How-To Make any game standalone (extracted or GCF-based)

[Bleik]

[HOW TO] Make a standalone of any game (extracted or GCF-based)

 

Part 1

 

First of all: What is a standalone and why should I use one?

If you know that already, skip that and continue with the next paragraph. A standalone is a version of a Steam game running without any installation, without Steam and therefore also offline and without any kind of launcher. There are two kinds of standalones: Game Cache File (GCF)-based ones and extracted ones.

 

An extracted standalone is the common way, it has no GCFs and looks therefore like a normal game which is unrelated to Steam, there are many files in the game's folder. The advantage of an extracted standalone is it's simplicity.

The GCF-based standalone works much more like the game would work if it would be started over Steam: Only few files lie on your harddisk, the others are in uncompressed archives (this does not cause speed loss). The few files are mainly the game's executables. The advantages of GCFs are huge - that's why Steam uses them - but difficult to explain. As a normal user you only need to know that this version of a standalone is a very big advantage, if you want to make more than one game standalone, since most VALVe games share some files between themselves (all Source Engine games for example share most of their files). Thus this will decrease the size of all games in total. (This is only one advantage of GCF-based standalones, but the others are very difficult to understand).

 

However, all in all it's better - and easier - to use a GCF-based standalone.

 

So how do I create a standalone?

If you want to create a standalone of a Steam game, you'll first have to get the files of this game. What files you exactly need for your game can be looked up in this thread or use CFToolbox.

Some of those games can be downloaded through cracked Steam (In this thread you'll find a list of them), you can get all the others through CS RIN's

Steam Content Sharing section.

 

If you own the content of the game already, check if they're up to date (you can do so with CFToolbox).

 

1. Extracted Standalone (If your game has no GCFs at all you need to follow this anyway)

 

After acquiring the content of the game (GCFs or the NCFs plus the files in the 'common' folder), you'll have to extract the GCFs in a new folder. NCFs are already extracted; you just need to copy the common folder.

 

1.1.1 Validating the game's content

 

Open the path to your GCFs/NCFs in CFToolbox and validate all of them. If they're not valid or if they're outdated, correct them and continue download or (with most file necessary) request updates for them first here. However in the end all your contents should be valid.

 

1.1.2 Extract the game's GCFs (skip for NCF based games)

 

For GCF-based games (any HL1/GoldSrc, Source game and some others) you have to extract all files, so the game's folder looks like a normal game with many files and folders and without GCFs.

To do so, get a GCF extractor first, like GCFScape  or GCFExplorer.

Then extract the GCFs needed for the game you want to make standalone of in a new folder. Checkout which GCFs you need with CFToolbox

When extracting pay attention to the following things (listed by game/game type):

~> Condition Zero

Extract the CZ GCFs after the ones from 1.6!

 

~> Any HL1 (GoldSrc) based games

Extract platform.gcf to \platform in this new folder.

 

~> Half-Life Source/Half-Life Source DM

Don't extract base source engine 2.gcf!

 

~> Any other Source based games

Extract source engine.gcf before base source engine 2.gcf!

 

~> Any Source 2007 based games (currently: Garry's Mod, Portal, Episode 2, Team Fortress 2)

Extract only source 2007 binaries.gcf, not the base source engine 2.gcf or source engine.gcf.

 

~> Garry's Mod/Any Source Engine Mod

Extract source sdk base.gcf, which is needed for mods.

Now you should have all your files in one folder.

 

1.2. Adding a Steam emulator

 

There are several emulators/launchers, at the moment only rev-emu, rev-launcher and DOSBox-replacement-method are up to date.

For VALVe games I recommend you to use rev-emu, for 3rd party Steam games REVOLUTiON loader. Furthermore for Steam games ported from DOS there's a special method listened here.

For the sake of completion, there's also a SteamEmu tutorial in here, but it's not recommended to use SteamEmu anymore.

1.2.1 REVOLUTiON Emulator (rev-emu) (GCF-based games only; only Emulator that support x64 HL2 & Lost Coast)

 

Get the REVOLUTiON Emulator first. If you're working on a Half-Life engine game, extract all the files to the base directory, else if you're making a standalone out of a Source game, extract steam.dll and steamclient.dll in the 'bin'-directory and the rev.ini in the base directory.

In case you want to make a HL2 / Lost Coast 64bit standalone, use the Steam.dll of the x64 directory inside the archive.

Now open up the rev.ini and set the desired player name there. If you remove the # before the MasterServer line, then Setti will be the master server list and accordingly all games under "Find Servers" will be Setti games.

 

1.2.2 REVOLUTiON Loader (3rd party games only)

 

Extract the REVOLUTiON Loader to your folder containing your standalone. Then copy the normal unpatched Steam.dll in the same folder (install Steam to get it or ask someone). Lastly open up rev.ini and change the 'ProcName' value to the executable name of your game. Then use the loader to launch the game.

 

1.2.3 Special Method for DOS-ported games

 

The DOS games on Steam are running over the DOS emulator DOS Box. The protection for the game is in DOSBox.exe and not the game's executable, as Steam.dll is a Windows DLL.

Thus a simple replacement of the modified DOSBox.exe with the original one removes the Steam dependency.

So first get the original DOSBox and install it. Then open the directory where you installed DOSBox to. Copy the DOSBox.exe there in the 'base'-directory and affirm the question if you want to replace it.

1.2.4 SteamEmu *OUTDATED EMULATOR/NOT RECOMMENDED*

 

NOTE: This emulator is outdated and should not be used anymore, it's just here for completion's sake

 

1.2.4.1 Get SteamEmu & install it

 

You'll have to make the game non-Steam. First get SteamEmu 3.83

As you've got SteamEmu extract it in the game's folder or for any source game in the \bin folder.

 

1.2.4.2 Create the config for SteamEmu

 

Next you'll have to create the emulator's config: Just create a new file called SteamEmu.ini with notepad in the game's directory and paste the following content into it:

[Emulator]
Extracted=1

1.2.4.3 Copy steamclient.dll from Steam

 

Copy steamclient.dll from Steam (It doesn't matter if it's cracked/uncracked Steam) and copy it in the game's base directory (the directory where the game's executable is).

 

1.2.4.4 Source Engine only: Crack the engine.dll (Not necessary for single-player only games)

 

If you have a Source based game you'll now have to crack the engine.dll with ViTYAN's Universal Patcher (VUP).

 

Note: Don't use VUP for Source Engine 1 based games like HL Source, their engine.dll isn't supported. If you want to setup a HL Source DM server, you may try other patches/cracks in the thread linked above.

 

To apply VUP do the following:

Download this vupwrap.rar. Extract the archive, then simply copy the VUP binary to the root folder (hl2.exe or srcds.exe are in there) of the game/dedicated server you want to patch. (NOTE: On 32-bit Windows you can only use vup86.exe, on 64-bit Windows you can use either vup64.exe (optimized and faster), but also vup86.exe). Afterwards, just run the batch, it will do the rest of the patching automatically.

 

3. Create the shortcuts

 

Now you'll have to create a shortcut to the game: enter as target the game's executable: it's hl.exe for HL1 based games and hl2.exe for Source based ones. If it's HL1 engine based or Source you'll have to add some parameters (to do that: create a shortcut; then right-click  it -> properties and add to the target box those lines):

~> HL1-Engine (GoldSrc) based game

hl.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR

 

~> Any Source Engine based game

hl2.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR

 

~> Any other game

nothing, just a normal shortcut

NOTE: You'll have to replace GAMEDIR with the directory of the game (NOT the name) which lies inside the folder.

~> Example: CS 1.6

hl.exe -steam -game cstrike

 

~>Example: TF2 (NOTE: The folder is tf, though the game's TF2)

hl2.exe -steam -game tf

 

NOTE: If you want to enable console add -console to parameters (in hl1 you can open the console also without that, but in source it's necessary). it should look then something around this:

• 
  ~> HL1-Engine (GoldSrc) based game with console
  hl.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR -console
   
  ~> Any Source Engine based game with console
  hl2.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR -console
  That should be all, if it's working by now then you're done.
   
  NOTE: If you like to release your standalone, please add credits to all people's whom releases you needed, like REVOLUTiON for rev-emu and so on. Thank you.

[Bleik]

1.4. FAQ

 

~> I have this problem: Application load error (0x03); what can I do?

This error occurs with some games that check for digital signatures on steam.dll. To resolve this, use rev-loader as crack or get a No-CD/DVD crack for your game at sites like GameBurnWorld  or GameCopyWorld.

 

~> Can I put multiple games in one folder?

Yes, you can if all those games have the same engine. You can't extract HL2 and GMod in one folder as GMod is a Source 2007 based game.

 

 

2. GCF-based Standalone (You can only use this if your game has GCFs at all!)

 

If you want to convert a GCF-based game - like all VALVe games are for example are - to a GCF-based standalone, follow this.

NOTE: This only works with GCF-based games, other games won't work that way!

2.1. Copying the GCFs

 

Create a new folder first, and then a second one inside that folder. Now launch CFToolbox and lookup what GCF files you need for your game(s) and copy those to the second folder you created.

 

2.2. Creating the minimal footprints

 

Since you only got a bunch of GCF files so far, and no executables you need to extract some files out of the GCFs to launch the game, which are called 'minimal footprints'.

(NOTE: You can automate the steps from this point with GCFPrep, but since this is a 'how to'-tutorial, we won't use it in here).

For this step you need cracked Steam (i.e. SMD or DynPatch) or SemiSteam. Now launch your cracked Steam version and launch the game(s) you want to make a standalone of once for each game. Afterwards close cracked Steam. Next, open your cracked Steam directory, open the sub-folder SteamApps and then the folder named like the account you just used. Inside you'll find folders for each game that you just launched. Now copy those folders in the first folder you created, where also the subfolder for GCFs is. (If you only want to convert one game to a standalone, you can also open its folder and copy all the contents to the folder).

This/These folder(s) contain the 'minimal footprints' of your game(s).

 

2.3. Adding a Steam emulator

 

Now you're almost done, only a Steam emulator is still missing. You've got the choices for emulators supporting GCFs: REVOLUTiON emulator and SteamEmu. I'd recommend you to use the REVOLUTiON emulators, since SteamEmu seems not to be developed any further and is outdated.

2.3.1 REVOLUTiON emulator

 

Note: You'll have to repeat this step for the footprints of every game.

Get the REVOLUTiON Emulator first. If you're working on a Half-Life engine game, extract all the files to the base directory of the footprints (hl.exe is there), else if you're making a standalone out of a Source game, extract steam.dll and steamclient.dll in the 'bin'-directory and the rev.ini in the base directory of the footprints (hl2.exe is there).

In case you want to make a HL2 / Lost Coast 64bit standalone, use the Steam.dll of the x64 directory inside the archive.

Now open up the rev.ini and set the desired player name there. If you remove the # before the MasterServer line, then Setti will be the master server list and accordingly all games under "Find Servers" will be Setti games.

The emulator has now to be configured to work with GCFs. Therefore set CacheEnabled to True and edit CachePath to the second folder with the GCFs.

Note: If you choose to make a standalone out of one game and copied the contents of the footprint folder in the Steam directory to that folder directly, you can also set CachePath to .\<name_of_second_folder>, i.e. if the second folder is called SteamApps: .\SteamApps . If you copied the folders, and the footprint folders and the GCF folder are in the same directory, set it to ..\<name_of_second_folder> , i.e. ..\SteamApps

 

2.3.2 SteamEmu *OUTDATED EMULATOR/NOT RECOMMENDED*

 

NOTE: This emulator is outdated and should not be used anymore, it's just here for completion's sake

 

2.3.2.1 Get SteamEmu & install it

 

You'll have to make the game non-Steam. First get SteamEmu 3.83

As you've got SteamEmu extract it in the game's folder or for any source game in the \bin folder.

 

2.3.2.2 Create the config for SteamEmu

 

Next you'll have to create the emulator's config: Just create a new file called SteamEmu.ini with notepad in the game's directory and paste the following content into it:

[Emulator]
BaseDir=

And add behind the '=' the (relative) path to your GCFs.

2.3.2.3 Copy steamclient.dll from Steam

 

Copy steamclient.dll from Steam (It doesn't matter if it's cracked/uncracked Steam) and copy it in the game's base directory (the directory where the game's executable is).

 

2.3.2.4 Source Engine only: Crack the engine.dll (Not necessary for single-player only games)

 

If you have a Source based game you'll now have to crack the engine.dll with ViTYAN's Universal Patcher (VUP).

 

Note: Don't use VUP for Source Engine 1 based games like HL Source, their engine.dll isn't supported. If you want to setup a HL Source DM server, you may try other patches/cracks in the thread linked above.

 

To apply VUP do the following:

Download this vupwrap.rar. Extract the archive, then simply copy the VUP binary to the root folder (hl2.exe or srcds.exe are in there) of the game/dedicated server you want to patch. (NOTE: On 32-bit Windows you can only use vup86.exe, on 64-bit Windows you can use either vup64.exe (optimized and faster), but also vup86.exe). Afterwards, just run the batch, it will do the rest of the patching automatically.

 

2.4 Shortcuts

 

Now you'll have to create a shortcut to the game: enter as target the game's executable and add as parameters -steam and -appid followed by the Application ID (to find it out, click here). For HL1 and Source games you also need to add a gamedir paramter. All in all your shortcut should look like this in the end:

~> HL1-Engine (GoldSrc) based game

hl.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR -appid APPID

 

~> Any Source Engine based game

hl2.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR -appid APPID

 

~> Any other game

game_exec.exe -steam -appid APPID

NOTE: You'll have to replace GAMEDIR with the directory of the game (NOT the name) which lies inside the folder.

~> Example: CS 1.6

hl.exe -steam -game cstrike -appid 10

 

~> Example: TF2 (NOTE: The folder is tf, though the game's TF2)

hl2.exe -steam -game tf -appid 440

 

NOTE: If you want to enable console add -console to parameters (in hl1 you can open the console also without that, but in source it's necessary). it should look then something around this:

• 
  ~> HL1-Engine (GoldSrc) based game with console
  hl.exe -steam -nomaster -game GAMEDIR -console
   
  ~> Any Source Engine based game with console
  hl2.exe -steam -game GAMEDIR -console

 

 

3. Need support? - Ask here or in the IRC!

 

If you're having trouble, you may ask in this thread or join the IRC of cs.rin.ru . But ensure that you've taken a look at common problems listened in the FAQ above and read also the Non-Steam FAQ.

If you did that and your problem still occurs try to validate and correct your GCFs with CFToolbox. In case the GCFs aren't valid, request updates in the appropriate thread which is linked to above.

If all that didn't work, join the IRC of cs.rin.ru or ask here and add a list of the GCFs you extracted and in which order to your post. If possible provide a screenshot of your problem and copy the content of the game's console. If your problem is related to VUP, post VUPs console contents too. You won't receive any support and your post will be ignored if you don't add this information!.

 

 

 

Credits: Creator: Teasser from: Steamless.net..I made it in 2 posts cause It was bigger than 20000 letters  :D

I found it, edited some "mistakes" that I found and posted it.Hope I helped you though It ain't my work ;)!Enjoy!!

 

MaxCheaters.Com

[CalyXTen]

wow amazing tutorial, thanks i will test

[+cs.tribal]

COOL!

if this method works i'm gonna try it on my favourite game.... thanks!

[Skate02]

thanks mate. i searched it. let me try this ;D

[damdamo]

nice, thanks!