Well, I finally bit the bullet and reinstalled steam onto my computer in order to gain access to the 1.2 update. I've just got to say that app is IN-@#($%-FURIATING. Crash. Fail to install. Crash again. Took 4 tries before the install went through and the final install didn't even install into the directory I wanted!

So, to say the least, I've taken my cracked executable and have done away with steam once again.

I got a good idea for a DLC module: STEAM FREE!!! That would be worth my $5 in A HEART BEAT!

Man, reminds me of ten years ago? when steam was actually bad...

I on the other hand am glad it is on Steam. Much more easier for me. I use to be a Steam hater back during the dark years but have since embraced it and now I can't believe I have went so long without it.

Now Devs listen closely...the next DLC is going to have ships, sea monsters and whole navies fighting for the mastery of the worlds ocean. You will think of nothing else. you with live, breath, eat, drink, go potty ocean adventures.  Now you are getting sleepy... sleepy.

Been playing and I just had to come back here to say, again, THANK YOU.

This is just too good. Please keep them coming. The new artwork is superb and the new event I just ran in to made me giddy. You guys are amazing. Although I wasn't going to do this because I don't really choose maps, I'm going to go buy the maps DLC to further support you.

I'm a big, big fan.

Well, I'll be picking this up (along with the Rebellion DLC) on the first.

Looking good.

Just want to add that I bought the Map pack DLC with no real intention of ever playing them, though I will eventually.

It's the journey, not the destination.

@GFireflyE:

I feel your pain in regards to Steam.  Fortunately, I have had literally 0 Steam-related problems while installing/updating/playing LH.  But other games on the other hand... another story completely.  I could barely play Skyrim through Steam whatsoever (which their EULA states you "must" do to play).  After finding an illegal cracked executable to run a game I purchased legally, it ran like a breeze (breaking the "law" in order to play a game I purchased full-price retail.  Strange how that works, isn't it?).  Prior to actually playing vastly this superior version, I was hoping it would help, but thought perhaps I was just being paranoid, and at best it probably wouldn't be much different without Steam. 

Well... HOLY HELL WAS I WRONG.  Now without Steam, it completely eliminated all the constant crashing I was getting, caused the loading time upon Skyrim starting up from over 10 minutes to under 3 seconds (no exaggeration), improved framerate by double, among other benefits too good to be true.  God knows what Steam was doing to that game (and my computer) under the hood.

And this was less than a year ago, so Steam is still... pretty bad.  Why it's so widely accepted by gamers is beyond me, perhaps aside from it's frequent 'super-sales'.  Again, I'm obviously not just 'bashing Steam' as everything worked without a hitch for LH so far.  But I certainly feel your pain.

I hear ya there. I'm a big SD fan myself. Have GalCiv 2 Ultimate Edition, E:WOM, FE and now FE:LH.  SD has a great community, with modders as well as the members of the forum.  I will always continue to support them.  As I said earlier, I'm getting any DLC/Expansions... as well as future games they will be putting out.  I still fire up my 360/PS3 on occasion, but lately I've been on a strategy kick.  Not sure if it's because I'm getting older or what...

Thank you for this DLC, I'm really enjoying the additional content.

The new Assassin armor is a visual treat. Bonesplinter is a fitting mount for the future sovereign of Elemental.

I would like to add my voice to ask for "MORE".

Just purchased! (despite the ninjas )

Still working through a 1.2 vanilla game, but I can't wait to play with all the new content!!

What you described is not a universal problem experienced by people who have Skyrim. I never experienced this problem and I have a few hundred hours into Skyrim.

The problem is most likely not Steam and most likely is your system. It may be that all you needed was a fresh Skyrim install. Your original install may have had some performance issues due to mods - one that was fairly popular for causing significant problems with Skyrim was a modification to the config files that improved the map view. Unfortunately, it also caused constant crashing in various locations introduced by Dawnguard.

I own dozens of game through Steam and I have had exactly one serious issue - one of the games (I forget which one) did something to my display settings that made the monitor unable to display anything. This was easily corrected by doing a safe boot and changing the display settings to something my monitor could manage. I believe that game's problem has since been fixed.

Gotta love Steam superfans.......   "If it does not work right obviously it's not Steam,   It's the user".    

The real answer is likely somewhere in the middle - sometimes it's other factors, sometimes it's Steam, and sometimes it's both.

No one has to be a superfan to make that comment especially when talking about Skyrim, a game that can be heavily modded.

EVERY DAY there are ~2.5 to ~5 million people on Steam concurrently. If there were a problem with Steam, would the numbers remain that high?

I don't know what the problem was with his Steam experience. For all I know, it could have been Steam's fault. But there is one thing you cannot deny: Steam has the numbers. More than any other digital distribution service than any other vendor (except maybe Amazon, depending on how you view things). That means that if there is a problem with the service, they have access to a tremendous amount of crowd-sourced information on what is wrong; with 2.5 million+ users apparently using the service happily, I am willing to say that it is his system or that he used a mod that conflicted with something.

If Steam is really the problem, please come up with 2.5 million plus users that can prove that it is Steam and only Steam that is causing the problems.

And for the record, I'm no Steam 'superfan'. I spread out my digital purchases...I have no loyalty to any platform; I buy where ever I can get the best deal. Desura, GamersGate, GetGamesGo, GOG, Amazon, Origin (before my boycott of EA), B&M stores (I was introduced to Stardock when I bought Elemental:WOM from Wal-Mart and I bought FO 1,2 and Tactics on DVD), etc. I am no Steam loyalist. Consumers have valid concerns about Steam and having all your games on one platform. That said, for most consumers, Steam functions well. If it is not, look at your system before you blame something that 2.5 million+ people are using without incident.