05-02-2005 19:27									#1
	How is Steam, Really? Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

PC Gamer just gave HL2 game of the year,along with this quote:

quote: "But as frustrating as Steam can be, we couldn't hold that against the gameplay experience...- it would be like panning The Incredibles because your movie theater's parking lot was so crowded." -PC Gamer, Mar 2005, Page 35.

so tell me, those of you who have experience with it, is that how it really is?

and please, tell me if you have dial up, or something faster.

	05-02-2005 20:34									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

I had a painful experience downloading HL2 through Steam. The game came with my video card, so I persisted in getting it running.

Frankly, I found the game play of HL2 rather tedious. There were some fun elements, but I got seriously bored travelling through various buildings and abandoned city quarters. I lost interest and didn't bother finishing. Halo was much more fun, and it had a great story to boot. The story of HL2, from what I've seen, is rather bland.

If I had bought the retail game, and arrived home to find I had to access the net to get it running, I would have been seriously annoyed. Upon realising that I couldn't play the game without first connecting to the net, I would have returned it.

Steam is abysmal. I shall give up PC gaming when Steam like clients become common.

	05-02-2005 20:42									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

I for HL2 for X-mas, so past the release date nightmares.

That being said, steam was not too bad, but I tries to start everytime I boot and does so before the comp is ready giving me an error message.

The first time I tried to play the game, it took a while (10-15 minutes) to do all the registering and updates.

After that it is not too bad, but I do not like that it has to call home every time I play.

As far as gameplay is concerned, I had to quit a few days ago because it was too scary (wus), that is, the tension was too much. Plus I actually got killed, so that sealed it. I will go back to it when I get a chance. I intend to finish it.

I had a friend look at the walkthrough and he said I was about 40% done.

	06-02-2005 03:00									#4
	Full PM-box? Change here!

I have had exactly ZERO problems ever with steam.

EDIT - I have a really fast cable connection.

	06-02-2005 03:05									#5
	Suffering from ads?

Steam's a real pain in the neck. The automatic download 'feature' is a nightmare for people with dial-up connections - everytime you open Steam when you're online it automatically looks for updates and downloads them before you can do anything else. There's no way to opt out of this other then by shutting down Steam and hence HL2 (for instance, if you're perfectly happy with how HL2 is running you're still forced to download the patch).

In short, if I'd known that HL2 ran through such an appaling interface I wouldn't have bought the game.

	06-02-2005 03:40									#6
	Increase the size of your Attachments

You can get a no-Steam crack which will allow you to play without a connection to the internet.

This is of course only legal if you possess a bought copy of the game and I would never endorse software piracy on 'poly

Usual sources gents.

-Jam

	06-02-2005 05:18									#7
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Also, you can simply block Steam from connecting to the internet at all with a good firewall (or just don't be online). Steam will start in offline mode, and you can play just fine.

	06-02-2005 19:44									#8
	Support Apolyton

Blocking is easy, and the way forward.

	06-02-2005 20:05									#9
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

just to let you know, in response to that statement by PC Gamer I quoted in the first post, I wrote them and told them this:

quote: No. It would be like panning The Incredibles because the security at the theatre made you fill out an application and show two forms of ID before letting you through the metal detector to see the show, and then has guys combing the theatre during the film to ask you for your ticket every 15 minutes. And don't even get me started on how it is for people with dial up connections.

so, tell me, do I have it more or less correct?

to make your own reply, you can always write to letters@pcgamer.com

	06-02-2005 20:44									#10
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Spot on Father Beast!

	06-02-2005 23:29									#11
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Amen!

	06-02-2005 23:30									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

PC Gamer doesn't care. They know they are wrong. I'm glad I haven't bought that mag in years.

	07-02-2005 12:10									#13
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Three cheers for Father Beast.

Of course PC Gamer doesn't have the balls to say bad things about Steam.

	07-02-2005 13:27									#14
	Got spare money?

The good news is Steam is getting a lot of flak, at least in Europe.

@ Eurocoms

	07-02-2005 16:08									#15
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger The good news is Steam is getting a lot of flak, at least in Europe.

I don't have personal experience with Steam, but what I've heard is enough to keep me away...

	07-02-2005 20:22									#16
	Inflate your Upload Space

Steam is horrible. Absolutely terrible.

The game is decent but I am about half-way done and haven't played it for weeks, with no incentive to go back and finish it. I just found it pretty boring.

	08-02-2005 00:17									#17
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger The good news is Steam is getting a lot of flak, at least in Europe.

Yeah, and hopefully they'll get more.

	08-02-2005 20:34									#18
	Remove this text

Thanks for the link, UR. Fascinatinting reading, especially if you follow all the links.

	08-02-2005 22:22									#19
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

A very good read, saw that in a HL2 forum today. I hope that Valve will be forced to release a no-Steam version eventually. What annoys me the most is that, when run through Steam, the game runs significantly slower.

	08-02-2005 23:16									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

All,

If you want to see Valve releasing a version of HL2 without Steam, write to your country's consumer association (or the equivalent organisation). Germany did it, your country should be able to.

	08-02-2005 23:20									#21
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Actually, it would be nice to see someone educated in law to provide an example on what exactly to write. But yay, go anti-Steam.