HL-2... Install... So... Slow...

[Modem]

You should be able to install it, yeah. Not play it though. It REQUIRES a internet connection to regester/activate the account. Once it's regestered, you're allowed to play in OFFLINE mode (which answeres your second question), which doesn't require a internet connection. Cripes, doesn't anyone read the system requirements anymore?
- Modem

 

[Stalkid64]

Bear in mind if you're talking about a retail version, you'll need the CD in the drive *while you play* if you were considering installing on multiple machines. I love having to run two storeys to fetch the CD depending on which of three PC's I choose to use. No, REALLY I DO.

 

[Modem]

Ahhhh, the benifits of buying via steam.
- Modem

 

[Stalkid64]

Yes, and from what I'm told the pirates benefit even more than that. No CD needed, no Steam (a security hole in the making...), MUCH quicker game boot times...
We all got screwed equally, whether retail or Steam. Tell me you don't see that.

Now that stutter patch has become essential as the City 17 sections are completely intolerable. In terms of usability and friendliness, this is without doubt one of the worst games I've encountered for a long, long time. I don't really think having to wait to play any further for a randomly released patch to fix an audio bug Valve *knew* about in a retail release is exactly a good, fun gaming experience.

 

[Modem]

When you purchase OFF of steam, it still requires you run steam to play it. I'm sure they've thought of something in order to help prevent more piracy. Though they can't stop it all, they can try to stop some of it. And I'm guessing that it still copies a equal ammount of files off of the DVD/CD'S in order to play HL2, so the only thing it likely needs the HL2 cd for is authentication. The loading is a problem with everyone with even pretty fast machines, though it's a little faster.
- Modem

 

[Stalkid64]

Sorry because I don't know quite how accurate this is, but I've been told by a reliable source that the game boots *much* quicker without Steam. It doesn't make you sit through all the `updating Steam`/`preparing to play` that the legitimate version does (even in offline mode it does sit around a fair while...). It runs the HL2 exe and jumps to the loading screens straight off; that's what I'm referring to. As for the CD being required for `authentication`... erm, what the heck was all that `activation` garbage and the CD key for then?

 

[Modem]

According to what I've read, the game just has a slow boot time because it has to load the opening movies. If you can do the command line thing so it doesn't load the opening sequences, it'll loads tons better. Just gotta find that article.
- Modem

 

[Stalkid64]

According to what I've read, the game just has a slow boot time because it has to load the opening movies. If you can do the command line thing so it doesn't load the opening sequences, it'll loads tons better. Just gotta find that article.
- Modem

Now that's actually a very nice tip, though slightly off what I mean. I'm talking about the "pre-intro", where it sits on the desktop with Steam windows, apparently doing nothing in particular for ages (when you first run the hl2 shortcut) before it even changes the screen to the HL2 load sequence. The Steam-free version cuts all that out and jumps to the loading sequence quite a good deal quicker. You hit the exe and it switches the screen right away. I just hate the way the retail/legal versions taunts you by keeping you stuck on the desktop quite a bit longer than necessary, when the evil pirate scum can just get on with it...
lain:

 

[Modem]

That's weird. For me, it only sits at that part for about 5 seconds, then starts loading HL2. Must *really* take a hit from slower processors for some reason.
- Modem

 

[Stalkid64]

Nope. I've seen both versions running on the same PC. Makes no difference.

 

[AlphaWolf]

FWIW I just bought HL2 for $25.95 after tax and there was no shipping.

 

[Stalkid64]

Then boy do I hope you don't hit the stutter problem. Game really is unplayable because of it from the coast to City 17 (where I've had to call it a day...)

 

[smcd]

My copy only started stuttering when I tried to overclock my video card. After resetting it to the default values, it runs smoothly and no crackling or stuttering.

 

[Modem]

Mine randomly stutters (as in slows down to the unlplayable 5fps), but only through the first couple hours of the game. Reloading a save fixes it. After a couple hours, it stops happening for me.
- Modem