net connection needed 4 playing?

[ashwin_ka]

hey guys,i just brought an original copy of half life 2 a week back.i need to know if u need net connection to play the game everytime u load it or only once when u install the game..wats happening there?help will be greatly appreciated.thanx

 

[Hectic Glenn]

The game requires you to connect once so Steam can verify your CD-key and and update your game sufficiently. After this point, you can put Steam in 'offline mode' whereby you can play single player games on Steam without being connected to the internet. Check out steampowered.com help on how to do that, it can be tricky (some people have had problems with it). Good luck.

 

[Shasta]

The game requires you to connect once so Steam can verify your CD-key and and update your game sufficiently. After this point, you can put Steam in 'offline mode' whereby you can play single player games on Steam without being connected to the internet. Check out steampowered.com help on how to do that, it can be tricky (some people have had problems with it). Good luck.

Sorry Glen, but that is wrong. Yes, there is an "offline mode". It will work (as long as you have un-ticked the "keep this game automatically up to date" box for each game as well) for around 2 - 3 weeks, before Steam FORCES you to go online to "check" for any STEAM - not HL2 - updates to itself. You cant do squat with any Steam games until you go online and let it do it's checks. Of course, it might have been addressed lately, but I doubt it, because it forces their customers to "touch base" with them, giving them time to advertise their latest stuff to you, keeps their anti-piracy DRM up-to-date, and generally checks up on you and your account. At any rate, not matter what they say, eventually you WILL be forced to go online, as their entire security, and marketing systems are all dependant on the internet. The only question is how long they let you stay offline between each forced update.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Well for my 2nd computer which isn't connected to the internet it never requests to go online, Steam has been in offline mode for many many weeks. Steam doesn't know there's updates without an internet connection. When you tell me I'm wrong, what you actually mean is there are problems with the system which occasionally prevent offline mode working, which is what I already said.

Check out steampowered.com help on how to do that, it can be tricky (some people have had problems with it).

Oh and it's Glenn, two N's, pretty clearly shows that.

 

[Shasta]

Well for my 2nd computer which isn't connected to the internet it never requests to go online, Steam has been in offline mode for many many weeks. Steam doesn't know there's updates without an internet connection. When you tell me I'm wrong, what you actually mean is there are problems with the system which occasionally prevent offline mode working, which is what I already said.


Oh and it's Glenn, two N's, pretty clearly shows that.

I didn't say it KNEW when updates are available. I said it wants to CHECK for updates. When I said you were wrong, I meant that you were wrong, and (a permanent, never-get forced-to-go-online-again) offline mode is a load of crap from Steam. An online based protection and advertising scheme (among other things) will NOT work forever without checking in with itself every now and then. It's amazing that they manage to successfully imply this, although they don't say "One-time internet connection required" on the box, do they? So why people think that is the case is a mystery to me. Just because there is an "offline mode", people seem to think this means "for as long as you want". It does not. Nice for you that you have been offline with Steam for weeks, but do you think that will last forever? Perhaps they extended it from 3 weeks to 6, or even 10 before it makes you check for updates to itself, since I last gave up on using it. Remember - these are updates to STEAM only, not for any games. There is no "keep STEAM up to date" tick box to un-tick, is there. They want to keep in touch with their customers, and keep their protection up-to-date.

Yes, you mentioned some of the problems people have even getting the (short termed) offline mode working at any rate, but that is not what I meant at all. I'm not trying to start an argument, but don't tell me "what I actually mean".

And sorry about your name. I knew you "meant" to only put one there when you registered though.... J/K