Is there a way to play the game without steam?

MasterSpatula

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

exiars10

MasterSpatula wrote: »

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

Various reason, just to name several in case of Steam:
1) All games in one place with all friends.
2) Steam Wallet.
3) Steam regional/local pricing.

Bbsample197

MasterSpatula wrote: »

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

i know thats why i really regret my decision, i only knew games on steam, im not opening my eyes wider enough to see the better end of the deal, you know since its steam and all, i always have that mindset and now im really regretting that i have bought this game on steam.

karekiz

MasterSpatula wrote: »

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

One had a sale right smack in my face as I went to access my other games, and the other I would need to actually go visit the website to see the sale. If I am visiting the site to see cost I am already interested in purchasing, and have previous knowledge of the game.

Steam gets those millions of people who don't know about the game <like me> to recognize it and purchase it. In theory yes I could log onto steam -> See its on sale -> Swap to the website -> Compare prices -> buy whichever is lower -> Or if its the same -> Create an account on the website -> navigate a new website to the account page -> register my new account -> Purchase game.

Or I could log into steam and click buy. Its basically like Amazon vs physical at that point.

karekiz

MasterSpatula wrote: »

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

One had a sale right smack in my face as I went to access my other games, and the other I would need to actually go visit the website to see the sale. If I am visiting the site to see cost I am already interested in purchasing, and have previous knowledge of the game.

Steam gets those millions of people who don't know about the game <like me> to recognize it and purchase it. In theory yes I could log onto steam -> See its on sale -> Swap to the website -> Compare prices -> buy whichever is lower -> Or if its the same -> Create an account on the website -> navigate a new website to the account page -> register my new account -> Purchase game.

Or I could log into steam and click buy. Its basically like Amazon vs physical at that point.

exiars10

Valkysas154 wrote: »

exiars10 wrote: »

Valkysas154 wrote: »

If i remember right steam made it where you can no longer do this i bought it off steam long long ago and don't need steam to play but steam changed this since they want you to buy crowns/chapters on steam so they can get a profit

You don't understand how things work.

If you want to sell game on Steam (like on Xbox and PS), devs/publishers have to offer everything to be purchable for Steam users via Steam. It's old rule which Valve created when EA used their games to redirect users directly to their store. That's the reason why there is no more new EA games on Steam.

Valve doesn't care if publishers sell separately everything as long as they sell it on Steam, too (which Ubisoft does like nobody else).

That's why only on Steam you can buy Plus Membership and Crowns and nowhere else outside ZeniMax. Many retail and digital PC games stores sell ESO and chapters, but not subscription and crowns.

That's not what i was talking about i am talking about buying the game on steam and not using steam to play
they don't like that since you don't buy the chapters / dlc from them they don't get a piece of the pie

No, I explained you how things work.

You mix DRM and Steam Store - big difference.

It's ZeniMax which put Steamworks DRM on ESO exe. It has nothing with Steam as there are hundreds of games on Steam which are DRM free and you don't need Steam client after you install game. Valve doesn't care about DRM - it's up to publishers/devs.

PrinceDamien

vestahls wrote: »

Maybe go in the game files and access the launcher that way? There has to be an exe there.

I dunno if all games does this, but I know that for some Steam has it's own account when playing a game. So can't access it without getting another copy to play out off Steam.

slitrage

exiars10 wrote: »

MasterSpatula wrote: »

I've never understood why anyone would play a game through a third-party portal when you can just buy and play it directly.

Various reason, just to name several in case of Steam:
1) All games in one place with all friends.
2) Steam Wallet.
3) Steam regional/local pricing.

This. It was local pricing for me.

RupzSkooma

Gythral wrote: »

not without buying directly, paying and starting over

This information is incorrect.

Jameliel

If you bought the game through Steam after sometime in late 2016, it will not start unless you go through Steam...period. The workaround will NOT work. There are NO workarounds if you bought it after that date.

anitajoneb17_ESO

Jameliel wrote: »

If you bought the game through Steam after sometime in late 2016, it will not start unless you go through Steam...period. The workaround will NOT work. There are NO workarounds if you bought it after that date.

^THIS^

I bought the game on Steam and it runs perfectly without Steam, I launch it directly from the eso64.exe.
But it works for two reasons :
1/ I bought it in 2014
2/ I never ever linked my ESO account to my Steam account, or vice-versa.

Any other situation : you're screwed, sorry guys.
The links between ESO and Steam are horrible technically and commercially. It makes you captive and it's bugged every other day.

neverwalk

read my review for eso on steam, i recommand people buy eso through ESO website and not the steam version as it had problems with downloading game, and this was back in 2015

anitajoneb17_ESO

neverwalk wrote: »

read my review for eso on steam, i recommand people buy eso through ESO website and not the steam version as it had problems with downloading game, and this was back in 2015

That's gonna help someone who's CURRENTLY stuck a lot...

Valkysas154

Bbsample197 wrote: »

ZeroXFF wrote: »

Open the folder containing the ESO install and launch it directly via eso64.exe, then log in via your ESO account. Always worked for me.

Bbsample197 wrote: »

to those whose still wondering what the hell were talking about, this is what im getting at if i tried launching it without steam

EDIT: sorry its so small i just cropped it out of a screenshot

read my previous post im tired of explaining this

you are prob trying to use steam login instead of eso login

exiars10 wrote: »

Valkysas154 wrote: »

exiars10 wrote: »

Valkysas154 wrote: »

If i remember right steam made it where you can no longer do this i bought it off steam long long ago and don't need steam to play but steam changed this since they want you to buy crowns/chapters on steam so they can get a profit

You don't understand how things work.

If you want to sell game on Steam (like on Xbox and PS), devs/publishers have to offer everything to be purchable for Steam users via Steam. It's old rule which Valve created when EA used their games to redirect users directly to their store. That's the reason why there is no more new EA games on Steam.

Valve doesn't care if publishers sell separately everything as long as they sell it on Steam, too (which Ubisoft does like nobody else).

That's why only on Steam you can buy Plus Membership and Crowns and nowhere else outside ZeniMax. Many retail and digital PC games stores sell ESO and chapters, but not subscription and crowns.

That's not what i was talking about i am talking about buying the game on steam and not using steam to play
they don't like that since you don't buy the chapters / dlc from them they don't get a piece of the pie

No, I explained you how things work.

You mix DRM and Steam Store - big difference.

It's ZeniMax which put Steamworks DRM on ESO exe. It has nothing with Steam as there are hundreds of games on Steam which are DRM free and you don't need Steam client after you install game. Valve doesn't care about DRM - it's up to publishers/devs.

LOL what are you talking about DRM ? never said any thing about DRM -its a mmo no need for DRM-
I am talking about steam not liking ppl who buy the game from steam and not use steam to play it
there not getting there cut with DLC or chapters or crowns since ppl buy it from eso page instead of steam
why is that so hard for you to understand

And since you can't play eso out of steam NOW if you buy it on steam unlike the past i would call that

PROOF

Odnoc

And this is why you don’t purchase a game through a third party interface. If steam were to go bankrupt or something, bye bye games.

Bbsample197

Valkysas154 wrote: »

Bbsample197 wrote: »

ZeroXFF wrote: »

Open the folder containing the ESO install and launch it directly via eso64.exe, then log in via your ESO account. Always worked for me.

Bbsample197 wrote: »

to those whose still wondering what the hell were talking about, this is what im getting at if i tried launching it without steam

EDIT: sorry its so small i just cropped it out of a screenshot

read my previous post im tired of explaining this

you are prob trying to use steam login instead of eso login

exiars10 wrote: »

Valkysas154 wrote: »

exiars10 wrote: »

Valkysas154 wrote: »

If i remember right steam made it where you can no longer do this i bought it off steam long long ago and don't need steam to play but steam changed this since they want you to buy crowns/chapters on steam so they can get a profit

You don't understand how things work.

If you want to sell game on Steam (like on Xbox and PS), devs/publishers have to offer everything to be purchable for Steam users via Steam. It's old rule which Valve created when EA used their games to redirect users directly to their store. That's the reason why there is no more new EA games on Steam.

Valve doesn't care if publishers sell separately everything as long as they sell it on Steam, too (which Ubisoft does like nobody else).

That's why only on Steam you can buy Plus Membership and Crowns and nowhere else outside ZeniMax. Many retail and digital PC games stores sell ESO and chapters, but not subscription and crowns.

That's not what i was talking about i am talking about buying the game on steam and not using steam to play
they don't like that since you don't buy the chapters / dlc from them they don't get a piece of the pie

No, I explained you how things work.

You mix DRM and Steam Store - big difference.

It's ZeniMax which put Steamworks DRM on ESO exe. It has nothing with Steam as there are hundreds of games on Steam which are DRM free and you don't need Steam client after you install game. Valve doesn't care about DRM - it's up to publishers/devs.

LOL what are you talking about DRM ? never said any thing about DRM -its a mmo no need for DRM-
I am talking about steam not liking ppl who buy the game from steam and not use steam to play it
there not getting there cut with DLC or chapters or crowns since ppl buy it from eso page instead of steam
why is that so hard for you to understand

And since you can't play eso out of steam NOW if you buy it on steam unlike the past i would call that

PROOF

I bought and link my steam account immediately after i downloaded the game on may 2017

what do you mean im using steam log in ive already stated it on my past post that im using the lone launcher on the eso folder and both the launcher and exe file results on the same thing and thats the error were getting at

PouletRico

Bbsample197 wrote: »

I bought and link my steam account immediately after i downloaded the game on may 2017

what do you mean im using steam log in ive already stated it on my past post that im using the lone launcher on the eso folder and both the launcher and exe file results on the same thing and thats the error were getting at

He's obviously not reading anything on the thread.

I'm in the same situation as you, I launch the game from the eso64.exe, typing my ESO account credentials (the very same as I use on account.elderscrollsonline.com) and I got the error message. No workaround for us, you need to rebuy the game from ESO website, and start over your progression.

EDIT: Purchased the 28/08/2017 on Steam for me.

Caelena

Not sure if this will work for you but try making a copy of the Zenimax Online folder somewhere outside of the steam folders(eg in a game folder). Then just go into the Launcher folder and try running the Bethesda.net_Launcher from there.

Please keep in mind that just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will work for you.