Can I play game early?

i pre ordered from shopto ages ago, just got the email saying its been dispatched, so ill be getting it tomorrow as ive paid for next day delivery (dont trust royal mail).

so my question is, will i be able to play it tomorrow due to the activation thing?

it won't think so mate

Yes.

There is no online activation this year, so if you get the game early you can play it by keeping the disc in your computer.

i pre ordered from shopto ages ago, just got the email saying its been dispatched, so ill be getting it tomorrow as ive paid for next day delivery (dont trust royal mail).

so my question is, will i be able to play it tomorrow due to the activation thing?

Yes. If you keep the disc in the drive no activation is necessary.

ahh ok, but id like to get the automatic updates through steam like in 09

Yes. If you keep the disc in the drive no activation is necessary.

but can i activate any time. so i can start playing using the disc, then activate when available?

Yeah i'm also wondering about the activation, as if activation can't be done until friday it penalises people wanting to use Steam instead of permanently having their CD in their drive. Surely using Steam should be encouraged?

Mine copy's also been dispatched from shopto, but my DVD drive hasn't been working for a while now. I managed to install FM09 by transferring the files from the CD to my external harddrive and installing off of that. I presume by doing this though FM (whilst playing) won't recognise the external harddrive as the FM disc like it probably will during installation, meaning that Steam will be my only option?

So I will be getting my game tomorrow, next day delivery off UKMAIL, being dispatched today, will I be able to install and play tomorrow?

If not then I won't be happy.

I think a large number of people are going to be getting the game either tomorrow or Thursday, due to online companies sending the game out early by next day delivery etc to beat the postal strike. It would be a good idea to turn the activation on either tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest.

if this is the case then I wonder if my local game store has copies already ? and if they do will they sell them ?

I'm waiting for the release day patch anyway

but can i activate any time. so i can start playing using the disc, then activate when available?

is this possible then?

any1 know? ^^^

YOu can if you have a time machine

Could someone please explain to a non-Steam user like myself the benefits of signing up? As far as I can gather, they send you the updates/patches automatically and there may be some exclusive skins. Is that all?

Does the "Check for updates" button not exist in the game any more?

but can i activate any time. so i can start playing using the disc, then activate when available?

YOu can if you have a time machine

??? take that as a no then??

but i cant see why i couldnt. surely it should prompt me every time if i wanna activate :confused:

The patch is not until friday so even if mine turned up tomorrow i wouldnt bother until the patch comes out as the classic tactics i use has a bug in it and cant play unti it's fixed.

but can i activate any time. so i can start playing using the disc, then activate when available?

is this possible then?

anyone know then? :confused:

So I will be getting my game tomorrow, next day delivery off UKMAIL, being dispatched today, will I be able to install and play tomorrow?

If not then I won't be happy.

And if you do get your game tomorrow, and can play, then I won't be happy.

Unless Steam allow me to download it too.

Wait for the patch

whats in the patch then?

The patch effects gameplay, not the editor, manual or anything else I would want to use before actually playing anyway.

A couple of bugs and data fixes.

What time will the patch be up? 00:01am friday?

I imagine so.

but can i activate any time. so i can start playing using the disc, then activate when available?

This has already been answered. Read it carefully.

There is no activation this year. The CD has to be in the drive this year and that's it.

If you're talking about registering it through Steam, you can assign any game to Steam at any time - it won't stop you playing it just because the official release date is Friday.

i will wait for the patch too, but i can start creating leagues as soon as i get the game, so..

This has already been answered. Read it carefully.

There is no activation this year. The CD has to be in the drive this year and that's it.

If you're talking about registering it through Steam, you can assign any game to Steam at any time - it won't stop you playing it just because the official release date is Friday.

If you install the game and choose to play via steam then it will ask you to validate with it. If that's the case, then the only way you'll be able to play it is via the CD because Steam doesn't allow you to play games before the release date, that is unless you install via the CD method and simply "add" it to Steam, which doesn't give you automatic updates nor their content.

People who pre-order with Steam or choose to install using the Steam method before Friday will be able to play at 0:01am on friday morning.

no point playing before 1st patch is released

is this possible then?

no point playing before 1st patch is released

Why not? Patches are save game compatible. So unless it includes a data update and you really need to have this new update then you can continue any game you've already started.

What time will the patch be up? 00:01am friday?

Here's what has been said:

We will aim to release the patch at some point on October 30th, although we obviously cannot guarantee that at this stage, or give a time. I apologise in advance if it ends up slightly later than this, as I'm about to go away on a PR tour round Europe, so want be on the forums much to update about it.

is this possible then?

You don't have to activate AT ALL. EVER.

This has already been answered. Read it carefully.

There is no activation this year. The CD has to be in the drive this year and that's it.

True but there are certain advantages to activating your game with steam. Firstly you'll get any patches automatically. Secondly you can get an FM2009 type skin if your not too keen on the new one that comes with fm2010 (altough I believe Miles said that this skin wont actually be available for a couple of weeks yet). Third the game has other features (achievements I think they were called :confused:) for users of steam. I cant remember the exact wording for this so either read the activation thread or one of the blogs where it was mentioned. Finally if you use steam to activate then it means you can keep the dvd in the case once its installed so it remains scratch free.

I personally will just keep the disk in the drive since I don't think that I'd be able to have the game in my posession for 2 days without being able to play it.

hi has anybody had confirmation from game if theres has been dispatched

Steam so should have dispatched (made available) teh game the same time as the best mail provider is despatching. They are losing their USP there..Stupid.

Steam doesn't seem to work on my laptop for some reason but I wouldn't mind playing it without the disk, can I still activate via Unilock?

hi has anybody had confirmation from game if theres has been dispatched

Yes. Had confirmation emails from both shopto and uk mail. It will definitely be with me some time tomorrow morning acording to the uk mail email.

Yes. Had confirmation emails from both shopto and uk mail. It will definitely be with me some time tomorrow morning acording to the uk mail email.

he meant GAME the shop loool

Obviously read the post too quickly before responding.:o

Steam doesn't seem to work on my laptop for some reason but I wouldn't mind playing it without the disk, can I still activate via Unilock?

Uniloc is only used with the digital [downloadable] version of the game, this excludes Steam but includes providers like Direct2Drive.

People who have pre ordered off Steam or intend to buy on release will be able to play a day earlier as they have brought forward their release date to the 29th, so it will go live at 12.01 on thursday morning not friday morning like it was supposed to. Good work Steam.

People who have pre ordered off Steam or intend to buy on release will be able to play a day earlier as they have brought forward their release date to the 29th, so it will go live at 12.01 on thursday morning not friday morning like it was supposed to. Good work Steam.

It looks like Steam has moved up the release date, but not to 12:01 AM Thursday morning in the UK. I loaded Steam, and the store now says it is 1 day and 15 hours from unlocking. That would be noon eastern time here in the U.S. and 5:00 PM in the UK on Thursday.

It looks like Steam has moved up the release date, but not to 12:01 AM Thursday morning in the UK. I loaded Steam, and the store now says it is 1 day and 15 hours from unlocking. That would be noon eastern time here in the U.S. and 5:00 PM in the UK on Thursday.

Yeah but from my experience of Steam it always goes live at 12.01 on release day like some times it says 15 hours to go and then 1 hour before the release day it changes to 1 hour remaining. I may be wrong we will just have to see.