HalfLife 2

[Somebody Else]

Aargh aargh aargh!

Got the game today.

After much trouble, managed to get it installed.

Now, the game chooses not to recognise the disc. So I can't play. I had to take it out, and clean it several times during installation. This is very tiresome. Anyway, anyone hears of a no-cd whatsamacallit, do tell.

[Alrowan]

i know of a good nocd site, ill pm you

[Spino]

Got it.

Installed it.

CAN'T PLAY IT!

I can't get my account registered with steam. I get to the screen where it asks me to pick a special question in case I lose my password and then I get a 200 error that referenced some winsock problem. I think Steam's registration servers are getting hammered and that's why so many people are having problems.

This is ridiculous! Valve requires you to log in with Steam before playing the game? I bought the cds so I wouldn't have to go through with this! What about people who don't have internet access and want to play HL2 whenever they please? What if you're on a trip and want to play a bit on your laptop?

Absolutely inexcusable.

[Somebody Else]

Makes one want to take a crowbar to certain people...

[The Tuffen]

I have to say i won't buy Half life 2. I was tempted to buy a DVD drive so that i could play it (as well as Far cry).

I think its a stupid that you are forced to login to steam before you can play it. If i buy a game i expect it to be playable straight out of the box without having to logon to the internet.

[ShadesPanther]

Its quite simple really.


1.WON rocked.
2. Valve didnt like it rocking
3. Decided to create their own version thing called steam. (similar to sorry of Punkbuster/Valve anti cheat problem)
4. Steam launched to wave of errors
5. Popularity low with most people still playing on WON
6. WON shut down
7. Steam finally quite stable
8. HL2 coming out..better make it require steam.
9. outrage on most forums (even the mild mannered org )

SUMMARY: Steam is like communisim, good in theory, just won't work in real life.

I didn't really have that many problems but then I had steam installed already. Maybe to do with setting up new accounts on avery busy steam.

[Beirut]

Not sure I undertand...

You install the game, then you have to register online to get a CD key so the game will play?

And you're saying there's a flaw in all this so you pay your money, register online and still can't play? Is that the deal?

Doesn't sound too great. Sure won't buy it until this is cleared up.

[Spino]

Ok, after nearly one and a half hours I finally created a new account and validated my CD key. Steam is currently in the process of 'unlocking my files'.

The bad thing is each time you want to play HL2 you have to log into Steam and have it check for updates. There is an offline work around for this, and it is provided by Valve!

http://steampowered.custhelp.com/cgi...YWdlPTE*&p_li=

How To Make Steam Offline Mode Work
last edited 09/03/2004 02:05:09 PM by qUiCkSiLvEr

Special Note:
If a game says "100%" but "Not Ready" for offline play, it may be because the purchase process for that game (cd-key or cc purchase transaction) has not yet completed. You need to wait for that to complete before playing offline.

Two Scenarios:
1. My friend has no Internet connection, how can he set things up so he can play offline?

2. I want to be able to play at a LAN party and they won't have an internet connection there, how can we all play offline?

Answer:
There are several ways to do this that will work for players without Internet access as well as for LAN Parties where there won't be internet access.

Note:
You have to be online somewhere at least once to perform all of the following steps.

The first step here is to perform the latest update and capture it. This is very important to make sure you get the latest content and bug fixes. Everyone that will be participating at the LAN event must have the latest update!

Easiest way
Bring the computer that will be playing offline to an available internet connection at a friend's house, school or perhaps business. Log into the account and do all the updates, make sure it all works.

Then "exit" (do not log out!) from Steam, go to the Steam folder and make a copy of the clientregistry.blob file (just in case). Write-protect the copy (mark it Read/Only).

Physically unplug the computer from the internet, start up Steam and let it fall back into offline mode. Make sure the computer will play both Listenserver (LAN), client and the single player ok, then exit from Steam again.

[discovery1]

Valve's solution involves lugging a tower full of sensitive(and heavy) parts around so we can play? Stupid is'nt the word.

[Somebody Else]

Well, after a semi-fix involving spit and my dvd drive's optical reader, two blue-screens and an attempted reinstall foiled by a complete lack of ability of my dvd drive to read the disc - spit or no.

I shall wait until I either get a new computer, the game comes out on cd rather than dvd, or HL3 comes out. It seems this game is not to be for me.

[ElmarkOFear]

Somebody Else: I bought my game at EB Games and it was on cds. Not sure where you got the DVD version.

What they forgot to tell you too is that Steam isn't the only copy-protection they have for the game. It also uses SecureRom2. If it detects any virtual-drive software installed on your machine it will require you to do one of three things (depending on what software you have):

1. Turn off the virtual-drive software before launching HL2. This is what I had to do and I have GameDrivePro installed.
2. Uninstall the virtual-drive software before you will be able to play.
3. Reformat your hard-drive to get rid of the registry entries for your Virtual-drive software.

I am curious as to what will happen if Steam goes under financially? Will nobody be able to play Valve's games then? Also, if you decide you do not like the game or get bored with it and want to sell it back to EB Games as a 'used" game, then the person who buys it won't be able to play it since Steam already has the Cd-Key registered for your PC and in your name/password. So, if you happen to see HL2 in your neighborhood "used" software bargain bin . . DO NOT BUY IT! You will not be able to play unless you happen to know the person who sold it back and have their username/password.