First, you must download the Steam Client.
Steam Client
Simply Click the "Install Steam Now" green button on the right side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Steam?
Steam is a Game Client which offers many great games and serves and is a dual purpose of being an instant messaging device with friends and such.
Why get Steam?
Valve's games are, considered by many, to be some of the better games out there. Steam is the only way to play these games, and also comes with a huge community similar to XFire. It also has tons of other games featured in the Steam Store.
Does Steam cost money?
No, at least the service and to get an account isn't. Most of the games cost as much money as they would in stores, but there are some great deals like free games and Packs of games which let you save a lot of money at times!
What kind of games does Steam have?
Since Steam is provided by Valve, their main whole are their games, but there are also many other popular games.
Some popular games on Steam:
Steam DOES work on both Windows and Mac as of May 12, 2010. However, only a few games work on Mac. The full list can be found here.
Steam Community
Steam requires an account to be made to access it's services. This helps you keep your games secure, and also provides you with access to a huge network of gamers who also use Steam. You can chat, use voice chat, establish and join Groups, make your own profile, keep track of how long your friends play, earn Achievements (in-game goals that specify certain tasks to complete), and have a blast doing it! Lots of GameToast members are already involved in the Steam Community, and we'd love for others to join us! Check out the [GT] Source Mods group page and consider joining!
Source and Valve
Source is the engine developed by Valve made for their games. It is stunningly realistic, and is updated yearly as they develop it and improve it. They also released a Source SDK (Software Development Kit) used to do anything from make a level to design a full blown mod, known popularly as SourceMods. These mods include such gems as Garry's Mod, Zombie Panic! (a favorite here at GameToast), and Pirates, Vikings and Knights. To run SourceMods, you need a game that includes it, such as Counter Strike: Source, Half-Life 2, Portal, Team Fortress 2, or other games made by Valve. To see if a game includes the Source SDK, it will say "Includes Source SDK" under Game Details. Plus, if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can look here to learn about a special offer to get the Source SDK with a few games for free.
Some suggested SourceMods:
Browse to your steamapps directory (usually C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\), and go to your SourceMods folder. From there, you can delete the SourceMod of your choice. (Some SourceMods have an uninstaller located in the SourceMods folder)
You must restart Steam for the mod to be removed from your Games list.
Source SDK
The Source SDK (Software Development Kit) is used to make levels and mods for Valve's Source engine. To get the Source SDK, you need a game that includes it. To find a list of games, look here.
Some reference documents and information on the Source SDK:
SDK Release Notes
SDK Reference Documents
Valve Developer Community
You can also use SoftImage|XSI Mod Tool to create models for Source. You can learn more about it here.
If you have any further concerns or questions, contact one of the [GT]Source Mods' members and we'll see if we can answer your question.
Steam Accounts:
Admins and Moderators, feel free to add or edit information in this post. I'm glad to of helped you guys out by making this, but if it doesn't fit your standards, feel free to make it fit.
~Haxored by Penguin