Hard Copy of Steam Games

[Magua]

I would like to copy my different steam games over to DVD's for using on other machines or just so I won't have to ever download them again. To have each game seperate, what files would I want to put on each disc.

The entire Valve folder is just over 6gigs. There are 18 files totaling 5.97gigs in the steam apps folder. I have CS:S, CS, CZ, Richochet, DoD, Team Fortress Classic, HL, and Opposing force downloaded. I will combine some onto one disc, but others will probably be just one game per DVD.

Do any of the games use shared files? Or will copying all the files with 'souce' in them take care of all my CS:S downloads? If I just save the .gcf files will steam recognize them and just update with what has been released after the backup?

[MJCfromCT]

Just copy everything in your Steamapps folder, and put it back in that directory whenever you need to. Steam will automatically recognize everything and you'll be set. I did it myself a few weeks ago and everything went swell.

[Magua]

Well I believe the entire silver package will be somewhere around 8gigs. It would be easier to split by games, so I only need to put on what I want if I move computers/reformat. Although CS:S and HL2 will probably be hand and hand (can't just have 1) and will most likely be larger than a single layer DVDR. Might just burn everything to 2 discs.

[MJCfromCT]

Yeah, you can split them up pretty much any way you want, as long as all the files are put back in the same Steamapps directory, it should be fine. The "source base shared" files will be associated with HL2 and CS:S, and in addition will probably be used by games like DOD: S and any mods which use the source engine.

[MJCfromCT]

http://www.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?=&threadid=151953

That is what valve has to say about backing up their games.

[Magua]

Thanks for the link.

I will probably go ahead and do this after HL2 is fully out. No reason to do it twice.

[MJCfromCT]

Agreed, thats probably what i'm going to do now also, i was contemplating doing it now w/CS: S but by the time HL2 comes out, CS: S will have been updated most likely.

[Magua]

Hopefully

[ShadeZeRO]

Speaking of hard copies of games, can i buy CS:S in stores...because i dont have a CC . or im i just royally messed up...

[MJCfromCT]

You cannot buy CS: S in stores right now, only on steam. When you buy HL2 in stores on November 16th, it'll come with CS: S when you register it on Steam. You can use a debit card to buy on Steam if you didn't know that already, that is how I did it.