Datheus Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by Alegis Half Life was 6 years ago, and they still got the master server for mp back then. I think "what will happen in 30 years" is a better Q, cause I don't think they'll be gone at all in even 7years. Keeping the authentication servers up is like keeping a webserver up. Sure now they had a lot of servers cause of the rush, but in a year orso.. 7 years is a long time. What if Valve goes belly up? Or Sierra decides to terminated the Half Life services? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jed Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by StormHammer As for playing offline - I've yet to convince steam to play ball on that one. If I switch my modem off, steam comes up with a dialog box offering to switch to offline mode - then promptly comes up with an error message that prevents the game from loading. So I have to be online to start the game - and then I can switch the modem off after it's loaded. Which is a bit redundant by that point. Have you set Steam up to save your password? That was the kicker for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by Datheus 7 years is a long time. What if Valve goes belly up? Or Sierra decides to terminated the Half Life services? First off, Sierra doesn't exist as a company anymore. Secondly, Steam is solely owned and operated by Valve. That's why you couldn't activate Steam or Retail copies until the 16th, as each dollar made off Steam goes to Valve while there's the publisher's fees with the retail copies. Obviously, the publisher Vivendi didn't want more Steam sales, as that's less money they recieve, so they wanted Valve to not release the activation file until the 16th. And the way I see it, by the time that Valve itself goes out of buisness, Half-life 2 will be a distant memory(and that they would've released the activation file for free) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treacherous Mercenary Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Seems to have only taken me 30 minutes to install, but I see a bit of diservice to us all aswell as some have pointed out... If I truely want to play HL2, I have to use steam and it requires me to connect. Great going Valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoxStar Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 http://www.steamlessproject.nl/ They're having some bandwidth problems though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legameboy Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 I don't mind what they're doing at all. It's about time we start moving ahead concerning things like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Originally posted by acdcfanbill i dont have any examples, but im 99% sure ive read of cases before that you cannot be held to a contract that you have to agree to after you purchese the software. you would have to agree to the ELUA as you were buying the software. if i made a deal with a company for a million widgets and paid them, but when the stuff arrived in trucks the guys who were gonna unload them handed me a form that said 'these widgets can only be used in said manner'and they listed all the restraints on the widgets. That kind of business practice would be put to an end shortly. but since we are lowly middle class working people, we have to put up with corperate shenanigans. I would think that too... but apparently some US court recently help up that EULAs COULD be counted as legal, even if you didn't bother reading them ( i always thought they couldn't) (assuming they didn't make you do anything illegal). So your only option would be to thoroughly read the EULA on installation, and then return it whole to the store if you didn't like it. (Of course, many stores don't like accepting returned PC games). On a side not, if you managed to install the game WITHOUT using their installer and getting the EULA you might actually be OK, but then that might be anti-DCMA. Crazy. grrr... ---------------- Im about to get HL2, so someone break down how it works for me. Do i have to have the full version of steam running in the background the whole time i am playing, or does it just do a little connection to the internet when you start the game (a bit like other software that checks for updates?) I generally try not to have lots of programmes running in the background when playing games... ---------------- Bloodlines looks like an interesting cross between KOTOR and Deus Ex... though i do wish it was a little more FPS (apparently ranged weapons are severly underpowered) and a litle less RPG. Hopefully they will bring out a patch that sorts out the balance, then i might consider buying it... I want another Deus EX (the first one, not the second...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothiX Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 Bloodlines kicks ass, and I know Pie is with me on this, for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Originally posted by legameboy I don't mind what they're doing at all. It's about time we start moving ahead concerning things like this. But that's the problem, is that they're really not going to accomplish much. The hackers will eventually break it, and they will distribute the warez versions and the pirates will still get what they want. The people who paid for and legitimately own the game, however, will suffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Originally posted by toms someone break down how it works for me. Do i have to have the full version of steam running in the background the whole time i am playing, or does it just do a little connection to the internet when you start the game? (a bit like other software that checks for updates?) I generally try not to have lots of programmes running in the background when playing games... anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegis Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Originally posted by toms Im about to get HL2, so someone break down how it works for me. Do i have to have the full version of steam running in the background the whole time i am playing, or does it just do a little connection to the internet when you start the game (a bit like other software that checks for updates?) When launching HL2 steam will start up first (not sure if it checks on the internet, I'm pretty sure it only needs internet connection once and that is after installation (unlocking game files)) Steam cannot be shut down when hl2.exe is running. ("A steam application is currently running"). If you use task manager to quit it you get stuff like this (attachment) so I don't recommend closing it, the ~42mb of ram it uses (at least on the menu screen) are spent on the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Darn. I mean, those Pirates are pwned! Valve has probably found the best way against piracy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Originally posted by Sabretooth Darn. I mean, those Pirates are pwned! Valve has probably found the best way against piracy! Except for the fact that there are already no-Steam hacks available. My anti-piracy rants aside, realistically piracy differs from no other crime in that the preventative measures to stop it hurt legal people more than the criminals, who will find a new way to flaunt the law. Fortunately, after my one 'Steam checking files' incident after the long install process, I never had to wait very long at startup. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Thanks for the info Alegis!!!! Since there are already no-steam hacks available, surely most of the people they have banned aren't people with pirate copies, but people who bought the game and then used no-cd hacks so they didn't have to keep switching cds??? It does seem like they are punishing the legit users and completely missing the pirates.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrawn42689 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Originally posted by jon_hill987 Half-life 2 looks like an excelent game, but it needs an internet conection to run. lots of people still don't have an internet conection. The game comes with a Free AOL Trial disc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 Originally posted by Thrawn42689 The game comes with a Free AOL Trial disc. so valve actually ARE evil!!!!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 Originally posted by toms so valve actually ARE evil!!!!? Look for the pods. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agen Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 NewsFlash: It doesn't work. Very easy to get this game working without having your steam account fried and banned for life. Firewall can easily stop outgoing stuff from using the ports like steam as well the fact there are many fixes so that Valve will never know you've pirated the game. Sure if you're a dumbass you'll get caught pirating and banned for life, but it is pretty simple to pirate. Verdict - Steam no worky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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