How to Build a development(debug) with shipping visual quality?

Development Programming & Scripting
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Hello! I am trying to find the best solution to my problem. I am developing a game that is currently focused on Steam. The game is multiplayer, but I want to showcase it in places where there is no internet. Therefore, I have implemented a LAN option to allow the game to run without internet access. The issue is that I have been trying for weeks to make the SHIPPING version work without internet and couldn’t find a way to enable LAN functionality—it seems that the Steam subsystem blocks LAN if it is not connected to the internet to connect to Steam.

The only solution I have found to run the game without Steam running is in debug (development) mode, but the graphical quality is significantly lower. So, as a plan B, since I can play LAN without Steam in debug mode, I would like to find out how to make the debug version look visually as good as the shipping version. However, I don’t know how to copy the graphical compile settings from Shipping to Debug (development). Any hints?

In summary, this is my situation:

  • LAN with Steam and Internet in the shipping version: OK
  • LAN without Internet in the shipping version: DOES NOT WORK
  • LAN without Internet in the debug version: WORKS
    I want LAN without Internet in the shipping version (or, if not possible, the debug version with the graphical quality of the shipping version).

I just want to show my game with final quality without internet…I am not asking for anything crazy…do I?

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  • LAN without Internet in the shipping version: DOES NOT WORK

Not sure about your question, but it’s remind me of a one thing you didn’t clarify: did you test your game with steam client running, not or both?
Having it running vs not - affects which network subsystem will be used. So probably you were testing it with steam client running, but with internet off, which could lead to something weird

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I tested all scenarios.

If I have internet and just run the shipping version exe with Steam not loaded, it will just open steam and then run the game

If I have internet and steam not loaded, debug exe works fine. LAN game works perfect but visual quality of debug is not same as shipping

If I dont have internet and run the shipping game with no Steam, then steam will open…try to find internet…it will not find it and then run the game anyway but LAN wont work.

In my game logic I am trying to create sessions with Steam API when steam is available and with standard CreateSession with no steam. Also tried doing all cases with Steam API too.

My problem is not being able to run a shipping game with no steam at all.
2nd problem (the main one) if steam is working offline LAN DONT WORK.

Anyway…I would like to give the players the option to play LAN without internet too.