Steam question

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half Life 2
secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 07:42:30 +0000 (UTC), "Tappy Lappy" <Tappy
Lappy@nufc.com> wrote:

>Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half Life 2
>secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
>What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
>Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.

http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=features

You need to install Steam along with HL2 to authenticate and update it
prior to playing. Because of this HL2 requires a net connection.

After you have the game setup, if you don't have a permanent net
connection, you can start Steam in offline mode so you don't have to
be connected to play HL2.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
news:d0u6h5$s97$1@titan.btinternet.com
> Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half
> Life 2 secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
> What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
> Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.

You can install Steam right now, www.steampowered.com and see what it
is. It's a kind of online manager/controller/front end launcher for
Valve games. It does not hinder you from playing the game. It's
necessary if you're going to play the game. Legally that is. You
download and install Steam, set up an online account with Valve through
Steam and you're pretty much set then until you are ready to install
HL2.

Second hand. If transfer of the game to you isn't done right, you
won't be playing that second hand game. AFAIK, the seller/original
owner of that copy would have to literally give you their Steam account.
Then you can go in and change the user name and password, other
particulars. But that account would always be registered to the
original owners name I think. I've also seen mention that Valve can
change this but there is a $10 fee I think.

Steam launches the single player game and doesn't have to be online for
this once things are properly set up. Steam provides access to
multiplayer servers, handles updating and patching the games, provides
news direct from Valve, launches the multiplayer games, etc.

Experts? Heh! We all started at the beginning with this not so many
months ago. Thanks for ignoring all the hullaballoo in the
yea/nay-steam posts to ask what you needed.

McG.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
news:d0u6h5$s97$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half Life 2
> secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".

I recommend NOT buying it second hand, the key will likely be used (and you
cant use it again). Also the original owner doesnt even need the CD to
completely re-install the game AFAIK (and therefore carry on using the steam
account which should be yours).

Paying for it brand new is worth it for the peace of mind imo.

> What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.

This has been answered already, but it can only hinder you from playing if
you dont have it, few people have problems with it (people who have it
working fine rarely post...people who have problems will...).

> Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.

Experts? Wut experts?? WRU Bold! ;p

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
news:d0u6h5$s97$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half Life 2
> secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
> What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
> Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.

Steam is good and evil, yin and yang. I couldn't find disk 5, but with
steam, reinstall was possible without it. However, at last night's LAN
party, steam could not be reached, and we had to play far cry. We had 4
legal copies of a game totalling over $200 and we couldn't play because big
brother wasn't available to say it's ok. I WAS kinda on the fence, now I
think Steam is a big, STEAMy, two-foot turd fresh out of a fat guy's ass.

ps. I acknowledge that it MAY not have been steam's fault we could not
connect. That does not change my opinion

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"McGrandpa" <McGrandpaNOT@NOThotmail.com> wrote in message
news:LFxYd.2495$U_4.865@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> "Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
> news:d0u6h5$s97$1@titan.btinternet.com
>> Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half
>> Life 2 secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
>> What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
>> Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.
>
> You can install Steam right now, www.steampowered.com and see what it is.
> It's a kind of online manager/controller/front end launcher for Valve
> games. It does not hinder you from playing the game. It's necessary if
> you're going to play the game. Legally that is. You download and install
> Steam, set up an online account with Valve through Steam and you're pretty
> much set then until you are ready to install HL2.
>
> Second hand. If transfer of the game to you isn't done right, you won't
> be playing that second hand game. AFAIK, the seller/original owner of
> that copy would have to literally give you their Steam account. Then you
> can go in and change the user name and password, other particulars. But
> that account would always be registered to the original owners name I
> think. I've also seen mention that Valve can change this but there is a
> $10 fee I think.
>
> Steam launches the single player game and doesn't have to be online for
> this once things are properly set up. Steam provides access to
> multiplayer servers, handles updating and patching the games, provides
> news direct from Valve, launches the multiplayer games, etc.
>
> Experts? Heh! We all started at the beginning with this not so many
> months ago. Thanks for ignoring all the hullaballoo in the yea/nay-steam
> posts to ask what you needed.
>
> McG.
Thanks to yourself and Andrew in the post above - much appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

You would be ill-advised to buy HL2 "second-hand" from a stranger..(i.e.
Ebay etc...)

If it's from someone you know & can trust to give you the correct steam
account info, then fine.
Though if this were the case you could just "borrow" their DVD/account info.

Put simply,
buying HL2 "second-hand" IS NOT like buying other games "second-hand"
I bet a lot of kids have got stung this way.

T.

"Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
news:d0ul0n$7mb$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
>
> "McGrandpa" <McGrandpaNOT@NOThotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:LFxYd.2495$U_4.865@fe2.texas.rr.com...
>> "Tappy Lappy" <Tappy Lappy@nufc.com> wrote in message
>> news:d0u6h5$s97$1@titan.btinternet.com
>>> Sorry if this seems a daft question. I am thinking of buying Half
>>> Life 2 secondhand, but keep coming across references to "steam".
>>> What exactly is it, and how can it hinder you from playing the game.
>>> Apologies to the experts, but we all have to start somewhere.
>>
>> You can install Steam right now, www.steampowered.com and see what it is.
>> It's a kind of online manager/controller/front end launcher for Valve
>> games. It does not hinder you from playing the game. It's necessary if
>> you're going to play the game. Legally that is. You download and
>> install Steam, set up an online account with Valve through Steam and
>> you're pretty much set then until you are ready to install HL2.
>>
>> Second hand. If transfer of the game to you isn't done right, you won't
>> be playing that second hand game. AFAIK, the seller/original owner of
>> that copy would have to literally give you their Steam account. Then you
>> can go in and change the user name and password, other particulars. But
>> that account would always be registered to the original owners name I
>> think. I've also seen mention that Valve can change this but there is a
>> $10 fee I think.
>>
>> Steam launches the single player game and doesn't have to be online for
>> this once things are properly set up. Steam provides access to
>> multiplayer servers, handles updating and patching the games, provides
>> news direct from Valve, launches the multiplayer games, etc.
>>
>> Experts? Heh! We all started at the beginning with this not so many
>> months ago. Thanks for ignoring all the hullaballoo in the yea/nay-steam
>> posts to ask what you needed.
>>
>> McG.
> Thanks to yourself and Andrew in the post above - much appreciated.
>

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:42:00 +0000 (UTC), "Mr T." <Mr.T@A-TeaM.co.uk>
wrote:

>You would be ill-advised to buy HL2 "second-hand" from a stranger..(i.e.
>Ebay etc...)
>
>If it's from someone you know & can trust to give you the correct steam
>account info, then fine.
>Though if this were the case you could just "borrow" their DVD/account info.

It is no different to any other Ebay transaction. You pay up front and
have to trust the person will send what you paid for. That is what the
feedback mechanism is for.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
news:1u4631p49bcg8t2m3p93h11fou0g9d4h4c@4ax.com...

It is no different to any other Ebay transaction. You pay up front and
> have to trust the person will send what you paid for. That is what the
> feedback mechanism is for.

99.9% of ALL games on ANY format (PC/PS2/Gamecube etc) bought on Ebay DO NOT
require an online account to activate. I can only think of HL2 that needs
this.
Normally you buy the disk, stick it in your machine, and away you go. So it
is VERY VERY different.
You are not only buying a physical disk, but, just as importantly, a piece
of crucial information.
Don't you think some people will buy the game not knowing this?
Don't you think some people will be selling the HL2 DVD without the account
info?
You don't think some people will say, I was only selling the disk "you got
what you paid for"?
You don't think some people don't care about 1 negative feedback, they've
just sold a useless disk for £20!!!
I suggest you go look on Ebay my mis-guided friend.

Nuff said.

"Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
news:1u4631p49bcg8t2m3p93h11fou0g9d4h4c@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 15:42:00 +0000 (UTC), "Mr T." <Mr.T@A-TeaM.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>You would be ill-advised to buy HL2 "second-hand" from a stranger..(i.e.
>>Ebay etc...)
>>
>>If it's from someone you know & can trust to give you the correct steam
>>account info, then fine.
>>Though if this were the case you could just "borrow" their DVD/account
>>info.
>
> It is no different to any other Ebay transaction. You pay up front and
> have to trust the person will send what you paid for. That is what the
> feedback mechanism is for.
> --
> Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
> Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
> please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
> Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:39:10 +0000 (UTC), "Mr T." <Mr.T@A-TeaM.co.uk>
wrote:

>You don't think some people will say, I was only selling the disk "you got
>what you paid for"?
>You don't think some people don't care about 1 negative feedback, they've
>just sold a useless disk for £20!!!
> I suggest you go look on Ebay my mis-guided friend.

I have a feedback rating of 100% after 99 transactions, buying and
selling, including games that have activation codes. I think I know a
bit about Ebay.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

Errrr............. hello!!!!!
Most PC games nowadays come with activation codes.
However, HL2 is FUNDAMENTALLY different.
Why you refuse to accept the difference, why you continue to miss my point,
why you continue to refuse to accept that buying HL2 second hand from Ebay
can be a risk is beyond me.

Fortunately, anyone who reads this post can make up there own mind, just
like you and I have.

Good-day Sir!

"Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
news:r8k6315o6psd1ksl40eamqeg6dct7sr4jr@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:39:10 +0000 (UTC), "Mr T." <Mr.T@A-TeaM.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>You don't think some people will say, I was only selling the disk "you got
>>what you paid for"?
>>You don't think some people don't care about 1 negative feedback, they've
>>just sold a useless disk for £20!!!
>> I suggest you go look on Ebay my mis-guided friend.
>
> I have a feedback rating of 100% after 99 transactions, buying and
> selling, including games that have activation codes. I think I know a
> bit about Ebay.
> --
> Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
> Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
> please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
> Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 14:25:05 +0000 (UTC), "Mr T." <Mr.T@A-TeaM.co.uk>
tried to sound clever and failed miserably with this:

>Errrr............. hello!!!!!
>Most PC games nowadays come with activation codes.
>However, HL2 is FUNDAMENTALLY different.
>Why you refuse to accept the difference, why you continue to miss my point,
>why you continue to refuse to accept that buying HL2 second hand from Ebay
>can be a risk is beyond me.

Why is it any different to any other Ebay transaction? Ebay relies on
trust, whether you buy a bit of string, a game, a PC or a fridge
freezer, you still generally pay up front and rely on the seller to
send you what you pay for. You use the feedback system to work out if
the person you are buying from is reputable, and if you don't get your
goods (which has never happened to me) you go through the Ebay
complaints procedure. Whether a game has online activation of whatever
form has absolutely nothing to do with anything.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life (More info?)

"fishy_stink_ho" <mckracker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
newsOqdnTpxy_0viK7fRVn-uw@comcast.com...

> ps. I acknowledge that it MAY not have been steam's fault we could not
> connect. That does not change my opinion
>

Well something has to be blamed!!! And steam makes great analogies :E