How to properly install/run PC games on an external drive

[xezar]

Perhaps this might be more appropriate in the general videogame board, but as it doesn't deal directly with gaming but rather installation of them on a computer, figured I'd try here first.

So anyways, as I only have a smallish SSD on my computer, I want to install and run games from my 1TB external drive. For this example, I was trying to install Assassin's Creed 3, which I got a code for from the whole Ubisoft/Nvidia promotion. However, even though I made a folder and directed it to install stuff on the external drive, it still went and installed a bunch of shit on the main SSD, like whatever the hell uplay is and punkbuster and some other junk. So after deleting all those to clean up my SSD (again it's a small one I only want to run Windows off of quickly), now I'm trying to run the game by launching it off the external drive, but getting a stupid error saying the ubisoft launcher can't be found for updating or some crap.

So admittedly, I haven't played PC games for a while time (well WoW, but that's a different story). But are they really to this BS point where you can't simply install and play a game without having to deal with a bunch of other crap programs they want to tag onto the computer as well? It's about as bad as console games needing to download more shit from the internet once you buy them since people are too stupid to put games on just 1 disc now.

And if anyone can offer advice on what I should do here to get the game working, it'd be much appreciated. I have two more redemption codes for games via Steam, and I haven't ever bothered with Steam before so kinda dreading how that'll play out after this experience.

[Deleted]

Punkbuster is an anti-cheat program and uPlay is the application needed to LAUNCH Assassin's Creed 3 in the first place, so if you remove those then you're not going to be able to play the game from an external or internal.

uPlay is Ubisofts version of Steam in which you can buy games and play them via there. Lots of games will play fine from an external without any extra applications, just not games installed via uPlay or Steam.

[xezar]

Punkbuster is an anti-cheat program and uPlay is the application needed to LAUNCH Assassin's Creed 3 in the first place, so if you remove those then you're not going to be able to play the game from an external or internal.

uPlay is Ubisofts version of Steam in which you can buy games and play them via there, unfortunately most companies have moved in the direction of a Steam based application.

Well that kinda sucks...so I guess, is there any way to have that uPlay thing install and run from my external drive instead of it wanting to bury folders in a bunch of different locations on my SSD? Was kinda hoping like with WoW I can just launch it from opening the application directly, but guess not...

Punkbuster I know what that is I guess, a while back I remember my brother had such horrid problems when we were trying to play Unreal Tournament 2, even though none of us ever had cheating programs or anything it kept kicking him for whatever reason. But I just deleted it so it wouldn't clog up room.

[chazus]

I imagine you can do something like this

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1128184

and have symbolic links of files. But you need to customize it for AC3. I would ask on the AC3 forums

My question is... uPlay and Punkbuster take up very little space. Why are you fretting over them?

[xezar]

I imagine you can do something like this

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1128184

and have symbolic links of files. But you need to customize it for AC3. I would ask on the AC3 forums

My question is... uPlay and Punkbuster take up very little space. Why are you fretting over them?

Mostly because I don't like having unnecessary stuff. I know it's a bit of an odd thing, but eh, no real reason beyond that lol.

So in general though, say from regular PC games I would buy at a retail store, those shouldn't have any problems just installing and running from an external hard drive, it's just these dumb downloaded ones that want to make use of their proprietary system (uPlay or Steam in this case) that have this kind of problem I guess?

[vesseblah]

Nop, retail discs come with that fluff too. Just learn to deal with it. Discspace is meant to be used, even on SSD.

[chazus]

those shouldn't have any problems just installing and running from an external hard drive

There are absolutely no reasons to install on your external drive, unless you are literally running out of space. If you are, THEN it's time to clean up, but the cleanup needs to be removing big things you don't use anymore, not nitpicking on 50mb programs.

[xezar]

Mkay, so I pretty much have to deal with it I guess..oh well, was hoping there were alternatives. Thanks guys.