Can't even get the game to start

[anti_flag_army]

i just got HL2 this weekend and i installed it, to my suprise i needed an internet connection to finish so i dragged my comp to my friend's house(i have no connection as of right now, im at my school right now) so i start and it takes like an hour to up date steam, then it does all this other crap and takes forever, then i try to play the offline mode, and all it does is try to connect to the server, then asks me if i want to start in offline mode, i click yes, then it just goes away. so can ne1 help me out with this prob?

 

[Noxid]

Disable your Network connection. Then it should work almost instantly

 

[anti_flag_army]

ive done EVERYTHING that the little piece of paper told me to, and when i open steam i get a box that says that my connection is not working, then i click the start in offline mode button, and it just quits on me and does nothing!!!!!!!!

 

[Noxid]

Looks like youve hit the problem Ive got. Im sorry but you are probably going to have to get an internet connection because HL2 demands some big downloads. My comp has been running for ages to download the required patches. Im currently at just under 240 mins on a broadband connection

 

[Duncan]

...to my suprise i needed an internet connection to finish...

When you buy software- it's a good idea to read the back of the box to see the requirements