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The time between getting this game home and actually getting it to a playable state:

54 hours. (Dialup) Including all the screwing around that had to be done.

Not good enough. If Steam at least gave info on what it was transferring that would have been fine, but, it didn't.

Before anyone says that Steam states that broadband is required. CA did not. And I purchased the game off CA and got my information from CA. Not Steam.

For those who say I should have researched Steam first: Why? CA gave me the requirements and I fulfilled every one of them.

For people who say "Don't be cheap. Get broadband" or words to that effect: The box says "Internet required for activation" not "Broadband" and it doesn't say anything about requirements for installing.

Below details my original experiences in installing this game. Again, I stress that during most of my problems, STEAM GAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING to all intents and purposes, Steam appeared to have stopped responding.

9am yesterday. I pick up my copy (Collectors edition)

Head to uni.

Download Steam from there to try and avoid any extra downloading at home. (I was hoping the latest version was actually supplied)

Get home at 3pm

Install Steam.

Update aborts once

Update aborts twice

Eventually manage to stop anything else on the network transferring data.

About 4pm: Update begins again.

5pm: Update finishes. I start to install the game.

5:15 - Initial install screen has stuck on 100% complete for "Caching local game files" or something like that.

5:30 - Second attempt fails.

Try removing a .blob file that was mentioned when I googled this problem. Re-start Steam update.

6:30 - Steam eventually finishes updating. - Start installing ETW again.

6:45 - Same problem as before. - I uninstall Steam, restart the computer, and restart installing Steam

8:00 - Steam install/updates finishes. - I start to re-install ETW.

8:15 - Same issue, but I check my network usage and notice that there is data being transferred (even though it doesn't mention it in Steam) I leave it as is and head to bed while it does its thing.

approx 7 the next morning. I see it wants disc 2. Great! - I put the disc in. - It copies off Disc 2.

7:15 or so - The install finishes

It starts updating.

I attempt to tell it to pause, then run the game.

The Steam game load screen comes up. It goes to 100%

Nothing else happens, just a heap of data transfer. (With no info about the data transfer whatsoever)

I cancel and try again.

Steam does not login. It simply stays on the login screen. There is no other network usage at this time. I disconnect the internet. Nothing changes.

I run out of time and head to uni.

I have now installed it on my laptop here, updated it and backed it up ready to transfer to my main comp. I am hoping this works. I should get home at about 10pm.

To sum up my experiences, it will have been 31 hours since I first arrived home with that game before I actually get home. Assuming this works, it will have been up to about 32 hours before being able to play the thing. The sole reason for this unreasonable amount of time and frustration is because a game that I purchased for single player usage (Unless I head to a LAN, I accept there isn't a hope in hell of multiplayer usage) effectively requires a broadband connection to reliably install.

I accept that Steam is not a Total War product and that all of my problems so far have been caused by Steam, but I'll put it this way: I didn't ask for its installation and use to be a requirement.

I also tried the version of Steam included with the game with the same end results during the repeated attempts.

The version I purchased was the Collector's edition for approx $90 USD ($140 AUD. The Australian dollar had parity with the US dollar up until a few months ago)

Below details the hoops I had to jump through to eventually get it working. Over two days AFTER I purchased it.

For anyone else who has dialup:

1. Don't try installing it at home. Obviously, you'll go mad. Obviously install and update Steam at home though.

2. Install it on a computer at work or somewhere. Make sure you apply any updates that are available.

3. DO NOT use the built-in backup game option. It'll have you downloading...... something..... for hours. Oh so many hours. If anyone knows WTF it's downloading, please tell me. I'd be very grateful.

4. Copy the steamapps directory in its entirety from the Steam directory where you have installed it (by default this will be c:\program files\steam or c:\program files (x86)\steam - Depending on whether you have a 64 or 32 bit OS.) This will be about 15gb Backup your old steamapps dir beforehand. (Just copy it somewhere else)

5.Start Steam, hopefully login, set it to offline mode and be happy.

For Red Comet: Before you reply, try to think of an argument that hasn't already been smacked down in my original thread.

How someone who CANT get internet connection anywhere will be able to play this game ?

If you've got absolutely no connection (inc dialup) Then unless you can drag your comp round to a place that does have the net, do what you have to do, switch Steam to offline mode, then drag it home, you can't.

If you've got dialup and have access to a comp somewhere that can have Steam installed and has broadband, follow the directions I posted and you will become about as happy as you are going to get. The updating Steam component will probably take about 1.5- 2 hours, but as long as there is NOTHING else on your network using the connection, it'll update.

If you've only got access to your 26.4k dialup and have absolutely no access to any other comp anywhere else....... Y'know those monks who sit there all day meditating etc? Well... Their patience will be nothing compared with yours if you pull this off. It's probably possible, but I'd be willing to put money on you starting to scream at your computer at some point.

Which sucks, because dialup IS internet and simply authenticating a game SHOULD NOT take much data. You should definitely NOT be looking at ten hours of installation plus downloading the patch (Probably another 10+ hours) assuming nothing goes wrong at any point.