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

[GLH]

I was thinking i'm clever and waited two days, before download my version via Steam. But now it is downloading since 8:45 AM !!! Steam tells me there are "only" 80 minutes left. And this with DSL1000...

Can anyone tell me which files i have to store on a DVD+R, so i don't have to redownload it, when my PC crashs?

EDIT:
Now it's ready!
It has taken much much time, 6 hours and 35 minutes !!!
(from 08:45 am to 03:20 pm) !!!

[Grumpy]

@GLH
Wouldnt you just burn them all? Didnt they download into a seperate folder or something? Im also curious to know the price difference between the Retail version and the downloaded Steam version? Surely it would have to be a lot cheaper for the Steam version! And yeh thats a long download alright!
And one more thing to all, who else finds the 'blurred' startup screen so very annoying on the eyes??

[GLH]

After a few problems with starting the game, i found out that the problems are caused by my old graphic driver (Notebook with ATi Radeon 9600 mobile). The available driver are from 01-09-2003 !!!

Now i was using the DH MobilityModder Tool V2.0b to make the ATi Catalyst 4.9 installable on my notebook. This tool don't work with Catalyst 4.10 and 4.11 !!!

Then i was able to play the game.

@Grumpy:
In the Steam directory on my hd is a subfolder "SteamApps" with some big files (~ 4,5 GB). I will burn the complete "SteamApps" folder to a DVD !

[GLH]

Originally Posted by GLH

Can anyone tell me which files i have to store on a DVD+R, so i don't have to redownload it, when my PC crashs?

So now i found out, there is a "Backup files" option in the Steam-Menu (right-click on the game title).
But when i do that, Steam tells me "Half-Life 2 kann erst gesichert werden, wenn die Aktualisierung abgeschlossen wurde."
(english: Half-Life 2 cannot be backed up until it has finished updating.)

Which actualization/update?
When will it be ready?
I can play the game without problems!
How can i tell Steam "update now"?

PS: It's a very cool game!

[GLH]

Originally Posted by GLH

So now i found out, there is a "Backup files" option in the Steam-Menu (right-click on the game title).
But when i do that, Steam tells me "Half-Life 2 kann erst gesichert werden, wenn die Aktualisierung abgeschlossen wurde."
(english: Half-Life 2 cannot be backed up until it has finished updating.)

Which actualization/update?
When will it be ready?
I can play the game without problems!
How can i tell Steam "update now"?

PS: It's a very cool game!

Ok, now everything is fine.
I let my PC online (and also Steam) over the night.
Now i can use the "Backup-Files" option.

[ill_mefs]

Sorry to bring up wat may seem like old news but i bought a copy of half-life 2 on 16/11 and took it home eagerly awaiting wat adventures Valve had instore for me in the perspective of Morgan Freeman. I was angered to observe that an online activation system had been put in place and before the 16/11 i only really used the internet at home to get the occasional no cd patch from gcw. I wasn't too angry at this point though because i had bought the game with hard earned cash and i'm not planning on selling it. The thing that has really been annoying me for the past 4 days is that i cannot login into the steam system to create an account and activate this eagerly awaited title. Apparently the high demand for activation across the world has brought the servers to a somewhat grinding halt. Some people apparently have activated the game ok but, call me paranoid, i think my internet connection at 36k has been given lowest priority and the faster DSL connections have had better luck connecting. Even if this isn't true for a hardcore Half-life fan such as myself, having Half-Life 2 sitting in my room that i have paid for and by all means should be playing right now is driving me crazy, and the prospect of playing the game is fading away to a distant dream each day. The reason I write to tell you all this is because I just wanted to say:

**** VIVENDI AND ALL THOSE ****HEADS WHO ****ED UP THE RELEASE OF THIS ****ING GAME. I SPENT £40 ON THIS GAME WHEN I COULD HAVE JUST DOWNLOADED AN ILLEGAL COPY. I THOUGHT I WOULD SUPPORT VALVE AND ALL OF ITS TALENT BUT NOW I SEE THAT THEY ARE ALL A BUNCH OF PRICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Grumpy]

@ill mefs
Firstly I do understand your frustrations! If you only have a 36k connection you could be in for a long wait! There are many people I have read about who have a 1gig connection and some of them have waited for a few hours! Have you tried leaving it connected all night? I may very well take you this long just to activate it! Once it is activated you will be able to play it without the need to be connected to the Internet. But it will take some time to activate on a 36k! Sorry to have to tell you this but bare with it as it is worth the wait!

[JoyBoy]

Yep, ill mefs is a hard to the core Half-Life fan. Its clear for everyone to see. This aint a forum to vent. Go piss and moan on the official forums