
Run the game, update it and make sure it runs as it should!!!
Now you have a working game, but it still needs windows and steam.
Part two:
Navigate to your "c:/Program Files/Steam/SteamApps/common/" (Program Files might be called Program FIles (x86) on newer systems)
Here you will find your game. Copy/move it to another location, you will eventually move this folder into the wrapper, so make sure you have access to it from your Mac.
Part three:
Now you need some tools to get it running, there are two tools available, revEmu and revLoader.
These tools are made by http://cs.rin.ru and can be found on their forums.
-My prepacked "steamloader" package: http://www.mediafire...w1ehbbe647hhlf1
(this is just a revloader+revemu package, but this one work perfectly with cider and I have modified configs a bit for easier porting)
If you want to get the newest releases:
-revEmu: http://cs.rin.ru/for...hp?f=29&t=30678
-revLoader: http://cs.rin.ru/for...pic.php?t=48416
revEmu
Sometimes this is just enuff to get the game running.
Copy the files from the revEmu into the folder with the executables.
Try launch the game (in windows) with steam disabled.
You can try launch it in a wrapper too, but the reason for the game not launching can be something else.
This method is much less compatible than using the full revloader/steamloader package.
revLoader or the "steamloader"
This is the real gem, this can launch almost any steam game without steam beeing launched.
You need to edit two files to get it running:
1.) rev.ini,
this files looks like this and chooses the main exe of the game:
You will only have to edit the TEXT IN RED
Copy revLoader into the games folder.
2.) Steam_APPID.txt
Lastly you need a "steam_appid.txt" file in the same folder this a plain text file ONLY containing the game ID nr.. You need the SteamAppID for the game.
HOW TO FIND APP ID:
You can either use this list:
Excel document: http://dl.dropbox.co...erwrappers.xlsx
Do it in Mac OS/ Windows:
Do it in windows (this was the old method, it's still valid, but not as easy as the others)
Part Four:
Now you are done in windows/bootcamp/etc, reboot to mac os and put game inside the wrapper you just downloaded from http://www.portingteam.com or make your own port. Remember that if you use the revLoader you need to adjust path to revLoader.exe instead of the "game".exe
----------------------------------------------
Q: The wineskin wrapper just open the wineskin setup where I can choose to install!
Choose advanced and press "browse" behind the Windows EXE line, navigate to revloader.exe
Q: My cider/ciderX game just bounces one and nothing else happens!
Probably the same error as the wineskin above. On CiderX open XWrapper inside the wrapper and navigate to the revloader.exe
On Cider open the info.plist inside and find the "CedegaGameName" and be sure it points to the revLoader.exe
Q: MY GAME DOESN'T WORK!!! What am I doing wrong!
A: Did you test the game in windows first and it worked, or are you trying in Mac OS first?
There can be many more factors why a port doesn't work in a wrapper, so be sure the loader works first.
Q: How can I know if a game will work or not?
A: You can't, but there are a few signs that might suggest it won't work:
- A game has listed it uses a 3rd party DRM
- Game needs Games for Windows live.
These games can often be run with a crack or a xlive disabler
Q: The old guide said something that you need a special fix to make this work in Cider
A: yes, it used to, but the "steamloader" package should work out of the box with no modification to any recent cider build.
I've actually got it running with builds as old as 1xxx in CiderX.
Q: Which folder should i put the loader in?
This can vary, but it need to be in the folder with the main executable.
A game like dragon age has the launcher inside the folder "dragon age", but the main exe is inside "dragon age/bin_ship",
you should put the loader in the "bin_ship" folder, and you will have to start the game from the main exe and not launcher.
Hope this is helpfull, feel free to comment or add some more info!
This is not guaranteed to work with everything, but it does work on several games I've tried.
List over games successfully loaded or tested
(this list doesn't necessary mean it work in wine/cider, but if the retail version of game work in wine/cider it should do that as well)
This list is not complete and things might have changed with newer loaders, but it's still a good pointer.
Please give me more reports and I'll add it to the list!
by cluthz
Updated February 2012.
Thanks to drakulix for helping me with the original guide
So, you went crazy and bought 100 games on the steam summer sale?
And you probably just started to regret it because you cannot port them or use a ready made wrapper,
because installing steam in a wrapper is a huge hassle, and you cannot run steam in cider.
Don't despair here is a quick guide to "How to run games bought on steam without steam"
Doing this is breaking the steam EULA, but usually we porters have to use SKIDROW cracks and all sorts of workarounds to play our own legally bought games.
This method does work with Wineskin and Cider, and it's the only way to get a steam game running in cider unless you crack it (which might or might not work)
Guide:
To start porting a steam game there is a few tools needed and you preferably wanna have access to a PC, bootcamp, vmware/parralells.
It is possible without, since you can use the Steam wrapper by devilhunter but it makes it easier with a windows installation.
You can also use a blank wineskin wrapper and do winetricks "steam".
Part one:
Launch Steam and install the game.
Run the game, update it and make sure it runs as it should!!!
Now you have a working game, but it still needs windows and steam.
Part two:
Navigate to your "c:/Program Files/Steam/SteamApps/common/" (Program Files might be called Program FIles (x86) on newer systems)
Here you will find your game. Copy/move it to another location, you will eventually move this folder into the wrapper, so make sure you have access to it from your Mac.
Part three:
Now you need some tools to get it running, there are two tools available, revEmu and revLoader.
These tools are made by http://cs.rin.ru and can be found on their forums.
-My prepacked "steamloader" package: http://www.mediafire...w1ehbbe647hhlf1
(this is just a revloader+revemu package, but this one work perfectly with cider and I have modified configs a bit for easier porting)
If you want to get the newest releases:
-revEmu: http://cs.rin.ru/for...hp?f=29&t=30678
-revLoader: http://cs.rin.ru/for...pic.php?t=48416
revEmu
Sometimes this is just enuff to get the game running.
Copy the files from the revEmu into the folder with the executables.
Try launch the game (in windows) with steam disabled.
You can try launch it in a wrapper too, but the reason for the game not launching can be something else.
This method is much less compatible than using the full revloader/steamloader package.
revLoader or the "steamloader"
This is the real gem, this can launch almost any steam game without steam beeing launched.
You need to edit two files to get it running:
1.) rev.ini,
this files looks like this and chooses the main exe of the game:
You will only have to edit the TEXT IN RED
rev.ini said:
[Loader]
# Specify the name of the application to load in the ProcName
# setting below as with previous versions of revLoader.
# You can also specify the command line if required.
#
# e.g ProcName=MyApp.exe -silent /help
#
ProcName=Darkspore.exe
# Specify the location of the original steamclient.dll
# which comes with Steam client
# You can comment this line out if the game doesn't use it
# DO NOT EDIT THIS ONE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING -cluthz
SteamClientDll=E:\Steam\steamclient.dll
# Specify the name of the application to load in the ProcName
# setting below as with previous versions of revLoader.
# You can also specify the command line if required.
#
# e.g ProcName=MyApp.exe -silent /help
#
ProcName=Darkspore.exe
# Specify the location of the original steamclient.dll
# which comes with Steam client
# You can comment this line out if the game doesn't use it
# DO NOT EDIT THIS ONE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING -cluthz
SteamClientDll=E:\Steam\steamclient.dll
Copy revLoader into the games folder.
2.) Steam_APPID.txt
Lastly you need a "steam_appid.txt" file in the same folder this a plain text file ONLY containing the game ID nr.. You need the SteamAppID for the game.
HOW TO FIND APP ID:
You can either use this list:
Excel document: http://dl.dropbox.co...erwrappers.xlsx
Do it in Mac OS/ Windows:
Spoiler
Do it in windows (this was the old method, it's still valid, but not as easy as the others)
Spoiler
Part Four:
Now you are done in windows/bootcamp/etc, reboot to mac os and put game inside the wrapper you just downloaded from http://www.portingteam.com or make your own port. Remember that if you use the revLoader you need to adjust path to revLoader.exe instead of the "game".exe
----------------------------------------------
Q: The wineskin wrapper just open the wineskin setup where I can choose to install!
Choose advanced and press "browse" behind the Windows EXE line, navigate to revloader.exe
Q: My cider/ciderX game just bounces one and nothing else happens!
Probably the same error as the wineskin above. On CiderX open XWrapper inside the wrapper and navigate to the revloader.exe
On Cider open the info.plist inside and find the "CedegaGameName" and be sure it points to the revLoader.exe
Q: MY GAME DOESN'T WORK!!! What am I doing wrong!
A: Did you test the game in windows first and it worked, or are you trying in Mac OS first?
There can be many more factors why a port doesn't work in a wrapper, so be sure the loader works first.
Q: How can I know if a game will work or not?
A: You can't, but there are a few signs that might suggest it won't work:
- A game has listed it uses a 3rd party DRM
- Game needs Games for Windows live.
These games can often be run with a crack or a xlive disabler
Q: The old guide said something that you need a special fix to make this work in Cider
A: yes, it used to, but the "steamloader" package should work out of the box with no modification to any recent cider build.
I've actually got it running with builds as old as 1xxx in CiderX.
Q: Which folder should i put the loader in?
This can vary, but it need to be in the folder with the main executable.
A game like dragon age has the launcher inside the folder "dragon age", but the main exe is inside "dragon age/bin_ship",
you should put the loader in the "bin_ship" folder, and you will have to start the game from the main exe and not launcher.
Hope this is helpfull, feel free to comment or add some more info!
This is not guaranteed to work with everything, but it does work on several games I've tried.
List over games successfully loaded or tested
(this list doesn't necessary mean it work in wine/cider, but if the retail version of game work in wine/cider it should do that as well)
AlienSwarm = yes Alpha Protocol = yes Avencast = yes Borderlands = yes Command and Conquer 3 = yes CS:S = no, Steam Application Load Error, Deus Ex GOTY = yes Dirt = yes Dragon Age Origins UE = yes Drakensang = yes Dreamfall = yes Gothic 3 = yes GTA San Andreas = yes Heroes of Might and M V = yes Hitman Bloodmoney = yes Magicka = yes majesty 2 = yes Metro 2033 = yes Mirror's Edge = yes Modern Warfare 2 = no, stuck at splash screen, nothing useful in the log. Neverwinter Nights 2 PE = yes Oblivion GOTY = yes Orcs Must Die = no Overlord = yes Portal 2 = no, Steam Application Load Error, Prince Of Persia 2008 = yes STALKER Shadows of Cher = yes The Longest Journey = yes The Witcher 1 EE = yes Titan Quest = yes Tomb Raider Anniversary = yes Two Worlds Epic Edition = yes Vampire Masquerade Bloo = yes Blade Kitten - Works! Twin Sector - Works! Still Life - No, It said Steam is not running. EXE cracked works. Still Life 2 - No, It said Steam is not running. EXE cracked works. Sonic CD - No, It said Steam is not running. X-Blades - No, it got two bad DRM mixed. EXE cracked works. Hitman Blood Money = works
This list is not complete and things might have changed with newer loaders, but it's still a good pointer.
Please give me more reports and I'll add it to the list!
