Cannot use STEAM tabs/chat in-game

[vraev]

Hi,

I just noticed that we cannot use SHIFT+TAB to open steam window in-game. Also it shows as if we are not playing any game.

Is this just a problem with my install or something? It works for every other of the 20 games I have on steam. I miss the browser feature. Sooo useful to look up stuff while playing without minimizing.

AND

Love the screenshot feature.

V

[Tobradex]

Yes, i have the same problem i can't use STEAM chat when playing DCS a-10.
And ye the DCS A-10 steam library menu doesn't show your Total play time.

I thought these 2 features were mandatory with steam games.

[vraev]

Yup! I agree. Those are the primary reasons for getting games on steam. If it was just a shortcut in steam, I could have got it on ED's website months ago.

[ManOhMan]

lot of games don't have the over lay. Mostly older games, or MMO's FFXI etc

[TatsueN]

AFAIK, the reason for the overlay being non-functional is the same as why it had to use a 3rd party DRM instead of the Steam one: Steam does not support 64-bit, DCS A-10C requires 64-bit.

Hopefully Valve will be able to update Steam to give us a 64-bit version of it soon. That should fix the overlay.

[-Sn1PeR-]

Well, I did notice this:

"
8/09/2010

- Fixed a bug with new chat windows in the in-game overlay showing in the top left of the screen instead of correctly tabbed when first received
- Fixed a bug with HTML pop-up windows not sizing correctly
- Changed overlay hot-key detection to not consider ctrl-shift-tab to be the same as shift-tab, thus allowing it’s use in tabbed chat/browsing in-game
- Windows: 64 bit build of the in-game overlay (useable now with any 64bit non-Steam game you may add)
- Windows: 64 bit builds of Steamworks DLLs (for upcoming titles)
- Fixed links in game details news body having incorrect font size
"
from the Steam Beta notes found here:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1376391

That was a pretty long time ago.

[TatsueN]

Yeah, and they appear to have broken it again haven't they, since it isn't working? You don't blame ATC for screwing you over when a hurricane makes landfall on your field, do you?

If it is able to operate on completely unrelated titles (for non-Steam games), then the feature is by definition entriely Steam-contained. Thus: there is absolutely nothing ED can do to "fix" this. Valve broke it again, Valve has to fix it.

Also, Steamworks is irrelevant. DCS does not use Steamworks - it has it's own matchmaking, and so on.

[cotabucky]

If it helps you can alt-tab and start a audio chat before game and its fine in game. Just can't use the overlay yet I guess.

[-Sn1PeR-]

The main issue I have is Steam group messages (which still cannot be disabled, short of just signing out of friends) pulling me out of game. So for now, sign out of Steam to play this game.

Is there a good way to launch the executable from the common folder in your steam directory? I have a hunch that doing so and adding it as a non-steam game would allow the overlay to work properly.

[vraev]

You can't.

The exe is linked to other exe files and if you try any one of them, the game doesn't work. Lesson learnt...with DCS A-10 and DCS Black shark, you should NOT delete the shortcuts that are created.

[TatsueN]

You can create shortcuts if you know how - the only thing you need to do is set a different "Start In" folder. Assuming your steam folder and steam apps are on standard location, create this shortcut:

(Might not be 100% exact - I don't have it on Steam atm so I don't know exactly how it formats the directory.)

SINGLEPLAYER
Target: "C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DCS A-10C Warthog\bin\Launcher.exe"
Start In: "C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DCS A-10C Warthog\"

As you can see, you basically want the executable, which is stored in a specific binary subfolder, to run in the folder above it in the hierarchy.

MULTIPLAYER:
Target: "C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DCS A-10C Warthog\bin\DCS.exe" --net-mode gui
Start In: "C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DCS A-10C Warthog\"

Different file for the MP interface, and a command line argument to tell it to load the server browser. Principle is otherwise the same.

For shortcuts made for the windows desktop itself or start menu the exact same thing applies.

[vraev]

Steam overlay still doesn't work. :(

[acare84]

This because of game. Game is 64-BIT but Steam doesn't so Steam Overlay and Steam DRM (because of that Eagle Dynamics used Starforce) is not working. When we will see Steam 64 Bit, Steam Overlay and Steam DRM will work and Eagle Dynamics will remove 3rd party DRM. I read this on their forums.