CRITICAL INFO: VTMB Is NOT Compatible With Steam..!!!

[Tessera]

I'm not sure if this is the world's best idea, but here's what I've been doing to keep things convenient while not allowing Steam to interfere.

That's an interesting idea... however, I consider it to be overly complicated for most users.

The very best plan... and the only method that I will support... is to move VTMB completely away from Steam and then create a new desktop shortcut for it. Which, incidentally, is the way that the game was always meant to function. Long before Steam was offering VTMB for sale, it was only available as a 3-CD, stand-alone game. That's the version of VTMB that myself and most other "old-timers" own, and that is the way that the core engine of the game expects to be installed. By moving VTMB away from Steam, as per the instructions that I've laid out within this thread, and then patching it with the True Patch Gold Edition, you will effectively transform VTMB into its original incarnation (a stand-alone game for Windows).

And nothing could be simpler. The entire procedure comes down to a simple cut-and-paste operation.  

[Flint1Sox]

I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.

[Tessera]

I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.

All you need to do is move the game after you've finished downloading it. As per my instructions.

It's easy to do... and once you are finished moving it and patching it, VTMB will run beautifully and Steam will no longer be an issue.

[ChaosArcher]

I wish I found out about this before I bought it from steam.

Well, there really is no other choice, besides a retail copy as mentioned my Tessera above; however, those are hard (and expensive) to come by.

Anyways, the instruction to make VTM:B work is literally everywhere on the forum.

-ChaosArcher

[Abigail Acerose]

Did all of it, carefully and exactly. The steam.dll issue is one fix I'd seen from the steam forums before I came here. I tried it both without and with the .dll file and got the same blockage that I did when I was running it in steam.

I've discovered what I think is the issue behind Moth's and others' troubles.

Examine the ReadMe_NOW document in the TPG download (the first one you see, next to the True_Patch_Main, Extras, and Docs folder). Under 'INSTALLATION', it states:


-----------------------------------------
After unzipping this update, simply copy the entire contents of the "Vampire" folder and
the paste those contents into your working VTMB\Vampire folder. If you do this correctly,
then Windows will warn you that the files in question already exist and ask if you wish to
overwrite them. Select "Yes" to all and then wait for these updated files to replace the
original versions. That's all there is to it.
-----------------------------------------

Notice what I've bolded! The instructions say only to copy the contents of the "Vampire" folder over to the VTMB game location. During my installation today, I noticed that there is also a "vampire" application and a "bin" folder in the 'TRUE_PATCH_MAIN' folder. However, the installation instructions say only to copy the "Vampire" folder! Intent on following directions to the letter, I left the two questionable objects alone and copied only the "vampire" folder.

Once I'd finished everything as per instructed, I tried to launch, and received the same "problem finding Steam" error Moth did.

I was going to scrap everything and start over from the beginning, but I thought I would go back and see if copying the unmentioned "vampire" application and "bin" folder from the "TRUE_PATCH_MAIN" folder into the VTMB game folder had any effect.

Lo and behold- I could now run the game!  (But the intro's were all black- is that normal?) Afterwards I re-ran the res-patcher utility because I didn't know if the added "bin" stuff needed to be covered by its function, and then I came here in hopes that my experience might alleviate the issue for a few others. 

I suggest modifying the "ReadMe_NOW" instructions to express that everything in the "TRUE_PATCH_MAIN" folder should be copied over, and not just the "vampire" folder.

Any thoughts on this?

[meastwood89]

I am trying your methods to fix my game aswell know wish me luck!!! *crosses fingers


but i was thinking we have some really amazing with code/ tech people on her,

has anyone thought of doing a video or screen shot tutorial for those of us who aren't super computer literate


for instance I can use a DOS emulator like nobody's business

and have used private servers for wow and had to do some copy paste work

but sometimes it can get a little confusing especially when there are copies of folders or similar sounding name folders

or I'm just not advanced enough to quite discern what someone has typed instruction wise through some tech speak.

sad but does happen.


on a lighter note was in my mind like....dude i could totally put on a lowwwww top and do a video tutorial

totally would watch it if a nice pair of ti..... I mean a nice female gamer like myself was showing me how to fix my game!

drool worthy for soooo many reasons!!!

[Tessera]

Well I'd love to oblige you, except for two problems...

(1) I am male, not female. So I don't have a nice pair to share. Sorry. Although I do have a 7-inch... umm... nevermind. Just forget I said anything.
(2) I don't have the Steam version of VTMB. I have the original, legitimate, 3-CD stand-alone version of the game.


I could create a mock-up of the Steam version and then post some screenshots, I suppose.

But it really isn't too hard to do this. For Steam users, the Bloodlines directory is usually located in something like "Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines." Or maybe it's "Steam\steamuser\(your name)\common\Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines." Or something similar. You should be able to find it. So in that example, you simply need to highlight the folder named "Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines" (or whatever Steam is calling it) and then do Edit --> cut and then, highlight the root "C:\" directory and do Edit --> paste.

Doing so will move the entire game out and away from Steam. After you do that, install the TPG patch. And lastly, create a new desktop shortcut to the vampire.exe file and then launch the game from that shortcut. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. In any case, if you run into trouble, then just ask me and I will be more than happy to help you get it straightened out. That's what I'm here for. 

[meastwood89]

Well I'd love to oblige you, except for two problems...

(1) I am male, not female. So I don't have a nice pair to share. Sorry. Although I do have a 7-inch... umm... nevermind. Just forget I said anything.

hahaha doesnt necessarily be you i was just wondering why we dont see  more tutorials like that on the internt to up traffic in general really

plus we tend to sexualize everything (ot that I'm complaining too much)
especially in the mostly male dominated gaming community

so i personally find it some what surprising

also isnt it funny (and odd if you think about it)
that If in show my tits while doing a video on
than someone would if they did whip out their 7 incher  even if it was to scale something lol

just an observation lol

[Tessera]

Isn't there something called The Naked News..? Female newscasters, who report the daily news whilst stripping, or some such..?

[xrobzix]

when i do this it tell me the name of the file is wrong  and i did not copy paste  it as it was there  so the - console command and the heap size (still not sure is is hould do the w and z one too as i have a small screen)

[perez007usa]

Tess's explanation does work! It even works for all of the Steam related games that are on CDs, Half-life for example.
Just move it out of that folder and make a new one.

[meastwood89]

Tess's explanation does work! It even works for all of the Steam related games that are on CDs, Half-life for example.
Just move it out of that folder and make a new one.

i was struggling with making this game work and tess was the only one who could explain it where i could fix it just saying

[Tessera]

when i do this it tell me the name of the file is wrong 

Bummer.

Try it again... and follow my instructions more carefully this time. 

[xrobzix]

Followed it to the letter but i cannot add the -...... lines, i tried with and with out the quotations

[Tessera]

Thousands of other TPG users have followed those instructions, too.

Why aren't they having the same problem, then..?

It's a valid question.

[piraxisbit]

Followed it to the letter but i cannot add the -...... lines, i tried with and with out the quotations

There should be no quotations.  Are you putting spaces in where there shouldn't be?

[xrobzix]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/on0wzzku8dtgmlz/Screenshot%202014-02-27%2019.23.36.png


thats the screen cap i did everything you said to the bloody letter  and it tell me the name is invalid when i put it in the doel( wich is source translated to dutch)

[Tessera]

Okay... then in your opinion, what is the reason for the trouble that you've been having..?