The Steam Newbie Guide

Steam is awesome! With a huge catalogue of games(the largest now) offered and with its crazy deals, it is fast becoming the de facto platform for PC games. I’ve however heard of a lot of frustrations from those new to this platform. Mostly it’s those that purchase a game that requires Steam and has never used Steam. In this article, I’ll go through what Steam is and the basics of how to use it(and install your game).

 

What is Steam?

Steam is basically a Digital Rights Management System(DRM) that also has an online store, and community features(friends lists etc). All the games sold on Steam require the Steam client to be running to play them. I personally would recommend Steam for those that use Streamyx wired broadband(Broadband is a requirement 56k just wont cut it). For those using wireless or other broadband service provider, you want to check whether you will have any issues with connecting to Steam servers. For those that do have issues connecting to Steam to check out this thread.

What The Hell is Steamworks?

You’ve heard the term Steamworks being bandied about by publishers for games like Napoleon: Total War or Civilization V but you have no idea what it means? Well here’s the confusing thing. There are Steamworks games being sold on Steam, and then you have the non Steamworks games on Steam.

The non Steamworks games you buy off Steam still require the Steam client to run, but they might have other DRM the publisher has on that game such as Games For Windows Live or Securom. Steamworks games are games that require Steam even if you bought it off retail. These games have Steam matchmaking support(you can join or invite a friend into your multiplayer game) and some have cloud support(it saves your game setting on Steam Servers).

All you need to know is that, Steamworks games require Steam regardless where you buy it from.

 

If you’ve bought a game that requires Steam

If you see this behind the box of the game you purchased DO NOT install the game from the game DVD!

1. What you need to do instead is go to the Steam webpage and click on the install steam button on the top right. This is preferable than installing the steam client which comes in the game DVD(which could already be outdated and will update itself after installation).
   
2. Install the Steam client. Follow the instructions presented. VERY IMPORTANT POINT; Steam installs all your steam games in the drive the Steam Client is installed to. There is no changing this. So keep that in mind and install the steam client in the drive you want your games installed on.
   
3. Once Installation is done, register a Steam User Account(all part of the installation process)
   
4. Completed? Now make sure you sign in to Steam(you are logged into Steam). There’ll be this little icon on your system tray.
   
5. Now insert your DVD and install the game. You will be asked to enter the CD key and register it into your Steam account.
   
6. Voila, pain free Steam game installation for a newly registered Steam user!

Playing Offline

So you’re probably wondering now, does this mean I have to be online all the time to play my games? No. Although I highly recommend you to be online all the time(hey it’s the 21st century), there is an offline mode that you can go into to play Steam games without an internet connection. This is only recommended if you have spotty internet connection, or are planning to go on a trip with your laptop. Valve updates Steam quite regularly so its worth just to stay online to avoid having the need to install massive updates(due to being offline for months). Here’s a few things you need to know about this offline mode:

1. You NEED to be connected to the internet when you first turn to offline mode. You can’t do this if you are not connected to the internet. Which means you need to plan ahead to use this mode.
   
2. You can access the option to go into offline mode by double clicking your steam client icon on your system tray.
   
3. Click on the Steam menu on the upper left corner.
   
4. Select Go offline.

Go here to read more about offline mode.

I’m a Steam User, Now What?

Got Steam up and running now and you’ve got your game installed? You’ll want to take a look at the Steam community. Possibly the largest PC gaming community on the internet. Also, to be sure Steam is at its optimal setting:

 

Make Sure Your Download Region is Set Correctly

To ensure that all future updates and game downloads download smoothly, make sure that you Steam Download region is set nearest to your country. Except if you are in Malaysia. Make sure your Steam download region is set to Singapore(do not set it to Malaysia). Downloads are way faster for us on the Singapore server.

1. Double left click on the Steam Client icon on System Tray
   
2. Click on the Steam menu(upper right) and select settings
   
3. Click on the Downloads + Cloud tab
   
4. Change Download region to Singapore

In some cases(like the release of a major update for a popular game), some servers might be swamped by request(this is mostly for the North American and European servers), setting to a less ‘crowded’ server temporarily might help(like the Hong Kong server).

Join the community

Search for your friends, look for groups from your favorites games. Join them, invite your friends to be your friends.

 

Look out for deals

Steam is well known for its discount and special offers. They have been quite consistent in offering weekly deals. There’s always a tempting deal every week on Steam.

Account Safety

Keeping your Steam account secure is just like keeping any other internet account you have safe. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make sure your Steam account is not compromised.

1. Use a proper password which has letters and numbers that don’t mean anything(gibberish). Passwords such as these take much longer to crack and generally is enough to discourage hackers from trying to have a go at it.
   
2. Make sure your email associated with Steam has a secure password as well. If you ever have problem with your Steam account in the future, you can ask for a password reset by using this email. Make sure you also have a strong password for your email.
   
3. Valve will never ask for your account details in chat. You might receive an incoming chat request from strangers with names such as ‘valve support’ that ask you for information on your account. Don’t waste your time chatting with them(they are fake).
   
4. If someone in chat is offering you a free game, it is usually an attempt to steal your account. Be wary of phishing sites(sites that are made to mimic the Steam Community website) that aim to steal your user name and password. Only log in you Steam ID on your Steam Client(or the steam community tab on your client) to be safe.
   
5. Make sure your anti spyware/virus program is updated and do regular scans weekly to avoid Trojans and keyloggers(these are programs that record you key presses).
   
6. If you are living with other people and are sharing a PC(or if you use a laptop and you’re afraid of it getting stolen), make sure not to save credentials when you fill up the form to purchase a game on Steam. This will avoid other people from purchasing a game using your credit card.
   
7. Don’t purchase stuff on Steam when you are on a public wireless network!(Starbucks/airport wifi)

If you ever need technical help on stuff about Steam, the Steam Support page is a great resource. There’s a lot of helpful articles in their knowledge base. If you have any questions, just ask away here. Make sure to still support your local retailer. Certain titles are cheaper for us at retail on release(such as EA games), so make sure you research the local retail price and make your purchasing decision using that.

If you have your own tips for new users, just share them below in the comments.