Could not contact key server, out of keys or steams fault?

[defaultio]

Hi, my friend and I bought AI War today and we downloaded it, and upon completion we naturally started it up (as most people would do) but when I started it up it gave me the error: Could not contact key server. He was able to get in, besides the fact that it was the trial version still without the CD key.

Now this brings me to the question, is this steams fault or have you guys run out of keys? I doubt you guys have ran out of keys on steam, but it could happen. I reckon it might have to do something with steam due to their service being quite unreliable the past few days, but I thought I might as well ask because knowing doesn't hurt to much nor does asking questions.

I'll be quite disappointed if I have to contact Steam Support about this issue, because they are quite...slow and usually unhelpful at times. So, is it steam fault or you guys ran out of keys?

Thanks in advance.

[x4000]

Hi there,

The answer is actually neither -- the game doesn't use keys anymore.  Where are you seeing the key error?  Literally on startup, or did you have to click into the CD keys interface?

And your friend is seeing the game as being in trial mode?  How did he get the game?  Was this directly from Steam, through a particular bundle, or from registering a CD key?  If you registered an external key, was it in the Steam-key format with letters and numbers or in our CD key format with just a bunch of numbers?  The reason that I ask is that the "no longer requires CD keys" (and actually "has linux support") items have to be added in steam to each purchase method, and if your friend is seeing that then he is on some sort of package that somehow got missed.  Knowing what that was will help Valve and I chase that down.  What is his steam name?

Sorry about all the questions, but I thought that I had gotten all the avenues in so that this wouldn't happen.  Apparently not!  Apologies for the inconvenience, and no you will not need to contact Steam support.  They wouldn't be able to help you anyhow; it's something that I'll have to take care of myself along with potentially my Valve tech contact.  We should be able to get this resolved today, knock on wood, assuming that we know where to look for the issue.

Thanks for your support!

[defaultio]

As soon as I start the game it gives me the error, and if I try to launch the game without steam it doesn't allow me to play the full game, just the trial version. Though oddly enough all the expansions are enabled.

Also, I asked my friend again and he told me it must of been a misunderstanding (on my behalf, I'm not the best listener, haha sorry) so I guess he had no problem anyways, it's just me because I can't start up the game in general due to the game requesting a key or something.

Thanks for all the support thus far.

[x4000]

Gotcha -- yeah, it sounds like you somehow have a package for the base game that didn't get the memo on the linux build and the "you don't need a CD key" bit.

Can you tell me the source of your key, then, so I can track it down?  And your steam name?  Sorry for the nosy questions --  normally I don't ask that sort of thing, but with this addition of these extra "depots" in steam we sometimes find these edge cases of "oh, if someone gets the game in THIS way, then it doesn't give them the no-cd-key-required thing."  But obviously you have the full version, or else it wouldn't be trying to get keys in the first place, and you wouldn't have the expansions, etc.  So please don't worry that I'm suspecting you did something wrong or anything -- there's no subtext here, there's just some depot configuration that is obscure that I missed, apparently, and I can't find it yet.

Thank you for your help!

[defaultio]

The source of my key? Like do you mean where I happened to get it? I got it from the steam store, I bought the AI War collection for my friend and I, if thats what you mean the source of the key. If not well, then I reckon you need to elaborate some more for me haha.

My steam username: telthamon

And if I misunderstood that, my steam profile name:

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Internationalsoroware

Also I don't feel like your being nosy, haha, it's not suspicious in my eyes at all. It would only be if you weren't a dev or something

[x4000]

Okay, thanks for the info.

Hmm, buying it through the main steam store collection is about as basic as you can get in terms of what should work.  And the exact same thing works for your friend, but not you?  And his was the gift copy, while yours was the regular "purchase for myself?"

I just went through everything and I'm puzzled that I can't see anything wrong in the settings.  I'll probably have to get my Valve technical contact to help out, but he's quite quick at things.  I'm puzzled that the gift copy would be the one that works while the direct purchase would not, though; if anything, I'd expect the other way around.

Can you try a couple of things?

1. Run a verify integrity of steam cache on the game.
2. Tell me what version number you are seeing in the upper left hand corner when you start the game?
3. PM me a list of all the files and folders in your root install folder for the game.

Sorry for all the trouble!

[defaultio]

I have tried verifying the game, and reinstalling. After reinstalling if I run the game directly from the file it is no longer the trial, however I cannot start up the game through steam which is still a concern.

The version number is:  7.062.

I have PMed you the list of the files, thanks for all the help.

[x4000]

Gotcha, thanks for sending that.  It looks like all of your depots are assigned correctly, so that is a good thing at least.  Why the game is requesting a key from the key server is another matter, though.

I will get in contact with Valve about the key server thing, but in the meantime if you play through the file system that won't hurt anything -- all of your achievements and whatnot should still log to steam, for instance.  I'm not sure about your playtime logging to steam or not that way, though, and you won't have the steam overlay without launching through steam.

Thanks for your patience!

[defaultio]

Alright, thanks man. Also play time does log. I can add the game through steam with add a non-steam game and it'll be the exact same, just without the right tag, and it'll be a "non-steam game" but besides that, it's working perfectly fine now. Adding it through again also does count play time towards the main game, and it will also unlock achievements, plus I will have steam overlay.

Thank you for all your help!

[x4000]

Perfect, thanks for the info on how that works with the non-steam-game link -- that's useful to know!  Glad that is working out for you in all those respects, then.

I have just sent an email off to my Valve contact, although they are PST so it's not work hours yet for them.  I'll let you know what I hear when I hear back.

Cheers!

[x4000]

Okay, this should now work for you if you restart steam, it sounds like.  The steam client itself should have a small update most likely (there was a small bug there, evidently), and you should no longer see the ability to get CD keys on any of our titles, or have it get in your way trying to request CD keys that never come.

Valve to the rescue!

[defaultio]

I truly wish I could say it worked.....but it didn't.

Still asking for a CD Key, and now the game reverted back to a trial.....:/

[x4000]

That... is super odd.  If you look in the folder, are the list of files and folders still identical to what you PM'ed me?  I ask in order to tell if a depot or more got removed somehow.  If you do a reinstall of the game, or verify the game cache, does that help?

My Valve contact said that part of the fix was going to get pushed out later tonight in terms of the steam client, so maybe that's something that is still affecting you, I'm not sure.  If it's still messing up tomorrow morning, then please let me know what your symptoms are then and I will get back up with him.

[defaultio]

It's the next morning and it is still requesting a CD key, and it usually takes about 5-6 cache verifys to actually get the game in the proper mode to actually play it through the non-steam game way. I did not also get an update, I tried the beta client and all that gave me was fixes for other things, and the default steam client didn't update at all...

I still can't think of a reason why it's reverting back to a trial, or how it is. My friend and I got done playing a session and I accidentally started it back up, and it seems like after every time I quit the game in the full version, it reverts back to the trial version. Quite annoying having to verify it 6 times to play it again

But, besides that the only problem I'm having is the AI being a heartless swine. Curse you AI and your lack of emotions and your dastardly insults! (and we are also awful at keeping the AI Progress lower than what is recommended)

[x4000]

Okay, I'll shoot another email to Valve.  Have you tried reinstalling the game through the Steam client, though?  Should have thought to ask that.