Half Life 2 and Steam

N

Noodle Boy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
432
I apologize if this question has already been asked:

If I already activate HL2 via Steam, will I need Steam running in order to play HL2? Or can we open Half Life 2 from a desktop shortcut rather than Steam, and just bypass Steam altogether.
 
I don't want to be some kind of fl :eek: mer, but that is really retarded. Steam should not be needed at all to play this game.
 
it takes up hardly any resources at all. you don't have to leave it connected to the net once you've registered the game. don't see why there's such a fuss about it.
 
Noodle Boy said:
I apologize if this question has already been asked:

If I already activate HL2 via Steam, will I need Steam running in order to play HL2? Or can we open Half Life 2 from a desktop shortcut rather than Steam, and just bypass Steam altogether.
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hey noodle man, there is an "offline" HL2 function. Go to steampowered and go to support. It does explain sort of how you can play offline as you suggest. I really dont understand how it works, and I have been searching for an answer all day???? The way I do understand it is you activate your game via steam (one time at least) and then you can play offline. I'm sure the support page will have better instructions tomorrow when the shit hits the fan. good luck. :D
 
its a fuss b/c its a pain in the ass and we shouldn't have to run garbage problems in the background if we don't want to.
 
Well, seeing as how it lets you play HL2, that kinda makes it not a "garbage program" and more of a "necessity."
 
This wouldn't be an issue if Steam was a good program... however it sucks ass so people are upset.

Duh!
 
theNoid said:
This wouldn't be an issue if Steam was a good program... however it sucks ass so people are upset.

Duh!
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sucks ass? i haven't had a single steam problem in months. i think your problem is based on user error.
 
If you installed the retail ver and it install an Icon on your desktop then when you click it, it will start steam first then the game. That is if you don't have steam active already.
 
Jäger said:
sucks ass? i haven't had a single steam problem in months. i think your problem is based on user error.
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same here man, steam rocks.


please someone name one problem with steam other than the friends list not always working...
 
here's the question I pose to you guys. I had steam and had got all of hl2 dled to my computer. THEN I had to format my hdd, so what I did was I saved the whole valve folder to another hdd, hoping that it would be all good when I installed XP again. So I installed XP and copied it all over, and I ran steam and all seems to be good. do you guys think when I try to play hl2 it'll be fine. I'm thinking cause dod works fine too.
 
Dallows said:
here's the question I pose to you guys. I had steam and had got all of hl2 dled to my computer. THEN I had to format my hdd, so what I did was I saved the whole valve folder to another hdd, hoping that it would be all good when I installed XP again. So I installed XP and copied it all over, and I ran steam and all seems to be good. do you guys think when I try to play hl2 it'll be fine. I'm thinking cause dod works fine too.
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yeah it will be fine.
also of note is that in a recent patch steam can now backup the necessary files onto cds, dvds, or any other storage device, just right click on a game and click backup and you can select any games you want.
 
that I did not know, how would you put them back on steam though?
 
i dont know i have never done it, but i bet it is user friendly. probably an exe or somewhere you are supposed to put the files
 
You have to use steam to activate HL2....ONCE. Then you just double click the icon and if does not detect an internet connection(easy for the dial-up folks, have to disable the broadband connection for that group)then it will ask you if you want to use 'offline' mode.
 
ARN said:
i dont know i have never done it, but i bet it is user friendly. probably an exe or somewhere you are supposed to put the files
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Exactly. STEAM creates an exacutable for the backups that it makes. Double click and you are on your way.
 
My main concern with this whole Steam business is this: What if 5 years from now I decide for some gaming nostalgia and want to play some old fashioned HL2 goodness? Suppose the Steam activation servers are no longer up? What if Steam as we know it no longer exists? I bought the game, but will I be able to play it when most everybody else has stopped?

This isn't enough to deter me from buying the game, but it is something I worry about. (I love playing older games, from Baldur's gate (note that black isle is no longer in business), to day of the tentacle and Loom... I'm an old game junkie!)
 
Maybe if Valve goes out of business they'd release a patch to disable activation? /shrug I think at this point Gabe Newell has enough money to keep the Steam servers running in his basement to infinity and beyond though.
 
if gabe cares about his fans as much as that article made him up to be, i'm sure they'll eventually release some "patch" that will remove steam from HL2 once HL2's rope reaches the end.

swedishlf said:
My main concern with this whole Steam business is this: What if 5 years from now I decide for some gaming nostalgia and want to play some old fashioned HL2 goodness? Suppose the Steam activation servers are no longer up? What if Steam as we know it no longer exists? I bought the game, but will I be able to play it when most everybody else has stopped?

This isn't enough to deter me from buying the game, but it is something I worry about. (I love playing older games, from Baldur's gate (note that black isle is no longer in business), to day of the tentacle and Loom... I'm an old game junkie!)
Click to expand...
 
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