'Official' Half-Life 2 Thread. Do Not Create New Threads (NO SPOILERS)

[Dimensio]

As I have already managed to actvate the game, my only interest right now is in a noCD/DVD patch.

Whoever made the decision to use SecuROM protection on a game that already requires activation should be slowly tortured to death.

Perhaps someone with the Steam-downloaded version could look into the issue, since there's no disc requirement there.

Since I don't need to be an admin to play the game, I'd even settle for a small virtual image.

[farley2k]

Ok so my question -

Is there a way to remove the cd-rom check but not the Steam updating etc. I own a copy, I don't mind having Steam keep me up to date - I don't like having to have the cd in the drive. I think that sucks.

Now obviously those who bought the game directly from Steam wouldn't have to have a cd in the drive (they don't even have one!) so there must be an .exe which runs HL2, updates by Steam, but *doesn't* do a cd check.

Any ideas if this is possible?

[archie]

If the offline activation patch is a fake, you are kindly asked to remove it.
I think people are sufficient annoyed by steam, so please dont be kidding.

[Big Country]

I have the download version. The icon to run the game is in the Steam program so you need to log onto Steam to click on it. I sent a shortcut to my desktop so I don't click the Steam icon and log on and go that way but when I click the icon on my desktop it logs me into Steam. The icon shortcut is "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 220

It will not run at all if I do not have internet access. So I have to be online every time I play the game which is not a problem for me because I have Cable but if I had dialup that would so suck.

P.S. Does the stupid air boat level ever end??? Graphics are great but gameplay sucks so far. You can still only jump about an inch high and if your not perfectly lined up with a doorway and you hit the side you just stay there until you move yourself over instead of pushing you over and through the door. If I paid for this game I would be dissapointed.

[GLH]

Originally Posted by Big Country

I have the download version. The icon to run the game is in the Steam program so you need to log onto Steam to click on it. I sent a shortcut to my desktop so I don't click the Steam icon and log on and go that way but when I click the icon on my desktop it logs me into Steam. The icon shortcut is "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 220

It will not run at all if I do not have internet access. So I have to be online every time I play the game which is not a problem for me because I have Cable but if I had dialup that would so suck.

P.S. Does the stupid air boat level ever end??? Graphics are great but gameplay sucks so far. You can still only jump about an inch high and if your not perfectly lined up with a doorway and you hit the side you just stay there until you move yourself over instead of pushing you over and through the door. If I paid for this game I would be dissapointed.

My english isn't very well, but do i understand this right:
You have the Download-via-Steam-Version, but you don't have paid for it ???

[munsterbuster]

LOL
You still ask ikke? ^^

[Big Country]

Originally Posted by GLH

My english isn't very well, but do i understand this right:
You have the Download-via-Steam-Version, but you don't have paid for it ???

It came free with something I purchased on ebay. I almost threw it out because I didn't think the game was ever going to be released. It was just a card that you scratch off to reveal a number to download the game.

[dalver]

Move my post if you need to. I just hope someone notices this...

Apart from the game itself I notice that nobody picks up the issue of the internet activation. There is a big world out there that is not USA, UK, Germany or France (this is probably a shock to the developers) but "unfortunately" true. And this big world out there filled with people and gamers don't have a superfast connection to the net, many of them don't have an internet connection at all. Many of them don't know that PC stands for "Internet Machine". It would seem to me that the developer-thought behind this is: "if you don't have an internet connection then you probably can't afford the legal copy anyway, so you don't get to play" or "you have a code on your games box and with it you can download a decryption key from us, if you can't do that, then you are a thief and we will have nothing to do with you". Spit in the face to poor people and people not residing in the beforementioned countries, by the developers.

Valve/Steam/VU Games basically say: This game can only be played by people with access to internet. I ask you: Where will this lead? Will games in the future be made specifically for countries with a certain BMP? For people of a certain sexual preference? Certain skin colour? Religion?

Am I going to far and off topic? Maybe, maybe not.

By all means, copy protection, yes. Invest and make a disc that can't be copied. Do whatever but don't make the internet a requirement for a singleplayer game.

What an internet-online-account-copy-protection means to me is that the pirates and hackers and crack programs will need to change direction and also become better and more specialised, meaning the internet security will drastically drop. As it is now hackers are hacking cd-s and copy-protection-specific programs not online databases, at least not to crack a mere game for a no-cd crack - which will need to be done in order to crack this sort of “future” protection.

Games for me are meant to be – p l a y e d - and enjoyed, for relaxation or recreation, not to be bartered like an economical investment... a pity that commercialisation kills yet another form of relaxation/entertainment. A low down, dirty, pity!

[Mookers]

Originally Posted by dalver

Move my post if you need to. I just hope someone notices this...

Apart from the game itself I notice that nobody picks up the issue of the internet activation. There is a big world out there that is not USA, UK, Germany or France (this is probably a shock to the developers) but "unfortunately" true. And this big world out there filled with people and gamers don't have a superfast connection to the net, many of them don't have an internet connection at all. Many of them don't know that PC stands for "Internet Machine". It would seem to me that the developer-thought behind this is: "if you don't have an internet connection then you probably can't afford the legal copy anyway, so you don't get to play" or "you have a code on your games box and with it you can download a decryption key from us, if you can't do that, then you are a thief and we will have nothing to do with you". Spit in the face to poor people and people not residing in the beforementioned countries, by the developers.

Valve/Steam/VU Games basically say: This game can only be played by people with access to internet. I ask you: Where will this lead? Will games in the future be made specifically for countries with a certain BMP? For people of a certain sexual preference? Certain skin colour? Religion?

Am I going to far and off topic? Maybe, maybe not.

By all means, copy protection, yes. Invest and make a disc that can't be copied. Do whatever but don't make the internet a requirement for a singleplayer game.

What an internet-online-account-copy-protection means to me is that the pirates and hackers and crack programs will need to change direction and also become better and more specialised, meaning the internet security will drastically drop. As it is now hackers are hacking cd-s and copy-protection-specific programs not online databases, at least not to crack a mere game for a no-cd crack - which will need to be done in order to crack this sort of “future” protection.

Games for me are meant to be – p l a y e d - and enjoyed, for relaxation or recreation, not to be bartered like an economical investment... a pity that commercialisation kills yet another form of relaxation/entertainment. A low down, dirty, pity!

Man I could not have said that better myself. Amen to that!

[JoyBoy]

Not that it needed to be quoted, but that was a damn fine post from dalver. Personally, I think even more developers will follow VALVe into this Online Activiation/Distribution system. But thats just my 2 pence.

[Grumpy]

@dalvar
I will agree with the 'Joyboy' and would like to say mighty fine post!
Have you thought about entering Politics? You would probably win as there would be many gamers that would vote for you.

[MamiyaOtaru]

I don't really think it was a fine post..

dalver goes on and on about how unfair it is to places other than USA, UK, Germany etc. Needing an internet connection is a "spit in the face to poor people and people not residing in the beforementioned countries, by the developers." Well how come you aren't whining about the other requirements? Is it a spit in the face to have to have a geForce3+? How many of these "poor people" have a geforce, or 256 MB RAM, or an 1100 mhz processor (can't remember exactly what the min specs are)? Why do you focus on one requirement? It's just discrimination to expect poor people to have a fast PC! How dare Valve!

Do you bitch and moan that Star Wars Galaxies requires an internet connection? No? Well so does Half Life 2. Get over it.

Do you complain that people like me who use Linux can't play Half Life 2? I doubt it. I cannot fathom why you have latched onto this one requirement and worked yourself into a lather over it.

Sure Valve could remove the internet requirement. They could also make the graphics look like crap so you can play without a 3d accelerator! Let's all lobby them to do that, so everyone can play! It's only fair!

Fark's sake, it's not as though Valve is depriving anyone of air. My computer doesn't meet the requirements (cause of my OS) and I am going to live. Valve made the game, and for them it made sense to make it like they did. No one ever pretends that everyone can run the latest and greatest tech. Get over it and stop being a whiny spoilsport.

[sole_fish]

The recent poster here must be on the Sierra/Valve payroll.
Just because there are other gripes that could be spewn all around the room, does not mean this internet thing should not be talked about. Shheesshhh. ALL programs have system requirements. That can be a problem. If PC computers were more designed like a console gaming system, some of our problems with Video Cards and stuff would be far less complicated. But, once again, ALL games have system requirements. As it is, this is the FIRST game to implement a protection that FAILED just mere minutes after starting. Stranding myself ,and i am sure MANY thousands of others, from being able to 'activate' and 'play' the game i 'paid' for. So, in the end, is it more important to stray off subject and whine about the things we cannot change, or would it be better to 'Bitch' and 'Moan' about something we stand a shot at changing? Oh, well. I guess I'll go back to my shi**y computer and play Half-Life at 15 Fps. Wow.............these............graphics......... ..are..............cool.

BAN ONLINE REGISTRATION. DRIVE OUT THE NAZI FIGUREHEADS THAT ARE DRIVING DOWN OUR FAVORITE PASTTIME WITH OVERLY COMPLICATED AND HORRIBLY IMPLEMENTED STYLES OF COPY PROTECTION! STAND UP AND FIGHT THE POWERS THAT SERVE ONLY TO LOCK UP OUR COMPUTERS AND F*CK OUR HARD DRIVES! I WANT MY FIFTY BUCKS BACK. I AM PISSED.

[Brainman2k]

@ dalver: 100% agree. i will not purchase a copy of hl2 until someone got this activation-thing "adressed". the whole product-activation is nothing but a dumb idea. its not meant to be used as a copy protection....i think its more like spying out users. i don't know about you, but i certainly do not pay to be watched by some "nazi-big brother"-company.

i waited for this game probably as long as you guys did......but that what valve pulls off is simply ridiculous....

[MamiyaOtaru]

Originally Posted by sole_fish

The recent poster here must be on the Sierra/Valve payroll.

Please don't be lame. That is the gayest ad hominem I've ever seen.

I hate the activation. Because of the activation, I wouldn't buy it even if I ran windows. I am also pretty pissed that it is windows only, but I understand that it is their decision, as is the activation.

The activation sucks, but I still think it is stupid to whine about it as though it was some form of discrimination against poor people. Maybe you didn't read the post I responded to.. Requiring an internet connection is no more discrimination against poor people than requiring a 3d graphics card and good computer.

Go ahead and say how much it sucks and I'll agree. But when someone starts talking about how it's "spitting in poor peoples' face" I call bull****. There's already plenty of things making it hard for poor people to get the game, starting with the 60-120 dollar price tag.

Claiming that activation discriminates against poor people is just stupid. It distracts people from the real reasons that activation sucks and makes one sound like a hysterical tin foil hat wearing nincompoop.

Oh yeah, Valve paid me to write that. haha you are so clever.