HalfLife 2

[Alrowan]

its out!

share your thoughts

[Navaros]

HL2 is anover-rated piece of crap IMO

the whole STEAM process is BS which should be illegal

i was unable to use my HL1 CDKEY because a warez kiddy generated and registered it on STEAM. in situations like this, Valve sides with the warez kiddy rather than the paying customer who is SOL

HL2 does not even come with jewel cases (for the boxed Retail version) - just useless papers envelopes like the HL Platinimum Pack came in. all in all, it's a huge ripoff by an extortionist company

[Alrowan]

lol

well i havent bought it yet, my bro has, i dont see too much special about it, save the SP mode.

but time will tell

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Lehesu]

Good question. If the Steam goes under, than millions have useless cds sitting on their shelves. As for me, I refuse to purchase a PC game costing 50 dollars. I remmember when it was around 40 for a brand new release, and I just can't accept the gaming industry pushing as far as the market will hold.

[discovery1]

just saw sone videos. i hate how objects float infront of freedman when he holds them.

[ICantSpellDawg]

i love copy protections when they fail

up with file sharing
down with digital tyrrany

[Somebody Else]

Got the dvd version in the Oxford Virgin Megastore.

I think the main problem for me is that my computer is too shoddy to be able to cope. And I think my dvd drive has managed to scratch the disc already.

[Somebody Else]

It appears I may have a work-around. Despite my dvd drive being as useful as sunglasses to a bat, I might just be able to get this game reinstalled, and playing.

My main problem is getting the dvd drive to recognise the disc. However, as I completed the whole Steam authentication thing, I thought up the cunning idea of downloading it via Steam. 231 minutes to go...

[Beirut]

Now is this every copy of HL2 that has this stupid non-working online registry thing, or just some special DVD (or something else) copies?

[Bob the Insane]

eek! So many with problems...

Personally I had purchased via steam and preloaded via steam (and have been play CS:S for a while now too over steam)... So, being in the UK, at a little after 0800hrs Tuesday morning I fire up my machine, start up Steam and there appears the unlocking HL2 screen which takes about 20mins to perform its task!!

After that it is straight into the game 1280x960 and High settings all round and it looks and plays brilliantly...

It is not the "second coming", it is a FPS with a great story, large and realistic environments that in places really are almost photorealistic... It is definately HL2 in that it plays in the same style as HL with similar puzzles and set pieces. It has the surprize attacks, the enemy soldiers, the monsters the physical puzzles (which are seemlessly intergrated with the physics in the game) and you are always running out of ammo...

It is also a great demo of the Soruce engine showing a huge range of believable enviroments of various scales... It is 100% linear but only rarely are you aware because of this pacing and design of the story and I have not yet come across a map with poor or invisible boundries...

If anyone says there is an issue with the gfx it is because they are comparig the views to RL and not to any other game... The texture technology is simply way ahead of anything else out there, though the next generation of the Unreal engine seems to be using similar technology...

While the game is obviously made up of maps they are excellently designed giving the impression of a very large, detailed and seemless environment. An illusion true, but an expertly performed one...

As I said it is just a game in the end so if you were expecting a life altering experience you will be disappointed but it do think it is the best story driven FPS yet released and it does seriously raise the bar on what to expect on screen for future realistic graphics style games...

[Bob the Insane]

Now is this every copy of HL2 that has this stupid non-working online registry thing, or just some special DVD (or something else) copies?

All copies, it works like this (I think)....

You can by and get HL2 in one of two manners:

1. Get steam and steam account, perchase game via steam and download (I preloaded it prior to release). Once it is downloaded it will be unlocked by steam and will be read to play.

2. Buy game in the shops, install... Now correct me if I am wrong but it will also install steam and prompt you to create a steam account will it not? It will then authenticate your version of HL2 and activate... Once this is done you can in theory configure steam to run offline and you can continue to play HL2 without ever going onto the internet again.

[Somebody Else]

Right... now, I spent the last 7 hours downloading this thing via Steam - which it seems I can due by virtue of my having bought the game.

AND YET I STILL NEED THE CD TO PLAY!!!

Which my computer now kindly regards as a blank cd...

[Lazul]

Got the game a few hours ago, my problem is that it restarts everytime i play.,

When i load a Counterstrike server it restarts when tis done!
When i load singleplayer it restarts when its almost done!

im frustrated as hell, any idea what might be the reason for all the restarting?

[Crazed Rabbit]

So, you need to connect to Steam each and every time you want to play?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!

And they couldn't just stick with the good old WON servers. No, they had to use Steam, invalidating all my HL cd keys.

Crazed Rabbit

[The Tuffen]

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

As far as i knew it was only available on DVD-ROM

Sounds like a lot of people are having problems with HL2

[ShadesPanther]

apparently it is cds in USA and DVDs in Britain (maybe Europe.. can anyone confirm?)

I'm sure you could get a friend to maybe convert it to cds for you if you are having trouble and it is your game then it should be ok

[The Tuffen]

I don't have HL2 and prob wont buy it.

Why have they released it on dvd only here? They should give people the option of both DVD and CD versions. I don't have a DVD drive and at the moment don't see any reason to buy one for only 2 games that require one at the moment (the other being FarCry).

[TosaInu]

Hello,

I saw HL2 in shop yesterday for about $60. There was a warning by the shop that this game could not be returned no matter what (I can grasp this). But this was the reasoning: HL2 requires activation and once activated on a PC it could never be activated on another. Is this discouraging buy, copy, install, refund clients or is it really that strict? It's sad if it were the latter. I purchase HL2, decide for myself it's a great game but that my system needs a serious upgrade to play it how I want, or better I need a complete new system. I won't be able to play this game then. Quite discouraging.

Repeated online checking for legality to play a SP game is not nice either.

Who can enlighten me here?

[Bob the Insane]

Hello,

I saw HL2 in shop yesterday for about $60. There was a warning by the shop that this game could not be returned no matter what (I can grasp this). But this was the reasoning: HL2 requires activation and once activated on a PC it could never be activated on another. Is this discouraging buy, copy, install, refund clients or is it really that strict? It's sad if it were the latter. I purchase HL2, decide for myself it's a great game but that my system needs a serious upgrade to play it how I want, or better I need a complete new system. I won't be able to play this game then. Quite discouraging.

Repeated online checking for legality to play a SP game is not nice either.

Who can enlighten me here?

Don't know about the USA but in the UK standard consummer rights apply and if the produce is faulty (i.e. disk is scrached or broke) or not fit for purpose then they have to take it back...

It is not really any different to the MMORPGs out there, think Planetside or EverQuest...

Repeated online checking for legality to play a SP game is not nice either.

In particular for this point, Half-Life to is only activated when installed, it does not have to be activated again unless you uninstall and reinstall it (I think)... If you are not uninstalling you definately only have to active it the once...