Is Steam Required???

[4everscream]

I really want to get HL2, but I don't want to rely on steam to get the patches and fixes.

Are the patches going to be available for regular download also ??

I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but STEAM has been the sole reason for me not pre-ordering HL2. I don't like the whole idea behind it.

Thanks for any help !

:E

 

[aeroripper]

I'm guessing steam will probably be the only patching device.

If you want hl2, you'll hafta have steam.. its the backend for the game.

They *might* release the patches elsewhere but seeing that CS:S patches havn't showed up anywhere else for download (that i know of) i think they won't do it for hl2 either.

Steam does simplify things really, but if you don't have broadband your screwed as far as updating goes (unless you download overnight or something)

 

[KagePrototype]

Steam is required to play Half-Life 2, as well as to receive patches for it or any other Steam game. If you don't like it, your loss really. Steam has greatly improved since it was introduced, and is quite convenient when it comes to patches.

 

[CyberPitz]

There are CS:S hacks out that don't require steam...I suppose someone is bound to crack HL2 and do that same thing...then release the entire game again with each patch, my god that would just be a giant hassle..just let everyone "Suffer" with steam..if they don't like it, they can ...uh...live with it!

 

[Feath]

I really want to get HL2, but I don't want to rely on steam to get the patches and fixes.

Are the patches going to be available for regular download also ??

I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but STEAM has been the sole reason for me not pre-ordering HL2. I don't like the whole idea behind it.

Thanks for any help !

:E

What whole idea behind Steam are you thinking of?

I'm guessing that Valve may make patches available to put on magazine cover discs. They'll realise that not everyone has the internet. As for CS:S, it's a multiplayer online game and you have to log onto Steam online to play it, so there's no point releasing patches seperately.

 

[PvtRyan]

Patches? Nope. Steam only.

Why would you bother downloading patches from 3rd party sources when you can just download it from Steam at the same speed? And what person would waste his server bandwidth on it?

 

[CrazyHarij]

I really want to get HL2, but I don't want to rely on steam to get the patches and fixes.

Are the patches going to be available for regular download also ??

I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but STEAM has been the sole reason for me not pre-ordering HL2. I don't like the whole idea behind it.

Thanks for any help !

:E

Even though there are alot of people who don't like it, Valve is from now on using Steam as a hub/station for all their games and mods, and it will be the same with Half-Life 2 and it's mods.

Personally I have nothing against Steam, but it'd be good to see patches and updates given simultaneously through normal downloading aswell.

 

[The hotdog man]

I agree, the only reason I don't perticularly like steam too much is becasue of my computer's harddrive space only being 19 gigs and steam taking up about 2 at least. Other then that it seems to slow down my games as it is almost constantly doing something, before when I played Halflife without steam it was smooth and unglitchy, now with steam it's a bit of a hassle glitching up every now and then. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

 

[4everscream]

Really wasn't trying to start a flame war here. Sorry !

Ok, now that I know I need STEAM, does it have to be on all the time ? Or, can I run it and check for updates then shut it off ?

Reason being, I like to have as little running as possible while i'm gaming. The only thing that runs on my system is Norton AV. I like to keep the resources available.

Thanks

 

[Demon Wraith]

There are CS:S hacks out that don't require steam...

Are you SURE about that?

 

[ytinupmi]

Are you SURE about that?

it's true.

 

[aeroripper]

Reason being, I like to have as little running as possible while i'm gaming. The only thing that runs on my system is Norton AV. I like to keep the resources available.

heh, i would recommend turning that OFF while playing games as almost all virus scanners are major resource hogs.

I'm guessing steam will have to be run with hl2 open like all the other games

 

[switch]

I agree, the only reason I don't perticularly like steam too much is becasue of my computer's harddrive space only being 19 gigs and steam taking up about 2 at least. Other then that it seems to slow down my games as it is almost constantly doing something, before when I played Halflife without steam it was smooth and unglitchy, now with steam it's a bit of a hassle glitching up every now and then. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

If steam is making hl1 glitchy, i would recommend upgrading for hl2!

 

[RogueShadow]

Steam is required.

 

[4everscream]

heh, i would recommend turning that OFF while playing games as almost all virus scanners are major resource hogs.

I'm guessing steam will have to be run with hl2 open like all the other games

Never had a hiccup in DOOM 3 (1280 x 1024 on HIGH settings). As a matter of fact, NAV has never bothered any games I played.

SPECS:
WIN XP Home
XP3000+
1024mb PC-3200 Kingston
GeForce FX5900 256mb (61.76 drivers)

 

[poseyjmac]

Never had a hiccup in DOOM 3 (1280 x 1024 on HIGH settings). As a matter of fact, NAV has never bothered any games I played.

SPECS:
WIN XP Home
XP3000+
1024mb PC-3200 Kingston
GeForce FX5900 256mb (61.76 drivers)

it may not bother, just as some aren't bothered by 25fps, but it might take away some performance

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Steam is hardly a resource hog, i have it open now using 3800K of memory.

You can run the game in offline mode but steam still has to be running.

Umm i recommend not buying Half-Life 2 because it's going to be too much trouble for you :|

 

[epmode]

Ok, now that I know I need STEAM, does it have to be on all the time ? Or, can I run it and check for updates then shut it off ?

the only time you need to have steam running is when you're downloading patches and running valve's games. you can turn it off at any time, and it doesn't have to start when windows does. you can even turn off the automatic patching thing, but i can't see why you'd want to. it's seamless, and much better than hunting for servers when a new update is available.

 

[dkelly]

Never had a hiccup in DOOM 3 (1280 x 1024 on HIGH settings). As a matter of fact, NAV has never bothered any games I played.

SPECS:
WIN XP Home
XP3000+
1024mb PC-3200 Kingston
GeForce FX5900 256mb (61.76 drivers)

I wouldn't worry about steam being a hog with those specs.

 

[ktimekiller]

u dont want to get steam? y? because u got northon? big deal, northon sucks balls ne ways

 

[Tiddalick]

I don't have any experince with steam yet (I will when HL2 arrives), have they ever put out any patches for the games at all that they update?
I like to keep all updates in one spot so any reinstalls can be quickly brought back up to speed.

I guess the question is this:
Can you somehow save the updates so its easy to patch the game later off steam, or do you need to download it everytime...

 

[Dead-Inside]

heh, i would recommend turning that OFF while playing games as almost all virus scanners are major resource hogs.

I'm guessing steam will have to be run with hl2 open like all the other games

Yes *Norton* hogs a lot of RAM and CPU power. Get Trend Micro's PC Cillin if you need something CPU releaving but still active. (I have mine and it's taking 0% CPU at any one given time unless you're scanning all files )

 

[iamaelephant]

Yup, my PC Cillin is constantly running, even during benchmarks. Takes close to zero resources.

 

[echoplex]

If you have to download the patches EVERYTIME you re-load the game or format your computer ( I do monthly)

Then that is a waste of resources, all of us don't live in America :sniper: and some of us do have "caps" :farmer: on our internet.

I know, I know its hard to believe. :rolling:

- Echo

 

[KagePrototype]

If you have to download the patches EVERYTIME you re-load the game or format your computer ( I do monthly)

Then that is a waste of resources, all of us don't live in America :sniper: and some of us do have "caps" :farmer: on our internet.

I know, I know its hard to believe. :rolling:

- Echo

make a back-up of the .gcf files, and then just throw them back into the Steam folder afterwards.

 

[Interl@ce]

i've e-mailed this same question to gabe about a year ago... (it's still in the "info you've recieved from valve" thread but i'm to lazy to look it up )

I asked him if steam was absolutely neccesary to play hl2 and what if i don't have an internet connection at that time?

He replied saying you can play singleplayer offline, but you absolutely need steam for patches and multiplayer. That last part made sense, but i didn't think they would make updates "steam-only", but they will.

 

[|Jz|]

They're not gonna make everything "Steam-only", because, simple as that, not everybody has access to the internet. And they don't want to lose those as customers. They prolly will handle it like they did with CS:CZ I guess, 2 versions, one for steam with multiplayer and stuff, other stand-alone singleplayer only.

 

[Ecthe|ioN]

They're not gonna make everything "Steam-only", because, simple as that, not everybody has access to the internet. And they don't want to lose those as customers. They prolly will handle it like they did with CS:CZ I guess, 2 versions, one for steam with multiplayer and stuff, other stand-alone singleplayer only.

Yeah. I think they will have seperate versions. I read that somewhere a few weeks ago. Why wouldn't they. Not everyone has an internet connection, and Valve probably want to sell a copy to everyone.