Re: Non Steam copy of a Steam exclusive game

• How To Install Steam Mods On Non Steam Games
• How To Install Steam Mods On Non Steam Games

Feb 08, 2012  Best Answer: You don't need the steam workshop mod to manage your mods, since the game itself manages mods as mods are nothing else but same named files with different texture code which overwrite one another. Since it's a 'steam workshop mod' it's gonna be pretty hard to use it on a non-steam Skyrim.

I have been seeing a rash of 'I bought this on a disk that does not require Steam so it is legal' type posts. Most likely they bought a pirate disk either at a flea market or on line. Anyone (well, almost anyone) can make an ISO of a pirate version. Then you can get a cheap kit to print graphics directly onto the disk, and put it into a disk jewel case with a printed paper label that can look fairly good.
These are then sold in the US for around $5 to $10 I see them on ebay, craigs list, at flea markets and even in low class shops. These are still pirated copies and NOT in any way legal. If caught, the maker and seller can do prison time. But usually end up paying a big fine. The suckers they sold to will have their cheap pirate copy AND their computer confiscated and then be fined more than the cost of a legitimate copy, (typically between $100 and $500 for each pirated game they have) and are left without a computer or a game to play.
The probability of being caught is very low though, and not many are prosecuted when they are.
Most of the people that buy these probably suspect they are pirate versions, but think they can get away with it as 'they are not the pirate, the disk maker is.' But as the game maker gets no income they are still guilty of supporting piracy - and their pirated copy will still not be updated by steam or supported by The Nexus. Here in the US that would come under the laws on 'Receiving Stolen Property' and can be prosecuted just as if you had stolen it yourself.
Another big drawback is the game is stuck at wherever version the pirated disk is. Meaning that the ONLY way to upgrade is through piracy. Many mods will not work with either a pirated or an older version. 3rd party programs such as mod managers may not work at all. So, these people are upset, not at the thief that ripped them off by selling them a bogus copy, but at The Nexus for banning them when they demand help for their pirated game.

How To Install Steam Mods On Non Steam Games

As pirated versions are NOT 'just like' the legitimate version but just don't need steam. The pirates MUST make changes in the game program to bypass the requirement for steam, and these changes will be different with each different pirated version, so there is not just one pirated version, but many - each different and each causing different problems with mods and managers. Along with not supporting the people who don't support the game makers, we CAN'T support the various pirate versions as we don't know what they changed on your particular pirated version.

How To Install Steam Mods On Non Steam Games

TL:DR - If you do not register your game through Steam, even if you paid for a bogus disk, you are a pirate and not welcome here.