Latest information in the informationthread :p

[ATI4EVER!]

wait let me gest this strait, if i buy the game at say, bestbuy i need to have internet connection to play offline? CASUE I DON"T HAVE ONE!!!!!!!!!

 

[Yellonet]

Problem is, that makes no sense. What's the point of retail, then? If it requires Steam, what's on the CDs? GCF files? I can't see how there will be *any* installation files if you MUST use Steam.

I guess we'll see..

You don't have to use Steam to download anything, "just" to be able to play the game. Big brother want's you under control.

 

[Homercidal]

wait let me gest this strait, if i buy the game at say, bestbuy i need to have internet connection to play offline? CASUE I DON"T HAVE ONE!!!!!!!!!

That's the idea behind this thread. Is it true? I kinda doubt it, but with Valve, you never can tell.

 

[Shuzer]

From the e-mail, it says you must play it THROUGH Steam. This means, to me, that the CDs will basically be the GCF files. Everything else operates through Steam.

Unless you can offer a better explanation, it sounds like HL2 retail won't run through anything but Steam, the "initial check" is through Steam, and you must run it in offline mode.

I understand that HL2's backbone is Steam, but it seems a tad bit ridiculous to have to run a program in the background to run a single player game.

Just like star wars galaxies has a minimum requirement of an internet connection, so does HL2. If you don't meet that requirement, your SOL. (no pun intended)

SWG is a MMORPG. It has no single player. There's no comparing the two.

 

[Gunner]

Just like star wars galaxies has a minimum requirement of an internet connection, so does HL2. If you don't meet that requirement, your SOL. (no pun intended)

Exactly! It doesn't matter why, it's part of the min. requirements now. And how hard can it really be to find a 56K modem and get on for just five minutes?

 

[Yellonet]

wait let me gest this strait, if i buy the game at say, bestbuy i need to have internet connection to play offline? CASUE I DON"T HAVE ONE!!!!!!!!!

Yep... does it suck or does it suck?

 

[johnnypoopoopant]

i dont have to worry bout this

 

[Shuzer]

Neither do I, but it sounds stupid regardless.

 

[DreamWraith]

From the e-mail, it says you must play it THROUGH Steam. This means, to me, that the CDs will basically be the GCF files. Everything else operates through Steam.

Unless you can offer a better explanation, it sounds like HL2 retail won't run through anything but Steam, the "initial check" is through Steam, and you must run it in offline mode.

I understand that HL2's backbone is Steam, but it seems a tad bit ridiculous to have to run a program in the background to run a single player game.








SWG is a MMORPG. It has no single player. There's no comparing the two.

there again, hl2 is built ontop of steam. its not "another program running in the background". when you play the steam version of half life one, it runs ontop of the steam platform. thats why your options for video, etc go through all steam games. i can set my video res in richochet and load up CS and it uses the same settings.

and furthermoer the genre of the game has no meaning in this instance. it is a matter of SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. If a game says it requires a joystick, and you dont have one, you cant play it.

 

[flupke]

Well i do have an ADSL connection downstairs but not on MY PC upstairs so that kinda sucks.. Hopefully i will get wireless connection soon

 

[Clavius]

Oh no! Im in the middle of the south american jungle and I cant install HL2! now what! damn you valve!

 

[DreamWraith]

Oh no! Im in the middle of the south american jungle and I cant install HL2! now what! damn you valve!

wow. insane. amazing that you can post here.

 

[Shuzer]

there again, hl2 is built ontop of steam. its not "another program running in the background". when you play the steam version of half life one, it runs ontop of the steam platform. thats why your options for video, etc go through all steam games. i can set my video res in richochet and load up CS and it uses the same settings.

To say HL2 is built into Steam is crap. Yes, it uses it for authentication and updates, it sends these "handshakes" to make sure you're not editing anything (aka. cheating in multiplayer games.)

But this is a SINGLE PLAYER game. I'm not talking about for MP, just SP. To say it's built into Steam, but can be run in offline mode is an oxymoron. What is Steam doing to HL2 while you're in offline mode? The answer? Absolutely nothing, it's just dependant on it.

It is, infact, a program running in the background.

Prove to me otherwise that Steam running in offline mode interacts with HL2 ANY way other than the way it's built, requiring it to be running.

Also, I find it funny that you made reference to this being hard to crack. Just look at what crackers did to CS:S, it can be run without Steam.

 

[T.H.C.138]

easy to fix...as long as you have a phone,or know someone that does...
and those free 45 days of AOheLL disks that most people get in the mail or with a magazine...and what you have to do that ONCE? well maybe once a month,but still it shouldn't be that big of a problem...take your rig to a friends house who does have internet access...maybe some of you don't have any of those options available...then how is it you are posting here? maybe some more details about your individual situation would help others to help you...not trying to be mean or anything so I am sory if it comes across that way..

 

[DreamWraith]

To say HL2 is built into Steam is crap. Yes, it uses it for authentication and updates, it sends these "handshakes" to make sure you're not editing anything (aka. cheating in multiplayer games.)

But this is a SINGLE PLAYER game. I'm not talking about for MP, just SP. To say it's built into Steam, but can be run in offline mode is an oxymoron. What is Steam doing to HL2 while you're in offline mode? The answer? Absolutely nothing, it's just dependant on it.

It is, infact, a program running in the background.

Prove to me otherwise that Steam running in offline mode interacts with HL2 ANY way other than the way it's built, requiring it to be running.

Also, I find it funny that you made reference to this being hard to crack. Just look at what crackers did to CS:S, it can be run without Steam.

read my post next time before you reply nitwit.

to reiterate. with steam, and steam games, aprox 75% of the actual game function is done by steam.exe. the only data still processed by the game.exe file is essentially engine functions.

console calls, game options, menus, server browsing, server connection, content download. all done by steam. the essential difference between steam games and non steam, is simply that steam splits the game functions into two programs, one being a common client for all steam games.

honestly, you need to chill. norton system works uses more system resources than steam does idle.

i would also point out that half life one (steam edition) is fully integrated into steam, and requires authentication.

 

[Shuzer]

It's funny that you insist these operations are performed by Steam, when infact, CS:S has been cracked to run WITHOUT Steam. I also love your made up statistics, sir.

Hmm.. and I don't even care about this, I'm just saying it's a bit ridiculous that the retail version of HL2 will esentially dump GCF files into your Steam directory and boot up Steam.

Oh, and, real mature on resorting to name calling.

 

[Gorgon]

haha how funny...

it seems that although I`ll buy the game, I`ll have to use a crack again...

it will be cracked.................








:hmph:

 

[geowa]

hmmm sounds like a bad move to me because the haxx0rs did it with cs:s BETA(although i doubt a beta is as secured as a product like hl2) and that was an online game so half life 2 prolly will be easy to hack as once it has been hacked, no updates are needed to play it as its completely sp (except for cs:s)

and valve are losing a lot of potential buyers/players

 

[DreamWraith]

It's funny that you insist these operations are performed by Steam, when infact, CS:S has been cracked to run WITHOUT Steam.

Hmm.. and I don't even care about this, I'm just saying it's a bit ridiculous that the retail version of HL2 will esentially dump GCF files into your Steam directory and boot up Steam.

Oh, and, real mature on resorting to name calling.

hmm cracked. that seems like something that is, oh wait. pirated. oh wait you did say beta right? just like there was a half life 2 beta? sure, its completely feasible to create a standalone edition of the game, if you hack the gamefiles.

but thats outside the scope of the argument. the reason that valve integrated steam into their games, including hl2, is a) for interoperability, options etc. and b) for anti-piracy.

oh, and as for the "name calling" it is a common human function to use derogatory names where they are deserved. i find it funny, that when face to face with a person, in an argument, where there is name calling happening, you rarely hear one party say "nice, reesorting to name calling", yet any time you are on a forum and call someone a 'nitwit" or some other choice name, which, they do infact deserve to be called for their own ignorance, that they throw a holy how and scream

<dramatization>
"OGM OH NOES U R CALLING MEHR NAMES U SUX"
</dramatization>

 

[Shuzer]

The real, direct answer is anti-piracy. I've said it once, I'll say it again. HL2 is SINGLEPLAYER. There is no multiplayer, that is CS:S, and will be at launch.

To be forced to run a singleplayer game through Steam is stupid. It doesn't effect me, but it effects others. That's why the SP only version was a GOOD idea for people without internet connections.

Again, my only REAL gripe is the fact that the retail installer is going to dump GCFs into my Steam folder, there will be no real installation. I was looking forward to a version of HL2 that could run without Steam running, as I get crap performance for some reason in the CZ version of Steam, while the non-steam install runs as it should. I'm not saying this will be the same case with HL2, but I'd prefer to have a copy that doesn't require Steam.

 

[geowa]

The main good point is that you cant do much with a few GCF files without authorisation on a steam account (which i discovered trying to play lan cz with only 1 copy)

 

[DreamWraith]

The real, direct answer is anti-piracy. I've said it once, I'll say it again. HL2 is SINGLEPLAYER. There is no multiplayer, that is CS:S, and will be at launch.

To be forced to run a singleplayer game through Steam is stupid. It doesn't effect me, but it effects others. That's why the SP only version was a GOOD idea for people without internet connections.

Again, my only REAL gripe is the fact that the retail installer is going to dump GCFs into my Steam folder, there will be no real installation. I was looking forward to a version of HL2 that could run without Steam running, as I get crap performance for some reason in the CZ version of Steam, while the non-steam install runs as it should. I'm not saying this will be the same case with HL2, but I'd prefer to have a copy that doesn't require Steam.

and i would prefer to have a copy of windows without WPA as well. But thats life, we live in a world full fo pirates, so get used to these sorts of things. It is becoming more and more common. You cannot even install norton system works now without activating it, or illegally cracking it.

 

[Shuzer]

Exactly. I have no problem with online activation, I just think it a bit ridiculous that retail is going to, effectively be, burned GCF files that will do nothing more than what I already have preloaded. It makes me want to cancel my preorder and get it off Steam, but I'm getting a free t-shirt from EBGames, so I'll just stick it out.

I know, it's a bit of a useless gripe, but it seems stupid to me.

 

[Yombi]

Just a question.... Who's PatrickMc?

 

[Lanthanide]

I think what someone said earlier through this thread makes more sense: HL2 does require a steam client to be running in the background, but to do an authorization check requires legal CDs in the drive OR an internet connection.

Sure, a CD-check can usually be easily beaten, but so can an online activation.

 

[geowa]

Putting GCF's on cds is another anti piracy tactic as all the GCF files are encrypted to enforce people to not make no- cd versions

 

[DreamWraith]

Exactly. I have no problem with online activation, I just think it a bit ridiculous that retail is going to, effectively be, burned GCF files that will do nothing more than what I already have preloaded. It makes me want to cancel my preorder and get it off Steam, but I'm getting a free t-shirt from EBGames, so I'll just stick it out.

I know, it's a bit of a useless gripe, but it seems stupid to me.

i cancelled my preorder. im ordering the gold steam package. a hat, posters, dod:s, stickers etc. thats way better than a tshirt.

 

[Gunner]

Sure, a CD-check can usually be easily beaten, but so can an online activation.

Really?

Are you in a warez group or something?

 

[Shuzer]

i cancelled my preorder. im ordering the gold steam package. a hat, posters, dod:s, stickers etc. thats way better than a tshirt.

..and more expensive

 

[VodkA-HLC-]

This is a quote from the steam faq on the steam portion of this forum and it reads like this.

Q: Do i have to have Steam to play Half-Life 2?

A: Steam will be required for all of Half-Life 2 but Valve have just recently added functionality to enable you to use Steam offline, without an internet connection

So what that says to me is that you don't need to be online to play hl2 but you do need steam to play hl2, makes sense......

 

[grumpycrab]

I dunno, that last post didn't sound very credible. No email headers, not even who responded to his question (which was also not posted). I smell BS.

Hi. I asked the question under Steam support. If there's any proof you can think I can provide, please tell me!
--
Grumps

 

[grumpycrab]

This is a quote from the steam faq on the steam portion of this forum and it reads like this.

So what that says to me is that you don't need to be online to play hl2 but you do need steam to play hl2, makes sense......

HOW MANY TIMES DOES THIS HAVE TO BE EXPLAINED! The above is correct but WHEN YOU INSTALL THE GAME YOU NEED STEAM RUNNING IN ONLINE MODE WHICH MEANS YOU NEED AN INTERNET CONNECTION.
--
Grumps

 

[SFA]

This is really crappy for me.

I am at University, and therefore I have a very very fast internet connection in my room (and work), but all ports appart from http (8080 or whatever) are blocked. Which means that

a) I have an internet connection (system requirements).
b) Steam doesn't work because it requires other ports open (TCP/UDP?).
c) I'm in trouble.

I'm sure many many people are in a similar situation. Its a pain.

Damn it Valve! Sort it!

 

[PlayingMantis]

!

The real, direct answer is anti-piracy. I've said it once, I'll say it again. HL2 is SINGLEPLAYER. There is no multiplayer, that is CS:S, and will be at launch.

To be forced to run a singleplayer game through Steam is stupid. It doesn't effect me, but it effects others. That's why the SP only version was a GOOD idea for people without internet connections.

Again, my only REAL gripe is the fact that the retail installer is going to dump GCFs into my Steam folder, there will be no real installation. I was looking forward to a version of HL2 that could run without Steam running, as I get crap performance for some reason in the CZ version of Steam, while the non-steam install runs as it should. I'm not saying this will be the same case with HL2, but I'd prefer to have a copy that doesn't require Steam.

<<<<<<AMEN>>>>>>>