Leash

Just want to know what most people think about the steam frontend you have to use to play Halflife2 or just about any other Valve game.

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Yea, I think your right.

CityOfAngels

I've only used early versions of steam, but I hated it when I did. It's just another program that eats your memory when all you want to do is play a friggin' game. Also, not everyone has an internet connection (believe it or not), so I bet there were a lot of VERY unhappy HL2 customers who found out that they couldn't even play the game they bought because they couldn't connect to the internet to register.

But hey, that's just me. I'm sure there are others out there who may find it useful.

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The words "love" and "life" go together. It is almost as if they are one. You must love to live, and you must live to love, or you have never lived nor loved at all.

AngelicVampire

Not to complain CityofAngles but the game does state that it REQUIRES an internet connection.

Personally I think steam and the whole registration thing is stupid (better to do it like microsoft... 30 days/register by Inet, phone or whatever). Forcing an internet connection is bad as some people don't have them.

SunGun

Yeah but you have to think... most people without an internet connection, in my opinion, probably dont have a computer at all either, or their computer isnt good enough to run something like HL2 or they probably arent gamers. If I had no internet connection, I surely would just play console systems myself. Steam can get annoying at times, but I think its a step forward in making games secure, even if it's annoying.

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Wow.

Hanabal

please people,

look at most new games toady, they state an internet connection is required. HL2 isnt doing anything unusual with the label. and i know many people with a very powerful computer and no internet connection, and guess what, for the week of hl2 release, i was one of them, sucks to be me huh.

steam doesnt just require internet, in most cases it requires broadband. and it may be a shock to you but many countries dont have reliable broadband, take South africa, its bloody expensive to get dialup and they pay per megabyte, broadband is almost non existant, so just to validate and download the manditory updates take days for them and propbably costs them a lot of money

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I am Hanabal, Phear my elephants

Gabbyness

I think it's very annoying to have Steam come up every time I start my computer. Now, I took it off the start procedure, but, come on, I didn't have to do that when I installed Diablo, or EQ, why start that crap now?

thriolith

Steam is annoying and a pain in the ass more than anything else. It sort of makes sense for them from a business point of view, but it's a pain in the ass for legitimate users. As is other forms of disc protection used by other companies.

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- Thriolith

Coppertop

This thread has already been done. And curiously enough, I didn't need an internet connection to play HL2 but my friend did. We both bought and downloaded the game via steam. Interesting...

Dirty

I remember when Steam first came out. I didn't really like it at first but now it has grown on me and i almost forget the old ways with WON(i think WON)

Wyodiver33

Steam doesn't bother me too much. But it is getting more and more complicated to just pop in a game CD and start playing. And requiring Broadband is a bit silly. I know, I know, dial-up users can still play, but it shouldn't take hours or days to register and update a game. If I buy a game on monday, I want to play it on Monday. Not Tuesday.

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I like stuff.

whocarz

I fucking hate Steam. I have a nice computer and broadband, and it gives ME a headache. It just sits there leeching memory, and doing who knows what else. There is zero advantage to have Steam from a consumer standpoint. Don't try to say that it's the first legal full game delivery system, because there is that Direct2Drive service, and guess what, you don't need to have some program open to play the fucking games. I also blame Steam for all the memory read failures I get while playing HL2 and CS:S, which doesn't happen with any other games I play (including VtM:B, which uses the Source engine). So, yeah, pretty much, Fuck Steam.

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If there exists anything mightier than destiny, then it is the courage to face destiny unflinchingly. -Geibel

Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. -Marcus Aurelius

Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? -GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly

Shirtninja

I hate, and I mean HATE steam. I used to admin game servers, and it drove me nuts. I miss WON dearly. And with the way HL2 requires activation for the retail version, I am not sure how crazy I am about HL2. I still havent bought it, and will wait to see how the online mods develop before I do put money down for it.

japhyryder

And everyone wonders why people are slowly forgetting there computers and going to console systems. The companies are killing their own business. I haven't bought a PC game in ages. Takes forever to install then you have to dig the cd out. Hope there are no conflicts or if your 2 year old computer is to old to run it. FORGET IT I will just get the newest console when it comes out every few years.

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It's only entertainment, someone's sick idea of a joke.

Homey_V

To me, STEAM is a giant slap in the face from Valve. All I can see when I load steam is Gabe Newell going, "We dont trust our customers enough to let them play our games the normal way. We want complete and total control so we can sap as much money as possible from them, and to hell with them if they dont want to use STEAM, Its Valve's game not theirs! nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"

Course, thats just me. There are hundreds of thousands of sheep out there that LOVE steam because it "Downloads patches and stuff automatically". Yah thats great. I just love it when software updates itself without telling me anything about it or giving me any option at all as to whether I want to install this stuff or not. I dont trust Valve, not because I hate them, but because they've give me no reason to trust them. I feel the same way about any software company. I dont want to give control of my PC to someone else just because they want to hog my memory with their proprietary piece of shit content delivery system. I've had more problems with steam than I can remember having with any other game and Valve has shown little respect to me or any other customer. It just seems to me like Valve knows they arent making decent games anymore and want to make sure to screw everyone for as much money as possible while they still can.

Sorry if this sounded like a rant, I tried to organize it as succintly and rationally as possible, but I really dislike STEAM, and all it means for the Gaming industry and I've been studying for the past 18 hours so Im not totally sane right now...
Also...
Hit the nail right on the head. When its that much of a hassle to install and play a game, its worth it to pick up a PS2 or Xbox in my mind. Way to alienate your consumer base Valve

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You did what with a duck?

Mantus

Absolutely useless. People will always find a way to crack CD protection for single player and multi-player is never much of a problem because the server checks the CD keys.

Man/Amazing

Steam is pretty good but it's starting to piss me off, can't stand connecting to steam every time i want to play HL2.

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blitz.fenix

Having to use Steam to play HL2 sure is a pain, but programs like Steam are the way of the future. It cuts out the middle man so game companies can go straight from the desktop to the consumer. A mixed blessing if can call it that but for now in my opinion, Steam blows the big one.

talkingtiki

I don't find it all that bad. Its just one more thing that tried to combat piracy and you can't fault them for that. I like how it keeps my games updated to the latest and greatest versions so that when I go to play deathmatch I don't have to spend an hour trying to find all the patches I need.

Homey_V

I very much doubt that programs like STEAM are the way of the future. No matter what, I will always want a hard copy of a game I buy sitting on my desk for me to touch and feel if I want to. STEAM hasnt given any other company a reason to try and use a system like that. If anything, I think it has killed the possibility of it becoming big for a long time.


Yes, actually I cant fault them for that. It compromised my gaming experience and thus I can. Not to mention that alot of companies are realizing that the better they make their games, the fewer copy protections they need, since they sell themselves. Look at all the protection Doom 3 had... A cd-key and cd check... Thats it. It sold pretty damned well I'd say, as do all id games, because they make good games. They dont need the anti-piracy crap. And really, finding patches for games, not all the hard. Fileplanet has it all nicely organized. If you cant find a patch you need in under 5 minutes, you seriously need some help.

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You did what with a duck?

Coppertop

Yeah, everyone who likes Steam is a sheep. Very mature.

And in case you didn't know this, Steam offers a way for you to back up your game. There's your hard copy right there. As I have stated before, I was able to play the game without being connected to the internet. I don't know if this was just some quirk in my situation alone, but I am sure others have had a similar experience. Not everyone for sure, but others have been able to play it like me.

As for delivering the game? It's sure a hell of alot more convenient for me to download the game via Steam than travel to the retailer, maybe get it or maybe not. I downloaded the game for cheaper than what it would have cost me in the stores, plus I got more for the money I paid. I believe in security as much as the next guy, and take it quite seriously. But until it is shown that Valve is doing nasty things via Steam, try relaxing a bit, eh?

Is Steam perfect? Hell no it's not. But that doesn't make it useless nor does it mean other companies won't try picking up on this idea and improving on it. If you don't have fun with Steam and/or half-Life 2, then cool. Don't use them. But calling everyone else who does use it and enjoy it a sheep is the height of conceit. Repeat to yourself: it's just a game.

bal8664

I don't necessarily disagree with steam as a content delivery system, some people like to able to download the game and stuff like that, i disagree with steam as a copy protection method. There is no reason you should have to use steam to play half life 2, no part of the game requires it other than to make sure you didnt steal it, and even thats pointless because it was cracked like the day half-life 2 was released, so all it adds is a nuicense for those who actually bought the game and want to play offline. I don't think they should remove it, but ithink it should certainly be optional.

There is no way to make a game uncrackable, so why do they try and in doing so annoy the people who actually bought it. I like the morrowind system, no cd-key, no requirement for the cd to be ion the drive, no problem. And it still sold extremely well.

Homey_V

My apologies for offending. I really dislike Steam and Im used to reading the Steam forums, which if anyone else who has read them knows, are largely filled with sanctimonious ignorant pricks. There are some good members on them, but they are few and far between.

Now then, to state my argument to your criticisms...

I was well aware of that, but that wasnt the kind of hard copy I was talking about. I was talking about the actual disk that I bought so that 2 or 3 or even 4 years down the line I can go, "Hey, that sounds like fun to me, lets play it again". Then I can just pop in the disk and install away. However, If steam dies anywhere in the future, Im SOL. It doesnt matter if I backed up my game from STEAM, Im still SOL. Now, that borders on another complaint, but Im going to confine it to this one for now. Assuming I backup with STEAM, that would imply that I A) have multiple Hard Drives or B) have a cd or DVD burner. Now what do I do if I have neither of those and bought the game via STEAM? Whoops, looks like Im SOL again.


I was able to play the game without being connected before too, however, I shouldnt have to worry about problems like that for a Single Player game, and a large number of people did and still do have that problem. Its unacceptable. Now, I may not need the internet to play, but I still have to turn on STEAM so it can patiently sit in the background and drain my memory. If I was a company making a new game, I would want to make that experience as enjoyable as possible for my customers. All STEAM does is suck memory and create hassles, not for everyone, but for a large portion of people.

Convienent? Maybe. I imgaine it took quite some time to download the game. Probably just as long as it would have taken you to walk/drive/bus/teleport/whatever to the store and take it off the shelf or even order off Amazon. Personally, I'd still rather go to the store and buy it. Why? One, I get the box, which I like having. I keep every game box I have. They sit on a shelf and look impressive. Two, I have more of a feeling of actually buying something. I have a copy of the software right here all prettily labelled and boxed up and everything. Now thats just personal, but I think its an issue for alot of people. Three, If I buy over STEAM, I miss out on a trip to the local EB! Come on! I love going to EB. I can drool over the games on the shelf and maybe find some good bargains while Im at it. If I buy from STEAM all I accomplish is to tie up bandwidth and improve my monitor tan, which I do not need to do. Buying the game from the store is part of the enjoyment of getting the game, to me and to many people I know.

So I should wait until Valve does nasty things before I stop trusting them? No. I dont trust Valve, and I dont trust the gaping hole in my firewall that it creates so that it can function properly. When it comes to security Im fairly lax, but STEAM just makes me shudder with fear at the possible damage that could be done. Besides, I've stated before and I'll state it again. I dont want Valve to arbitrarily download patches and whatnot to my computer with no explanation or reason. Several times already has my game been broken by a download that I didnt want. Fileplanet exists and is well organized. Its easy to find patches and easy to download them. I dont know why everyone complains so much about doing it.

I never said that STEAM was useless, although Im starting to think it is. If any company follows the amount of complaints and hassles that users have had to put up with the play HL2, I doubt many will think trying STEAM or something like it is such a good idea. The idea was interesting, the execution was horribly flawed. If STEAM was only used to download games and content and wasnt required for gameplay, I might have less of a problem with it, however, in its current state, I hate it and will continue to hate it.

It may be just a game, but gaming is my hobby, and when a game or company can ruin the enjoyment of my hobby, I see no reason to not voice my opinion of it.

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You did what with a duck?

Coppertop

Rest assured I'm not a Steam/Valve fanboy who posts on those forums.

Good point about Steam/Valve disappearing in the future. All too often it seems the good game companies vanish, never to be seen again (Looking Glass Studios comes to mind). And having another medium to back up PC data is pretty standard these days. It may not be feasible in your situation, but CDRs are awfully inexpensive nowadays.

I don't find Steam to be that big of a drain on my system. I can run the game perfectly fine and my gaming rig is not exactly the newest out there.

The download took approximately 3 hours or so. I downloaded it overnight, while sleeping. And since it could be done before the game was released on retail, I could play it immediately. I imagine there were quite a few people at the store buying box copies while Steam users were at home already playing the game. I do not keep the game boxes, so I guess that part doesn't bother me. The CDs however, I do keep.

To each their own. I prefer one place/method to patch my game, and you have yours. I do agree that there should be an option to turn off auto-download/install on Steam.

I agree about the verification, it's bothersome. But I find it easier to work around than popping a CD into my drive to play the game. I play far too many games for this method to work for me.

Gaming is my hobby too. And voicing opinions is good! It helps others out there who may not have bought the game yet to know what they're potentially in for. Thanks for not turing this into a flamewar.

Homey_V

Im glad it didnt either. Its refreshing to read intelligent replies rather than just ignorant flames. Just for clarification, I never intended to imply that anyone on TFP were like the people on the STEAM forums. Almost everyone here is polite and intelligent and willing to listen.

It seems that we mostly just disagree on opinion, which is bound to happen, since we arent the same person. Thats really all I have to say on this.
Conclusion:
Me no likey the STEAM, Coppertop doesnt mind the STEAM
End result
FLUFFY BUNNIES!

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You did what with a duck?

blitz.fenix

I don't know if this is terribly relevant to this argument and I don't know much about it, but I want to mention it again. Cutting out the publisher(Vivendi) saves time and as soon as the product is finished it goes to the consumer. No more 2-4 week waits. It also decreases friction between the publisher and game creator. Too bad about the lawsuit between Vivendi and Valve.

MSD

Forget about HL2. It pisses me off that I have to have two separate installations of the original HL on my system because Steam won't let me play single player when my internet connection is down.

Master_Shake

I got no problem with Steam as an option, but I went and purchased the game at a retailer, I should have been able to play it out of the box.

Granted, it does say Internet required for single player game, but it says it on the bottom of the box in small letters. This is something very new, and I think it should have been more prominently displayed. I would not have purchased it had I known I needed not just internet access, but broadband internet access to play.

I was really, really pissed the night I bought it (release day) because I was unable to play it for 12 hours. I had to work the next day, and all I wanted was some sweet video gaming release. Steam/Valve utterly let me down. I won't be purchasing another Steam game.

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You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place. 'Cause I've been up for hours, and hours, and hours, and the night never ends here.

toniku

i hated steam in its beta form. its not so bad now but i prefer to play cs without having to launch steam

Dilbert1234567

it used to be bad, now its is great, i like the auto update. it could be better, but its good for now.

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Donate Blood!

"Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

Aborted

I hate hate hate steam with a caustic, blood boiling vengeance.

That being said, it has got a lot better and it definitely makes sense from a business perspective. I'm sure with further tweaks and refinements it'll be improved over time and I have every confidence that Valve will turn it into software worth having, as opposed to an annoyance you can't get rid of.

Mantus

Auto-update, net downloads, these are not new features. The only thing new about Steam is it's anti-piracy feature, that’s it. There are other ways of offering downloadable software, other ways of doing auto-updates and other ways of verifying the client’s copy when they play online. Steam is nothing but an anti-piracy attempt (key word here).

pippepin

steam is good even though friends is fickle

korzen

I dunno, honestly I think that it fights pirates, and its not like the games available on Steam are crap. If you buy a silver or above account, you get alot of bang for your buck (source games, all old games like original day of defeat )
I have an old account at the moment, i have no qualms when it comes time to fish out 50 bucks and cry as 2 meg worth of my RAM is taken up by Steam :P
I feel kinda good that for once, i've forked out money for a game, and there arent people who have stolen a cd key for a free ride.. or my cd key for that matter.

Homey_V

I can name 10 of my friends off my head right now that have pirated copies of HL2 installed and are playable. Steam is no more effective at anti-piracy than CD checks are. Build a better mousetrap and you'll have 15 mice ready to break it before it hits the shelves. If Valve focused less on anti-piracy and more on game development they probably would have released a better game.

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You did what with a duck?