Step by step to change from Steam DCS to standalone DCS

[santinif4]

Can anybody please outline the steps with regard to my current setup, to transfer completely to standalone?

I've found different threads, but some things contradict others and left me mostly uncertain of the steps.

Here is what I have: I currently have DCS World Steam Edition (I could not find that it specified any numerical version (like 2.7 etc) of it anywhere on the Steam site. The only other things I have on Steam for DCS are: F-15C Flaming Cliffs DLC, F-16C Viper, and Mariana Islands Map.

Here is what I want: To run DCS World solely on the standalone version from this point forward with no need to use Steam. From what I gather I can possibly transfer over, or "bind" the 3 modules from Steam to standalone. So first question is:

1) Do I first have to download the DCS World version 2.7 from the DCS World website (the majority of folks seem to think that the open beta 2.7 is the way to go so I would opt for that) -OR- is there some way that the Steam version  (which was downloaded already to my PC) can somehow become my standalone version via some of this "binding" process (ie no downloading of the sim from ED rquired)? 

2) If I must download 2.7 open beta from DCS World, do I need to create a different DCS World account or can I continue with current one. (ie will anything from my current acct be somehow linked to Steam in any way?)

3) If I bind those 3 modules, are they now updated through Steam or through DCS World whenever updates arrive (mostly for the F-16)? And if they are updated through Steam, but I don't want that, then is my only option to repurchase them through DCS World?

I guess those are the first questions - if you know of other things that will arise from transferring please let me know as well... thank you all very much!

[Rudel_chw]

18 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

Here is what I have: I currently have DCS World Steam Edition (I could not find that it specified any numerical version (like 2.7 etc) of it anywhere on the Steam site. The only other things I have on Steam for DCS are: F-15C Flaming Cliffs DLC, F-16C Viper, and Mariana Islands Map.

Here is what I want: To run DCS World solely on the standalone version from this point forward with no need to use Steam. From what I gather I can possibly transfer over, or "bind" the 3 modules from Steam to standalone.

 

Actually, what you "bind" is your Steam account credentials onto your ED account.
 

18 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

So first question is:

1) Do I first have to download the DCS World version 2.7 from the DCS World website (the majority of folks seem to think that the open beta 2.7 is the way to go so I would opt for that) -OR- is there some way that the Steam version  (which was downloaded already to my PC) can somehow become my standalone version via some of this "binding" process (ie no downloading of the sim from ED rquired)? 
 

 

The Steam edition is very different than stand alone, so I wouldnt attempt to somehow "convert" it to stand-alone, so I suggest that you download the stand-alone installer from ED site.

you dont have that many modules, so if you have 100 GB to spare, you can install the stand alone DCS without deleting the Steam Edition of it … this way you can later on run either edition of DCS, which may help you during the transition.

 

18 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

2) If I must download 2.7 open beta from DCS World, do I need to create a different DCS World account or can I continue with current one. (ie will anything from my current acct be somehow linked to Steam in any way?)

 

You can use your current ED account. Steam will have no knowledge at all of your ED account, instead it is your ED account the one that know your Steam credentials.

 

18 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

3) If I bind those 3 modules, are they now updated through Steam or through DCS World whenever updates arrive (mostly for the F-16)? And if they are updated through Steam, but I don't want that, then is my only option to repurchase them through DCS World?

The modules will be updated by ED own dcs_updater.exe executable. 

[Glide]

3 minutes ago, Rudel_chw said:

3 modules from Steam to standalone

I don't believe the Steam keys are transferable.  You should download the openbeta web installer and repurchase F-16 and Marianas.  You can keep your Steam version at Stable, but don't buy any licenses there if you want to go Standalone now.  I have the same setup.

[Rudel_chw]

24 minutes ago, Glide said:

I don't believe the Steam keys are transferable.  You should download the openbeta web installer and repurchase F-16 and Marianas.  You can keep your Steam version at Stable, but don't buy any licenses there if you want to go Standalone now.  I have the same setup.

you should really know your stuff before attempting to give advice on this. First of all, Marianas is free, and there is no need to repurchase the viper.

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/steam/#3303126
 

 

[Glide]

Yeah, you are right.  Not my problem.

[maximov]

20 hours ago, santinif4 said:

Can anybody please outline the steps with regard to my current setup, to transfer completely to standalone?

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/steam/#3303126

[santinif4]

Thank you all for the info. Iwas able to DL the 2.7 Open Beta and, following your guidance and that link, was able to bind the accounts and transfer all 3 modules! I appreciate the help.

I do have another few questions now though.

1) Rudel_chw you stated the update procedure was :The modules will be updated by ED own dcs_updater.exe executable." Now that I have the standalone version installed, does what you said mean that whenever I launch the standalone version, ED checks it for any outstanding updates and either prompts me to update at that time, or does it automatically at that time?

2) On the download page there is a "dedicated server" for the 2.7 Open Beta version. I can't find any guidance on what I would do with that. Is that required for online multiplayer operations? And how do I use it once I have downloaded it. Sorry if this is posted elsewhere. If it is and you have that link, I will get guidance from it.

3) I'm not certain of the "binding" and "transferring" of the modules/credentials. I would like to uninstall the Steam version since I believe it is about 210GB. Will uninstalling the Steam DCS World version from my Steam acct somehow make it impossible to "use" those 3 modules that I got through Steam? Or only if I also uninstall the 3 modules at Steam as well? It seems to me that binding somehow only would allow the use of the other previously downloaded software (F-16C, F-15C, Mariana etc) but does not actually make it a part of the standalone ED World? Is that somewhat right?

Thanks guys

[Rudel_chw]

41 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

1) Rudel_chw you stated the update procedure was :The modules will be updated by ED own dcs_updater.exe executable." Now that I have the standalone version installed, does what you said mean that whenever I launch the standalone version, ED checks it for any outstanding updates and either prompts me to update at that time, or does it automatically at that time?

 

Yes, the default DCS icon that you use to start the sim actually runs the dcs_updater first, and if there is a new update it prompts you to see of you want to install it. It does this process only once per day, subsequent runs go straight to dcs.exe, until the next day.

 

41 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

2) On the download page there is a "dedicated server" for the 2.7 Open Beta version. I can't find any guidance on what I would do with that.

 

Lets say that you have a group of friends that also fly DCS, you can fly multiplayer missions with them if one of you acts as Server. However, many people dont want to depend on a single guy being online to act as server, on that case you can use an older PC to be a dedicated server. No one flies on that machine, it only works as a Multiplayer server for DCS. The machine does not require an expensive graphics card, does not require a large ram, and the DCS server software already includes licenses for all the maps, ww2 assets and supercarrier. The players do require licenses.

 

41 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

3) I'm not certain of the "binding" and "transferring" of the modules/credentials. I would like to uninstall the Steam version since I believe it is about 210GB. Will uninstalling the Steam DCS World version from my Steam acct somehow make it impossible to "use" those 3 modules that I got through Steam?

the steam install is totally independent from the standalone version. You can delete it if you want, but I suggest to keep it for a while, so that you can transfer items like the logbook, the campaign status, etc, from your steam install onto the new one.

[santinif4]

Thanks for the replies!  One more question for you - is there a way to copy/transfer all the joystick settings etc that I had in the Steam version to the new standalone all at once?

[Rudel_chw]

13 minutes ago, santinif4 said:

is there a way to copy/transfer all the joystick settings etc that I had in the Steam version to the new standalone all at once?

 

Yes.

DCS stores all user configuration within a folder stored at C:/Users/your-user/Saved Games/  ... for example your DCS Openbeta stand-alone should be storing its configuration at C:/Users/your-user/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta/  ... your old Steam version shuld be storing its config at a nearby folder, typically C:/Users/your-user/Saved Games/DCS/

Within the configuration folder, there is a sub-folder that stores all the joystick settings .. it's /config/input/     

You can copy this "input" folder, from the Steam version location, onto the stand alone's same location ... say, copy /Saved Games/DCS/config/input/ to /Saved Games/DCS.openbeta/config/  

Edited March 29, 2022 by Rudel_chw

[santinif4]

Outstanding! You are a wealth of knowledge... Here's something that just happened though. Maybe you know what is going on...I just purchased from the ED site 3 items. A Red Flag campaign for the F-16, the Nevada test range terrain, and Flaming Cliffs 3 (to get those other aircraft that came with it) Now I already had the F-15C - which supposedly is the exact same module as in FC3. I also was able to download some instant action missions for the F-15C a while back (I can't remember the name of the user that supplies them but I do recall he is fairly well known in the forum for those items for the F-15C since it didn't come with any training missions in it's module). Now that I downloaded and installed FC3, my F-15C icon on the bottom banner has disappeared altogether. I can access a few F-15C missions from the FC3 icon "instant action" menu, but I no longer have access to any of those user supplied training missions. I thought it would add/allow access to those other FC3 aircraft icons individually - but it seems I can only use them in the FC3 context only? Does that sound right?

[santinif4]

What happened to all those pics you replied with explaining where missions go etc? They are no longer visible to me on this thread.

[Rudel_chw]

4 hours ago, santinif4 said:

What happened to all those pics you replied with explaining where missions go etc? They are no longer visible to me on this thread.

They are still there:

 

I posted there as it was a different subject than what this thread was about.

[KevyKevTPA]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why would doing this be advantageous?  

[Rudel_chw]

16 minutes ago, KevyKevTPA said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why would doing this be advantageous?  

your question isnt stupid, but there are already several forum threads that answer that … do a little search.