Attempting to downgrade game version of Steam edition

[avallach]

Bought AI War (bundle 2011) via Steam October 2012. June 2014 bought remaining DLC also via Steam.

May 2014 started a new co-op game, and we decided to play with version 7.001, which worked fine over several months. As I now try to avoid Steam, I typically launch the game standalone (now wish I had bought it directly from Arcen originally). Person I'm playing with does not have Steam version.

I accidentally launched AI War via Steam recently, which automatically updated it to version 8.014 before I could stop it.

We would like to be able to finish our current game using version 7.001, so I decided to try to manually revert AI War game versions.

I moved AI War dir out of steamapps, and it still ran fine without Steam (as per http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,16329.0.html)

Next identified files by time stamp that had changed as part of update, and overwrote them with copies from his machine. I am able to successfully launch version 7.001 now.
Unfortunately, it is now showing up as 'trial version'. Even more bizarre is that if I look at licenses/expansions, all the expansions are unlocked but there is no base game key. Steam no longer shows any CD Keys for AI War (discussions http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,16094.0.html    and    http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,16092.0.html ), so I do not have a CD key to enter.
The copy I made of my AI War dir before attempting to revert version, still launches and runs as 8.014 non-trial.


So while I have successfully reverted versions, I seem to have lost base game key / steam approval. I'm guessing this is because the current version no longer uses keys, and the version I reverted to still does? (Again reference http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,16329.0.html ) Or that one of the files I copied from a non-steam version of the game overwrote the storage of the steam key/approval.


Is there a better approach to reverting game versions of the Steam edition of the game I should try? Is there a way to fix my current reverted version to have a base game key again?

Only other alternatives I see are to give up on our current game and start over with 8.014; or to buy a non-steam copy of game to get a base game key.

Any thoughts / help / recommendations appreciated. Thanks.

[x4000]

Well, your existing game will port to the newer version without you having to start over, for one.

Another note is that new copies of the game bought from Arcen or other sources don't come with CD keys anymore, either -- they give a DRM-free build of the latest version.

I have create a new "Beta" branch inside steam that should put you on the 7.001 version if you switch to it.  Hopefully that works out for you.

Cheers!
Chris

[avallach]

We had been avoiding upgrading so as to not have to learn new mechanics until our 'next' game (this is his first game). But yes, if all else fails we'll just have to continue playing old save with new version of the game.


I downloaded and installed beta 7.001 via Steam. Launches fine, but actually has identical behavior. Displays as 7.001 trial. No base key. All expansions unlocked. Unlike the first time I installed via Steam couple years ago, Steam did not bring up or display any key to enter. Presumably because latest version does not use keys, Steam no longer tracks keys for the game.

[x4000]

Ah, yes -- Steam doesn't have the keys there anymore for that.  I was thinking that you still had your settings.dat file from previously, which would have had your license info in there.  I'll PM you with a solution.

Cheers!

[avallach]

When steam auto-updated itself it also updated settings.dat - presumably to add new entries for new version? So when I copied it into 'beta' 7.001, there were some errors in the debug logs (array index out of bounds, on reading line). Presumably this was preventing it from correctly reading licensing keys regardless of which version of settings I used.

I pulled the licensing lines out of my v8+ settings.dat, and added them to the fresh settings.dat downloaded via 'beta' 7.001. Once I re-disconnected it from steam, this worked. So I can now run non-trial version 7.001. Just tested with co-op partner, and we were able to connect to his un-updated version.

Issue resolved.

Thanks for all your help on this issue.

[x4000]

Ah, glad that did it!

Steam didn't actually update your settings.dat file, but rather when you ran the game the newer version of the game did.  Same difference, in the end, but I did just want to make sure you knew that Steam wasn't mucking around in your settings!

Glad that worked out for you, and thanks again for your support!