Is there any way to legally play single player Steam games without Steam running?

[Doomish]

It's a long-time question, I know. I predict that the answer is "no", but I'd like to record some footage of Borderlands in particular, and Steam just doesn't want to agree with me, and it is hogging all sorts of processing space because it's a bulky piece of shit. So, I ask you, FP. Is there a way to play my Steam games without actually launching Steam?

edit: yes this is in the right section, it has nothing to do with valve games or mods

[defyant]

launch borderlands through steam > alt tab out > task manager > processes > end steam.exe

[Doomish]

[QUOTE=defyant;27559600]launch borderlands through steam > alt tab out > task manager > processes > end steam.exe[/QUOTE]

Oh hey, it worked! Well, that was easy. Thank you! I figured it'd take some kind of lengthy process involving logging out and exiting and blah blah blah, but nope. :v:

[DarkendSky]

A number of games aren't really integrated with Steam, and just use Steam as a simple launcher. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is actually one of the few actually integrated games I've bought from the store. Games like Mount and Blade, Operation Flashpoint : Dragon Rising, and a few others I have that aren't made by Valve are all playable without Steam.

It is annoying when you want to play, say, TF2, and Steam is being terrible and wrecking your FPS.

[Take_Opal]

Despite what you think: Steam doesn't cause performance drops.

[The man of &quo]

[QUOTE=Take_Opal;27560195]Despite what you think: Steam doesn't cause performance drops.[/QUOTE]

Unless they dont have as much RAM as you, or as much CPU. Or unless its downloading, doing that skippy thing it does, or decides to just take up 100K like always.

[Contag]

[QUOTE=Take_Opal;27560195]Despite what you think: Steam doesn't cause performance drops.[/QUOTE]

That's obviously not true.

That said, if you're using a computer that is adversely effected by steam, then instead of buying a new game, you should welcome yourself to the second decade of the 21st century with a small tech upgrade.

[InvisibleTed]

[QUOTE=Contag;27561616]That's obviously not true.[/QUOTE]

That's some compelling evidence.

[PopLot]

As much I notice Steam's resource usage, my frame rates are usually comfortable enough to leave it running.

[Mane]

[QUOTE=The man of "Wat";27560225]Unless they dont have as much RAM as you, or as much CPU. Or unless its downloading, doing that skippy thing it does, or decides to just take up 100K like always.[/QUOTE]

If you have the sort of machine that supports the recording of a game like Borderlands, then Steam is going to be the least of your worries.

Don't believe me? Leave your task manager running on a second monitor (if you have one) while you're playing/recording.

[affersab]

On some games, you can exit Steam then go to: Program Files>Steam>Steamapps>Common and then find the game folder, then use the launch icon. This only works for some games.