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faceman28208@yahoo.com - 27 Jan 2006 19:00 GMT

I was in the store a little while ago with a Half-Life 2 copy in my
hand. As I was waiting in line I started reading the fine print and saw
some stuff about having to connect to the internet blah blah. So I put
the thing back and got another game.

I bought original half life and enjoyed it. However, when I bought one
of the sequels, it would not play on my computer because of a paranoid
copyprotection scheme that would not work with a high-speed (at the
time) CD-ROM.

Coming on the heals of the Sony Debacle, major screwup from M$
registration, and seeing all the anti-stream postings, could someone
explain what Steam is and what are the downsides? Should I simply stay
away from HL2 because of it?

I can't access steampowered.com during my lunch due to random corporate
filtering.

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Peter [AGHL] - 27 Jan 2006 19:24 GMT

faceman wrote

> Coming on the heals of the Sony Debacle, major screwup from M$
> registration, and seeing all the anti-stream postings, could someone
> explain what Steam is and what are the downsides? Should I simply stay
> away from HL2 because of it?

Steam is a content delivery system
There's some good news and some bad news

The game will autopatch if Steam has access to the internet
Not as nice as Windows but more "brutal"

Gamecontent is added on a frequent basis

Many games with online options will autopatch or ask if they should
autopatch when you start a multiplayer session

All online games (mmorg) autopatches approx once a month

I don't know
If you just want a game for a few weeks play don't buy it

If you have played HL many times and still enjoy the game and have played
many of the mods for HL
Buy HL2 you won't regret it
Even today new mods for HL is released

HL is beyound doubt the most supported game in the history and has been my
best game investment ever
I'll expect HL2 to be as good an investment if not better :)

- Peter

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WildStyle24_7 - 27 Jan 2006 22:17 GMT

> Steam is a content delivery system
> There's some good news and some bad news

Is the bad news that it drinks your blood and steals your soul?

That would be pretty bad.

Signature

"No is for wimps. No is for pussies. No is to live small and
embittered, cherishing the opportunities you missed because
they might have sent the wrong message."
-Dave Eggers

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David Firewater - 28 Jan 2006 13:04 GMT

> Is the bad news that it drinks your blood and steals your soul?
>
> That would be pretty bad.

Only if you didn't sign the disclaimer surrendering your soul to the cloved
hoof of Beelzebub.

David

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WildStyle24_7 - 28 Jan 2006 14:04 GMT

> Only if you didn't sign the disclaimer surrendering your soul to the cloved
> hoof of Beelzebub.

You mean the section printed in black on a black background?

I think a few people might have missed it, to be honest. Frankly,
people have a very cavalier attitude to reading the small print in
contracts made with the prince of darkness.

Signature

"Like David said in the 23rd Psalm, 'Though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death.' See, nobody say, 'Hey, man, let's go shoppin' in
the valley of the shadow of death! Let's go buy a condo in the valley
of the shadow of death!'"
- Mr. T

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Jay - 30 Jan 2006 04:41 GMT

> In article <v1KCf.64035$zt1.1207@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net>,
>
> I think a few people might have missed it, to be honest. Frankly,
> people have a very cavalier attitude to reading the small print in
> contracts made with the prince of darkness.

-------------------------------------------------------
Alright, let's give the guy a break...
Here goes the 1st real answer (not complete though):
By all means you should get HL2, as for Steam, there are ways of
installing playing HL2 without Steam.
I would explain how, but I never had to do that myself, so I don't know
"exactly" how. I just know that it can be done (hey, I said it would be
incomplete).
If not having access to the net is the reason you're trying to avoid
Steam, then you shouldn't worry about Steam.
Good luck,

DPC

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