I didn't download the beta because...

[rafiki]

1. i didnt.i wont.
to me,there is NO grey area with theft.
something was stolen.am i going to take it even if it givin to me? no.
im not holier than thou or anything like that,its just who i am.

2. its not the game.its a peice.not even a complete peice.

i wonder how many of the people that got the leaked content,are some of the people bashing nvidia for driver optimizations?
after all,one of the arguements against the optimizations is that they dont draw the game the way the developer intended it to be seen.

the leaked content is not what valve wanted people to play.
thats just how i see it.

 

[Chode]

Originally posted by rafiki
i wonder how many of the people that got the leaked content,are some of the people bashing nvidia for driver optimizations?
after all,one of the arguements against the optimizations is that they dont draw the game the way the developer intended it to be seen.

I can honestly say that I have never bashed NVIDIA for their optimisations. I honestly don't care as long as it gives me a playable frame rate. So what if it's 2xfsaa and countless other acronyms I can't be bothered learning.

the leaked content is not what valve wanted people to play.
thats just how i see it.

Not meaning to go all philosophical (I like philosophy), but sometimes what we are not meant to see tells us more than what we are shown.

 

[phantomdesign]

Why I didn't download the source...

As a programmer (especially one interested in various aspects of logic, 3D, physics, math, graphics, etc) it has to be the most tempting download ever. I would even be willing to sacrifice a few thousand dollars to use it as merely "personal education material" if I could do it legitimately.

The biggest reason I didn't is the respect I have for such a massive and high-quality effort. I like to dream big, and take on huge projects. For someone to get every single bit of know-how of one of my huge projects, especially one which has 5 years of dedication, would be devastating.




Why I didn't download the "Beta"...

Time has taught me that it is always better to release the finished product to the public than show them the progress the entire way. It is better to blow them off their feet in one massive blow than to spread the effect out over time. To play half-life 2 in a buggy and incomplete sate would be like releasing one of my projects before it's completion.




Overall reasons....

It is illegal and immoral.

 

[southparksam]

Moral Code... Valve is one of the software companies that I truly admire and want to support them in any way possible.

 

[McDuck]

Option number 6

Option number 6; I downloaded it.

And to all those who dont like that people who downloaded it, discuss their findings( Bugs etc); Why do you even care. Personally, dont give a damn about what the rest think about it.

Also, i deleted it becuse i need the space for other games.

 

[Wilkshake]

Illegally downloaded, crappy, crashing, inferior "beta" vs. completed, no virus, working, paid for full version.

I know what I'm waiting for.

 

[Aralkar]

When I found about the beta, I was gonna get it, but while I was downloading it, I thought about all these reasons and I cancelled. I voted the 1st answer, but basically it's because all of them.

 

[.5c0ut-WHoR3.]

I want to enjoy the full half-life2 experiance. Not some crappy beta from a hacker who hates valve.

 

[Sporky]

I actually started on the download and then cancelled it, so as yet I have been more or less untainted by the stolen 'beta'. From reports I've read and screenies I've seen there's obviously lots to do/missing from the stuff that did get thieved so I don't feel I'm really missing out.

I'd really rather play the finished game, I just don't see that playing an unfinished game is as enjoyable as playing one that's been finished up by the developer.

Like reading chunks of an unfinished novel, whilst it can be interesting in a following the progress of creation sort of way it's mostly going to leave you wondering about the missing chapters and the bad grammar. Also when you DO get the final product I'd say your enjoyment will have been tarnished because you won't be discovering and enjoying things for the first time through.

 

[C04L]

Why Spoil it ?

They said it wasn't ready ?

I was Awfully tempted ..... but tbh its not fair on the hard workers @ ValvE .

Note to ValvE ...
Thanks and hurry up ! :afro:

 

[Namshub]

Had access to the S/W if i wanted it but i'm willing to wait.

 

[enb]

I've waited 5 years for this, why the hell would I want to play a bugged inferior beta? How would that be showing my support for a company who gave me my favourite game of all time? To me it's like spitting on all their hard work. I have downloaded games in the past and will continue to do so (I buy what I like - I consider it a more extended demo a lot of the time ;-)) but not this, no way.

I want to be alone when playing HL2, to be surprised at every turn like the original, without being tainted by playtests of leaks.

 

[Drakon]

Lots of reasons... I want to enjoy the experience.
It goes against my moral code. Big one number 1.
Its illegal.
The file is probably too big anyhow. I would guess its a rather large download for a 26k? Big one number 3.
I dont want any viruses.
And I probably couldn't find it if I tried. Big one number 2.

 

[Invisible_Man]

Haven't you people heard of virus scans and reliable people to get warez from shit man.. I didn't download it for one reason.. the file is to big for me.. I understand that its someones source code.. and the whole hacking behind it.. But I dont think this hacker had this done all himself he had to have someone on the inside helping him.. to install key loggers and etc all that to transfer that much data over a network and not be looked into is just unheard of in the IT department Your talking about like 1 gig of info here.?? Come on please...

 

[Farls[K_Inc]]

I would never take advantage of something that took these men and women years to create. Now they are facing the realization that they probably wont be able to sell licenses for the HL2 Engine. That is where their bread would have been buttered. When all you adolescent, self-centered, A-holes stop pirating and get a grip on what its like to have to work for a living, you will understand what its like to contribute to society. This is something that half you nitwits arent old enough to have seen the original release of. The most immersive gaming experience ever produced. Now because of thieves, we may never be able to utilize all its promising content. If you have'nt taken advantage of the leak, I salute you. If you have, I feel sorry for you.

 

[vetebulle]

I didn't download the beta because it's against my moral code.


And no, I'm not religious.

 

[svet-am]

Originally posted by $pazmatazz
Valve has put a lot of effort into Half-life 2 and didn't for one second deserve what they got with the source and content leak.

I have to differ here. If the Half-Life2 code was so DAMNED precious to them, they NEVER EVER would've had the official source tree on an Internet-connected Windows box running an unpatched version of Microsoft Outlook.

Now, if they had gone through all of the security measures and really made efforts to keep it safe, then I'd agree with you. But Valve really f#sked up when they left it so easy to get to.

Does that make it right, hell no. I'm still pissed that someone did it. But, Valve can't cry and complain about it because they were asking for it.

This is similar to Microsoft's 'security through obscurity' approach. Microsoft assumes that if they don't tell anyone about security holes, then no one will ever exploit them. That view is too damned naive for someone in that kind of position.

 

[#Inzole // Ak47]

i wont even touch the beta or look at the screenshot,,,:dozey:

 

[incorrigible]

I actually would have like to select more than one reason. I picked "it goes against my personal moral code" since it's the primary reason. I would have picked "I want to enjoy the full HL 2 experience" also as well. I'm really looking forward to this game and don't want to wreck the experience.

Those who have played the beta will loose a bit of the WOW factor when it is finally released.

"I don't want to pick up any virus" is also a reason I wouldn't even consider it. Talk about a great vehicle to deliver a trojan with ...

 

[6iXx]

There's no reason not to download it if you just play the e3 maps, it's like running around in a movie set. It wont spoil anything.

 

[Frost]

Besides the stolen content being illegal and having a slightly negative effect on people's opinion about the game I feel that I would ruin the experience if I downloaded an unfinished copy. It’s like building only the frame of a house. The house isn't very solid or stable, it’s hard to visualize the final look, and you defiantly wouldn't want to start sleeping in it with just the frame completed. I just spent $500 hard earned dollars on the Radeon 9800XT and I don't want to ruin the experience on my lesser graphics card on an very unfinished version of the game.

 

[Warbie]

Didn't want to spoil the experience

 

[Quotidian---]

heh i dl'd it to see how it ran. in my god my 9800 kicked its ass.. i could NOT get the the sh*t below 40fps. MAYBE on SPECIFIC maps could i get it down to 30 fps... and i had AA/AF 2x 8x 1280x1024 windowed with all the detail settings cranked.

 

[Zlatzman]

I thought for about a second about downloading the HL "beta", but I really didn't want to get the full game experience ruined. I'm even thinking about not playing demos and watching more videos until I get my hands on the game!!

Additionally its against my moral code, don't want to download anything not released by valve themselves. Feel like its like stealing.

 

[Yonkers]

I think that there is someone on the inside @ Valve behind this fiasco. Aplot to make ppl think that there is a bad person(s) out in internet-land wanting to ruin everyone's fun and Valve's name. That's my opinion, right or wrong. I think I'm entitled to that without persecution.

Anyway I think that dloading source is wrong regardless of intent when it isn't "allowed" to be in the hands of the general public.

That's like being an accessory to this "mess". Adding to the retarded "Me first at all costs" mentality the populous seem to portray.

I won't be a part of that.

Yonks.

 

[freddythefrog]

I dled it. yes I did, I admit it, I couldn't resist the possibility to start building own levels. Also I only tried to "preview" the E3 levels, I had enough will not to take a look at the other levels.

 

[destrukt]

I have NEVER tried it (I voted for #1) but I was given 2 cd's with it, but I haven't put them in my cd drive (and i dont intend on). I'm going to buy this as soon as it comes out, and i dont see the point in playing some buggy beta (or whatever it is).

i had the ut2003 beta, it was quite buggy andstuf, wasnt really worth it

 

[wadee]

i didnt download the beta either... we all waited 5 years to play this game.. we can wait another couple of months, the guy who stole this is really sick coz he ruined the experience for so many people and appeariantly even sicker people supported him by downlading it and playing it so im gonna wait till the game is on the store's shelves to grab a legal copy and play and i hope Valve gonna recover and realease the game a.s.a.p

 

[GhostValkyrie]

Yeah... all these people think it's okay to d/l the beta, that's there's no wrong. Well there is. By d/ling the beta, you are supporting what the hacker did, meanin you think it was A-okay. Not only that, but it's Illegal. Thus, anyone with that could be prosecuted, though it won't happen. Remember kids; Nobody likes a thief.

-Ghost.

 

[z2k]

I didnt download it because I dont want to spoil the fun and I dont want to insult Valve.

 

[Darg]

I've helped make several games in the past so I know what it feels like to look forward to the day when the game is released. To have this happen to Valve with this revelutionary new game must make the designers sick. They wanted to show you the finished product and now someone has spoiled that for them. No matter what they do now the release will never be the same for them as it could have been.

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Well, I was tempted to download it but I really want to experience it the way it was meant to be. Besides, only reason why I would really want to try it is to see if it would run on my system...but I already know it will:dork:

 

[iamironsam]

My momma wouldn't let me.

 

[Lil' Timmy]

I so don't want to ruin the experience, that, now that I think about it, I won't even buy the game, so as to preserve my mental hopes and dreams about this game. My fanciful imagination is almost always better than reality.. I think I'll just stick to the HL2 in my mind. Best part.. I'm already playing it right now!!! Dude, this 'level' rocks!!

-lt

 

[Lil' Timmy]

Originally posted by Feedbag:
"How do you know if it's better if you haven't looked at the screenshots?
Come by and see for yourself the goodness that lies within hl2. "

oh, also to answer feedbag from several pages back (sorry i was busy). i meant to say that a video is, in general, more exciting to me than any number of screenshots. that is unless you take a screen shot 20 to 30 times a second, and then splice those screenshots together, and loop them at ~20-30 fps so as to make a 'motion picture' of them. and then add sound. that would be as good as the E3 video to me.

-lt

 

[nOOB]

Pretty much all of them but the file size one for me. All in all i cant wait for the game. I dont beleave takeing others code is moral or legal. This may sound odd but stealling software/games is one thing but when u steal the code that is secert to a company and is how the company makes its money is another. I havent touched the "demo" or source code. I dont plan on it. To be honest with all of you, i havent looked at much content about HL2. The only major thing i have read about HL2 is the pcgamer story on the game. I am trying to know as little aobut the game as i can. Let me tell you it is hard to do

 

[nodonn]

The interesting issue for me, is that most people have said they didn't DL the beta because they didn't want to spoil the full game experience.

Ergo, if the full game had been leaked, they wouldn't have had a problem.....

 

[Kinslayer]

I didn't get it because I really didn't want to ruin it. It's magic, boys and girls, booting up a game for the first time and you know it's going to be kick ass. It's pure extasy when you boot up a game that you've been waiting for 5+ years for and you know it's going to be beyond anything you've played before.

I could care less if it's illegal. I've gotten bootlegs before. Basically because most games don't hold my attention long enough to buy them. But HL2, I know will hold my attention for a long time. And I'd like to play online. Bootlegs don't let you do that.

My connection is plenty big enough. Infact, someone had the source on our college network... We ripped them a new one on our message board that we have set up...

Viruses don't scare me. I've reformatted so many times that I'm surprised the drive isn't worn out... (yes, I know they don't get worn out, but still...)

It just pisses me off that we all may have to wait longer because of them... But I know that's not the point of this thread, so I'll leave that one go and stop rambling now. :cheese:

 

[CoreyGH]

The only person who STOLE from Valve was the Anon Leaker. Excluding AL, no one is ripping Valve off by downloading and playing a buggy, severely incomplete, alpha version of HL2. No one who was planning on buying the game is going to think "Well, that was a refreshing 10 mins of bug filled gameplay, that's surely enough for me!" I'm not saying it's not illegal to posses the source or the leaked build, but I'd like to see how many of you up there on your high horses were never Napster users.

 

[SubKamran]

Because I'm a sane person. That's why I didn't download it.