Valve lied about offline mode? Confusion.

[twofold]

I bought the uk dvd-rom version, installed it.. set Steam to run in offline mode, and it said "this game is not ready to be played in offline mode."

I set steam back up onto online mode, started the game, waited til the tram level finished, then put steam back into offline mode. Again, same error.

Further investigation lead to the discovery of differing "quick reference sheets". The US version makes no mention of the offline mode, whereas the UK version states how to load up steam in it. Is an internet connection needed to play HL2, and not just activation? It seems so.

Has anyone managed to get their copy of HL2 to work in offline mode? (After activating and unlocking files through steam that is.

Image showing the american quick reference sheet, and the added bit on the UK version follows ::

 

[Ha12b1ng3r]

/me looks at his US cd version

The US version is just about the same... man, Valve's in some deep sh*t m'thinks.

 

[benpop]

i downloaded HL2 through steam - can't play it offline either :/

 

[Ar.Pi]

i also asked this question in irc, no1 could answer

its annoying to connect to steam every time i want to launch this game, sucky :/

 

[AndiWan]

Im in the same boat well annoyed as i had to cart my system across town to find this out, got a message saying this was a temporary thing and steam would get back to me (us I assume) when its better. But as im stuck behing a uni proxy i cant play till then!

Running around the train station was good for 30seconds!!

 

[xgermz]

I would liek to see a poll of who has actually got Half Life 2 to work ... against the people who have not got it to work...

 

[JEE MAN]

Offline mode

This would seem to be a bit flakey. I have however managed to play in offline mode, once I ticked the box that says "remember password" Previously I had not managed to startup HL2 in offline mode though. I'll wait and see if it is persistent and remembers password constanly. (only played a few times as I've been at work.)

It seems a bit silly to connect every time to play a single player game. I'm sure those good people at valve will be spoiling us with multiplayer maps soon.

Loving the game so far......

 

[Fat Tony!]

Thats really stupid. What about those who dont have an internet connection :\

 

[cky852k]

wait till steam says transaction complete, then offline mode will become available, i installed hl2 last night but couldn't play offline till this morning

 

[cky852k]

valve should make another way of activation, ie phone or something, like windows xp, for people without internet

 

[wonkers]

For starters I am not 100% sure I have gotten it to work offline. This morning it said is was ready to play offline but how do I go about that? My desktop link is based through steam! It's going to start steam just to play no matter what.

I would also like to touch on a note that I find the differance of referance cards odd. I feel like there must have been some lack of communication or something. First off why does Europe get a retail addition with a DVD option? Why doesn't whoever is in charge realise that a DVD version in Canada & US would have been a good idea.

However; would someone like to post a quick "how to" for running HL2 offline. I am sure it would help a ton of people out. Steam forums don't mention it or answer peoples questions.

The phone activation is how people crack the the keys most of the time. The online activation is very secure but the phone is the weakness. For Norten Anti Virus people stole or decyphered the program people use to randomly generate the CD-keys for sending over the phone to people without internet.

When you get the prog. it says phone activation and you phone their number and a person on the other end uses their computer to generate a key then tell you what it is. Long story short that's a flaw in CD-key protection.

On topic: somone help us. I think playing HL2 through steam effects some sections of the gameplay.

 

[CrOpCiRcLeS]

Worked for me bought it in a shop , UK plays offline and online

 

[azz0r]

Steam used to work offline for me, now it doesnt - the password remember me thing doesnt work anymore.

Either Valve done it on purpose so people need to authenticate or its a bug.

 

[Fat Tony!]

hmm lately when I wanted to play a online game of op4, Ive needed to log on again. So well could be that I suppose...

 

[LAYP]

it works for me. I just disable my internet it asks to play in offline mode and all is fine.

 

[wonkers]

I have dsl and I don't want to turn off my friggen dsl modem every time I want to play HL2 offline. Anyone know how to make sure HL2 works offline all the time! Like a software setting?

If not I think I will be e-mailing Valve and strongly suggesting an alternitive.

 

[NonStopableForce]

Once you get a message saying your copy of hl2 is lagit and it says something about printing your receipt then you should be able to play offline...

-NonStopableForce

 

[zul]

My quick reference card has that "Steam requirements and offline mode" bit in it, and i have the American CE. Just FYI.

 

[cky852k]

not to sure about it now, i tried playing offline this morning and steam said "cannot complete operation" or something alone those lines, i had to go online start steam and then disconnct again and when i tried hl2 it had to authenticate files or something

 

[wildone_106]

I tried the very same thing, it did'nt ask me for offline mode, it just at first forgot my username and password, and now I cant even connect to steam anymore and have to re-DL the game..you got lucky

it works for me. I just disable my internet it asks to play in offline mode and all is fine.

 

[CR0M]

Anyone still getting this problem, try connecting to steam and waiting for a while (the process is still painfully slow) to see if you get any updated messages that you may have missed. This is the way it SHOULD work:

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52917

Of course, in hindsight Valve might want to add LOADING BARS or some other form of notification that something is ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

If your game still refuses to play ball after going through this process, email Valve and let them know just how much grief online authenticating is, it's the only way to ensure this pain in the ass concept never sees the light of day again.

 

[JokerUSA]

Mine works fine. I'm playing on a laptop with a wireless connection. I was hanging out in a place with no Internet connection today so I fired up the laptop, opened steam, let it load and then selected run in offline mode and started HL2.

Worked fine and allowed me to load my last saved game and save my new game too.