Valve really needs to change this (not about L4D)

[hopeneverdies]

So my internet was down between 10 last night and 330 today. Now since I couldn't come here I decided I wanted to play the original HL2. When I tried to load it, it says action can only be done when Steam is online.
Why though? There is no online component or even achievements. I can understand TF2, and Portal to a point, but why HL2? The only game that worked was Audiosurf and that can keep me entertained for awhile but then I want something different.

So my question to Valve is "Why can't Steam play games that don't require online to play while in offline mode?"

 

[HAZEANDHALO]

well, maybe because steam's ONLINE.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Trust me, I took my laptop on holiday to play in the car, I went to boot up HL2:E2 and nadda.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

well, maybe because steam's ONLINE.

We pay for these games, we should have the ability to play them where we please.

--Edit-- This is actually acting to me as an incentive to pirate steam games I own, just so I can play them on the go on my laptop.

 

[Internet Kraken]

They do this for a reason.

Steam games can be installed on any computer from a single profile. Steam ensures that you do not pirate the game by requiring online verification to play the game. This way you can install the game on any computer, but only one computer can run a game at once.

 

[McMo0^]

your topic confuses me i've never had this problem.. i'm going to test this theory later on when i can be arsed to unplug my net

 

[NotAPie]

I really hate it when this happens.
-.- I have to start the game up before I unplug my wires to go.
BLAH!

 

[SmilingKitsune]

I think you can run Steam in an offline mode, a window should come up asking you whether you want to when it can't detect an internet connection.
Though if you did this and still can't play I don't know, maybe you just can't play them offline at all?

 

[hopeneverdies]

I think you can run Steam in an offline mode, a window should come up asking you whether you want to when it can't detect an internet connection.
Though if you did this and still can't play I don't know, maybe you just can't play them offline at all?

I had it running in offline mode, but it said you had to be in online mode to play

 

[SmilingKitsune]

I think you can run Steam in an offline mode, a window should come up asking you whether you want to when it can't detect an internet connection.
Though if you did this and still can't play I don't know, maybe you just can't play them offline at all?

I had it running in offline mode, but it said you had to be in online mode to play

Well then there's not really much advice I can offer, sorry, just hope your connection comes back soon then.

 

[elitecrewer]

I've run games in offline mode before, but I'm guessing that it won't always work. Anti-piracy, clearly -> it's for the greater good.

 

[APPCRASH]

You can run any game in offline mode as long as it is COMPLETELY up to date on all patches and other do-da's.

 

[Xhakhal]

I was really disappointed by this when my net was down for a week. I ended up playing Outlive instead (here's a 'review' just because I mentioned it: http://xhakhal.blogspot.com/2009/04/outlive-genetics-vs-robotics.html ) and boy was this a miserable time...

I understand they do this for a reason, but it's still annoying... Especially for someone like me who only plays computer games (except maybe the shorter ones, like Portal) when the connection is down (so I'll never play half-life 2, ever).

 

[Xanadu84]

Run it in offline mode. I do that constantly on my laptop, and any time my internet goes down i'm fine. The only restriction is that you can't have Steam on 2 computers, both online at the same time. For obvious reasons. You could be online playing Team Fortress, and someone else could be in offline mode playing HL2 on you Laptop. So your problem is already fixed. I'm not sure how to set it so you can go into offline mode though...I ran into that problem once, but it was easy enough to fix that I forgot how I did it immediately afterwards. And it's done it automatically ever since.

 

[McMo0^]

well i just tested hl2, hl2:ep2, portal and l4d single player and all worked fine in offline mode.

 

[KaZZaP]

People have already said it but ya its because you could go install it on all your friends computer and all they'd have to do is play offline.

 

[Bat Vader]

well, maybe because steam's ONLINE.

We pay for these games, we should have the ability to play them where we please.

This could be said of many things. We may not like it but it is Valve's rules. We have to follow them.

 

[spuddyt]

So my internet was down between 10 last night and 330 today. Now since I couldn't come here I decided I wanted to play the original HL2. When I tried to load it, it says action can only be done when Steam is online.
Why though? There is no online component or even achievements. I can understand TF2, and Portal to a point, but why HL2? The only game that worked was Audiosurf and that can keep me entertained for awhile but then I want something different.

So my question to Valve is "Why can't Steam play games that don't require online to play while in offline mode?"

Have you loaded the game while online recently? I've found it seems to want to revalidate which it only does when you launch it sometimes. Putting steam into offline mode before hand always works for me though (even for Tf2 and portal)