Half Life 2/Steam

[Ryan_Fpv]

I purchased Half Life 2 Episode pack (Includes Episode One, Episode Two, and Half Life Death Match) from a retail shop.
On the box it says "hi-speed" (What is hi-speed? Shouldn't it be "High Speed"?) internet is required for the multiplayer gameplay, and that "You must activate this product via the internet by registering for a Steam account and accepting the SSA".
I wasn't really bothered about the online content, mainly just interested in the single player mode, so, since there was nothing on the labeling suggesting otherwise, I assumed like all the other PC games I have that say "Hi-Speed internet required for multiplayer", that I would be able to activate the game on my Dial-Up internet and be free to play single player offline whenever I want.

After trying to install it today, after using the activation code and having it go through it's "install" procedures, it then started downloading. I thought this might have just been sending the activation codes for each of the episodes, but I checked and it said 2 days 17 hours estimated download time for ONE of the episodes. The other episode was about the same, and the "deathmatch" thing was about 1 day XX hours.
Being dial up internet, the ISP disconnects it automatically after it has been disconnected for a certain amount of time, in my case, 10 hours. (Why is this by the way? To make more money by making people reconnect to the internet costing 20c for a local call?)
After spending quite some time trying to get it to install from the disc, uninstalling it, reinstalling it, repair installing it, I decided to google about it to see if I could find any other people having the same problem. I discovered this:

Before you can play, you must create a Steam account and activate the game online, at which point Steam automatically downloads the necessary files and lets you play the game.

That's the part most people can't get over. You can't play the game you've purchased -- not even in single-player mode -- without being online, so that Steam can verify your copy's authenticity each time you run it.

(Source: http://wonko.com/post/valve_software_half-life_2_and_steam)


Now... Am I the only one who is feeling ripped off that I cannot use something that I purchased? What really ticks me off is the fact that during the installation process, they had an option to select which internet I have, and Dial-up was an option. Why the hell have it as an option if no-one on it is able to use it?
Shouldn't they have a notice on the case saying something along the lines of "This is not the complete game, additional critical files need to be downloaded during activation." and/or "Internet access required to launch game."?

Stupid things like this make me never want to purchase another game from them ever again. If I was able to, I would return it and get my money back. Unfortunately since it has a CD key, I cannot return it. Stuck with a useless game. Why must it be so hard to play a computer game?


What are my options?
I cannot download the required files to be able to play since my dial up disconnects every 10 hours, which would constantly cancel the download making it start again from the start each time.
I wouldn't expect my friends to let me use their internet for a day downloading it for me and using the 2-3GBs of downloads required, putting them over their monthly limits (judging by the time estimates).
I've already activated it with my Steam account, is there anyway I can deactivate it from there so that I could sell it/give it to a friend? I'd rather they have it and play it than it just go to waste on my shelf.

This is more of a rant rather than a search for help, but if you do have anything that might help me, please share.


NOTE: Yes, I should have broadband, and if I could, I would have it. Problems with the lines & the local areas wireless network (due to lots of people in the neighborhood having the same problems with the lines with standard broadband) is overloaded, not to mention overpriced. Anyone who suggests I get broadband gets a kick up the bum.

 

[mrjack]

Steam shouldn't be downloading the whole game if you've installed the game from the DVD, it's just updating the game. It has been quite a while since the games were released and as such have quite a lot of updates to download. In my experience you can pause and stop the download any which way and continue from where you left it and not have to start over from scratch. Alternatively you could get a friend who has the games or has broadband and doesn't mind downloading the updated files (*.gcf files) for you and put them on a DVD/multiple DVDs so that you can just copy them over into the '\Steam\steamapps\' folder on your computer.

According to the 'Steam Subscriber Agreement' you agreed to abide by, you are not allowed to sell or transfer your account to anybody. And from what I've read, in your case you're not going to get a refund under any circumstances from Valve.

 

[zombine210]

bummer dude.

i was a real fan of steam until yesterday. until then, things were ok, i think there's an option to play offline, or there should be, i've never noticed since i've been online since forever.

then i bought a new game off steam this past week, but every time i try to download/install it says the servers are too busy. what a load of crap.

i'll be buying more games on disks from now on.

you can't transfer or give away games that are registered to your account; but if these are the only games on it, you can just sell or give away the account with all the games in it. good luck.

 

[mrjack]

There is indeed an option that allows you to play offline and you can also setup Steam so that it doesn't automatically download updates for games.

 

[Geoff]

As stated before, if you installed the game from all the CD/DVD's, then it should already say it's 75% or so completed. Although that does sound right as to download the entire game on dial-up would take about 8.5-9 days @ 7KBps.

bummer dude.

i was a real fan of steam until yesterday. until then, things were ok, i think there's an option to play offline, or there should be, i've never noticed since i've been online since forever.

then i bought a new game off steam this past week, but every time i try to download/install it says the servers are too busy. what a load of crap.

i'll be buying more games on disks from now on.

you can't transfer or give away games that are registered to your account; but if these are the only games on it, you can just sell or give away the account with all the games in it. good luck.

I've only had that problem once or twice, Steam has been great for me and personally I think it's the best thing ever in the world of PC gaming. No longer do I need to save DVD's and CD Keys, or worry about the game getting scratched or losing them. I can just download Steam, login, and re-download all of my games.

However you can not sell your account, even if HL2 is the only game.

There is indeed an option that allows you to play offline and you can also setup Steam so that it doesn't automatically download updates for games.

There is, but I believe it won't let you play until it downloads all the updates.

 

[Ryan_Fpv]

I found the "offline" mode. I tried the offline mode several times. Everytime I tried to load the STEAM program in offline mode, I received this error message:

After I get that, it closes itself. This just adds to my frustration with STEAM. Luckily when I restart it gives me the option of starting in online mode, or else I would be locked out of the program.

I bought this game at the store because I don't want to have to download games. If I wanted to spend days downloading games, I could have just went on to their site and purchased the download from there, saving myself a trip to the store. It's annoying that I buy something, and they don't give me everything I paid for. It's like buying a car but the dealer keeping the wheels and telling you to wait a week for them to be delivered to you.

I couldn't find an option in Stream, but there really is no way to unregister a game/activation key from your account? This is the first time I've used Steam, and there's no other games in my account. I might see if I can find a way to change the email/passwords for Steam and just give my mate my account.

It has been quite a while since the games were released and as such have quite a lot of updates to download.

Great... Even if I do manage to download the required files to play the game, I'll then have to spend several more days downloading the updates.

And from what I've read, in your case you're not going to get a refund under any circumstances from Valve.

Meh. It was only $30. I'm just pissed off that I can't play a game I bought because they didn't label their products properly. "Activate this product via the internet" my ass.

PS. This forum really needs a head desk smilie.

 

[mrjack]

Great... Even if I do manage to download the required files to play the game, I'll then have to spend several more days downloading the updates.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough, but what I meant was that the updates are a part of what you'd have to download now. So it's not that you have to download what you already are downloading and the updates, but instead that you are downloading the updates already.

Concerning the 'Offline Mode', did you follow the official instructions? From what some people written, you might have to physically unplug your computer from any internet connection possibility.

 

[Aastii]

bummer dude.

i was a real fan of steam until yesterday. until then, things were ok, i think there's an option to play offline, or there should be, i've never noticed since i've been online since forever.

then i bought a new game off steam this past week, but every time i try to download/install it says the servers are too busy. what a load of crap.

i'll be buying more games on disks from now on.

you can't transfer or give away games that are registered to your account; but if these are the only games on it, you can just sell or give away the account with all the games in it. good luck.

That is a problem on your end usually, not theirs.

Go to your steam folder and delete clientregistry.blob

Now restart Steam, let it update and try again, 99% of the time works

 

[Ryan_Fpv]

Verify that all game files are completely updated - you can see the update status for a game under the My Games tab (when the game shows as 100% - Ready it is ready to be played in Offline Mode)

Obviously it's not 100% complete, which is why it's doing it. I realize this, I was just letting you know "offline" mode wasn't an option, and I thought the error message I received was quite ironic.