installing half-life 2 - Printable Version
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installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-25-2006 at 09:02 PM
I got Half-life 2 for Christmas and was wondering why I am required to download the game through steam because I am on dial-up and this will take approximately 6 days, what is the purpose in buying the disk if all i am getting is a nice shit account on steam?
RE: installing half-life 2 by Thor on 12-25-2006 at 10:01 PM
quote:One of the things are that you can download the game later if you want too, and that some games require Steam to be installed. However why you have to download the whole game, is a bit stupid, so that I'd also like to know.
Originally posted by remember_987
I got Half-life 2 for Christmas and was wondering why I am required to download the game through steam because I am on dial-up and this will take approximately 6 days, what is the purpose in buying the disk if all i am getting is a nice shit account on steam?
Maybe you can download it at a friends house, and he/she may burn it on a CD/DVD for you.
RE: installing half-life 2 by Oxy on 12-25-2006 at 10:09 PM
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
I got Half-life 2 for Christmas and was wondering why I am required to download the game through steam because I am on dial-up and this will take approximately 6 days, what is the purpose in buying the disk if all i am getting is a nice shit account on steam?
I agree with Nitro, that is a bit stupid
I'd send them a complaint, just saying that their streaming isn't suitable for your dail up conntection, and you'd like an alternative.
RE: installing half-life 2 by Voldemort on 12-25-2006 at 10:14 PM
quote:If its in the requirements it won't help...
Originally posted by .OxY
I'd send them a complaint, just saying that their streaming isn't suitable for your dail up conntection, and you'd like an alternative.
RE: installing half-life 2 by Oxy on 12-25-2006 at 10:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Voldemort
quote:If its in the requirements it won't help...
Originally posted by .OxY
I'd send them a complaint, just saying that their streaming isn't suitable for your dail up conntection, and you'd like an alternative.
Well, that may be true.. but if it is, just ask if they have an alternative. If they don't, it's not really worth bothering with.
RE: installing half-life 2 by ddunk on 12-25-2006 at 10:22 PM
Don't file a complaint. 
Are you sure it's downloading the entire game? Are you sure it's just not updating the game? HL2 updates aren't exactly small so you may be SOL until you get a better line.
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 02:49 PM
Basically all the disk is doing is installing the base files of the earliest version of the game, so every time you want to reinstall it now, it'll need to download all of the downloads from when the game came out in 2004.
The updates that come out are always major, so the files aren't exactly small, so it'll take a few hours, even for people on 4mb broadband (like myself).
You'll have to set up the steam account too, so you'll never really need to put in the disk again other than to install the base files, your serial code will always be "imprinted" onto your Steam account, as with any other game that you purchase through steam.
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 03:13 PM
hey all, thanks for the help I am sending in a complaint asking for an alternative to spending six days online straight (it can't hurt) and am considering going to my friends house to download if nothing turns up but wouldn't that take like multiple DVD's?
P.S. anyone know the e-mail for contacting steam?
RE: installing half-life 2 by Kenji on 12-26-2006 at 03:22 PM
quote:uhh... DVDs hold about 4GB or something...
Originally posted by remember_987
hey all, thanks for the help I am sending in a complaint asking for an alternative to spending six days online straight (it can't hurt) and am considering going to my friends house to download if nothing turns up but wouldn't that take like multiple DVD's?
P.S. anyone know the e-mail for contacting steam?
Whats wrong with leaving you computer on for a few days downloading, i do it all the time..
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 03:28 PM
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
hey all, thanks for the help I am sending in a complaint asking for an alternative to spending six days online straight (it can't hurt) and am considering going to my friends house to download if nothing turns up but wouldn't that take like multiple DVD's?
P.S. anyone know the e-mail for contacting steam?
Well the minimum specifications for having Half-Life 2/Counter-Strike : Source are something like a 256kb/s minimum. They won't take your email seriously, they want you to have the security fixes and updates.
Also, going to your friends to download it would make no difference, you wouldn't be able to play it at your house, you have to download it on your machine.
It's not going to take six days, pause the update for Counter-Strike: Source, then download Half-Life 2, then when playing that, download Counter-Strike: Source files. Also, i'm sure you have other stuff to do while it's downloading.
I'm not sure there is an email to contact Steam, sorry. But keep looking if you want to make a complete pleb out of yourself.
Some advice for the future, before buying a game, make sure your machine has all of the recommended (or minimum) specifications, otherwise you'll just get pissed off when you either, can't update it quickly or can't run it without lag. Half-Life 2 is also a game that cannot be returned to the shop, as the serial number can only be used on one account.
So basically, unless you're willing to download it at your house, you're fucked.
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 03:30 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Dazzy
Whats wrong with leaving you computer on for a few days downloading, i do it all the time..
the problem is my parents have to call people for work and stuff all the time and it is 6 DAYS it would be really inconvenient for my whole family.
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 03:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
quote:
Originally posted by Dazzy
Whats wrong with leaving you computer on for a few days downloading, i do it all the time..
the problem is my parents have to call people for work and stuff all the time and it is 6 DAYS it would be really inconvenient for my whole family.
Please read my above post.
RE: installing half-life 2 by Kenji on 12-26-2006 at 03:32 PM
quote:Oh yeah, i forgot about that, dial up sucks
Originally posted by remember_987
quote:
Originally posted by Dazzy
Whats wrong with leaving you computer on for a few days downloading, i do it all the time..
the problem is my parents have to call people for work and stuff all the time and it is 6 DAYS it would be really inconvenient for my whole family.
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 03:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by traxor
Some advice for the future, before buying a game, make sure your machine has all of the recommended (or minimum) specifications, otherwise you'll just get pissed off when you either, can't update it quickly or can't run it without lag. Half-Life 2 is also a game that cannot be returned to the shop, as the serial number can only be used on one account.
there is absolutely no way that by me looking at the box I would know i was required to have any type of internet connection at all there is no warning of note...nothing i even checked minimum system specs on the internet there was NOTHING telling me that I needed an internet connection.
RE: RE: installing half-life 2 by Val on 12-26-2006 at 03:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Dazzy
quote:Oh yeah, i forgot about that, dial up sucks
Originally posted by remember_987
quote:
Originally posted by Dazzy
Whats wrong with leaving you computer on for a few days downloading, i do it all the time..
the problem is my parents have to call people for work and stuff all the time and it is 6 DAYS it would be really inconvenient for my whole family.
If you can afford Half-Life 2 and a PC that can play it proporly why can't you afford cable/dsl it can actually be cheaper than dail-up in some cases depending where you live.
[/off-topic]
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 03:41 PM
I live in kinda in the "woods" and dial-up isnt even an option out here
RE: installing half-life 2 by andrewdodd13 on 12-26-2006 at 03:51 PM
You don't have to leave your PC on for six days straight. The download will resume where you left off if you close Steam.
Or at least it appears to do that for me. I'm not certain that it doesn't download whole files at a time, and some of the files are rather large.
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 04:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
quote:
Originally posted by traxor
Some advice for the future, before buying a game, make sure your machine has all of the recommended (or minimum) specifications, otherwise you'll just get pissed off when you either, can't update it quickly or can't run it without lag. Half-Life 2 is also a game that cannot be returned to the shop, as the serial number can only be used on one account.
there is absolutely no way that by me looking at the box I would know i was required to have any type of internet connection at all there is no warning of note...nothing i even checked minimum system specs on the internet there was NOTHING telling me that I needed an internet connection.
Not even this?
Phillip, sorry I didn't realise.
quote:
Originally posted by andrewdodd13
You don't have to leave your PC on for six days straight. The download will resume where you left off if you close Steam.
Or at least it appears to do that for me. I'm not certain that it doesn't download whole files at a time, and some of the files are rather large.
You're right.
Also, where abouts do you live where you can't get a broadband internet connection? Africa?
Also:
http://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/Half-Life%202.html
Check out all of the updates.
and:
http://steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=220&cc=--
Read the minimum specs.
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 04:45 PM
paudash
edit: and traxor there is nothing on the box that says anything about connection and why are you so hellbent on proving me wrong?
RE: installing half-life 2 by Dr4g0n on 12-26-2006 at 04:58 PM
quote:As Phillip said you can easily download the updates on a friends computer and then use the back-up game files once it completes.
Originally posted by traxor
Also, going to your friends to download it would make no difference, you wouldn't be able to play it at your house, you have to download it on your machine.
quote:Steam pauses your downloads when you start a game; so you would have to begin the game, Alt-Tab and resume it and Tab back in.
Originally posted by traxor
It's not going to take six days, pause the update for Counter-Strike: Source, then download Half-Life 2, then when playing that, download Counter-Strike: Source files. Also, i'm sure you have other stuff to do while it's downloading.
I would suggest you install it and update it at someone else's house and up the back-up to put it on disc. It will even allow you to split the back-up into CD sized archives.
Although Steam only say you require an internet connection, when you buy Half-Life 2 from the shops they check that you have broadband (well, me and everyone I know were asked this). Obviously because someone else bought you it, they didn't know you had dial-up.
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 05:11 PM
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
paudash
edit: and traxor there is nothing on the box that says anything about connection and why are you so hellbent on proving me wrong?
I just don't want you to look like an idiot when you email them, you won't get a good reply at all. Trying to prepare you for it?
Oh, and I like being right.
quote:
Originally posted by Phillip
Edit: @ Traxor. You don't need to apoligize (Smilie)
I do, I got something wrong
.
RE: RE: installing half-life 2 by CookieRevised on 12-26-2006 at 05:31 PM
quote:He has _every_ right to file a complain and he wont look like an idiot at all. As a matter of fact, people have complained a lot about this way of "buying" a game and they already probably recieved tons of such complaints too.
Originally posted by traxor
quote:
Originally posted by remember_987
paudash
edit: and traxor there is nothing on the box that says anything about connection and why are you so hellbent on proving me wrong?
I just don't want you to look like an idiot when you email them, you won't get a good reply at all. Trying to prepare you for it?
It is normal that game companies provide updates online. But it is not normal that you need to download a whole CD to be able to play anything, that is just plain rediculus.
One pays for a game, not to mention the same amount as for any other game. So, one can expect that it is playable out-of-the-box if the minimum requirements are met, which he has met btw! Ok that you need to download 5MB or something to update it, but not like this...
Let alone just printing "internet connection required" covers what you need to do here. IMHO, it is extremely normal that people complain about such dodgy practices; they bought a game, on CD, not a subscription for an online game or whatever.
It is quite normal and very understandeable that he doesn't want to download for 6 days (or even longer when he isn't able to be connected 24/7) and blocking all other internet traffic, phone calls, etc. And then I don't even speak about the data traffic and download quota which he probably has...
----------
remember_987, if you're not willing or aren't able to download the updates, I suggest to take the game back to the store and ask for a refund... if you didn't already installed it. Or.... Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to ask your parents for a broadband connection (via satellite?) so you can play the game (and say you need it for school too and stuff
)
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 05:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
remember_987, if you're not willing or aren't able to download the updates, I suggest to take the game back to the store and ask for a refund... if you didn't already installed it. Or.... Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to ask your parents for a broadband connection (via satellite?) so you can play the game (and say you need it for school too and stuff (Smilie))
He can't take it back to the store, they won't accept it.
RE: RE: installing half-life 2 by Val on 12-26-2006 at 06:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by traxor
quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
remember_987, if you're not willing or aren't able to download the updates, I suggest to take the game back to the store and ask for a refund... if you didn't already installed it. Or.... Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to ask your parents for a broadband connection (via satellite?) so you can play the game (and say you need it for school too and stuff (Smilie))
He can't take it back to the store, they won't accept it.
It is really the store's choice. Usually if a product is opened a store will not take it back, especially video games. Again it will vary from store to store.
RE: installing half-life 2 by user27089 on 12-26-2006 at 06:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by ValSpy
It is really the store's choice. Usually if a product is opened a store will not take it back, especially video games. Again it will vary from store to store.
For games on Steam, they won't accept them back.
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 08:32 PM
hate to be a bother again but is there even a way to file a complaint with steam? I have looked around and have yet to find a way to contact them...
RE: installing half-life 2 by remember_987 on 12-26-2006 at 09:31 PM
lolz. That is where I have been looking and from what I can tell there is no way to send an abusive e-mail of any sort
RE: installing half-life 2 by andrewdodd13 on 12-26-2006 at 10:12 PM
Shady hint:
Take a look around Megagames PC fixes section.
I'm not sure if this is technically legal. It's probably a breach of the EULA. Except I never accepted the EULA - my mate installed HL2 for me after we got back from the shops and I needed some time alone in the little boys room.
RE: installing half-life 2 by Dr4g0n on 12-27-2006 at 09:48 AM
Often with those "fixes" you can't go on VAC secured servers to play online, so what's the point.
At least when you buy it it's going to work, even if it does take just s long to download =[
RE: RE: installing half-life 2 by andrewdodd13 on 12-27-2006 at 12:32 PM
quote:So far he's already said he only wants to install Half-Life 2. There's a patch at Megagames which lets you install HL2 without needing to install Steam.
Originally posted by Dr4g0n
Often with those "fixes" you can't go on VAC secured servers to play online, so what's the point.
At least when you buy it it's going to work, even if it does take just s long to download =[
Personally, I don't see where the problem arises from that.
RE: installing half-life 2 by andrewdodd13 on 12-27-2006 at 12:42 PM
Ok. I never realised he couldn't install the game from the DVD. I don't see why not though, the base game files are all on the disc, it's just the updates that aren't.